It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/13/13

It's Monday, and it's time to look back at the reading I've done for the week. I join other teachers & librarians in this meme,  and it's hosted by my friends Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts . 

I have a break between semesters, so I'm catching up on reading time. I am also trying to read as many of the nominees from the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2013-2014. I only need a few more.

What I read this week:

TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord (See previous post for a review).
Published: 8/1/10
Published by: Scholastic Press

ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK: A TALL THINK TALE by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by John Hendrix
Published: 9/9/08
Published by: Schwartz and Wade

ZEBRA FOREST BY Adina Rishe Gewirtz
Published: 4/9/13
Published by: Candlewick Press

GUM GIRL! Book 1: Chews Your Destiny by Rhode Montijo  (ARC)
Publication date: 7/9/13
Published by: Hyperion Books

TUA AND THE ELEPHANT  by R.P. Harris
Published 4/8/12
Published by: Chronicle Books

What I'm reading this week:

• HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE (MG) by Christopher Healy
• ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell (YA)

What are YOU reading?

Review: TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord

TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord
Published: 8/1/10
Published by: Scholastic Press


We've all looked forward to events in our lives. Some of them turned out better than we hoped. Some of them turned out worse. Some of then turned out like nothing we ever expected.

That's what Tess experiences in this middle grade novel set in Maine. She has a great life on the island of Bethsaida, but the state of Maine wants to shut down her island school because of low attendance. So, as part of a plan to save the school, some of the families take in foster children, and Tessa's parents welcome Aaron into their home. Aaron is quiet and serious, and not at all the big brother Tess imagined. As everyone in the story tries to adjust to the change, Tess learns about herself and the importance of family. Aaron has his own lessons to learn, but he also shows Tess (and the townspeople) a little about themselves.

The writing is direct and captivating, taking you right into the heart of the story. As I read, I felt as if I were a citizen on Bethsaida watching the events play out. I was very glad to be there. I cared about the characters and wanted everyone to find their happy ending! I always do.

In TOUCH BLUE (MG), Cynthia Lord shows exactly why she is a Newbery Honor winner (for RULES in 2007). I highly recommend this title, as it came highly recommended to me from my friend in Maine who sent it to me! Thanks, Susan!

Where Do You Go?

When we're hungry, we know where to go to get fed: our kitchen, favorite restaurant, drive-thru, or grocery store deli. Carrying this analogy into the classroom, (as I tell my students), learners must know where to find information and answers to their questions.

As I drove home yesterday from a meeting with some of my National Writing Project  colleagues, I realized that the same principle applies to teachers. But I'm not just talking about professional development. For example, as teachers/educators we attend the workshops, conferences and sessions that build our knowledge and equip us. We attend the trainings and visit the websites. We talk to the experts. We also read the books (and in my case, go back to grad school for a second master's degree).

But I've realized that I need something more.

I need to interact with fellow teachers. I need to have conversations with them and exchange ideas. In those conversations, in the listening, I compare my understanding to theirs. And then I realize what I need to know, what I do know, and what my next course of action might be.

I have several places where I can get this kind of conversation. Do you know where to find it for yourself? It might be at your school with that teacher who shares a similar interest. It might be in a professional organization you joined long ago. It might be online (on Twitter) via a chat. Perhaps it comes in another form: something you will create for yourself! Wouldn't that be exciting?

I continue to find these sources of learning. Sometimes they are formal, and sometimes they are not. Ultimately, no matter what form my learning takes, my students benefit the most!

Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler

MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS by Eliza Wheeler

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Publication date: 4/4/2013

Pages: 32

Miss Maple cares for all kinds of seeds--from poppy to pine to pumpkin. She takes them on field trips and tours,  warns them of weeds, and reads to them each night (I love that part). Birds and other neighborhood friends are part of her little community, and the story is told by way of each changing season. Miss Maple is both their teacher and their mother. With each illustration, more of Miss Maple's kind and noble character is revealed. What words of advice does Miss Maple have for her seeds? How does she guide them on their tender way? You must read MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS to find out.

Eliza Wheeler is both the writer and the illustrator of this lovely picture book, and so her gifts are double for readers. Wheeler uses warm buttery colors and Miss Maple's own joyful smile to weave a delightful tale of renewal, growth and hope for the future.

When you read this book, be sure to find the page with the seed drawings--each is labeled meticulously, inviting readers to learn and investigate further.

What more can you expect from a book? I highly recommend this title.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/6/13

On Mondays I join a meme called "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" It's hosted by my friends Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and on Mondays it's a gathering place for teacher/librarian bloggers to share their reading for the week. You can also find these posts on Twitter via the #IMWAYR hashtag.

My classes for the semester ended this week, and even though school is super busy, I found some reading time at night. So I was able to finish some books this week:


I read:

I reviewed this one here. A very compelling read!

I love the Lunch Lady series and so do my students. My school book club celebrated School Lunch SuperHero Day on Friday. It was so fun!

Read my review in yesterday's post here.

I loved this one! I'll review it tomorrow!

This one is written by Cynthia Lord. She won a Newbery Honor Award for Rules in 2007.  This is a great book and it was also a gift from one of my very special friends in Maine (where this book is set).

This week I'm reading:

• THE HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE by Christopher Healy
• TUA AND THE ELEPHANT by R.P. Harris
• THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher  

I must finish the Bluebonnets as soon as I can! Next year promises to be a very special school year, and this Bluebonnet list will be part of that! ;-)

What are YOU reading this week?

 

Review: Laugh With the Moon by Shana Burg

LAUGH WITH THE MOON by Shana Burg

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication date: 6/12/2012

Page: 256

 

Clare's mother has died, and her father (a doctor) is taking her to Malawi where he will work in a hospital. Leaving her friends and school, Clare is bitter about moving and is still very much in grief over the loss of her mother. Living in a strange place and far from the comforts of Boston, Clare must adjust to a new school (very different from her American school), a new language, and new ways of doing things (sleeping with a mosquito net, no lunch at school). She forms friendships with the local children, including a girl named Memory-- who has also suffered loss. Their bond becomes part of what gives this story its richness. While putting us right in the middle of the Mzanga Full Primary School (a very memorable part of the book for me), Shana Burg guides us beautifully through Africa by way of Clare's compelling narration. The differences in culture, language, and setting are paired with the similarities all people feel as they lose those they love.

This book is one of those books you must read non-stop and straight through. With Clare's story, and Memory's example, Shana Burg not only composed a great story for readers, but she also provides an experience that will remain long after. It brought to mind the summer in which I read ONE FOR THE MURPHYS and SMALL AS AN ELEPHANT (two other books I also recommend).

It's on the Texas Bluebonnet Master List for 2013-2014, and Shana Burg is a Texas author.  You can see why I had to read this book!

There's an author's note (Burg really did visit Malawi), glossary, and recipe at the end of this book. Don't bypass these wonderful additions; I love when authors give us treats at the end of the book!

Quick Mini-Review: ONE CAME HOME by Amy Timberlake

ONE CAME HOME by Amy Timberlake                       

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication date: 1/8/2013

Pages: 272

After you hear about a book from several people  (my number seems to be 3), I usually want to try it out immediately--which means an emergency bookstore trip (if I don't already have it). That's what happened with ONE CAME HOME.

Georgina lives in Wisconsin in the late 1800's (a really fascinating setting for me) and she lives with her grandfather, mother and older sister Agatha. She has a great vocabulary, and she's headstrong, but she is very much unsure of her future and what she wants out of life. She  admires sister Agatha very much.  So when Agatha becomes missing, and a funeral is held (because a body has been found with the same dress fabric), Georgina refuses to believe her sister has died. The story becomes both a mystery and a journey.

Is Agatha's sister dead or not? Georgie goes on a treacherous journey to find out. The writing reveals the sadness of life on the prairie and the main character's self-reflections. There are many good scenes ( as in one with a cougar) and the further you get, the more you want to know.

This is considered a middle grade, probably appreciated more by middle school readers.

(Also, I didn't mention the pigeons, but many of them figure into the story.)

What did you think of this book?