Carol's Corner

JUST A SECOND- Steve Jenkins

2012-01-30T03:33:00.007-07:00

Steve Jenkins is a Colorado author and illustrator. It only makes sense, then, that I would be a charter member of the Steve Jenkins' fan club. As I have said before, I think Jenkins, (sometimes in cahoots with wife Robin Page), writes some of the most interesting and visually attractive nonfiction out there for elementary and yeah, even middle and high school kids. In the past couple of years, I've reviewed lots of Jenkins' masterpieces: Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Ocean, Bones and Never Smile at a Monkey, and How to Clean a Hippopotamus.

Jenkins' newest book, JUST A SECOND, came out in November. And it's definitely one of my favorites. JUST A SECOND looks at time, but it looks at time in a really unique way. Each two-page spread features 5-7 of Jenkins' classic collage-type illustrations about a certain period of time, all the way from a second to a week. On one of the "one second" spreads, for example, I learned, among other things, that a vulture in flight flaps its wings once, a hummingbird beats its wings 50 times, a bumblebee 200 times, and a midge (a kind of gnat) 1000. There are also pages for "Very Quick" and "Very Long." Many of the pages feature a fact about human population or use of the Earth's resources.

The last few pages in the book are also classic Jenkins- more information on the subject organized in an entirely different way, but also fascinating in their own right. There's a one-page spiral-shaped history of the universe, a bar graph of the Earth's Human Population (with different continents done in different colors), and a two page spread about the lifespans of different plants and animals. Oh, and then there's a history of time and timekeeping.

This one is a winner. So-far it's my nominee for CYBILS nonfiction picture book of 2012.

Here's a link to a New York Times review.

TWICE AS GOOD- RICHARD MICHELSON

2012-01-28T22:57:00.007-07:00

Most people know about the discrimination experienced by Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player in the major leagues. I would venture, however, that not nearly as many know the story of William Powell, the creator of the Clearview Golf Course in Canton, Ohio. Richard Michelson, author of BUSING BREWSTER and LIPMAN PIKE is about to change that with his newest book, TWICE AS GOOD.

Third grader Willie Powell was fascinated by the new golf course in his town, so much so that he would run the seven miles from his home to the course. When he asked a man to teach him to play, the man told Willie that "his kind" weren't welcome there. Willie persevered in visiting the course, however, and soon the man invited him to become a caddy. After several years of caddying, his mother's employer, Dr. Casey, finally taught him to play, and Willie eventually became the captain of his high school golf team. Throughout his growing up years, and on into his adult life, Willie always remembered the words of an elementary school principal, who had told him that if he wanted to get ahead in this world, he would always need to be "twice as good as the white children."

When World War II started, Willie was drafted. In Europe, anyone could play any golf course, but when Willie returned to the United States, he once again encountered discrimination. "Folks don't mind me fighting for their freedom," he told his wife Marcella, "but they sure do mind me sharing their clubhouse." Willie decided that he would build his own golf course, where anyone would be welcome to play, so during the day, he worked on his course, then in the evenings, he supported his family by working as a security guard. Clearview started as a nine hole course, but today, it is an 18 hole course, run by Powell's daughter, Renee, who was the first African American member of the LPGA.

I'm looking forward to sharing TWICE AS GOOD with my fourth graders on Monday. It will be a really important addition to our African American history basket.

Poetry Friday

2012-01-27T04:25:00.011-07:00

Life is bittersweet right now.

Last night, at my son's basketball game, a parent commented,

"Do you know why some species eat their young?

It's so they won't have to deal with teenagers."

And to some degree,

living with my sixteen and eighteen-year-olds

is a lot like that.

Irritating.

Exasperating.

Exhausting.

And yet, at the same time,

I grieve this growing.

Going.

Moving away.

Son #1 got a letter of intent yesterday.

And the idea of sending him

To live in an apartment

At a junior college

One thousand miles away

Seems absolutely

unimaginable.

And I think of all the stories read

Jerseys washed

Texts exchanged

(Where are you? Call me. Be careful. Love you)

And I cannot believe

that this sweet time

Is almost gone.

**********

"Winter Sundays"

Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early

and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,

then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather made

banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

…What did I know, what did I know

of love’s austere and lonely offices?

Read the rest of the poem here.

Poetry Friday is at "Hey, Jim Hill!"

Thoughts for Thursday

2012-01-26T05:19:00.003-07:00

Dr. Richard Allington, on the issue of librarians and teachers being readers:

"I’ll give you my sporting analogy. Do you think football coaches should know anything about football? Do you think football coaches should have ever played football? Would anyone ever hire a football coach that had never played the game and didn’t know anything about it?

I seriously doubt it. If you don’t know anything about the game, trying to explain it to somebody who knows nothing about it is almost impossible…

One of the things that I find most worrisome is that 53% of teachers in the first three years of teaching say that they didn’t read a single book, over half of our beginning teachers have never read a single book in the first few years of teaching, which made me go a ways in understanding why so many kids don’t read books.

If you don’t read books I don’t know how you’d ever share the joys of reading with kids who are learning to read."

THE BOOKS NOT READ

2012-01-23T20:04:00.008-07:00

OK, so last year at this time, I was on Cloud Nine. I had read the Newbery. In fact, I was actually one of the few people I knew who had read it. This year, ummm, not soooo much......

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature 0/3:

Dead End in Norvelt,” by Jack Gantos- haven't read this one or even heard much about it.

Newbery Honor books

Inside Out & Back Again, written by Thanhha Lai- I haven't read this one, but I have seen it mentioned in lots and lots of different places, and it's on my TBR list
Breaking Stalin’s Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin- I hadn't heard of this one-- went hunting for reviews, they look great. Also found out that Yelchin illustrated WONTON, which I love.

Randolph Caldecott Medal and Honor books ( 3 out of 4):

A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka- I'm a long time Chris Raschka fan, and read this one just last wee, in one of my Tattered Cover forays. .

Honor books

“Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco- Nope, I haven't read this one. Don't even remember seeing it anywhere.
"Grandpa Green" Loved this. Thought it was unusual enough that maybe it would win.
“Me … Jane" Loved this one too. I'm planning on using it for a mentor text in a biography unit I will be doing next month

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Where Things Come Back,” by John Corey Whaley- I haven't read this one, but did read a couple of interviews online today, and I'm thinking I might have to hunt it down.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award (4/4 This was my best category this year!!!!)

“Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans” I love anything Kadir and am actually reading this one to my fourth graders right now.

Honor books (both of these were nominated for the CYBILS poetry category, so I had read both of them several times)

“The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
“Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom,” Loved this one, thought the unusual use of light and color might even get Underground looked at for a Caldecott
“Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,”

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience (0/3)- haven't read any of these, not even Wonderstruck

“close to famous,” written byJoan Bauer
“Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures,”
“The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Draanen

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States:

“Soldier Bear” is the 2012 Batchelder Award winner.

Batchelder Honor Book

“The Lily Pond,” written by Annika Thor, and translated by Linda Schenck.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

Pura Belpre

“Diego Rivera: His World and Ours,” illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh- haven't read this, but given that half of my class are ELL (Spanish speakers), it is definitely one I want to hunt down

Belpré Illustrator Honor Books

“The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred,” illustrated by Rafael López, written by Samantha R. Vamos - haven't read this but I did add it to my list after MaryLee reviewed it last week. That counts, right?
“Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match /Marisol McDonald no combina,” illustrated by Sara Palacios, written by Monica Brown- another one that I had not heard of, but it looks great

Pura Belpré (Author) Award (0/3)

“Under the Mesquite,” written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall- no

Belpre Honor

“Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck,” written by Margarita Engle
“Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller,”

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children- 0/5- not quite sure how that could have happened, given that I love nonfiction and read tons of it!

“Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,” written by Melissa Sweet- not supposed to admit that I haven't read this right, even though everyone has been raving about it for months. I did put it on reserve at the library.

Honor Books

"Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor," written by Larry Dane Brimner
"Drawing from Memory," written and illustrated by Allen Saya
"The Elephant Scientist," written by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson,
"Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem" written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzerand published by the National Geographic Society.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book-- 2/4:

"Tales for Very Picky Eaters," haven't read this, or even seen it.

Geisel Honor Books

"I Broke My Trunk,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems- love this one
"I Want My Hat Back," written and illustrated by Jon Klassen- I know everyone in the whole Twitter world loves this one.
"See Me Run," written and illustrated by Paul Meisel- haven't read this one yet.

Guess I have my work cut out for me!

MIGHTY MISS MALONE- CHRISTOPHER PAUL CURTIS

2012-01-21T21:49:00.004-07:00

For the past couple of weeks, everyone on Twitter has been "talking" about Christopher Paul Curtis' new book, THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE. I've been trying to resist buying books, but last weekend, I couldn't stand it anymore. I broke down and bought THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE. It was definitely a good purchase!

Deza Malone is a sixth grader, living with her family in Gary, Indiana at the height of the Great Depression. Deza's father, who she adores, is unable to find work, and eventually leaves the family and heads for Flint, Michigan, where he believes that jobs will be more plentiful. He promises he will write and send for the family, but when Deza, Jimmy, and their mom don't hear for him for several months, they decide to hit the road to try to find him. They end up in a homeless camp outside of Flint.

There's lots to love about this book. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genre, and this book is terrific. It's rich with details from that time period-- e.g. Deza's family doesn't have money to send her to the dentist, so she holds cotton with camphor in her mouth to dull the pain. I love the character of Deza-- she's smart, and spunky, and tough, and resourceful. Just the kind of gal I would want for a friend!

A terrific read. I didn't want to put it down!

POETRY FRIDAY

2012-01-20T04:01:00.017-07:00

I interrupt my regular Poetry Friday posts to do a little shameless advertising. Each year, an uber-dedicated team of people from my district publishes an anthology of student poems from around the district. The team is led by a fourth grade teacher, Steve Replogle. This year's version, DREAMS AND DIRECTIONS, came out about a month ago.

DREAMS AND DIRECTIONS contains over 200 poems written by students in grades K-5. Previous volumes have been organized thematically, this year's poems are grouped by the areas in the city. Poems are illustrated by secondary students from the district's Career Education Center.

An added feature-- the book has two indexes. The first, as one might expect, is alphabetical by title, but the second is organized by poetic form or tool-- haiku, humor, onomatopoeia, similes, surprise endings, etc. Perhaps only a teacher who has frantically searched for a poem with an extended metaphor five minutes before her students arrived can appreciate this feature, but I thought it was way cool!

Here are a few sample poems from the anthology…

"The Heart"

Robert, Kindergarten, Fairview Elementary

The heart is big

The heart is bigger

than an elephant.

"How"

Tazi, Stedman Elementary School

How?

How what?

How do?

How do what?

How do you?

How do you what?

How do you know?

How do you know what?

How do you know when?

How do you know when what?

How do you know when the stars will far?

'I Want A World'

--Hamza, 4th grade, McMeen Elementary School

I want a world
with peace and no war
so no loved ones have to die
I want a world
with fresh breathable air
and no crazy wildfires
I want a world
with no terrorist dictators
making bad choices
I want a world
where everyone
has food, shelter, and clothes
I want a world
where everyone gets a good education
and a great job
I want a world
where everyone's dreams
come true.

The website for DREAMS AND DIRECTIONS, as well as the three previous volumes of poetry, is here.

You can purchase DREAMS AND DIRECTIONS at my favorite local independent bookseller, THE TATTERED COVER.

Elaine Magliaro is hosting POETRY FRIDAY at WILD ROSE READER.

A YIKES SLICE OF LIFE

2012-01-17T03:01:00.010-07:00

Sunday afternoon. Tired of being in the company of people who have an opinion about everything and feel the need to share it (aka teenagers!), I escape to the Tattered Cover to work on my CCIRA presentation about using picture books with older students. Before I enter, I tell myself I can only buy one book. Just one. I have just paid off Christmas, Son #1 has a birthday this week, and now, on top of everything else, I have to buy a new car. "Only one book," I say to myself firmly, as I push open the door of the bookstore, notebook in hand.

My intentions really are good. I am only going to buy one book. I think it will be Kadir Nelson's HEART AND SOUL, but on the way down the stairs to the children's department, I spy Shane Evans' MARCH ON and scoop that up. I loved THE UNDERGROUND and have heard good things about this one. I plant myself in a chair next to a rotating display of New York Times book winners. There I find HEART AND SOUL, but also A NATION'S HOPE: THE STORY OF JOE LOUIS, written by Matt DeLa Pena and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Now I have a stack of three. "Only one book," I tell myself. "I am only buying one book." Sadly, I return MARCH ON and NATION'S HOPE to the display.

As I put them back, I notice OLIVIA'S BIRDS: SAVING THE GULF. We are working on an ecosystems unit now in science, and this book looks perfect. As I leaf through it, I discover it has been written by an eleven-year-old girl. My students are in the middle of illustrating their own picture books, and this book would be perfect. "Only one book," I tell myself, but my resolve is weakening, and somehow, OLIVIA'S BIRDS makes its way into my stack. I look at a few more books, but manage to refrain from adding GRANDPA GREEN, MIGRANT, PASSING THE MUSIC DOWN, WHERE'S WALRUS, and A BALL FOR DAISY to my stack.

I make my way into the room where children's books are housed. On the way in, I peruse the books chosen by Tattered Cover employees. I leaf through STAR OF FEAR, STAR OF HOPE, a gorgeous Holocaust picture book. "Only two books," I tell myself. "You are only buying two books. If you want this one, you have to put OLIVIA or Kadir back." I move on to nonfiction.

There I discover two amazing new books about the Titanic. Stories of a cruise liner sinking off the coast of Italy have filled the news all weekend, and I know my kids would love TITANIC SINKS by Brian Denenberg and EXPLORE TITANIC by Peter Chrisp and Somchith Vongprachanh. I imagine handing these to Cameron and Taylor. Oh my gosh. They would love them. "Only two books," I remind myself. "You are only buying two books." I remember that I have an Amazon card at home and move on.

I stop for a second to look at novels and spy Christopher Paul Curtis' THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE. Twitter has been abuzz about this book all weekend. Everyone is talking about how great it is. I have just finished GABBY and need something new to read tonight. My resolve wavers again. "Maybe I can do three," I think. "Three is not that many." I add it to my pile.

From there I move to the picture book section. I am sitting on the couch looking at books that I am absolutely not buying, I am just reading the titles, when I overhear a woman talking to the clerk. Her daughter is having a baby. She is leaving for Ohio and wants some paperbacks to take to the older siblings of the new baby. I know just the book-- BOSS BABY by Marla Frazee. Then I remember that Raul's mom is having her baby this weekend. We need a book to celebrate. Even though I have loved BOSS BABY for over a year, I do not own it. I add it to my stack. It will be a perfect read aloud on Tuesday morning.

"I gotta get out of here," I think to myself. "This is getting way too expensive." On the way out of the children's department, I see the newest edition of poetry by DPS children. I have the other three. I really need this one too. My stack of five books is teetering a little as I walk up the stairs to the cashier.

A Sunday afternoon at Tattered Cover. I really was just going to buy one book…

POETRY FRIDAY

2012-01-13T04:09:00.010-07:00

Savor.

That's my word for 2012.

Savor the last few months with my almost 18-year-old

before he heads out into the world.

And with his brother, our resident

16-year-old expert (on everything!).

Savor the days with my

23 ten-year-old treasures.

Just savor.

DEAR HOT DOG, by Mordecai Gerstein is a perfect book, then, for 2012. I discovered the book when I was serving as a First Round Cybils judge. DEAR HOT DOG was selected as a finalist in our category, and fellow judge and Poetry Friday participant, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, from The Poem Farm, wrote a beautiful synopsis for the CYBILS website:

Full of gratitude, this collection renews a reader’s appreciation for the stuff we touch and use each day, stuff that just might have feelings of its own. From morning through evening, Gerstein speaks to and about humble things, elevating them through observation and questions. We come to see that autumn leaves are really wearing Halloween costumes and hear a toothbrush “gargling your little song.” A cup “puts a handle” on liquids and a hot dog is “snug as a puppy in your bready bun. For the first time, we wonder where light goes in the darkness.

By celebrating daily objects, this delightful tribute offers readers of all ages a way to see our own lives – with whimsy, wonder, and thankfulness for the small stuff of our own lives.

Here is the title poem:

HOT DOG

Dear hot dog,

snug as a puppy

in your bread bun,

I love you.

I squeeze the sunny

mustard

up and down

your ticklish tummy,

and cover you up

with relish and a blanket

of crimson ketchup.

You are so fragrant,

plump, and steamy.

I could

eat

you

up.

Mordecai Gerstein

(In the book it's really printed in two columns, the first ten lines on the left hand side, the last ten on the right, but I can't figure out how to make blogspot do that, my apologies to Mr. Gerstein).

I will be pairing this book with another favorite "savoring" book, dear world, by Takayo Noda.

Poetry Friday is at A Teaching Life. Thanks for hosting, Tara!

Savor the day!

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

2012-01-12T04:29:00.001-07:00

“The first essential

in any book

is that it have something significant to say --

a book that leaves the reader

with bigger ideas

than when he/she began reading -

that stimulates the thinking,

stretches the mind,

deepens the feelings.

A good book sticks to your ribs.”

– Rebecca Caudill

A WEEK OF ADULT READING

2012-01-09T04:16:00.013-07:00

Way too much going on right now. We are in countdown mode until our state's "blessed event" (7 weeks, I think, but maybe eight, I sort of lost count) and I have a son who might graduate from high school and only knows that he wants to play football, and my school is closing and I have to find a new job, and so I did what I always do when life gets more intense than I can handle. I read.

This was a week of adult reads, which is actually pretty unusual for me. I always have at least one adult book going, but it usually takes me several weeks to get through them. This week I got through two, nibbled at a third, and also worked on THE ART OF SLOW READING by Tom Newkirk.

My book club has been reading Alice Hoffman's THE DOVEKEEPERS since November. It's historical fiction, set in Israel and the surrounding area, and tells the stories of four women who came together as dove keepers in a besieged town. It kind of reminds me of THE RED TENT, which I read several years ago. It's very good, and very sad, and very intense, and very literary, and I'm having a really hard time getting through it. I think I will go back and finish it, but probably not until things are a little less crazy in my own life, maybe this summer, I will be able to tackle it.

I found GABBY at the library, started it over break, and finished it this weekend. I am fascinated by the stories of people's lives and this book, a biography/memoir written mostly by Gabby's husband, astronaut Mark Kelly (with help from Jeff Zaslow, who is the author of several other biography/memoirs I have enjoyed) was interesting. I was fascinated by the decisions that they had to make when someone who is a very public person was injured, about how therapists used music to reactivate Giffords' language, and about Kelly's stories about his life as an astronaut. Only the last chapter is actually written by Giffords- at the point when the book was written she was not yet speaking in full sentences, and the last chapter is only a couple of pages, written mostly in phrases. I think it would be a really interesting piece to use to talk about voice.

OK, and Saturday night between interactions with teenagers ("Mom, we are going over to say hi to S***." An hour later, they are back, "Mom, this is my friend- I am expecting S***, but instead he brings J***, who I have never met, but who stands and talks to me for 20 minutes, while Son #2 plays video games in his room. She stays an hour, then Son #2 takes her home, but 15 minutes after he is back the girls who managed the football team arrive to hang out and I retreat to my room with LEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. Henry. This is a mystery, a total page turner. The main character (whose name I can't even remember right now), a young woman who is a freelance journalist in Lake Placid, is on a ferry crossing Lake Champlain, when she sees a small boy fall off another ferry. She dives into the water to rescue him and discovers that his arms are tied, strait jacket fashion, around his neck. She spends the rest of the book trying to find out who the boy is, where his parents are, and who was trying to drown him. I had not heard of this book before, but evidently it has won several mystery awards in the past few months. I can see why- I couldn't put it down…

POETRY FRIDAY

2012-01-06T04:09:00.010-07:00

As a little girl, one of my favorite parts of summer was going to the bookmobile at the parking lot of the Albertson's Grocery Store (I know, a total book nerd thing to admit!). Every Monday afternoon, Mrs. Holly, who was as wide as the aisle of the beloved book van, would welcome us to paradise, my memories are much like those that I found in this photograph of this Brooklyn bookmobile. Mrs. Holly knew my name, knew my tastes as a reader, and would set aside books she thought I would like. I would check out as many as she'd let me take, and sometimes sneak a few extras on my sisters' cards, then I'd head home, set for the week.

Earlier this week I discovered "The Bookmobile" by Linda Sutphen in an article on the Choice Literacy website.

"Bookmobile"

by Joyce Sutphen

…Even when it arrives, I have to wait.

The librarian is busy, getting out

the inky pad and the lined cards.

I pace back and forth in the line,

hungry for the fresh bread of the page,

because I need something that will tell me

what I am…

Read the rest of the poem here.

Read an interview of Joyce Sutphen, Poet Laureate of Minnesota, here.

The article where I first read the poem is a "must read" for teachers, librarians, and anyone who cares about kids and literacy. You can find it on the CHOICE LITERACY website, which is one of my favorite sources for professional learning.

And here is the Vicki Vinton's blog, where the piece originally appeared.

Poetry Friday is at Teaching Authors.

Thursday Thinking…

2012-01-05T04:31:00.004-07:00

I have always been a teacher.

But I have taught in many different contexts.

I started out as a first and second grade teacher.

Then I was a literacy resource teacher. That was in the days before there were literacy coaches. We had t-shirts that said, "Be a LRT" (Get it- be alert!)

Then I moved to New Hampshire, where I taught undergrads, which I loved.

And then back to the classroom for a year.

After that five years as a district literacy specialist, racing madly between 80 something schools, trying to do just a little good for a whole lot of people.

Then an assistant principal for five years. And after that a literacy coach/reading interventionist for five more years.

And now, this year, for the first time in many years, I am back in the classroom, teaching fourth grade. And I am loving it. But it's hard, hard work every single day.

So I thought maybe I would try a post about things I am thinking about. And I'm sure it will not be anything new to people who have been in the classroom. But it's what I am thinking about right now.

This week I am thinking about books. Specifically classroom libraries. And independent reading. And reading workshop. Some things I am thinking:

It takes a ton of books to run a reading workshop. I am a lover of books. I have probably well over a thousand books in my classroom library. I buy new books every. single. month. Actually pretty much every single weekend. And I don't have nearly enough books. I wonder, then, how teachers who have only the paltry little selections provided by cash-strapped school districts can ever run a reading workshop.

I am thinking about the quantity of books necessary in an urban setting, as opposed to a suburban setting. My kids don't have many books in their homes. Some of them go to the library, but not many. So the books they take home to read are the books from my classroom library. And yeah, I let kids take books home. I have to, if I want them become readers. But those books don't always come back. And travel, even in folders or ziploc bags, can be hard on books. And then they have to be replaced.

There is also the issue of how kids treat books. I cherish books. Adore them. Use bookmarks. Don't turn down pages. I talk with students constantly about caring for books. And still my books are getting really, really beat up this year. Sometimes because my kids don't have a lot of books around, and have not grown up loving and cherishing and caring for books. And sometimes kids just read certain books to death. I know, for instance, I'm going to have to replace my whole set of Babymouse and Lunch Lady pretty much every year. The kids just wear them out. I would love to hear what other teachers do to protect their books.

Closely related to that, it takes a ton of money to run a reading workshop. I make bookstore runs, or order online, pretty much every weekend. This year, I'm trying to limit myself to buying chapter books. And graphic novels. And a little poetry. And every once in a while a picture book, usually historic fiction, or one by an author or illustrator I love. OK, yeah, I guess I just buy books. A lot of them. And that costs a lot of money.

Yes, I search for used books on Amazon. And watch for the buy 3, get 4 ads. And yes, I go to Scholastic warehouse sales. I use book club points if I have them. But remember, I teach in an urban area. My kids don't order books. Any of the book points we have are because I have ordered books. And please don't tell me about going to garage sales and the Goodwill for books. I know you can find decent books in decent quality sometimes. But I am not willing to putting anything less than the cutting edge best in my students' hands.

While I am on the subject of how much I spend on books, I think I have to say something about young teachers, or families that are struggling in this economy. Fortunately, I have taught long enough that I make a little more. I can buy books (at least if I give up other stuff, like nice clothes and dinners out). But I look at teachers that are just starting out. And they don't make much. Or teachers who have other financial issues or commitments (like kids in college!). They can't buy books for their classrooms. And then we wonder why some teachers struggle with reading workshop.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, it takes a ton of knowledge to run a reading workshop. (Again, this is not going to be anything new to anyone who teaches). If you are going to run a successful reading workshop, you have got to know children's literature. Period. No, you don't have to have read every single book on the shelf, but you have to know books. You have to talk books, and advertise books, and sell books. Every. single. day. You have to be able to say, a hundred times a day, "I found a perfect book for you" or "If you loved *** you will love *****)." And yes, as the reading community develops, kids do that for each other. But the teacher is the chief reader. And she sets the tone. And the pace. And if she doesn't love books and know books nobody else, or at least not very many kids, will either.

I'm struck, as never before, by how many teachers don't read. Don't know kids' books. Don't read book reviews. Don't follow blogs. Don't talk to like-minded colleagues through Twitter or groups like "The New Centurions" on Facebook. And I wonder how they can ever run a reading workshop. It's like being a chef and not owning a set of knives. Or buying a set, and then never sharpening them. It just doesn't work.

It also takes a ton of professional knowledge to run a reading workshop. You have to know how to talk to kids about their reading. You have to know about reading strategies. You have to know when to push. What kids need. How to give them the tools they need to decode and comprehend text. There is no place for teachers who are not reading or growing professionally.

I love reading workshop. Wouldn't want to teach reading any other way. But bottom line is that it's really hard work. It takes a ton of books. And money. And knowledge. And I think it's time that we, artists who love our profession, start thinking about how we can make it more accessible to our colleagues who don't have the passion or the skills or the dollars that we have.

SLICE OF LIFE

2012-01-03T05:43:00.003-07:00

I'm playing around with my blog.

What, if anything, do I want it to become?

For the next couple of weeks, I hope,

I'm going to experiment with some different things.

Today's challenge is Slice of Life.

I did that last year, but only in March,

when you "slice" away every day.

Some people have continued every Tuesday.

But not me.

Today I am starting again.

My word for 2012 is "Savor."

I want to savor every minute

especially with my guys

who will be gone way, way, way too soon.

On Sunday

I started.

Sunday we went to the Broncos game.

I'm a long time Bronco fan

but I have only actually been to three games

because tickets are super expensive.

And I am a single mom

trying to feed and clothe two ginormous

teenage boys.

But this week we actually got to go.

Brian Dawkins, one of the Bronco players,

gives an award every week

to a high school player who has overcome adversity.

My boys won the award

And so we got to go to the game.

Actually, not only did we get to go to the game,

we got preseason passes

to go down on the field

and watch the pre game warm up

right there

where we could see the players' fancy cleats

and head phones

and watch them stretch out

and then we had amazing seats,

eight rows from the field,

on the twenty yard line,

right by where the players came out onto the field

and in close proximity

(to my boys' delight)

to the Bronco cheerleaders

and then afterwards,

we got to go into the family waiting area

and meet Brian Dawkins

and the boys got to talk to him for almost half an hour.

Now my life with teenagers

is always a little lumpy and bumpy.

The game was on Sunday, January 1st,

And Saturday night was New Year's Eve.

And of course the boys had to go out with their friends.

And of course they didn't sleep much. If at all.

So they were a teeny bit grumpy.

And it was pretty cold.

Although not nearly as cold as it could have been.

And of course even though I said dress in layers

and even made several suggestions

as to what the layers might include

no one wanted to dress in layers

or help carry the blankets

I lugged all over the stadium.

Note: One child did actually use a blanket

after I had watched goosebumps form on his neck

for an entire half.

And of course there was one Kansas City fan

sitting right in front of us

who had altered his #15 jersey

so it said T-Blow

and he had evidently had partaken of some adult beverages

and spent the entire first half

arguing with another young gentleman

sitting directly behind us

who had also evidently partaken of adult beverages

and the guest relations guy

had to come several times

and tell them to stop

arguing with each other.

And of course the boys

didn't want anyone to know

they were with

the short chubby lady

lugging the blankets

and at one point

after the game

but before we met Brian Dawkins

I completely lost them

In a sea of 75,068 people

and had to resort to text messages

to track them down

so I could give them their passes

and we could go down on the field

to meet Brian.

And of course one son got mad at me

because I laughed

because a really cute little g

four year old fashionista

wearing a white fur coat

and a mini skirt

and leggings

and black boots

was totally smitten with my son

and followed him around the player waiting area

standing directly in front of him

and craning her neck

to gaze adoringly into his eyes

for about ten minutes.

And of course after

we had an amazing conversation with Brian Dawkins

and he said

"Do you take good care of your mom?'

The boys left me

to walk the half mile back to the car

by myself

in a pretty questionable part of town

in the dark

because they were cold

and wanted to jog

and I couldn't go as fast as them

partly because they are in much better shape

but also because I was still lugging the blankets.

But I ignored all of the above.

And just concentrated

on savoring.

Because my boys

are

wonderful

and amazing

and they are going to be gone soon

and I will miss them.

WELCOME 2012

2012-01-01T08:09:00.009-07:00

Welcome to 2012!

Today marks the beginning of my fifth year as a blogger. When I started Carol W's Corner, I did it because I believe that as teachers should always be learning new things. At the beginning, the learning curve was pretty steep. I learned how to post book covers and photographs (the latter only kind of), I became a CYBILS judge, and I got involved with Poetry Friday. I made some great new friends, people like Mary Lee and Franki, and became better friends with close-to-home folks, like Patrick Allen. Most recently, I have learned to Tweet and become acquainted with a whole new community of amazing readers and teachers.

I'm trying to decide, however, what I want to do with my blog. It feels pretty routine and old hat, and I don't feel like I'm pushing myself or learning anything new. Most of the books that I read and review are books that I have discovered are books I have heard about through other blogs, and I'm pretty sure that the people who read my blog also read those other blogs. I have thought about revamping-- doing book reviews a couple of times a week, maybe doing Slice of Life with two Writing teachers, doing some kind of a response to a professional book, or classroom vignette. I also wonder about taking a day to incorporate more of spiritual life, and spiritual journey, which would probably offend some people, but oh well. I'm just not sure, given the demands of full time teaching and full time parenting, how much I can manage.

I am also trying to decide who I want to be be as a reader in 2012. I know that some folks in my world of Kidlitosphere are going to read all of the Newbery winners over the next two years. I know there is a whole other group of people reading all the Caldecotts. Last year, I read with Paul Hankins and the Reading Centurions Group over on Facebook. I will probably do that this year, but if I am going to do it, I need to be better about tracking my books. I started using Goodreads last year, and I like it, but I'm not really faithful about using it-- last year I noted 135 books, but I'm sure I read closer to 300, if I include picture books.

I also know I need to do more with technology. Last year, I started a new blog. My goal was to post a picture every day. I did it for about three days, then stopped. And I really want to get better at that; I think I'm probably the only person in America who really does not quite have the hang of how to move pictures from the digital camera to the computer. Maybe this year… And I want to get much, much better at using my iPad, especially in my classroom. And maybe even learn how to play Words with Friends…

So I am entering 2012 with a lot of unknowns. I do know is that I want to slow down and savor this new year. A lot will be changing. My school is closing, and I will need to find a new job. I don't know whether that will be classroom, or interventionist, or administration or something completely and totally different. Son #1 will be graduating (at least I hope he will!) and I am waiting and praying to see what doors will open for him. Son #2 only has one more year. And the boys' sister is a junior in college, and at some point will move out of the teeny tiny bedroom in our basement and head out into the big wide world…

Fitting with that theme of slowing down, my first read this year is a professional book, THE ART OF SLOW READING, by Thomas Newkirk. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but so far it's brilliant. Tom doesn't advocate that a reader should read everything slowly,

(Slow reading) has to do with the relationship we have with what we read, with the quality of attention we bring to our reading, with the investment we are willing to make. It is based on the belief that good writing is never consumed, never fully understood, and that though we often read for the efficient extraction of information, this extraction is not the most meaningful or pleasurable reading we do. Slow reading repays even repeated readings and speaks to us in new ways with each engagement..." (p. 2)

There is usually an ebb and flow to slow reading, times when we are immersed in the narrative flow, and times when we pause to reflect or reread or just savor the moment…Although I am convinced that slow reading is essential for real comprehension, it is also clearly crucial to the deep pleasure we take in reading and the power of reading to change us. As John Miedma eloquently puts it: "By opening yourself to a book in this way, you invite ideas and feelings that enrich and expand your interiority. Reading is the making of a deeper self." (3)

I'm only a couple of chapters into this book, because I am reading the book slowly and savoring Tom's brilliant thinking. I know, however, from a quick skim, that later chapters are going to talk about six different ways, e.g. marking text, memorizing, reading like a writer-- to help readers learn to read slowly and deeply, and be changed by texts. Seems like some really good stuff, and I know I'll learn a lot.

Here's to a terrific 2012.

May you savor each moment richly!

POETRY FRIDAY- A FEW FOUND POEMS

2011-12-30T16:12:00.005-07:00

This week, I am unpacking a few of the boxes of books, that have been in the corner of my bedroom for about three months. Unfortunately, unpacking books, for me, often involves more reading than unpacking, and that is pretty much what has happened this time. Ran across Anne LaMott's PLAN B: FURTHER THOUGHTS ON FAITH, which I loved the first time. LaMott's brand of Christianity is about as shiny, and pious, and squeaky clean as mine, which is to say it's none of those things, at all. Anyway, I decided to make found poems…

"Through this Craziness"

"How are we

going to get through

this craziness?"

I asked Father Tom.

There was

silence.

For a moment.

Left foot,

right foot,

left foot,

breathe.

I don't know

who can lead us away

from the craziness

and barbarity.

But I know

that in the desert

you stay out

of the blistering sun.

You go out

during the early morning

and in the cool

of the evening.

You seek

oasis

shade

safety

refreshment.

In the desert

you stay out

of the blistering sun.

************

"Saying Goodbye"

After the loss of her dog, Sadie:

It still hurts

sometimes,

to have lost Sadie.

She was like

the floating garlands

sculptor Andy Goldsworthy

made in the documentary

Rivers and Tides:

yellow and red and green leaves,

connected to one another with thorns,

floating away

in the current

swirling

drifting back

toward the shore

getting cornered

in eddies,

drifting free again.

All along

you know

that they will disperse

once they are out

of your vision,

but they will never be gone entirely

because you saw them.

****************

"Bulbs"

Planting bulbs

always sounds

like a romantic and fun thing to do

but it never is.

The earth is rocky

and full of roots,

it's clay.

It seems doomed

and polluted

yet you dig little holes

for ugly

shrivelled bulbs,

throw in a handful of poppy seeds,

and cover everything over,

and you know

you'll never see them again--

it's death

and clay

and shrivel.

Your hands

are nicked

from the rocks

your nails

are black

with the soil.

December and January

are so grim…

Yet in spring

daffodils

and poppies

are waiting

in the wings.

POETRY FRIDAY is at Julie Larios' THE DRIFT RECORD.

BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX by Laurel Snyder

2011-12-29T06:31:00.006-07:00

Times are hard. And because they are hard for adults, they are also hard for kids. Now, more than I ever, I need to be able to hand kids books that say, "You are not alone." I have found a new one this week.

Twelve-year-old Rebecca, in Laurel Snyder's BIGGER THAN A BREADBOX, will be a friend, I am sure, for many of my students. Her mom and dad are having a hard time, and finally, one day after school, her mom puts Rebecca and her three-year-old brother, Lew, in the car and leaves Baltimore, headed for her mother's house in Atlanta.

Rebecca, who has always been called Rebecca, misses her dad horribly. And she is a new kid, missing her niche and friends in her old school, trying to be the "Becky" that the popular kids at her new school want her to be. And her mom, drowning in adult issues, is not really there to help.

Rebecca/Becky's life is further complicated by a magical bread box that she finds in the attic at her grandmother's house. She can wish for anything she wants- an iPod, her favorite Baltimore treats, cash, cute clothes-- and as long as it is small enough to fit into a bread box, her wish will be granted. Rebecca uses the bread box a lot, until she discovers the source of all of its riches…

BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX is one of those books that screams to be shared with kids. It's about family, and fitting in, and growing up, and right and wrong. But mostly, it's just about saying to kids, "You are not alone."

And I know a lot of kids that need to hear that message…

P.S. Karen, over at Literate Lives review Bread Box here, then has a recap of a skyping session between her class and Laurel Snyder here.

THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson

2011-12-27T08:53:00.007-07:00

Our Christmas vacation has been relatively quiet. I've read and reread and reread the CYBILS poetry nominees, and finally picked my five. We went to Colorado Springs and spent Christmas day with my family. I've spent time with my book club buddies and seen a couple of movies. I've done a little cleaning… What I haven't done, at least as much as I usually do, is read, at least not in the voluminous way I usually do during vacations.

Yesterday, I did pick up THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL, a historical fiction novel by Kirby Larson. THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL follows Miss Tanagawa, one of 58 "ambassador dolls" sent to the United States by Japanese schoolchildren (this actually happened), in 1927. The historical fiction/fantasy line is blurred occasionally, as Miss Tanagawa interjects her voice into the lives of five different characters in five short, novella-like episodes. The first four episodes are set against the backdrop of the Great Depression era, and there is a lot of history embedded.

When Miss Tanagawa arrives in New York, she is greeted by a group of children, including Bunny, a wealthy, high society child, who is disappointed that a Roosevelt heir has been chosen over her to give the speech welcoming the dolls to the United States. Next, Miss Tanagawa travels to Chicago, where we meet Lois, a child who has dreams of flying like Amelia Earhart. After that, Miss Tanagawa is sold at an auction and ends up in the closet of a crochety old lady, whose heart is finally awakened by Willie Mae, a poor young girl whose father has been killed in a coal mining accident in the Appalachian mountains. From there, Miss Tanagawa travels to a museum in Oregon, where she encounters Lucille, who is traveling cross country with her widowed father, following the crops during the Great Depression. Miss Tanagawa plays the role of conscience or comforter.

I really enjoyed how Kirby Larson structured this novel to capture the lives of several characters during the era from 1927-1941. I was fascinated by how she used Miss Tanagawa as the common thread tying the stories together. I can't wait to share this book with some of my girls next week…

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

2011-12-26T10:41:00.005-07:00

A look at the cover of this book pretty much captures it's essence.

1. SELF-PORTRAIT is a biography of artist Marc Chagall.

3. SELF-PORTRAIT is written in verse, but each page also contains a block of text detailing biographical information from that period of Chagall's life.

4. SELF-PORTRAIT is written by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen, two of the foremost authors in children's literature/poetry.

2. SELF-PORTRAIT is illustrated with Chagall's paintings, as well as an occasional photograph.

Need I say more? Probably not, but I will, a little anyway. SELF-PORTRAIT IN SEVEN FINGERS is one of those books where poetry, nonfiction, art, and photography are pretty much perfectly melded. Lewis and Yolen have taken a series of Chagall's paintings, and crafted 14 poems, each about a different period in the artist's life. Each two page spread includes the painting, a poem, and a block of text with biographical information about that chunk of Chagall's life. Many of the pages also include a glossary type definition of an unfamiliar Yiddish word. The finished product is rich and multi-textured and really fascinating. And yes, it would be perfect for an art class for any age student, from very young (ok, you would probably have to paraphrase a little with very young kids, but I really think they could get it). I'm also considering using it as the main mentor text for a multi-genre biography project with my fourth graders.

On a completely different note, and maybe just because I'm really nosy, I'm fascinated by the collaboration between J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen. I would love to know how this project came about. What inspired the topic? Format? How did they decide on who what would write what? What was the actual process of writing the book like? Did they email back and forth every day? Or…??????? And I wonder if they have any more collaborations planned…

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-12-23T08:29:00.006-07:00

I'm a first round judge for the CYBILS poetry category. For the past six weeks, I've been reading and rereading about thirty poetry books that have been published in the last year. One of those books is REQUIEM: POEMS OF THE TEREZIN GHETTO by Paul Janezcko. In an afterword, Janezcko gives readers background about Terezin, a concentration camp, located on the banks of the Ohre River.

(Terezin) became home for the Jewish intellectuals and artists of Prague. As a result, it became a prison in which the arts were tolerated, then encouraged, as a Nazi propaganda tool. Classical music and opera were commonplace, despite the horrors and cruelty of captivity. Lectures were delivered in attics and basements of the barracks. Most of these activities were allowed by the Nazis, who saw these artistic events as proof that they were treating the Jews humanely and allowing their culture to flourish. The reality of the situation was, of course, quite the opposite. Musicians who performed beautifully one night were packed into cattle cars the next, transported to the gas chambers.

Each of the 35 poems in the book is told by different fictional character, either a prisoner or German guard. The poems, sparse and haunting, illustrated by actual pencil sketches and watercolors from inmates, help me to remember and care. They would be perfect for a middle or high school social studies unit on the Holocaust.

"Wilfred Becker/34507"

When Otto's number was called,
Eva wept.
She would go with him.
Insisted.
They would have one more night
together.
She traded half a loaf of bread
for two hours
in a kumbal with a curtain.
Otto asked if I would play
my violin.
"I would be honored, my friend."
"Can you play Johann Strauss?"
I smiled. "I am German, am I not?"

So it was on that frigid night
I played waltzes for them.
"The Blue Danube"
"Where the Lemons Bloom"
"Youthful Dreams"
All played softly
notes like stars.

When they pulled back the curtain
and nodded to me,
I bowed
and played a final waltz.

- Paul Janezcko

Poetry Friday is at Dori Reads

COUSINS OF CLOUDS by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

2011-12-21T07:58:00.009-07:00

This fall, I've talked a lot about how poetry can make you see the world in entirely different ways. That definitely happened for me yesterday. I will never again look at an elephant without thinking about Tracy Vaughn Zimmer's, COUSINS OF CLOUDS: ELEPHANT POEMS. The title poem, "Cousins of Clouds," explains that elephants used to be able to fly, but long ago, after a fight erupted, a great prophet took away their powers.

"Furious,
the prophet invoked a dreadful curse,
shriveling the elephants' prized wings
into pitiful ears,
chaining the elephant
to gravity and man's will
for all eternity.

To this very day
you can see the poor elephants
flapping their ears,
dreaming of flight,
but now only
cousins of clouds.

This poem is followed by twenty more elephant related poems. Naturally, there are poems about the elephant's body parts. The first of these is a series of six haiku loosely based on "The Blind Men and the Elephant." Other body parts' poems include "Ivory" and "Trunk" about the animal's tusks and trunk. "Mud Spa" and "Fortress" describe the elephant habits. Several poems, such as "This is Just to Say," and "Memory" detail the species' extraordinary memory.

Still more poems, like "Beggars of Bangkok" provide snapshots of elephants' treatment in various countries. In Bangkok, elephants were once used for logging. Sadly, the areas have been deforested, and now the elephants and their mahouts (handlers) are forced to panhandle on the streets. "Orphan" is a snapshot of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, while "Sonnet for Sanctuary" is a gorgeous poem about an animal sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Poems like "White Elephant" and "A Riddle" describe historical traditions related to elephants.

I especially loved the design of this book. Many poetry books about animals contained fact pages or additional information in authors' notes. In COUSINS OF CLOUDS, however, this information is included in a text box right on the page with the poem. I loved being able to read the poem and the background information without having to flip back and forth.

I'm looking forward to using COUSINS OF CLOUDS with my students. A terrific mentor text, or multi genre study, or just a plain fun read!

FOLLOWING EZRA by Tom Fields-Meyer

2011-12-20T09:29:00.006-07:00

It's December 20th, the second day of midwinter break. I had anticipated that I would be devouring children's books, reading a book a day, trying to get some of the Newbery prospects under my belt before the announcement in January. Instead, my reading journey has taken a sidetrack. I'm reading a memoir, FOLLOWING EZRA: WHAT ONE FATHER LEARNED ABOUT GUMBY, OTTERS, AUTISM, AND LOVE FROM HIS EXTRAORDINARY SON.

Tom Fields-Meyer, former PEOPLE magazine journalist, and his wife, Shawn, a rabbi, have three sons. Their middle son, Ezra, now about 15, has autism (I'm never quite sure if I am wording this correctly, so my apologies if I'm not). Ezra loves the zoo, dogs, and all things Disney/Pixar. He memorizes dates and addresses and and birthdays and uses those as his avenue to connect with people. This book chronicles Fields-Meyer's journey, not to grieve the son that he might have had, but rather to understand, appreciate, and love the son that he has.

One scene beautifully captures my most important learning from this book. Ezra is starting at a new preschool, and Dawn, his new teacher, has come to the house to meet him. Shawn and Tom are attempting to explain that Ezra rarely responds when people address him. Dawn's comments absolutely blow me away…

"Some teachers figure, 'Well, you speak Japanese and I speak English, so there's no way we can ever communicate. But I want to learn Japanese. I want to learn to speak Ezra's language and communicate with Ezra, so he'll let me into his world. That's what this is all about…."

FOLLOWING EZRA is teaching me, on a whole bunch of different levels, to speak Japanese. First, I'm reading it as a friend. A very close friend of mine has a son who has autism and they have travelled a long, bumpy, exhausting road. I never quite know what to say, or how to best support her and her family, especially given that they live 1,500 miles away. And so, as I read FOLLOWING EZRA, I'm thinking about my friend, and thinking about how I can better walk beside her, and learn to speak Japanese …

Second, I'm reading it as a teacher. I bet every one of us can think of kids that we teach that may or may not be autistic, but that don't quite "fit the mold" we are supposed to shove them into. I think of a little boy I know that chews on his clothes incessantly. The necklines and sleeves of his shirts and jackets are always wet and hole-y. After weeks, ok, maybe even months, of trying to get him to stop, talking to his mom, planning secret signals, etc. I finally had an epiphany. "If he wants to put something in his mouth, just give him something to put in his mouth." And now I keep gum in my desk drawer, and he doesn't chew his clothes, and I wonder why I spent three months trying to fix something, when all I really needed to do was learn to speak a little Japanese…

And finally, I'm reading it as a parent. Without disclosing any details that would embarrass my offspring, well, let's just say it's really hard to be a parent. It's especially hard when you feel like every one else has kids that are polite, well-behaved, respectful, smart, organized, orderly, artistic, athletic, musical, etc., etc., etc. And your own are, well, ummm, not any of those things, or at least there seem to be a lot more items on the deficit than on the assets list. And you feel badly that your kids don't fit the mold that everyone else's kids fit so neatly. And so instead of learning to speak Japanese, you try to cram English down their throats. And even then, they don't speak English better, instead, they feel bad, and you feel bad, and everyone is hurt and mad and frustrated. When what you probably really need to do is just relax and love them and learn to speak a little Japanese…

FOLLOWING EZRA is a great read. Especially for a friend, teacher, or parent that really needs to learn Japanese.

Bookspeak! Poems About Books by Laura Purdie Salas

2011-12-19T07:42:00.004-07:00

As anyone who knows me at all already knows, I am a lover of books. And I am a lover of poetry. And I am a teacher. What then, could be better, than a book that combines books, and poetry, and could also be used in a classroom?

BOOKSPEAK by Laura Purdie Salas is a book about reading. Some poems- Calling All Readers, The Sky is Falling, Hydrophobiac, Vacation Time

On the Shelf and Under the Bed captures the joys of reading, owning, and caring (or not caring) for books.

Several of the poems, I've Got This Covered, A Character Pleads for His Life, Picture This, I'm Conflicted, and The Middle's Lament: A Poem for Three Voices and The End will be terrific to use in the fiction unit I am currently completing with my fourth graders. And then there's Index to share when we are working on nonfiction. (Do anyone else's students have trouble remembering the difference between an index and a table of contents?)

There are several poems that simply create beautiful images around books and words: Paper Sky, Written in Snow, and my dear friend MaryLee's favorite, Skywriting. Please be sure for read Mary Lee's beautiful review, complete with video of "bird blobs."

The illustrations, by Canadian Josee Bisaillon, are a combination of paint (I think), cut paper, and collage, mostly done in shades of orange, blue, golds, greens. Hard to describe, but gorgeous!

The End is one of my favorites, because it so captures me as a reader:

THE END

You race,

toward me,

checking pages numbers

and calculating their distance.

You

sprint skip skim

to win

the reader's race

to cross me--

the book's finish line.

But then

you

smile, cry, sigh

flip to chapter one

and start again.

I am not so much

The End

as I am an

invitation back

to the beginning.

- Laura Purdie Salas

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-12-16T04:47:00.007-07:00

One more day and then winter break. Like many schools, we no longer have holiday parties. Today we are having a read-a-thon. I'm bringing in all my holiday books and we'll spend the morning sharing poetry and books and snacks and friendship.

I hope that we will have a blast. My students don't have much in the way of material things. Yesterday one of my little gals told me Santa is coming to her house on January 15th because he has to buy her mom a "new" car this month. Most of my kids get stuff like shoes and coats. Some won't have Christmas at all.

More than anything, I want my students to know the power of books. I want them to understand, in a deep and life changing way, that books are a place of deep joy, a way of understanding your own life and the lives of others, a ticket to unknown worlds, and maybe a ticket to college. I want them to know that books and poems and words bring a richness that money can't buy.

This week, as I was reading and rereading some of the CYBILS poetry nominees, I found a poem that captures what I want for my students. "Who's Rich?" by Naomi Shihab Nye is one of thirteen poems in Lee Bennett Hopkins, I AM THE BOOK. Lots of terrific reading-related poems in this book-- couldn't decide today, whether to use "Poem" by Jane Yolen, or "When I Read" by Beverly McLoughland. Also thought about "I Am the Book" by Tom Robert Shields, or "What Was That?" by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Karla Kuskin's "Wonder Through the Pages," or "Book" by Poem Farm (and Poetry Friday's) Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. All of the poems in this book are just plain lovely.

"Who's Rich?"

Naomi Shihab Nye

Who's rich?
The boy with a book he hasn't read yet
The girl with a tower of books by her bed.
She opens and opens and opens.
Her life starts everywhere.

Who's rich?
Anyone befriended again and again
by a well-loved book.

This is a wealth
we never lose.

Poetry Friday is at Kate Coombs' BOOK AUNT.

POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP

2011-12-02T19:16:00.069-07:00

Sorry to be so, so slow with the Poetry Roundup this week. My computer died on Thursday, I thought it was the power cord and ran to Apple to buy a new one. That worked on Friday but the computer started being fritzy again yesterday. Took it to the repair shop and it turns out the problem is not with the power cord, it's with the plug. I am currently sitting at Kinko's trying to finish the Roundup which should have been done on Friday. I apologize!

P.S. The computers at Kinko's or Blogspot are wreaking havoc on the spacing and fonts. I have been sitting here for two hours formatting and reformatting and I am finally giving up! So sorry!

**************

Sometimes I think God, or the Universe, or whatever Higher Power works for you, is trying to send me a message. It sure seemed that way as I read through this week's postings. There seemed to be an inordinately high number about gratitude, savoring each moment, and slowing down....

Thoughts on Gratitude...

Liz Gartan Scanlan shares an absolutely gorgeous ten minute video and reminds us that "the only appropriate response is gratitude."

At "Across the Page," Janet captures her foray into an early winter afternoon. Beautiful

Laura Shovan combines beautiful nature photography with tanka, and gives those of us who are teachers a tanka lesson to use on Monday. Thanks, Laura!

Teaching Authors is finishing a series on thankfulness. Such richness here!

There were lots of lovely poems by students...

The Write Sisters have two student poems from TINY ROADS INSIDE CABBAGE, a collection of poetry written between 1972 and 1982. I'm salivating over these young poets' perfect detail.

Tara shared "eco-literacy" poems from RIVER OF WORDS. This organization hosts a yearly student poetry contest.

Wander by the Poem Farm to read the work of a terrific second grade poet.

And of course there was some lovely original poetry by adults...
Donna at Mainely Write, wrote a poem for her three-month-old grandson. I can't think of anything cooler than writing poetry for my grandchildren (although I do hope I don't get the opportunity for quite a while!).

At Fomagrams, David Elzey ponders the mid-century mark.

Mandy shares three different types of cinquain she wrote in a college writing class.

The amazing Jone McCulloch (Deowriter).is not only chairing the CYBILS poetry committee, she also wrote a poem a day for thirty days.

Laura Purdie Salas has two offerings this week. At her blog, she shares "If A Tree Falls" from her newest book, BOOKSPEAK. Then in her "15 words or less" post, she shares "Levitate" (and who can't remember the fun of jumping on a bed?) Congratulations onhaving a poem accepted on YOUR DAILY POEM.

There were lots of super thought provoking posts about poetry this week...

Sylvia Vardell's post features J. Patrick Lewis, who was awarded the 2011 NCTE Award for Excellence in Children's Poetry. Sylvia's graduate students created a J. Patrick Lewis Toolbox, complete with book trailers and other interesting resources. Great poetry minds think alike, because Elaine Magliaro (Wild Rose Reader, also shared this poem.

Adrienne shares Billy Collins "Workshop," which, for those of us who have ever been part of a writing workshop, is hilarious. Talking about her own experiences in Writing Workshops, she says, "You can improve your writing through workshopping, but in the beginning and the end, it's you and your brain and your words. In the middle, it's a comfort to know other writers though, people who understand your weird lifestyle, why you devote so much time to this solitary pursuit, and what you are trying to accomplish." So, so true!

Irene Latham ponders truth in poetry. Definitely worth a read!

At Poetry Advocates, Steven Withrow analyzes Ted Hughes' use of sound.
Tabatha Yeats has a post about poetry and movies. Something I had never thought about, hmmmm....

And of course there lots of lovely single poems by much-loved authors....

The folks at Stenhouse posted the same Kate Messner poem as I did, reminding us to "read it, share it with our students, and most important of all: live it."

My fourth graders have been talking about poems that teach life lessons. At Year of Reading, Mary Lee has "Building Bridges."This would be a great one to read at a meeting of literacy coaches or veteran teachers!

Despite suffering from a "cold colossal", Katya managed to translate a poem about the ritual of drinking tea from Russian to English. I'm a coffee girl all the way, but this poem made me think about hunting up a samovar.

You can find another "Hall of Fame" poet, Rita Dove, at Ruth's "There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Place."

And for a little Shakespeare, check out Maria's post from the George Hall Free Library.

And on a cold and snowy Saturday in Denver, I appreciated reading Emerson's "Snow" on Robyn Hood Black's blog.

Also loved Dori's Robert Louis Stevenson poem.

At Drift Record, Julie celebrates the life of Ruth Stone, who won the National Book Award for poetry at age 86. Julie also reminds us that she has a poem in the Gift Tag collection (I am so going to have to get that book!)

Karissa brings what she describes as Mary Oliver's "unique take on motherhood" I love the last few lines of this poem:
"…and I want to live my life all over again, to begin again to be utterly wild."

And then a few lovely poetry picture books....

At Father Goose, Charles Ghigna brings us I SEE WINTER a new book for some of our youngest poetry loving friends.

Just reading three lines makes me think I want to own WHEN I LOVE YOU AT CHRISTMAS. Thanks for sharing this one at Picture Book of the Day, Anastasia.

And while we are on the subject of young poetry readers, at Readertotz, Lorie Ann Grover reviews THE MICE OF NIBBLING VILLAGE, a book of 14 poems that celebrate life in a "mouse town." It seems like it might be a great companion volume to Kate Messner's new picture book, OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW, which Lorrie reviewed for Poetry Friday two weeks ago. And at another blog, On Point, Lorrie presents an original haiku for a friend who has recently had a double mastectomy.

Fellow Coloradoan Linda at Teacher Dance reviews two new-to-me novels in verse INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN and ALEUTIAN SPARROW . I can hear Donalyn Miller's book-a-day calling my name. In less than two weeks …

There were several interesting poetry collections.....

At Paper Tigers, Sara and Marjorie host a really interesting interview of lawyer turned poet Janet Wong. In the last year, Janet and Sylvia Vardell have coauthored PoetryTagTime, a series of ebooks. The third and most recent book is a holiday collection that sounds like big fun. Lots of folks (Laura Purdie Salas, Laura Shovan, Heidi Mordhorst) that participate in Poetry Friday have poems in this collection. It sounds like one all of us ought to head over to Amazon and check out! I definitely am!

Jeannine Atkinson 's poem "Surprise," which she shares on her blog today is a part of the Gift Tag collection. The cookie dough photo that accompanies the poem is so real that I want to pick one up and pop it into my mouth.

Janet Squires reminds us about BE GLAD YOUR NOSE IS ON YOUR FACE. I have never seen this book, and thought it was brand new, but it was actually written in 2008. My students love silly poems and this one sounds like a book I definitely have to have.

Happy new week!

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-12-01T22:44:00.023-07:00

Welcome! Come in! Poetry Friday is here today. Sorry to be slow putting up the initial post-- I had power cord issues yesterday and had to make a quick run to the Apple store last night after my son's basketball game! Thank heaven for extended holiday shopping hours!

Thought long and hard about what to do for POETRY FRIDAY today. Everyone is always so amazing and clever and brilliant and um, well, poetic. Sometimes I am some of those things, but sometimes, (maybe most of the time), I am well, um, I guess the best word to describe me is um, maybe I should just say ordinary…Finally decided I would not worry about being clever or wonderful this week, I would just be my plain old ordinary unpoetic self and put up links to a few poems I have loved this week.

First, there's a poem about perseverance. I'm the mom of two teenage boys, and they are great guys, but sometimes, well, sometimes, you just gotta persevere. This is an old poem, but I just found it this week. I loved it and am going to share it with my fourth graders today. We have been talking about perseverance all year, and I think they will enjoy this as a companion to Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son," which is one of their favorites.

"Keep a-going"

When it looks like all is up,
Keep a-goin'!
Drain the sweetness from the cup,
Keep a-goin'!
See the wild birds on the wing,
Hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like sighin', sing --
Keep a-goin'!

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Next, there's a poem for teachers. Kate Messner is a middle school teacher AND an author (you really need to know MARTY MCGUIRE, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, and her newest OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW). A while back she wrote a poem that I loved. I read it, then kind of forgot about it, then another friend posted it on Facebook this week.

Revolution for the Tested

Write.

But don’t write what they tell you to.
Don’t write formulaic paragraphs
Counting sentences as you go
Three-four-five-Done.
Put your pencil down.

Don’t write to fill in lines.
For a weary scorer earning minimum wage
Handing out points for main ideas
Supported by examples
From the carefully selected text.

Write for yourself.
Write because until you do,
You will never understand
What it is you mean to say
Or who you want to be.
Write because it makes you whole.

Kate Messner

Read the rest of the poem at Kate's website.

And finally, after a crazy week, here is a poem I found just yesterday at one of my favorite websites, "Your Daily Poem."

"Oo Ee Oo Ah Ah"

…I'd need to remember

how silliness

saves the world

at least some of the time

ting ting walla walla bing bang

Mary Ann Hurt

Read the rest of this poem at Your Daily Poem.

May you have a day full of ting ting walla wall bing bang!

Poetry Friday will be kind of um, intermittent-- i'll post the early folks before I head off to school (I teach fourth grade), then will have to do another big post after work tonight…

A BOUNTY OF THANKSGIVING READS

2011-11-26T20:01:00.008-07:00

Did a little reading between sporting events this weekend…The three books I read range from easy to medium to pretty difficult.

LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE is a book I have been reading about for the past six months. Finally saw it during a trip to the library on Friday. It's an easy chapter book, told in verse, perfect for those kidlets who are just making their way into novels. Eleanor Kane, has had the same babysitter for eight years, actually since she was born. Now Bibi's father is very ill, however, and she must move to Florida to care for him. Eleanor misses Bibi horribly, but comes to love her new sitter, the mancala playing Natalie. A great little book about saying goodbye, about grieving, and about starting over again…

TROUBLEMAKER is Andrew Clements' newest, or maybe just one of his newest. Clayton is a sixth grade troublemaker, with a two inch thick behavior file to prove it. When the book opens, he is in art class, drawing a caricature of his principal, Mr. Kelling, disguised as a donkey (WARNING: the word in used the book is jack***, which some people may find offensive). He can't wait to show the picture to Mitch, his older brother and role model, newly released froma 30-day prison stay. Mitch, however, is not as excited about the picture as Clay thought he would be. It seems that Mitchell has learned some invaluable lessons in prison, and wants his brother to change. That weekend, he takes Clayton to the mall to reshape his image, then it's up to Clay to prove he really has changed. Clayton soon discovers, however, that change is hard and getting people believe you have changed is harder still…

BREADCRUMBS, by Anne Ursu, is the third book I read this weekend. I feel like I need to preface this review with a warning. I am not an allegory reader. I'm one of the few teachers I know who doesn't especially like MANIAC MAGEE. I think it's really well-written, I think it's got great life lessons, I know most people love it, but I just didn't much care for it. I have never read it aloud in a classroom, nor have I handed it to a kid to read. I'm also not a big fantasy lover. I only read 1.5 of the HARRY POTTER books and have only seen a couple of the movies.

Even so, I loved BREADCRUMBS. BREADCRUMBS is the story of Hazel and Jack, ten-year-olds who have been best friends for a long time. This year, however, things have changed . Hazel's mom and dad have split up. Hazel has been forced to leave a private school, where she was viewed as artsy and creative and wonderful, and attend a more traditional public school, where her dreaminess and creativity is viewed much less positively. The only good thing about the public school is that Jack also attends there, but then he stops talking to her…

It turns out that Jack has been hit in the eye by the shard of a mirror, broken by a goblin in a faraway world. Jack's heart is frozen and he becomes a very different person, eventually leaving all that he loves, including Hazel and his family, to follow the Snow Queen into the frozen woods. Hazel, being his best friend, decides she must go after him. On the way, she encounters any number of different friends and enemies, including some who appear to belong in one category, but then end up belonging in the other.

This novel, a takeoff on Han's Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen" is way, way, way too complicated to try to explain. In fact, I'm not even sure that I'm ready to talk about it, but I'm hoping that some other people will read it and be ready to talk about it. A story of grieving and friendship and oh so much more…

BIRDS OF A FEATHER-JANE YOLEN

2011-11-25T09:01:00.003-07:00

Don Graves, my all-time favorite most important teacher ever, always said that poets and scientists have a lot in common, because both force us look at the world so closely, and through whole different eyes. I think of Don's comments often, and I was definitely thinking about them this week as I was reading Jane Yolen's book, BIRDS OF A FEATHER.

The book opens with a foreword by Dr. Donald Kroodsma, who says, "As an ornithologist obsessed with the details in the daily lives of birds, I know these eagles and chickadees and kingfishers…But after absorbing the poems and photographs here, I'll never see these birds again in the same way…"

BIRDS OF A FEATHER is a collection of 14 different two-page spreads, each about a different kind of bird, written by Jane and illustrated with Jason Stemple's gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, nature photography. Some of the poems, like "Haiku for a Cool Kingfisher" are playful. Listen:

Hey, girl, fish lover,

Sitting on the dead gray tree,

Love the blue mohawk.

Or how about Yolen's play on words in "Terns Galore"

"At the seaside, terns galore,

One tern, one tern, one tern more.

I tern. You tern…"

In each poem, Yolen captures the spirit of that particular bird. I love this description of from"Rufous-Sided Towhee."

"As if the painter had run out

Of ordinary brown,

Mixing what little was left

With a bit of orange…"

Each two-page spread also contains an inset box with interesting facts about that bird. Did you know, for instance, that "a black-capped chickadee is a hoarder that hides sides and other foods, each in a different place, and that days and weeks later the chickadee can remember all of these hiding places? Or that a "kingfisher kills or stuns a larger fish by thwacking it against a tree branch or perch?"

And did I mention that each two-page spread has an absolutely magnificent closeup photograph of that bird. The light and shadows and details and lines had me looking and looking and looking again. I'd love to hang the photos on this book in my living room!

Can't wait to share this one with my fourth graders- First, they will flove Yolen's poetry. Secondly, BIRDS will teach kids not only about the different species, but also about how to observe like scientists. Also, they will learn much about the writing of poetry. And then there is the whole realm of art and photography…

POETRY FRIDAY today is at Heidi Mordhort's my juicy little universe

The foreword

DREAM SOMETHING BIG: THE STORY OF THE WATTS TOWERS- Diana Hutts Aston

2011-11-23T20:09:00.007-07:00

Not sure if I'm just incredibly ignorant, but for as many times as I have been to California, I had never heard of the Watts Towers. Am I the only one? In case you are as clueless as I am, this National Landmark is a series of 17 sculptures, including 3 towers ranging from 55 to 95 feet tall. The sculptures were built by Italian immigrant, Simon Roddia, who spent thirty-four years bending and molding construction rebar, slathering it with mortar, and then embedding broken bits of glass, pottery, and other "junk" he found laying around his neighborhood. Roddia's story is told through the voice of Marguerite, a neighborhood child who was paid a penny per bag for helping Roddia gather the materials for his towers, then later grew up to introduce her children to her neighbor and his artwork.

Two pages of author notes give factual information and photographs about the towers; then another two page spread invites children to create their own "Watts Tower" sculptures out of pipe cleaners, beads, buttons, foam shapes, and magazine clippings. Sounds like big fun to me!

I found DREAM SOMETHING BIG at Tattered Cover. I have to admit, this book caught my eye because of the art. Susan L. Roth has illustrated more than 40 children's books, but is probably best known for LISTEN TO THE WIND. Roth works in collage (one of my favorite mediums) and her illustrations are absolutely gorgeous- intricate, colorful, eye catching, perfect for capturing the story of Roddia's sculptures. A few pages at the end of the book, as well the end pages, contain actual photographs of the Watts Towers.

IN CASE ANYONE DOUBTS MY ABILITY TO TEACH SCIENCE…

2011-11-22T04:58:00.002-07:00

We are finishing a science unit on "Our Changing Earth." In case anyone doubts my ability to teach science (or spelling!), here is something one of my students wrote on Friday…

The earth is changing all the time. Some changes are slow, but some, like earthquakes are fast. An earthquake is a subject of the earth that happens under the earth's crust and under the ocean. Earthquakes mostly happened in California because thier was a big crack in thier. The thing that causes the earthquakes is the plates under the earth's surface. that can make a earthquake or a tsunami. People say the famous crack is on the Liberty Bell, but that wasen't an earthquake, the real famous crack was in Californa.

How's that for scientific thinking??????

THE HOUND DOG'S HAIKU- Michael J. Rosen

2011-11-16T04:16:00.008-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for a dog book. I have a couple I think kids are going to love in my CYBILS stack.

In THE HOUND DOG'S HAIKU, Michael J. Rosen, captures the "essence" of twenty different breeds. Listen to this one about one of my favorites…

"Golden Retriever"

stick like a wide grin

panting, chest-deep, in the lake

eye of each ripple

And while I much prefer big dogs to little ones, the poem about Parson Russell Terriers (I'm thinking those might be about the same as Jack Russells) is probably my favorite in the entire book.

"Parson Russell Terrier"

elbow-deep in dirt

nothing to bury but hours

holes are the treasures

The haiku are followed by two pages of doggy facts, some specific to the breeds, but more just general information. Did you know, for instance, that humans have 6 million olfactory receptors in their noses, but blood hounds have 230 million? Or that schnauzers are named for the German word for muzzle? Rosen's haiku are illustrated by Mary Azarian’s gorgeously detailed woodcuts.

We are two weeks into a study of poetry right now, I'm thinking that my fourth graders are going to love comparing HOUND DOG HAIKU to Andrew Clement’s very different DOGKU.

POETRY FRIDAY: SPINSTER GOOSE:TWISTED RHYMES FOR NAUGHTY CHILDREN by Lisa Wheeler and Sophie Blackall

2011-11-11T14:18:00.008-07:00

I read poetry to my fourth graders on an almost daily basis. So far this year, they have heard/read poets like Douglas Florian, J. Patrick Lewis, Anna Grossnickle Hines, Langston Hughes and Robert Frost. While they enjoy lots of different kinds of poetry, if I'm really honest, their favorite poems are the funny ones. I've just found a book, then, that I think my kids are going to love.

SPINSTER GOOSE is a series of 27 poems about badly behaved children. The first poem, "An Introduction from Mother Goose," lays the groundwork for the book:

" There are many naughty children

far beyond my expertise.

I tried my best to help them

but the problems would not cease…"

Mother Goose decides to send these naughty children to her sister, Spinster Goose. Old Spinster Goose has the perfect consequences:

The pinchers get pinched

And the pokers get poked.

The biters get bit,

And the smokers get smoked.

The takers get taken.

The sordid get sore.

The shakers get shaken

right down to their core.

Each poem is adapted from or based on a well-known (ok, maybe some are not so well known, at least not to some kids) nursery rhyme. "The Gum Chewer," for example, comes from "See Saw Marjory Daw." "The Swearer," which I know my kids will love, is a take off on "Baa Baa Black Sheep:"

Baa Baa Black Sheep

loves to curse and swear

Here a BLEAT. There a BLEAT.

BLEAT BLEAT everywhere…"

There are poems about bullies, dirty kids, substandard subs, cheaters, nose pickers, interrupters, fibbers, and even one for the custodian. I know my kids are going to love every one!

I checked this book out of the library, but it's definitely one I have to own!

POETRY FRIDAY is hosted by April Halprin Wayland at Teaching Authors.

NEVER FORGOTTEN- Patricia McKissack, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

2011-11-09T20:04:00.009-07:00

I have been a CYBILS judge for the past four years. In 2008, I judged YA nonfiction, then moved to Elementary Nonfiction for 2009 and 2010. This year, I'm judging poetry, and to be really honest, I'm more than a little overwhelmed/intimidated. How in the world can I ever begin to capture the magnificence of books like Patricia McKissack's NEVER FORGOTTEN?

In an author's note, McKissack says that NEVER FORGOTTEN began when she wondered how African parents grieved and remembered the children who had been captured by slave traders. She turned to African history and folktales. From those roots came NEVER FORGOTTEN, the story of Dinga, a blacksmith from the Mende tribe. Dinga's wife dies in childbirth, and Dinga goes against tribal customs and decides he will raise his son, Mustafa. He calls on the four elements-- Earth, Fire, Water and Wind-- to help him raise his son. When Mustafa is twelve, he is kidnapped by slave traders. Dinga searches for his son, grieves for him, and then calls on the Elements to discover his son's fate…

I guess I will just start by saying that NEVER FORGOTTEN is magnificent in every way imaginable. McKissack tells Dinga and Mustafa's story through a series of approximately 20 poems. The poems are a cross between history and folklore, with African drum sound effects. Listen for a minute…

Water Maiden sang to the boy child

An old, old lullaby:

A baby has come.

He has come,

And happiness has come.

A boy has come.

He has come.

And laughter has come.

A son has come.

He has come,

And beauty has come.

When the child gurgled in reply,

She tickled his toes and said,

"Even now I can hear music in his voice.

Shum Da Da We Da Shum Da Da We Da."

Then, as if all of this glorious language was not enough, the book is illustrated by Caldecott winners Leo and Diane Dillon. Their woodcut illustrations are absolutely gorgeous- incredible detail, rich color, varied page design- possibly even worthy of another Caldecott consideration?

I will definitely be reading this to my fourth graders. I could also see using it in a high school or college history class. It's just about perfect…

HOUND DOG TRUE

2011-11-06T08:23:00.006-07:00

Mattie Breen is about to start fifth grade. In a new school. Mattie's mom lives by a motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." And so Mattie and her mom have moved from place to place to place. This time, they have ended up living with Mattie's Uncle Potluck, who is the custodian at the elementary school.

Mattie is painfully, painfully shy. And terrified of starting at a new school. She has decided that she will deal with lunch and recess, problematic times during the day, by becoming a custodial apprentice to her uncle. In the weeks before school starts, she follows him around the elementary school, jotting down all of his "custodial wisdom" in a notebook. Mattie believes that becoming an indispensable custodial assistant will save her from having to interact with kids in her new school.

Mattie takes notes because Mattie is a writer, not only of custodial notes, but also of stories. Or at least she was a writer of stories until a bully in a previous elementary school, destroyed her notebook. Her plan seems perfect, until Uncle Potluck gets hurt on the job…

I loved this book. Linda Urban did an amazing job of capturing the inner workings of a really, really shy child. How the meanness of one bully destroyed her. How afraid she was to even try to make friends. I loved the wisdom of Uncle Potluck. Loved how Mattie finally gathered up the bravery to make a friend.

A terrific read. One upper intermediate teachers have to have for all of the Mattie's in their classes.

MIKE LUPICA'S COMEBACK KIDS: TWO MINUTE DRILL

2011-10-31T07:24:00.006-06:00

I am all about series books these days. Series help kids become fluent. Understand characters. Internalize story structure. Get to know authors. Support those kids who struggle with what to read next. Yes, it's true, they are not always "great literature," but I can expose kids to great books/authors during read aloud.

Last week in the library, I came across Mike Lupica's COMEBACK KIDS series. Or actually, one of my boys came across it for me. B came running up to me during our Thursday book checkout. "Hey, Ms. W., look! A football book! You like football! You should read this one?" And so this weekend, I did. (Warning- the copyright is 2007, so people will probably wonder why I am reviewing a book that is not new.

Brainiac Scott Parry is the new kid in town. He becomes friends with Chris Conlan, the quarterback of the football team. Chris is the golden boy on the field, but in the classroom, it's a whole different story.

I loved lots of things about this book. Scott is not a football superstar. He is clumsy and uncoordinated. He drops passes, misses tackles, and never makes it onto the field in a game. I love that those little guys who stand on the sidelines week after week after week can see that they are not alone.

And unfortunately, Coach Dolan resembles many coaches I have known. Winning is all. I have watched my own sons, who idolize their coaches, struggle to understand the motives of these "heroes" in their lives. I love that this book provides a forum for kids to analyze adults with less than stellar motives.

I also love Scott's parents. Scott's dad was a football star, but he doesn't push his son, or get upset about the fact that his son is not a star. Instead he praises his perseverance, encourages him to continue, supports him at practices. That's the kind of sports parent I want to see.

I also love that there is not a "girlfriend" element in this book. I'm not excited about the boyfriend/girlfriend thing in fourth grade. I don't want want my students thinking about that. (And yeah, realistically I know it happens, but I am one of those old fashioned gals who thinks nine and ten year olds are a little too young for that). I'm glad, then, that this is a book focuses on the friendship between Chris and Scott.

I am anxious to check out some of the other books in this series…

A COUPLE OF NEW PICTURE BOOKS

2011-10-30T20:37:00.010-06:00

I am not getting to blogging right now. It's just not happening. Here are a couple of picture books I have read recently.

MY NAME IS NOT ALEXANDER and MY NAME IS NOT ISABELLA are books that I think will be fun to include in (A) a "me"unit at the beginning of the year or (B) a study of character and values or (C) a genre study of biographies for a primary aged child. I could also see pairing this with Barack Obama's OF THEE I SING in a study of how to structure a picture books.

In each of these two books, a young child wakes up in the morning, and tells his/her parent that they are no longer going to be called by their "real" name. On each page, the child assumes a different identity.

Over the course of a day, for instance, Isabella, wants to be called Sally (for astronaut Sally Ride), Annie, for sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Rosa (Parks) and Elizabeth (Blackwell, the first woman doctor. She also wants to be a mom, and ultimately decides that being herself is the best of all.

Alexander is the "boy" version of this series. Alexander also runs through a variety of personalities, including Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Alva Edison, Chief Joseph, and Jackie Robinson.

A fun series for beginning readers.

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-10-21T03:59:00.004-06:00

"To Failure"

Philip Larkin

You do not come dramatically, with dragons

That rear up with my life between their paws

And dash me butchered down beside the wagons,

The horses panicking; nor as a clause

Clearly set out to warn what can be lost,

What out-of-pocket charges must be borne,

Expenses met; nor as a draughty ghost

That’s seen, some mornings, running down a lawn.

Read the rest of the poem here.

Poetry Friday is at JAMA'S ALPHABET SOUP.

AND ERIC CARLE DOES IT AGAIN…

2011-10-15T12:19:00.006-06:00

There are some author/illustrators who just never put out a "bad book." Mo Willems falls into that category. So does Kevin Henkes. And Kadir Nelson. and, and…Of all of the author/illustrators I know, however, the one at the very, very top of that "Never has a bad book…" list is, of course, Eric Carle.

Carle's newest book, THE ARTIST WHO PAINTED A BLUE HORSE, just came out. The book starts with a small child= a couple of reviews I have read described this character as a boy, but I think it could also be a girl, saying, "I am an artist." This little artist paints a series of animals- a blue horse, a red crocodile, a polka-dotted donkey. The book ends, "I am a good artist…" The illustrations are classic Carle (think BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR) with one large animal and one brief chunk of text on a page. Our youngest page turners are going to love this book!

Like many of Carle's books, however, there is more to this story. The book was written as a tribe to Franz Marc, the German artist who created unconventional paintings in the early part of the 20th century, and died during World War I. So not only would it be a terrific addition to any primary grade classroom, but it could also be used in art classes, and maybe even literacy coaches, consultants, and administrators, to begin a conversation about creativity.

You need this book!

MO DOES IT AGAIN!

2011-10-10T20:20:00.003-06:00

The latest Elephant & Piggie is out! And Mo has done it again! Another sure to delight the young set (and even my fourth graders, who have become total Elephant and Piggie-aholics!)

It's Happy Pig Day, and Piggie and her friends over the moon excited! It's the best day of the year to dance pig dances, sing pig songs, and eat pig food.

Gerald, however, is not quite so excited, in fact, he is feeling a little left out. He has a trunk, not a snout. He is gray, not pink. And he does not have hooves, like Piggie and her friends.

Only Gerald's good friend, Piggie, can convince him to join the celebration.

Don't miss the end pages on this one! I think they are some of the best yet!

MY BEAR GRIZ- Suzanne McGinness

2011-10-09T14:20:00.004-06:00

Billy loves bears. He and his best friend, Griz, do everything together. They like to go exploring. The play hide and seek. They eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches. They know each other's deepest secrets.

This picture book, by first time author, Suzanne McGinness, is a perfect gift for preschoolers and/or beginning readers. Each two-page spread contains one large, gorgeous illustration of Billy and Griz, set on a soft blue, green, or yellow was background, often with a little interesting collage art. The text is large, easy to read, and strongly supported by the illustrations, absolutely perfect for beginning readers. And then there's the surprise ending…

A perfect book for a preschool or primary grade reader!

VAMPIRE SCHOOL SERIES- Peter Bentley and Chris Harrison

2011-10-08T09:09:00.007-06:00

I teach fourth grade, but only about 1/4 of my kids are reading at grade level. Another quarter of them are reading about a year below grade level, and the rest are two years or more below. Lots of them have not yet found their "reading legs."

While I'm a firm believer in explicit instruction, I also believe that kids get better at reading by reading. A lot. I'm always on the lookout for chapter books and series that will lure kids into my world of words. Last week I found a new series.

The VAMPIRE SCHOOL series, by British author and illustrator, Peter Bentley and Chris Harrison, currently has two books. They are written at about a second grade reading level, but the subject, a vampire school, is appealing to fourth graders- the books have been making the rounds since I took them into school last Monday. The books are long enough to classify as chapter books, but the chapters are short, and there are lots of great black line illustrations to support developing readers.

The books take place at St. Oorlok Academy. Everyone knows that vampires are nocturnal, so Lee's mom wakes him up at 8 every night, so he can get to school on time. At school, Lee, and his friends, Billy and Bella, learn vampire skills, such as how to turn into bats and how to fly. They also play on a casketball team, where Lee must rely on his bat friends to beat a cheating Werewolf on the other team.

In the second book, GHOUL TRIP, the kids from Saint Oorlok's go on a field trip to a fair. At the fair, Lee, Billy, and Bella encounter a dishonest ferris wheel operator, who leads them on the trail to capture some dishonest thieves who have been breaking into schools.

This is a series kids are going to love.

Review copies provided by publisher

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-10-07T04:14:00.005-06:00

As much as I hate to admit it, I am a football mama. From the end of July until November, the sport pretty much consumes our lives. And while I don't like, at all, thinking about concussions, altered body parts, etc., I love watching my boys' passion and energy on the field. I love watching my two captains grasp arms and stride to the center of the field for the coin toss. Love watching #26's strength and speed as he twists down the field and and breaks for the end zone. Love watching this guy, who wouldn't put two sentences together in a conversation in the classroom, talk to reporters in post game interviews. Love his (slightly damp) stinky post game hugs. And I love watching #15, my quarterback, as he throws the ball all the way down the field. Love watching him as he scrambles and takes risks and tries the moves he worked all summer to perfect. Love watching my junior mentor the freshman quarterback on the sidelines.

It's hard to find good football poems (in fact, after years of searching, I would venture to say there are very few). This one showed up on "YOUR DAILY POEM" a week or two ago. I'm not sure if it's actually about football, in fact I think it's probably about soccer, but it captures the spirit of football, and it's in the public domain, and it gives me a chance to share a picture of my two gorgeous guys (also their older brother and nephew) …

"Football Season"

Author Unknown

O wild kaleidoscopic panorama of jaculatory arms and legs.
The twisting, twining, turning, tussling, throwing, thrusting, throttling, tugging, thumping, the tightening thews.
The tearing of tangled trousers, the jut of giant calves protuberant.
The wriggleness, the wormlike, snaky movement and life of it;
The insertion of strong men in the mud, the wallowing, the stamping with thick shoes;
The rowdyism, and élan, the slugging and scraping, the cowboy Homeric ferocity.
(Ah, well kicked, red legs! Hit her up, you muddy little hero, you!)
The bleeding noses, the shins, the knuckles abraded:
That’s the way to make men! Go it, you border ruffians, I like ye.

POETRY FRIDAY is at GREAT KID BOOKS.

CYBILS 2011

2011-10-05T04:20:00.006-06:00

It's that time of year again!

Time to nominate the best books published since October 2010 for a CYBILS AWARD.

There are lots of different categories- fiction picture books, nonfiction picture books, early readers, middle grade novels, YA novels, YA nonfiction, science fiction/fantasy, graphic novels, and this year, a brand new category for book aps.

Nominations are open from now until October 15th.

Eligibility rules are here.

The nomination form is here.

I have been a CYBILS judge for the last four years.

I started out as in middle grade nonfiction,

then did two years of nonfiction picture books,

and this year, I'm a first round judge in POETRY!

Each year, I have totally loved being a judge.

I love reading all the great new books.

I love working with the other judges-

getting to know a whole new group of readers and the books they love

I love trying to predict which books are going to win.

I can't wait to get started!

AESOP'S FABLES- BEVERLY NAIDOO

2011-09-28T20:45:00.011-06:00

I'm a huge believer in the power of a good folktale. Folktales communicate important life lessons with only a little bit of text. Folktales are great for teaching metacognitive strategies like inferring. The repetitive structures and language support kids who are just starting down the reading road.

Maybe most importantly, folktales build children's sense of story. And that sense of story strongly impacts children's ability to write well, especially when it comes to personal narrative, memoir, and fiction. I think it's important then, to expose kids to lots of these short, strong, texts that can embed in their hearts, brains, and tongues. And so I read aloud tons of fairy tales, myths and legends, and trickster tales.

AESOP'S FABLES, by Beverly Naidoo, author of Journey to Jo'Burg is definitely going in that pile. The collection of 16 fables beg to be read, practiced, and performed as Readers' Theaters. There are some old favorites-- The Lion and the Mouse, The Grasshopper and the Ant," but there are also lots of others that are new to me- The Farmer and his Children, The Mosquito and the Lion, and The Eagle and the Warthog. And what kid is going to be able to resist South African animals like Rinkhals and Klipspringers and Tamboti? Each of the fables carries a great life lesson:

It is easier to be friends than enemies
If you betray a friend, don't be surprised when someone betrays you
Just wishing for something doesn't make it happen

Naidoo's fables are enhanced by Piet Grobler's absolutely gorgeous watercolor, (I think), illustrations. This one is a must have for your folktale basket!

Review copy provided by publisher.

STINK AND THE ULTIMATE THUMB WRESTLING SMACKDOWN- Megan McDonald

2011-09-26T03:49:00.005-06:00

OK, so not only is this one a mini-review, but it probably falls into the "Everyone else has already read that, so why is she reviewing it" category. Well, I just bought it and read it this weekend, and it's on top of my bag waiting to go to school this morning, so here goes…

STINK is a series I love. The books are funny enough, and gross enough, that they grab the attention of my less engaged readers right away. The books are chapter books, but the chapters are short, and fairly easy, and there are comic/graphic novel inserts between each chapter, so kids who are not great readers can get through one in a few days. And there are six books in the series (and several more in the STINK AND JUDY MOODY series), so when I get a kid going on this series, I don't have to worry about that reader for a week or two.

In STINK: THE ULTIMATE THUMB WRESTLING SMACKDOWN, Stink has just received a report card. His graders are terrific, well, all except for his grade in gym, which is an UNSATISFACTORY (OK, so if I'm really honest maybe I love this book because I can so relate!). Stink's parents want him to take up a sport to improve his gym grade. Stink considers several, and finally decides on thumb wrestling. The only problem is, he is not very good at it, and keeps getting beaten by everyone, even the first grade girls…

Can't wait to hand this to Mr. T. this morning…

POETRY FRIDAY- A FUNERAL IN THE BATHROOM- KALLI DAKOS

2011-09-23T03:54:00.008-06:00

As a teacher, I have long marveled at bathroom issues. Schools that make teachers take group bathroom breaks. Schools that don't allow group bathroom breaks. Kids that want to go every five minutes. Kids that wait until the last possible second and then have to run all the way down the hall. Kids that ask to of and don't come back until you send a search party. Kids that can make their own private water parks in five minutes or less. Kids that create art galleries or anatomy lessons on bathroom walls with a single half-broken red crayon…

And now children's poet Kalli Dakos has written an entire book of bathroom poems!

Some of the poems are silly…

"Meet Me in the Bathroom"

Meet me in the bathroom,

right at two o'clock.

You leave your class,

I'll leave mine

we'll have a chance to talk…"

"Trapped in the Bathroom"

I'm trapped in the bathroom.

What rotten luck!

Right at recess,

with a door that is stuck…"

"The Bathroom Dance"
We
do
the
wiggle
jiggle
do-si-doh……
cross our legs,
hold our pants,
we all know,
the Bathroom Dance!"

Some of the poems are serious…

"Laughing Machine"

Jarrod says my nose

is big enough for two heads,

so I go to the bathroom

to check…"

"There Should be a Place Kids Can Go"

There should be a place

kids can go

when life has dealt

another blow…"

I think these are all poems that kids are going to love! Can't wait to share them with my fourth graders at our Poetry Friday meeting this morning.

Poetry Friday is at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.

OTIS AND THE TORNADO

2011-09-18T20:09:00.005-06:00

I adore pretty much anything Loren Long writes and/or illustrates- MR PEABODY'S APPLES and OF THEE I SING are two of my favorites. I also love OTIS, partly, I think, because it reminds me of MIKE MULLIGAN'S STEAM SHOVEL, a book I absolutely loved as a child.

Today I was at the bookstore investing another chunk of my life's savings in series chapter books for my fourth grade classroom. Wandered over to the picture book section and found Loren Long's newest book, OTIS AND THE TORNADO.

Otis and his friends are enjoying a day on the farm, when the weather changes. The humans heads for shelter in an underground tornado shelter, and Otis bravely breaks open the barns and corrals and leads all of the animals to safety at the lowest point on the farm. They have no sooner gotten settled when Otis hears a cry of fear. It is from the Bull, the meanest, unfriendliest animal on the farm, who is still trapped in his pen. Should Otis risk his life to go back and free the most feared animal on the farm?

A great story about risk taking and courage and friendship!

PEANUT BUTTER AND HOMEWORK SANDWICHES- Lisa Broadie Cook

2011-09-14T20:49:00.003-06:00

It is Monday morning, and Marvin McGregor is eagerly anticipating seeing his teacher's pet tarantula. When he arrives at school, however, he discovers that the teacher has broken his arm and will be out sick for a few days. The substitute, Ms. Payne, gives lots and lots of homework.

Marvin has the best of intentions, but he keeps having homework mishaps. On Monday, he spills peanut butter on his homework and the dog eats it. On Tuesday, he accidentally leaves it in his pocket, and his mother washes it. Another day, he exchanges backpacks with his little sister, and takes her doll to school.

Shared this, along with the poem, "Homework, Oh Homework" today. The fourth graders loved it!

KING HUGO'S HUGE EGO by Chris Van Dusen

2011-09-10T07:28:00.007-06:00

OK, so I'm trying to get back into blogging again, but alongside a full time job, and single mom, not to mention football board member (my second full time job every Fall!) it's a teeny bit much. This, then, will be another one of those mini-reviews.

KING HUGO is a king who thinks very highly of himself. One day, on a foray of his kingdom, his path is blocked by Tessa, a villager, carrying a heavy load. Not knowing she is actually a sorceress, he orders her to move aside. She responds by placing a spell on him, so that every time he thinks/speaks about himself his head grows a little. Before long, his head is so large that he can't get through doorways, or stand on his balcony to give his weekly "Speech of Adoration."

This book has a fairy/cautionary tale kind of feel. It's told in rhyme, which I usually don't love, but this one is terrific. I loved it, as did my fourth graders!

**********

Quote of the week (by one of my little ELL guys who had come in to help me set up a science experiment one day during lunch recess):

Student: When I get old, I am going to have a men's club.

Me (stopping mid-sand pouring, a little startled): You are?

Student: Yes. We are going to drink Coca Cola and then go to bed. And that's all.

As the very tired mother of two teenagers who came home after their football game, and then went out again to visit their adoring fans (girls), I think this sounds terrific. I hope my boys join soon!

WHITE WATER- Michael S. Bandy and Richard Stein

2011-09-06T03:53:00.004-06:00

It's been over a month since I last blogged. I've returned to the classroom after more than a decade of literacy coaching, administration, etc. and life is more than a little overwhelming. Finally decided I am going to write a few quick sentences and that will have to be enough.

This weekend I was out shopping for more BABYMOUSE books. Found those, but also found WHITE WATER, which I have added to my Civil Rights basket. The book is based on author Michael S. Bandy's experiences growing up in the South during the Jim Crow era. One hot day, he and his grandmother ride the bus to town. When they get there, Michael is thirsty, and takes a drink from the public fountain. The water is brown and warm and nasty, and Michael takes only a quick drink. When the white child next to him takes a much longer drink from the "Whites Only" fountain, Michael is sure that it's because the water in that fountain is much colder and better tasting. He becomes obsessed with taking a drink out of the whites only fountain.

I'm planning on reading this book in a string with SISTER ANNE'S HANDS and SIT IN.

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-08-05T06:00:00.006-06:00

Moving In

My computer was in the shop, so I've been away from blogging for a couple of weeks. Next week I'm starting school, (officially anyway), back in my own classroom after many years of central administration, school administration, and literacy coaching. I'm excited to be back doing what I love most, but also very nervous. Not sure I even remember what to do the first day…

I have decided that this poem will be my "theme song" for the year.

God Says Yes To Me

Kaylin Haught

I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is…

Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

READ THE MIDDLE OF THE POEM AT POETRY 180.

Libby is hosting POETRY FRIDAY at A YEAR OF LITERACY COACHING.

CONFERRING- CYBER PD

2011-07-20T07:12:00.004-06:00

My computer has been in the shop since Monday morning, so I'm sitting at Kinko's typing my post (after spending an hour discovering that my new iPad is not very compatible with blogger). Evidently Kinko's computers are not super compatible either, because I can't download the iamge of Patrick's book, but I have loved hearing what people are thinking, and I want to try to participate, at least a little.

I had the privilege of studying with Don Graves at the University of New Hampshire in the mid 1990's. Don was not easily impressed by fancy theory, big words, or glitzy packaging. He would listen closely (his abilities in this area could probably rival Patrick Allen's) and then simply ask, "What's it for?" That question, "What's it for?" has guided my practice for the last fifteen years.

In these chapters, Patrick quotes Don, asking that same question, "What's it for?" Patrick suggests, "Perhaps we could build something grand and long lasting-- independent and engaged readers who walk away from conferences with the strategies and tools to help them become confident, effective, and deep readers" (p. 156).

If you were to ask me about my one walk-away from this week (aside from 'you need a mint'), this would be definitely be it. If every child who walked out of my class could be an INDEPENDENT, ENGAGED reader, who had the strategies and tools to become CONFIDENT, EFFECTIVE, and DEEP readers, I would absolutely feel that I had done my job. I'm going to post this goal right next to Don's question, which has hung over my desk for many years.

Some other thoughts that really struck me:

Conferences are an elegant example of how assessment can actually become one with instruction (Daniels and Bizar, 2005, p. 230, as quoted in Allen, p. 171). So often it feels like we assess and assess and assess, but don't use the data to really think about what kids need.

We need to get back to the business of knowing children, of knowing readers. If we want children to remember, understand, extend meaning, and make their reading experiences memorable, they have to be in a classroom where there is time for that to happen (p. 181). Amen, amen, and amen!

I confer with a "difficult" student the same way I do with any other student; perhaps a bit more patiently, but with hope nonetheless (p. 184). As the mom of two very different, but very "difficult" students, I can't even tell you how often I wish there was a little more "hope" involved in conversations about my sons.

Why teach a strategy if you're not going to give students time to practice, learn and apply it in their own reading? (p. 188). Andrea Butler, who was one of the first literacy gurus I ever heard or read always said that American kids were the most taught and less practiced kids in the world. Kids don't get good at stuff if they don't have time to work with it. A line from a poem that has stuck with me for many years, "It takes a lot of slow to grow." And the more kids struggle, the more time and practice they need. Unfortunately, it's often those kids, who are so busy jumping from interventionist to interventionist to interventionist, that they have almost no time to practice.

And now, because I am at Kinko's, and because the meter is running, I will end.

Laura is hosting the cyber conversation at Camp Read A Lot. I look forward to reading what everyone else has to say.

CONFERRING CYBERCLUB- PART TWO

2011-07-13T19:08:00.004-06:00

We are in our second week of Cyber PD on Patrick Allen's CONFERRING: THE KEYSTONE OF READER'S WORKSHOP. For this week, we read Section Two, "What Are the Essential Components of Conferring?" Today's conversation is hosted by Jill Fisch at My Primary Passion. Stop by and see what everyone else has to say.

Again this week, I'm hugely struck by Patrick's theoretical grounding. Over the course of these two chapters, he quotes Donald Murray, Laura Benson, Don Graves, Deborah Meier, Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmerman, Daniel Pennac, Gordon Wells, Peter Johnston, Bronson Alcott and Arthur Costa. He also draws in the work of several colleagues from his teaching career. I wonder, like I did last week, about how clear I am at articulating my beliefs for others. I think about all the young teachers I have worked with. Have I done a good job sharing my theoretical grounding with them? Do people around me really know why I do what I do? How can I communicate my beliefs and theory more clearly?

In this section of the book, Patrick identifies his essentials. He has a really clear and specific format for his conferences. I think I have a similar format- I sit down next to a child, and usually start with an opening question, e.g. How's it going? I usually ask kids to begin the conference by telling me the title of their book, and also giving me one or two sentences to tell me what is going on. For me, the middle section of the conference totally depends on the child. I usually teach something related to comprehension or surface structure, but it varies from child to child, and from week to week. I always end up setting some kind of goal with the reader.

I was also struck by Patrick's ability to listen and trust his readers. He goes into each conference with the belief that the child has knows and has important things to say about him/herself as a reader. Patrick is open to the child's leading. Even though I would like to believe those same things are true about me, I'm not sure they really are. I don't think I'm a "question bombardier," but I think I usually do have an agenda, and I don't think I'm always great at listening to kids. That's something I really want to work on this year. (As I write this, I'm struck by how much teaching models life-- I don't think I'm always great at listening to my boys either. I always wish my boys would talk more to me, but maybe they would talk more if I was a better listener, and less slow to push my agenda off on them).

Finally, Patrick had me thinking about data collection, which is always a huge struggle for me. I had to laugh when he talked about the sticky computer labels. I've done that computer label thing too. Unlike Patrick, however, I didn't do four labels per conference. Instead, I tried to squeeze everything onto one label. I started with labels that were about 1 inch by 4 inches, and wrote really, really small. Even though I was much younger, the labels were still really, really hard to read. I think I gradually worked my way up to labels that were about 4 inches by 4 inches. Those were definitely more readable, but like Patrick, those quiet times of sticking labels into kids' individual assessment pages and reflecting on what the data actually meant were few and far between.

As I think about what I want record keeping to look like this year, I know a couple of things. First, I want it to be really, really simple. I'm thinking I will get one of those fat spiral notebooks, the kind with the durable plastic cover, and tab a section, four or five pages for each kid. I will probably use a format similar to the one Patrick's RIP format. I envision myself having some kind of a class list/calendar clipped to the front of the notebook, where I will keep track of how often I have conferred with kids (I am not even going to tell any of the stories of my early years of conferring, when I would get to report card time, and realized I had notes from eleven conferences with some kids, and only notes from two different sessions with other kids).

I have one hangup with the notebook system, however. Like Patrick, I really want kids to walk away from their conferences with some kind of a goal. I want them to review those goals every day, however, not just on the days when they meet with me. I'm thinking, then, that the kids have to somehow also keep track of their own reading goals they. I'm not sure whether I want them to write those goals down in a special section of their readers' notebook (I am still debating what I want the reading and writing notebooks to look like) or whether I want each child to have an individual goal notebook or ring of index cards where they write the goal, as I write it in my notebook. I really don't want things to be any more complicated or unwieldy then they have to be…

Lots and lots and lots to think about. Lots to go back and reread. Is anyone else's book falling apart from overuse? I think I have to go to my local print shop and get a spiral binding tomorrow…

MIDDLE SCHOOL- THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE by James Patterson and Chris Tebbits

2011-07-12T08:44:00.003-06:00

On Friday I ran to the grocery store to buy dog food. And for some reason, there is a book display on the end of the dog food rack. And of course I had to stop and look. Which is, of course, very dangerous for someone who is not supposed to be spending any money on books. Anyway, there was this book by James Patterson. And even though it specifically said MIDDLE SCHOOL in the title, and even though am not going to be teaching middle school in the fall, and even though I have read way too much YA this summer, I picked it up. And about fifteen minutes later I remembered that I had run to the store to buy dog food because we were completely out. So then I had to buy the book because I didn't want the dogs to starve to death.

Rafe Khatchadorian is a sixth grader at Hills Village Middle School. During the principal's back to school read aloud of the HVMS Code of Conduct, Rafe decides he will make history by attempting to break every. single. one. He determines that there are 112 rules in the handbook. He assigns points to each one. Some, such as talking in class or chewing gum, are categorized as easy, and are worth less points. Others, such as pulling the fire alarm (which Rafe does the first day) fall into the advanced category, and are worth lots more points. He calls his project "Operation R.A.F.E." (Rules. Aren't. For. Everyone.) and keeps track of his points in a notebook illustrated by his best friend, Leonardo the Silent.

This book belongs in a basket with WIMPY KID and ORIGAMI YODA. There's plenty to draw the attention of the "not yet thrilled with reading set." The plot is a little bit racy, and has lots and lots of black line, humorously labeled illustrations. At the same time, there is some complexity to the characters and plot. Rafe is not a typical flat "bad kid." He cares about other people-- in fact one of the first rules of OPERATION R.A.F.E. is that none of his pranks can injure anyone. He also cares about disappointing his mom, and tries several times throughout the book to reform.

There are a couple of things about this book that I think might be a little confusing to kids, especially kids who are not particularly good readers. First, there are several twists involving Rafe's friend, Leonardo. I'm not sure that struggling readers would totally get these twists without a little extra support. Also, when Rafe gets in trouble and has to face an authority figure, he imagines himself meeting with a kind of alter ego, e.g. "The Dragon Lady" or "The Lizard King." Those chapters might be a little confusing, unless someone kind of walked them through the first one. Kids who aren't especially strong readers might benefit from just a little support in these areas.

A few years ago, I heard James Patterson speak at a conference, right after MAXIMUM RIDE had come out. He talked about how his interests as an author had shifted when his son got to middle school and stopped reading. He was trying to find books and write books that would be interesting to kids like his son, who didn't like to read. I think he has definitely done that with MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE. It's definitely going to make the rounds in middle school, and maybe even some intermediate grade classrooms!

WHEELS OF CHANGE- Sue Macy

2011-07-11T11:12:00.006-06:00

Do you ever think about all of the important stuff that has never occurred to you to think about? I guess that is kind of a weird question-- but really, do you ever come across a book, or article, or something that makes you stop and say, "Hmm, I never thought about that, or at least I never thought about it in that context, but it really is kind of important."

Take bicycles, for instance. Have you ever stopped to think about the role bicycles played in the women's rights movement? I hadn't, or at least I hadn't until I read WHEELS OF CHANGE: HOW WOMEN RODE THE BICYCLE TO FREEDOM (WITH A FEW FLAT TIRES ALONG THE WAY) by Sue Macy.

In WHEELS OF CHANGE, Macy traces the history of the bicycle, from its earliest times, but focuses particularly on how it has impacted women in the United States-- everything from transportation/freedom, to women's health, to women's clothing (long bulky hoopskirts simply weren't very practical on a bicycle, thus the invention of the bloomer and/or shorter skirt lengths).

WHEELS OF CHANGE is a typical National Geographic book- gorgeously designed with tons of interesting photographs (I especially loved the one of four African American bicyclists riding their bikes on the Alameda Avenue bridge in Denver), paintings, and publications from that era, as well as glossaries, a timeline, etc. Short features between each chapter provide additional information- biographies of famous women cyclists such as Madame Curie, cycling slang, and how the bicycle was used in advertising. I also loved the forward about how bicycles have changed the lives of women in modern day Africa.

This is a definitely a book for upper grade/middle/high school or older readers. It's pretty long (over 90 pages) and densely packed with great primary source information. If I taught high school American history or women's studies, I could see reading aloud different chunks and talking about other inventions that have had a similar impact on history.

I also think, however, that younger readers would enjoy looking at the great photographs and memorabilia from that time period. I loved the shorter, usually one page pieces between chapters. The biographies of Amelia Jenks Bloomer, Frances Willard, Alice Austen (sometimes compared to Civil War photographer Matthew Brady) and Denver cyclist Dora Rinehart would be great mentor texts for intermediate grade writers. I could also see myself using some of the other shorter chunks of text to help kids understand text structure.

When I see National Geographic on the front of a book, I know the book will be terrific- accurate, interesting, and lots of great visuals. WHEELS OF CHANGE definitely fulfills all of those expectations.

Review copy provided by publisher

POETRY FRIDAY

2011-07-08T06:40:00.004-06:00

For more than a decade, I have been a literacy coach, assistant principal, or district curriculum specialist. This year, I will be teaching fourth grade. I'm really excited about having my own classroom, but also more than a little nervous. Do I still remember how to set up a classroom? Can I keep track of all of the details teachers have to remember? Do I still know how to teach math?

Poetry Friday is one ritual I know we are going to have. I have lots of great poetry books (not to mention files and files and files of loose poetry!) but I'm always on the lookout for more. This week at Tattered Cover (Denver's independent bookstore), I found a book that's new to me.

WEIRD? ME TOO! LET'S BE FRIENDS is a collection of poems about friendship. There are poems about making friends, sharing ice cream, fighting, and making up. There are lots of poems for two voices and even one for four. And on many of the pages, Sara has kind of a "conversation" with kids, leaving a line or two of suggestion about a poem they might want to try.

The poem I chose for today is not the most "kid-dish" poem in the book. It's probably not even the first one I would share with kids. I just loved this poem because it kind of captures what some folks have done for me in this time of transition.

Walking On

the Boundaries of Change

Sara Holbrook

Day by day

a tightrope,

walking on the boundaries

of change.

One step--

firm, familiar.

The next step--

shaky, strange.

Some friends will

mock or push each step.

Some friends

knock your confidence.

Real friends

form a net.

Elaine, at Wild Rose Reader, is hosting Poetry Friday today.

A PLETHORA OF PICTURE BOOKS

2011-07-07T15:50:00.024-06:00

I'm trying to get ready to teach fourth grade, so I have been reading lots of novels this summer (and no, I'm definitely not saying that I'm not going to use picture books in fourth grade!). The last couple of days, however, I have spent some time in bookstores (it's almost football season, you know, and there are lot of pre-football meetings and practices!) and have gotten the chance to read a bunch of great new picture books. Here are some mini-reviews:

SHOULD I SHARE MY ICE CREAM? by Mo Willems

Originally, I went into Tattered Cover because I wanted to look at the latest installment in Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books. I love, love, love this series! In this book, Gerald buys an ice cream cone. He feels like he should share it with Piggie, but he really doesn't want to…

DETECTIVE BLUE

Mary Lee reviewed this at Year of Reading today, then I happened to see it on the shelf in the book store. It's a picture book, done graphic novel style, with 24 nursery rhymes hidden within the pictures. I think it would be PERFECT for a strategy study on activating schema/background knowledge. If you don't know the nursery rhymes, you won't be able to find them, nor will you get all of the humor. I think this would make for a really interesting discussion with intermediate grade kids.

AL PHA'S BET by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Any time I seem something with Amy Krouse Rosenthal's name on it, I know I will love it, and this one is no exception. The 26 letters have just been invented, and the king issues a challenge for his subjects to decide on their order. Al Pha bets himself that he can figure out the problem, and sure enough, he does. Rosenthal's usual quirky humor shows up again and again (you can probably figure out why P ended up where it did). I think kids of all ages are going to love this one.

CHICKEN BUTT'S BACK by Erica S. Perl

Kids love a good butt book and when CHICKEN BUTT came out, I think I read it about five hundred times. I'm sure this one, full of word play about butts and underwear and lots of other naughtiness is going to be just as big a hit. I can't wait to share this one with kids.

EDWIN SPEAKS UP- April Stevens and Sophie Blackall

Mrs. Finnemore is headed for the grocery store with a whole brood of ferret kids, including Edwin. The trip is full of misadventures- Mrs. F leaves her pocket book on top of the car, for starters. The only one who seems to notice any of the mishaps is Edwin, but he still speaks in "baby language" (Figbutton noo noo POCKY BOOKY froppin ROOF= your purse is on the roof) and nobody understands him. As they walk into the store, she says, "Now don't let me forget the sugar for Edwin's birthday cake." You can probably guess who remembers the sugar…

FARMYARD BEAT- Lindsey Craig and Marc Brown

Franki reviewed this a couple of days ago. She thought it would be a great book for shared reading, and I totally agree! I also loved the collage illustrations and the fact that the farmer was female.

WIENER WOLF- Jeff Crosby

A little dachshund has a cushy life- a granny that knits him sweaters, a warm bed by the fire, a full food dish, etc. One day he gets a little bored and decides he will head for the wild side. At first he loves his new life with the wolves, then things get to be a little too much, and he heads home to Granny, who promptly knits him a brand new sweater. Jeff Crosby's illustrations, with Wiener Wolf hanging out with the wolf pack are really funny, but interestingly my eyes kept wanting to go back to his beautiful paintings of the wolves.

THE WORLD CHAMPION OF STAYING AWAKE- Sean Taylor and Jimmy Liao

Stella's dad tells her it's time for bed but her stuffed animal friends just aren't ready to go to sleep. Stella takes the animals on different adventures-- and one by one, they fall asleep. Each adventure has its own little poem (maybe they are even supposed to be songs?) that goes along with it. Finally all of the animals are asleep and it's Stella's turn. A sweet, going to sleep story…

ALONG A LONG ROAD-

When I taught first grade, ROSIE'S WALK was one of the first books most kids learned to read. My six year old readers loved the simple text, but even more, they loved tracing Rosie's journey across the barnyard. ALONG A LONG ROAD is a ROSIE'S WALK kind of book, except that it doesn't feature a chicken, instead, the main character is a bicyclist, making his way around town. The illustrations are all shades of turquoise, red, black, and white, but the bicyclist's road is a kind of a shiny gold. I picture kids running their finger over that road again and again and again. This one is going to be a winner with the little guys, but I can also see older kids enjoying it.

CYBER PD: CONFERRING- THE KEYSTONE OF READERS' WORKSHOP

2011-07-06T06:16:00.011-06:00

I'm participating in a little "cyber PD." For the next four weeks, anyone who wants to is going to be reading and discussing Patrick Allen's CONFERRING: THE KEYSTONE OF READER'S WORKSHOP. Each week, a different person will "host" the discussion. Today's discussion of the first section of the book is hosted by Cathy Mere at Reflect and Refine. Hop over there and see what other people are saying.

“The purpose readers set for themselves affects comprehension …”

Tovani, as quoted in Allen, p. 69

I am going to have my own classroom for the first time in many years. And I have to confess, I’m really excited, but I am also absolutely terrified. Do I still know how to teach? Can I still manage the nine zillion details that go with a classroom? I’m spending the summer rereading professional books- books that I have read as a literacy coach or administrator, but that I am now reading through an entirely different lens. One of the first books I picked up was Patrick Allen’s latest book, CONFERRING: THE KEYSTONE OF READER’S WORKSHOP. I loved this book when I read it earlier this spring, but now, reading it as a classroom teacher, I’m viewing it through a somewhat different framework

First, I’m struck by Patrick’s theoretical grounding, what he calls his “ashlars.” Patrick has spent years learning at the feet of masters, brilliant thinkers like Don Graves, Shelley Harwayne, Debbie Miller, Laura Benson, and Randi Allison, and his practice is solidly grounded in theory. He translates this theory into tools that he uses in his own classroom, e.g. his template for planning a strategy study, on page 79 (a tool which I am so going to steal and use in my own classroom this year). It’s even more interesting to me that Patrick is able to translate that really complex theory, e.g Gallagher and Pearson’s Gradual Release of Responsibility, into language and concepts that kids can understand and apply to their own reading and writing. I have used gradual release for years and years, I’ve talked it about it lots with teachers and graduate students, but I am not sure I have ever explicitly named it for kids, and I want to try it.

Secondly, I’m struck by the elegance and precision of Patrick’s language. I’m fairly sure that Patrick and I use similar structures in our reading and writing workshops- we both start with a mini-lesson, followed by an independent work period, then a final wrap up. Patrick, however, labels these three components of his workshop much more elegantly than I do, and the precision of his language really communicates the significance of each period of time. Patrick calls his first block (which I typically call a mini-lesson), crafting- it’s a time when he makes the craft of reading explicit for kids. The independent work period is called Composing- it’s when kids actually put the craft lesson to work in their own reading. It seems likethat language would really drive home the idea of readers being active constructors of meaning, as opposed to passive “couch potatoes.” Patrick calls his final block reflecting and describes it as a time for readers to share, "Here's what I learned about myself, and this is what I plan to do with that learning." Wow, wow, wow! And I am so going to be borrowing/stealing his early workshop discussions (pp. 82-89).

Finally, I loved Patrick’s discussion of stamina/endurance. I’ve worked on those concepts with kids, but I have always worked on them in the context of fluency, talking with kids about entering more deeply into their “reading zone” and staying in that zone for increasing periods of time. I love how Patrick uses picture books like WALK ON, and SKYBOYS and WILMA UNLIMITED to help kids get a picture of what stamina/endurance look like in a variety of settings.

Readers adjust their purpose depending on who they are reading for. Right now, I'm reading CONFERRING for myself, a brand new fourth grade teacher. And I'm loving every minute of it! Thanks so much, Patrick!

If you are interested in jumping into the discussion, here is the schedule for the next few weeks:

July 13th: Part II: What Are the Essential Components of Conferring?

Hosted by Jill Fisch at Primary Passion

July 20th: Part III. What Emerges from Our Reading Conferences?

Hosted by Laura K at Camp Read-A-Lot

July 21st: Join us for the final conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #cyberPD.

RECAP OF READING

2011-07-04T07:59:00.016-06:00

Not much blogging going on right now. It's not that I am not reading, because I actually have read quite a bit. Think it's more that most of what I have read has been recommended by other bloggers, and since they have already blogged about it, I wonder what I would have to say that is new or different. Which makes me wonder why I am bothering to blog at all, but that's probably a whole different post. Anyway, as far as what I have been reading lately…

AFTER EVER AFTER by Jordan Sonnenblick

Jeffrey is an eighth grade leukemia survivor. The lasting effects of chemo have shaped Jeffrey as a learner and a human being. He struggles with math, for instance, even though his dad is an accountant and math whiz. Nerve damage in one foot has left him unable to participate in physical education, or play the drums with his beloved older brother, Steven. Because of his struggles, Jeffrey is totally surprised when Lindsey Abraham, a hot new eighth grader from California, becomes interested in him. His delight in this new relationship is overshadowed by worries about passing the state math test and/or being retained in eighth grade, missing Steven, who has taken a year off to go to Africa and play the drums, and concerns about his best friend, Tad, who is also a cancer survivor.

Jordan Sonnenblick is an author that's new to me. I don't teach middle school and probably won't use his work a lot in my classroom. Even so, I enjoyed AFTER EVER AFTER tremendously and think middle school kids would love the real-life issues and relationships, also how Sonnenblick moves in and out of various teen friendly genre- email, instant messages, bulleted lists, etc., to tell the story. I have gotten recommendations from Twitter buddies for a couple of more that I want to read.

JAKE by Audrey Couloumbis

It's Saturday morning, the week before Christmas, and Jake and his mother are at the grocery store when she slips on the ice and breaks her leg. The hospital social worker asks Jake for the name of a relative. Aside from Mrs. Buttermark, a grandmother-ish neighbor and family friend, the only person Jake can think of is a grandfather, his father's father, who he hasn't seen since his dad passed away many years earlier. A sweet story about relationships and reconnection-- I especially loved the connection between Jake and Mrs. Buttermark, because I know so many kids who rely heavily on neighbors, or people who aren't biological family, for physical and moral support.

WAR & WATERMELON by Rich Wallace

Brody Winslow is going through a lot of changes. He's starting seventh grade and will be going to a new school. He's trying out for the football team. And trying to figure out the girl thing. Maybe most importantly, his older brother, Ryan, has just graduated from high school, and is trying to figure out what to do with his life. He's not sure he wants to go to college, at least not right away, but the Vietnam War is in full swing, and if he doesn't go to school, he will probably go to war. Brody is caught right between his parents, who love their son and don't want him to go to Vietnam, and his brother, who doesn't want to go to school, but also doesn't want to fight a war he doesn't believe in.

I enjoyed this book. I grew up during the Vietnam War. When I was about eight, my cousin, Greg, who was a junior in high school, came to live with us for a couple of years. I remember many, many similar conversations around our dinner table. I think this book would be perfect during a study of that era. If kids didn't have some background knowledge, however, I'm not sure that they would really "get" the historical aspects of WAR & WATERMELON.

THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Lung Shang

Lots of people have been "talking" about LUCY WU. Mary Lee's brother, Dave, reviewed it on YEAR OF READING a couple of weeks ago. Karen reviewed it on LITERATE LIVES. Lucy Wu thinks she is going to have a perfect sixth grade year. Her sister, Regina, is leaving for college so Lucy will finally have her own room. She loves basketball and is eagerly looking forward to the start of a new season. Things change, however, when Lucy finds out that her great aunt Yi Po is coming to stay for a few months, and will be sharing Lucy's room. Lucy's parents decide she should attend Chinese School, which meets at the same time as basketball practice. And the class bully, Sloane (whose mom is President of the parent organization), does her best to make Lucy's life miserable.

Like Dave and Karen, I loved this book. Wendy Wan-Lung Shang really gets the life of a sixth grader, and especially a sixth grader from a different cultural background- that balance between trying to fit in, trying to be your own person, and yet also still retain your family's rich cultural history. And Shang teaches kids a heck of a lot about the Cultural Revolution in a way that is interesting and not preachy or forced. This one would definitely be on my shelf if I taught upper intermediate grades or middle school.

And right now? Well right now I'm rereading Patrick Allen's CONFERRING, in preparation for an online PD experience (thanks to Cathy Mere for organizing this) and am also reading he adult novel, ROOM, by Emma Donoghue.

Learning something new.

2011-06-30T19:34:00.005-06:00

OK, so this post has absolutely nothing to do with anything literacy related. Franki is trying to teach me, technogoddness that I'm not, how to put a youtube video onto my blog. #26 is my oldest son. He's also doing the background rap.

And then here is Son #2, the Quarterback!

A DOG'S WAY HOME

2011-06-28T07:50:00.005-06:00

WARNING: This is probably another one of those everyone else has already read and blogged about this, so why is she just doing it now posts!

I am a dog lover to the nth degree. I wake up every morning with Jack and Star, my two black lab mixes, squished tight against me. I cover the couch, so the dogs can look out the window while I'm gone. When we moved in last summer, the backyard was beautiful. And now, well, let's just say now it's not (I'm open to ideas about how to have two big dogs and a backyard too, if anyone has any).

Interestingly, I don't always like animal stories. I especially don't like stories where the animals talk or act like people. Last week at the library, however, I picked up A DOG'S WAY HOME by Bobby Pyron. And I loved it.

Abby Whistler is a twelve-year-old girl, living with her mother, musician father, her grandmother, and her best friend, a sheltie named Tam, in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Tam is an award-winning agility dog, and on the way back from a contest, four hundred miles away from home, the family is in a car accident. Abby and her mother are both hurt, and Tam's crate is thrown from the back of the truck, down the side of a mountain, and into a river. By the time Tam makes his way back to the spot of the accident, several days later, his girl is gone, and Tam is faced with a long journey home.

I had a lump in my throat from the beginning of this book to the end. The book is told in alternating chapters, one told from Abby's point of view, and the next from Tam's. Abby negotiates middle school and a mid-year move, all the while missing her dog and dreaming about him almost every night. Tam faces life in the wild- hunger, predators, bad weather, and animal traps- trying to get home to his girl.

A terrific read, sure to hold the attention of any dog lover…

JOY (and Kindle) FOR BEGINNERS

2011-06-27T09:08:00.008-06:00

A couple of weeks ago on Twitter, a new friend (@mimireads) told Patrick Allen and I that we should check out THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS by Erica Bauermeister. I did, and loved it (see post here) , so on Friday night, I online went looking for other books Bauermeister had written. Bauermeister's newest book, JOY FOR BEGINNERS, was just released a couple of weeks ago. Knowing that my boys had a football-a-thon (ok, really a 7 on 7 tournament, that lasts for twelve hours, which is divided approximately equally between watching football, fetching water and gatorade for grumpy, overheated children and just sitting around waiting for games to happen), I downloaded JOY FOR BEGINNERS onto my Kindle and threw that into my bag. I spent more time being water girl and less time waiting, so I didn't get much read during the tournament, but I read a good chunk yesterday, then finished JOY FOR BEGINNERS this morning.

The main character in JOY FOR BEGINNERS is Kate, a woman who has been through a mastectomy and subsequent treatment for breast cancer. In the opening chapter of JOY, Kate and six of her closest friends, women who have cared for her during treatment, are having a victory party, celebrating Kate's return to health. Shortly before the party, Kate's college-aged daughter, Robin, has asked her to consider a river rafting trip down the Grand Canyon and hung the pamphlet on the bulletin board in the kitchen. Kate's friends encourage her to go on the trip. Kate agrees that she will, but only if each of her friends will take on a challenge during the next year. The biggest twist is that Kate will decide what each challenge will be.

Bauermeister has come to be a new favorite author. She goes into a "category" with Elizabeth Berg and Anna Quindlen. Those authors write simple clean stories that I can read at football practices or waiting rooms. Even though the stories are relatively straightforward, there are lots of big truths, great lines that I write down or mark to share with friends. I loved this story about women and friendship and taking on challenges. I want my book club to read it. I want us to think about challenges we might set for each other. Maybe even set a few…And like Quindlen and Berg, Bauermeister is a terrific writer, a master of specificity and sensory details, someone I revisit again and again as I attempt to become a better writer.

As I was reading JOY FOR BEGINNERS, I also thought a lot about my reading process. I got my Kindle for Valentine's Day, and I'm still trying to figure out what place it has in my reading life. I had wanted one for a long, long time, but if I am honest, I have not really used it all that much. Here are some initial observations:

Things I love about my Kindle:

The size.
I can get a new book within a couple of minutes (this might also be a dangerous feature, given my propensity for buying books instead of food or clothing).
I love that once I'm done with a book, it doesn't take up a lot of space in my life. I still have it on my Kindle, and I can go back to it any time I like, but I don't have to try to find room for it on my overflowing bookshelves.
That ebooks, even new books, are much less expensive than "regular" books (and yeah, I'm aware that I don't have the right language).

Things I'm still trying to figure out:

I can't pass on books I love, like JOY FOR BEGINNERS, to my friends. Last night, for example, I was telling my friend, Kathleen, how much I was enjoying Erica Bauermeister's books. She said she needed something new to read. Ordinarily, I would just pass the book on to her, but because it was on my Kindle, I couldn't. I don't like that, at all.
I'm also not sure I will buy many children's books on the Kindle, because if I like them, I want to be able to put them into kids' hands. That's not a possibility with the Kindle, unless I give them my Kindle to use.
I'm am thinking, though, about what place the Kindle might have in the lives of kids who struggle with reading. Would it make reading easier for those kids if they could adjust the type size or face, number of words on a line, or the orientation of the page? If so, why would we not give them that option?
I'm also trying to decide whether buying ereaders for my sons might encourage them to read more than they are reading now (not at all).
And then I'm still trying to figure out the "gadgetry"of the Kindle. I haven't figured out, for example, whether I can get the stuff I highlight from my Kindle to my laptop. And I haven't taken time yet to learn how to get stuff from my Netgalley account onto my Kindle, even though I am pretty sure I can do that.

OK, enough Joy (and Kindle) for beginners. Gotta go do some real life stuff, like laundry and housework!

SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

2011-06-25T05:08:00.002-06:00

I'm off to do the mom thing today. You know, one of those days when you get up super early, spend an hour organizing the cooler, packing lunches, etc., then wake up two sleepy, grumpy teenagers, fuss at them to help you lift the cooler into the car, drive ninety minutes, then sit for seven or eight or ten hours in the hot sun while they do something they love. Then, to top it off, someone will ask tonight why you are tired because you didn't do anything all day (and please don't send me any parenting suggestions-- I know there are lots of people that do it better and have teenagers who are much more pleasant and respectful).

Anyway, before I start the day's festivities, read a terrific book yesterday. I heard about THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS, by Erica Bauermeister, on Twitter, from Mimi (@mimreads), who is a friend of Patrick's (@coloreader). I couldn't put it down.

The main character in SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS is Lillian, who owns a restaurant. Once a month, she turns the restaurant into a cooking school. This book chronicles the life of that cooking class over the course of a year. Each month, as they cook, Bauermeister tells the story of a different character, there's Isabelle, an older woman who is in the early stages of what appears to be Alzheimer's, Claire- a new mom, Chloe- a teenager who has basically raised herself, Ian- a technogeek, Antonia- an Italian kitchen designer, Tom- a lawyer who has lost his wife to cancer, and Carl and Helen- a couple who have been married for fifty years. The stories are rich and wonderful and sensuous. And if you are someone who likes to cook, I think you will enjoy them even more…

I loved this book. I'm downloading Bauermeister's newest book, JOY FOR BEGINNERS, for today. But first, I gotta go load the cooler…

Poetry Friday Roundup

2011-06-24T07:44:00.062-06:00

Before I start rounding up,

MaryLee,

the Poetry Friday Organizing Goddess Extraordinaire,

wants me to remind you that we need people

to host Poetry Friday for the next six months.

Go here to sign up.

Lots of summer-licious offerings today…

Jama Rattigan's post, "Vegetable Love," and the beautiful pictures that accompany it, are directly responsible for me spending way too much money at the grocery store this morning

Then Susan Taylor Brown chronicles her new eating journey at Susan Writes.

And, Carlie's watermelon poem is so delicious I feel like I need to head to the kitchen to cut the melon sitting on my counter right now.

At Year of Reading, MaryLee reminds us of the wonderment of fireflies and gratitude.

Heidi Mordhorst brings us Edward Lear's, "The Jumblies," which she swears is perfect for a beach vacation!

At Florian Cafe, Doug Florian shares an e.e. cummings poem that I thought might be funny, until I got to the last stanza. Wow, wow, wow! Also loved knowing that cummings filled twenty pages in his journal before he finished this poem!

Some people found their bouquets in other authors' gardens…

At The Drift Record, Julie Larios gives us five riddle poems, everything from the Aztecs to Emily Dickinson. I'm hoping a book of "riddle poems" is in the works, because I know kids would love it.

Karen Edmisten brings us the work of Thomas McGrath (one of those poets I'm pretty sure that anyone who is semi-literate knows about, but that I don't remember ever reading!)
At Kurious Kitty Diane brings us "Bye and Bye" by Charles McGrath, another poet I am pretty sure I should know, but don't. And for those of you that collect quotes about poetry, like I do, Diane has one of Wright's quotes at Kurious K's Kwotes.
And yet another new to me poet, Sophie Hannah, from Tabatha Yeatts.

Lots of poems grown in people's own gardens this week…

Think the poetry thing must be genetic in Sara Lewis Holmes' family. This week, Sara's daughter has written a beautiful Father's Day tribute to her fighter pilot dad atReadWriteBelieve.

Another lump in the throat poem from Amy at Poem Farm. "Stay Close," is such perfect advice for the times when someone we love is going through something hard and we don't know what to do for them. Amy's poem was included in a collection of poems and essays that Patty Digh gathered when her daughter Emma graduated from high school. I have got to have this book!

Diane Mayr has a really interesting project on her newest blog, Kids of the Homefront Army. She's written a series of poems narrated by kids during World War II. I definitely want to read some more of these.

And while we are on a biographical bent, at Bald Ego, Charles Ghigna has been doing a fascinating series of poems connected to famous artists. Today's is about a piece by El Greco.

And since we have a social studies poem, it's also fortunate that we have one that's science related. Laurie Purdie Salas gives us a lighthearted look at the periodic table.

And a few animal poems…

Dori's family was visited by a turtle this week, which reminded her of a poem, "Tortoise or Hare," she wrote a couple of years ago.

Elaine Magliaro brings us Grizzly Bear, a poem which she actually cut from a manuscript about backyard animals. And then at Wild Rose Reader she has posted a poem she wrote for a music teacher that is retiring.

Gathering Books shares "Trick of Light." I'm fascinated by the way they have superimposed the poem on top of an image. I want to know how to do that!

Several poems that would be fun to use in mini-lessons about poetry…

At a Year of Literacy Coaching, Libby captures life with a toddler. This is also a great example of a list poem.

Robyn Hood Black has a list poem written by first graders, then a couple of water haiku, all based on a photograph of the Salem Harbor.

At Teaching Authors, April invites us to try a trimeric and gives us four of her own as models. Hers are so fun I'm considering trying one of my own. Maybe that will be my Poetry Friday post next week (don't hold your breath!)

Speaking of April, Kate Coombs, who is moving out of state next week, shares a packing villanelle inspired by one of April's posts!

David Elzey has a semi found road sign poem (Don't miss the comments written by some of our very clever Poetry Friday friends!)

Rebecca shares a snow poem that would be really fun to use with kids in a lesson on poetry as a new way of seeing the world.

And a few wildflowers …

At Random Noodling, Diane shares her thoughts on Kenau Reeves' current writing project.

Irene Latham recently attended a writing workshop given by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Today she offers a few tips from that workshop.

Janet reviews ELLINGTON WAS NOT A STREET by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by one of my all time favorites- Kadir Nelson.

Kate shares two poems from Mary Ann Hoberman's YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU. I'm going to be in my own classroom for the first time in several years. I'll definitely going to build these two poems into the poetry we share in the first couple of weeks! Thanks for the reminder, Kate!

Think that's all for this week.

If I forgot anyone, it was purely accidental.

Shoot me an email and I will correct my mistake.

POETRY FRIDAY IS HERE!

2011-06-23T19:45:00.008-06:00

Welcome!

Poetry Friday is here today!

I'm so glad to have you visit!

The iris in Colorado have been gorgeous

for the past few weeks.

Went searching for an iris poem

to match a picture I took this week

and found the perfect one by Mary Oliver.

"Praying"

Mary Oliver

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention…

Read the rest of the poem here.

Leave your links in the comment section

and I will round them up several times throughout the day.

ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE

2011-06-22T17:09:00.004-06:00

Mike is a fourteen year old boy, being raised by (or maybe raising?) his absent-minded, math professor father. When the professor is invited to teach in Romania for a summer, he sends Mike to live with a great aunt and uncle, who he has never met. His father believes that his math-hating son will be helping to build an artesian screw, which will help Mike, who has math learning disabilities, to get into a math magnet high school.

When Mike arrives in the town of DoOver, he finds a very different situation. His great uncle, Poppy, is completely overcome by grief over the death of an adult son, and sits in a chair all the time. His great aunt Moo has macular degeneration, but still drives (scarily). These two, along with Gladys, a heavily pierced and tattooed bank worker, and Past, a homeless man who has his "office" in the park, have teamed up to raise $40,000 to bring a little boy, Misha, from Romania to be adopted by Karen, the town minister. When Karen's father has a stroke, she is called away and Mike is put in charge of the town's fund raising efforts.

This book is funny, but also more than a little sad. Mike wants to be one thing, his dad hopes he will turn out to be very different. In Do Over, Mike discovers that it is ok to be who you are…

Read Mary Lee's review at Year of Reading.

JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW- Nathan Bransford

2011-06-21T21:08:00.004-06:00

If I had to describe this book in a few words, I'd say Captain Underpants heads to outer space with sixth grade main characters. Or maybe Wimpy Kid goes sci- fi. Maybe the genre could be described as slapstick sci-fi. At any rate, this debut novel by Nathan Bransford, is really funny.

Jacob Wonderbar (substitute teacher slayer extraordinaire) and his two closest friends, Dexter and Sarah, are in the woods one day when a strange silver man approaches and offers to trade his spaceship for a corn dog. It's not long before Jacob, Dexter (who is much less adventurous), and Sarah are headed for outer space. They are having a great time until they encounter a large, unknown planet directly in their path. Left with few options, Jacob decides to blast it with a missile, and then, well, as the back cover of the book says, "Space travel is all fun and games until someone breaks the universe."

The missile blaster sets off a chain reaction that obliterates the path back to earth. Jacob, Dexter, and Sarah's efforts to get home end up taking them on a series of crazy adventures, which including an encounter with Master Cracken- the most rotten, black-hearted buccaneer this side of the Big Dipper, a trip to Numonia- a planet where the air smells like burp breath, and a trip to the Planet Archimedes to steal the world's largest diamond because it supposedly has magical wishing powers that might get the trio home. And then there's a trip to Planet Paisley- where the clothing store displays floral print dresses, pointy glasses, and beige clogs, which we soon come to find out are purchased by its inhabitants, substitute teachers who sit around drinking coffee and doing crossword puzzles (ok, what is up with that one!?!?!)

There's a lot to like about this book. It's funny and fast-paced. Jacob is African American. His friend Sarah is a a strong female character, more than capable of holding her own with the fellas. There's a small strand of serious-- the friendship among the three kids, and also Jacob's relationship with his dad, who in not in the picture. According to the blurb in the front of the book- this is the first in a series. Can't wait to see number two!