WHEN YOU REACH ME- Rebecca Stead

I have decided that the world is composed of two kinds of people-- those that are good at moving and those that are not. Unfortunately, I have also decided that I definitely fall into the latter category. Two weeks later and we are still not all the way out of the old house, nor are we settled in the new one. So, once again resorting to my favorite coping strategy- when the going gets tough, the tough find a corner and get reading. This week I have been reading this year's Newbery award winner, WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead.

Twelve year old Miranda has been friends with Sal almost since they were born. One day, when they are walking home from school, a boy who neither Sal nor Miranda knows walks up and punches Sal in the stomach. After that incident, Sal no longer wants anything to do with his former best friend, Miranda. Shortly after that, Miranda starts finding tiny notes hidden in her schoolbooks and her backpack…

This story doesn't read like a friendship or coming of age story. It's really more of a science fiction-y time travel mystery. Miranda's favorite book is Madeline L'Engle's WRINKLE IN TIME. She carries her worn copy with her wherever she goes and there are repeated references to WRINKLE sprinkled liberally throughout WHEN YOU REACH ME. Miranda's mother is studying to go on THE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR PYRAMID, and there are also numerous references to that show throughout the book. Each chapter, in fact, is a "category" title, e.g. THINGS THAT HEAL.

I liked this book. I was not sure, however, that fourth or fifth graders would find it particularly engaging. I wondered if they would have to know the story of WRINKLE IN TIME or would have to have seen TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR PYRAMID. It was interesting to me, then, to read this review on EDUCATING ALICE. Mona's kids loved the book, hung on every word, wrestled to put all of the clues together…

I'm still not sure I'd use it as my back to school read aloud. But maybe, a little later in the year, when kids had a little more experience with read alou…

MOCKINGBIRD- KATHRYN ERSKINE

OK, so it's day #417 of the move (or maybe it's day #4 but it feels like day #417). And so, I assumed one of my all time most useful life mottos-- when the going gets tough, the tough find a bookstore and get reading. And that's exactly what I did today-- the boys had football at 4, I dropped them off and went and discovered-- MOCKINGBIRD. A TREASURE. Maybe the best novel I've read this year.

Caitlin, a fifth grader who has Asperger's, sees the world a little differently than most of her peers. Her mother is dead and Caitlin has always relied on her older brother Devon to help her make sense of life, but then Devon is killed in a shooting at his middle school. And Caitlin must help her grief-stricken father to "bring closure" to the loss.

I loved, loved, loved this book. Erskine does an amazing job capturing the voice and thinking of an Asperger's child (I kept thinking of Cynthia Lord's RULES, another book I really loved). Next, it's chock full of references to one of my all time favorite novels, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Devon and Caitlin love the movie and have spent many hours watching it over and over again-- Devon even calls his little sister Scout. And I know the book would evoke some great discussions about compassion and kindness and respecting other people's differences.

OK, no more blogging, I gotta go pack a box or ten…

HEART OF A STUDENT ATHLETE- Karl Mecklenberg

My boys are not avid readers, nor are they avid students. They like football, technology, their cell phones, video games, and girls; (the order depends on the day). Nevertheless, I will not give up. Every night, we have thirty minutes of family reading time (ok, I admit this moving thing has kind of thrown a wrench in the works). I buy way, way, way too many books and graphic novels and magazines hoping to find the one that will turn my guys into readers. I carefully position the newspaper, interesting photo up every morning, hoping that it will catch their attention.

This week, I bought a book I think middle and high school teachers should know about. Karl Mecklenberg was a Denver Bronco for 12 years. He played with John Elway. He was defensive player of the week/year, all conference, and all pro. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for more than 25 years. He has remained active in Denver charities since his retirement.

In the HEART OF A STUDENT ATHLETE, Mecklenberg identifies six qualities- teamwork, courage, honesty and forgiveness, dedication, desire and goal setting. Each chapter focuses on one of these traits. Mecklenberg shares lots of stories about his life on and off the field. He talks about game winning tackles, but he also talks about adversity- having to run a million hills for missing a makeup game in middle school, blowing out his knee after he made the starting lineup at the University of Minnesota, and being shot by a good friend on a hunting trip.

HEART OF A STUDENT ATHLETE is a book my boys might read. It's about football. The voice sounds like lots of the coaches my boys have played for. There are lots of stories. It's broken into short sections that could be read in any order. There are color photographs.

HEART OF A STUDENT ATHLETE is a book I would want in my classroom, if I was a middle or high school teacher. It's a book that guys like mine might actually pick up and read.

POETRY FRIDAY

We are, allegedly, moving this weekend.

I love, love, love our new house.

I love, love, love our new neighborhood.

I can't wait to be settled.

To not make the 30 mile roundtrip back and forth to town

Umpteen time a week

But right now

The whole move thing

is feeling a teeny bit

overwhelming.

"That Will to Divest"

…Once

you've swept

the shelves

of spoons

and plates

you kept

for guests

it gets harder

not to also

simplify the larder…

Kay Ryan

Read the rest of the poem here.

POETRY FRIDAY is hosted by Kelly Polark who has a lovely "Welcome Summer" poem.

FUN NEW BLOG: FROM THE MIXED UP FILES

OK, so life is a little crazy in Carol's Corner right now.
We are moving.
Closing at 9:00 this morning.
We get the keys at 6 on Sunday night.
My teenagers are being teenager-ish.
About helping.
One son has packed his room.
And as far as he is concerned
he is done packing.
The other one,
well, let's just say,
does anyone have a bulldozer
we could borrow
for a week or two?

And me.
I do so admire
people who are organized
And I do so wish
that I was one of those people.
And I was a teeny bit insulted
When one of my sons
said I kind of reminded him
of one of those hoarder show people.

And Son #1 got his driver's permit last week
And wants to drive everywhere.
And he's doing a great job.
Really he is.
But it's still just
a teeny bit stressful.

OK, and in the midst of all of this craziness,
when I should be packing boxes
Or at least looking for more boxes
so I could pack them
(if anyone has some spare boxes, call me, and I will come and get them!)
I am perusing the web.

And this week,
I found a new blog,
by middle grade authors and teachers
about middle grade readers.
Not sure why,
But those are always the hardest books for me to find.
I read tons of great picture books.
And lots of great YA stuff.
But I struggle
to find great middle grade novels.
So I'm thrilled to find a new blog.
And it's even named
after one of my all time favorite books.
(Right now I would like to live in a museum.
Because it would be clean
And you could find things.
And there are probably boxes in the basement).

fromthemixedupfiles.com
Book reviews. Author interviews. Fun giveaways. Check it out.

ROCKS! ROCKS! ROCKS! Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

If you work with young children, you probably know Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, the author of SHELLS! SHELLS! SHELLS! and FLY, MONARCH, FLY! In Wallace's newest book, ROCKS! ROCKS! ROCKS! Buddy Bear visits the Rock Ridge Nature Center. He and his mom hike the Blue Diamond Nature Trail, where Buddy learns some basic geology facts and concepts, e.g. the earth is a ball of rock, rock erodes over time and that there are more than one hundred kinds of rocks. They also meet a park ranger who teaches them how sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock are made.

ROCKS! ROCKS! ROCKS! definitely rocks! The "facts wrapped in a story" format makes this fairly difficult topic easily accessible to young children. Diamond-shaped signs along the nature trail act as headings or subtitles and provide a great jumping off point for a discussion of how authors use different tools to support readers. Rectangular signs give kids with some fun facts to know and share. The illustrations are Wallace's trademark collage and include not only a variety of papers, but also some great photographs of rocks. Appendixes encourage young petrologists to start a rock collection, make rock magnets, write a rock joke, or build a cairn. Two other appendixes list rock places, e.g. Rocky Ford, Colorado, and rock sayings.

Visit Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's website here.

Monday Musings

Between trying to get ready to move (not to mention several other life changes currently occurring), chauffeuring my sons all over Denver, and teaching son #1 to drive, I'm not feeling very eloquent (or coherent) these days. Found this quote, along with a gorgeous, gorgeous photograph on Cynthia Lord's blog yesterday (Lord's husband is a professional photographer and they live in Maine and almost every day she publishes a photo that I would love, love, love to own).

"I believe that children in this country
need a more robust literary diet
than they are getting....
It does not hurt them to read about good and evil,
love and hate,
life and death.
Nor do I think they should read only
about things that they understand....
a man’s (person's) reach should exceed his (her) grasp.
So should a child’s.
For myself, I will never talk down to—
or draw down to—children."
--Barbara Cooney