1. One book that changed your life?
WRITING: TEACHERS AND CHILDREN AT WORK by Donald Graves. This book is responsible for launching the workshop format in my classroom. (ML)
IN THE MIDDLE: READING, WRITING, AND LEARNING WITH ADOLESCENTS by Nancie Atwell. This book was the first I had read about writing workshop. (F)
CHOICE WORDS by Peter Johnston. The most amazing book that reminds us that teaching is so much about how we talk to kids. (F) (I second that! --ML)
2. One book you have read more than once?
RADICAL REFLECTIONS by Mem Fox. She inspires me to know my own mind and follow my own heart. (ML)
LASTING IMPRESSIONS: WEAVING LITERATURE THROUGH THE WRITING WORKSHOP by Shelley Harwayne
WHAT A WRITER NEEDS by Ralph Fletcher.
Two of my all-time favorite books about writing workshop and the connection to great books. (F)
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
A book about all the cultures, religions, and political histories of the world. Then, when I got off the island, I might be a little better prepared to teach the myriad of students who are in my class each loop! (ML)
WORKSHOP OF THE POSSIBLE: NURTURING CHILDREN'S CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT by Ruth Shagoury Hubbard--a tribute to how amazing kids are! (F)
4. One book that made you laugh?
BLACK ANTS AND BUDDHISTS by Mary Cowhey. Mary Cowhey is a gifted storyteller. She brings her classroom to life with her stories of guiding young children towards critical thinking and social action. (ML)
DEAR MEM FOX, I HAVE READ ALL YOUR BOOKS EVEN THE PATHETIC ONES by Mem Fox. So many of Mem Fox's books make me laugh. This is one that I remember laughing all the way through. (F)
5. One book that made you cry?
ONE SIZE FITS FEW: THE FOLLY OF EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS by Susan Ohanian. The title says it all. (ML)
THE GAME OF SCHOOL by Robert Fried. The whole premise is sad. (F)
6. One book you wish had been written?
The one that will inspire a teacher who "laminates her lesson plans" to start thinking about teaching for student learning and not for her own convenience. (ML)
A book on how to teach, be a good mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend..., eat healthy, exercise, write, clean the house, read, and get enough sleep! (F)
7. One book you wish had never been written?
Not a wish I am philosophically able to make. (ML)
I agree with Mary Lee. (F)
8. One book you are currently reading?
School's about to start, so there are actually three:
BLACK ANTS AND BUDDHISTS by Mary Cowhey,
STUDY DRIVEN: A FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING UNITS OF STUDY IN THE WRITING WORKSHOP by Katie Wood Ray, and
RETHINKING RUBRICS IN WRITING ASSESSMENT by Maja Wilson. (ML) All three of these books are causing me to reflect on my teaching practices, and they will all help me to keep my teaching and assessment responsive to my students' needs.
UNITS OF STUDY FOR TEACHING WRITING IN GRADES 3-5 by Lucy Calkins (F) This is a new resource that was recommended by others. I try to keep up on the new things out there on Reading and Writing Workshops.
9. One book you have been meaning to read?
I have two: GOING PUBLIC: PRIORITIES AND PRACTICES AT THE MANHATTAN NEW SCHOOL and WRITING THROUGH CHILDHOOD: RETHINKING PROCESS AND PRODUCT by Shelley Harwayne. Shelley Harwayne has had an amazing career as a public school teacher and administrator. Through it all, she has never lost her passionate belief in what children are capable of accomplishing. I admire her greatly. (ML)
WRITING SENSE: INTEGRATED READING AND WRITING LESSONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS K-8 by Julie Kendall and Outey Khuon. I read MAKING SENSE by the same authors and was thrilled to see this one come out! (F)
10. Now tag five people.
Any teacher who reads professional books, consider yourself tagged!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Book Meme: Children's Literature Version
1. One book that changed your life?
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L'Engle was the first really challenging book I ever read, and I found it all by myself -- a bonus! (ML)
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson--was the first book I read for a children's lit class in college and I fell in love with Children's Lit again! (F)
2. One book you have read more than once?
When I was a kid, I reserved Sunday afternoons for re-reading books that made me cry. One of my favorites was LITTLE BRITCHES, by Ralph Moody. (ML)
THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett (F)
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
The biggest, thickest anthology of poetry I could lay hands on. (ML)
No poetry for me. I'd want WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech (F)
4. One book that made you laugh?
THE BFG, by Roald Dahl. The first children's book to showcase farts, even if they were disguised as whizpoppers. (ML)
BARK, GEORGE by Jules Feiffer (F)
5. One book that made you cry?
The whole second half of EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, by Deborah Wiles. (ML)
BABY by Patricia MacLachlan (F)
6. One book you wish had been written?
The one guaranteed to hook any struggling reader. (ML)
More books by favorite authors like Sharon Creech, Shannon Hale, Kate DiCamillo, Mem Fox, etc. I always hate waiting for their next books! (F)
7. One book you wish had never been written?
Not a wish I am philosophically able to make. (ML)
The new NANCY DREW books--I liked the old ones! (F)
8. One book you are currently reading?
One of the next on my to-read pile is A TRUE AND FAITHFUL NARRATIVE, by Katherine Sturtevant.
BREAD AND ROSES, TOO by Katherine Paterson (F)
9. One book you have been meaning to read?
Now that I finished HP #6, I guess that honor goes the THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer. (ML)
#4-12 of THE SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by Lemony Snicket (F)
10. Now tag five people.
If you're reading this, you've probably already been tagged. Now get busy and make your list! If you're not sure where to send it, put it in our comments and we'll get you in!
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L'Engle was the first really challenging book I ever read, and I found it all by myself -- a bonus! (ML)
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson--was the first book I read for a children's lit class in college and I fell in love with Children's Lit again! (F)
2. One book you have read more than once?
When I was a kid, I reserved Sunday afternoons for re-reading books that made me cry. One of my favorites was LITTLE BRITCHES, by Ralph Moody. (ML)
THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett (F)
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
The biggest, thickest anthology of poetry I could lay hands on. (ML)
No poetry for me. I'd want WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech (F)
4. One book that made you laugh?
THE BFG, by Roald Dahl. The first children's book to showcase farts, even if they were disguised as whizpoppers. (ML)
BARK, GEORGE by Jules Feiffer (F)
5. One book that made you cry?
The whole second half of EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, by Deborah Wiles. (ML)
BABY by Patricia MacLachlan (F)
6. One book you wish had been written?
The one guaranteed to hook any struggling reader. (ML)
More books by favorite authors like Sharon Creech, Shannon Hale, Kate DiCamillo, Mem Fox, etc. I always hate waiting for their next books! (F)
7. One book you wish had never been written?
Not a wish I am philosophically able to make. (ML)
The new NANCY DREW books--I liked the old ones! (F)
8. One book you are currently reading?
One of the next on my to-read pile is A TRUE AND FAITHFUL NARRATIVE, by Katherine Sturtevant.
BREAD AND ROSES, TOO by Katherine Paterson (F)
9. One book you have been meaning to read?
Now that I finished HP #6, I guess that honor goes the THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer. (ML)
#4-12 of THE SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by Lemony Snicket (F)
10. Now tag five people.
If you're reading this, you've probably already been tagged. Now get busy and make your list! If you're not sure where to send it, put it in our comments and we'll get you in!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
It was only a matter of time
TheBookDragon is on a quest to find 100 Librarians (great or otherwise) in children's and YA literature. They swiped the idea from our 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature, but let's not get carried away and forget to pay homage to Jen Robinson's lists of cool boys and cool girls that got US started!
(It really is a matter of time now before I start a list of dogs...unless someone gets there before I do!)
(It really is a matter of time now before I start a list of dogs...unless someone gets there before I do!)
Friday, August 11, 2006
Poetry Friday
Awhile back, our friend Bill shared this ode to the spell checker from The Journal of Irreproducible Results:
Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
Jerrold H. Zar
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
(click here for the rest of the poem)
The best poems are often ones that are given to us, for whatever reason. In that spirit, I give to you a few of my favorite places to find poetry on the Internet:
FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS
The Children's Poetry Archive. The idea behind this site is that poetry "lives in the sound of the words, the voice of the poet...The poetry archive is a place where everyone can listen to poetry." Mostly obscure children's poets (plus a couple of dead guys), but a work in progress with a good mission. Go listen.
GigglePoetry. Funny poems for kids. You can read and rate (the funniness) of poems, go to poetry class, have poetry fun, do poetry theater, and enter contests. Sections for teachers.
Magnetic Poetry Online for kids. There are four different kids' kits: the basic kids' kit, first words, best friends, and storymaker. Sections for teachers and lots of kits to help adults get in touch with their dog/cat/horse-loving genius Shakespearean Muse.
FOR POETRY LOVERS
The Favorite Poem Project. This one fascinates me. People nominated their favorite poems, and this is where you can read the favorites and/or watch videos of the nominator talking about why the poem is their favorite and reading it. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.
Poetry 180. A poem a day for high school students, intended to be read over the PA system. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
While we're on the subject of Poet Laureates (Poets Laureate?), Donald Hall is the current Poet Laureate. His project? Dunno.
PoetryFoundation. A huge archive of poems sortable by poem, poet, audio/visuals, articles, and children's.
AND MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DAILY (NOT JUST FRIDAY) POETRY FIX COMES FROM...
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. You can hear this on public radio, listen via the web, subscribe to the daily email, or subscribe to the podcast.
Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
Jerrold H. Zar
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
(click here for the rest of the poem)
The best poems are often ones that are given to us, for whatever reason. In that spirit, I give to you a few of my favorite places to find poetry on the Internet:
FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS
The Children's Poetry Archive. The idea behind this site is that poetry "lives in the sound of the words, the voice of the poet...The poetry archive is a place where everyone can listen to poetry." Mostly obscure children's poets (plus a couple of dead guys), but a work in progress with a good mission. Go listen.
GigglePoetry. Funny poems for kids. You can read and rate (the funniness) of poems, go to poetry class, have poetry fun, do poetry theater, and enter contests. Sections for teachers.
Magnetic Poetry Online for kids. There are four different kids' kits: the basic kids' kit, first words, best friends, and storymaker. Sections for teachers and lots of kits to help adults get in touch with their dog/cat/horse-loving genius Shakespearean Muse.
FOR POETRY LOVERS
The Favorite Poem Project. This one fascinates me. People nominated their favorite poems, and this is where you can read the favorites and/or watch videos of the nominator talking about why the poem is their favorite and reading it. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.
Poetry 180. A poem a day for high school students, intended to be read over the PA system. This was a project of former Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
While we're on the subject of Poet Laureates (Poets Laureate?), Donald Hall is the current Poet Laureate. His project? Dunno.
PoetryFoundation. A huge archive of poems sortable by poem, poet, audio/visuals, articles, and children's.
AND MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE DAILY (NOT JUST FRIDAY) POETRY FIX COMES FROM...
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. You can hear this on public radio, listen via the web, subscribe to the daily email, or subscribe to the podcast.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Author of Yellow Star Coming to Town
Since we are trying to read the book that wins this coming year's Newbery, I am very happy about this latest news. I just found out that Jennifer Roy, the author of YELLOW STAR will be at Cover to Cover Bookstore on Tuesday, August 15. I am very excited! I keep seeing this book on Mock Newbery lists everywhere! So, I had it on my "Hope to Read Soon" list anyway. I am going to try to pick up the book tomorrow and read it before her visit this week. Sounds like an amazing book. And, as an added treat, her twin sister, author of HOW MY PRIVATE, PERSONAL JOURNAL BECAME A BESTSELLER will also be there. This book was made into the latest Disney Channel Original movie! Twin authors! Mary Lee, wouldn't it be great if we read the book that wins the Newbery, met the author and met her twin sister, another great author!? I'll let you know after I read it. But the reviews I've read so far have been amazing!
100 Cool Teachers
Monday, August 07, 2006
Sister Basil won't make our list
I have finished three of the four books that were on the top of my pile: VICTORY, THE LOUD SILENCE OF FRANCINE GREEN, and WEEDFLOWER.
No cool teachers in any of them, least of all in FRANCINE GREEN (Sister Basil borders on evil)...although Sister Pete might be nominated for a list of cool librarians, even though her library itself seems woefully limited.
I'm intrigued by the similarities in these three books. In each, there are two perspectives or two stories that sometimes balance each other (Francine and Sophie), sometimes serve as a contrast to the other (Sumiko and Frank), and sometimes merge and blend and become one (Molly and Sam).
They are all three historical fiction, which is often a hard-sell to young readers. I think kids would be most likely to read FRANCINE GREEN (1950's California, a world at least vaguely familiar from TV and movies), not at all interested in VICTORY (1800's naval history, Admiral Lord Nelson, Battle of Trafalgar) in spite of the parallel story of the modern girl homesick for England and learning to adjust to her mother's remarriage, and unwilling to even open WEEDFLOWER because of the uninspired title and the cover that doesn't match the book in any way, shape, or form (except maybe the blurry barbed wire).
All three could, should, and hopefully will cause some discomfort and questioning by readers. Of the kidnapping of men and boys by the press gangs who "recruited" for the Royal British Navy in VICTORY, I hope there will be at least a, "Did they really DO that?" or a, "Isn't that a bit like the involuntary draft in the U.S.?" In FRANCINE GREEN, (so many...where to start...), "Did the nuns really DO that?", "Did the government really DO that (Red Scare)?", "Isn't that (fear of communism) a bit like today's fear of 'terrorists'?" And in WEEDFLOWER, of the interment of the Japanese during WWII and of the Native Americans on reservations, "Did our government really DO that?", and "Why was that allowed to happen...and could it happen again?"
Along with the discomfort and questioning, all three have strong main characters who find a way to take a stand, whether by completing a circle, crossing a line, or breaking a silence.
All in all, three books I liked a lot, both jointly and separately. Not sure any will make it to the top of the Newbery pile. Still looking...
No cool teachers in any of them, least of all in FRANCINE GREEN (Sister Basil borders on evil)...although Sister Pete might be nominated for a list of cool librarians, even though her library itself seems woefully limited.
I'm intrigued by the similarities in these three books. In each, there are two perspectives or two stories that sometimes balance each other (Francine and Sophie), sometimes serve as a contrast to the other (Sumiko and Frank), and sometimes merge and blend and become one (Molly and Sam).
They are all three historical fiction, which is often a hard-sell to young readers. I think kids would be most likely to read FRANCINE GREEN (1950's California, a world at least vaguely familiar from TV and movies), not at all interested in VICTORY (1800's naval history, Admiral Lord Nelson, Battle of Trafalgar) in spite of the parallel story of the modern girl homesick for England and learning to adjust to her mother's remarriage, and unwilling to even open WEEDFLOWER because of the uninspired title and the cover that doesn't match the book in any way, shape, or form (except maybe the blurry barbed wire).
All three could, should, and hopefully will cause some discomfort and questioning by readers. Of the kidnapping of men and boys by the press gangs who "recruited" for the Royal British Navy in VICTORY, I hope there will be at least a, "Did they really DO that?" or a, "Isn't that a bit like the involuntary draft in the U.S.?" In FRANCINE GREEN, (so many...where to start...), "Did the nuns really DO that?", "Did the government really DO that (Red Scare)?", "Isn't that (fear of communism) a bit like today's fear of 'terrorists'?" And in WEEDFLOWER, of the interment of the Japanese during WWII and of the Native Americans on reservations, "Did our government really DO that?", and "Why was that allowed to happen...and could it happen again?"
Along with the discomfort and questioning, all three have strong main characters who find a way to take a stand, whether by completing a circle, crossing a line, or breaking a silence.
All in all, three books I liked a lot, both jointly and separately. Not sure any will make it to the top of the Newbery pile. Still looking...
Friday, August 04, 2006
Poetry Friday--Confessions of A Reader
This is one of my favorite poems. It was written by a teacher. I found it years ago in a professional book. Enjoy!
Confessions of a Reader
Almost spring.
A spider
Stakes a claim
On a corner
Of the eight-foot window
In our living room.
Each morning
I admire
Taut guidelines,
Carefully placed spokes,
Dancing gown threads,
Architecture unrivalled.
My mother
Would not tolerate
Such slovenly housekeeping.
She would get a broom
And knock down
This errant squatter's palace.
I do not.
I am waiting for Charlotte
To leave a message.
By
Carol Wilcox
From All That Matters: What We Value in School and Beyond edited by Linda Rief and Maureen Barbieri
Heinemann, 1995
Confessions of a Reader
Almost spring.
A spider
Stakes a claim
On a corner
Of the eight-foot window
In our living room.
Each morning
I admire
Taut guidelines,
Carefully placed spokes,
Dancing gown threads,
Architecture unrivalled.
My mother
Would not tolerate
Such slovenly housekeeping.
She would get a broom
And knock down
This errant squatter's palace.
I do not.
I am waiting for Charlotte
To leave a message.
By
Carol Wilcox
From All That Matters: What We Value in School and Beyond edited by Linda Rief and Maureen Barbieri
Heinemann, 1995
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
What all this heat is good for
I finished A FINE BALANCE. A fine balance between hope and despair, between humor and gut-wrenching violence and sadness, between the Beggarmaster and the beggars, between casual and deliberate choices, between debit and credit. "Let me tell you a secret: there is no such thing as an uninteresting life." (p.593)
After I pulled my head out of the book, I looked around the house. This led to Swiffering up the drifts of dog and cat hair instead of vacuuming (too hot), which left enough time for the luxury of exercising in an airconditioned health club.
Working out on the machines instead of swimming laps allowed me to begin to get caught up on NPR podcasts that have piled up, namely the Radio Expeditions series.
And THAT led to a story about Ecuadoran tree hoppers who remind me greatly of bloggers: creatures whose conversations cannot be detected without the proper equipment, who are evolving a system of social communication that is going on almost all the time.
After I pulled my head out of the book, I looked around the house. This led to Swiffering up the drifts of dog and cat hair instead of vacuuming (too hot), which left enough time for the luxury of exercising in an airconditioned health club.
Working out on the machines instead of swimming laps allowed me to begin to get caught up on NPR podcasts that have piled up, namely the Radio Expeditions series.
And THAT led to a story about Ecuadoran tree hoppers who remind me greatly of bloggers: creatures whose conversations cannot be detected without the proper equipment, who are evolving a system of social communication that is going on almost all the time.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
I'm not going to quit trying
OK, Shannon, here is my case study.
Case study #1
Situation: Young girl lives in a home devoid of books, but full to the brim of movies and flat screen TVs. The shelves in her room are filled with VHS tapes by the time she's ready to start school. She has this aunt who can't stand the thought of a child growing up without trips to the library, and books to fill her imagination. So the niece gets books every birthday and Christmas, and sometimes in between. The niece and her aunt go to the library together often, and the niece learns the joys of the look-up computer, the nice librarians, exploring her passions, and checking out the same books over and over. Then the young girl hits fourth grade, and her school uses Accelerated Reader. Reading is for tests and points, nothing is read that doesn't "count," library visits fall off. The birthday books this year were CHASING VERMEER and THE FAIRY TALE DETECTIVES. On a recent road trip, niece and aunt listened to the audio version of CHASING VERMEER for about 10 minutes, and then the niece was fast asleep.
Result: Final outcome for niece: unknown. Current status of the aunt: I'm not going to quit trying.
(And just FYI, no link will be provided for Accelerated Reader. If you want to go there and find out what they think they are and what they think they do, you can type it in your browser yourself.)
(OOOoooh. I think we hit a nerve!)
Case study #1
Situation: Young girl lives in a home devoid of books, but full to the brim of movies and flat screen TVs. The shelves in her room are filled with VHS tapes by the time she's ready to start school. She has this aunt who can't stand the thought of a child growing up without trips to the library, and books to fill her imagination. So the niece gets books every birthday and Christmas, and sometimes in between. The niece and her aunt go to the library together often, and the niece learns the joys of the look-up computer, the nice librarians, exploring her passions, and checking out the same books over and over. Then the young girl hits fourth grade, and her school uses Accelerated Reader. Reading is for tests and points, nothing is read that doesn't "count," library visits fall off. The birthday books this year were CHASING VERMEER and THE FAIRY TALE DETECTIVES. On a recent road trip, niece and aunt listened to the audio version of CHASING VERMEER for about 10 minutes, and then the niece was fast asleep.
Result: Final outcome for niece: unknown. Current status of the aunt: I'm not going to quit trying.
(And just FYI, no link will be provided for Accelerated Reader. If you want to go there and find out what they think they are and what they think they do, you can type it in your browser yourself.)
(OOOoooh. I think we hit a nerve!)
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