Newbery Hopes--Reading With a Teacher's Eye

Betsy at Fuse #8 suggested that we write about the reasons for each book on our list of Newbery Predictions. We thought that was a good idea, but we must remind you again that we are really not good at this! We just do it for the fun of having an excuse to read as many new children's books as possible!

We both read middle grade novels with the eye of a teacher. We are familiar with the Newbery criteria and love the anticipation of waiting for the winner to be announced. I consider my main job on the day of the ALA announcements to be to get as many of the winning books as possible to share with my students the next day.

This is part of the bigger picture of my teaching. I think it is hugely important for kids to be part of the world of reading outside of the classroom. Paying attention to new books, internet sites, movies-from-books, author gossip, awards etc. all help them to be part of the world of readers that has nothing to do with school. I think this is a critical part of my job--hooking them up to this world that I love so much! One that they can be part of for their entire lives. This Newbery/Caldecott piece is just one part of that. Inviting them to be part of a big day in the world of children's literature.

As a teacher, here is how I make decisions about books and questions I ask myself when reading a new book:

**Is this book so amazing, that I should read it aloud to my students? (Since in the course of the year, we only have time to read about 10 novels, the book has to be REALLY good to meet this criteria.)

**Will this appeal to most students in my classroom or is it one that will appeal to a certain group of kids with certain tastes as readers?

**Which books is this like? Are there other popular books that give me the same feeling when I read it?

**Am I really excited to bring this into the classroom or am dying to tell other teachers/friends about it?

**Is this book surprising in some way?

**How does this book compare to other books by the author? How does it add to his/her body of work? (I LOVE finding great books by new authors or books that change my view of an author completely!)

**Do I think about these characters long after I am finished with the book?

**Is it hard for me to move to another book when this book is finished because I don't want this one to be over yet?

**Do I find myself getting online to look for other books by this author right away?

**What do the reviews say? I always check the reviews. I know that I am reading with the eye of a teacher and not an expert in children's lit. So, I trust the reviews and blogs and read them carefully to see what others are saying about the title.

**I pay attention to any real-world issues in the book that I need to be aware of as a public school teacher. Is the issue written in an age-appropriate way? Is it presented to this age group in a way that will help them make sense of it or one that I see as too much for this age?

**Is there depth to this book that is accessible to my students? Is the theme one that students can understand from the book or one that is not really accessible to them in the writing?

**Can most of the students in my room read this book on their own? What will the challenges be for their independent reading? How can I support them in getting past these challenges if they choose to read it independently.

So, later this week, and before the Newbery Announcement on January 22, I'll share my thinking about a few of the books on my list. I just wanted to process what it is I think about when creating my list of Newbery Hopes.

ANOTHER AWARD FOR YELLOW STAR!

Since YELLOW STAR is one of my VERY favorite books of the year. And since we got to meet the author, Jennifer Roy at her Cover to Cover signing, I am thrilled that it is receiving so many awards. Thanks to Fuse #8 for the news of the 2007 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, which recognize the best in Jewish Children's Literature. Congrats Jennifer Roy..again! Yellow Star deserves every award it gets!

CLEMENTINE

I seem to be using part of this month catching up on the books of 2006 that I haven't had time for. It is actually the only time of year that I am not jealous of all of the people out there who get boxes of review books! I am too far behind to read ahead at this point in the year. CLEMENTINE has been talked about on lots of blogs. Mother Reader put it on her list of "Not Newberyish Selections". I purchased it for my classroom and could not seem to get my hands back on it to read it. I lucked out on Friday when I noticed one of my students finishing the last page. I ran over to ask her if I could read it next. Seemed that someone was already ahead of me in line. So, I checked with the child who was next on the list for Clementine and she needed a few more days to finish the book she was reading. So, I got the book for the weekend--promising to have it back on Monday! (I know, it would have been easier to buy another copy of the book...) Anyway, I LOVED it! Laugh out loud, loved it! I was intrigued by the book because such a range of readers seem to love it. But once I read it, I understood why. It is pretty brilliant. Very funny from a child's standpoint. And the writing style is hysterically funny for adults too. With lines like, "But then a great idea popped into my head. I am lucky that way: great ideas are always popping into my head without me having to think them up," you cant help but LOVE Clementine. There is a sophistication in the humor that appeals to a variety of readers. It is a short book and a fun, light read. But, there is depth in the character and the humor. (even the author bio is pretty amusing) It seems pretty appropriate for a read aloud in grades K-1 and still a great read for readers in 3-5. A pretty perfect book!

Poetry Friday: The Art of Storytelling

We've been having lots of fun with storytelling in my classroom, thanks to the game, Pitch a Story. In this game, each player or team begins with a card from the character deck, and a card from the challenges deck. (The core of every story: someone wants something.) As you move your piece around the board, you might pick up props, settings, or other characters that you'll have to incorporate into your story. When you land on a "pitch place," you get a minute or two to plan your story based on the cards you're holding, and then you "pitch" your story in much the same way that "Writers, producers and directors "pitch" their story ideas as punchy, pithy presentations to Hollywood film studios, TV networks, Broadway theaters, and book publishers."

How perfect that Garrison Keillor has a storytelling poem for today's poem on The Writer's Almanac!

The Art of Storytelling
by Louis Simpson

Once upon a time there was a shocket,
that is, a kosher butcher,
who went for a walk.

He was standing by the harbor
admiring the ships, all painted white,
when up came three sailors, led by an officer.
"Filth," they said, "who gave you permission?"
and they seized and carried him off.

So he was taken into the navy.
It wasn't a bad life — nothing is.
He learned how to climb and sew,
and to shout "Glad to be of service, Your Excellency!"
He sailed all round the world,
Was twice shipwrecked, and had other adventures.
Finally, he made his way back to the village ...
whereupon he put on his apron, and picked up his knife,
and continued to be a shocket.

At this point, the person telling the story
would say, "This shocket-sailor
was one of our relatives, a distant cousin."

It was always so, they knew they could depend on it.
Even if the story made no sense,
the one in the story would be a relative —
a definite connection with the family.

Get to Know "Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast"

The girls at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast have a fabulous idea. My favorite blog idea since Lisa Yee's book title contest! They will be interviewing various bloggers so that we get to know them better. And they started with themselves! It is an interview that is great fun to read. When you read it, you realize how lucky we are to be part of the kidlitosphere. You will learn some VERY interesting things about Jules and Eisha, like that Jules can sing the alphabet as it appears on the keyboard (I believe this calls for a podcast AND a post explaining exactly how this happened!).

Enjoy the post. I look forward to more interviews on the site!
Thanks Jules and Eisha for a GRAND idea!

Nina Gives Us some Newbery Scoop

Nina of Nina's Newbery has a great post called "The Juicy Part". In the post, she tells us how her Mock Newbery committee went about choosing the Mock Newbery winner. She also gives us a few insights about how the actual Newbery committee makes the difficult decision each year. So, check it out for the inside scoop:-) Unfortunately, Nina won't be blogging about 2007 books since she'll be chairing the Newbery Committee!

But, Monica at Educating Alice will be part of the Newbery Committee and will be sharing her thoughts on books that she reads during the year.

Caldecott Hopes

I have read quite a few picture books this year. Lots of the CYBILS shortlisted books are not eligible for the Caldecott. But, I did see lots of great picture books during my reading for the CYBILS and throughout the year. Here are the ones I hope win the Caldecott. I don't know if they are all eligible, but I love them all. (And, I am not good at predicting these either...)

The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child
In My Heart by Molly Bang
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
Hippo! No, Rhino by Jeff Newman
Adele and Simon by Barbara McClintock
Walk On!: A Guide For Babies of All Ages by Marla Frazee
The Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai

Reading for TWEEN Girls

So, I have a friend who is looking for some good books for her 12 year old daughter. She is dying to read Chick Lit stuff but so much of it includes so much dealing with sex. I am trying to find books that are appropriate for 11-12 year olds but that feel like Chick Lit. Bindi Babes? Help!

I have no idea what we read at this age. I must have gone straight from Betsy and the Boys to Flowers in the Attic!?

If you have any suggestions, I am going to buy her a stack of good, appropriate-for-a- 5th-grade-girl books for her birthday.

Blog Addiction Justified

So, how can you not be addicted to blogging with contests like this? Thanks to Fuse #8 for alerting us to this hysterical new contest on Lisa Yee's blog. The contest has only been up for a day and the submissions are already quite amusing. There are even good prizes! Enjoy!

Warped History

Time Warp Trio Graphic Novels v. 1, 2
NIGHTMARE ON JOE'S STREET and
THE SEVEN BLUNDERS OF THE WORLD
created by Jon Scieszka
adapted by Zachary Rau
adapted from the teleplay by Peter K. Hirsch
review copies: personal purchase for my 4/5 classroom because I'm a sucker for anything that says "graphic novel" right now.


Time Warp Trio website


Does it count as a graphic novel if it's just screen captures of the animated TV show with speech bubbles added? I'm thinking is more like TV with page turns.

That said, the graphic novel series has remained true to what the real TIME WARP TRIO books do best: give kids a fun peek at a moment in history.

In NIGHTMARE ON JOE'S STREET, Frankenstein appears in Joe's house and the trio plus Frankenstein warp back to the mid-1800's to link up with Mary Shelley and get the monster she created back to her. In the course of the story, they also run into Mary's husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron.

In THE SEVEN BLUNDERS OF THE WORLD, the trio travels to ancient Babylon, visiting the Hanging Gardens of Babylon while they're there trying to find the evil time-warping thief who stole The Book (the magical book that allows/causes the trio to time travel). In this volume, they meet King Nebuchadnezzar and Queen Amyitis.

Yes, these are definitely "book candy," but at least they have been "vitamin fortified" with a small dose of history.