The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

What a great snow day it was! I stayed up late last night reading more of THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE and decided that I'd spend the morning finishing it. What an amazing read! If you've read Philippa Gregory's other books, this one is just as good, if not better. I always worry about sequels meeting my expectations. This on surpassed all that I hoped it would be. I have never been a huge reader of historical fiction but got hooked a bit with Tracy Chevalier's books. I somehow picked up THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL last year (after hearing about it from so many people) and loved it--bought it for all of my friends. 

This is the story of Anne of Cleves and of Katherine Howard--both interesting characters as portrayed by Gregory. The book follows both characters as well as the character of Jane Boleyn. If you read the first book, you get to know a bit of a different side of Jane. The book is told by all 3 of these women and goes back and forth between the three. The book is amazing on all accounts. Such a great study of character and such an interesting look at the times. The plot is based on much of what happened during the time period and it is gripping throughout. There isn't a point in the book where you wish it was over. Since morning, I have been in a half fog. Thinking of the court of England all afternoon. A great book that I am sad to have finished.

Decorating for the Holiday

I first saw the Cybils widget on Jen Robinson's blog and I knew it was only a matter of time before we would have one, too.

Since tomorrow is the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT DAY, it seemed only appropriate to decorate for the holiday.

Jeremy Fink Fan Club

Is there room for one more member?

I haven't read a book this good...this SATISFYING for I don't know how long! Thank you, Wendy Mass for Jeremy and Lizzy and for reminding me of all those things I already knew (especially the story about the two wolves), and thank you, Franki, for being so rabid about this book. It wouldn't have made it to the top of my to-read pile so fast if it weren't for your enthusiasm. What WERE the Newbery Committee members THINKing when they passed THIS one BY?!?!

One more thank you -- to the universe, for this snow day in which I have done nothing but lay about in my pj's and read. Quite a contrast to the person I was yesterday, all full of my important lesson plans and all the work we need to accomplish before the end of the trimester. Just goes to show...well, I'm not sure what it goes to show, but in case any of my students (or more likely, their parents) are reading this, I promise that I'll do some school work after we take dog and XC skis and snowshoes over to the OSU golf course Griggs Reservoir for a snowy romp. (A POX on OSU for closing the golf course to sledders and skiers! How unsporting of them! Afraid we'd mess up the precious greens? Grrrrr...) And in the extremely unlikely event that my back surgeon is reading this, no, I am not going to ski before I've even been cleared for PT. I'm going to WALK. You didn't tell me I couldn't walk with snowshoes on my feet.

More Mom Fashion

Seems that the Kidlitosphere is not the only group talking about Mom Fashions. (There are several comments on 7ITBB after a comment by Jules about cool moms in Kelly's great interview) But, it seems that this year's Fall Fashion Week also catered to Mom clothes according to Lindsay at Suburban Turmoil. Between the fashions and Lindsay's captions, moms can't help but be in fashion this fall.



So, it's off topic but since so many comments on Kelly's interview connected to Mom jeans, it isn't that big of a stretch..and it is hysterical.

Rethinking Old Books

So, my daughter had me watch this video on "Mom Jeans" this week. She wanted to remind me that my jeans are so out of fashion... Seems that the same thing can happen to books according to a great post at Miss Rumphius Effect entitled "When Books Fall Out of Fashion". A sad thing when an amazing book from our childhood is no longer one that our children or students love. I remember being appalled when they "updated" the Nancy Drew books a few years ago. Nancy Drew became hip--with a cool car and a cell phone. But, more importantly, as my students told me, the books were told in first person which made the mysteries far more interesting. I couldn't imagine it. Now, Nancy Drew is in graphic novel. I can't match the Nancy I knew to the illustrations in these books yet. How could Nancy Drew, the books I climbed to my grandmother's attic for each Sunday, be updated? I thought they were perfect! A few years ago, I read another of my favorite books from childhood to my 4th graders--FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER. I was sure my students would love it. I could still picture almost every scene in my head--30+ years later. My husband, a child who chose not to read much, remembered and loved this one book from his fourth grade year. His teacher had read it aloud. So, I was sure my class would love it too. How wrong I was! The class could not get past the idea that the security cameras did not catch Claudia and Jamie on that first night. In their world, they could not imagine such a place without security cameras and metal detectors! There was nothing I could do to make the story believable to this one class. (So, I hooked them on E.L. Konigsburg with A VIEW FROM SATURDAY and THE OUTCASTS OF SCHUYLER PLACE instead--both were VERY well loved by this same group of students.) I am not the kind of teacher who expects all of my students to love every book I read aloud. But this one threw me and made me think about the ways I choose books to read aloud. I wonder if Konigsburg's newer books are more current for kids today? I can't imagine it but how would I know since I am reading from an adult perspective. FROM THE MIXED UP FILES is one of the best books I've ever read. How do we, as teachers, know if a book will be current and believable to our students? I have never been the kind of teacher to read the same books year after year to my students. But, I no longer choose the books I love from childhood to read aloud. I think I do it for selfish reasons. I want to protect these favorites for myself without the comments of the children of 2007. I don't want my love for the book to discourage their honest comments. These books define my life as a reader and as a person. Reading them to a group of students who do not love them as I do is a very difficult experience--for all of us! (I do hand these books to individual students who I am sure will love them as I did!) With all of the new, amazing books coming out these days, I have no trouble finding new books that I love. Very few of them make me feel like Nancy Drew did or like I did when I was in the museum with Claudia and Jamie. But, I love them in a different way. Do books fall out of fashion? Are there books that are too old (no security cameras) but not old enough to yet be classics? I'm not sure. I hate the thought of a new, cooler Nancy Drew just as I hate the thought of Claudia and Jamie escaping to a museum with security cameras. I don't want the times to ruin the books of childhood and I don't want my experiences as a child to rule the books I read in the classroom. I know that the students I have come to know as amazing readers relate far better to this new and improved Nancy Drew. I know that they love the characters in A VIEW FROM SATURDAY just as I loved Claudia. I am good with that. I don't think those books will ever fall out of fashion for those of us who read them at the perfect time in our lives. (Hopefully, we'll realize that the mom jeans have fallen out of fashion though!)

New Graphic Novels for My Classroom

Akiko Pocket Size, volumes 1-5, by Mark Crilley. In the first book, 4th grader Akiko goes to the Planet Smoo and helps King Froptoppit rescue his son, the prince. She is joined in her adventures by Poog, a floating alien, Mr. Beeba, a bookish sort, Spuckler Boach, an Indiana Jones type, and Spuckler's robot, Gax. Although these are done in black and white, Crilley is very creative in his use of panels, points of view, and cliffhangers.

Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures, volumes 1-2, by J. Torres and J. Bone. Alison Dare's mother is an archaeologist (female Indiana Jones), her father is the masked hero the Blue Scarab, and her uncle is an international super spy. No surprise, then, that even though she goes to a Catholic boarding school, she drags her friends Wendy and Dot into all kind of adventures.

Hikaru No Go, by Yumi Hotta. 6th grader Hikaru is possessed by the ghost of an ancient Go master. Even though Hikaru has never played Go, he is drawn into the game by Sai, the ghost. She plays through him at first, but it is clear that Hikaru has talents of his own. This book reads right to left in the Native Manga style, which is probably more of a challenge for adults than kids. The reader doesn't need to know how to play Go to enjoy this book, but it seems likely that anyone who gets into the series will wind up giving Go a go.

Bone: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border, volume 5, by Jeff Smith. This is potentially the hottest book in my classroom right now. A student in my classroom beat me to owning Volume 5. I haven't read it yet. I plan to hold it, and all these other new graphic novels, hostage until some of the other newish GNs come back home to the classroom. It's been weeks since I've seen any of the three volumes of Amelia, or The 12 Labors of Hercules. I love it that graphic novels are popular and responsible for turning some of my students on to reading, but that will all fall apart if every GN that enters my classroom winds up being nicked!

WRINGER Stands the Test of Time

I just finished re-reading WRINGER for the umpteenth time to be ready for the student literature circle discussion this week.

It continues to amaze me how Jerry Spinelli caught so perfectly the pain of peer pressure in this book.

It is not a pleasant story. I almost always have to convince students that it is worth reading about a kid who doesn't want to wring half-dead pigeons' necks at the town's annual pigeon shoot. Being a wringer is a right of passage for 10 year-old boys in Palmer LaRue's town. Palmer LaRue does NOT want to be a wringer. WRINGER is the story of Palmer's ultimate year of dread: from the day he turns 9 until he turns 10.

During the year of dread, Palmer is finally accepted into The Gang and given his very own nickname, Snots. He joins the gang in bullying his former friend Dorothy. And then he is "adopted" by a pigeon. Because of Nipper, Palmer is able to salvage his friendship with Dorothy, and because of Nipper, Palmer must extricate himself from the very gang to which he so wanted to belong. Because of Nipper, Palmer learns to think for himself and do what he knows is right.

There's no certain happy ending in this book. I already know (from reading response homework) that one of the students is a bit peeved about that. But there is hope. Maybe that's more important than a happy ending after all.

Online Novel by Wendelin Van Draanen

I am probably way late discovering this, but I just found out (from my IRA newsletter) that Wendelin Van Draanen is writing an online novel for kids called THE GECKO AND STICKY. Each week a new chapter is posted. They have posted 4 chapters so far. It will end in mid-May. The author, Wendelin Van Draanen wrote one of my favorite series--SHREDDERMAN. This is a cool idea from the Maricopa County Library district. I guess they've had other online novels in the past. I am going to share it with my class this week. There are several SHREDDERMAN fans that may love to read it weekly. A pretty cool idea.

Curious George

An interesting article about the racial issues in the Curious George books that I'd never heard (thanks to Fuse #8 for the link). For those of you that don't know the story behind Curious George, Louise Borden's great book, THE JOURNEY THAT SAVED CURIOUS GEORGE, is worth reading. It is a fascinating story and gives great insights into the authors of the book as well as the time period. One of my favorite nonfiction books. Not only is it a great story, but the illustrations are amazing. They mix some of the H.A. Rey type art with artifacts from the story (photos, passports, etc.). A fabulous nonfiction book for kids and adults!

The Poetry of Friday

First two days of the week too cold for school.
Really. And then we had late starts for the next two.
I'm feeling ahead of the game now? Hardly.
Do I regret all the reading I got done,
And the clean bathroom curtains?
You're kidding, right? Would graded papers give me the same pleasure?