4 Professional Books on Nonfiction/Inquiry

It is funny how fast my pile of to-read professional books is getting lately. I am just finishing TEACHING THE NEW WRITING and will review it soon. I have also just added BLOGS, WIKIS, PODCASTS, AND OTHER POWERFUL TOOLS FOR CLASSROOMS by Will Richardson to my shopping cart. I am on a huge learning curve when it comes to technology and what that means for our elementary classrooms. So I have added a huge new topic to my professional reading life. But I do have a few books that I have ordered and spent some time with that I want to read over the next several weeks. These are the books that I am hoping will help grow my own thinking. I find that much of my professional reading comes from online sources lately. I get lost finding articles and blog posts so I haven't committed the the professional "book" reading that I've done in the past. Thank goodness it is summer so I can catch up on a few. These are the 4 on top of my stack right now. I am looking for ways to create a great library environment next year-one that invites inquiry, collaboration, and student ownership of learning. So my focus for the next few weeks is connected to that specific goal.

I am also excited to read COMPREHENSION AND COLLABORATION: INQUIRY CIRCLES IN ACTION by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels. I am excited to see how the thinking of these two experts have come together when thinking about small-group projects around inquiry. I worry that we have gotten so far away from students' own questions in school. I love that this book is for all levels. Early in the book, the authors say, "This book is for everyone who teaches because the big ideas and processes of education, the really big ones, truly do apply to all learners. From Pre-K to college, we are in the business of teaching thinking. And that's something we are never done with: we don't start children off thinking in the primary grades and then assume we're finished. Nor do we hold off on thinking until middle school, give them a couple good years of instruction, and then shut down, figuring they're now ready for anything." We teach thinking all year, every year: we teach students how to listen, view, read, gather, and engage with information; we make sure students acquire cognitive strategies, weigh ideas, develop judgement, and build knowledge; and just as important, we help them to remember, care choose, and take action." Can't wait to read more!

Another book that is connected a bit to the one above is SCIENCE AS THINKING: THE CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES OF INQUIRY THINKING by Wendy Ward Offer. I was excited to receive this book when I did a workshop with the PEBC in Colorado last week. I learn from every single piece that any of the teachers associated with them write. The work is amazing and has influenced so much of what I do with kids. In the library position, I am thinking hard about kids taking charge of their own learning and creating a place in the library where this is possible. From what I can tell after a pretty lengthy preview, the author uses a workshop model for her science teaching. The blurb on the back hooked me immediately. It says, "Inquiry is how we learn about the world. Every day we ask questions, gather evidence, make observations, and draw conclusions. SCIENCE AS THINKING shows how powerful instruction can connect the natural curiosity students bring to class to the science curriculum. No matter what my content, I have always learned a great deal from science teachers--inquiry is their content and I am excited to learn more from this book.

Finally, I would like to spend more time with NONFICTION MENTOR TEXTS by Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli. I loved the authors' first book, MENTOR TEXTS and was even more excited about this one--focusing on nonfiction. So much of our students' world is filled with information. Nonfiction is such a key to the ways they gather and communicate information. This book focuses on the writing of good nonfiction with the use of good mentor texts. I am thinking that this will help me in several ways. The tie in to 21st Century Skills is key. If we want our kids to be able to synthesize and communicate information, having great models for this type of communication is key. This book is packed--with not only lessons and booklists, but also so much to think about when it comes to communicating information. I can't wait to dig in.

I love the new Lucy Calkins Series "WORKSHOP HELP DESK". I love the size and focus of these little books. I picked up the first four and am amazed at how much they have packed into each one. The one that I am most anxious to read is "A QUICK GUIDE TO BOOSTING ENGLISH ACQUISITION IN CHOICE TIME" by Alison Porcelli and Cheryl Tyler. I have always believed in Choice Time and have seen how much students learn when given time to explore, inquire and discover. I love the idea of this book--the fact that it focus on this time as a way to boost English acquisition. Like I said, I love the focus of these books. A way to look deeply at a very small topic. The photos throughout the book were the first things to draw me to this book. The play factor is huge and I am hoping to build more time for this into the library next year.

I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emma Dodd

I am a fan of Emma Dodd. I think her books, especially DOG'S COLORFUL DAY, are adorable. But I DON'T WANT A POSH DOG! has a different look and I didn't even realize it was one of Dodd's when I decided that I needed it.

Dog books in classrooms and in the library are quite popular. It seems that there are always a few kids shopping for dogs. Or dreaming of a new puppy. In this book, a little girl is thinking about what kind of dog she wants. But instead of telling us what she wants, she tells us all of the things that she doesn't want in a dog (posh, bouncy, growly, etc.). Each page highlights a colorful illustration of a dog to go along with the words. The text has a rhyme and rhythm to it which will make it a great read aloud.

This book is pure fun! The end pages are filled with dog biscuits and every dog is quite lovable (even the snooty, attitudey dog!). Kids will love the concept as well as the humor. So excited to add this one to the library:-)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

Little, Brown and Co.

on shelves July 1, 2009

ARC received, compliments of Grace, at the Dublin Literacy Conference

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a magical book that explores the power of story. It is about sacrifice, friendship, faith, the transformation of a journey, and the joys of home. More than anything, it is about thankfulness -- about learning that one's fortune does not need to be changed; that fortune is more than gold and jewels.

Minli's mother, Ma, is full of bitterness and discontent about their hard life in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain. Minli's father, Ba, on the other hand, tells stories to easy their hard life. Minli believes in the possibilities of Ba's stories and wants to do what she can to ease Ma's discontent, so she listens to a talking goldfish (just like the ones in Ba's stories) and runs away from home to ask The Old Man of the Moon to change her family's fortune.

Along the way, Minli meets many characters, including a dragon who also has a question for The Old Man of the Moon and who comes along with her. You'll be reminded of The Wizard of Oz, but Minli is no Dorothy -- she is much smarter and more resourceful.

At a crowded market, Minli must find the King. She notices an old beggar man that no one is helping, and she buys him a peach. Experienced fairy tale readers will know at once that she has certainly done the right thing, and probably found the King in disguise.

She has indeed found the King, who helps her by giving her what she's looking for -- a "borrowed line." This "borrowed line" comes in the form of the King's family treasure -- a page "borrowed" from the The Old Man of the Moon's Book of Fortunes that has a line of text that changes depending on the situation. (Thus, the "borrowed line.") The line tells the King, "You only lose what you cling to," and he realizes that, "...by choosing to give you the line, I do not lose it." (p.140)

At the same time that Minli is in the King's walled courtyard getting "the borrowed line" that she needs to present to The Old Man of the Moon, the Dragon is at the city gates making friends with the stone lions. Dragon learns that the city the lions are charged with guarding was once in danger of breaking apart because of political turmoil. The Old Man of the Moon gave them a string to tie around the city if it seemed it would split. The city eventually recovered, but they still had the string, which the Dragon recognizes must be "the borrowed line" that Minli is searching for.

When Minli and the Dragon reunite, they resume their journey to The Old Man of the Moon with not one, but two "borrowed lines!" As they travel into the mountains, Minli is attacked by a Tiger. Dragon saves her, but is seriously injured. Minli races to a nearby mountain village to get help, and the story of how the village came to be there connects back to the city and the King that Minli and the Dragon just left.

You'll have to read the rest on your own to find out how all the stories are masterfully woven together, and how Minli's journey parallels the "journey" of her parents, especially Ma's. You'll have to read it on your own to appreciate the "perfect pitch" of Grace Lin's (fairy tale/fable/ modern/ancient/timeless) voice in this book.

This is a book you'll want to read aloud in grades 3-6, but which is also eminently readable by 3-6th graders. (One of my students, who also got an ARC at the Dublin Literacy conference, read it the Sunday after the conference and made a sign-up sheet for her classmates to borrow it from her -- she didn't get the book back until May, and it had been read by at least a dozen other 4th graders!) This book will also be great for Grand Discussions, Literature Circles, and partner reading.

Keep your eye on this one -- it's a real pearl of a story!

Grace's blog -- gracenotes

Grace's website

the online launch site for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Grace's recent blog tour

June Mosaic

This month began with outdoor theater and the end of the school year.

There was an MG event and a fish-a-thon, and fun with "The Moniques."

Food seems to have featured strongly this month: fish and chips, omelet, chips and salsa, pastries, mutant strawberries, and Thai beef salad.

The yucca bloomed (those are little white moths to the right of the stamens!), and the prickly pear bloomed, and the lilies bloomed (and smelled positively heavenly). None of which were in my garden!

Willie Morris makes two appearances, as do mom's cats.

We were visited by two therapy dogs while mom was in the hospital -- this happy golden and a wheezy American Bulldog.

For me, meadowlarks are an iconic bird of the eastern high plains. It was a particular tragedy to find one dead in the gutter on Main Street. It likely fell off the grill of the vehicle it was not quick enough to fly away from.

There are now 180 photos in my Project 365 set.

The Blue Sweater

I read THE BLUE SWEATER: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR IN AN INTERCONNECTED WORLD by Jacqueline Novogratz a while ago. I just haven't had time to share it. I first heard about this book on Seth Godin's blog and was happy to receive a copy after filling out the form requesting one. I feel terrible that it's taken me this long to review, but I wanted to give this book the time and energy that it deserves. And I figure it is summer, so many of us have a bit more time to read.

THE BLUE SWEATER is a great story about so many things. Jacqueline Novogratz is one of those people I would love to meet. Someone who is spending her life making a difference in the world. Someone who has a vision of what could be. She is founder of the Acumen Fund which I didn't really know about until I read this book. She is someone who wants to make a difference but also someone who understands banking and financing. She believes in people and believes that in empowering them in authentic ways. Her organization supports entrepreneurs in developing countries and THE BLUE SWEATER chronicles much of her work. In the book, we meet many people--people from all over the world who are committed to the things that Novogratz is committed to. We also meet the people who are the entrepreneurs and hear many amazing stories.

For me, this book was one about people and relationships. Jaqueline Novogratz is not successful because of her banking background. Although that piece is important to her work, what struck me was her undying belief in people and the ways in which she build real relationships with people. That seemed key to me.

I love stories about people who are doing things that matter to them. People who use their passions to make a difference in the world. This is one of those stories.

Since reading THE BLUE SWEATER, I've followed some of the work of Acumen and continue to be impressed and excited about their work. As a teacher, one of the video clips that really struck me was the one called "Kids Put the Fun in Acumen Fund". On Take Your Daughter/Son to Work Day in 2009, Acumen hosted a great day for kids where they were active in learning so much that is part of the organization. The way that the organization ran this day for children is another indication to me that the work has a vision.

Now that I have read the book and discovered the work of Novogratz, I have learned so much from her. I keep up with some of the work on the Acumen Fund blog, follow Novagratz on Twitter, and have read more of her work. I was also thrilled to see her TED TALK from 2006. And then again in one from 2007. An amazing person who is committed to an important cause. This story is an amazing one no matter what your cause. It is the story of how connected we all are and what a difference we can make when we believe in people. Put this one on the top of your stack. It is a great story that is an important one to know and one that will stay with you for a very long time. So much packed into one book.

ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER by Ann Haywood Leal

After reading Bill's review of ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER by Bill at Literate Lives, I had to put it at the top of my stack. I finished the book this week and LOVED it! I agree completely with Bill. This is a great read. One that I am happy to have put on the top of my stack.

Harper Lee Morgan is named after her mother's favorite writer, Harper Lee. Harper loves writing and loves school. But when her father leaves and her family gets evicted from their home, lots changes for Harper.

This is the worst time for things to fall apart--Harper has been anxiously awaiting this year's poetry contest at school. Now, with nowhere to live, Harper can't go to school for a few days.

While Harper's mother goes to work and tries to get the family back on its feet, Harper takes care of her younger brother, Hemingway. She also meets new people and continues her writing.

Harper is a great character--one that you want only the best for throughout the book. Her writing that is spread throughout the book gives her character even more voice. She is definitely a character who writes to make sense of the world. She doesn't just write. She truly lives her life as a writer and impacts others with her words.

The story is about homelessness, but more importantly about family and growing up. Harper learns a lot about herself and what is important. This book would be a great one for middle grade students.

Marketing

Seth Godin is "America's Greatest Marketer."

Here's his take on the purpose of a book cover.

And a post to read if you want to try to get your head around the world in which our students/children will be adults: "In a world of free, everyone can play."

Poetry Friday -- Work

TO BE OF USE
by Marge Piercy

.

.

.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

(the rest of the poem is here)


The round up this week is at Tabatha A. Yeatts.


photo from the Flickr Commons

The Best Kind of Professional Development

We had the best professional development yesterday. A group of us who teach in the same district, got together informally to share our thinking and to learn from each other about some of the new tech tools. It is a huge learning curve for all of us but it is such fun to think together about what technology means for our elementary literacy classrooms.

During the school year it is hard to find the time to sit around and learn from each other. So, we decided that we'd just spend a few days this summer hanging out at someone's house, sharing things we were learning, teaching each other new skills and processing about the things this means for the classroom. (This was our first meeting--thanks to Shelly for organizing and hosting!) We started talking and thinking about the Flip Video. Shelley shared a piece that they took on their vacation and then we looked at 39 Interesting Ways to Use Your Pocket Video Camera. A great reminder and a great conversation starter. We played a bit with video editing on iMovie. Some teachers shared their Wikis from the school year. Some shared projects that their students had done. There was not a tight agenda --but just an informal sharing. We chatted as a whole group and in small little clusters. We all left with lots to think about and new tools to try. I think all of us have spent today trying out some of the new things that we learned about last night.

This morning when I read Will Richardson's must-read article WHY SCHOOLS SHOULD BREAK THE WEB 2.0 BARRIER, I was reminded of the importance of what we are doing. He says:

"It's becoming more and more obvious that the longer we wait to embrace these shifts, the less prepared our children will be." He goes on to say, "As professionals, these shifts require us to be learners first and teachers second. If we are to fully appreciate the transformative connections that these technologies afford for our students, we must understand them for ourselves."

Will Richardson is someone who understands technology, someone who understands literacy, someone who understands learning and someone who understands authenticity. I think as literacy educators, we are looking for ways to make these new tools authentic in school settings. But we can't do that unless we are using them in authentic ways ourselves. And the learning is pretty fun! We are having a great time and our heads are often about to explode with all that we are finding is possible. We'll meet again in a few weeks-who knows what we will have each learned between now and then. But we are open to all that each of us learns and we are excited about learning from each other. Summer is a great time to dig in without the stress of time.

Jacqueline Woodson Marathon

"Sometimes, when I'm sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing's coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said, "This is really good." The way, I -- the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments -- sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me."

According to Jacqueline Woodson's website, none of the four books I read during my Jacqueline Woodson Marathon are autobiographical. It's probably just unavoidable, though, to find bits of truths from the author's life in each one.

For instance, the opening quote could be Lonnie (aka Locomotion) or Frannie (in Feathers) talking. Although she was born in Columbus, Ohio, Woodson has lived in Brooklyn since she was 7 years old. City life features strongly in all four of the books I read. She speaks ASL, which is important in Feathers, as Frannie's brother Sean is deaf. Music is very important to Jacqueline Woodson, and the music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur are central to the plot of After Tupac and D Foster. Woodson sometimes sits on the stoop to write. The narrator and her friends Neeka and D in After Tupac and D Foster spend hours (in all weather) on the front stoop. And if she couldn't write, Woodson admits to a desire to play for the NBA for the Knicks. One of Neeka's brothers in After Tupac and D Foster goes from basketball crazy to a basketball scholarship to Georgetown over the course of the book.

Locomotion

by Jacqueline Woodson

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2003

review copy: public library

"Lonnie's voice was in my head." This novel in verse is told in the voice of a fifth grade boy who is in foster care. His sister is in different foster family. Writing poetry is lifesaving for Lonnie. This book would be interesting paired with Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.

Peace, Locomotion

by Jacqueline Woodson

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009

review copy: provided by the publisher

"This book started out being about one kind of peace and then became about the many ways we search for and eventually find peace." In this book, Lonnie writes letters to his sister in an attempt to keep safe the memories of their childhood (both before their parents were killed in the fire and now that they are living in two different foster families). Both Lonnie and his sister Lili are becoming more and more a part of their separate foster families and they have to find peace with that. One of Lonnie's foster brothers comes home from the war without part of one leg -- he has to find peace with his new body. Lonnie's new friend Clyde struggles to be accepted for who he is -- another way of finding peace.

Feathers

by Jacqueline Woodson

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007

review copy: public library

"...I wanted to write about the many ways people find Hope in the world." This book has a complicated mix of themes: race, organized religion, the holiness of living without organized religion, false assumptions, bullies, and, in a surprise plot turn, mixed-race adoptions.

After Tupac and D Foster

by Jacqueline Woodson

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008

review copy: public library

"I think Tupac was an amazing activist..." Two strands are woven in this book. First, there is Tupac Shakur -- his music, his lyrics, his life (and his mother's life) as an activist for disenfranchised black youth. And then there is family -- tight city neighborhood family, foster family, families that include a gay brother who is wrongly jailed for a crime he did not commit.

As a middle class white woman who grew up on a small rural town, I read Jacqueline Woodson's books from the outside looking in. The worlds she writes about are as foreign to me as another country. She writes with language I do not hear in my everyday life, and the urban world in which her characters live is far different even from the small city in which I now live. Reading these four books made it abundantly clear to me how few books there are in my classroom library or in our school library that are written from anything but a white middle class world view. After Tupac and D Foster is a bit too YA for my 4th grade classroom, but the other three are on my to-buy list.