A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON by Karen Day

A good friend sent me a copy of Karen Day's new middle grade novel, A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON.  I'm a little late at reading this...It somehow got lost in my to-be-read pile but I am so glad I noticed it last week and moved it to the top of the pile.  LOVED IT!
A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON is getting great reviews from so many sources. (Jen Robinson, Book Review Club) After reading it, I can see why. This is such a great middle grade novel and I can already think of so many kids who will love it. (My 11 year old will be the first one I hand it to:-)

This is a story about Lucy. Lots of changes are happening for Lucy including moving from elementary school to middle school.  So,  Lucy is looking forward to her summer in Maine where everything is predictable and stable.  But this is the story of a summer where everything is not so predictable.  Her father has a new girlfriend and she is worried about middle school. To make things worse, a boy from her school is also spending the summer in her Maine neighborhood. Throughout the summer,  Lucy continues to deal with the death of her mother that happened 5 years earlier. Change is hard for Lucy and Karen Day captures the complexity of the character well.  Lucy's struggles with grief and change as well as the issues that are common to all kids of this age (growing up, starting middle school, making friends) are all part of this story and done well.

I think this age group is a hard one to write for. Readers in grades 4-6 are readers who want depth and complexity. But authors must do that in a way that makes sense for the worlds 10-12 year olds live in.  This is a book I love because it is a perfect mix for these readers. It is the kind of book I look for when I look for a great read aloud book for grades 4-5. One that is engaging for boys and girls in this age group and books that give us enough to talk and think about, especially around character and theme.

I read this book on the plane to Boston for #BLC11.  I loved the book from the beginning but, I knew this was a great book when I realized I had missed the plane's landing because I was almost at the end of the book and so engaged that I wasn't paying attention to the flight.  For those of you who know me, I am not a great flyer to begin and this is a big deal. I am worst when taking off and landing. I am very attentive during these times and I have never had a book that pulled me in in a way that made me miss the landing!

This is definitely a book you don't want to miss. It is very realistic story about a character who will stay with me for a very long time.  I can't wait to see what Karen Day writes next!

PETE THE CAT: ROCKING IN MY SCHOOL SHOES

I have to admit that I was a little bit worried about reading the sequel to PETE THE CAT: I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES by Eric Litwin.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE PETE THE CAT and could not imagine how the 2nd book could possibly live up to my expectations.  You can imagine how happy I was when I read PETE THE CAT: ROCKING IN MY SCHOOL SHOES and LOVED it! No disappointment at all. Eric Litwin and James Dean have created another great song/book! And I can't wait to share it with kids.



Katie at Creative Literacy was the first one who told me about PETE THE CAT. Since then, I have been on a mission to make sure everyone I know, knows about this book. The first book was a huge hit with all of our kids last year.  Even the older kids could be caught singing it to themselves. Parents learned it on field trips as kids sang it on long bus rides. I even dressed up as Pete the Cat for Halloween.

If you know the first book, you know how engaging it is for readers. You can't help but singing along and enjoying the story and the character.  Not only is it a fun story, but it has a great message. Well, the new book is just as fun, but a little different.  The song and rhythm are similar (thank goodness!) but this is a story about Pete at school. He does all kinds of things like go to the library, eat in the cafeteria, and play on the playground.  The text invites students to sing along with Pete as he rocks in his new school shoes. It also invites them to jump in with the place in the school where Pete is doing whatever it is he is doing. A perfect book for young children at the beginning of the school year. So many possibilities!

I am so happy about this book--it will be another PETE THE CAT hit!

November Learning #BLC--Reflection #1

I really have no idea what the best way is to capture and share my learning from #BLC11. I have so many new things to think about, people to learn from and tools to explore that I don't know the best way to organize it. So, I am thinking I'll just reflect and share my thinking about each session I attended. I'll do this in several parts because it is far too much for one post.

One of my favorite things from BLC is that I discovered a few new people to learn from.  I was tempted to go to all sessions offered by a few people I have learned from over the year but decided to stretch myself a bit and see speakers I was familiar with (Shannon Miller, Kathy Cassidy, Angela Maiers) with people I had never had the opportunity to hear.

The conference was kicked off by Dr. Eric Mazur  (@eric_mazur)of Harvard. It was a great kick-off to the conference as he asked us to really think about the meaning of education and that we must move beyond education as "information transfer".  He shared a great classic video clip of Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University to support his thinking about the problem with lecturing in school.  This video provides a humorous reminder of how important it is for us to really think about our goals for education.



Dr. Mazur's led us through some ways that he is expanding his classes by teaching through questions and the ways in which technology is allowing that to happen in lecture halls of 500 students.  His big message for me was that it is not the technology, but the pedagogy that matters in education. He said, "Technology should be at the service of pedagogy." Loved that quote!

You can watch his entire keynote on BLC's website:  http://novemberlearning.com/videos/

THE SEARCH IS SOCIAL by Angela Maiers
Following the first keynote, I attended Angela Maiers' (@angelamaiers) session called "The Search is Social".  This was a powerful talk about how google and other search engines are changing the ways we, as consumers, get information. Angela talked about the importance of the social piece of information gathering and invited us to think about what this means for our students.  Angela graciously shares what she learns with the world and you can access her presentation and some thoughts around it  on her site.  Here are some highlights:

*As teachers who are teaching Internet search skills to our students, we want to focus on teaching dispositions of being a web participant, not the product of a search. She suggests that to do this, we pay attention to behaviors and explore real time content together.  She reminded us that every day the web evolves so when we teach web search, we are never in the role of master. She believes that we have to be learners in the moment in front of the kids using think-aloud.

*Up until recently, the social components of the Web have been separated from the data part.(Facebook separate from research, etc.).  Our behaviors and dispositions with each of those were different. But now, they are no longer separate. We must legitimize the social piece of research for our students. She explained that Web 3.0 means that we, as web users are the web.

*She talked about the importance of strangers in research. How often do we take the advice of strangers on sites like Trip Advisor, Amazon, Zappos, etc. when making a decision? We use this connected voice of strangers to make decisions about lots of things . But she asked us to think about the ways we position strangers to kids on the web.  That doesn't negate Internet safety but since people are not defining the web community, we cannot negate the impact of information from strangers.

*Our responsibility is to teach kids how humans interact with information and what it means to be a contributor of this global community.

*Angela went on to explain how Google and other search engines are now showing us what it is that it thinks we want to see.  The search engines control what we get access to and we each get access to different things based on our circles. She recommended "Beware Online Filter Bubbles" TED TALK by Eli Pariser to better understand these ideas.

*Network literacy is far more important than information literacy.  This is about more than consumption of information but about becoming part of the digital community and managing your digital footprint.

*She ended talking about the company, KLOUT, that analyzes your social influence and gives you a score. This is the part that is changing--our social influence matters in lots of ways and this will become more important as time goes on.  Definitely worth checking out!

MORE #BLC11 Reflections to come later this week and/or next!

July Mosaic

This month's mosaic comes to you from our 2008 trip to Germany and England.

The actual mosaic for this month will be from Belgium, where we are...right this very minute!

Stay tuned!

Poetry Friday -- Solitude

The Prelude
by William Wordsworth

(An excerpt from Book IV, "Summer Vacation," Lines 354-370)

When from our better selves we have too long
Been parted by the hurrying world, and droop,
Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired,
How gracious, how benign, is Solitude;
How potent a mere image of her sway;
Most potent when impressed upon the mind
With an appropriate human centre—hermit,
Deep in the bosom of the wilderness;
Votary (in vast cathedral, where no foot
Is treading, where no other face is seen)
Kneeling at prayers; or watchman on the top
Of lighthouse, beaten by Atlantic waves;
Or as the soul of that great Power is met
Sometimes embodied on a public road,
When, for the night deserted, it assumes
A character of quiet more profound
Than pathless wastes.

Ahh, Solitude. For me, it is those cool, quiet hours after the cat demands food, but before the rest of the house wakes up, that restore me. When do you snatch a few moments all to yourself?

Today, you could use a bit of your Solitude to peruse the Poetry Friday roundup at Kate's blog, Book Aunt!

Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers

Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers
by George Beard and Harold Hutchins (really, it's by Dav Pilkey)
Tree House Comix (really, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic), 2011
review copy purchased for my classroom library and my own amusement

Last summer, I provided a public service announcement about THE ADVENTURES OF OOK AND GLUK.

This summer, I'm here to tell you (teachers, librarians, parents and grandparents) not to fear Super Diaper Baby 2. Yes, it is chock-full of potty humor, but it also comes with a pretty hysterical parody of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. And the plot does turn on the water cycle. (Or maybe that should be -- is a twisted version of the water cycle...twisted, because it does have to do with pee after all...)

Yup. As low as low brow gets. But my 4th graders will love it.

SO WHAT DO THEY REALLY KNOW? by Cris Tovani

SO WHAT DO THEY REALLY KNOW? by Cris Tovani is being marketed to teachers in grades 6-12, but if you are familiar of Cris's other books (I READ IT BUT I DON'T GET IT and DO I REALLY HAVE TO TEACH READING?) you know that all of her work is grounded in authentic learning experiences and it is all applicable to grades K-12.

I remember the first time I heard Cris speak. She was talking about her struggling high school readers.  As I was listening to her tell their stories, it felt like she could have been telling the stories of the struggling students in my fourth grade classrooms--students who could read fluently but did not understand what they were reading.  This feeling is similar to the feeling that I got when I read her newest book--although she is talking about high school students and issues specific to secondary, the big issues of assessment, testing, using assessment to inform instruction, student ownership, grading, etc. are all very universal.

Cris uses this book to talk honestly about the kinds of assessment that inform her instruction and those that do not.  She understands that the reality of school today is that high stakes testing is part of things but she also knows that our kids can only do well on those if we give formative assessments that let us know what they know and where their confusions are.  She reminds us that no one assessment tells us everything we need to know about a student and that we need multiple ways to assess and to get the information we need in order to determine where to go next with a child.

Cris weaves in stories about kids who are just playing the game of school and not really working hard or learning, yet they are doing well--getting As.  She asks hard questions about the assessments we give and the messages we give to our students with those assessments.  And we hear from her students--their comments and writing woven through the book.

Cris has a consistent belief and respect for her students and learners and as people. She emphasizes the need to know them well and that the only way to teach well is to know our students.

She also reminds us of the importance of a reading workshop in order to teach to the needs to each student.  A large part of the book is dedicated to annotations as an assessment.  The book is filled with practical ideas and student examples of work done in a workshop setting.  She also shares insights she has about content area reading and writing. Cris shares her lessons, her thinking and her students with us as she reflects on her own beliefs about assessment.

At the end of each chapter, Cris summarizes the main points and then she gives us a challenge. This "Are You Up for a Challenge" section of each chapter invites readers to try some of the main ideas in their own teaching and learning.  Each of these provides a way for readers to step outside of the book and think specifically about work with their own students. It is a great way to end each chapter.

Two of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Teachers don't need any more numerical 'data'.  What they need is validation to use the data that matters most...like student work and student talk---to help figure out next steps for learner in their educational care."

"Students do learn what is emphasized. Unfortunately, what is emphasized is often knowledge that is easy to grade. In many grading and testing cases, what is easy to measure is not necessarily important to know. Understanding is difficult to measure in qualitative terms."

To learn more about this book, you can watch a video with Samantha Bennett (author of THAT WORKSHOP BOOK) interviewing Cris Tovani about the new book.



This is a book that I read from cover to cover and one that I plan to go back to again and again as I struggle with the place of assessment in literacy instruction.  Cris takes us back to the most important reasons classroom teachers assess students--in order to make decisions on where to go next...to use assessments to inform our instruction.  No matter what level you teach, Cris gives us something important to think about when it comes to assessment. It is a book that will reground readers.

If you are interested in previewing the book, Stenhouse has the book available to browse online.  Take a look!

Also, if you live in the Central Ohio area, Cris will be The Literacy Connection's yearlong study group speaker this year.  She will be in Columbus on April 27 and 28 to work with teachers.  Registration will be available soon on the Literacy Connection's website.

A Community Garden Booklist

Our school has started a community garden and everyone is excited about it. Our third grade classes worked all year to get the garden designed and created it in the spring. This coming year, it will be up and running and most of the school will be involved in some way.

Knowing that the whole school will be busy working on and thinking about the garden and that the kids will be extra excited this fall, I have been keeping my eyes open for books that might connect in some ways to the garden.  I am envisioning an area of the library dedicated to gardens, etc. similar to the inquiry displays set up at THE ALLEN CENTRE.  I have learned so much about what is possible in an elementary library from visiting their site. If you have not had a chance to look at the site and the invitations they create for kids, they are amazing. Connecting that thinking to the thinking I get from Georgia Heard and her book A PLACE FOR WONDER,  I am hoping to create a space for exploring ideas connected to gardening while also including a variety of books that invite children to think in different directions.  You never know what the work in the garden might spark in terms of an interest for a child so I am trying to be broad in my connections at this point. These are the books on my list so far:

GREGOR MENDEL: THE FRIAR WHO GREW PEAS by Cheryl Bardoe is a great picture book biography that fascinates me. This is a great introduction to genetics and the man behind the thinking about heredity in plants.  This is a longer picture book and one that might be interesting to older students. It is also a great story about someone who did what they loved and made a difference in the world.


FIRST GARDEN: THE WHITE HOUSE GARDEN AND HOW IT GREW by Robbin Gourley is a new book that focuses on Michelle Obama's garden and the purpose behind it.  It tells about Michelle Obama's goals for the garden, how it came to be and the history of gardens at the White House.  I think this is a timely one to include this year. Kids will like the story about something that happened so recently.


RAH, RAH, RADISHES!:  A VEGETABLE CHANT by April Pulley Sayre is one that Mary Lee reviewed here a few weeks ago. After the review, I had to buy it. This is a perfect one for shared reading and the photographs are gorgeous!



HOW DID THAT GET IN MY LUNCHBOX by Chris Butterworth is a great book about how the foods we eat came to be in our lunchboxes. Starting at the beginning, each food is examined so children understand where food comes from.  The art adds a great deal to the information.



SEED, SOIL, SUN by Cris Peterson is one of my favorite nonfiction picture books this year.  It has amazing photographs and is written with language that is amazing and surprising at the same time.





BUSY IN THE GARDEN by George Shannon is a poetry book that I'll include. This one is great for all ages, but especially fun for young children and for shared reading. (April's blog review is here.)




DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES WILL GROW? by Susan Shea doesn't connect exactly to the garden but focuses on the difference between living and nonliving things. It was a favorite read aloud with young children this spring so I think they'll love revisiting it this fall.





MY GARDEN by Kevin Henkes How can I not include this wonderful book?  This one is ALWAYS checked out from our library!  (A book on my list of BOOKS I COULD READ A MILLION TIMES)

LATASHA AND THE LITTLE RED TORNADO by Michael Scotto

Mary Lee and I received an email from author, Michael Scotto last week asking if we would like an ARC of his upcoming book LATASHA AND THE LITTLE RED TORNADO.  Something about the email caught our eye and the books arrived the next day.

LATASHA AND THE LITTLE RED TORNADO is the story of Latasha, an eight year old girl who lives with her mother and her dog.  Latasha is feeling a little bit grown up because now that she is 8, she is trying to be more mature.  Latasha's dog (Ella, named after Ella Fitzgerald) is past the puppy stage--she is two years old and still gets into trouble.  Latasha is worried about this and works hard to help Ella learn to behave.

In the meantime, Latasha's mother finally gets a new job as a nurse's assistant but her hours are long and Latasha has to be "young lady sat" by their elderly landlady, Mrs. Okocho. Latasha is not overly happy about this.

I loved Latasha. She is a great new character for middle grade readers. She is a girl with spunk and personality.  Her struggles and stresses are very believable and she handles most of them with grace and humor.  Latasha's relationship with her dog is great.  You can't help but fall in love with Ella--the trouble making not-so-little puppy. Latasha also deals with some issues of friendship and school struggles throughout the story.

I read this book in one sitting.  I am always thrilled to find a new middle grade or series book character for transitional readers.  I know how important series and short chapter books are at this stage and I liked Latasha almost immediately. I loved the community around Latasha. I loved the relationships Latasha had with her mother and her landlady.  Latasha's teacher is also part of her community and I loved her relationship with him. The classroom seemed a little traditional (book reports, book contests, etc.) but the relationship between Latasha and her teacher was a good one.

Latasha is African American. I am not sure that is mentioned in the book but it is depicted in the illustrations.  I am always shocked at the fact at how atypical this is for series and early chapter books. So I am glad to see that this is changing.

The book is short--132 pages. The print is a bit small so it isn't as short as it sounds but it is one that I see 3rd/4th graders reading pretty easily.  The author/illustrator also uses paw prints between scenes in the book. I love that support for readers that do not have that much experience with chapter books.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. For me, it is almost always about the characters and I really liked these characters. It seems to me that this would make a perfect series--I know when I finished the last page, I wanted to read more about Latasha.  The book is due out in November by Midlandia Press. So glad we had a chance to read it early. I am excited to share it with students in the fall:-)

Why I Love Elephant and Piggie

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Should I? Shouldn't I?
Should I? Shouldn't I?
Elephant struggles so hard with this moral dilemma. He ponders so long that his ice cream melts, and his eyes well with tears as he whispers, "I blew it."

I can be such an elephant sometimes. I wish I could be more like Piggie, who doesn't have to think twice about what to do.




I Broke My Trunk!

"There is more to my story."


Amen. Isn't EVERY story a "long, crazy story" when you tease out all the details? (or tease your reader/listener with all the details...look at Elephant's eyes on page 43. Is that a knowing look to the reader, or what?!?!)