Puppy Pirates by Erin Soderberg

At Nerd Camp, we were able to go into a room filled with books and choose 2 books--what a fun time!  You can imagine the scene with teachers browsing to choose the two perfect books.  Decisions! Decisions!

I had no trouble deciding. I grabbed Erin Soderberg's new series Puppy Pirates (that was released the day of Nerdcamp) and I grabbed Crenshaw. (I had read and loved Crenshaw and wanted a copy for my Newbery Club students.)  The new Puppy Pirates book was the first thing I read when I got home form Nerdcamp.

I am a HUGE Erin Soderbergh fan so I have been anticipating this series since our last Skype visit with her. She showed us the covers and talked a bit about the series.   My 3rd graders LOVE The Quirks series and having another series for 3rd graders by this author is very exciting!

Stowaway is the first book in the new Puppy Pirates series. And how adorable is the cover!?  There were two books in the series released last week--Stowaway and X Marks the Spot. I read Stowaway and am anxiously awaiting the other.  The book is about a soft little puppy named Wally who meets a ship full of pirates and wants to join them. He has always longed for a home and for adventure.  In this first book, Wally has to prove himself to the pirates-to show that he is brave enough to be a Puppy Pirate. The book is perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders. The humor is exactly what they love--one character always says the wrong thing, there is lots of pirate language and there is a bit of word play throughout.  The combination of cute sweet puppies and pirates is a brilliant one and one I know my 8 year olds will love!  The length is perfect for readers newish to chapter books and the plot is easy to follow without being too simple or boring. The language is fun and engaging.  I can't wait to share this new series with my students in the fall!

I was able to volunteer at Nerd Camp Junior and hear Erin Soderberg talk to a group of kids during this even She was incredible and so fun! I learned that the 4th book in The Quirks series is due out in the fall! Woooohoooo!  I think Erin Soderberg is an author who understands perfectly this age group that she is writing for so the more she writes, the better!

Poetry Friday

(c) Mary Lee Hahn, 2015

Katie has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at The Logonauts.

Please note this change for next week: Kimberley will host us on Google+. This is where you will find her post -- leave your links in the comments.

Inspiring People From History--A Collection of Picture Books

This week, I read a stack of nonfiction and historical fiction picture books that I've been hearing about.  All of the following are either nonfiction or based on/inspired by a true event. I've realized lately that so many of the nonfiction books I read are more science related than Social Studies so I am happy about this new stack. There is so much to learn from incredible people from history.  I love the kinds of thinking and conversations books like that can begin in the classroom.

28 Days:  Moments in Black History That Changed the World

I love the whole idea of this book. 28 people who changed the world--one to learn about each day for a month. This one can be read and shared in so many ways. Packed with great information and stories.

Gingerbread for Liberty: How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution

I would have liked US History so much more had I known about stories like this one!

Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama

This book includes several pieces of history in Huntsville, Alabama. I knew some of this story, but not all of it. This is one of my favorites of the year for sure...An important book.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music

This book is inspired by the story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who broke Cuba's tradition against female drummers. It is a great story told in beautiful verse and has amazing illustrations.

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

I was not aware of Emmanuel before reading this book. Emmanuel was born with one leg but that did not stop him from doing anything.  His message --disability is not inability--is a strong one that he continues to work to spread.

In Mary's Garden

This is the story of Mary Nohl, a girl who made art out of lots of things and created cement sculptures in her garden gallery in Wisconsin.  Such an interesting story about art and a unique artist.  The author's note tells about how controversial Mary's art still is and that the neighborhood where her garden is want the art to be dismantled.  It is an interesting story to follow after reading this book.

Live Blogging from #Nerdcampmi Monday and Tuesday

JWe know we didn't do such a great job of live blogging from All Write, as we had planned. But Franki will be at #NerdcampMi and she'll be adding live updates to the blog as the throughout the event. This is one of our favorite events of the year so we'd also recommend following it on Twitter if you are not attending.  (We will update on the top of the post each time we update so read from the bottom up!)

A session about writing for The Nerdy Book Club blog by Donalyn Miller and Cindy Minnich.

We love that we can connect with people all over the country at Nerdcamp!  But we also love having time to learn within Dublin colleagues.

Session on Nonfiction Mentor Texts led by Jen Vincent!

I went to a great session led by John Scovill on Reading Engagement in the Upper Grades.  You can access the resources from this session here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_dS9WjknquqGINy8VY40Ss5uoVKBRiNGxy0vmvm9yLs/edit_

Look what I got!--DAY 2

Dublin's very own, Jessica Ardela was the first female to finish the Nerd Run 5K!! wooohoooo!

Team Saunter ready for Nerd Run!

Really, there is nothing better than hearing John Schu (@mrschureads) talk about books!! 

So happy to have s chance to hear Brad Wilson (@dreambition)) talk about digital writing!

Amazing kickoff to Nerd Camp today!  Brilliant talks by Ruth Ayres, Pernille Ripp,  Sue Haney, Lisa Graff and Donalyn Miller.

After dinner, Jillian (@heisereads) invited us to see all the new picture books she got at ALA last week.   Katie (@katiedicesare) and I went down. And we made new friends over books--, Aliza (@alizateach) and Kim (@fins025) Such a fun way to end the day!

Within minutes of arriving, we ran into one of our fave authors  (and fave #teamsaunter teammates) Jess Keating (Jess_Keating).  She happened to have her two upcoming books in her bag--wow!  We are excited about both of them. The third in her Middle Grade Novel series and a new nonfiction book, Pink if for Blobfish)

Marisa (@MarisaReads) pulled out her new Selfie Stick--purchased jut for the occasion!

About 30 of us started off the fun with dinner at Klavon's.  Our annual #nerdcampmi tradition now!

Rump and Jack by Liesl Shurtliff

I discovered Liesl Shurtliff's books this year and shared Rump as a read aloud with my 3rd graders. It was one of our favorites and I was amazed at the conversations and the depth of thinking and understanding my kids had as we read.  Needless to say, many of us put Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, Liesl Shurtliff's newest book, on our summer TBR list.  I had a chance to read it this week and I LOVE it.

I love when I discover new authors that so understand our middle grade readers.  I think Liesl Shurtliff is a brilliant writer for middle grades. She understands this age perfectly--I knew that when I read Rump and I was reminded of it again when we Skyped with her and I heard her answers to the questions my students asked.  I often write about how difficult it is to write with a depth that is both appropriate and accessible to middle grade readers.   So many books for this age are a bit shallow or written in a way that kids miss many of the subtleties and can only understand at surface level. But what Shurtliff does with these two books is pretty brilliant. Here's why:

Both of these books are retold fairy tales--"true stories" as the subtitles state.  Each take stories that we know (Rumpelstiltskin and Jack and the Beanstalk) and give us a different perspective, they tell us what really happened. In Rumpelstiltskin, we learn Rump's side of the story--a new perspective that changes the way we understand the character of Rumpelstiltskin. In Jack, we learn the story of the giant village where Jack goes when he climbs the beanstalk.  We learn how he gets the golden hen and we learn his perspective of all that happened.  The premise of both of these stories make them instantly engaging to middle grade readers.

The action in these books is perfect.  The fantasy land that Shurtliff creates is both believable and accessible.  The giants' village in Jack make parts of this story read like The Littles or The Borrowers and middle grade readers love those worlds where miniature people are among giant people and things.

The reference to other fairy tales is subtle but easily picked up by middle grade readers. My students' eyes lit up when they recognized a reference to a poisoned apple or they recognized a fairy tale character from a brief description.  Shurtliff ties in lots of this and kids in the middle grades are just starting to find joy in these little surprises as a reader.

Even though these are fairy tales that we know, Shurtliff gives readers important messages in her storytelling. They are perfect for middle grade readers because they are accessible in the way she writes but they are not so obvious that they take away from the story.

Seriously, these books are perfect for middle grade readers. As read aloud, for book clubs and for independent reading.   If our kids are to grow to be lifelong readers, they need more books by authors like Liesl who totally understand this age and what they deserve in a story. I can't wait to read her next book!

Poetry Friday

Happy Almost-the-Fourth!

Donna has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week at Mainley Write.

Mock Newbery Club

We are starting a Mock Newbery Club at our school this year.  We have a meeting coming up to introduce books and think about those we'd like to read. I've been working on a Padlet to collect trailers and blurbs on many of the books on our list.  I am hoping it is a resource that helps members choose great books!  Looking forward to our first meeting later this month!

Created with Padlet

Audiobooks I've Loved

I don't tend to enjoy audiobooks but am working to change that. My preference is to read self-help type books as those seem good for shorter spurts while I'm walking or driving. My good friend Stella always recommends great audios that help me reflect on life and set new goals.  And over the past few years, I've read more middle grade fiction too. I have learned how important the narrator is (with  Teri Lesesne's help) and I have learned to use the audible sample to determine quickly whether I'll be able to stick with the audio. I've tried to find narrators I love and then look for new books read by those narrators.  I am getting better at choosing books that are a good match for me to read on audio and I am starting to love my audible account.  I am hoping to build in more time for audiobooks--I realize I have lots of times that I can be listening to a book while doing other things.

I thought I'd share some of the audiobooks I've loved in the past year or two:

Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton (NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR)

The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown (this one is actually a series of workshops given by the author more than an actual audiobook. Her new book Rising Strong will be available on audio with the author doing the reading. Yippee!!)

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results ((NARRATOR:Timothy Miller and Clare Hamilton)

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to Performance and Personal Renewal (NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR)

Middle Grade Fiction

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco (NARRATOR: Ariadne Meyers)

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson (NARRATOR: Katie Rudd)

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods (NARRATOR: Sisi A. Johnson)

Tell Me by Joan Bauer  (NARRATOR: Cassandra Morris)

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George  (NARRATOR: Suzy Jackson)

And these are the audiobooks on my TBR "stack" :

Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution that's Transforming Education by Ken Robinson (NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR)

The Art of Work by Jeff Goins  (NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR)

The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh  (NARRATOR: Cassandra Morris)

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia (NARRATOR: Sisi A. Johnson)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I've read quite a bit over the last week. These are my favorites:-)

Two FABULOUS middle grade novels! LOVE LOVE LOVE both of these. (They do require some tissues though:-)

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Three Books about People and History. These were all different but they were all great reads and I learned a great deal from each.

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

Wangari Maathai:  The Woman Who Planted a Million Trees by Frances Prevot

The Case for Loving by Selina Alko

Two Fabulous YA books that require lots and lots of tissues:

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios