BIG News

Ginormous made it into the new edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. I remember hearing my students (one in particular...you know who you are) use this word for the first time four years ago.

Here's my prediction for a word that will be added some time soon, based on 1. my inability to break my students of saying it, even after two years of intensive interventions, 2. the efficiency of this word compared with the "correct" version, and 3. I broke down and used it myself. The word? VERSE, vb., meaning to compete with someone in a game or sport. "I'm going to verse him in chess." The roots of this word are in the preposition VERSUS, as in Army vs. Navy. (The correct/clunky/inefficient way to say "verse?" "Go against." How does "go against" relate to versus? On the other hand, it is clear to see how "verse" relates to versus.) Other words in the dictionary around VERSUS include, as a reminder that language is a living, changing thing: versatile and version.

For other new words that made it into the dictionary, see USA Today's AP story.

Happy Birthday

Today is the birthday of E(lwyn) B(rooks) White.

I celebrated by reading Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little, which I loved as much or more than Franki said we would!

Simply Sarah

Simply Sarah: Patches and Scratches
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, illus. Marcy Ramsey
Marshall Cavendish, 2007
Review copy courtesy of the publisher

Simply Sarah: Anyone Can Eat Squid
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, illus. Marcy Ramsey
Marshall Cavendish, 2005

Simply Sarah: Cuckoo Feathers
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, illus. Marcy Ramsey
Marshall Cavendish, 2006

In a move that was quite revolutionary (for me), I read the three books in this series out of order. (I know. Amazing.) But because of that, I can say that they all stand alone quite nicely, and unlike some other early reader series books (Magic Tree House comes to mind), the way Naylor weaves in the common background information never feels formulaic.

I did have a disturbing sense of de ja vous as I started Patches and Scratches. Sarah is a spunky little girl of an unspecified age (maybe it's in there, but I can't recall it) between 2nd and 4th grade. She lives in an apartment in a big city (Chicago), her mom is an artist, and she has a little brother and a friend who lives on another floor in the apartment building. Her father is not the building manager, but Mr. Gurdy, the man who lives in a room in the basement of the building, does feature prominently in this book. In the book Cuckoo Feathers, the problem centers around pigeons. Echoes of Clementine?

Maybe Clementine-ish. There's nothing in any of the three books of the Simply Sarah series that has the flash and splash of the Clementine books, but the writing in the three books in this series is more consistent and even. (I liked the first Clementine book a WHOLE lot and the second one so-so. The same was true for my 5th graders.)

The basic premise in all three books is that Sarah wants to be anything but ordinary. She wants to be special. In all three there is a satisfying plot twist and things work out in the end...but definitely not the way Sarah or the reader thought they would work out. I think this structure of the text will support beginning readers who need to learn to pay attention to clues in the text as they read so that they can modify their predictions as they go along.

There's a lot going on with the characters in these books, but it is all woven very naturally into the story, so that it doesn't seem like the laundry list that I'm going to make it into: Sarah's father is out of the picture -- he is overseas building bridges and we only meet him through his weekly phone calls. Sarah's best friend Peter is black, and he lives with his grandmother. Sarah's two newest friends, Mercedes and Leon, live in the apartment building across the street. Mercedes is Leon's cousin. She was born in Mexico, and is now living in Chicago with her aunt, uncle and cousins. Mercedes and Leon attend Catholic school via a school bus; Sarah and Peter walk to their neighborhood public school. One of Sarah's friends at school is Tim, who is Chinese. In Anyone Can Eat Squid, Sarah comes up with the idea that saves Tim's family's Chinese restaurant from closing. Like I said, as a laundry list, it seems like a bad case of "what other element of diversity can we include?" But when you read the books, it comes off quite naturally.

I give Sarah a stamp of approval, and nominate her to be a part of the new Spunky Girl Character Club along with Clementine, Moxy, and Grace.

Children's Authors at NCTE

I know lots of bloggers are planning on attending the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Convention in November in NYC. It is always a fun time with lots of authors and great talk about reading, writing, and books. Children's authors are always a highlight. Some of the major authors who are speaking have been announced on the website--thought you might be interested. Some are children's authors, some YA, some adult, some professional:

Jonathan Kozol at the Opening Gala
Amy Tan at the Friday Kickoff
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney at the Books for Children Luncheon
Rudine Simms Bishop at the Elementary Get Together
Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson at the Middle Level Luncheon
Esmeralda Santiago at the Secondary Luncheon
Gregory Maguire at the Secondary Section Get Together
Ishmael Beah at the College Section Luncheon
Jerry Spinelli at the ALAN breakfast
Allen Say at the Children's Literature Assembly Breakfast


There are lots of others but these are some of the sessions that are being highlighted. Check it out!

Hirschi and Mangelsen: Great Partnership

There's a Tom Mangelsen gift shop in the Denver Airport. Lucky me -- my flight (back in June) was delayed 5 hours, so I had plenty of time to shop!

I found two books, one new and one newish, written by Ron Hirschi and illustrated with Mangelsen's photographs.

Lions Tigers and Bears: Why Are Big Predators So Rare?
Boyds Mills Press, 2007
recently reviewed at A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy

My nonfiction collection needs to be updated and I need to get back to a better ratio of fiction:nonfiction read alouds. This book is a good start on both goals.

This book has seven short chapters, each about a different big predator: cougar, polar bear, lion, cheetah, tiger, grizzly bear, and killer whale. In each chapter, Hirchi paints a picture with words that describes the animal in its habitat. He tells how the animal lives, and how it has come to be threatened by humans: habitat loss, over-hunting, pollution, global warming. He also tells what is being done and what can be done to protect the dwindling populations of these magnificent animals. And who better to show us (as opposed to telling us about) these gorgeous creatures than Tom Mangelsen. Along with Jim Brandenburg and cloudscome, he is my favorite nature photographer.

Searching for Grizzlies
Boyds Mills Press, 2005
with drawings by Deborah Cooper

This book is a combination of factual information about grizzlies in the main text, and the story of the grizzly "hunt" (armed with cameras, camping equipment, and fly fishing gear) told on faux journal pages. The book is also illustrated with photos, as well as "journal" sketches of wildflowers and birds and animal tracks. There's a lot to look at, and something for every reader. It's a book to go back to again and again. I can imagine lots of discussions about nonfiction reading strategies with this book. Some might read the main text first, exclusively. Some might do the same with the journal-y text. Some might "read" the pictures first. And, of course, for some, there might be a new strategy for each page, depending on what caught your attention first.

DOGKU by Andrew Clements

What a fun book this one is! I am always looking for picture books that can be read and reread--noticing different things. DOGKU by Andrew Clements is a story of a dog, told in Haiku. An absolutely adorable dog finds a home in this great picture book. Each page tells a part of the story in Haiku. To add to the fun, the blurb on the inside flap, as well as parts of the author blurbs, are told in Haiku. The author's note has a little info on the Haiku.

This is a fun story with great illustrations by Tim Bowers. It is also a great sample of writing that can be used in writing workshop minilessons--a story told in many haiku poems is a unique format that kids could have fun with. You can't help but fall in love with the dog and what a clever title!

NEA -- Final Report

The NEA Representative Assembly really was like being at the Grand Canyon -- my "snapshots" can't do it justice. The Grand Canyon gives the awe of natural beauty; the NEA RA gave me the overwhelming sense of awe that I am one of so many people who believe in public education.

Like the Grand Canyon, the NEA RA is huge. The 3.2 million members of NEA elect 8-9,000 representatives who come together in July to take care of the business and set the policies of the organization. We dealt with/debated/decided 95 new business items, and amendments to the bylaws and constitution. There were both radical conservatives and radical liberals in attendance. Everyone had the right to speak, and for the most part, the radicals balanced out the radicals and we wound up somewhere in the middle.

I encourage you to visit the NEA website to view short videos of the eight presidential candidates' speeches. In the sidebar on the same page, you can also check out NEA's day-by-day description of the action, view the amendments and new business items, and view slide shows on different topics throughout the week.

NEA Report #8 -- Philly Food

I don't want to give the impression that the NEA RA (Representative Assembly) was all work and no play. And I certainly don't want you to think that we survived on bread and water! Finding good food in Philly was part of the fun of the week!


The Reading Terminal Market across the street from the Convention Center is like our North Market...only on steroids! It has been open since 1893 and is home to more than 80 merchants, two of whom are descendants of the original standholders from a century before. This market has Thai, Mexican, Amish, gourmet, and local foods (just to name a few). There are fresh flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, crafts, wines, and cookbooks (just to name a few more). What a great asset to the thriving downtown of Philadelphia!













Yes, we ate the requisite Philly Cheesesteak. The governor of PA visited the convention and he told us what makes the Philly Cheesesteak the Philly Cheesesteak. (He had been mayor of Philly before becoming governor.) 1. Stringy, fatty meat. Many people try to improve on the Philly Cheesesteak by using good meat, but that nullifies the authenticity. 2. Cheese Whiz. Again, don't bother with real cheese, because it won't melt right and get down in the cracks of the stringy meat. 3. Don't drain the fat off the onions. Yup, to be a REAL Philly Cheesesteak, it needs to be greasy. The ones we ate were authentic in every way. And I'm sorry, Philly, but I like the fake version I get at Cap City Diner!














Even though we worked really hard for the 5 days of the Representative Assembly, we somehow found the time to make it over to the Reading Market in the mid-afternoon for a still-warm cookie, or some to-die-for candy!


The best meal of the week was at La Fontana Della Citta. I had the best arugula salad ever, and great creme brulle. The Eggplant Parmesan was good, but not the best ever.

On the first day we were in Philadelphia, the day we did all our sight-seeing, we had lunch at Soho Pizza. I had a typical slice of pepperoni, along with an experimental slice of broccoli/spinach. YUM! Whoda thunk? But it worked. I may try to replicate it here at home!

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II

I just found this powerful new picture book at Cover to Cover. ONE THOUSAND TRACINGS by Lita Judge is based on a family story. Following World War II, this American family helped families in Germany who were suffering after the war. Many families sent tracings of their feet with letters asking for help finding shoes for family members. They organized others to help too and were able to help hundreds of families during this difficult time.

The illustrations are amazing--beautiful paintings with actual artifacts from the author/illustrator's grandparents' attic. Real photos, letters asking for help, tracings of feet on a variety of paper are all part of the illustrations and end pages. The author's note adds a bit more information.

Although this book is powerful, I think it can be read to young children too. Often, books like this are too much for young children. But this book focuses on the good that one family did and how their help made such an impact on others. It is told from a child's voice which also makes it appropriate for children of all ages. I am adding it to my stack of books about people who have made a difference in the world.

NEA Report #7--The rest of the candidates

NEA invited ALL of the presidential candidates to speak at the Representative Assembly. NEA always invites all of the candidates. (1/3 of NEA members are Republicans.) This year, for the first time in NEA history, a Republican candidate accepted that invitation, and he received the same enthusiastic Team NEA welcome as the other candidates:

Mike Huckabee was a great storyteller, and he made us laugh with the one about the Harvard student who got the only A+ in Harvard history for his one sentence essay utilizing the concepts of Religion, Royalty, Sex and Mystery.* He also told us about growing up in a patriotic home.** When he spoke about education, though, he was very serious. He equated education with national security, and talked about the importance of health care for children. One of his passions is to make sure that art and music are mandatory parts of the curriculum, and he illustrated this point with a story from his childhood about the importance to him of the guitar he received one Christmas.

Barack Obama spoke about the "these kids" syndrome -- in which the more we talk about the kids who are failing in our educational system (or who are being failed by it) are spoken about, the more they increasingly become someone else's problem. He would have us remember that they are OUR KIDS and we need to do whatever it takes to help them succeed. "Our Kids" was then one of his catch-phrases throughout his speech. He called No Child Left Behind "one of the emptiest slogans in American politics," pointing out that what we really left behind was the money to fund it, along with common sense.

Joe Biden didn't claim that he'd be The Education Parent, he pointed out that his family is the Education Family -- his wife is a teacher, and he teaches a law course every Saturday. He scoffed at an earlier candidate's promise to select a teacher as Secretary of Education (Who? I can't remember now...). He said, "How about a teacher living in the White House and sleeping with the president?!?" He spoke on all of the main issues: education is more than just the teachers, it is also the Education Support Professionals (ESPs), keep art and music, drop out rate/access to college, importance of preschool, and teacher pay/retention.



*"My God," said the Queen. "I'm pregnant! I wonder who did it?"
**"My father laid on the stripes, and I saw stars!!"

Great Music for Kids from Shannon Tanner

We are vacationing in Hilton Head this week. We are having a nice time--very relaxing with just the right amount of things to do. Last night, we went to the Shannon Tanner show. For people who go to Hilton Head yearly, Shannon Tanner is a family tradition. He does concerts nightly in the Shelter Cove area. We have been to Hilton Head once before but skipped this event. This year, we decided to go.

I am not often a fan of these family concerts but I must say that Shannon Tanner was quite fun. I can see why families make it a tradition. His music is fun and he has just the right amount of adult humor to create a fun time for every member of the families. He has an amazing way with kids and our kids had a ball. He is quite popular here and I can see why. He puts on a really fun show and he seems like a genuine nice guy.

The other bit of good news is that he has some fun music to take with you after the show (and for sale on his website)--I purchased on to share between my daughter and my classroom. I imagine we'll buy more on his website. The music is fun, and great for elementary age kids. At the end of this school year, I realized that we had no music that we played in the classroom and I need some. It is tricky to find music for kids that are 8-10--they want it to be "cool" but they also want to be little kids. I think Shannon Tanner's music will meet their expectations when we need a burst of music in the classroom. I purchased one of his concert CDs. He also has DVDs of his show, etc. I highly recommend these for classroom use... I imagine lots of you already know about this but for those of us who don't go to Hilton Head regularly, I wanted to pass along the info and let you know that this would be good fun music for the classroom! (His website says he does school visits too:-)

NEA Report #6 -- Day 3

Today has been a mixture of business, voting, and special recognitions.

We had to get through debate (sometimes ad nauseum) on ALL 4 of the proposed bylaw amendments because tomorrow morning we will begin voting on them at 9:00 a.m., before the RA is actually scheduled to convene. So that business needed to be completed.

We voted on 5 candidates for Educational Support Professionals to become at-large members of the NEA Board of Directors. I am happy to report that there were no hanging chads in this election, and it was completed very efficiently!!

The members of the AFT who are present at the RA were recognized, as were the 13 international educators who are guests of various state delegations to the RA. There was a very inspirational recognition of the Little Rock Nine on the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

And we heard from two more presidential candidates.

Dennis Kucinich was at his idealistic best. He spoke on his anti-war platform, in terms of the money that could be saved for/diverted to education. He used the image of a statue over the front steps of the House of Representatives at his metaphor: the statue is of a woman standing with one arm straight out. Below her outstretched arm and protected by it is a child with a stack of books. The title of the statue is "Peace Protecting Genius." Kucinich believes that both education and health care should be civil rights for all Americans, especially our children.

Bill Richardson is the first Latino to run for president. He is bi-cultural and bilingual. He brought back collective bargaining for public employees in New Mexico when he was elected governor, and his stand on NCLB can be summed up thus: "School reform has made our schools look like reform schools." Richardson has done amazing work for teachers in NM, raising both teacher salaries and teacher quality. He promises to institute a nationwide base salary of $40,000 for all teachers if he is elected for president.

NEA Report #5 -- Meet the Candidates

All of the presidential candidates were invited to address the delegates of the Representative Assembly. Today we heard from Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Christopher Dodd.

Hillary Clinton was an amazingly dynamic speaker. She focused almost exclusively on the importance of public education. In the question and answer session following her speech (just two questions for each candidate) she clarified her stand on charter schools -- making clear that she supports public charter schools, but not (NOT.in.any.way.shape.or.form.) vouchers.




John Edwards embedded his comments about the importance of public education within his campaign focus on ending poverty and eradicating the "two America's" and the "two public school systems" about which he often speaks. The look on Edwards' face was priceless when he was asked how NCLB can close the poverty gap. He simply couldn't answer that question! (Who could?!?!)





Christopher Dodd doesn't just "talk the talk" on education issues, he "walks the walk." He pointed out to us that in his 30 year career in the senate and congress, he has a 100% voting record with NEA. His belief in organized labor drives his candidacy, and his answer to the question, "What's the number one problem in America?" has been, for 26 years, "The education of America's children."

NEA Report #4--Day One: The Representative Assembly

I took pictures as the meeting hall was filling up with the 15,839 people who are attending the NEA RA.

I took pictures of the signs the Communications Committee members carry up and down the aisles of ever delegation to remind the members what the recommended vote of the caucus is for each issue (red C and arrow up or down), or, in the case of an issue that comes up on the floor, the on-the-spot recommendation of the leadership team on an issue (green L and arrow up or down).










And I took pictures during the opening speech of NEA President, Reg Weaver.


But it's a bit like taking pictures of the Grand Canyon. If you aren't here, you simply can't completely imagine the enormity of the room, the noise of the cheering, the vision of the confetti fountains in the lights, and the feeling that you're a part of something huge.

NEA was started 150 years ago in Philadelphia by 43 teachers. There are now 3.2 million (MILLION) members. NEA is one of the largest democratically elected representative bodies in the world. NEA's history is entwined with the history of civil rights and women's rights in our country. NEA elected a woman president before women had the right to vote in our country.

As President Weaver said, "You didn't join because we fight, you joined because we fight for what is right."

NEA Report #3 -- The State Caucus Meeting

Every morning from 7:00 to 9:00, before we leave for the Representative Assembly at the convention center, we attend the state caucus meeting. At this meeting, we receive the recommendations of the state's leadership team, aka the resolutions committee. They have studied the new business items, and the amendments (to bylaws, standing rules and the constitution) and they make recommendations about how our state should vote on each issue. After they make each recommendation, there is lots of debate amongst the membership. (All strictly following Robert's Rules of Order!) Ultimately, each member decides how he/she will vote, regardless of the recommendation.

Lest you think this is all work and no play, I submit the following photos of our state association president, sporting topical headgear. A hat from Sunday on the theme of "When Pigs Fly," and a hat from today, Monday, that recognizes the 15oth anniversary of the formation of the National Education Association here in Philadelphia:

No Talking by Andrew Clements

I was excited to see this new book, NO TALKING out by Andrew Clements. Since I teach a multiage class of 3rd and 4th graders, Andrew Clements' books are usually perfect choices for read aloud. I love the school issues that his books address and the issues are always so well handled for this age group.

In this new book, the 5th graders have always been a chatty group. The teachers have even named them "The Unshushables". Another issue with this class is that the boys and girls don't get along. So, these two issues become the anchor for a no talking contest between the boys and the girls.

One of the things I enjoyed was reading about various teachers' reactions to the contest that caused a bit of unpredictability to their days and lessons. It was so interesting to read about the ways the adults in the building handled the problems. Andrew Clements seems to really have teachers figured out. The diversity of reactions was interesting and very realistic.

I am not sure I will read this one aloud. It is a good one but some of his others may be better for read aloud. I liked it because I thought the talking issue was a really good one that would be interesting to talk to kids about early in the year. But, I didn't feel like I got to know the main characters as well as I knew the main character in some of his other books. It is definitely one I'll add to my classroom library. The whole fun and challenge of not talking makes for a pretty quick, fun read. Since it is boys against girls, it will easily be enjoyed by both genders. I'm not sure which of the two issues (talking at school or gender issues) would be more of a focus for 3/4 graders but both would make for interesting talk.

Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel

I just picked up a copy of ELLIE MCDOODLE: HAVE PEN, WILL TRAVEL by Ruth Barshaw. I had it on my list of books I wanted to read and saw it at the bookstore yesterday. So glad I picked it up!

I have always been drawn to books that were like journals. Much of this book is Ellie McDoodle's sketch book. Ellie McDoodle is a great character. She is fun and honest.

The plot is one that lots of kids (and adults:-) can probably relate to--Ellie is forced to go camping with relatives that she does not always enjoy. She "observes" these relatives on their trip, and she lets us know (quite often) how very annoying they all are. The trip continues and Ellie learns that she actually enjoys time with her family and they aren't really that annoying.

Fans of the AMELIA'S NOTEBOOK series by Marissa Moss will enjoy Ellie. Ellie's sketchbook is fun and detailed. So much thinking goes into her sketches and notes. The book is chapter book length and seems perfect for kids in grades 3-5ish. It seems like it can span the upper elementary grades pretty easily. Lots to love for many ages.

I remember reading about this book on the Class of 2K7 website. So many great books are coming out of that group of authors!

The author, Ruth McNally Barshaw, has some great websites for readers. Her author website is full of great info. She also has a great blog about the process of creating the books--what a fun read! I am always on the lookout for great books to serve as models for kids' own writers' notebooks. This is one I'll add to my collection.

Sounds like Ellie McDoodle might be a series--I couldn't find information on any future books about Ellie, but it seems like the perfect book to be the first in a great new series.

NEA Report #2

I am starting to get some idea of the enormity of this event. There are 350 in the Ohio delegation. We are housed in two hotels. Here is a glimpse of our caucus this morning. Today's caucus was more of a briefing. The rest of this week we will be hearing about/discussing Ohio's positions on various items that will be covered that day in the Representative Assembly.



We met a woman from California as we left the convention center after registering. There are 1800 (EIGHTEEN HUNDRED!) members in the California delegation. They are housed in 10 (count 'em -- TEN) hotels!!

Tomorrow we will have our first day of the Representative Assembly where we'll see all these people in the same room at the same time.

Because we all had the afternoon free today, it was like touring with a small city's worth of other teachers. Here are the highlights:

Great interpreters throughout the city. These are at the Visitor Center.

Christ Church.

Elfreth's Alley. Our nation's oldest residential street.

Betsy Ross' house.

Liberty Bell. Worth the half-hour wait in line and having our bags searched before going in.

Independence Hall.

New Professional Resource on Adolescent Literacy

I had to share this new professional book published by Heinemann... ADOLESCENT LITERACY: TURNING PROMISE INTO PRACTICE is edited by Kylene Beers, Robert Probst, and Linda Rief. It is an amazing collection of the best new thinking about adolescent literacy in this critical time.

I am not usually a big fan of edited books where lots of people write short pieces but this one is AMAZING! I have been reading about adolescent literacy for years and this book is an opportunity to hear so many experts in the field talk about their latest thinking on the topic. So many great voices all in one book--lots of my favorites as well a few people whose work I wasn't familiar with before I read their chapters.

In my role as Curricular Support Teacher, I am always looking for short articles/pieces to share with teachers. This is a great resource since every single chapter would serve as a great conversation starter or anchor for a study group. Every chapter has so much to think about.

An amazing book that I keep going back to already. I find myself telling others about various chapters often and I haven't had the book all that long! I think I will have to buy a few extra copies of this one--it is such a great compilation of the best and most current thinking in adolescent literacy. A must have.

NEA Report #1

Uh...nothing to report. Got here. Went to a reception for all the Ohio reps. Great food.

Today is our first caucus meeting. I'm still not clear about exactly what we'll do for 2 hours.

Then we have our only big block of free time for the week, so Roomie and I are off to hit the pavement, see the sights and find us a for-real Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Lots of history...except for the sandwich...we're going for fresh for our sandwiches.

Poetry Friday--POEMS IN BLACK AND WHITE

Sorry this Poetry Friday Post is late!
But here it is:

A fun new poetry book that I found at Cover to Cover last week when we visited with Lisa Yee. I am looking for anthologies for my classrooms--books kids can study and think about how collections go together.

POEMS IN BLACK AND WHITE by Kate Miller is unique in that all of the poems are about things that are black and white. The illustrations, of course, are black and white. The variety of topics makes it fun--First Steps (baby's first footprints), A Fly in February, The Cow, Bowling, Tic-Tac-Toe, and more. It is an anthology with good variety in the way the poems are written, their tones, and the topics.

A New Friend for Moxy and Clementine

Just Grace
Still Just Grace
by Charise Mericle Harper
Houghton Mifflin, 2007

When Mindy, at propernoun, said she loves Grace more than Clementine, my eyebrows shot up (left higher than right). How could this be possible?

How?

1. There are whole chapters in Just Grace that are lists. Like the first chapter. "I Did Not Get To Be."
2. There are adorable sketches and comics sprinkled about in the text.
3. Grace's nemesis, Sammy Stringer, is obsessed with poop. What are the chances that I'd come across another poop-filled book?
4. Grace has the superhero superpower of empathy, just like Clementine.
5. Don't worry, Grace is not a rip-off of Clementine, but Grace does solve problems in unique ways that threaten to become worse problems, like when she makes a life-size cardboard Crinkles (her neighbor's cat) with photography and cardboard and glue. She takes pictures of cardboard Crinkles in different places around town and makes postcards and sends them to her neighbor to cheer her neighbor up. Except her neighbor thinks they are ransom notes from the person who stole Crinkles. Except Crinkles wasn't stolen, he was...

...well, you better read it yourself.

Grace is a fun girl character with a unique voice. This book would make a great mentor text (take note, Literacy Teacher) because of the super short chapters that are almost like notebook entries and the chapters that are lists. I'm thinking that my beginning-of-the-year 4th graders next fall will be relieved to see that they can satisfy their inner doodler by adding sketches and mini-comics to their writing and get away with it. I was already planning to start read aloud with Clementine, and Just Grace will make a great compare/contrast second book.

NEA N-E-1 ?

Are you going to NEA RA in Philadelphia?

Me, too!

All of the librarians had KidLit drink night at ALA, how about we have one at NEA?! (This is my first-ever rep. assembly, so I have exactly NO idea how realistic that suggestion is...)

Blogging Continuum of Skills

Here's a perfect example of my spot on the continuum of blogging skills that exist in the blogosphere:

Alkelda the Gleeful, at Saints and Spinners, has become an iTunes affiliate site. (That's cool and new -- I had only ever heard of Amazon affiliates.)

She's going to use the money she earns to buy a goat through Heifer International. (Barbara Kingsolver would approve!)

She has this little linky thing on her blog that takes you right to iTunes. (Another linky thing on her blog, the one where we got to vote for the patron saint of potty training, gave me the idea for the surveys for our 5 Things Meme.)

But wait! Look at this! When you go to iTunes, you find a playlist that Alkelda herself has put together and which you can buy in part or in whole! Hand-picked tunes! (The purchase of which helps buy a goat!)

I'm in awe. I'm in heaven: I'm learning!

(The July Carnival of Children's Literature will be at Saints and Spinners. Something makes me believe that it will be accompanied by fireworks! And music for sure!)

Welcome Katie!

We are pleased to announce the birth of a new blog, Creative Literacy, authored by Katie, a primary teacher at Franki's school. Katie is also the mother of three boys, known on her blog as Mo, Larry and Curly. Her blog's mission is "Nurturing the lives of primary readers and writers while searching for my own reading and writing identity."

Last Saturday morning, Franki and I met Katie at Caribou Coffee to answer some of her blogging start-up questions. Because I am just a little ahead of Franki on the technology end of blogging, that makes me the "blogging guru" in her eyes. But the thing I love about blogging is that there is a huge continuum of blogging skills/abilities/tricks. I'm nowhere NEAR the high end of the continuum with my skills. (Just ask Tricia, who this week taught me to make a link in comments using html code!) But it is enough for me that I am even ON the continuum. I know that what we do with our blog is an approximation of what could be done, but right now, I can do most everything I want to, and when I need to know how to do more, I know where to go for help. (In teacher lingo: scaffoding.)

Katie was bemoaning the amount of time she already found herself devoting to her blog, and to finding and reading other blogs. In my eyes, this is not wasted time. It may not yield a product as visible as a weeded garden, a clean house, or a knitted sweater, but it is time spend MAKING something, rather than just consuming -- watching TV, shopping, etc. And invariably, blogging leads to LEARNING as well.

I think as teachers, we must MUST MUST keep ourselves on some kind of learning curve. It doesn't matter what we are learning to do, we need to keep learning. The craft of our teaching will automatically improve if we can share with our students not just the memory of, but the real and present joy of learning.

Welcome to the party, Katie!

The One O'Clock Chop by Ralph Fletcher

I received an advanced copy of THE ONE O'CLOCK CHOP by Ralph Fletcher. If you know his novels, most are middle grade novels. Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Spider Boy are three that are for middle grade kids. This new one, due out in the fall, seems more appropriate for the upper end of the middle grades--early middle school, I would say.

It is a great story with characters who stay with you. I read the book about a month ago and found myself thinking about the main character, Matt, long after I finished the book.

The plot is deals with an interesting issue--two first cousins who somehow fall in love.

Fourteen-year-old Matt learns that his cousin from Hawaii is coming to spend the summer with his family (Matt and his mom). His cousin "Jazzy" is beautiful and Matt begins to fall in love with her. Matt and Jazzy both know that you can't fall in love with your cousin but they can't stop what they are feeling. The story is well done--a real issue with believable characters.

The book and the writing remind me a bit of Carl Hiaasen. It could be the setting and the big part that clam digging plays in the book--Matt spends his days on a boat with a friend of his mom's--learning about the work of clam digging and about life. But there is something about the way that the story works that reminds me of Carl Hiaasen, only better.

A little romance, a little conflict, great characters and Fletcher's great writing make this a great read for kids. It is a delicate issue--a forbidden romance-and is very well done. I think it will appeal to lots of middle school kids.

Locavore

ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE by Barbara Kingsolver

This is narrative nonfiction, a book about her family's year-long attempt to be locavores -- eating almost exclusively locally grown (mostly in their garden and on their farm) foods. I read this book with a pencil in my hand. I underlined and starred and exclamation pointed and smiley faced my way from beginning to end. There are too many great lines and important thoughts to share here, but I'll pick one:

"I share with almost every adult I know this crazy quilt of optimism and worries, feeling locked into certain habits but keen to change them in the right direction. And the tendency to feel like a jerk for falling short of absolute conversion. I'm not sure why. If a friend had a coronary scare and finally started exercising three days a week, who would hound him about the other four days? It's the worst of bad manners -- and self-protection, I think, in a nervously cynical society -- to ridicule the small gesture. These earnest efforts might just get us past the train-wreck of the daily news, or the anguish of standing behind a child, looking with her at the road ahead, searching out redemption where we can find it: recycling or carpooling or growing a garden or saving a species or something. Small, stepwise changes in personal habits aren't trivial. Ultimately they will, or won't add up to having been the thing that mattered."

Thank you, Barbara Kingsolver, for reassuring me that I AM making a difference by recycling and composting and completely giving up Mandarin oranges from China and flatly refusing to buy apples from New Zealand. Now that the farmers' markets are in full swing, you'll know where to find me on Saturdays. I'll probably do some canning again this summer. I'm back to baking bread. I'm making my own kind of difference.

When Heaven Fell by Carolyn Marsden

I read When Heaven Fell on the plane ride home for Portland, Maine today. I picked it up at Cover to Cover the other day. I was drawn to the cover and then realized that I had enjoyed several other books by Carolyn Marsden (especially THE GOLD THREADED DRESS). But, I had not heard anything about it and knew nothing about the plot.

WHEN HEAVEN FELL is a kind of adoption story--so I paid attention as an adoptive mom.

There is an interesting review of this book at Ethnically Incorrect Daughter. I trust this review because the write is a woman who was adopted from Vietnam. So much of what she says about the book makes sense. It is a review worth reading to really understand some of the issues in this book.

But, I saw this book to be one with a lot of merit--one I will put on a bookshelf for my daughter to read as she gets older. I thought it was a good story of the way adoption affects everyone.

This is the story of Binh, a little girl who finds out that she has an aunt that was sent to the US during Operation Babylift. The aunt was 5 years old at the time and the family is awaiting their first visit from her. Binh's family lives in poverty conditions and the expectations of an "American aunt" are based on the movies they've seen. The visit proves them all wrong.

I think what I liked about this book was that it addressed the pain that all partied have when adoption is involved. The struggle of the birthmother deciding to send her daughter to the US for a better life was well-handled. Her grief and sorrow are clear in the book. The sadness of the adopted daughter--even though she is happy- is also addressed. The connection to the birthfamily and the pain that they all feel based on their roles in the family seems authentic to me. The reunion seemed authentic to me--comfortable, yet difficult. I have yet to read a book on adoption written for children t--especially international adoption--that addresses the struggles and pain of all parties so equally.

So, this is a book I will have in my classroom--it gives a clear picture of the struggles of any adoption and shows each character as one to empathize with. I will also keep the book for my daughter as she gets older. You never know which book might help a child make sense of life and I thought this one did a good job with some of the adoption issues that most books ignore-like the birthmother struggle. A difficult subject but the author did a good job of addressing it for such young children.

The High King

A week ago, I finished my first summer reading goal: to reread the Prydain Chronicles in memory of Lloyd Alexander.

TARAN WANDERER is still my favorite, and THE HIGH KING was particularly hard for me to read this time. At its heart, this book is about war and conflict, power and leadership, ultimate evil vs. uncertain good. Friends die. Hard decisions must be made. It's all a little too close to current events right now to be a comfortable read.

At least in this book, we have a thoughtful leader who struggles with the need to use violence to preserve culture -- the culture he learned in TARAN WANDERER in the Free Commots. "My way is not the warrior's way; yet, if I do not bear my sword now, there will be no place in Prydain for the usefulness and beauty of any craftsman's handiwork. And if I fail, I will have lost all I gained from you." And later, Coll says of Taran, "It is harsh enough for each man to bear his own wound. But he who leads bears the wounds of all who follow him." (If only.)

The end of the book is filled with themes so huge that it seems impossible that Alexander could pull it all off and pull it all together. Certainly this is why the book was a Newbery winner. There is the nod to the Arthurian legend when Taran rolls a boulder off the enchanted sword Dyrnwyn and defeats the ultimate evil. There is the Biblical loss of enchantment and eternal life when the Sons of Don return to the Summer Country and Taran must stay behind and Eilowny chooses to stay behind, forfeiting her magical powers. Hen Wen becomes an ordinary, rather than an oracular, pig.

And there is the bittersweet realization that one's greatest accomplishment is only a beginning:

"Evil conquered?" said Gwydion. "You have learned much, but learn this last and hardest of lessons. You have conquered only the enchantments of evil. That was the easiest of your tasks, only a beginning, not an ending. Do you believe evil itself to be so quickly overcome? Not so long as men still hate and slay each other, when greed and anger goad them. Against these even a flaming sword cannot prevail, but only that portion of good in all men's hearts whose flame can never be quenched."

There you have it...

This rating was determined by the presence of the following words: poop (x7) and sex (x1). (I found two incidents of "sex" in our blog, here and here. I know where all the poop is!) I guess scrotum and other below-the-waist body part words managed to slip through this rating system, once again making us wonder what the big deal was... Thanks to the excelsior file for the link.

The Qwikpick Adventure Society

THE QWIKPICK ADVENTURE SOCIETY
by Sam Riddleburger
Dial Books for Young Readers
May 2007
review copy compliments of the author

Add this book to your stack of "Perfect BOY Books."

The author suggested that members of my literature circle might like it, but as soon as I read it, I knew better. All of the boys who had been reading Andy Griffiths' Butt books (THE DAY MY BUTT WENT PSYCHO, ZOMBIE BUTTS FROM URANUS, and BUTT WARS: THE FINAL CONFLICT) needed to read this book which prominently features poop. And not just poop, but a poop fountain.

Stay with me here. Poop is just the hook to get the reader into this book. Once you're hooked, you get three memorable characters, "handwritten" sections that are "taped" in, photos that give the whole thing an air of authenticity (you'll have to read the book yourself to find out why there's no actual photo of the poop fountain), haikus that each character wrote to describe the poop fountain experience, and an author who obviously can channel his inner middle school self -- his writing has impeccable voice and timing and humor. The story is ludicrous and impossible (it all happens on Christmas Day, for heaven's sake!) and completely and totally believable.

I didn't get the chance to watch this book work through the underground readers' network in my room this year because it came too late. Only one of the Butt readers had a chance to read it (and LOVED it). I can't wait until next year when I pick a boy who will read this book and then pass it along. Funny thing is, after it makes the round of the boys, I'm pretty sure there will be girls who want to read it. Partly to find out what the stink is all about (pardon the pun), but also because one of the characters is a really cool girl!

I'm looking forward to more well-written, easy-ish books (for boys or not, doesn't matter) from Sam Riddleburger!

Taking A Bath With The Dog

I just picked up Taking a Bath With the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy by Scott Menchin in Maine. (I cannot visit anywhere without making a trip to at least one bookstore!)

This is a great picture book that I hadn't seen before. A child is looking sad and her mother asks her what would make her happy. The little girl goes around and asks people what makes them happy, only to find out that different things make different people happy. Then she thinks about all of the things that make her happy!

It is a simple, predictable picture book that can be read by early readers. But the lesson is good for readers of all ages. I bought a copy for my classroom--I think I can use it when we start writers' notebooks in the fall as ideas for lists (Things that Make Me Happy). I also think kids would love it for the message and colorful illustrations. It might also be a good one for K-1 classrooms--books that kids could easily read on their own because of the picture supports and predictable text.

We've Been Memed!

NYC Teacher (who is now known as Literacy Teacher) tagged us with the Five Things Meme. We're going to play a guessing game with this. In each category, either Franki or Mary Lee will supply the five things, and then you will be able to vote on whose five it is. Sometimes the answers are a combination of Franki and Mary Lee. How well do you think you "know" us?!? (Surveys are located BELOW each set of five.) Five Things I Was Doing Ten Years Ago 1. Looking for a house. 2. Learning to train my first dog. 3. Walking to our favorite restaurant (Gottlieb's). 4. Using a computer mostly for word processing. 5. Baking bread frequently.  Five Snacks I Enjoy 1. DOTS. 2. red licorice. 3. Oreos. 4. orange slice candy. 5. dark chocolate.  Five Songs I Know All the Lyrics To 1. All of the songs from GREASE. 2. "I think I love you" by the Partidge Family. 3. Don't Worry, Be Happy. 4. Ring of Fire. 5. Lollipop Tree.  Five Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire 1. Take a nap every day. 2. Buy family members lots of vacations. 3. Redecorate the whole house all at once. 4. Give lots of the $$ away. 5. Hire someone to do the laundry.  Five Bad Habits 1. Procrastination. I'm get lots done, but not always what I need to do right now. 2. Talking on the phone. 3. Asking questions before I get the answer to the one I just asked. 4. Not folding laundry when it comes out of the dryer. 5. Being late for appointments because I do just one more thing before I leave.  Five Things I Like To Do 1. Take naps. 2. Read. 3. Write. 4. Teach. 5. Fly fish, bike, hike, garden.  Five Things I Would Never Wear Again 1. A bikini. 2. The 1980's version of the Bob Evans hostess uniform. 3. Pigtails. 4. Cowboy boots. 5. Shoulder pads.  Five Favorite Toys 1. iPod. 2. USB vacuum cleaner. 3. iMovie/iDVD. 4. Fishing gear. 5. Office supplies.  Lots of folks seem to be on blog holiday, so we won't tag anyone in particular. Join in if you want!

A Day With Lisa Yee and Peepy!

We had a fun afternoon with Lisa Yee on Saturday. We started with a quick tour of her digs at Thurber House. Then we took a rather circuitous trip to one of our favorite places to eat, Northstar Cafe. The one near Cover to Cover Bookstore. To get there, we had to dodge ComFest traffic and the Gay Pride Parade in the Short North.

Over the best veggie burgers ever, we chatted about families (specifically, teenage daughters), books, and blogging. Lisa told us about the work she's doing at Thurber House -- her own reading and writing, as well as the writing classes she's teaching. In breaking news, we learned that Nancy Pearl will be featuring Millicent Min on NPR this morning as one of books in her summer reading for young readers piece.

At Cover to Cover, Lisa met Sally Oddi, the owner, and Peepy met some new friends, as you can see in the picture. Franki was honored to be able to hold Peepy, and check out those for-real bunny ears that Mary Lee is getting. Someone didn't want to be left out of the picture!

Because we couldn't get to North Market on this trip, we do have some unfinished business before Lisa heads back to California -- salty caramel ice cream at Jeni's!