Girl With 500 Middle Names by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Since we have been talking about good beginning-of-the-year read alouds and since this is our 500th post(!!!), I thought I would review a book that goes with the theme of the moment!

THE GIRL WITH 500 MIDDLE NAMES by Margaret Peterson Haddix would be a great read aloud. It is an early chapter book with lots to talk about. This is the story of Janie who moves into a new school. Her mother knits sweaters so that Janie can attend the school. But it is hard for Janie to fit in at a school where everyone lives in a big house and has new clothes. Janie has to wear the sweaters that her mom knits--those that were returned with names already on them--and she tells her classmates that she has many middle names. This is a very short chapter book and can cause lots of good discussion about fitting in, etc.


Isn't it coincidental that we posted our 500th post AND Alex Rodriguez (Yankees) hit his 500th career homerun this week? Rodriguez is the youngest in history to accomplish his milestone. And I am the YOUNGEST of A YEAR OF READING bloggers.

Wicked Cool Overlooked Books

Today is the Zombie Ass Kicking Edition of the monthly Wicked Cool Overlooked Books event at Chasing Ray.

I don't have a particular book to share this month, but I was thinking of doing something with the news that FirstBook had interviewed a bunch of people about the book(s) that hooked them on reading. (Here's the list of the top 50 books or series.) In true blogger form, Blog From the Windowsill turned the list into a meme. If you want to play, copy the list and put a + in front of the books that hooked you as a reader. What are some of the books that hooked you that DIDN'T make it on the list? (This is the part that connects to WCOB, in case you were wondering!)

- Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
+ Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
+ Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
+ The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
- The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
-Go, Dog, Go! by P. D. Eastman
+ Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman
+ Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey
- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
- The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper and Loren Long
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- Dick and Jane by William H. Elson
- Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
- The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
+ The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
+ The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Heidi by Johanna Spyri
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
+ A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
- Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
+ Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
- Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
- Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
- The Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
- Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
- Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
- Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs
- Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
- The Bible
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

A Wrinkle in Time is the book that launched me as a reader. I got it from the book order in 6th grade. It was the longest, most challenging book I had read up until that point. It was also my introduction to fantasy. It really made me think. No book had done that up until then, and once I had that experience, I expected it out of every book I read. (I either wanted the book to make me think, or make me feel. I spent many a Sunday afternoon rereading sad books and crying -- Little Britches, Love Story, Where the Red Fern Grows...)

The other books I marked with a + are books that I remember being in my life as I grew up. I read a lot as a child and we took regular trips to the library. All that reading got me ready for A Wrinkle in Time, so I won't dismiss it as water through a sieve, but it was definitely not memorable.

This was also the first time my reading life outside of school had intersected with reading inside of school. Up until that point, reading at school was a basal reader and SRA cards. I was a good reader according to all of that, but none of my teachers knew me as a reader. None of my teachers ever asked me, as I will ask my students in a couple of weeks, to tell them about my reading history. None of my teachers ever gave me a list like this and asked me which books had hooked me on reading.

We survived our schooling. It was something that was done to us. How much better it is now that students actively participate in their learning. Now that students are asked and can answer, "Which books hooked you on reading?"

Synchronicity

Susan, at Chicken Spaghetti, has real, live chickens!

More First Read Alouds

Franki got us thinking about first read alouds when she pointed us to Shari Frost's Choice Literacy article.

Here are some of the picture books I read in the first weeks of school, and that we revisit at the end of the year or the end of the loop.

Ish by Peter Reynolds
I value approximation.

The Wonderful Happens by Cynthia Rylant
I celebrate each unique student.

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
We honor diversity, and recognize the importance of names.

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Stamina and persistence are positive traits.

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups by David Wisniewski
Humor is valued in my classroom.

EDITED TO ADD:
How We Are Smart by W. Nikola-Lisa
Everyone is 100% smart, even if we are different mixtures of the multiple intelligences. (I finally got my ginormous Powells order -- in it was this one that I bought based on the Poetry Friday review at Tea Cozy.)

A Mama For Owen by Marion Dane Bauer

I purchased Owen and Mzee as soon as I saw it. I loved the book and so have all of the children I've shared it with. A fascinating and heartwarming story.


I was glad to see this new version of the story, A MAMA FOR OWEN by Marion Dane Bauer. This picture book is categorized as fiction. It is a more simple story of the relationship between the baby hippo and the old turtle. The illustrations are done in earth tones, ad the text is more poetic.

The reason I bought this book is to share with my students as a sample of writing--it is not often that I find a fiction story based on a true story that is also available. We do quite a bit of nonfiction writing in 3rd and 4th grades and this will be a nice piece to add to the books we study--it will be interesting to see what the kids notice when comparing the two accounts, when we think about how this author made decisions as a writer, etc.

I am excited to have two versions--one nonfiction, and one based on the true story, to share with kids about an engaging topic.

First Day Read Alouds at Choice Literacy

There is a great new article at Choice Literacy about great read alouds for the first day of school. It is written by Shari Frost--thought since we were chatting about the beginning of school, some of you might be interested. I already ordered one of the books on the list!

Any Advice?

I'm going to switch our template (finally) from Old Blogger to New Blogger.

Based on your experience, do you have any suggestions or warnings? Or will it be easy and trauma free?!? (What big change ever is?!?!)

While I'm asking for advice and suggestions...I'm back at the beginning of a loop and thinking about how I will introduce myself and my classroom to a new set of parents and students. Those of you who do that every year (I'm a 2-year looping teacher, so it's every other year for me), what kinds of things do you do to introduce yourself and your classroom before school starts, in the first weeks, and at your Curriculum Night/Parent Information Night?

MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY

I picked up this new book, MEOW RUFF: A STORY IN CONCRETE POETRY by Joyce Sidman, last week at Cover to Cover. What a great book. I needed to spend some time with it--it didn't make a lot of sense to me when I browsed. I was expecting a regular poetry book. This one is concrete poems. But the best thing is that the concrete poems go together to tell a story. It almost reads like a graphic novel. As a reader, I had to pull together what was going on in the pictures with the words all over the page.

Different from other concrete poetry books, each page consists of several concrete poems--nearly every object in each illustration has some type of words or poetry connected to it. I can use it with DOGKU by Andrew Clements since they are both stories about dogs talk in different types of poetry. Fun writing for kids to play with.

The pages go together to tell about a new friendship between a dog and a cat. The illustrations are colorful--younger kids would love the story. Older kids could really study the writing and the way the pictures and words work together.

Definitely glad I picked this one up.

No Talking

Fuse is right.
Maybe Clements' best.
Too didactic?
Awaiting kids' reactions.
Note to self:
Read aloud contender.

(Why three words?
Read the book!
I'd participate willingly!
Would you?)

Her Date is a 3000 Year-Old Mummy

The Professor's Daughter
by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert
Translated by Alexis Siegel
First Second, 2007 (originally, 1997)

I predict that this book will be one of the strong contenders for the 2007 Cybils Graphic Novel (Age 13-up) Award.

Lillian Bowell, daughter of the greatest British archaeologist, the esteemed Professor Bowell, needs an escort so she can walk to Kensington. Her father won't be home until later that evening. What's a girl to do? What indeed: take the mummy of Imhotep IV out of his sarcophagus, dress him up in tails and top hat, and go for a stroll!

The story veers from ludicrous to touching (Imhotep cries when he hears Mozart for the first time and gets drunk on tea) to slapstick funny (Imhotep declares his love for Lillian and his intention to marry her to her father who replies, "You are the property of the British museum. You are dead. Stay out of this.") all in the course of the first twenty pages.

A crime is committed, Lillian is kidnapped (turns out, by Imhotep III, father of Imhotep IV...you guessed it, another mummy), Imhotep IV is lost and found, and he sets out to rescue Lillian.

Queen Victoria makes an appearance late in the story, but she refuses to be of any help, so Imhotep III dumps her in the Thames. The Guards remark, "Doesn't it look like the queen is crossing the Thames doing the backstroke?"

The ending is satisfying, and brings closure to the two dream sequences during the story that reveal interesting truths about Imhotep's very first love and his very first children.

I can't tell you any more. You just have to read it for yourself. And then smile, shake your head, and read it again. (Make sure you get the Collector's Edition, which includes Guibert's "London Sketches From the British Museum and the Streets of London, 1977." You can see the characters and settings begin to come to life.)

bookshelves of doom's review
Comics Worth Reading's review

Teaching Meme

Mentor Texts tagged us for this meme. Franki's answers are first, in green. Mary Lee's answers are in purple. We each answered the prompts and then combined our answers, so any overlap is...because our thinking overlaps!

I am a good teacher because...I work really hard to get to know each of my students. I never sit back and think I'm a good teacher. Every year (sometimes every DAY) there are new challenges that cause me to grow and reinvent myself.

If I weren't a teacher I'd be a/an...I'd be a full time reader (is that a job?) Architect. (A story for another time: one high school teacher's gender discrimination killed a dream.)

My teaching style is...inquiry based/talk-based. Continually evolving.

My classroom is...chatty. I think kids learn a lot by talking so there is a lot of talking between kids all day. Full of books!

My lesson plans...don't ever fit into neat boxes. Begin in my imagination.

One of my teaching goals is...to keep as much student ownership in the day as possible. We are being pressured to get rid of that in the name of testing and it is the way kids seem to learn best. Create a classroom community as quickly as possible at the beginning of the year.

The toughest part of teaching is...that you never stop thinking about it--It is really the best part too--we never have it totally figured out and that makes it fun and challenging at the same time. Trying to make sure the work we do is authentic.

The thing I love most about teaching is...seeing kids grow and change and become themselves. When the lightbulbs go off (theirs or mine)!

A common misconception about teaching is...that we can all just follow a scripted program and all will be better. Meeting the needs of every child is much harder than that. "Joe/Jane Public/Politician" knows better than I do how I should be doing my job.

The most important thing I've learned since I've started teaching is...that kids do best with lots of choice and usually when I get out of the way, the totally surpass any expectations I had! There is more art than science in teaching.

*************
We're tagging Read, Read, Read and Creative Literacy.

Larger Than Life Lara

I picked up this book at Cover to Cover a few weeks ago. I am always looking for short, easier chapter books that have depth--things to talk about. When I taught 5th grade, I could find lots and lots of great books for them that were worth talking about--books that dealt with issues. It is a bit trickier in third grade. The kids are still learning to follow plot so I try to find books with a good, easy to follow plot, as well as real life issues to talk about. I think LARGER THAN LIFE LARA by Dandi Daley Mackall will be a great book for read aloud and/or booktalks with 3rd and 4th graders. It has so many things to talk about. Mackall also weaves in reminders about story elements as we read which is a unique thing and something kids would enjoy. Lara moves into Laney's 4th grade classroom and is immediately the target of meanness and bullying. Lara is very large--so big that she has to have a special chair and she swishes when she walks. Lara handles the meanness with a positive attitude and is always able to find the best in people. It doesn't end quite the way I had predicted which is always nice--I love a little surprise. It isn't really a happy ending, but there is closure. There are lots of things that kids would find to discuss with this book. It is a great new book with lots of possibilities.

Snow Baby

The Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Admiral Robert E. Peary's Daring Daughter
by Katheri Kirkpatrick
Holiday House, 2007
Guest review by A.J. Wald, resident Arctic and Antarctic expert

I do so love a surprise. That is probably why I gladly read Katherine Kirkpatrick’s The Snow Baby, even though I have shelves groaning under the weight of books on Arctic and Antarctic exploration. Book after book of determined adventurer’s and scientist’s tales of grim survival under the trials of cold, darkness, fear and, sometimes, madness. Not a single one of these volumes, however, tells the story of the sweet-faced little tyke born to Robert E. Peary and his wife Josephine Diebitsch Peary on September 12, 1893 on the shores of Smith Sound, Greenland.

Other books on the Arctic barely mention the birth of Marie Ahnighito (the woman who sewed Marie’s fox skin coat and caribou skin trousers also provided the baby’s middle name) Peary. Marie’s story is important, however, within the context of Arctic exploration and in light of her own, unique experiences.

It will come as no shock that Marie Peary did not have a stereotypical childhood. Beginning her life in Greenland, she was taken south to Washington D.C. at age 11 months. There, the Snow Baby lived with her mother and her maternal family while her explorer father continued to strive to reach the North Pole. A pattern developed that brought Marie and Mrs. Peary back to the Arctic for periodic reunions with Robert Peary, interspersed with time in ‘civilization’.

During the Arctic episodes, Marie meets a who’s who of North Pole exploration, from the indispensable Inuit, to the ice pilot Bartlett, to Mathew Henson. Marie has her own adventures too, skidding across glaciers, literally by the ‘seat of her pants’.

Her life, both in the far North and in the urbane strictures of Victorian America, fascinates and informs the reader about the history and the society of the times. Ms. Kirkpatrick does not shy away from the recognition of Robert Peary’s ‘other’ children, produced by his liaisons with Inuit women. Her frank, tasteful explanation of the historical existence of Marie’s half-brothers and sisters was refreshing in its tact and honesty.

There is a truly excellent map of Robert Peary’s expeditions and delightful photographs of the Pearys and the extended family, the Inuit of Greenland, the ships, dogs and characters that were part of Marie’s life. A fine bibliography of research works and a useful index round out this very worthwhile fifty page edition.

Upper level 4th and 5th grade readers, girls or boys, will be able to glean a great deal from The Snow Baby, as will anyone who delves into the exciting and complex life Marie Ahnighito Peary.

Poetry Friday -- Reading by Flashlight

My recent reading has not turned loose of me just yet.

I took out my copy of Poets Against the War (edited by Sam Hamill) and browsed a bit and shook my head that this book was published three years ago when the first lady uninvited poets from her poetry forum after getting wind that they might speak against the war. Time flies when it's not your town getting bombed.

I found today's poem on the Poets Against The War website. It is a poem that speaks of the consequences of war (as did Greetings From Planet Earth, although Kerley's book was more about human consequences), reading by flashlight (as did Letters from Rapunzel) and the question of "why do I have so much when others have so little?" (as did How to Steal a Dog).

Here is the end of Nancy Flynn's poem:

Reading The Oregonian by Flashlight

.
.
.
My flashlight makes a circle, enough light to read by,
and I feel like Abraham Lincoln. Isn't this
what character is made from?

In Baghdad, three years now, and electricity's
only reliable four hours a day.



Read the whole poem here.

MsMac at Check it Out has the round up this week.

Interesting Trio of Books

Greetings From Planet Earth by Barbara Kerley (website)
Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes (website and blog)
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor (website and blog)

I checked out all three from the library to see whether or not I needed to own them. I read them all and I just purchased all three.

Dads are missing from all three stories: In Greetings, he hasn't returned home from Vietnam; in Letters, he's in the hospital with clinical depression; in Steal a Dog, he walked out on the family, leaving them homeless.

Great boy character in Greetings. Harry and Taran are the only other good boy characters in my summer reading (not on purpose). Theo is smart and curious and persistent.

Smart and curious and persistent also describe Cadence in Letters. Holmes captures/creates an authentic voice in the letters that Cadence writes. Georgina's voice in Steal a Dog is also spot on and crystal clear.

All three books are similar in the way the authors have masterfully woven the plot line. In Greetings, Kerley weaves together the best and worst of our nation in the late 1970's: space travel and the Vietnam War. In Letters, Holmes combines clinical depression, fairy tales, poetry, and the trials and tribulations of the gifted child. In Steal a Dog, Holmes gives poverty and homelessness a variety of different faces and voices which defy common sterotypes.

Out of all three, it was Steal a Dog that gripped my gut and made me talk out loud to the main character. ("What do you think you're doing?!?!?") I had thought there was a sense of doom and foreboding in Wringer, by Jerry Spinelli. Turns out, watching a character wait for his 10th birthday and the awfulness of becoming a wringer at the town pigeon shoot was nothing compared to watching Georgina blunder her way through the social and emotional chaos of living out of a car, the plan, the theft, the cover-up, and the realization that she has gotten herself in so deep that there is no graceful way out.

I'll keep Greetings and Letters for personal recommendations to 4th/5th graders. How to Steal a Dog will be one of my first read alouds.

* * * *

Mindy's interview of Barbara Kerley at propernoun
Kelly's interview of Barbara Kerley at Big A little a
7-Imp's interview of Barbara Kerley at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Little Willow's Poetry Friday from Letters from Rapunzel
7-Imp's review of Letters from Rapunzel
BooksForKidsBlog's review of Letters From Rapunzel
Midwestern Lodestar's thoughts on How to Steal a Dog
Brianne Reads and Reviews review of How to Steal a Dog
Barbara O'Connor's story of how a failed picture book turned into two novels: How to Steal a Dog and, coming in spring 2008, Greetings from Nowhere

EDITED TO ADD: Julius Lester's thoughts on Vietnam vs. Iraq, an interesting companion to Greetings from Planet Earth

New from Deborah Wiles

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

This might be my Newbery pick of the moment. I LOVE Deborah Wiles. I loved LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER and especially loved EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS. But, The Aurora County All-Stars (due out this week) may be my favorite for lots of reasons.

This is a story of baseball, a story of a strong community, and a story of friends. Deborah Wiles ties the story together with quotes from Walt Whitman. She also uses quotes from famous baseball players to set the stage for each chapter. Her writing is brilliant.

And, as an added bit of fun, Ruby Lavender is back in this book--she is part of the story. Reading about a familiar town with a few familiar characters is always fun and reading about Ruby Lavender again was quite a treat. She is not the main character but it is like visiting an old friend.

Deborah Wiles has characters you just have to love. Here is her introduction to one of the characters in the book:

"Honey Jackson, age six, aspiring dancer and lover-of-life extraordinaire, sat barefoot and cross-legged at the top of the front porch steps. She wore her best pink leotard and tutu. Around her neck, hanging from some string, was a pair of toilet-paper-roll binoculars. Behind her, in a short, straight row, sat seven small stuffed animals--her audience."

I am thinking that if I were teaching 4th or 5th grade this year, I would start the year with this as the read aloud. I am pretty sure it is one that all kids would love. And so much to think and talk about. But, I am teaching 3rd/4th and I am not sure it is the right book for early 3rd graders as our first read aloud.

Right now, it is one of my new very-favorites.

New Professional Book from Elaine Garan

SMART ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS by Elaine Garan
is one big gift to teachers from Elaine Garan.

It is hard to teach well these days. With the pressure of testing and standardization, so much of what we know about how best to meet kids' needs is being lost. As teachers, we know the best research-based practices but lately, we have been being asked to go against much of what we know to follow scripted programs, give more and more tests, and include more isolated skill and drill that never seems to transfer to real reading and writing.

In Elaine Garan's new book SMART ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS, Garan tackles many of the questions that we, as classroom teachers, are being asked--questions like "Why do you allow students to read on their own during class? When they are reading silently to themselves, how do you know they're really reading? Shouldn't you be testing them to make sure they're reading the right level of book? It seems to me there are a lot of problems with just having the class read on its own."

The questions are tough questions and they are questions that we get asked often. Elaine Garan has helped us answer these questions. She has not only provided an appropriate response to each question, but has also gathered important research that we can read in support of each of the best practices she describes. And she has put it all in one place for us.

Garan begins her book with a letter to teachers. She lets us know that parents most often trust their child's teacher. She gives us the tools we need to better participate in decision-making and to help educate parents on research-based best practices.

Throughout the book, she includes proof of her answers, research studies that she encourages us to read, things to think about, and ways to help parents see that the things happening in the classroom are in support of their child's learning--even if it is not what they did when they were in school.

An added feature throughout the book are thoughts specific to administrators and literacy coaches--ideas for working with staff and parents in staff development sessions to create conversations around these important issues.

The other thing I appreciate is how respectful Garan is of the people asking these tough questions. She is never critical of thoughts of the public, but is clear that, as educators, we do have knowledge about student learning and that it is our responsibility to share those with parents and community members so that we can work together for each child.

Actually, Garan's acknowledgments sold me on the concept of the book. Her last acknowledgment is to her parents. She says, "My parents gave me many gifts, but the one I treasure the most is their integrity and the model they set for us. They are both still writing letters to the editor, and neither will let an injustice or a lie slide by without at least trying to fight the wrong and maybe even right the wrong."

Elaine Garan sees the wrongs that are happening because of the misinformation about how students learn. With this book, she has give teachers the gift of answers and research to support quality classroom practice.

Life As We Know It Has Not Ended

J.K. Rowling will ("probably") write a "Potter encyclopedia" about the characters in the Harry Potter series.

Meredith Vieira heard it first. I learned it from Pop Goes The Library.

The Cat Master

The Cat Master
by Bonnie Pemberton
Marshall Cavendish, 2007
review copy courtesy of publisher

Remember my former student who is the Warriors series expert? She's the one who read and reported on the new (then) Warriors graphic novel last spring.

When the box of books came from Marshall Cavendish and I came across The Cat Master, I knew Warriors Girl was the one who should read and review it. Here is a loosely reconstructed transcript of our discussion of The Cat Master over ice cream at Graeters:

Me: So tell me a little about the book.

Warriors Girl: Well, it's the author's first book, and it took about 10 years for her to write. I know this because I googled her and read her website.

The two main characters in the book are Buddy and Jett, cats who are brothers. Jett is greedy and ambitious. When the Cat Master dies -- he's their father, but they don't know it -- Buddy is chosen to be the next Cat Master, but he doesn't know it because Jett intercepts the message. Jett wants to kill Buddy before Buddy becomes the master.

Me: Is this book at all like the Warriors books?

WG: It's like Warriors in that there are indoor and outdoor cats, but they are named differently (feral/indoor). It's different because there are other animals besides cats in the story (dogs, a possum, a lizard). Both have good and evil characters. The Cat Master feels really different than Warriors -- the chapters alternate between characters.

Me: Which series do you like better?

WG: It's too soon to tell, but I will definitely read more books by this author if she writes more. It seems like she will. You can kind of tell that the next book will be about Soot, Buddy's son, becoming Cat Master.

She dedicated the book "In Memory of Buddy" and in the acknowledgments she says Buddy was "a stray cat who changed my life forever." She has lots of cats and she really gets cat behavior. She even has a business that sells anti-scratching stuff that keeps cats from scratching on furniture.

Me: Anything else?

WG: I think I'm going to start reading prologues. If you skip them, you miss out on some pretty important information. I've always read epilogues; they give a summary and some good hints.

Me (in my mind): It's good to know that she's still growing as a reader! It's never too late to learn that prologues are pretty important!

Off Topic--Voice Your Love of DOTS

Okay, so DOTS are my very favorite candy. Love them. Often get them for birthday presents. Buy them whenever I see them. They make me happy.

So, I was a little thrown when I read the post about Dots on Candyblog today. UGH! I love this blog and often agree with the candy reviews. The sentence that stuck with me was:

"Dots are one of those candies that I see a lot at stores, but I rarely see anyone buying them or eating them."

I can see why Cybele at Candyblog said this. When I think about it, I rarely eat DOTS in public. Not for any reason, other than, they aren't often available in places where you would eat them. They sell them in stores and you eat them at home or in the car or at work. They are a comfort food. A great candy when you need a little sugar and a little flavor. They are fun and happy.

I am not a fan of anything but the traditional flavor box but I LOVE the original flavors.

For me, these are like the last of the original movie candy. Maybe they bring back childhood memories. I'm not sure.

Candyblog has invited anyone who loves DOTS to testify and so far, 17 people have already commented expressing their love of DOTS! SOOOO, if you love DOTS, go over to CANDYBLOG and show your support.

Really, Candy Corn or Dots? DOTS win hands-down! Don't you agree? DOTS win over pretty much any candy in my book.

(This may be the only candy that I would stand up for with this kind of enthusiasm!--unless they bring back Marathon Bars from the 80s.)

New Blog To Check Out

Megan is a 5th grade teacher just down the pike a bit from us who reads, reads, reads. In fact, that's the name of her blog: Read, Read, Read.

Her blog debuted in the kidlitosphere in June, and already she's skipping across the stage in scene three of Act One of The Play's The Thing (July's Carnival of Children's Literature)!

I can't wait until school starts and we get a chance to peek into her classroom and see how all these books she's been reading are received by her students!

100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature -- The One Year Anniversary

A year ago, Franki wrote this post:

Okay so I am totally loving the lists from Jen Robinson's Book Page blog--Cool Boys from Kid Lit and Cool Girls From Children's Literature. I loved reading over these lists and thinking about these great characters we love.

I soo loved the idea that I started thinking. Could we come up with 100 Cool Teachers from Children's Lit? What do you think? So many teachers in books are these stereotypic, mean, dumpy people who are worn out. So, let's start putting together a list of 100 Cool Teacher's in Children's Lit. I am going to start with Great Aunt Arizona from MY GREAT AUNT ARIZONA by Gloria Houston. I also think The Giver in THE GIVER is a cool teacher. I would also like to add Mrs. Granger from FRINDLE by Andrew Clements. She is cool in disguise. We're looking for thoughtful teachers who understand kids and learning and are active, intelligent people who love their work. Do you think we can find 100? We are taking suggestions from readers!

A year later, and our list has over 100 cool teachers! (The list has a permanent home in our sidebar, too.) Thanks for all your suggestions! Surely there are some cool teachers in the books you've read recently -- let's keep the list growing!

The Play's the Thing

The July Carnival of Children's Literature is up at Saints and Spinners. We've been cast in the unlikely roles of bartender and bartending friend!

Open Water Swimming

GRAYSON
by Lynne Cox, author of SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA

There will be no competitive open water swim for me this summer. Reading GRAYSON will have to do. And it will do just fine.

In this slim book, Cox tells the story of an early morning (before sunrise) training swim in the ocean off Seal Beach, California in March (55 degree water) of the year she was 17. She had already swum the English Channel twice, and the Catalina Channel once.

As the sun rose during this swim, Cox suddenly became aware of a huge presence swimming near her. She was afraid it was a shark, but it turned out to be an 18-foot baby grey whale. Because it was swimming with her, she could not swim to shore -- it would beach itself and die. So, in spite of the voices inside her head that doubted the choice, and following the voices inside her heart that felt a compassionate connection to the baby whale, Cox stayed in the water for several more hours, swimming from a pier to an oil rig and back to the pier LOOKING FOR THE MOTHER WHALE! She had the help of a lifeguard boat, several fishing boats, and a small crowd on the pier, but she was the one who stayed in the water with the baby until he was reunited with his mother.

The book is a lyrical description of the intimate connection of a swimmer to the ocean, the tides, the currents, and all of the living creatures of the ocean, both beautiful (dolphins) and frighteningly beautiful (rays and purple jellyfish). It's also the story of the power of positive thinking, and mind over matter. Everything you ever needed to know about taking risks, pursuing goals, and overcoming doubts, you can learn from Lynne Cox in this book. Here is my favorite passage:

"The answer came to me. Wait as long as you need to. The waiting is as important as the doing: its the time you spend training and the rest in between; it's painting the subject and the space in between; it's the reading and the thinking about what you've read; it's the written words, what is said, what is left unsaid, the space between the thoughts on the page, that makes the story, and it's the space between the notes, the intervals between fast and slow, that makes the music. It's the love of being together, the spacing, the tension of being apart, that brings you back together. Just wait, just be patient, he will return."

Harry Potter Fun!

So, I am feeling a little bit left out of the Harry Potter craze. I am embarrassed to admit that I have not read the Harry Potter books. Not sure how it happened. I started the first one when it first came out and it seemed bad timing or something. My husband, however, was totally hooked immediately. Now, this many years later, it just seemed far too overwhelming to read 6 books in anticipation for the last one. But, I have followed the Harry Potter craze. I love what it has caused. And I have followed all of the media leading up to Book 7. My husband and daughter attended Cover to Cover's Harry Potter party last night (Mary Lee also attended--see photo). They got their books at 12:01 am. My older daughter read until 3:30 am and they have both been reading at every spare moment. But it seems that people have already finished and the world is nervous that someone will give the ending away before they finish.

As much as I hate missing out on the fun, I must say, it is fun to watch all of this objectively. I love all of it and love that the world has stopped for the last of the Harry Potter books. I love that people everywhere today were carrying around the books. I love that many families I know had to purchase multiple copies of the book to avoid any fighting over a single copy. I love that my daughter is getting text messages from friends when they get to a certain page. I love that my husband and daughter are trying to keep up with each other so they can chat when needed. This is all such fun.

I am thinking that I will read the last chapter of Book 7. I don't think I'll ever be able to experience Harry Potter as the world has. I missed it. If I read it later, which I very well may do, I will know so much from the talk, the media, just by being part of the world. I won't come at it as everyone else did. But, I am dying to read the end. I am dying to see how she decided to end a series like this. I have read some of the reviews about the ending and I think I can read it just to see how she did it--how she created a satisfying ending that was not totally predictable but yet totally believable when expectations were so high.

Even though I have not read one of the books yet (yes, I am embarrassed every time I say this), I consider myself a JK Rowling fan. I love that she created something so amazing. I love the brilliance. I love the impact she's had and that the whole world talked about Harry Potter today.

So, I'll keep you posted about whether or not I read that last chapter of Book 7--no, I won't give away any secrets. But, I think it is the only way I can participate in the fun this week. Meanwhile, I'll watch my husband and daughter finish up.

A New Mercy Watson Book

Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo is the latest book in this series. I thought it was a little early for a Halloween story but I loved it anyway! I have to admit that it took me a few books to fall totally in love with Mercy Watson. But, I am totally hooked now! It is clear that DiCamillo is a different kind of brilliant in these books.

My youngest daughter is seven and was THRILLED to see a new Mercy Watson book. The humor and the illustrations are perfect for her age. And the plot and characters are wonderful for students new to chapter books. This one may be my favorite--I thought I liked the image of Mercy driving a car, but Mercy dressed in a princess costume (that is a terribly snug) is my new favorite!

The story is simple--Mercy dresses up for Halloween and gets into trouble. Readers can count on many predictable things throughout the story. The neighbors' reactions to Mercy, Mr. and Mrs. Watson's unconditional love for Mercy, and a happy ending. A perfect series for children new to chapter books as well as readers who want a fun story!

Poetry Friday -- Fame

Famous
by Naomi Shihab Nye

The river is famous to the fish.

The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.

The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.

The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.

The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.

The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.

The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

For what do you hope to be famous? Compare your answer to the poet's.

The Poetry Friday roundup is at Mentor Texts this week.

It's Not Because We Don't Care...

...it's because everyone else is doing such a fine job staying on top of all the breaking news.

We're not the biggest fans, but we're not grumpy nay-sayers, either.

I'll be at Cover To Cover's party tomorrow night, I'll get my copy at 12:01, and I'll go home and read it as fast as I can while still savoring the moment in history.

Then we'll resume sitting back to see what y'all have to say about it!

Girls Like Spaghetti

A new picture book by Lynne Truss is out. If you liked the original EATS, SHOOTS, AND LEAVES as well as the children's version with the same title about why commas matter, you'll love THE GIRL'S LIKE SPAGHETTI: WHY YOU CAN'T MANAGE WITHOUT APOSTROPHES. As with her book about commas, Truss uses each two page spread to show the huge difference an apostrophe can make. With fun illustrations, children can see the difference in meaning between sentences like "The girls like spaghetti." and "The girl's like spaghetti.". The humor in the illustrations help make the point.

Another fun book and I am glad to see she is continuing with these punctuation books for children. Hopefully, more are on the way.

The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech

I LOVE a good fairy tale so I was thrilled to see Sharon Creech's new book CASTLE CORONA. It is due out this fall and it is a must-have.

The story is one of a royal family and some peasants. The characters all fit into the mold of great fairy tale characters--the strong female peasant, the beautiful princess, etc.

This is the story of all of these characters--characters who want more from life and from who they are. The beautiful princess finds that she wants to be more than beautiful. Pia and Enzio, the peasants, want to live in royalty. The king wishes to be more wise. These aren't formal wishes--just the every day thinking of people wanting something different or more in a real-life kind of way.

It is a fun fairy tale--felt a bit like TALE OF DESPEREAUX and a bit like something by Gail Carson Levine--a great combination for a great fairy tale.

The thing I liked best is the message Creech seems to give us about story. In the book, there is a wordsmith who often tells stories to the royal family. It is through these stories that the royal family and the peasants begin to imagine the possibilities in their lives, see themselves in stories, and become more content.

The back of the book says that this is for ages 8-12. I can definitely see reading it aloud to 3rd graders. And I think it will also appeal to much older readers too. It is a great fairy tale. With so many fairy tales and fantasies coming out, I am so happy to see that Sharon Creech has added to the genre. I loved the story, the characters, the writing, and the message.

A New Back to School Book

It is time for Back to School books. A friend of mine who is a Kindergarten teacher shared this new one with me today---CORNELIUS P. MUD, ARE YOU READY FOR SCHOOL? by Barney Saltzberg. It is definitely a great one for young children getting ready to go off to school.

Cornelius is getting ready for school and the text follows a semi-predictable pattern asking Cornelius whether he has done what he needs to do get ready for school. "Did you eat breakfast?" "Yes!" and so on. But there is something very important that they forget which makes for quite a cute ending.

The illustrations are colorful and happy--the colors remind me a bit of NO, DAVID! by David Shannon. Cornelius is an adorable pig character who is quite lovable. The font of the text is big and basic for new readers and yet fun to give a happy tone to the book. A great choice to read aloud to help with the transition for school and a perfect read for beginning readers.

Author Fired by Former Fan

"...yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge his autobiography, Biographia Literaria.

How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
as told to Cressida Cowell
the fourth book in the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III series

I was willing to believe in the Vikings, the dragons, the sea creatures, the unlikely ways that Hiccup gets into and out of trouble, the crazy names, the language Dragonese, the holiday of Freya'sday Fete. I was a little irritated that she named a character "Big-Boobied Bertha." She really didn't need to stoop that low in the potty-mouth humor department, but I could handle it. I've read the ROTTEN SCHOOL series, after all.

Cressida Cowell completely lost me as a reader and a fan and a future book purchaser when, at the very end of the book, she writes this about an arrow that had been stuck in a potato:

"...I buried the arrow which saved my life in some muddy ground behind my house, and, miracle of miracles! A single seed must have been sticking to the metal!

For some time later, in the springtime, I noticed a strange green plant in that particular spot, and I dug the arrow up again. A new potato, larger than the one I lost, had grown right around the arrow's point."

POTATOES DO NOT GROW FROM LITTLE TINY SINGLE SEEDS THAT STICK TO ARROW TIPS! THEY GROW FROM CHUNKS OF SEED POTATOES!

I am completely willing to suspend my disbelief for all kinds of fantastic inventions an author creates in a story. I will not, however, suspend my knowledge of the way the real world works. Ms. Cowell, you're fired, and I suggest you get a new editor.

Continuing Education -- Graphic Novels

A brief timeline of my graphic novels education to date:

• In November of 2005, I read the first volume of the Scholastic color re-issue of BONE. In my reading log, I noted this historic event: "My first graphic novel." In January of 2006, BABYMOUSE hit the bookstores.
• Last October (2006), I volunteered to be on the Graphic Novels panel for the Cybils . (Press Release here for more information on the Cybils.) I did this to jump-start my graphic novel education, and it did the job.
  
• Last November (2006) at NCTE, I heard Scott McCloud speak. Scott McCloud is "an American cartoonist and a leading popular scholar of comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium," according to his Wikipedia entry. I read his book MAKING COMICS as the "textbook" for my education in graphic novels, and then over the course of the next couple of months, I read about 40 graphic novels, most of which were Cybils nominations.

Maybe I shouldn't have just revealed how much of a newbie I am to the world of graphic novels, but you know, in some circles (over 30, never read graphic novels), I'm a virtual expert.

This morning I finished the three volumes of the SCOTT PILGRIM series by Brian Lee O'Malley. Scott McCloud said (I have this in my notes) that O'Malley's work, and others like his, will "bridge the gap between Japanese manga and American comics. This generation of artists will speak directly to our kids." That's why I read these three books. And while they might speak directly to kids, they don't speak so directly to me.

The series is summarized in Wikipedia thus:

The series is about 23-year-old Canadian Scott Pilgrim, a slacker, hero, wannabe-rockstar, who is living in Toronto and playing bass in the band "Sex Bob-Omb." He falls in love with American delivery girl Ramona V. Flowers, but must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to date her.

That much I got, although I almost didn't finish the first book because the set-up of the plot was just too weird for me. Once O'Malley got to Ramona V. Flowers and defeating the seven evil ex-boyfriends, I understood what to expect from the rest of the books. Some version of one evil boyfriend per book.

Did I know that all the names of the bands mentioned in the books are references to video games? No, because I have a reading history, not a gaming history. But did it matter that I didn't get all the video game references? (Or, for that matter, most of the rock music references?) Nope. Because I got the story. Most of it. And thanks to Scott McCloud, I could probably even point out some of the American comic influences and some of the Japanese manga influences.

What does all this mean and why am I writing about it here? If we ask kids to read outside their comfort zones and try new genres, we should, too. If we want to be able to tell kids first hand what it's like to stick with a book and be glad we did, we should have been there/done that.

What kinds of books/genres have you read that are outside your comfort zone, and what did you learn from that experience that you can share with your students?

Global Babies

I am always looking for new board books for baby gifts. I often put together a bag or basket of board books as a new baby or baby shower gift. I always buy some of the classics but love to include new books in the mix.

GLOBAL BABIES by the Global Fund for Children and published by Charlesbridge Publishing is a great new addition to the board book collection. It is an adorable small board book highlighting a baby from somewhere in the world on each page. The photographs are colorful and many babies are dressed in traditional clothing. The text that goes along with each page is simple. The draw is definitely in the adorable faces on each page.

I didn't know about the Global Fund for Children but I read that they develop titles "to support appreciation of the multicultural world in which they live". Some of the profit from these books go to the fund to support children around the world. I'll keep my eyes out for other books by the Global Fun for Children.

Since most babies love to look at other babies, I think parents and new babies alike would love this book.

Tell An Author You Care Day--E.L. Konigsburg

Emily at Whimsy Books designated today as "Tell An Author You Care Day". Love the idea and wanted to make sure to participate. I read her ideas of how to participate and decided on this idea from Emily--Idea #4:

Profile an author in your blog. I'm not talking just another review. Tell us a little about the author and mention at least one of his/her books that you love.

I have been thinking about E.L. Konigsburg all week since I finished an advanced copy of her upcoming book THE MYSTERIOUS EDGE OF THE HEROIC WORLD.

I am fascinated by E.L. Konigsburg. FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER was one of my favorite books of childhood. Claudia's trip to the museum has stayed with me throughout my life. The book was also a favorite of my husband's who doesn't remember many great books from childhood. It is a classic and one that, as adults, we can all still talk about.

So, I had to read THE MYSTERIOUS EDGE OF THE HEROIC WORLD that will be out this fall by Konigsburg. Again, she is brilliant. This book actually has a feel that is similar to FROM THE MIXED UP FILES in that there is art, and a mystery, and the process of making sense of things that are not quite organized. Amedeo and William work together to help sort through the items in Mrs. Zender's house as she prepares to move. They uncover great stories as they get to know Mrs. Zender and each other. And of course there is a little mystery to uncover. There was a bit more history in this book--art that was confiscated during the Holocaust is a backdrop. The history is part of the fun of the discovery. And the learning about this part of the Holocaust is shocking--a part of history that many of us don't know much about.

One thing that was an extra in this book was the fact that Konigsburg pulled in characters and places from THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY and THE OUTCASTS OF SCHUYLER PLACE. Even though they weren't a focus in the other books, I always think it is fun to revisit places and people I know as a reader.

I am amazed by Konigsburg which is why I chose her to thank today. She has been writing amazing books for over 30 years! She must have written FROM THE MIXED UP FILES at a pretty young age. And so many of her books since then are just as fabulous as that one. THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY and THE OUTCASTS OF SCHUYLER PLACE are two of my more recent favorites. An author who I can enjoy as an adult as much as I did as a child--one of the first authors who hooked me on reading and made me get to know characters that have stayed with me forever. I can't explain the fun of having read her books over the last 35 years. I love that she continues to surprise us with every book and that I can have that same feeling now as I did when I first met Claudia. I don't know of any other authors who have been writing such amazing novels consistently--she somehow tells amazing stories and makes them very timely for today's readers. I have read several of her more recent ones aloud to my intermediate students and they are always a hit--well loved and the anchor for lots of great talk. Her respect for kids and their ability to change the world is clear in every one of her books.

So, hooray for E.L. Konigsburg--an author I have enjoyed almost since my love of books began. A new book by Konisburg is such a treat. She continues to amaze me as a reader.

Get Busy!

It's Tell An Author You Care Day, as proclaimed by Emily at whimsy. It's also Emily's birthday, so be sure you check out a list of some of the authors she cares about -- one for each of her years -- and wish her a happy birthday!

Here are Emily's suggestions for celebrating TAAYC Day:

"1. Write a letter or email to a favorite author. I think JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer receive plenty of fan letters. Think of an author you love that may need a little boost.
2. Write a positive review on Amazon and, if you want to, link to it in your blog.
3. Buy a book by a favorite author and give it to someone who will enjoy it.
4. Profile an author in your blog. I'm not talking just another review. Tell us a little about the author and mention at least one of his/her books that you love."

Leave a comment on Emily's blog, telling her what you did for TELL AN AUTHOR YOU CARE DAY. If you do, you will be entered into a drawing.

I took care of #1 today before I even remembered it was TAAYC Day. I just completed #2, but at Powells, and minus the link. I will, however, let the author know it is there! I'll take care of #3 this very afternoon. (Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books are ready to put in the mail to my friend's daughter Sophie.) I'll get busy on #4 after I swim. Stay tuned.

Five Things Meme -- Results Are In

The complete list of questions and surveys from the original June 25 post is here.

1. Five things I was doing ten years ago.
89% said Mary Lee. You were correct.

2. Five Snacks I Enjoy.
100% said Franki. You were correct, although it could have been A Little of Both because I like dark chocolate.

3. Five Songs I Know All the Lyrics To.
63% said A Little of Both. You were correct. The first two are all Franki and the last three are all Mary Lee.

4. Five Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire.
63% said A Little of Both. It was actually all Franki, but I definitely concur with the naps and the giving a lot away. I don't mind laundry, but I have less of it!

5. Five Bad Habits.
50% said Franki and 50% said A Little of Both. It was A Little of Both. 2 and 3 are Franki and the rest are mine.

6. Five Things I Like To Do.
67% said Mary Lee. You were right. But it could have been A Little of Both because of the reading, writing and napping.

7. Five Things I Would Never Wear Again.
67% said A Little of Both. It was actually all Franki, but I agree about the bikini. I gave that one up in junior high.

8. Five Favorite Toys.
100% Mary Lee. You're right, but Franki does love her stickie notes, too!

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

I was lucky to read and Advanced Copy of PAINT THE WIND by Pam Munoz Ryan. Ryan is one of my favorite authors and ESPERANZA RISING is one of my all-time favorite books. So, I was thrilled to read this new one.

This is the story of Maya, who has lost her parents, and now her grandmother. She goes to live with her mother's family and spends the summer at Sweetwater River learning about her mother, horses and herself.

Maya, as are all of Ryan's characters, is a strong female character. She has had lots of hard things happen in life but somehow finds a way to stay true to who she is.

This is a horse story, so it will appeal to lots of readers who love horses. Maya develops a relationship with a horse named Artemesia as she learns about horses and her mother from her Aunt Vi. Pam Munoz Ryan has included a glossary of "horse terms" as well as a note on the back of her book sharing some of her own experiences with horses.

But this book will also appeal to readers who aren't necessarily looking for a good horse story. It is a story of family, grief and of growing up. Pam Munoz Ryan continues to give us great female characters--girls who are strong, who are connected to their history and their family, and who find their own identity in rough times. I always read for character--plot is secondary to me as a reader-and Maya will stay with me for a very, very long time.

On an aside, this is a fat book with big print/spacing. So, it isn't as long as it appears. It should be perfect for middle elementary students. It seems perfect for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. I am anxious to share it with mine once school starts in the fall. It is due out in September.

A Week of Travel

"It must be so nice to be a teacher--having the summers off..."

How many times have you heard this since June?

This week, I was fortunate enough to participate in two workshops for teachers. I've been gone for a week, learning lots and seeing great people. I spent two days in Monterey, California at the Writers At Work Conference hosted by The Culham Writing Company. What a great time. If you don't know Ruth Culham (otherwise known as "The Traits Lady"), she runs an amazing 3 day conference every year. This year, I was able to hear Lisa Yee (who, by the way, is as wonderful in person as she is on her blog), Ralph Fletcher, and James Blasingame (who shared lots of great new YA titles), Many others presented but I wasn't able to hear their sessions. It was a great line up--Ruth Culham, Janet Angelillo, Lester Laminack, Bridey Monterossi, Linda Rief, Laura Robb, Charles Smith Jr., and Janice Wright--a combination of teachers, writers, children's authors, experts in children's lit and more. A great time and lots of learning!

Then I flew to Portland, Oregon for a Choice Literacy Workshop. I gave a workshop for two days on literacy in grades 3-6 and met such great people. Most of the people were from the Portland area but a few traveled far to attend the workshop and enjoy the city. There were other Choice Literacy Workshops going on by The Sisters, Jen Allen, Andie Cunningham, and Ruth Shagoury.

Both of these conferences understand how important teachers' learning is. Teachers learn lots and are thrilled with an hour for lunch! Teachers were in groups small enough for great conversations--groups where they could share and learn from each other. At both conferences, teachers talked about not knowing what to do with a full hour for lunch. We are so used to eating in 10 minutes, rushing to duty, etc. An hour lunch was a much appreciated luxury--as was the time to talk and learn with other colleagues who were thinking about literacy.

After spending four days with teachers at great institutes, I was very energized. (well, after recovering from my all night flight home!) We are all working so hard to make sure we do the best we can for our students. Teachers seem to be the target of so much criticism lately and I just don't see it. Teachers are working harder and smarter than we ever have. We understand more about how children learn and how best to create classrooms that meets the needs of ALL kids. As a profession, we seem to be losing confidence in our own decision making and we shouldn't be. I met so many amazing teachers this week and I learned a ton from them. Thinking together about student learning IN THE SUMMER.

I am tired of the world thinking that we all became teachers because we get our summers off. I admit that summer takes on a different pace but I wouldn't call it "OFF". I so treasure this time in July when I can attend workshops, read professionally, find new children's books that my students might fall in love with, and think ahead for the fall. In every city across the country, teachers are getting together attending workshops, and learning new ways to meet the needs of their students. I loved every minute of my learning this week.

Sneeze!

I just received a copy of this great new nonfiction book--SNEEZE!--from Charlesbridge Publishers. What a great book! I am pretty sure it will be a favorite in my class once school begins.

The topic alone is always interesting to kids. And the book is really informative. I learned so much that I didn't know before.

Every spread begins with a black and white photo of a child. Sometimes that child is sneezing. If not, there is definitely a potential for a sneeze in the scene(a cat, for instance). The second page in the spread uses great colorful "micrographs"--a new term for me that is explained at the end of the book. Micrographs are taken with either a scanning electronic microscope or a transmission electronic microscope. The images are magnified and very interesting to look at.

The back of the book also has some additional information on sneezes. Lots of info about sneezes and the body, told in a very kid-friendly way make this a great book to add to my nonfiction library. As I've said earlier, I am looking for nonfiction books that invite kids to read them from cover to cover. So many of the books that I have in my classroom have lots and lots of information spread out across the page. I feel like many of these books invite browsing and skimming. So, I am very excited about SNEEZE! The topic, photos, and format make it perfect for kids in middle elementary grades. And it is available in paperback!

Newbery Alert

Sharon's Newbery is picking up where Nina's Newbery (mock Newbery blog/event in Oakland) left off last year.

Poetry Friday -- An Original

The Test Scores Are In

A child is more than any one score.
And so is a teacher, too.
But when the scores surprise and please,
Loudly shout, "WOO - HOO!"

I celebrate the highest highs,
I celebrate every success.
Every score is a sign of learning;
Every score measures progress.

I know I taught, but did they learn?
The question haunts me less
Because I see the numbers there
And can measure my teaching with the tests.

A child is more than any one score.
And so is a teacher, too.
But when the scores surprise and please,
Loudly shout, "WOO - HOO!"


Round up this week is at Chicken Spaghetti.

Secret of the Sirens

Secret of the Sirens
by Julia Golding
Marshall Cavendish, 2006
review copy provided by publisher

Al Gore would love this series.

The basic premise is that mythical creatures (unicorns, pegasi, sirens, etc.) do still exist. They are protected by a group of humans who belong to the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures. These humans each show an affinity for a certain kind of animal. For example, one of the characters, Colin, has an affinity for horses. He is companion to a pegasus. The main character, Connie, seems to have an affinity for birds, and she is companion to the sirens before she knows any more than that she gets along well with animals, before she even knows about the Society and companions.

Here's where Al Gore comes in. The work of the Society, to hide and protect the few remaining mythical creatures from other humans, has become increasingly difficult as humans have overtaken and developed most of the remaining wild places in the world. And now, along the English coast where Connie lives, an oil refinery threatens the coastal rocks where the sirens live. The sirens are fed up with being pushed out of their homes, and they are retaliating by drowning refinery workers. If they keep it up, they could cause an oil tanker to wreck and foul the coast and the coastal waters. It's up to Connie to find a way to prevent that from happening.

To complicate matters, Connie learns that she is not simply a companion to birds/sirens. She is the only living Universal Companion. She is able to be companion to all species and all mythical creatures. Good thing there is a new Universal, because the ultimate evil, Kullervo, is gaining strength. In some ways he is like Connie, but when she asks, "Is he a universal companion?" this is the answer:

"Universal he may be, but companionship is far from his mind. I think he is more like a whirlpool -- or black hole -- pulling all who venture near him inexorably into his wicked schemes. Once creatures go down his road, it is nearly impossible to pull them back. They get in too deep, falling for his lies that all humans are the enemy -- the oppressor. It's tragic that while the sirens think that they are choosing freedom to act without restraint, they are in reality choosing captivity. They may believe he's serving their cause, but once he has his hooks into them, they will end up his slaves. He is only interested in them in so far as they further his goal."
"His goal?"
"The eradication of humanity."

There are all kinds of great tensions in this book. Good vs. evil, obviously. But also wilderness vs. development, humans as destroyers vs. humans as conservationists, nature vs. technology. Like I said, Al Gore would approve.

I can't wait to read the other books in the Companions Quartet: The Gorgon's Gaze and Mines of the Minotaur. Michelle at Scholars Blog doesn't like the not-so-subtle environmental message as much as I did. That just means that you'll have to read these and see what you think! Go now! You have a week before HP!