Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

ARC shared by Karen Terlecky (I'll put it back in the mail to you today, Karen!)

Scholastic, September 1, 2009

I read more than half of this book on the plane on my way home. Got so deeply involved that I refused the free soda and peanuts between St. Louis and Denver.

I have forced myself to spread the second half of the book out over the last two days because I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to begin the limbo that will remain until the third book comes out. Now that I'm there, in that limbo, I'm feeling a little like Katniss. Manipulated (betrayed?). Numb. Incredulous.

It has been fun to read the kind of book I can get lost in, here in my childhood home where I spent so many hours lost in books right there at the end of the couch where I finished CHASING FIRE.

And Collins is masterful in the way she leads you into her story and then, with turns of plot and deepenings of characters, won't let you go until the story spits you out at the end.

But now we're left with a year to think about love and loss, family and friends, rebellion and revolution. And Mockingjays.

iPhone Apps-Are We Finding Ways to Go Beyond the Traditional

Matt really helped me out by posting this video at Creating Lifelong Learners. In my quest to find great apps for the iPod Touches that we are getting, I am not finding a huge number of schools that are using them yet. This clip is packed with apps that would be useful in a classroom setting. But, I am very worried that most of the apps being marketed to schools are pretty traditional applications. They do things like allow you to record lectures, give information about presidents, help you check your knowledge with premade flashcards. When looking at ISTE NETS and P21 and NCTE Frameworks, I worry that very few of the apps I am seeing for schools really have the ability to transform education. Doesn't seem to be the creativity piece in many of the apps-made-for-school that I am finding. Instead they are just a more high-tech way to do pretty traditional things. Creation, communication, global citizenship, critical and media literacy aren't present in many of the apps.

I did find an elementary school that is doing lots with podcasting. Nova Blanche Forman Elementary School in Florida has about 180 iPods (9 carts). Their website shows that they are using them in ways that go beyond traditional teaching. Kids are actually creating podcasts connected to field trips, sharing work with parents at home, running student-led conferences, and more. Several of the projects are posted on the school's website.

I think for these technologies to make a difference, we have to think hard about students creating and communicating in new ways. Students owning the creations. Expanding our definitions of literacy to include podcasts, public service announcements, etc. The questions I am asking myself are:

How can these tools support reading and writing?

What are the new mentor "texts"-pieces for kids to study to inform their own craft as writers?

How can we use these tools in ways to help students build relationships and to work collaboratively?

Can they use these tools to solve real problems and answer their own questions?

How can they synthesize the huge amount of information?

How can they use these tools to create new information or new forms of information?

This week, I am trying to think specifically about booktalks. How can these new iPhones support deeper conversations around books? I think for this to happen, I need to find apps that students can use to track ideas throughout a book--to answer questions they have. They may find evidence of a characters' changing as they read a book. They may highlight some text that helps them think through the theme of the book. The kids in elementary school get pretty savvy about reading with depth and supporting their thinking with evidence from the text. I am wondering if they can use iPod stickynotes and notebook apps to better record their thinking so that they can share it with others. I have played with Notebook and Stickies and both have the potential for students to record, sharing and synthesizing information and then create new information based on the collaboration. I envision kids creating separate notebooks for books they are thinking about and then creating separate notes to track that thinking. One note could record lines in the text that tell something about a character. Another note could track changes in thinking--how does my thinking change about theme or big idea and why? Instead of any form we would create for them, kids could use the tool to collect the thinking they have to make the booktalk authentic.

I am also thinking about the podcast aspect in terms of booktalk. Could recording thinking for others to listen to before the group gets together in person, elevate the level of talk--knowing where people are coming from?

Could entire booktalks be done via iPods in a way that expands the amount of time kids could have to ponder the meaning of a book? Would this type of communication allow more talk and learning for kids who aren't in the same classroom and don't have day-to-day contact?

Would love to hear from anyone who has used/seen used iPods to support quality book talks.

Lisa Graff is 3 for 3!

I have to admit, I was a little bit worried when I picked up my copy of Lisa Graff's brand new UMBRELLA SUMMER at Cover to Cover this week. I LOVE Lisa Graff. I recommend THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE as a read aloud to almost everyone who asks for good middle grade read-alouds.  I love THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF BERNETTA WALLFLOWER. Bernetta is one of those characters who has stayed with me--I find her popping into my brain once in a while. So, as I was saying I was a little bit worried about this 3rd book.  Could it really be as good as her first two?  Could it meet my expectations?

Well, UMBRELLA SUMMER was a wonderful read. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! Lisa Graff has created another great middle grade novel. This book is about Annie--another character who I am sure will stay with me for a very long time.  Annie is a worrier (those of you who know me well can see instantly why I can so easily relate to Annie as I am quite a worrier too:-) But Annie has only been a worrier since her older brother's sudden death a few months earlier.  She is pretty sure that if she is careful, she can avoid lots of really bad things.  

This is the story of grief and friendship and all of the the things that go along with that.  As Annie continues to worry, she meets a neighbor who helps her through her sadness.  She also discovers that sometimes a good book can help you make sense of things. It was difficult not to cry while reading this book. Possible, but pretty difficult.

For a third time, Lisa Graff has created great characters, a story with great themes and lots to think about.  She seems to nail 10-11 year old kids and their issues.  She definitely knows what a great age those middle level kids are--so smart and so amazing.  She captures the age well again with Annie.  This is more than a story about death and grief, although it captures those well. 

I would definitely read this book aloud to 3rd, 4th, 5th graders.  I love the title and think that kids could have great conversations talking about the title and theme because of it.  It is very accessible to this age reader.  The 3rd graders at our school LOVED The Thing About Georgie so they will be thrilled to see this new book by one of their favorite authors! (I will have to buy another copy for the library because I am keeping this one for myself!)

So, I am already anxiously awaiting Lisa Graff's next book. I am amazed that she has written 3 perfect books in 3 years. Not to put any pressure on her, but I am hoping she continues to write at least a book a year.  

Did I mention that I LOVE the cover???

Mem Fox and Steve Jenkins Collaborate on Great New Book

I was so happy to see two of my very favorite people --Mem Fox and Steve Jenkins--collaborate on the new book HELLO BABY. This is my new favorite baby gift book as many of Mem Fox's books are. The book starts out with the words, "Hello, baby! Who are you?" It then goes on to ask, "Are you a monkey with clever toes? Perhaps you're a porcupine, twitching its nose" With the rhyme and rhythm that Mem Fox pulls off so well, the book suggests many animal possibilities. The ending is quite precious.

The pages are white and Steve Jenkins large illustrations of each animal take up most of the page. The text is recognizable as Mem Fox's and the art is recognizable as Steve Jenkins'. Together, the two create a fun happy celebration of babies. I couldn't be happier that these two great people collaborated on this book!

LUNCH LADY--A New Graphic Novel Series Coming Soon

Graphic novels have become so popular with kids that I am trying to read more of them as they are published. I received an advanced copy of Jarrett Krosoczka's LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE last week and think that it will be quite the hit with kids.

Two Lunch Lady books will be available this summer with another due out in December.  There is lots to like about this new series. First of all, the concept is hilarious.  Lunch Lady by day, Superhero  when work is finished.  The Lunch Lady uses great gadgets that made me laugh--Fish Stick Nunchucks, a giant hairnet and more. And the Lunch Lady uses lots of food words throughout the book.

The books are done completely in yellows, blacks and whites.  A small, square book--similar in size and shape to the Babymouse series.  A very recognizable format.

I find that younger readers are loving graphic novels these days and there just aren't many  of them available that are appropriate for those readers.  This series has the humor that 2nd and 3rd graders will love and the format is easy enough to follow for younger readers.

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Wendy Lamb Books, July 2009

review copy provided by Educating Alice's ARC give-away contest (a million thanks to the "judges" in the contest for picking my entry!!!)

I've only read this book once so far. When I finished it, I immediately went back to the beginning and started rereading. Then I looked again at all the chapter titles. Then I studied the Peter Sis-esque cover and noticed all the hidden clues to parts of the story. I'll probably need to reread A Wrinkle In Time after I finish When You Reach Me for the second time. (A Wrinkle In Time was my favorite book when I was the age of Stead's main character, Miranda. I'm jealous that she got a signed first edition for Christmas in the book.)

All I'm going to tell you about this book is that you'll be reading it. I'm not going to spoil a single bit of the story for you. Let me know when you're finished so we can talk.

Here are some reviews, but if you read them, you run the risk of spoilers, so don't say I didn't warn you:

Educating Alice

100 Scope Notes

ACPL Mock Newbery

Fuse #8

Becky's Book Reviews

Saline, Michigan and some new iPhone Apps!

Well, the last 2 days were a great reminder of why I do what I do. I think those of us who do any kind of writing or presenting do it because it energizes us.  And the last two days in Saline, Michigan were definitely a reminder of that.  I was lucky to be presenting with an amazing group of women including Debbie Miller, Ann Marie Corgill, Kathy Collins, Cathy Mere and Mary Lee Hahn.  We also met some great teachers from Saline and other area schools as well as those attending all the way from Colorado. It is amazing that when people get together who believe the same things about children and literacy, the energy is contagious.  So much learning occurred at the conference and in conversations with each other.  

I had my antennae up for great new iPhone apps that I might want to try.  And because I wanted to learn how to use my new Flip Video camera and the new version of iMovie, my friends were great sports by demonstrating favorite apps while I videotaped them. (We are thinking that Apple may want to hire us to do their commercials from now on. See what you think...)

Debbie Miller shared her new favorite iPhone app, a musical instrument on the iPhone--Ocarina.  In the spirit of 21st Century Learning, the sharing definitely became social as others wanted to try.  Quite a fun app and, as you can see, we had fun learning about it.  Ann Marie Corgill learns the app from Debbie.  I imagine we have all downloaded it after getting home since Debbie sold it so well.  You may want to try it too.  

I also learned my new favorite app--Notebook. I was sitting in the audience, listening to Cathy Mere's inspiring keynote, watching Ann Marie write furiously in her notebook. I wanted to write down so much of what I was thinking because of Cathy's talk but my notes app was not really what I wanted. So in the first few minutes of the keynote, I figured there must be a better app. I searched the Apps store, found a great new app called Notebook, purchased it, learned to use it, took notes on Cathy's talk, showed it to Ann Marie who also purchased and used it. Don't you love that?  Finding what you need and being able to use it immediately.  I must say that that this is a great new app. So useful. It allows me to create new notebooks for different things--conference notes, my writing, books I want to read, etc. Within each of the notebooks, I can create notes and reorganize as needed. I can also search my notebooks.  It is such a great tool for keeping notes and things in a more organized way than other notes programs I've seen. I can see lots of implications of this for kids but right now am excited about using the app myself.

Other exciting things include Jenny's new blog. Jenny made us feel so welcome.  We know you'll love her new blog, Literacy Conversations.

Also, rumor has it that Cathy Mere may have a new avatar on Twitter soon!

Saline, MI Literacy Conference

The organizers of C.L.A.S.S.--

Conference on Literacy And

Student Success.

The Colorado Ladies.

The Presenter Posse is

happy to have Starbucks.

"I have to do a keynote in

five minutes?!?!?!"

All together.

All together. All together.

Saying goodbyes.

Great conference!

Poetry Friday -- Summer Solstice

Watermelon by rawallison

Night in Day
by Joseph Stroud

The night never wants to end, to give itself over
to light. So it traps itself in things: obsidian, crows.
Even on summer solstice, the day of light's great
triumph, where fields of sunflowers guzzle in the sun--
we break open the watermelon and spit out
black seeds, bits of night glistening on the grass.

I found this poem at American Life in Poetry: Column 220.

We're still not quite to the Summer Solstice (closer than last week) but there's something about the light this year, the lengthening of the days, the amazement that 9:00 pm can feel like 7:00 pm (and if it were cold, it could be 5:00 pm!!) that has grabbed me and made me pay attention.

The round up this week is at Critique de Mr. Chompchomp.

iPhone App-a-Day All Summer

My iPhone App-A-Day mission is going well so far. My first app--100 Sounds has been quite a hit with friends. I think it could be a great app for kids to use when developing videos--so many sound effects at your fingertips. Thanks to Tod Bernhard, the developer of the app, I was able to see some of the apps used in videos. My favorites are the cartoons and stick figure animation. Great ones to show kids when sharing the possibilities. I am thinking that I have to learn lots of apps and then live with the idea and think about the possibilities as the summer goes on. This week I've found more great apps.

APP #2 of my App-A-Day learning. Today, I learned Sketches, a pretty simple draw program.  I spent a little bit of time learning the tools and reading the FAQs on the site. I figured most of it out.  My 9 year old learned it a bit faster than I did and produced a much better drawing. This program gives you the capability to save up to 30 drawings, to send them via email and to tweet them out on twitter.  It also can create a type of slide show.

Not sure yet how I might use this with kids. I am hoping that some need arises where I need to sketch something out this summer. So many times, I am in a conversation with someone and a sketch explains my thinking.  Instead of paper and pencil, I can just pull out my phone to sketch my thinking.  I can see kids doing similar things with their thinking--another tool to help them hold on to some of their thinking. Much quicker than a draw program on the computer if you are just saving thinking rather than creating a product. I can see a quick sketch to solve a math problem, etc.

APP #3 was a Sunday and I decided to choose something quick and easy to learn. And something that was marketed for education and younger children. I tried WHEELS ON THE BUS which is a great song/reading app for young kids. Last week, I was looking at our very old cassette players with headphones. I believe strongly in the use of audiotapes to go along with text for new readers. I see the impact they make on language and literacy development. But CDs, playaways, etc. are pretty expensive. This new app is simple and fun. A colorful version of WHEELS ON THE BUS with some interactive things that kids can do. My daughter and i had fun opening the doors, swishing the wipers, etc. Kids have control of when to go to the next frame, how long to listen to one page, etc. I am hoping to find more apps like this. A great way for kids to read and listen to text on the iPod touch.

APP #4 Kerry at whatchareading recommended Indiebound, an application that shares new books and has great booklists from Indie Booksellers. A great way to keep up with new books on my iphone. There are several monthly lists that share top 10 books.  I can see how this will come in handy as I keep up with new books. 

APP #5 I bought CameraBag this week. It is a simple app that lets you alter photos on your iPhone/iTouch. You pull up the picture and then have lots of options to change it visually--infared, instant, fisheye, 1962 and more. There are some other things you can do with photos using the apps too. I think with a focus on visual literacy and media literacy, this will be an easy way for kids to alter photos for any type of presentation they are doing--just enough to change the feel of the presentation.

I am finding that the apps are not hard to learn at all. That seems to be the easy part. What I am finding is that there are so many apps out there, that the research and decision-making is what is taking most of my time. So many great apps, so many versions of similar apps, so many possibilities. I am learning a lot just from searching.  

I think I am going to focus on some apps that might support booktalks and conversation next week. Look at a few of the apps that might work to help kids hold their thinking.  Right now, I am starting to think about tools that might be out there that would support deeper thinking and encourage creativity and authentic communication. Time to focus a bit on the apps I am learning.

Hodge-Podge Books in Albany, NY Closing

When I visit new cities, I always try to find a great independent bookstore to visit. I am extra happy when I find an independent children's bookseller. I know we are lucky, lucky, lucky in Columbus to have Cover to Cover and its owner Sally Oddi right here. I think there are so many people who know and love children's books because of Sally.

When we were in Albany, New York last year, we had the chance to visit Hodge-Podge Books and to meet Frank Hodge. In our short visit with him, we all left with great new books that he shared with us. His knowledge of children's book and his ability to instill a love of children's book in others is phenomenal.

I was sad to hear that his great children's bookstore would be closing on June 30. I am glad that the Albany newspaper is celebrating the store and Hodge's work today.

I hope that all cities with great children's bookstores and owners like Frank Hodge and Sally Oddi realize that these stores are not the norm--that we are very lucky to have these resources. We sometimes take it for granted.

I am glad I had the chance to visit Hodge-Podge Books and to hear about books from Frank Hodge when I visited last year. Even though I only visited once, I am sad to see it close.

New Books From My Shopping Spree

I picked up several new picture books on my shopping spree on Saturday. I thought I'd share a few today.


I am excited to add LOOK AT THE STARS by Buzz Aldrin to my collection. I am kind of hooked on the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11. This is a great way to celebrate the flight. Astonaut, Buzz Aldrin starts with an introduction inviting readers to look at the history of flight. On each 2 page spread of the book, Aldrin looks at one piece of the timeline that led us to space travel and looks ahead to where we might go next. He highlights important times in the history of flight and space travel and gives interesting information with each. The book is definitely one that kids can read and follow. The end of the book includes an extensive timeline of important dates including events from the year 1543 through 2010. An exciting celebration of the discoveries that led us to current missions in space. An added bonus in this book are the end papers--they are filled with great quotes about flight by those who are known for their contributions. A great book!

I loved WHAT SHOULD I MAKE by Nandini Nayar the minute I picked it up. It is a simple story of a little boy, Neerah, who is"helping' his mother make chapatis (Indian flat bread). As she is making the dough, she gives Neerah a ball of dough to play with. He makes many things and uses his imagination about what the animals he created may do. The story is a simple one--fun between a mother and child while baking. The back of the book, there are directions for Making Chapitas. I could see lots of options for this book. I initially picked it up because I am looking for good "How-To" books to add to the library collection and the pages provide some good samples of simple "how-to" writing that kids could learn from and use in their own writing.


Bill at Literate Lives suggested GONE WITH THE WAND by Margie Palatini and I so glad I listened to him and ordered it immediately. I love a good fairy tale and I love fairy godmothers. (The ones in Sleeping Beauty are my favorites.) This is the story of a fairy godmother who has lost her magic. Her friend works hard to help her find a new way to use her magic but nothing seems to be the right fit. The story is a fun one and the illustrations make the fairies in the book quite a hit. The fairies definitely have personality and the illustrations really add to the characters.

48 Hour Read Challenge Summary

Well, I can never fully participate in Mother Reader's 48 Hour Read Challenge although it is one of my favorite "holidays" of the year. It usually falls just after our last day of school and is a great way to make sure to start the summer with lots of reading.

This year, we had our annual Central Ohio Blogger Breakfast followed by a rather expensive trip to Cover to Cover bookstore. Sally and the staff were gracious as always and we left with great books. I didn't get much reading in on Saturday except for catching up on blogs and twitter. But I spent a good part of Sunday reading. About 4 hours. It occurred to me that I had forgotten to tell my family that I would be participating in the 48 Hour Read. I thought it was clear that I would do nothing but read but they didn't realize it for a few hours. There were a few of us who were dying to read CATCHING FIRE so I finished that up last night.

And, I donated $2 per book from Cover to Cover to Mary Lee's Fish-A-Thon even to support Casting for Recovery. As a group, we raised over $200. I loved this new addition to Mother Reader's event.
All in all a great weekend, even though I did only have a few hours to read. I felt like it was a weekend filled with books and even though I couldn't participate fully, I did feel like it was a great reading weekend!

While You Were Shopping and Reading...

The first ever (first annual?) Ohio Casting For Recovery Fish-a-Thon took place Saturday, June 6 at the VOA Park near Cincinnati.

Melissa (pictured here) and I were the Past Participants team. She attended the 2008 retreat, and I attended in 2005.



Each of the 9 teams had balloons on a stake so they could be spotted around the lake, and a clipboard and a measuring tape to record catches.

Our clipboard didn't get much use, but we had a blast working on our casting, watching the ducks and ducklings,  and pretending we could land the 24" monster fish we could see but who could not be interested in our flies no matter how well we placed them. 

Here we are, measuring one of our five catches for the day. Yeah, I know. You're saying, "What fish?" 

That's why we took this picture so you could see the cute little bluegill that was silly enough to think my fly was real food!

So, we only caught 5 fish between the two of us in three hours of fishing, but if you divide our pledges by our fish, each of those fish was worth more than $200. 

That's right, together Melissa and I raised over $1000 in pledges for Ohio's Casting for Recovery program. The folks who supported us paid for one breast cancer survivor of "any age, any stage" to experience a Casting for Recovery weekend. One more survivor will come to Indian Bear Lodge alone and leave with a new group of friends who are fellow survivors. One more lady will experience the unique blend of a weekend of pampering, connecting with others, and learning fly fishing.

We were both diagnosed with breast cancer when we were relatively young, so we certainly appreciate all of the money that is raised for breast cancer research and education about early detection. But we are also both survivors, and we understand the need for programs like CFR that address the needs of those who have already had breast cancer.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored us, and an extra big shout-out to the Central Ohio Kidlitosphere Bloggers who supported us with their unique "bucks for books bought" pledges.

EDITED TO ADD...if I'm totaling correctly, you all raised $234 for CFR!!!!

PICTURE BOOKS DEALING WITH ADOPTION

I am always looking for new books that deal with issues of adoption. I picked up Darlene Friedman's STAR OF THE WEEK: A STORY OF LOVE, ADOPTION, AND BROWNIES WITH SPRINKLES. This is the story of Cassidy-Li. As part of being "Star of the Week", Cassidy-Li has to create a poster telling about herself. She adds many things to her poster--including the photo in China when her parents adopted her, she and her cousin at the beach, playing soccer and more. But, she realizes that the one thing that is missing is a picture of her birthparents. I am not a huge fan of "Star of the Week" routines, but I liked this book because it is one of the few that deals with issues adopted children face when doing some of the assigned school projects that are pretty typical. So many classrooms ask students to share baby pictures, create timelines and to make family trees. All of these things, along bring up some unique issues for children who are adopted. This book seems like a good one to start conversations about those issues and how to deal with them in a way that makes sense and respects privacy. Although my 9 year old is a little bit older than the anticipated audience for this book, I am glad to add this one to our shelf at home. It seems like a good one to have on hand to revisit when difficult school projects come up.

I also picked up a copy of TEN DAYS AND NINE NIGHTS, an adoption story by Yumi Heo. I reviewed it here earlier before it was released. It is now available.

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

Although I can't manage the entire 48 Hour Read event, I did take advantage of the event to get read lots. I have been reading most of the day and just finished CATCHING FIRE, the upcoming sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. "WHOA" as Mother Reader said about the book earlier today. I have not heard one bad thing from anyone who has read THE HUNGER GAMES. An amazing book that is engaging and disturbing. This new book is due out in September and it is as good, if not better than the first. Characters are big for me and I love these characters. The plot is brilliant and I am not sure how Collins does it. I don't want to give anything away but this book 2 is no disappointment. Well worth preordering it today. The only thing I am wondering is how I will ever make it until the final book in the trilogy is available. Loved the book. Not a book for an elementary school library but a great first read of summer.

If you have not read THE HUNGER GAMES, I would put it on the top of your pile for this summer. And then run out and get CATCHING FIRE as soon as you can!

Shopping For a Good Cause and the 48 Hour Read

In Central Ohio, we might have to rename Mother Reader's 48 Hour Read as the 48 Hour Shop. We have definitely made it a tradition to shop for books a lot on this reading weekend! Today, the Central Ohio Bloggers met at our favorite breakfast spot, Northstar Cafe. We ate and chatted. Then we headed over to our favorite children's bookstore, Cover to Cover. Since Mary Lee couldn't join us, due to her Fish-A-Thon, we made some donations based on books we left the store with. We missed Mary Lee today--it wasn't the same without her. But we are pretty sure that our books outnumbered her fish.

Sally, the owner, was nice enough to share several ARCs---they were set up on a table in the back. We tried to be kind but there was definitely some stress over some of the more anticipated titles. We all left with great ARCs and promise to share them with each other as we finish. We also each purchased several books. It was definitely a great way to start the 28 hour read.

Megan of Read, Read, Read was not able to join us today. Instead, she decided to pledge $1 for EVERY book that we walked out of the store with. Together. All of us. Now, Megan has shopped with us before, so I think she knew it would be a pretty hefty pledge. I took photos as we left and we tallied our books (both arcs and purchased books counted.) Cover to Cover was having a 20% off sale which made it even more worthwhile to buy lots.

Bill of Literate Lives left with 14 books.

Julie of Raising Readers and Writers left with 28 books.

I left with 16 books.

Karen S. of Talkworthy left with 15 books.

Katie of Creative Literacy left with 16 books.

Karen of Literate Lives left with 21 books.

Mandy of Enjoy and Embrace Learning left with 30 books.

So, the Central Ohio Bloggers have added 140 books to our collections and lots of money to Mary Lee's Fish-a-thon for Casting for Recovery.

We will be reviewing as we read.

A great way to start summer vacation!

An iPhone App-a-Day All Summer

Our school received a district grant and will be receiving 25 new iPod Touches this fall. So many possibilities for our students. So, I decided that my summer goal is to learn 50 new iPhone apps before school starts in the fall. That means about 1 per day if I take Sundays off. Over the course of the summer, I will share these applications. I figure that the more applications I find that are useful for me, the more possibilities I will have for students. I am looking for good, authentic applications. I'm thinking this is a good use of my summer--learning as much as I can and find ways that I authentically use apps and then figuring out what that means for kids. Just having the experience of researching apps, trying them out, thinking of ways to use them, etc. will be a great learning experience. I'll be blogging to share the new apps I find. (After today, I'll clump several together each week but since today is my kick-off of this summer fun, I thought I'd give my first app its own post:-)

Since it is officially the first evening of summer, I decided to try a "just for fun" application. Nothing too difficult for my first app. I was looking hard at "More Cowbell" and was ready to buy that but then I came across "100 Sounds". Yesterday, we had a clapout for our 5th graders on their last day. I was thinking it migh have been fun to have a loud sounding bell or whistle. So, I thought a sound application might come in handy someday.

I chose 100Sounds, downloaded it and played a bit. This app gives me 100 Sounds to use. Quick sounds such as an evil laugh, a burp, a trumpet, a gavel, a guitar and more. Many more. It was fun to listen to many of them and I imagine I will be driving people crazy with the new sounds I discover. You can have the sounds play once or loop and play over and over and over again.

I didn't download this because I thought it might be good for school. I just thought it sounded fun. But as I was playing, I realized that it could be great for kids who are creating slideshows, podcasts, videos, etc. A great, easy way to get a variety of sound effects. I imagine the kids will drive me nuts as they have as much fun with these new sounds as I do, but when the novelty wears off, this could be a great application for students to use in their own creations. It was well worth the 99cents!

If you have any great app recommendations, I am very open to suggestions!

Poetry Friday -- Change of Seasons

BED IN SUMMER
by Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

We're not quite to the summer solstice, but that change of seasons between the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break is here, and it has the same powerful and elemental feeling to a person who has not been on any other calendar since before she was 6 years old.

I started taking pictures out my classroom window last winter when I started Project 365 on Flickr. It was a challenge to get enough pictures in the early months because I drove to school in the dark and drove home in the dark. Now there's an abundance of light at both ends of my day, just like in the poem. 

Happy Summer to you, whether that simply means a change of the natural seasons, or a change from school to not-school!

Sara Lewis Holmes has the round up today at Read Write Believe.

Last Day of School

Faithful readers of A Year of Reading, thank you for your patience. 

Report cards and final assessments are finished. 

The library is inventoried and tidied. 

The bloggers are weary and ready for summer.

Books are stacked on the to-read pile.

Summer projects await us, and we are eager to get to them.

We'll be back next week.

May Mosaic

This was a fun month for picture taking! Green is definitely the predominant hue, but there are bright splashes of color from Cinco de Mayo, blooming flowers and shrubs and the rug hanging on the wall in our new favorite Turkish restaurant. 

(Can you see the ant on the peony bloom?) 

The view from my classroom window this month was foggy. 

Yes, that's a man with a saddle on his head. He's on his way to the Reinersville, OH Trader Days and Flea Market. (We were not. We were stuck in traffic driving past.)

The cups are from our science experiment on the oxidization of pennies (a chemical reaction). The vinegar and water have evaporated (a physical reaction), allowing the salt to re-crystalize (another physical reaction).

These photos are part of Project 365 (my own version) on Flicker. My entire Flickr photostream is here. The rest of my mosaics are here.

Focusing on my own visual literacy is one way I'm thinking about 21st Century Literacies.

Poetry Friday -- Cecropia

The Mouthless Moth
by X.J. Kennedy

Who'd be a male
Cecropia moth?
Short-lived and frail,
He's got no mouth.
One hour till he flies---
No time to sup
Before Death cries,
"Your number's up!"


(the rest of the poem is here -- scroll down to the fourth poem)

The round up this week is at Live. Love. Explore!

Why Going to Overnight Camp With Urban Fourth Graders is Worth It

1. One group learned that it is more rewarding to watch a turtle make its way to the pond rather than poking it with a stick.

2. Many of them fished for the first time in their life, and some of them caught fish for the first time in their life. One of them even caught her arm with a fishhook (which was our first serious camping accident ever and WE learned that all the paperwork we require pays off when you have to take someone else's child to the hospital). 

3. A big group of early risers found out that messing around at the pond before breakfast is at least as much, and possibly more fun than heading straight for the couch and the TV cartoons.

4. All that worrying about the dance melted away as fast as the Popsicles we had afterwards when they saw that the Virginia Reel was no more than an organized game of tag set to music.

5. It's just as much fun to yell-sing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot in the gym at camp while dancing the Virginia Reel as it is to sing it beautifully on the risers in your good clothes in front of your parents for the fourth grade concert.

6. They get to play dodge ball in a big open field with soft balls that don't really hurt...with the parents and teachers. There should be far more opportunities for kids and adults to just play together.

7. On the second day, everybody either has bad hair or is wearing their hat (even at meals).

8. Simon Says. The guy at camp who runs the Simon Says games after meals is brilliant. Brilliant, I say. If we played Simon Says every day for a year, would my students' overall listening skills improve, or would they still only be able to focus that well for the game? I wonder...

9. My cabin of girls went outside and looked at the stars before we went to bed. We saw one of the dippers (who cares which one) and picked out the star we wanted to be the North Star and made up a few constellations of our own.

10. We teachers learned (yet again) to never make assumptions. One of our Muslim boys disappeared between dodge ball and the dance. (Where could he be? How dare he run off by himself?) He was found in short order...in the boys' bath house, saying his evening prayers. Now we know that besides making accommodations and plans for food restrictions, medications, and health issues, we need to pay more attention to our students' religious needs. And probably not just at camp...

So why is going to overnight camp with urban fourth graders worth it? 

EVERYBODY learns!

MOTHER READER'S 48 HOUR BOOK CHALLENGE

Even though I can never fully participate, I LOVE Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge. I love the whole idea of it and look forward to it every year.  48 hours dedicated to reading. I am always fascinated by how much people read when they have the time to do it! This has become quite the exciting annual event. And perfect timing too--a great time to kick off summer reading!

This year, I'll be able to participate a bit.  Our last day of school is Friday, June 5 so I think I'll probably start reading that night between graduation parties.  

Then on Saturday, the Columbus Kidlit bloggers plan to get together for breakfast and book shopping at Cover to Cover to kick of the event.  (Thanks to Karen at Literate Lives for organizing us.)  This, along with breakfast, has become a tradition for us whenever big blog events are happening.  It gives us a great excuse to meet and talk books and life in person--over great food and coffee.  It is our way to celebrate the Kidlitosphere together.

This year, Mother Readers has made a few changes/additions this year. One component caught my attention.   Mother Readers says:

"There are three changes to the challenge this year. The first I have already mentioned, and that is connecting your personal readathon to a Greater Good. I plan to donate $1 per hour to the fund for Bridget Zinn and welcome others to sponsor me. You can contribute to this cause as well, or to something else that moves you. You can base it on sponsors, comments, or something else entirely. You can also choose not to participate in this aspect of the 48 Hour Book Challenge, but I heard from lots of people last year who wanted this option and I like the concept."

Mary Lee already posted that she will not be able to attend this year's Blog Event due to her participation in a FISH-A-THON.  She will be raising money for a cause that is important to her--Casting for Recovery, a nonprofit organizaiton that offers no-cost retreats for breast cancer survivors.  

The bloggers thought it would be a great idea to support Mary Lee while participating in the new component of Mother Reader's Challenge. Mother Reader suggests a certain amount of money per hour read. Since I am not sure how much I will be reading,  I am going to donate $2 per book that I leave Cover to Cover with on June 6--this includes books I purchase as well as ARCs that I leave with, and books that I borrow from friends.  (For anyone who has seen the size bags I leave that store with, connecting my donation to shopping makes more sense than donating based on my reading..) I think many of the other local bloggers are joining in to support Mary Lee in this book-related way during the 48-Hour Read.  

So, I'll keep you posted on my reading.  I don't think I'll finish a ton, but I will definitely make time to read that weekend. That is what I love about the event--even if you can't participate in the challenge, you can participate in the reading as much as possible. A great way to begin the summer!

Sign-Up Sunday

Registered for NCTE in Philly and got the hotel room locked in.



Tried and tried and TRIED to find a way to participate in Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge, but it's just not going to happen this year. June 5 is our (teachers') last day of school, June 6 I'm fishing in a charity fish-a-thon for Casting for Recovery (Ohio), and June 7 I'm going to be busting to get two PowerPoints ready for a conference in Michigan June 11-12. I'll do my best to get around and comment on your posts and cheer you on.





I've got the Kidlitosphere Conference on my calendar (October 16-18) and I'll sign up and get the hotel room as soon as more details become available.


Got IRA on my calendar for 2010. Looks like I'll miss one day of state testing. Hoping that won't be a problem...

Last I knew, IRA was going to be in LA in 2010. I was tickled pink to learn that it will be in Chicago instead. My savings account breathed a sigh of relief.

GETTING TO KNOW MO WILLEMS

I just received and watched my new DVD--GETTING TO KNOW MO WILLEMS! It is soooo good and it made me happy. I can't wait to share it with my kids next week. Here is what I am thinking--23 minutes of a DVD and then 22 minutes of reading and rereading all of our favorite Mo Willems books. Since next week is our last week of library and the kids are no longer checking out, I thought we would just continue our yearlong celebrations of Mo Willems' books.  It will be fun to revisit all of the characters and stories together.

Over the year, we have read several of Mo's books in the library. We created Pigeon hats during our Read Across America Celebration. George from the Dublin Library shared Elephant and Piggie books with us. We have great fun on the website Pigeon Presents. (If you visit this site, I would highly recommend the Elephant and Piggie Dance Game and Hot Dog Dress-Up!)  Our art teacher created a great project with 1st graders called "The Pigeon Goes on a Field Trip.   I even dressed up as the Pigeon for Halloween.  

I had a second grade boy come up to me last week and say, "Well, I finally like reading.  I never did before."  I smiled and asked him what changed his mind about it--how did he come to love reading.  He said, "The Pigeon."  That was all he needed to say. I imagine these characters do this for lots of kids.

The new DVD is a great one. I am always impressed with the work of Weston Woods but I was curious about this one--a type of documentary about Mo Willems. Would it be appealing to kids? Well, after watching it, I am sure the kids will love it.

The DVD includes several clips of Mo working with children--reading to them, talking to them, etc. It is nice to see the interactions he has with children and to see their responses to him. It is also fun to hear him read a few lines from some of his books.

Mo (I feel as if we are on a first name basis after watching the video...)  also gives us some insights into his books.  How they came to be, his work on them, etc.  

A special treat--the DVD includes a few words from the Pigeon. He is quite the character and has quite a bit to add to the DVD. Kids will totally love this part.

I have loved Mo Willems' work since I first discovered his books. And I have never been disappointed with a book--he continues to amaze and amuse me.  Every book is pretty brilliant. But, hearing what he had to say about his characters made me really see that his understanding of kids goes far beyond just being able to write stories. On the DVD, he says that his only personal requirement when he creates a new character is that it needs to be a character that a typical 5 year old can draw. He believes strongly in the idea of kids creating new stories about characters they love and then creating their own characters.  He also said being able to draw a character builds empathy--you need to understand the character in order to draw it. I had never thought of that.  Makes so much sense.  Like I said, the guy is brilliant.

I am excited to share the DVD with the kids next week. The documentary is well done.  There is a good variety of fun, of information and of our favorite characters and books.  In the 23 minutes, there are lots of short segments so I am sure this will keep the kids engaged.  And it is one I can easily watch (happily) 12 times this week! 

Rhyming Stories

Billy & Milly Short & Silly
by Eve Feldman
illustrated by Tuesday Mourning
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009
review copy provided by the publisher

There are 13 short stories in this picture book, and when I say short, I mean SHORT -- each is only 3-4 words long. Each story rhymes. And each story depends on the pictures. For example: "Bike Spike Hike". This is the story of Billy, setting off on a bike ride. He hits a spike, gets a flat tire, and winds up having to hike rather than bike.

In the story, "Dream Beam Scream!", Milly is walking along the back of the sofa, then along a balance beam. The story ends with her jumping for joy as she holds the first place trophy. My students pointed out that the end of the story would be totally different if, in the final picture, Milly had fallen off the beam and she was screaming with sadness at losing. The stories depend on the pictures!

Because of the rhymes, these are great stories for making predictions. I also think this would make a fabulous mentor text for students who want to play around with rhyme, but who have a hard time making rhyming poems that make sense. Maybe rhyming stories would be just the ticket!

Here's my favorite story. It's about a dragon that gets a little out of control, feels remorse, and allows Milly to ride on his back while he flies: "Flame Blame Shame Tame".

Poetry Friday

TEACHER
by Tracy Vaughn Zimmer
from STEADY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT WORK

Everyone knows
the teacher's tasks:
creating bulletin-board displays
writing challenging tests
preparing perfect lessons
instructing, demonstrating, explaining.

But not everyone knows
the teacher's secret torments:
a lesson that knotted understanding
a bright kid who refuses to be inspired
flames of words thrown in frustration --

all heavier
to haul home
than the papers, projects, and lessons
bulging out of her bag.


I dedicate this poem to all the teachers who are finishing up the school year, completing final assessments, recording data, working on report cards, and going to camp (that would be me and my team yesterday and today). Thank you to Tracy Vaughn Zimmer who got our job right in her poem.

The Poetry Friday Round Up today is at Susan Writes.

How Weird Is It?

How Weird Is It?
by Ben Hillman
Scholastic, 2009

Your students know and love Hillman's other three books (How Big Is It?, How Strong Is It?, and How Fast Is It?), right? Well, then, you're going to have to have this newest book in the series!

How else will you know about weirdnesses like Sleepy Bacteria, Odd Eats, Bird Magnets and Superdense Space Stuff?

Genghis Khan and Rumi

Genghis Khan
by Demi
Mashall Cavendish Classics, 2009
(first published as Chingis Khan in 1991 by Henry Holt and Co.)
review copy provided by the publisher






Rumi: Whirling Dervish
by Demi
Marshall Cavendish, 2009
review copy provided by the publisher

First of all, these two books are classic Demi -- beautiful rich colors, detailed pictures, plenty of gold.

The similarities pretty much end there. Genghis Khan is the story of "the greatest conqueror of all time," a military genius, a heavyweight thug. Rumi is the story of "the greatest mystical poet who ever lived," a simple man, a lover of learning who saw God in everyone and everything.

The stories of these two great men intersected in the early 1200's. Rumi's first home was in Afghanistan, but his family was forced to flee to Turkey when Genghis Khan and his Mongol army were conquering their homeland.

Rumi's story tells of his meeting with a great teacher, Shamsuddin, and the three years he spent learning from him. One day after Shams disappeared, Rumi began twirling around and he didn't stop for 36 hours. Those who perform this dance are now known as whirling dervishes.

Genghis Khan had an amazing childhood. Before he could walk, he was strapped onto a horse and taught to ride. When he was four, he practiced archery while riding horses at top speed. At 5, he was responsible for herding large numbers of camel and goats. When he was 6, he took part in the yearly hunt. At 9, his father died and he became the leader of the Yakka Mongols. He went on to become the "supreme master of the largest empire ever created in the lifetime of one man."

What a fabulous pair of books to compare and contrast two of the greatest men of the 11th Century! They just about couldn't be more different, and yet both live on in the stories of their lives.

Bird, Butterfly, Eel

Bird, Butterfly, Eel
story and illustrations by James Prosek
Simon and Schuster, 2009

I knew that birds and butterflies migrated, but I had no idea, until I read this book, that eels do, too.

The story begins in the summer, when bird is raising a nest of babies and butterflies eggs are turning to caterpillars, cocoons and new butterflies. The eel has been in the pond for many years and is eating and storing energy for her upcoming journey.

The bird flies to Argentina for the winter, the butterfly flies to Mexico, and the eel swims out of the pond into the creek and then the ocean and eventually to the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda. The barn cat, who is in all the pictures at the beginning of the book when the animals are being introduced in their habitats near the farm (pond, meadow and barn), lays at the window watching it snow.

Spring comes, and bird, butterfly and eel's babies return to the farm.

One of the best things about this book are the illustrations. For most of the book, when Prosek is telling about their differences, each animal gets its own page. But three times during the book (fall, winter and spring), when the animals are similar in their readiness to migrate, in their winter homes, and upon return to the farm, the page is split horizontally into three sections and the animals are shown together. The only illustration I would quibble with is the map that shows where each animal goes for the winter. Instead of doing separate illustrations of the continents (main idea) and the location of the pond (detail), Prosek stretched the northeastern United States, shrank South America, and made it one illustration. Artistic license, I guess. The rest of the book is so beautiful that it can be forgiven.

This is a book that could be included in a study of migrating animals, habitats, Colonial America (didn't they eat lots of eels? didn't you ever wonder about the life cycle of the eel?), similarities and differences, nonfiction with a circular text structure, or just because it's beautiful!