New Nonfiction

Cover to Cover sold books at The Literacy Connection workshop this weekend. I picked up quite a few books and the ones I am most excited about are some of the new nonfiction titles.

THE HIVE DETECTIVES: CHRONICLE OF A HONEY BEE CATASTROPHE by Loree Griffin Burns
I have not had a chance to read this whole book yet but have read quite a bit of it. I intend to read it cover to cover soon. This book fascinates me. The science of the recent bee disappearance is so stunning and the way that the author makes this story accessible to kids is amazing to me. The book is a longer nonfiction book--about 65 pages. There are gorgeous photos throughout (done by Ellen Harasimowicz). And I am amazed at how much information is included in the book.

The book begins with the work of a bee keeper. Early on in the book readers learn much about the bee community in general and then quickly moves onto the 2006 event. Dave Hackenberg's story of finding hundreds of totally empty hives begins the story. The book goes on to share the dilemma faced by bee scientists in seeing something they had never seen before. Theories of what could have happened and the ways the scientists tried to discover the root of the problem is an amazing story.

Included in the book are profiles of bee scientists,the process of discovering the underlying problem of the vanishing bee colonies and the ways that the scientists solved problems together. Much bee-specific vocabulary is defined and the accompanying photos help to make things clear. Readers learn about the honey production process as well as interesting facts about honeybees. There is an extensive glossary and a great resource list at the end of the book. The resource list shares books, movies, documentaries, magazines and websites that readers can go for more information.

I love any story that shows real scientists at work solving real problems. I can see so many implications for this book in schools. I think it would make a great read aloud. Because it is a narrative, kids would enjoy hearing the amazing story, I think. I also know that so much of our science curriculum deals with ecosystems and habitats. What a great addition to readings about that for older elementary students. This is also a great model for nonfiction writing.

I think this is a good anchor book to think about when we think about our goals for our elementary readers. For me as a 5th grade teacher, this is a book that I would have wanted students to be able to read and understand by the end of their 5th grade year. Having the skills and stamina to do this can be built throughout the elementary years but this book is a great one for kids who read nonfiction for pleasure.

(A interesting article was published this week connected to the book.)

LOOKING CLOSELY AROUND THE POND by Frank Serafini is the newest in the LOOK CLOSELY series. A close-up photo begins each segment and the reader guesses what it is that he/she sees. The answer comes with the full picture as well as a few paragraphs of information about it. A great series for elementary students. For anyone who does work with outdoor labs, this series could be key. This one would also make a great read aloud and a great model for writing. Serafini's photography is stunning, as always.

FOR GOOD MEASURE: THE WAYS WE SAY HOW MUCH, HOW FAR, HOW HEAVY, HOW BIG, HOW OLD by Ken Robbins is an amazing book that focuses on the language of measurement. The book focuses on standard units of measurement of all kinds. Ken Robbins shares information about lengths and distances, area, weight, capacity and more. Within each section, Robbins shares information about the different ways we can measure each--going from smaller units of measure to larger ones. For each unit of measure, Robbins defines the unit and gives readers a great visual to help in understanding. Information about where certain vocabulary comes from and how certain units of measure came to be are included. I think this book can really hep make this work interesting for kids and help them make better sense of it. As always, Ken Robbins is brilliant in his work.

HOW TO CLEAN A HIPPOPOTAMUS: A LOOK AT UNUSUAL ANIMAL PARTNERSHIPS by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
I buy everything by Steve Jenkins. This new book is another great one. Jenkins and Page explore the relationships between animals and the authors make the concept of symbiosis clear to readers. The book explores several animal partnerships that work and explain why they do. The artwork is what we have come to expect from Jenkins and Page but this book has a bit of a different look because lots is packed onto every page and the background colors are a bit darker than other recent books. The layout is almost graphic-novel like which I am sure will appeal to kids. This allows lots of information per page. I so love the way these authors organize the information in their books. Such smart models for our students as writers but also such a brilliant way to make complex concepts accessible to kids.

Samantha Bennett: Author of THAT WORKSHOP BOOK

If you ever have a chance to hear Samantha Bennett, author of THAT WORKSHOP BOOK, speak, take full advantage of it. I attended Samantha's workshop on Friday and Saturday. Both days were filled with lots of thinking and learning.

Her book THAT WORKSHOP BOOK is a powerful one. Through her work with teachers, she has discovered the power of workshop and the power of our planning and our talk with kids.

I can't begin to share all that I learned over the weekend.. Sitting by friends always helps too. So much conversation from our learning. I am sure our talk will continue based on what we learned. Instead of sharing everything I learned, I decided to share my "Top 10 Samantha Bennett Quotes." I could have shared a hundred but decided the Top 10 makes sense. These are my personal highlight quotes of the day. These were the quotes I will continue to use to push my own thinking.

TOP 10 SAMANTHA BENNETT QUOTES FROM THE WEEKEND

"It's loud. It's messy. It's really, really fun."
Samantha said this when talking about workshop and workshop planning. She makes no claims that workshop teaching is easy or neat. She knows that a good workshop is complex and that it takes huge planning. This quote sums it up well, I think.

"It's not about liking things."

Friday's part of the workshop was spent visiting classrooms and learning from those. We visited via a live feed/camera, Katie DiCesare's 2nd grade classroom and Karen Terlecky's 5th grade classroom. During the prebrief session with Samantha, she was clear in telling us that she did not want to hear what we LIKED at the end of the session. She wanted us to begin to label practice with theory and to ask ourselves "What about this struck me?" She put this right up front and pushed our thinking before we even began. This changed the way we observed the classroom.

"If you only do something for one reason, don't do it. You should be able to label things in multiple ways."

Part of the work we did observing classrooms was labeling what we saw with research. So much of the challenge of teaching has to do with time and Samantha talked a lot about having lots of reasons for everything we do in the classroom. She believes strongly that every minute of every day for students has to be purposeful and there are so many things to accomplish, that we can't accomplish only one at a time.

"Remove the layers of crust to what matter most. You see what matters most to her. My job is to help her get more of that."

In talking about her role as a coach, Samantha shared the importance of helping teachers get to their core beliefs about education--about helping us see what it is that matters to us most when we get rid of the "crust". Then helping us think about how to get more of that. This was a huge piece of thinking for me. How do I get more of what matters into my days? A question that helps us be more purposeful in our work with kids, I think.

"You can always get better, every minute of every day."

This is the reason I am still in education after 20+ years. So much to think about and such interesting work. The fact that as teachers, we will never "get there" and that we can continue to learn and grow is what gives me energy. When I realized early on that I'd never have it all figured out, I started to enjoy the learning journey so much.

"They should not have to defend practice but we do want them to articulate it. Knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it every single minute of the day."
When we were ready to visit classrooms and Samantha was sharing the purpose, she was clear in saying that teachers in these classrooms did not need to defend their practice. We aren't there to judge it, but rather to learn from it. This philosophy would change so much about the way we talk to each other about our work. I think we, as teachers, often feel so under attack, that we get immediately defensive when asked about our practice. But being asked to articulate our practice is key to doing good work with kids. Articulating practice is something I try to get better at because it helps me as a learner. And it is good for the soul, I think. To know you are doing what you believe is right for kids.

"Stop asking what I am going to do tomorrow. Ask what students are going to do tomorrow. That should be the guiding question."
I loved this guiding question. So much of the day on Saturday was about the planning process and the need to teach for understanding. The belief that student work and learning is what we are about was a thread throughout the two days. This guiding question helps me to think a little differently when I plan. Keeping my eye on what kids will be doing is key.

"Kids knowing why they're there, every minute of every day."
Just as we have to make every minute worthwhile, it is critical that kids know the purpose of everything they are doing, everything that we are asking them to do. Kids have to own that learning so that every minute of every day piece is so important. A good measure to hold ourselves accountable to, I think.

"When kids are telling you no, listen. There is a reason they are telling you no. And you better figure it out. Take their reluctance seriously. What does this kid need that he is not getting?"
This was such a powerful thing to think about. When I think about kids who are not willing to do the work, kids who act out rather than take a risk, etc. this is something to remember. What does this kid need that he/she is not getting? Instead of blaming the child, this is about taking ownership that a child's reluctance is something we need to listen closely to.

"Unless you release kids to work, there is zero way to differentiate."

LOVED THIS! A thread through the two days was the need for teacher talk to be minimal. Kids need to be doing the work and if they aren't out there working, there is no way we can meet their diverse needs. I think sometimes we feel guilty if our minilessons are too quick, etc. but by remembering this, we know we are doing the right thing.

As you can tell, it was a great workshop. I hope to get a chance to learn from Samantha Bennett again soon. Very inspiring and powerful.

For other posts on the workshop:

Enjoy and Embrace Learning

Wordle of our Class Constitution

We are studying government in social studies right now. Here is a Wordle of our Class Constitution.

Here's the one I made of last year's Class Constitution.

Something Else That Happened in April

On April 18, I received this note:

Here's the link to the Independence Hall page of the Schmap Philadelphia Guide. And that picture in the top right corner of the page? I took it last November while in Philly for NCTE!

Moving Toward a 21st Century Library

Moving Toward a 21st Century Library

View more presentations from Franki22.

I had the opportunity to talk via Elluminate to a class of students across the country last week and the week before. I have participated in many Elluminate sessions and I love them but I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about actually being the person who shared my thinking in an elluminate session. As a presenter, I tend to feed off the group's energy and I rely heavily on conversations and active participation. But it was definitely a learning experience and I continue to be amazed that we can all be sitting at home and learning with people so far away.

These visuals probably don't say much without the talk that went with them, but pulling this session together helped me reflect a bit on my vision for the elementary library--where we've been, what my goals are. Talking to others and making my work visible always helps me see the work differently. I always appreciate the opportunity to articulate my own thinking because it helps me become more clear for myself about where it is I am trying to grow and learn.

It took a little bit of work to create a presentation that I could share publicly like this, but as part of my own learning journey, I wanted to make it public. (my first slideshare:-) These slides show the space and events in terms of the bigger goals of the library--but it cannot begin to share the day to day conversations and learning that the children have. I would need a different format for that, I think.

Embedded in this slide show is the slides that I used early in the year to begin a yearlong conversation on "Who are you as a learner?" I don't know if the students would even remember that first conversation but looking back at it and reflecting on those initial thoughts, I love the way the kids are now beginning to use the library to support who they are as a learner.

April Mosaic

April began with cupcakes and ended with guacamole.

The oak flowers looked so dainty against the blue sky when they were new. Then they streaked my car yellow with pollen and now there are so many on the ground that we will rake up gobs and mounds.

In answer to your question, yes, I wrote a poem yesterday, and no, I'm not going to post it here.

I do, however, have a few final observations about my NaPoMo poems. Remember the one-word poem? Did you follow the link to David R. Slavitt's poem? Did you realize that the discussion questions were part of my parody?

And that sprouting apple seed? I found it INSIDE my apple when I cored it. As much as I liked the poem it inspired, I was far more impressed with the idea of a pre-sprouted apple seed. I have planted it in a small pot on my windowsill and I anxiously await its reappearance.

The "If-You-Were" poetry form is the one that has inspired the best writing from my students. We will continue writing a poem a day for each other this coming week -- we have four friends left whose names haven't been picked yet. In the end, we will have written close to 300 poems total.

As the school year winds down and the students get itchy for summer, it is sometimes hard to get them to be smart and thoughtful (not to mention hardworking and productive). I will keep the Xs in the sky in my heart to remind me of the creative potential that exists in every child if they have the time to look and if I take the time to listen.

Poem #30--Looking Inside (and Poetry Friday)

Inside the month

I found the challenge.

Inside the challenge

I found the discipline.

Inside the discipline

I found the joy.

Inside the joy

I found the poems.

Inside the poems

I found my world.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

HAPPY NATIONAL POETRY MONTH 2010!!

The round up this week is at Great Kid Books.

All 30 of my NaPoMo poems are here.

Poem #29--Newspaper Blackout Poem

Franki sent a link to this book trailer and challenged me to try writing a Newspaper Blackout Poem. Every poem-a-day writer needs a cheerleader as thoughtful as mine!

He makes it look easy, no?

Here's my feeble attempt:

raise chickens

raise
chicken dinner
homegrown chickens
chickens
chickens
sprouting chicks
in the coop
nonviolent
rehabilitation

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Now YOU try it.

Post it and send your link.

I'm CERTAIN you can do a better job.

I'll be the springboard to your brilliance.

I have no problem with that role.

Go for it.

Go get your marker

and the newspaper

and make art by process of elimination.

Poem #28--Book Spine Poem

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #27--A Limerick for the Poem-A-Day Writers

You've written a poem a day!

Every day you found something to say

in a poem or verse,

for better or worse.

To each of you: HIP HIP HOORAY!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

2 new Poetry Books

Like I've said many times, the kids in our library love any book about dogs. So, I had to get NAME THAT DOG: PUPPY POEMS FROM A-Z when I heard about it. This new poetry book starts out with a poem about naming dogs and how each is different. Then each page focuses on a different dog. From Aspen to Frank to Zipper, there are 26 different fictional dogs celebrated through poem. The poems vary in length and type but all have an element of fun. Each dog is labeled so readers know the breed of the dog highlighted. The book ends with a poem about finding the perfect name for a dog.


And, I was thrilled to see ANOTHER JAR OF TINY STARS is now available. Every other year, NCTE gives an Award for Excellence in Poetry. This award honors a living children's poet for his/her work. Several years ago, NCTE published A JAR OF TINY STARS, highlighting the work of the award winners' poetry. This year, NCTE has released this additional version which highlights the work of poets up through the last poetry award winner, Lee Bennett Hopkins. To choose which poems to include, students ranked the poets' work. Their votes helped to make the decisions for what to include in this book. It is a great collection with 15 amazing children's poets.

Poem #26--A Fib For Gregory K.

You

are

the King

Ingumpa*

of the Fib Poem

Form: Royal Ingumpa, indeed!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

*A word verification nonsense "word" that here means one who is exalted, high-ranking, elevated, superior, lofty, eminent, prestigious, illustrious, distinguished, and/or esteemed. It is often used to describe a person whose invention (in this case, the Fib) has its own Wikipedia page. For the origin of Ingumpa, please see the first comment of this post.

Poem #25--A One-Word Poem

Dedicated to Franki

(and with apologies to David R. Slavitt)

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Balance.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is this poem about?

2. Do I need to read it again?

3. Who is speaking? What is the evidence in the poem for your answer?

4. What is being compared or described? Explain.

5. To what senses does the poem appeal? Elaborate.

6. Does this poem make you laugh, or does it make you cry?

7. What does this poem remind you of?

8. What characteristic of the genre of poetry alerts you as a reader that this is a poem?

9. If you were to put this poem to music, what would it sound like? If you were to illustrate it, what colors would you use?

10.What questions do you have for the author?

* * * * * * *

The back story: Franki and I were discussing what we had ready for the blog this week. I confessed to have hit a wall with the poem-a-day challenge. She suggested I write a one-word poem. We Googled it. We found Slavitt's poem. There is such a thing. (Who knew?) I was amused and inspired.

The discussion questions are the ones I use with my fourth graders as they get ready to answer questions on the state tests about poetry. I thought they worked quite well with this poem.

Garage Band--Some Possibilities

I introduced GarageBand this week. It is mostly music creation software but has so many possibilities for elementary school. I started out by just teaching kids how to record their voices and to add some background music. We used poetry and kids had a ball reading the poems in different ways, trying new voices, adding a bit of music or a sound effect her or there. It is not a tool I know well, but I can't wait until I know it well to introduce it. My goal in teaching media literacy is for kids to see what is possible, to read with a critical eye and to create with tools available. I don't need to know everything about GarageBand in order to introduce it to kids. I taught myself the basics and we are jumping in together.

One of the challenges, from a writing/creation perspective, is that students don't have a lot of models for what they are creating. Or, they have a lot of models but haven't yet made the connection to the tools that will help them create the things they see. So, as I move forward with GarageBand over the next few weeks, I wanted to throw some possibilities out to kids. I want them to see many options for their work with GarageBand and the other tools we've used this year. I have learned, in my 23 years of teaching, that if I give kids some possibilities and some open ended play time with a tool, they come up with many, many ideas that I would never have imagined.

When I think about creation, I want the students to eventually have a menu of possibilities to show their learning, to create new understandings, etc. One of the things that has struck me in the library, seeing so many different classes each week, is the way the students approach new ideas. When I introduce a new piece of software or a new web tool, they definitely need some play time. They have a ball just trying things out. Then they need to pull back and seem ready to see what they can actually make or do with the software. So, now that kids have done a bit of playing with GarageBand, I want to show them these samples--different pieces where music plays a part. Not that I want them to replicate any of this--that is the reason I wouldn't show them one at a time. Instead, I want it to be a way to begin thinking of the possibilities for this software and the way it might work with other tools they have.

Having a toolbox of possibilities for creation is key for moving ahead with creation and communication.

Pete the Cat is one of my new favorite books/songs thanks to Katie at Creative Literacy. In order to show how music enhances a story and how songs can be created from text, this is a fun example for kids to begin thinking about music.


Sharing several examples of a familiar story like "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" will show kids how different each story can be if you change the way you read/sing it and if you change the music and/or sound effects. For one lesson, I might show several different versions of one book to open up the possibilities and to show kids how sound can impact presentation. Two samples are below. One uses student art which is another thing I want kids to start thinking about.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt


We're Going on a Bear Hunt


After I fell in love with Pete the Cat, I found more songs by this artist. One that I think has huge possibilities with older kids is The Three Pigs song by Eric Litwin. I think taking favorite tales and creating story/songs might be fun for some kids. This is a great example.

Three Pigs audio
http://musicishere.com/artist/19819-Eric-Litwin/19795-Smile-at-Your-Neighbor


The kids have become very familiar with PIXIE and FRAMES this year. Drawing tools and some basic animations are making sense to many kids. I want them to take a look at creations like the following songs to see how music and drawing can go together in new ways.

The Elephant Song


5 Little Monkeys


Because so many of the tools are new for kids and because they are just beginning to see the possibilities, much of this spring is about planting seeds, knowing that kids are amazing and will come up with ideas that I cannot possibly imagine. I can't wait to see which of the things from these samples they pick up on to try and which other things they find on their own.

Poem #24--Coffee House Sonnet

When at the coffee shop we both do sit

and sip dark roast or other blended drink

we open books and read for just a bit

which turns into an hour in a blink.

Around us others read from their books or

they stare with blank looks at computer screens.

To study here is not so much a chore

and bonus points are scored for the caffeine.

But only so much there can we get done:

the groc'ries, laundry, cleaning still do wait.

We must make time on Saturday for fun

and yet not so much that we run too late.

All things in their own time and their own place.

Work hard, have fun, but keep a steady pace.

Poem #23--Where I'm From Poem (and Poetry Friday)

WHERE I'M FROM

I'm from the smell of chlorine

and the heat of sun-baked cement by the pool.

I'm from cherry tomatoes eaten warm off the plant

and zinnias, marigolds, and petunias.

I'm from goatheads and hailstones,

blizzards and dust storms.

I'm from "Punkin' " and "Sugar Plum"

and "You are my special angel."

I'm from Lawrence Welk and Glenn Miller,

Ed Sullivan and Johnny Cash.

I'm from Lubbers Lounge Lu Lu

and Thanksgiving ham and broiled spareribs.

I'm from wide horizons

and big skies,

and I'm from a small town

and narrow opportunities.

I've traveled far.

I've kept it all inside my heart.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

The Poetry Friday Roundup today is at Picture Book of the Day with Anastasia Suen.

Here's a reprint of a bunch of the Kidlitosphere (and other assorted) NaPoMo projects that I'm following (or at least trying valiantly to follow):

Gregory K. is once again hosting 30 Poets/30 Days with previously unpublished poems by favorite children's authors.

Tricia Stohr-Hunt is interviewing 30 children's poets, beginning with Mary Ann Hoberman, the US Children's Poet Laureate. The Poetry Makers list is stellar!

Jone MacCulloch shares Thirty Days, Thirty Students, Thirty Poems: original poems by students.

Jama Rattigan is posting original poems & favorite recipes by some of the Poetry Friday regulars.

At A Wrung Sponge, Andromeda is writing a "haiga" (photo and haiku) each day. Her photography is simply stunning. The haikus are amazing, too!

Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminating will continue the Building a Poetry Collection series she began last year -- selecting a poem a day in a kind of personal Poetry Tag (see Sylvia Vardell's version below) and providing analysis. I call this The University of Kelly Fineman because I learn so much in each post!

Sylvia Vardell is inviting poets to play Poetry Tag. She will invite poets to "play" along by offering a poem for readers to enjoy, then she will "tag" a poet who shares her/his own poem THAT IS CONNECTED to the previous poem in SOME way—by a theme, word, idea, tone-- and offers a sentence or two explaining that connection. What a creative idea!

Laura at Author Amok is highlighting the poets laureate of all 50 states this month...well, all the ones that have a poet laureate... Fun Fun!

Laura Salas is posting a children's poem per day from a poetry book she loves.

Lee Wind is publishing many new Teen voices during April for National Poetry Month. GLBTQ Teen Poetry.

Bud the Teacher gives a picture prompt every day during April and invites readers to post the poem it inspires in the comments of his blog.

ORIGINAL POEM-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Checks these blogs daily for new original poems by the following people:

Susan Taylor Brown

Jone MacCulloch

Elizabeth Moore

April Halprin Wayland

Liz Scanlon

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

If I missed your project, please let me know and I'll add it to my list!

Poem #22--Did Someone Say Only 30 More Days?

Overheard at Spinning Class

or

The Last Six Weeks of School

(or both)

Hold that load!

Don't touch that knob!

You've got one more chance

to push yourself to a nine!

Everything that's left in your tank?

Give it now!

Stay strong!

Go for it!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

FARM by Elisha Cooper

I so loved Elisha Cooper's book BEACH last year, that I was thrilled to see his new book FARM on the shelves. FARM is easily recognizable as Cooper's work if you have his book BEACH. In this new book, readers learn the workings of a farm. The cycle of the year and the way the farm works is all part of this book. There is a lot of information about farms in general and a short glossary at the front of the book adds to the learning. The information is told in a kind of story format in which we learn the names of the animals and about the children's chores.

The thing I love most about this book is the language and the humor spread throughout. Just as in his first book, this shows times on the farm in which several things happening at once. The layout helps readers understand that the farm is a busy place.

This book would be a great one for anyone who teaches about the farm. So much information packed into a gorgeously written picture book. It would fit nicely into many social studies units. But, even if you don't teach something related to this topic, this is a great mentor text for writing. Children can learn a lot from Cooper's writing.

Poem #21--Haiku Response to Literature

This week, I gave my students the option to write their responses to their nightly reading in haikus instead of sentences. I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm listening to Bill Bryson read his book, Shakespeare: The World As Stage:

So few facts are known;

what we "know," we speculate.

Still fascinating.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Google Search Stories by Favorite Book Characters!

So, I have been fascinated with the concept of Google Search stories for the last several days. Mary Lee included one in her poetry post earlier last week. Kevin at Kevin's Meandering Mind shared his students' stories too. I love how the searches tell stories. I wanted to learn but hadn't given myself the time to figure it out. But....today, I LOVED the two that Sesame Street released--search stories from Cookie Monster and Bert. (I find Bert's to be HYSTERICAL!)



I was totally inspired and realized how fun this would be for kids. What story would) their favorite book character tell with a search story? I am all about making myself learn these new tools so I tried one today. And the first favorite character that popped to mind was Pigeon of course! So, here is my first try. How much fun is this? Wish I had nothing to do but to make more search stories today. Kids could have a ball with this. My daughter helped with this one and I imagine she'll make her own sometime soon. Kids could even make them as riddles--others could guess who did the search story. I am not into book projects or gimmicky things but I find these search stories totally fun and love the possibilities of our favorite fictional characters creating their own search stories as a way to learn and play with this tool.



If you have not had time to play with these, I would highly suggest it. I am amazed at the stories that people have created. Time to create your own:-)

The BEAUTIFUL STORIES OF LIFE by Cynthia Rylant

I pretty much buy anything new that Cynthia Rylant writes. She is one of my all-time favorite authors and she rarely, if ever, lets me down with her books. I had somehow missed THE BEAUTIFUL STORIE OF LIFE: SIX GREEK MYTHS, RETOLD by Rylant when it came out last year, but my friend, Jennifer, shared it with me. Maybe I did see it last year, but hadn't paid much attention to it. But this year, with so many kids reading the Percy Jackson series and wanting more to read connected to Greek Mythology, I was thrilled to see something on mythology by Rylant. I was also surprised--mythology didn't seem like something Rylant would take on. But the inside flap of the book says this:

The ancient Greek Myths

are among the oldest stories

in the world.

These are tales of love and loss,

pride and forgiveness,

courage and cowardice,

and hope.

They are the beautiful

stories of life.

Of course this type of book makes sense for Rylant. Her work is all about the beautiful stories of life.

I loved the Disney CINDERELLA that Rylant recently rewrote. Her language and view of the world makes her version my very favorite ever. She seem to do the same with the six Greek Myths that she retells in this new book.

The book is a small one and only 70 pages long. Each of the six stories is about 10-12 short pages long. These pages include great black and white illustrations by Carson Ellis. As we expect from Rylant, these stories are each retold in a way that only Rylant can do. Her great use of language and her deep understanding of the mythology and life in general, make for great storytelling.

These six myths--Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus and Psyche would make great read alouds for middle school kids. And I can see many fans of Greek Mythology reading this book on his/her own. Each story is short enough to be read in one sitting. So much in each story. This is a great introduction to Greek Mythology and also a great way to stretch those kids who have become interested in mythology because of Percy Jackson.

Poem #20 Lightning Thief Metaphor Poems (and a testing poem)

Did I tell you about my students' National Poetry Month project? When they heard I was going to write a poem a day, one girl said, "We should write a poem a day about the people in our class."

And that's what we've done every day since April 5. We've written poems for about 10 of our classmates so far. (that's almost 200 poems!!!) On the day we write poems for them, they write a poem for me. I wish I could share some of the beautiful poems they've written, but most often, the recipient's name is part of the poem.

I gave my students the instructions for writing yesterday's "If-You-Were" Metaphor Poems, but we haven't had a chance to talk about how they work or for the students to see my examples. Today during his free time after testing, one of my students wrote these poems for a friend who LOVES The Lightning Thief:

If you were the lightning bolt

and I was the clouds

I'd let you streak

under me.

If you were a god

and I was a demigod

I'd let you shine

above me.

Whoa. Did that knock your socks off like it did mine?!?!?

Here's my poem for today:

SOUNDS OF TESTING

Silence.

Uncharacteristic silence.

Focused silence.

Pages turning.

Pencils scratching.

Erasers rubbing.

Birds singing in the trees outside the window.

Roofers pounding on the condos next door.

Children screaming from the playground.

Silence of working.

Silent cheer of finishing.

Almost silent rustling of waiting.

Waiting...

Finishing...

TIME'S UP!

YAY!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

TRACKERS by Patrick Carman

I am a huge fan of Skeleton Creek and so are many of the 5th graders at our school. It isn't so much the genre or story. I liked those though. But I am a fan because Patrick Carman has tried something new and powerful with books for kids. In Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine, he embedded video in the book so that the text told part of the story and the video clips online told the other part. This was done in a way that worked--the two parts of the book worked so well together and I could see how motivating this could be for kids. So, I was happy to see TRACKERS, another series by Patrick Carman, that did the same thing. (I am imagining books like this on things such as the iPad where the video can just play at a certain point in the book. I am starting to understand the whole concept of this type of reading so much better thanks to Carman.)

Trackers is a thriller/adventure/science fiction story about 4 kids who are trackers. They are pretty much spies with very cool gadgets that they've created and perfected. This may sounds Spy-Kid like and it is but it is intended for a more sophisticated audience than Spy Kids. My thinking is 5th grade and above. There is a lot of technical "stuff" that kids need to semi-understand in order to understand this book.

Adam, the main character in the book, has created a space for himself that he calls "The Vault". His father owns and operated a computer repair shop and since he was little, Adam played around with gadgets, etc. When he turned 9, his father gave him a little room in the back of the shop for him to fiddle around in. The room is an amazing concept and one that hooked me into the book immediately. A kid who has a place to play and create and figure things out on his own. He is quite the little prodigy.

I won't give too much away about the book but Adam is discovered by some people who threaten him unless he solves a very important computer code for them.

The entire story is told by Adam who is relaying it in a "classified location" letting the readers assume that Adam has been "caught" and is in trouble. The entire story unfolds as Adam tells the story and then "shows" videoclips throughout. As we get to each clip, we, as readers, are given a site and password so that we can watch the videos. As with Skeleton Creek, Carman has done a great job of embedding the video throughout. The two forms of media work together to tell the complete story.

The one difference in this book, which I think I like, is that you CAN read the book without watching the videos. Each video is transcribed in the Appendix of the book. So, instead of watching the clip on a computer, the reader can instead read the transcript at the back of the book. I tried a bit o both. I liked watching the videos--it breaks up the story for kids a bit and gave me scenes, etc. visually. But the appendix pieces did a great job too. I know that I had kids who could not read Skeleton Creek because they did not have Internet access at home. This will allow kids who do not have access to the Internet to experience the entire book. There were also times when I was reading at night,when I really did not want to get up and watch the clip. Having the option of the transcribed video was a nice option to have:-)

The only thing I didn't like is that the book ended in quite the cliffhanger!? Now I have to wait for the 2nd book! I should have remembered this from Skeleton Creek but I don't think I was totally aware that Trackers is the first in a series. My thinking was that things would tie up and fall together neatly by the end of the book. I guess I'll have to wait for the next book in the series to get some more answers.

This book will be released on May 11. I am thrilled to see Patrick Carman continue with these books for kids. I already have several 5th graders who are dying to read this one--even without knowing the basics of the story, they know that Patrick Carman writes fresh stories that grab them from the beginning. So many kids have moved on to Carman's other books once they discovered Skeleton Creek.

Poem #19--"If-You-Were" Metaphor Poems

Back in January, Father Goose (Charles Ghigna), introduced a new poetry form: the "If-You-Were" Poem. He explains the form in this post, saying,

"Here's a fun verse form that everyone can write! I created this simple 4-line format many years ago to help introduce students and teachers to metaphor. It's exciting to see how quickly it catches on!

Instructions:
Think of a person you like.
Compare that person to some thing (inanimate object).
Now compare yourself to some thing associated with the first object."

I'm asking my students to try this form this week, so I thought I better see how it goes so I can give them some insider tips. Here are my attempts:

If you were the pencil

and I were the answer,

we'd find each other

like the dance finds the dancer.

If you were the wonder

and I were the thought,

we'd play hooky in springtime

and never get caught!

If you were the butterfly

and I were the net,

I'd watch without catching

and have no regrets.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Apple Crisp is on the Menu Today at the Alphabet Soup Kitchen

Jama Rattigan, at jama rattigan's alphabet soup, is hosting a potluck for National Poetry Month. Here's how she describes her yummy project:

"I've set the table, chilled the wine, hired a string quartet (don't worry, some jazz musicians will be joining us later), and am ready to enjoy a month's worth of poems written by some of the wonderful folks I've met through Poetry Friday.

I've been hooked on PF ever since I first started blogging in 2007. Every week, I look forward to seeing what beautiful, inspiring, funny, or thought provoking poems these friends will post. Whether they've written the poems themselves, or have chosen the work of others, I'm grateful for the momentary glimpse into their emotional lives.

I thought inviting them to the alphabet soup kitchen for a potluck would be the perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month. I asked each to share an original poem and a favorite recipe, and they all, without hesitation, enthusiastically agreed (further evidence of their overall awesomeness). They came through for me in a big way, even sharing recipe photos. Friends, this is going to be a supremely delicious month -- a bountiful, nourishing feast for body, mind, and spirit!"

Today, it's MY turn to share the spotlight! Head on over to alphabet soup and enjoy a helping of apple crisp. Thanks, Jama, for inviting me to your feast! It's an honor to sit at your table with

the other (real) poets!

Moving Toward My Vision for the SMARTBoard in the Library

I see huge possibilities for creation and collaboration if this took is always available to students. Because the size of the board is so large, it is so much more natural to collaborate and problem solve around it than around a keyboard. I can see so many ways that kids can collaborate in their creations. Creation demands collaboration and it seems that the SMART Board can really support those goals.

But, as I said, patience is key. I have to spend lots of time setting up possibilities for the students and inviting them to try different things. This week, my goal was for students to understand that the SMART Board was really just a giant/touchscreen computer and that anything they could do on the computer, they could do on the SMART Board. So, we tried several of our favorite things on the SMART Board--Pixie, Tumblebooks, Pages, etc. One of the things we did with a few classes was a collaborative story. After spending some time looking at the new episodes in the Exquisite Corpse, kids took turns adding to a story. Wouldn't it be fun to have an ongoing story that several kids/classes added to like Jon Scieszka's Exquisite Corpse? I could see an ongoing story like that in the future--watching kids collaborate around writing was fun. As expected, when given the choice to use these tools on the SMART Board independently, the collaboration and conversations were amazing to listen to. As I assumed, the tool almost demands thinking together.

This week, we'll try some Stopmotion editing on the SMART Board with a few groups of 4th graders. I see them huddled around the laptop screen deciding on their next editing job, but the SMART Board should make it so much easier for everyone to be part of the decision-making.

This week, I was thrilled to look over and see 3-5 kids using the board on their own for various purposes. Since it is new for so many of them, learning the basics of how to move an object, how the pens work, how to get the keyboard, etc. are all happening as they explore on their own. I am working hard to help kids see that this is not a teacher tool-that the board is one that can be used for a variety of reasons and that they can use it independently of me. I adamantly believe that for these tools to be worthwhile in the classroom, kids need to be using them to create and collaborate. This will take a while, I know. My thinking is that for the next several weeks and for the first several weeks of next school year, kids will see many of the possibilities of the SMART Board. Then they will take it from there, realizing when the tool will support what they are trying to do.

And, of course, I'll utilize our SMART Board Team. I am hoping to meet with them in the next few weeks to determine where to go next with the board.

Other blog posts on the SMART Board in our library:

http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2010/04/poetry-and-smart-board.html

http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2010/04/poetry-and-smart-board-part-2.html

http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2009/05/smartboards-in-readingwriting-workshop.html

Poem #18 Sunday Night Teacher Haiku

Sunday inertia

last week. This week: momentum

means completed list.

State Test Simile Poem

My students are

as confident as racehorses

in the starting gate.

Our teacher is

as nervous as a donut

in the teacher's lounge.

My students are

as sharp as a box of

#2 pencils.

Our teacher is

as hardworking as a house painter

with a one-inch brush.

On Wednesday afternoon,

we'll all be

as relieved as a gymnast

who sticks the landing.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

BONUS: NEW SIMILE BOOK IS AS PERFECT AS THE PETALS ON A PETUNIA!

Muddy As A Duck Puddle and Other American Similes

by Laurie Lawlor

illustrated by Ethan Long

Holiday House, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

This book has it all -- it's an ABC book of 26 uniquely American similes, and there's an explanation for each one in the back of the book, including the part of the country from which it hails!

Here are a few from the book that can be used to describe an elementary school before the state tests: Our testing coordinators are "Busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly-time" trying to find spaces and translators and cds for all of the ELLs in our building -- students who speak Twi, Farsi, Arabic, Spanish, Korean, Bengali, and Russian. Our teachers are as "Jittery as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." We really, really need to meet AYP this year. No matter the outcome of the tests, we all believe that our students are just as "Fine as frog hair." These state tests are but ONE isolated measure of our students' growth this year, and no matter what the tests say, we know to the core of our collective being that our students have grown in their learning, understanding and knowledge this year. (Plus, we're not finished teaching after this week, so the learning will continue!!)

Poem #16--Google Search Story Poem

Children learn
to write poetry
the same way they learn
to ride a bike:
follow the rules,
break the rules,
get silly and have some fun.

by Mary Lee Hahn, using Google Search Stories, copyright 2010

A big shout-out to Gregory K. at GottaBook for introducing us to the way-cool fun of Google Search Stories, and another one to Elizabeth at Tiny Reader for the inspiration to use it for my poem-a-day challenge. The perfect diversion for the middle of the month slump!

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast this week.

Here's a reprint of a bunch of the Kidlitosphere (and other assorted) NaPoMo projects that I'm following (or at least trying valiantly to follow):

Gregory K. is once again hosting 30 Poets/30 Days with previously unpublished poems by favorite children's authors.

Tricia Stohr-Hunt is interviewing 30 children's poets, beginning with Mary Ann Hoberman, the US Children's Poet Laureate. The Poetry Makers list is stellar!

Jone MacCulloch shares Thirty Days, Thirty Students, Thirty Poems: original poems by students.

Jama Rattigan is posting original poems & favorite recipes by some of the Poetry Friday regulars.

At A Wrung Sponge, Andromeda is writing a "haiga" (photo and haiku) each day. Her photography is simply stunning. The haikus are amazing, too!

Kelly Fineman at Writing and Ruminating will continue the Building a Poetry Collection series she began last year -- selecting a poem a day in a kind of personal Poetry Tag (see Sylvia Vardell's version below) and providing analysis. I call this The University of Kelly Fineman because I learn so much in each post!

Sylvia Vardell is inviting poets to play Poetry Tag. She will invite poets to "play" along by offering a poem for readers to enjoy, then she will "tag" a poet who shares her/his own poem THAT IS CONNECTED to the previous poem in SOME way—by a theme, word, idea, tone-- and offers a sentence or two explaining that connection. What a creative idea!

Laura at Author Amok is highlighting the poets laureate of all 50 states this month...well, all the ones that have a poet laureate... Fun Fun!

Laura Salas is posting a children's poem per day from a poetry book she loves.

Lee Wind is publishing many new Teen voices during April for National Poetry Month. GLBTQ Teen Poetry.

Bud the Teacher gives a picture prompt every day during April and invites readers to post the poem it inspires in the comments of his blog.

ORIGINAL POEM-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Checks these blogs daily for new original poems by the following people:

Susan Taylor Brown

Jone MacCulloch

Elizabeth Moore

April Halprin Wayland

Liz Scanlon

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

If I missed your project, please let me know and I'll add it to my list!

Which of the Top Hundred Have YOU Read?

Reading is breathing.

We couldn't live without it.

We've got books in our veins

and stories in our souls.

Our life work is to

make readers,

coach readers,

cheer readers,

tempt readers,

help readers,

guide readers,

read alongside readers.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Thanks to Teacherninja for this great meme!

So...which of Betsy Bird’s Top 100 Children’s Novels have you read? The titles of the books Mary Lee's read are blue. The ones Franki's read are red. The ones we've BOTH read are purple.

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- Selznik (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

2 Books I Could Read a Million Times

I lucked out this week with 2 books I could read a million times.

And I wasn't quite expecting it. It has been a while that I've found books that I enjoy more each time I read them. But I am definitely adding

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

and

Chester's Masterpiece

to the list of BOOKS I CAN READ A MILLION TIMES. I read these to the younger kids in the library and they LOVED them!

I have always loved Kevin Henkes. I love Lilly and Chrysanthemum and so many of his others. I am still getting used to the fact that not all of his books are about great little mice. It always throws me a bit to see something new and different from Henkes. But I loved the look of MY GARDEN and it was a cute story when I read it, so I added it to my plans for last week. Most of the books on my BOOKS I CAN READ A MILLION TIMES list, don't actually make the list until I've read them to lots of kids. It is in the reading them to children, that I actually realize how amazing they are. I love every single page of MY GARDEN. This story is about a little girl who dreams of her own garden. She has such great ideas for her garden--planting jellybeans, plaid flowers and invisible carrots. The illustrations are stunning in the way that the colors contrast with the white background. This is such a happy book. I loved reading it to kids each and every time. Their eyes--thinking about the possibilities of a child's dream garden--was quite fun!

And, CHESTER'S MASTERPIECE by Melanie Watt may be my favorite Chester book yet. If you know Chester, you have to love him. In this newest book, he steals author Melanie Watt's writing supplies and attempts to write a book without her. With red marker in hand, Chester claims to need no help from Melanie Watt. I love that we have learned what to expect from Chester. If we've read his other books, it is fun to see how these predictable things play out in this newest book. The kids were so happy to see a new Chester book. And it was more fun to read aloud than I had imagined.

Poem #14--After the Concert

From across the gym,

I see my student pick up

his friend's little brother

and start swinging him

around and around.

I step towards them

to intervene

but

change directions

and head to the door.

I'm off the clock.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010