Truthiness

Franki, are you sick of me sending you clippings from USA Today about the "Strange Case of James Frey -- as Dickens might have termed it"?

That quote is from the newest one that is on its way to you through the "pony." ERICA JONG has weighed in as an author who wrote a piece of memoirish fiction that was labeled fiction, unlike Frey's backward approach in which his fictionish memoir was labeled memoir.

The punch of her essay is at the end, when she talks about how "the American language has been utterly polluted from the top down."

Let me know what you think.

On the topic of what to read, you're clearly ahead of me on new kids' books, so I won't even go there. The best adult book I've ever read (audio book-style) that not many other people seem to know about is CLOUD ATLAS. I have a print copy that I could send to you, but I don't know what the print experience of reading would be like. I'm just finishing up KITE RUNNER (way behind the rest of the world I have discovered this story). I would definitely recommend THE RED TENT. I think a culturally sanctioned, once-a-month time out for women is a good idea on so many levels. That's all I'll say. The book is about way more than that.

My January Reading

Well, I finally picked up a copy of CRISS CROSS by Lynne Rae Perkins--the Newbery Award winner this year. Actually, I can already see why it was the winner. Lots of interesting pieces to it. I'll let you know what I think when I finish. I also picked up THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner. Have you read it? I saw that the 3rd in the series has a starred review from Hornbook this month and I have been meaning to read this first one. Looks like a great fantasy.

My favorite children's book read in January was WING NUT by M. J. Auch. If I had read it before the awards were announced, it would have definitely been on my list of predictions. A great read. I am thinking that it would make an amazing read aloud for 4th and 5th grades. I may read it aloud later this year.

I also finished SO B. IT by Sarah Weeks. Loved it. I am in a book club to discuss it with some of my 5th graders. From the comments that I am getting before we meet, it is one of their all-time favorites. I can see why. An amazing story with characters I love.

I also read ME, DEAD DAD, AND ALCATRAZ by Chris Lynch. I liked it. It is definitely for middle schoolers. Loved the main character and I like Lynch's writing.

I could use a good adult book. I am hooked on Philippa Gregory but am not in the mood for another of her books yet. Mary Lee, any suggestions? I am thinking about BIRTH OF VENUS. Have you read it? (Tracy Chevalier liked it and I trust her reading list completely!) Also, I still have RED TENT on my stack of next reads--it's been there for years. Have you read that one? I think I'll love it once I can get started.

Time to Read

I feel like I never have enough time to read, but I spend all day reading:

reading the sky -- will it rain?
reading a face
reading a look
reading the situation on the playground -- is it play, or a fight?
reading emails
•reading students' minds
•reading the dog's mind
reading over what I've written
reading the clock
reading my own reaction
reading street signs
reading a recipe
reading the back side of my eyelids as soon as I sit down and open my book

In Honor of the 2005 Newbery Winner

In honor of this year's Newbery winner, CRISS CROSS, I decided to read last year's two-word-title, come-from-nowhere winner, KIRA KIRA. I have just one word to say about KIRA KIRA: yuck. Hopefully I will like CRISS CROSS better. It won't be hard.

For our 2006 edition of the I Have Read The Newbery book club, I am only going to read books that have two words in the title and to which no one is paying a bit of attention.

January Reading

I just finished two great books. A friend recommended THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls. What an amazing story. It is the memoir of reporter Jeannette Walls who grew up in extreme poverty and sometimes neglect. But there is this amazing thread of love throughout the book. You come to love all of the people that she writes about. It is a great read! Everyone that I know who has read it, has loved it.

I also read TRUTH AND BEAUTY by Ann Patchett. I am a huge Ann Patchett fan (BEL CANTO is one of my all-time favorite books.) I had purchased Truth and beauty a while back and, for some reason, picked it up to read last week. It is the story of Ann's friendship with Lucy Grealy. A very complex friendship--a hard one to understand. It was another really great book. As a matter of fact, Patchett mentions a few friends throughout the book--other great authors. So, I have picked up a few of their books. You end up finishing the book wanting to be part of this circle of amazing friends, wanting to read their work, etc.

I also just started a children's book called SO B. IT by Sarah Weeks. It is not a new book but one that I have been wanting to read. A group of my 5th graders started a book club to discuss it and I decided to join. They decided to read to page 99 before Friday and I am dying to read more. But, I guess I have to follow the rules of the club since they were nice enough to include me! I'll keep you posted when I finish. I must say that I like talking about books more at the end. I can't imagine where the conversation will go when I am really just dying to read more. I am sure, as always, they'll surprise me with insights I totally missed. A huge reason why I love my work!

Mary Lee and I are going to our very favorite children's bookstore--Cover to Cover--on Saturday. I want to pick up a few of the award winning books I haven't read. Soon, it will be time to start reading the 2006 children's books. There are some good ones coming soon.

Paralinguistic

"of or having to do with factors connected with but not essentially part of language, such as tone of voice, tempo of speech, gestures, and facial expressions." (World Book Dictionary)

Whodathunk that all those little gestures and movements that I add as I read aloud to my students actually have a NAME and their own field of study (paralinguistics)?!?

Even more astounding is the fact that I had never considered the place of read-aloud in the whole scope of human literacy. If storytelling is at the beginning, and reading text silently in one's head is at what we think is the other end (but probably isn't), then read-aloud is a bridge between the completely oral/aural experience and the completely textual experience.

Hmm. Food for thought.

Thank you, St. Charles Parish, LA teachers for stretching MY thinking during our day together yesterday!

Any Predictions Out There?

With the Newbery Award being announced this coming Monday, does anyone else have any predictions? We'd love to hear them.

Newbery Predictions

Every year, Mary Lee and I attempt to predict which book will win the Newbery Award. I have to admit that Mary Lee is always closer in her predictions than I am. So, I am happy to see that some of my top choices are also on her list:-) I must be learning something from talking to her about books for all of these years!

A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL by Marilyn Nelson
This one is brilliantly written and has so many layers that I can't imagine it won't win. It is on several Mock Newbery lists. One list thinks that it may be for older children and not as appropriate for the Newbery Medal. But, I think it is a probability.

PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hill
When I first read this book, I didn't think it could win. Has a fairy tale ever won the Newbery Medal? But, the story, characters, and issues have stayed with me over several months. It is one of my favorite books of the year and I would love to see it win the award.

EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS by Deborah Wiles
This was one of my very favorites, but since it won a National Book Award honor, I am not sure it will also win the Newbery. I would love if it did.

CHICKEN BOY by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Loved the story and the characters. I already like this author. I'd love for this one to win. I read it aloud to my 5th graders and they loved it.

We've had fun keeping up with new titles during 2005. We've also kept an eye on several Mock Newbery sites--checking to see what they are reading (Tempe Arizona, Allen County, and Anderson's Bookshop). I am anxious to find out which book will win the medal on January 23. The announcement always sparks interesting conversations!

What Makes it a Good Book?

What are the requirements for a book to be considered "good"? Does it need to have an important theme? Unique characters? A trendy structure? A complicated plot?

If a book has none of these, but it initiates interesting conversation, can it still be called a good book?

I was going to nominate BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD and BABYMOUSE: OUR HERO as the Worst Books of 2006. (It's a little early, I know, but I definitely thought they'd qualify.) To make my case for the Worst Book nomination, I brought them to a group of boys in my classroom that was comparing and contrasting two different graphic novels: the CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS books and the BONE books. After listening to what they had to say about CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS and BONE, I put out the BABYMOUSE books, sort of flipped through them to show what they look like inside, and waited for the boys to recoil in horror from the splash of pink and hearts and the obvious girl main character.

It didn't happen.

A couple of the guys really wanted to read BABYMOUSE next. They all agreed BABYMOUSE fits in the category with CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS and BONE -- more like BONE because there's no text like there is in CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS, but more like CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS in the style of the comics. One guy did very politely admit that he would never in all the world pick up such a "girl" book to read, no matter if it had comics in it or not, but he was willing to take it home and read it just to see if it was as bad as he thought it would be. (It wasn't.)

Here's what ultimately made me decide not to go ahead with the Worst Book nomination: BABYMOUSE has started a whole-class on-going conversation on the inaccuracies of gender stereotypes of all kinds. Good conversation is worth as much to me as a Newbery sticker on a book cover.

Which again begs the question of, "What good are the awards?" and "How can a committee pick a BEST out of all the varied books that were published in 2005?" Apples and oranges.

That said, I'll still stick my neck out and list my favorites for the 2005 Newbery. (Unlike Franki, I think I'm done trying to finish reading one or two more before the announcement.)

In no particular order:

EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS by Deborah Wiles
PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale
PROJECT MULBERRY by Linda Sue Park
A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL by Marilyn Nelson

More 2005 Children's Books

Well, I am trying to read a few of the last 2005 books before the Newbery Award is announced on January 23. This week, I finished A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL by Marilyn Nelson. Mary Lee had recommended it and it is AMAZING. Such a powerful book. I can't imagine that it won't win a big award. It is a book that I want to read again (and again). So many layers.

I also finished THE KING OF MULBERRY STREET by Donna Jo Napoli. Beth at Cover to Cover recommended it to me. I really liked it. One of my favorites of the year. It is a great piece of historical fiction. I wouldn't have picked it up without Beth's recommendation and I really, really liked it. I am anxious to share it with my class. Wonder if any of them will read it.

I brought several of the 2005 books that I read over vacation into school today. They love new books! A DOG'S LIFE by Ann M. Martin seemed to be the one that they were most excited to get their hands on.

I am hoping to get 2-3 more read before the announcement. One of them is HARRY SUE by Sue Stauffacher. It looks good and has been on several lists.

Mary Lee, are we going to try to figure out which book we think/hope will win again this year? We are never right, but it is always fun to give it a shot!