Thursday, April 28, 2016

April Poetry Madness: Championship!


The votes have been counted, and the final round is here! After some ballot-stuffing in the previous rounds (gotta love the enthusiasm!) we did a paper ballot in class in addition to the online vote. But I am happy to announce that both votes agreed on our finalists. Good luck to both books!

Voting Schedule

  • Final round of voting (Championship): Thurs. April 28th to Sat. April 29th
  • Winner announced on Sun. May 1st!


Place Your Votes! (Or, scroll down to see details about the finalists.)




Classic Bracket


 

#1. Love that Dog (2001) by Sharon Creech. (Read a full review including how I use this book to teach poetry.)

Newbie Bracket



#1. Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths (2016) by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse.

Click here for the most recent April Poetry Madness posts!


Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Book Club: Walk Two Moons

Book Club discussion groups are a great way to get kids excited about books and discussing them. This is one of a series of posts sharing some of my favorite books for Book Club discussions. Please click on the "Book Club" tag to read more.

Walk Two Moons


Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech won the Newbery Medal in 1995 and is one of my all-time favorite children's books. It is definitely a tear-jerker (speaking literally for myself here) and such a well-crafted story.

This is one I used back when I taught fourth grade, as it has a lot going on, mentally and emotionally at times, for my third graders. I am sure many teachers have had success with it for older students as well,

Summary


Salamanca Tree Hiddle and her father have recently moved to Euclid, Ohio from their home in Bybanks, Kentucky. Sal befriends a neighbor, a girl her age named Phoebe. Most of the book alternates between two narratives: Sal and her grandparents on a road trip to find Sal's mother and Sal's story of Phoebe and her recent adventures. (See note above about tear-jerker. I always give students a heads up that there are sad parts in this story but that it is an incredible read.)

Reading Level: 6.6
Guided Reading Level: W
Lexile Level: 770L

Big Ideas and Discussion Topics


  • Multiple story lines. Kids have to balance both the present-day story line and the story-Sal-is-telling story line, as well as make connections (and predictions) between the two. There is a wonderful metaphor used in the first chapter that hints at how Sal's own story is hidden beneath Phoebe's story.
  • Figurative and descriptive language. Phoebe and Sal receive a series of cryptic messages (proverbs) during the course of the story. These are great conversations starters for students as they talk about what the messages might be and how they might relate to the story.
  • Big Issues. The book also deals very gently and sincerely with loss and separation. Both Sal and Phoebe are going through different issues with their parents and grandparents, and both respond in very different ways to their situations.

Suggested Chapter Breakdowns


I usually use four to six sections for Book Club discussions with my students. They meet twice a week (often Tuesdays and Thursdays), which gives us two or three weeks to finish any given round. When I first started I had many more Book Club divisions, but I found that kids had a hard time sustaining interest in a book when it became incredibly drawn out.
  1. Chapters 1-7, pages 1-40
  2. Chapters 8-14, pages 41-90
  3. Chapters 15-21, pages 91-130
  4. Chapters 22-28, pages 131-180
  5. Chapters 29-34, pages 181-225
  6. Chapters 35-44, pages 226-280
[Please check page numbers against your own editions, as publishers sometimes change the size or shape of the book, which alters the page numbers.]

Do you have a favorite book club book from another country or culture? (Click here for more Book Club recommendations.)

Monday, April 25, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 4/25/16


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.



Last Weeks' Posts


Picture Books



Tree of Wonder: the many marvelous lives of a rainforest tree (2015) by Kate Messner and illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. My students really enjoyed the surprise twist of doubling numbers in this rainforest-themed counting book. This was a nice little introduction to our Latin America unit. (I skipped the informational sections for our read aloud, but many kids enjoyed reading them on their own too.)


Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast (2015) by Josh Funk and illustrated by Brendan Kearney. This one was a big hit in my classroom. The kids loved the lighthearted foolishness of this fridge battle royale, as well as the familiar, bouncing rhyme scheme. The giant fridge fold-out at the end was a nice touch, as it's hard to resist no immediately turning back through the pages to see how the entire map fits together.


Are We There Yet? (2016) by Dan Santat. Thanks to blogger heads ups, I was first on the request list for this book when it arrived this week to the library. This story is a visual delight - our poor main character is stuck on a never-ending car ride to his grandmothers, which forces him to get ... creative. Kids will enjoy the interesting twists and turns of this book (literally). And have a phone with a QR code reader handy, just sayin'.


Once Upon Ice and Other Frozen Poems (1997) selected by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple. This charming little poetry book was suggested for our recent April Poetry Madness. I adore Jane Yolen and had not yet read this one. It's a combination of her son-in-law Jason's photographs of ice that were sent out to other poets who shared their inspired poems. A fun project to show kids how many poems and ideas can come from even a single topic!


Happy Reading!

April's Kid Lit Blog Hop


Hello! Welcome to the April 2016 Kid Lit Blog Hop. This exciting, monthly hop is where we develop an engaged group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature. Everyone is welcome to join us: bloggers, authors, publicist, and publishers!

Simply make a post and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only.) If you are an author, feel free just to link to your blog.

Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please follow the co-hosts and visit at least the two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit; we all like those. Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post.

We would also be grateful if you tweet about the blog hop too: #KidLitBlogHop. Let’s grow this wonderful community.

Our next hop will be May 17, 2016. The hostess will be around to see you soon.

Reading AuthorsHostess
Julie Grasso, Author/Blogger
Cheryl Carpinello, Author/Blogger
BeachBoundBooks
Pragmatic Mom
The Logonauts
A Book Long Enough
Spark and Pook
Hits and Misses


Happy Hopping!

Link Up Below:





Sunday, April 24, 2016

April Poetry Madness: Final Four!


In honor of April being National Poetry Month, my students and I are organizing a Poetry Book Madness tournament #2016APM. Thank you so much for all those of you who shared your favorite children's poetry books in our previous post and helped seed your favorites.

Click here for the most recent April Poetry Madness posts!

Voting Schedule

  • Third round of voting (Final 4): Mon. April 25th to Wed. April 27th
  • Final round of voting (Championship): Thurs. April 28th to Sat. April 29th
  • Winner announced on Sun. May 1st!


Place Your Votes! (Or, scroll down to see details about each book.)




Classic Bracket


 

#1. Love that Dog (2001) by Sharon Creech. (Read a full review including how I use this book to teach poetry.)



#2. Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan

Newbie Bracket



#1. Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths (2016) by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse.


#7. Won Ton: a cat tale told in haiku (2011) by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. (Read a full review here, or read a review for the sequel.)

Click here for the most recent April Poetry Madness posts!

Thursday, April 21, 2016

April Poetry Madness: Elite 8


In honor of April being National Poetry Month, my students and I are organizing a Poetry Book Madness tournament #2016APM. Thank you so much for all those of you who shared your favorite children's poetry books in our previous post and helped seed your favorites.

Voting Schedule

  • Second round of voting (Elite 8): Thurs. April 21st to Sat. April 23rd
  • Third round of voting (Final 4): Mon. April 25th to Wed. April 27th
  • Final round of voting (Championship): Thurs. April 28th to Sat. April 29th
  • Winner announced on Sun. May 1st!


Place Your Votes! (Or, scroll down to see details about each book.)




Classic Bracket


 

#1. Love that Dog (2001) by Sharon Creech. (Read a full review including how I use this book to teach poetry.)



#2. Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan


#3. Dogku (2007) by Andrew Clements. (Read a full review here.)


#4. Meow Ruff: a story in concrete poetry (2006) by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Michelle Berg.

Newbie Bracket



#1. Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths (2016) by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse.


#3. Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons (2014) by Jon J. Muth. (Read a full review here.)


#5. Orangutanka: a story in poems (2015) by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Renée Kurilla. (Read a full review here.)


#7. Won Ton: a cat tale told in haiku (2011) by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. (Read a full review here, or read a review for the sequel.)

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

If You Like Cleopatra in Space ...

This semester, my students are sharing book reviews in a different format, linking one book they thought many people in the class might have read and another that would appeal to a reader of the first book. (Please note that my third graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for third graders.)

This "If you like ... read this next ..." format was inspired by the We Need Diverse Books summer reading series. They used the format to encourage people to find and read diverse books, so all of their "read this next" choices highlight great, diverse book choices. You can find their posts here on their Tumblr page.

If You Like Cleopatra in Space ...


By: Evelyn

If you like Cleopatra in Space, then you should read The Courageous Princess series by Rod Espinosa.

Both book series have a princess in them that is not like a wussy princess but way more adventurous.

I would recommend these books to anyone who likes mysteries and is willing to read a book about a courageous princess!

If You Like Cleopatra in Space ...


By: Caroline

If you like Cleopatra in Space, then you should read Bee and PuppyCat.

These are both really good series. Bee and PuppyCat is a comic, and it has a LOT of really cool stories in it! Here are the reasons I like it:

1: Lots of cute pictures

2: Really cool and adventurous

3: IN FULL COLOR!

4: It's just super awesome!

P.S. Book 3, The Secret of the Time Tablets just came out. In our classroom, kids are reading it three at-a-time!


Looking for more book recommendations? Check out the #3rdfor3rd tag for book recommendations written by my third graders about their favorite books or the Read This Next tag for more recommendations like this one!

Monday, April 18, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 4/18/16


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.



Last Weeks' Posts


Picture Books



A Hungry Lion or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals (2016) by Lucy Ruth Cummings. Sarcastic irreverent picture books have almost become a genre in themselves (I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, Carnivores, and more). This book plays on that idea, as the title sets you up immediately, but perhaps this book is not what you are expecting. Or is it?


The Only Child (2016) by Guojing. This incredible wordless picture book / graphic novel is based on the author's true experience growing up as an only child during China's one-child policy. This fanciful tale begins from that place of truth and then takes the reader on a magical yet emotional journey. Lovely.


A Rock Can Be ... (2015) by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Violeta Dabija. This is the first book I have read in this charming science series (which also includes Water Can Be ... and A Leaf Can Be ...). Lyrical lines celebrate all the many different things that rocks can be and detailed notes at the end explain the science behind the words and illustrations. A great series for science teachers who want to integrate more literature.


My Two Blankets (2015) by Irena Kobald and illustrated by Freya Blackwood. This story is narrated by a young girl who flees her home country due to war and ends up with her aunt in an unfamiliar country with new languages and new animals. The two blankets are a metaphor for how she wraps herself in the known and the familiar. Also a testament to the power of a smile and of friendship. Based on the author's observations of her own Austrian-Australian daughter and her Sudanese-Australian friend. (One to add to my list of books about modern immigration.) (H/T Carrie at There's a Book for That.)


Super Cilantro Girl (2003) by Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by Honorio Robledo Tapia. This bilingual story tells of a girl whose mother has been detained at the US / Mexico border, and in response the girl finds herself morphing into a superhero who can fly across the border. This book could have been much more, and I agree with many other reviewers that the artwork distracts rather than adds to the story.


Dim Sum for Everyone (2003) by Grace Lin. Cute but slight. Not a lot of detail for someone who is unfamiliar with dim sum (though there is an author's note). Cartoonish illustrations.

Happy Reading!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

April Poetry Madness: Opening Round


In honor of April being National Poetry Month, my students and I are organizing a Poetry Book Madness tournament #2016APM. Thank you so much for all those of you who shared your favorite children's poetry books in our previous post and helped seed your favorites.

Click here for the most recent April Poetry Madness posts!

Voting Schedule

  • First round of voting (Sweet 16): Mon. April 18th to Wed. April 20th
  • Second round of voting (Elite 8): Thurs. April 21st to Sat. April 23rd
  • Third round of voting (Final 4): Mon. April 25th to Wed. April 27th
  • Final round of voting (Championship): Thurs. April 28th to Sat. April 29th
  • Winner announced on Sun. May 1st!


Place Your Votes! (Or, scroll down to see details about each book.)




Classic Bracket


 

#1. Love that Dog (2001) by Sharon Creech. (Read a full review including how I use this book to teach poetry.)



#2. Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan


#3. Dogku (2007) by Andrew Clements. (Read a full review here.)


#4. Meow Ruff: a story in concrete poetry (2006) by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Michelle Berg.


#5.Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974) by Shel Silverstein.


#6. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: very short stories to read together (2006)by Mary Ann Hoberman.


#7. Scranimals (2002) by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Peter Sis.


#8. Joyful Noise: poems for two voices (1988) by Paul Fleischman. (Read a full review here.)

Newbie Bracket



#1. Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths (2016) by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse.


#2. Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It: false apology poems (2012) by Gail Carson Levine and illustrated by Matthew Cordell.


#3. Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons (2014) by Jon J. Muth. (Read a full review here.)


#4. Forest Has a Song (2013) by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater and illustrated by Robbin Gourley.


#5. Orangutanka: a story in poems (2015) by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Renée Kurilla. (Read a full review here.)

 

#6. Ode to a Commode (2014) by Brian P. Cleary.


#7. Won Ton: a cat tale told in haiku (2011) by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. (Read a full review here, or read a review for the sequel.)

 

#8. National Geography Book of Animal Poetry (2012) edited by J. Patrick Lewis.