Welcome to #3rdfor3rd where I share books that my third graders recommend for other third graders. (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.) Read more about this book recommendation series and format here.
Wings of Fire series
Book recommendation by Joey.
I would like to recommend Wings of Fire by Tui. T. Sutherland. This book is about five dragons (the dragonets of destiny) stopping the war. This book is interesting because you never know what is going to happen next.
My favorite quote is this "When the war has lasted twenty years the dragonets will come. When the land is soaked in blood and tears the dragonets will come. Find the Seawing egg of deepest blue. Wings of night shall come to you. The largest egg in mountain high will give you the wings of sky. For wings of earth, search through the mud for an egg the color of dragon blood. And hidden alone from the rival queens, the sandWing egg awaits unseen.Of three queens who blister and blaze and burn, two shall die and one shall learn if she bows to a fate stronger and higher, she will have the power of the wings of fire. Five eggs to hatch on the brightest night, five dragons born to end the fight. Darkness will rise to bring light. The dragonets are coming."
If you like dragons you will love this book. I rate this book 5 out of 5.
Book recommendation by Gavin.
Wings of Fire is a action adventure series by Tui T. Sutherland. In this five book series, five dragonets try to find their parents and stop the war. I recommend this book to people who like dragons and action. Is a little violent, but overall, it's good!
Welcome to the 64th Kid Lit BlogHop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists. So, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!
*** Please note that we will only be hosting 1 Kid Lit Blog Hop during the month of August. We will be returning to our normal schedule (the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month) beginning in September, so the next Kid Lit Blog Hop will take place September 2nd.
1. Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.
* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*
* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *
* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*
* Feel free to link more than one post.*
2. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment.We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you!
3. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links!
4. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Google Classroom is part of a suite of products offered by Google for use by schools. In the first post in this series, Figuring Out Google Classroom, I shared a brief overview of classroom and its incredible utility for managing assignments and projects. This post provides a quick how-to for setting up a class in Google Classroom. The next post will explain how to set up assignments and projects to get the most out of Google Classroom.
Setting Up Google Classroom - the Class
Click the little boxes in the upper right for the drop-down menu. Click "More" if Classroom is not an option.
Click "Classroom" to enter Google Classroom directly from Gmail.
You can access Google Classroom in two ways. The first is directly via https://classroom.google.com or from within the drop-down menu inside Gmail or another Google product. Enter your school email address and password if you have not already.
Click the plus sign in the upper-right to join an existing class or to create a new class. Classes that you have already joined or created will appear on your Home screen. Type the name and section name (if applicable) for your class. (If multiple teachers within a school will be using Google Classroom you may want to establish a standardized format for class names.)
Google Classes are organized with three tabs for teachers: stream, students, and about. Stream is the default view and shows all announcements and assignments with the most recent at the top. Shown is a stream with one example assignment. Underneath the assignment is a comment box. Teachers can enable or disable student commenting in the stream.
The student tab is where teachers can see enrolled students, invite more students, and choose whether students can add posts and/or comments to the class stream. There are two ways to invite students to join a Google Class.
The first is using the "Invite" button, shown above. Teachers are then directed to add students via their email addresses. Students will receive a class invitation email. Clicking the link provided will add them to the class.
The second is for students to use the class code to join the class. Students sign into Classroom using their school email address and password. Then, they click the plus sign in the upper-right hand corner and select "Join Class." Students then need to enter the class code (visible to the teacher in both the Stream and Student views). This method is much quicker for the teacher, as you can simply write the class code on the board and have students each add themselves.
The final tab is About and allows you to add a description about the class. It also provides a quick link to the Google Drive folder associated with the class. You can also add "materials" to this page, which includes links to documents, Google Drive files, or other web sites. This could be a useful place to aggregate popular web resources used regularly by your students.
Google Classroom - Student View
For students, Google Classroom has a very similar look. When they log into classroom (either through a link or within their Gmail), their home screen will have a list of their classes. Within a class, there are three main tabs for students: stream, classmates, and about.
Stream has a similar look to the teacher's view, listing announcements, assignments, and projects with the most recent first. A quick summary of upcoming assignments appears on the left-hand side. Completed and returned assignments are marked with a green check mark (see above) to help students quickly identify which assignments are yet-to-be completed.
The Classmates tab provides a listing of everyone in the class as well as an icon to send an individual student a direct email. The About tab includes whatever description the teacher has created in his/her About tab. It also provides a direct link to the Google Drive folder associated with that class.
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 Week's Posts
#3rdfor3rd: Harry Potter. Three of my third grade students share why they love the Harry Potter series.
Letting Swift River Go (1992) by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. This lovely historical fiction book tells the story of the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir from what once was a valley threw which flowed the Swift River. Told from the point-of-view of a young girl who lived in one of the to-be-drown towns, this book provides an inside perspective on how people choose to dramatically modify their environments.
Tigers, Frogs, and Rice Cakes: a Book of Korean Proverbs (1999) selected and translated by Danial D. Holt and illustrated by Soma Han Stickler. This collection of Korean proverbs presents each in Korean, English, and transliterated Korean along with a gorgeous illustration to help illuminate the meanings. A note at the end provides a few sentences of description to accompany each proverb, along with connections to common English proverbs. This book could be a great conversation starter for talking to kids about proverbs and their interpretations.
I'm Trying to Love Spiders (2015) by Bethany Barton. I had high hopes for this book after reading so many positive reviews. And while I liked it and its humor (and will admit to having occasionally flip a page quickly to avoid a detailed illustration!), I was hoping for more in the fact department. The back of the book and the endpapers seemed to have more factual content than the rest of the book. I think this is a book kids will really enjoy, but additional science would have made it an even stronger text. (H/T Elisabeth at The Dirigible Plum.)
Wall (2014) by Tom Clohosy Cole. The stark cover reveals a lot about the illustration and style of this historical fiction book about the building of the Berlin Wall. Told through the eyes of a young boy caught on one side of the wall with his father on the other, the book brings a child's perspective and imaginings to this huge life change. This is another book that could have used a more extensive back matter, rather than just a quick note on the jacket flap. (A review copy of the book was provided by the Candlewick Best in Class mailing. All thoughts are my own.)
Full House: an invitation to fractions (2007) by Dayle Ann Dodds and illustrated by Abby Carter. I have read some great math-integration picture books (like the classic The Doorbell Rang), but this is not one of them. A bed and breakfast has six rooms, five very odd people show up, the rooms are full, they divide a cake six ways, the end. Also, rhyming books need to be held to higher standards. (A review copy of the book was provided by the Candlewick Best in Class mailing. All thoughts are my own.)
Middle Grade
Heartbeat (2004) by Sharon Creech. I thought I had ordered this book when I was on my memoir kick earlier this summer, but this lovely little novel-in-verse does not appear to be a true memoir. Instead, it is the story of a 12-year old girl named Annie who loves to run but does not understand the appeal of a track team and who is working through her feelings about her grandfather's growing dementia and her mother's impending pregnancy. Some of the poems about the baby would make great mentor texts for memoirs, however.
Poetry
Last Laughs: animal epitaphs (2012) by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins. This is a dark book. I'm really not sure who the intended audience is, particularly as some of the poetic puns are rather complicated and some of the illustrations are actually sort of disturbing. Maybe save this one for Halloween with middle schoolers.
I was inspired to put together this post after seeing the recent series by Franki (also a third grader teacher) on books she is adding to her classroom library: new series books and new books in favorite series.
Books I Want to Add to my Classroom Library
These are all books or series that I have read this summer, and many of them have previously been reviewed here at The Logonauts. My third graders read at a wide range of reading and interest levels, which is reflected in the books below. In addition, I am always trying to tame the envious third grade beast of "reading faster, reading thicker" and love finding quality, engaging books that don't require hundreds upon hundreds of pages to get through.
Marty McGuire (series). Realistic fiction story about a third-grade girl. There are currently three book in the series. (Read the full review here.)
Pack-n-Go Girls (series). Travel adventure series staring girls from the US who travel to another country, team up with a local friend, and have an adventure or solve a mystery. Current series destinations include Mexico, Thailand, Austria, and the Brazil series is coming in October. (Read the full review here.)
Belly Up (series). Realistic fiction series about a young boy who lives in a zoo because his parents are an animal research and a famous photographer. Humor + mystery = a great read. Book two, Poached, is out now, and Big Game debuts in October. (Read the full review here.)
Phoebe and Her Unicorn (graphic novel). Graphic novels are always a huge hit with my students. This one stars a young girl named Phoebe who is befriended by a sarcastic unicorn. Book two comes next May. (Read the full review here.)
What new books or series are YOU adding to your classroom library?
In addition to the books I already mentioned in Part 1 about Ted Lewin, there are many books written by others that he has illustrated. Here is a brief description of some of these wonderful stories.
Pennies in a Jar (2007) by Dori Chaconas and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This homefront story during WWI is narrated by a young boy whose father has recently left to fight in the war. The boy is nervous about a lot of things, but especially the various street horses who work in and around his neighborhood. While saving pennies for a special birthday gift for his Dad, the boy finds a solution to more problems than just that one.
Island of the Blue Dolphins (1990 reissue) by Scott O'Dell featuring illustrations by Ted Lewin. Until putting together this series, I had no idea that there was an edition of this book illustrated by Ted Lewin. My greatest disappointment, however, was that the illustrations are reproduced in black and white, and that the title image is the only one in full color. It seems like a waste with such luminous artwork.
The World's Greatest Elephant (2006) by Ralph Helfer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This remarkable true story tells a tale of friendship, loss, and despair between a young German boy and an elephant born on the same day. This is another book that deserves an author's note because this nearly-unbelievable story is actually true, but the truth is only hinted at in the author's biography. (You can read the full story in Modoc - The True Story of the World's Greatest Elephant also by Ralph Helfer.)
The World's Greatest Lion: a true story of survival (2012) by Ralph Helfer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. In this second collaboration, the true nature of the story is a little more obvious, as Ralph himself appears in the book. Zamba, the titular lion, is rescued by humans after his parents are killed. He eventually becomes trained and stars in several movies and shows. But it seems nature still has one more challenge in store...
The Longest Night (2009) by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This story of the end of winter and beginning of spring reads like a lyrical folktale. With the sun long gone the animals debate among themselves about who can bring it back. Lewin's artwork ranges from a variety of close-up to larger scene shots, featuring each animal and its efforts.
Reading logs have long been a staple of the elementary school years. Students logged books they read or minutes they read or even pages they read. Sometimes reading logs would be sent home, other times they would stay at school, or (perhaps most often) they would lie dormant at the bottom of a backpack.
As part of this year's #cyberPD, many of us were forced to grapple with how reading logs might connect to the three big ideas of the book: authenticity, intentionality, and connectedness. (This year's #cyberPD book club selection was Digital Reading: What's Essential in Grades 3-8 by William L. Bass II and Franki Sibberson.)
Authenticity, Intentionality, and Reading Logs
Reading logs have always served multiple purposes. Teachers like reading logs as a means of tracking student reading and growth over time. The best reading logs are often used for student self-reflection and goal setting. At-home reading logs can add an additional layer of accountability, as parents and family members partner with a child to encourage and track his/her reading.
(Please note that I am not advocating for either punitive nor rewards-based types of reading logs. Students should read for authentic reasons and not because a) there will be negative consequences if they do not read nor because b) they can win some kind of prize or reward if they do read.)
Connectedness and Digital Reading Logs
Digital reading logs add many features that are unavailable in traditional pencil and paper reading logs. Connectedness is a huge feature of digital reading logs. Digital reading logs allow students to share their reading and book recommendations with others. Many digital reading log programs also offer targeted suggestions based on previous books.
Kids love receiving book recommendations from others and love it when a friend or family member reads a book they recommended to them. Digital reading logs can help grow and inspire an authentic reading community.
Comparing Digital Reading Logs
Many different teachers in the #cyberPD community offered their suggestions and recommendations about various online reading logs. This post offers a quick overview of the most-recommended of these programs to help you choose the one that best fits your classroom and your intentions.
BiblioNasium
Biblionasium is a free site that allows teachers to register (with an email address) and then create student accounts with individual log-ins. You can add books to your shelf, rate them, and write reviews. You can also send a personalized recommendation to a classmate. When you search for a book, Biblionasium provides an engaging summary as well as the reading level (teachers can choose between several measures when establishing their account). Parents can create separate accounts and monitor their child's progress, as well as see challenges and recommendations from the teacher.
Teachers choose the settings for any group (class) that they create. This includes whether students' book reviews can be shared, whether reviews must first be approved by the teacher, and whether the site may share book trailers, author interviews, and other videos with students.
The Home page provides a daily book recommendation from "Coach Chip Manzee" (a cartoon monkey). My Books shows a student's bookshelf, as seen above. My Friends includes a list of classmates, as well as any other Friends the child has added (parental approval is required to add friends outside of the class group). Kids can set up their profile to include an avatar picture and modify the background of the site.
My Reading Log functions like a traditional daily reading log. After adding a book to their shelf, a student can record what he/she read, the date, and how many pages or minutes. A text box is also included for comments.
Challenges / My Awards allows the student, teachers, or parents to create a specific reading challenge. Books that are added to a students library and then logged in the Reading Log can count towards challenges and rewards.
My Suggested Reading offers book recommendations (in a bookshelf format) in multiple categories including summer reading, popular series, prize winners, and more. You can watch the introductory trailer, below, for more details.
What I Like about BiblioNasium
BiblioNasium is quick and easy to set up. Only the teacher needs to provide an email address, and you can either create your own passwords for each student or let the site generate them. Groups can be larger than just one classroom (they recommend less than 100 members). The reports function makes it easy to see students' reading logs. It is easy for students to search and recommend books, and the bookshelf-style layout works well to display books and search results. BiblioNasium is also a closed community (unless parents enable adding friends), keeping students secure. You can read several other reviews of BiblioNasium here.
What I Wish for BiblioNasium
I wish there was an easy way to disable the Challenges / Awards component, as this does not match my teaching philosophy. Some teachers have mentioned that older students can be turned off by the bright color palette of the site, feeling that it is babyish.
Bookopolis
Bookopolis is a similar free site that allows teachers to log in (with an email account, via Gmail, or via Facebook) and create student accounts. Students can search for books, rate and review books, play games, and share books with friends and classmates. Students earn points and badges for completing certain tasks. Parents can create linked accounts that allow them to track their child's reading and permit their child to add friends outside their classmates. Teachers may also opt-in to a program that allows them to earn free books as students write reviews.
If students have used Bookopolis in a previous year, there is a merge option available that allows them to import their previous reading history. Bookopolis is also available as an app through Edmodo.
Students can write free-form reviews of books or use the Book Buzz categories (short summary / best part / why you have to read it) to create their review. There is also a "report" option that asks several levels of generic questions about the book. Students can also personally recommend a book to a friend. When students search for a book there is also an option to buy the book (links to Amazon) or to borrow the book (links to WorldCat). Students may also read reviews written by other students within Bookopolis.
There is also a reading log feature that allows students to add books from their "I'm Reading Now" list and record the number of minutes and pages read. They can also add a comment in the text box.
Bookopolis appears to still be under construction for some functions. When I did a search and wrote a review for Kate Messner's Marty McGuire, the grade level and reading level information was missing, and the "Book Extras" and "Discussion" tabs just say "This feature coming soon."
In addition to books, Bookopolis also has a "Fun and Games" tab that connects to a wide-range of word games, puzzles, and adventure games. (When I tested this feature last week, nothing happened when you clicked on the games.)
What I Like about Bookopolis
Bookopolis is easy to setup and use, and the site provides quick tutorials for first-time users. You can import students manually or upload a list. There are several different report and analysis options available for teachers. It is easy for students to search for books and write reviews. You can read other reviews of Bookopolis here.
What I Wish for Bookopolis
Some of the features and functionality of Bookopolis is still under construction, and I wish that there were more control available to teachers for which options they wanted to enable. (Personally, if I were going to use Bookopolis, I would prefer to disable the games, disable the points/badges, and disable the generic report questions about each book.)
Goodreads
Goodreads is a popular free site and app for logging and recommending books, and it is one that many teachers (myself included, follow me here) use for their personal book logs. An email address is required to create an account. Because you must be 13 years of age to register for Goodreads, it is not appropriate for younger students. Some teachers ask parents to register for the site or create a classroom, rather than individual, log-in.
Goodreads allows you to rate books you have read, write recommendations, label books that you want to read, and share all of these actions with friends. You can join groups around a given topic or interest. The site also offers suggestions of books you might like based on books you have rated. Goodreads does rely on advertisements, which are generally, but not always, book-related.
Shelfari
Shelfari, run by Amazon, is another free book logging site geared towards adults. An email address linked to an Amazon account is required to sign up. (You must be at least 13 to have your own account. Some teachers use Shelfari for class reading or ask parents to create accounts.) You can also connect other social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter, to your account.
Shelfari allows you to read, review, and share book recommendations. You can also create and track individual reading goals. You can read reviews of others or see recommended books. The community feature allows you to connect with other readers or other groups based on common interests. Groups can share discussion-forum style posts. Shelfari does not include advertising but does link to Amazon to purchase books.
How Will You Track Your Digital Reading?
Will you use a digital tool this year to help your students track their reading? Do you have experience with one or more of these programs? Please share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below so that we can continue to learn from each other.
Book recommendation by Joey.
