Tuesday, July 29, 2014

What Are You Reading?

“It’s Monday! What are you Reading?” is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is a chance for book lovers to share their reading accomplishments as well as what is on the proverbial nightstand. She even does a giveaway. Subsequently Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Textsadded an opportunity for those reading kidlit to join the fun. Since I read both I will post to both. Check them out, join the conversations, and discover more great books.

Books marked with an '*' I would put in my classroom library.
Books marked with a '#' would be in an middle or high school library.

 See you at Harry's by Jo Knowles
A tale of family, acceptance, and loss, told from the perspective of the middle school sister. (Spoiler alert: one brother is gay and one dies.)

*A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
This will be one of my Read Alouds this year. Some of Grimm’s tales are woven together using Hansel and Gretel throughout. A bit reminiscent of “The Princess Bride” in that the narrator speaks directly to the reader saying they may want to stop reading due to the gruesomeness of the tales.

# Five Flavors of Dumb by Anthony John
A compelling tale (set in Seattle!) of Piper, a high school senior, and her journey through friendship, family, deafness, and managing a rock band.

 When We Were On Fire by Addie Zierman
A memoir on growing up in an evangelical church and going to an evangelical college and how it can really mess with one’s idea of ‘church’, faith, and grace – ultimately there is grace.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

We’re off…

A tent
A campfire
Friends and family
God’s creation
More food than we need
We’re off on a camping trip

WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog.<br />SHARE a link to your post in the comments section.<br />GIVE comments to at least three other SOLSC bloggers.

What Are You Reading?

 

“It’s Monday! What are you Reading?” is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is a chance for book lovers to share their reading accomplishments as well as what is on the proverbial nightstand. She even does a giveaway. Subsequently Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Textsadded an opportunity for those reading kidlit to join the fun. Since I read both I will post to both. Check them out, join the conversations, and discover more great books.

Books marked with an '*' I would put in my classroom library.
Books marked with a '#' would be in an middle or high school library.

*  Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
”You should never ignore a possible.” This book is one you quite possibly will love.

#  Shine by Lauren Myracle
Small town America and your best guy friend (who happens to be gay) dies in what looks like a hate crime. What do you do? A story of friendship and a ‘who-dun-it’ all rolled into one.

*  Ender's Game by Orson Scot Card
A sci-fi written in 1977 that reads as if it was written today.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal!
I had Spoon on my list. When I found it at the library there were tons of books she has written. I picked up a few. I am now on a quest to read them all. Witty and whimsical. The ones blocked below I will take back to my fifth grade class.

*  Spoon
Point of view mentor text

*  This Plus That: Life’s Little Equations
What can you add or subtract in life? What do you get? A way to integrate math and writing.

 Exclamation Mark
A great book for grade one/two as the exclamation mark is being tried out in student writing.

 Bedtime for Mommy
My 5 year old’s favorite of the bunch.

 Al Pha's Bet
An explanation of how the order of the alphabet came to be.

 Little Oink
A pig who prefers to be tidy.

 Chopsticks
And now the perspective of the chopsticks – the value of friendship AND independence.

*  I Scream! Ice Cream!
The example I can think of that isn’t in the book: “let us pray” and “lettuce pray”. I think my ELL will love this.