Little Things Amuse Me

When I should be writing about the book I recently finished, I am instead messing with the settings on my blog. Please note my new "Noteworthy Blogs" section. I had this before, but Blogger just came out with a way to make a Blog Roll that not only shows the name of blogs, but also the last entry title and last updated date and time. It also shows an icon for the type of blog they are using, and there is an option to put a snippet of the last entry, although I didn't choose to use this feature. All I had to do was import from my Google Reader which blogs I wanted listed. Blogger does the rest! LOVIN' IT!
PS- Now I feel like a liar. I just looked and my blog was doing none of the things I claimed it could do??? I did decide to let go of the "Last entry title" because it was taking up too much space, but now I am not seeing anything? I will work on this, but I swear it was there and it was cool looking.

May Carnival of Children's Literature

I am disappointed in myself that I missed the May Carnival of Children's Literature at The Bonny Glen, but I must say it came together pretty well for last minute notice. Check it out if you have the time.
On a more personal note...

School's Out, School's Out! Teacher Let the Monkey Out!! Or should I say The monkey let the teacher out!

So needless to say, I will have plenty of time to blog and read!
For those of you following my saga, my husband is now home and resting comfortably. By no means "well" but doing the best we can. I appreciate everyone's encouragement and support!

Fun, Interesting, and Amazing News

I really enjoy Esme Raji Codell. Always have since I first saw her reading her book Educating Esme on some CSPAN channel long ago. So thus, I follow her blog. Although she doesn't update a lot, when she does it is always a doozie! Today I came across this post and noticed something interesting she was talking about so I took a closer look.
She mentions an online auction that she taking part in, so I had to check it out. In the meantime, I found myself a new website.
The new website: The Reading Reptile
The auction explanation: Debt Depletion Day Auction
The awesome items and their bids: eBid Store

Meme

This is one of the first things I have had time to do in awhile and I have been meaning to say something about that. My husband is in the hospital and is very sick. I am going through a really rough time and I really have NO time to read or review books right now and for that I am extremely disappointed. I sincerely apologize to all the people who have recently sent me ARCS and I have not reviewed them. That being said...

I have been tagged for a Meme by Stacy at Two Writing Teachers.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Okay, now the “juicy” stuff:

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was chilling in Daytona Beach Florida after recently graduating from the University of Dayton. Little did I know that my life was soon to change drastically! Less than a month later my grandpa passed away and I met my husband all in the same week.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Get up...
2. Take my dog to my parents
3. Copy off test retakes for my cherubs
4. Call some doctors
5. Pay some bills

What are some snacks you enjoy?

• Cookies
  
• Cakes
  
• Chips
  
• Dips (Preferably with the chips)
  
• Candy Bars
• Licorice
  

What would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Pay off all my bills.
2. Donate money to various places.
3. Retire.
4. Start over on my house.
5. Take a long vacation.
6. Pay someone else to do my laundry and cook my food.
7. Give money to friends.
8. Buy my sister everything she needs for her twins to come.

What are three of your bad habits?
1. Eating poorly.
2. Never exercise.
3. I worry too much.

What are five places where you have lived?
1. Market St. (Xenia, OH)
2. Stuart Hall (University of Dayton)
3. Garden Apartments (University of Dayton)
4. Lowes St. (University of Dayton)
5. Firwood Dr. (Very near the University of Dayton)
I am very worldly, huh?

What are five jobs you have had?
1. Teacher
2. Babysitter (Nanny)
3. Pool store girl... don't ask
4. Pondergrossa
5. Cleaning for my grandma at her apartments

What six people do you want to tag?
Jen Robinson
Barbara O'Connor
Amy S.
Mother Reader
Jen Barney
katied

Future Dating

W00T W00T! Future Dating for Blogger! If you don't know what that means, check it out!

New April Carnival of Children's Literature

There is a new Carnival of Children's Literature up for April at Ellsworth's Journal. It is a really fun one! Lots of work went into it.
By the way, I am having another little bout where I am finding it impossible to post. Bear with me. I know this part is kind of tacky, but I just want to you to be patient. I WILL return. And when I do, be prepared!

VoiceThread

VoiceThread? What is it anyway? That is the same question I had. So I checked it out. Then I found out via Barbara O'Connor that this was on there: VoiceThread from Sara Holmes.
So try it for yourself and then try not to get absorbed in watching everything you can find... I DARE YOU!
OH-- And Now I think I learned how to embed it!

Larger Than Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall

Ever since I read this review of Larger Than Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall at A Year of Reading, I have been scouring the library for a copy of the book. Unfortunately, someone loved the book as much as I did and held on to it for themselves. All I can hope was that the someone was a preteen learning more about themselves and the students around them.
It is well known that teenagers can be cruel. But did you know that preteens, say those aged 4th to 6th grade, can be just as cruel and often don't even originally know what they are doing is bullying? I see this scenario day in and day out. Fifth grade boys and girls who are so wrapped up in their own world, that they do not even stop for a moment to think the thoughts they are thinking and or saying may be considered cruel and unusual punishment to others around them.
In an unconventional way, Mackall uses her main character, Laney Grafton, as a first person narrator who not only tells us the heart wrenching story of the new classmate Lara Phelps but also explains the elements of writing a good story at the same time. As the story begins, Lara has arrived at the school and the students are stunned because she is so different from them. So different as in weighing 300 or so pounds. The story follows the relentless teasing of the classmates on Lara. (Dubbed Larger than Life Lara) It continues through the whole story to the point where you think there will be no ending.
The story shows the true nature of the preteen with all its warts, but also all its heart as well. I wept uncontrollably because I have seen this scenario play out so many times in so many different ways. I do not have children of my own, but if I ever do, I hope I can raise them with enough tolerance and dignity to realize everyone is a shining star in some way. We all just need to decide how we are going to help one another let that star shine.

Another Review:
My Breakfast Platter

I knew It All Along!

You Are An Exclamation Point

You are a bundle of... well, something. You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama. You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it. Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself. You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy. (But they do secretly worry that you'll spill their secrets without even realizing it.) You excel in: Public speaking You get along best with: the Dash

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Thanks to Miss Rumphius Effect and all others for the link.

Sara Pennypacker Q & A

There is a new Kids Q & A at Powells and it is Sara Pennypacker! How fun! Only part I didn't love was the question "If you could pick anyone to illustrate one of your books, who would it be and why?" Love her answer, but I really think Marla Frazee is the perfect illustrator for ANY AND ALL Clementine books. JMO

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

So I might be the last reader in the Kidlitosphere to read The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, but I did and that is all that matters. Right?
I need to say right here, this is not going to be a summary of the story. You can get that anywhere. In fact, I almost liked not having any idea what I was getting into with this book. I left a lot of the suspense just that, suspense.
As I was reading, I found myself constantly thinking of Harry Potter. I know people hate being compared to Harry Potter, but that is what I thought as I read. I kept seeing the themes of sticking together, friends helping friends, and feelings of belonging to a bigger purpose. I really liked that about the story. What I also liked was the feeling I got as I was reading. That feeling that if I put the book down, I would miss something important. There was so much suspense! A good suspense, though. Not a suspense that something bad would happen, but more of "How will they figure this one out?" Because for whatever reason, I always thought every situation would have a silver lining. Although they did not always solve everything with a silver lining, each end was always tied up neatly.
I am REALLY not sure this is a fifth grade book. I hate to say that because I know it could be, but I also know my fifth grade students. Much of the vocabulary and references are going to go right over their head. I think it has potential to be a great read aloud. In fact it recently won the E.B. White Read aloud Award. However, you would have to have a LARGE CHUNK of time each day for read aloud. Having only 20 minutes four days a week myself, I don't see that happening for me.
Am I ready for a sequel? Bring it on! But what could possibly happen next?
Check out the Curiosity Chronicles (Great fun!)
Other Reviews:
Becky's Book Reviews
Fuse #8 Production (Part One) (Part Two)
PlanetEsme
Semicolon

D.E.A.R. Day April 12

I forgot I had written about this earlier, but take a little time for National D.E.A.R Day today. Also celebrate by taking about 17 minutes to watch and listen to a video of Beverly Cleary answering questions submitted from all around the United States. It took me back to the days I read endlessly Ramona, Ralph S. Mouse, and Dear Mr. Henshaw.
Mrs. Beverly Cleary Interview

Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker

It all started way back when, reading this post by Mary Lee at A Year of Reading. I was so new to blogs, I don't even know how I stumbled upon this one. I believe I searched Google for the words "Fifth Grade Read Aloud" and a whole new world opened up for me. Not only the world of blogs, but the world of Clementine!
The third book in the Clementine series is Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee. This might possibly be my favorite of the three books.
The plot is that Clementine's teacher has been nominated for a award which will afford him the privilege to work outside the classroom on a project. (Lucky him) But Clementine feels very betrayed by his leaving. Clementine is also again trying desperately to please her mother and father which turns into a very cute subplot.
The reason I love this book so much, or even dare I say, more than the other two, is the fact that so much of it centers on Clementine and her relationship with her teacher. I hope everyday that I mean that much to one of my students. If just one student would feel betrayed by me not being at school, I would be thrilled! I also really like the way she talks about the substitute teacher. My favorite line (not quoting because someone has already snagged my book) is where Clementine talks about how she didn't know the substitute teacher's rules before hand. (That is before she had done wrong.) And haven't we all felt like that at some point?
I could probably go on and on about this book, but my suggestion is, just read it! It will only take you a very small slice of time and you will feel so happy you did!
Other Reviews:
Literate Lives
A Year of Reading

Two New Picture Books We Enjoyed

I recently read aloud two new picture books with my class, just for something fun. They weren't meant to make us think real hard about a specific topic, they weren't for test prep, they weren't even meant for my age student. But they didn't care. In fact, they loved going back in time for a minute and just laughing for the pure joy of laughing. Or at least that is how I perceived the moment. If you teach middle grade kids, you'll enjoy hearing the laughter in your room from the following picture books:
Doctor Ted by Andrea Beaty (ARC from the author available next week)
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems

Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor

When you are trying to find books fit for a fifth grade student and you keep coming up empty handed, you are T-TOTALLY THRILLED when you come across a book such as Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor.
I am going to start with the most obvious selling point of this book for me. I absolutely adore the arrangement of chapters with a different character's points of views. Each chapter follows the view of the story through a different character. It is brilliant! I know, it has been done before, but I absolutely love the way it is SPECIFICALLY done in this book. It is seamless. The stories overlap just enough, but nothing is repeated in a way that says, "In case you forgot from last chapter."
Each of the characters adds such a different dynamic to the novel. They all have their own inner struggles, but each has something to endear them to the reader. I hate to pick favorites but Loretta is my favorite character in the book. Of course as I read, I began to love every character for one reason or another. I was rooting for everyone in the end.
The plot of the story follows the fate of a small motel, The Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smoky Mountains. The hotel is owned by at widow named Aggie. She and her husband originally opened the successful motel years ago and now that he is gone and business is slow, Aggie is finding herself in a position of thinking about selling the motel. As each of the other characters is introduced, the fate of the motel improves.
It is no secret that I wasn't really into the cover of O'Connor's Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia, but I think the cover on this book is delightful! I love the way it looks like a real postcard and is almost cartoon-ish. This one is hit for me.
I guess I didn't address how this is a perfect book for fifth grade? Well, take my word, IT IS! The characters all have stories my students can relate to, the vocabulary is just right, and the story move quickly. I am very excited to recommend the book to my kiddos. I can't wait to see what they think of the chapter arrangements. But what I most want to ask them is, "Who is your favorite character?"
OMG, how could I have forgotten to mention--- on page 188 there is a list of guests and one of the guests is Hattie Norris from DAYTON, OHIO! Love-It!

MIA

I know I have been MIA for awhile now. But believe me, I am still here. I am reading everything everyone is blogging. I am also reading books, yet I am not feeling anything. I haven't read anything to blog about, but that is about to change. I am currently reading The Mysterious Benedict Society and loving it! (By the way, comes out in paperback April 1) I also have my beach reading packed and ready to go, Greetings From Nowhere! Very excited for that.
Of course I am taking my computer to the beach, but I ain't promising a thing!
See ya a little browner next time!

I Like it, I Love it, I Want more of it!

When I first read this morning that Mother Reader had been sharing her blog with someone else, I felt betrayed. No, it wasn't like that, it was BETTER. Check out her new home and find out more information here:
Big Universe!

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson is a 2008 Newbery Honor book about finding hope. It is truly a deep book. I am glad I read it, but I am now a little confused about what to do with it.
Frannie, the main character, is struggling in her small world filled with disappointments, challenges, bullies, friends, family, and race. Sounds like a lot? Yeah, that is what I thought too. Frannie lives in an area where everyone is like her, black. When a new boy comes to her school, the class begins to call him "Jesus boy" because of his white skin and longish hair. The class, along with Frannie struggles with just exactly who this stranger is and why he has come into their lives. At the same time Frannie is dealing with the fact that her mother who has lost several babies is now pregnant. She is also living with a deaf brother. WHOA... STOP... information overload!
What I liked about the book was it showed race issues from a new perspective. The book is set in the 1970s which is different from most books covering this topic typically set in the 60s. I also liked that the emotions ran deep on both sides of the topic. There was perspective from both sides of the coin. I also thought the "jive talk" was fun in this story.
Which brings me to the next point. I think this would be a great read aloud but it would have to be a very detailed read aloud with a lot of explanation. I think if I ever had my own children, I would read this book aloud to them. Here is a short video clip for the story. This clip, plus lots more useful information can be found on Jacqueline Woodson's website.

Passion Quilt

When I was tagged for this Meme by A Year of Reading, my wheels began turning right away. As soon as I started looking for pictures, I saw what I wanted in about 1,000 versions, so I may post more than one picture.
Here are the rules of the Meme:

• Think about what you are passionate about teaching your students.
• Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.
• Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.
• Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce

My passion or the thing that I want my students to leave my class knowing more about is CHOICE! There are so many different kinds of choices, but specifically I am talking about Choice in literature. As this first picture demonstrates, I hope they learned it way back when:
My Choices are endless...
But if they didn't get the choice then, maybe they have encountered Choice along the way:
Whatever shall I CHOSE?
And I never want my students to feel as thought they need to pull one of these kinds of tricks in my class:
She'll never notice.

I am going to tag those whom I know are teachers and haven't been tagged as far as I can tell, but if anyone else wants to participate, feel free...
I tag:
Jen Barney A Teacher's Life
Amy S. My Breakfast Platter
Stacy and Ruth Two Writing Teachers
Jenny Elementary, My Dear, or Far From It
Sarah The Reading Zone

Reading is Fundamental Challenge

You may have recently read my post about the proposed cut of funding for the Reading is Fundamental book distribution program. In the words of Layla Wright-Contrearas, (Media Relations Manager of Reading is Fundamental) "on a more uplifting note" here is a challenge from Reading is Fundamental that you may be interested in. Reading is Fundamental is joining with US Airways in a nationwide effort to log 1 million minutes reading with children by May 31, 2008.

You can join the challenge HERE.

The following is a press release from Reading is Fundamental:

“FLY WITH US. READ WITH KIDS.” CAMPAIGN TAKES TO THE SKIES

US Airways and Reading Is Fundamental Put Children’s Books on Planes; Launch “Read with Kids Challenge.”

TEMPE, Ariz., — Feb. 29, 2008—US Airways (LCC) has joined with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) to launch a new early childhood literacy campaign, “Fly with US. Read with Kids,”which features a free children’s book for passengers traveling domestically during March, the online “Read with Kids Challenge,” and support of RIF programs serving young children across the nation.

During the month of March, US Airways, the official airline of RIF, will distribute copies of best-selling author/illustrator Lucy’s Cousins’ children’s book Come Fly with Maisy to passengers on domestic, mainline flights to take and share with a child. The organizations’ “Read with Kids Challenge” encourages Americans to read with young children during March, April, and May in an effort to log one million minutes reading. All entrants who log their time will qualify for a grand prize drawing of a family vacation to Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando as well as other prizes. Participants can enter their time online at RIF.org.

“Reading, much like travel, is an adventure and a way to explore new worlds,” said Doug Parker, US Airways Chairman and CEO. “By teaming up with RIF on this first-of-its kind campaign, US Airways is helping foster literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading in children throughout the country – a key foundation for future academic and economic success.”