The Boy Reader

Graphic Novels Part 2

2012-01-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

After my last blog post I reflected on my statement that there are many teachers that don’t let students read graphic novels. As I kept replaying the words in my head I realized that students must be taught how to read a graphic novel. It isn’t just looking at the pictures or reading the fewer words on the page. Readers must closely look at the pictures, reread the words and infer what is happening in the “white” space between the pictures. Teacher must realize that the graphic novel may be shorter or with more pictures, but if kids are reading them we must encourage more of the same behavior.

In the new Choice Literacy newsletter there is an article that reinforces this. Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan write a wonderful article entitled Is "Just Right" Still Just Right?: Helping Children Select Appropriate Books that addresses this fact. We as teacher get so caught up in “levels” that we no longer see the reader. Langrigan and Mulligan eloquently write that “just right” books are what we enjoy. (Sorry I know there is more to it than that, but that is my one sentence summary!)

Last week I had morning duty. It is a fun 25 minutes outside on the playground where I get to visit with students. During my time outside I asked a student, from another class, what she was reading. Her response, “I read a level 38!” I replied, “Oh, but what is the title of the book?” Again, “I’m a level 38.” When did Level 38 become a book? Why are we as educators so concerned about reading levels and not joy of reading a book? (OK in reality educators that follow book blogs don’t fit in this category, but still….)

Stepping down from my

I want to talk about two books from the Cybil’s Graphic Novels I received. One is very much a guy book the other will be a hard sell, but totally worth it in the end.

I love the story of King Arthur, but in reality it is usually done by watching the story on TV or at the theatre. Currently there are two versions on TV. BBC is in its fourth season of Merlin, and Showtime has Camelot. Guilty pleasure watching. I was excited when I received Excalibur The Legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee and Sam Hart. It is a great read. The background story is told quickly, so that we can get right to the action. The illustrations are interesting and I really got into reading the story. It is definitely a YA book.

When I was a kid my mom read me the Oz trilogy. They were hers from when she was a little girl. I remember looking forward to being read the stories. Another book I really enjoyed during my judging was Ozma of Oz L. Frank Baum by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. This will be a hard sell for boys. There is a girl with a large bow on the cover, so right off the bat there is a major hurdle to get over. Trust me it is worth it. The illustrations are fantastic. Dorothy is definitely not a sweet little girl in this book. Her ornery expressions made me laugh throughout the book. Boys will kike the adventure part and the robot.

Graphic Novels Part 1

2012-01-02T17:13:00.001-07:00

For the last three years I have been lucky enough to sit on a CYBILS panel. I feel honored to be able to add my opinion on what is great children's literature. It is a daunting task. I am responsible to read as many books as I can and narrow it down to my top five. This year I was on the graphic novel committee. There are two sections. The first is middle grade graphic novels and the second is young adult graphic novel. Since I teach third grade I am much more comfortable reading middle grade fiction. There were wonderful books nominated, but I was surprised that there weren't more choices. Last year I did middle grade fiction and there were over 125 books. Even though my comfort level is in middle grade I LOVED the YA graphic novels.

As I was reading I kept thinking about all the teachers out there that don't let kids read graphic novels. I am sure they have their "good reasons", but the truth is teachers that don't let students read graphic novels are short changing them. There were some phenomenal books nominated. They spanned the range of books. There were graphic novels based on literature, ones on superheroes, some vampires (some not bad!), ones on robots, and even current events. In other words there were graphic novels that met the needs of every reader. Some of my favorites made the short list and some didn't. Originally I was just going to blog about "boy" graphic novels, but I think that some of the "girl" ones have guy appeal.

Two books that did make the short list were two of my favorites. The first one is Sidekicks by Dan Santat and the second is Level Up by Gene Luen Yang. I can't wait to share many of them with you and my class. Happy New Year.

The book trailer for Sidekicks by Dan Santat was one of my favorites of the year. With any trailer the hope is that people (teachers) will preorder the books and share with their class. Well it worked because I did and I did! Sidekicks is a wonderful superhero story about an aging superhero (just like me without the cape or gadgets!). Captain Amazing is tired. He needs help, so a call is placed to find a new sidekick that could eventually take over.

This is where it gets fun. His animals decide they must and will be his sidekicks. I still laugh thinking about a hamster, dog and chameleon coming to the rescue of anyone. I mean really who can’t laugh seeing a hamster in a USA, Red, White, and Blue superhero costume. The story is charming and the graphics make me think of older comics. It is very popular in my third grade class.

Growing up most of us feel we need to meet our parent’s expectations. For boys it tends to be living up to what we believe our dad’s hopes are. Given that I couldn’t throw or catch a ball I knew I didn’t live up to what I thought my dad wanted. In Level Up by Gene Luen Yang’s new graphic novel the main character Dennis Ouyang didn’t come close to what his parents wanted for him.

Dennis’ father dies when he is young and he never really gets over the death. He starts college and soon becomes so engrossed in video games. This leads to dropping out of school. Along the way he finds that he can live up to the expectations.

I really enjoyed Level Up. The graphic novel is split up into video game levels. (Get it level up!) The illustrations are interesting. At times they are very vivid and others times very muted. The text in the bubbles is easy to read and forces the reader to really think about what is happening. This is definitely a YA book.

Why We Teach!

2011-12-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last year I was lucky enough to have Milo as a student. He is a wonderful young man full of curiosity, and a great sense of humor. He comes from a home filled with love. This morning his father, Ross, sent me an email that was a tribute to his elementary school teacher. He has given me permission to post it here. Yesterday I spent the day with Sharon Taberski and today this letter. Two extremes that demonstrate why I am a teacher. Thank you Ross. You, Milo and every other kid is why we do what we do.

TO ALL THE TEACHERS OF THE WORLD:

I just got word that my elementary school teacher passed away on Saturday night. Flowers are not enough. Donations are not enough. The only tribute I can even remotely imagine great enough is to reach out to the teachers of the world and encourage you to be Mrs. Koontz for your students, as Deleta Koontz was for me.

I had the life-enriching privilege of spending three years in the classroom of Mrs. Koontz. No, I didn’t have to take fourth grade over three times. You see, in the small Lutheran school in the Missouri prairie town of Lockwood where I grew up, our classrooms were divided into grades 1–3, 4–6, and 7–8.

Those three September-to-May voyages in Mrs. Koontz’s classroom shaped my destiny more than any other time in my life. I didn’t learn a thing. I DISCOVERED everything.

When we read the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, we dressed the part, built a real log cabin with our dads over chilly autumn weekends, and spent a whole day at Mrs. Koontz’s farm around a cast-iron pot, waiting for the miracle of apple butter to occur. To this day, a simple spoonful of that gooey apple goodness transports me back to that day of butter-churning, apple-peeling, fire-stoking magic.

And let’s not forget the Boston Tea Party Day when we pushed all the chairs against the wall and set up a mom-staffed tavern that served spiced tea to a mad band of grade-schoolers fed up with taxation without representation.

There were annual Sadie Hawkins day races, teepees erected on the school lawn, and commemorative trees planted to mark our nation’s bicentennial. Speaking of celebrating 1976, Mrs. Koontz spent most of 1975 assembling a red, white, and blue wardrobe so she could wear our nation’s colors EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE BICENTENNIAL.

She was a patriot for sure. A Christian. And an angel at the right time in my life. When I transitioned mid-semester to this small Lutheran school from the local public K-8, I struggled to fit in. She created opportunities that allowed me to stand out, as she did for all her students. She identified our gifts and allowed each of us to give them back to the world.

I always loved to make stuff. I still do. So creating bulletin boards for the classroom was a task she handed over to me. Sometimes, I chose to forgo recess in order to bring her classroom’s cork boards to life.

Every two years, the Lutheran school staged amazing youth theatrical productions. Jack and the Beanstalk was my first. When I, cast as the giant, proposed a pair of shoes made from stacked 2x4s to make me taller, she immediately shared my vision. When I suggested an extension ladder wrapped in painted paper with oversized leaves as the beanstalk, she knew exactly how it could work. And her greatest theatrical accomplishment was an all-community production of The Sound of Music. It had been her dream forever to bring this alpine blockbuster to our predominantly German farm town. To create the abbey bells that beckoned Maria down from the hills, Mrs. Koontz once again pulled sheer genius from her bag of tricks. A coat rack of suspended cake pans and skillets created the perfect auditory illusion of the echoing bells she remembered from her European travels.

Mrs. Koontz’s German heritage lay just beneath the surface in so many things she did. We practiced Christkindl-giving in her class every Christmas, a tradition many know as Secret Santa. She taught us to sing Christmas carols in German. She fully embraced the town’s annual Strassenfest weekend festival every year. And when she retired from teaching, she picked up the accordion and formed a polka band that toured and performed at German folk festivals.

After returning from a trip to Europe and enchanting us with vivid anecdotes of all the wonders she had experienced, she told us that one day we would all most likely get to Europe. I thought she was crazy. She was right. I have been six times. And in all those travels, nothing has given me more joy than a sprawling Alpine meadow or strolling through a quaint, half-timbered town marked by crooked doors and window boxes overflowing with scarlet geraniums. Without a doubt, the joy, I feel, is directly linked to that love for storybook European nostalgia she instilled in me.

I live in Colorado now, where I’m a Creative Director for an advertising agency, a job that allows me to channel Mrs. Koontz just about every day. And every September, as the aspens begin to turn, my wife and I take our sons up into the hills to experience as many Octoberfests as we can. And I don’t see a pair of lederhosen, dance a polka, or devour a giant pretzel without sharing in some quiet personal communion with Mrs. Koontz. I think to myself, “She would LOVE this.”

Dear teachers everywhere, as you stand in front of your classrooms tomorrow, and every day after, look into the eyes of your students and wonder: thirty-seven years from now, which one of these brilliant little souls will write a tribute like this about me? Am I making eyes sparkle, hearts sing, minds wonder? Not wander. Toss convention into the wind. Think about the imaginative ways in which you can encourage those future-shapers entrusted to you to savor the wonders in the world that lie outside your classroom window–all that’s come before them and all that lies ahead of them. Ask yourself, “What can I do so my legacy of discovery and learning will outlive me one day?” How can I be… like Mrs. Koontz? The greatest teacher that ever lived. Next to you, of course.

Auf Wiedersehen,

Ross Snodgrass

Another year of Guys Read

2011-11-01T13:43:00.002-06:00

The afternoon was filled the roar of boy voices, clamping of feet up the stairs, faces filled with excitement, food (no spilled juice!), laughter, visiting, a little discussion of Rewind by William Seator, more goofiness, voting on the December book (Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs was the easy winner), and getting the next book (Guys Read Thriller). That was how my first Guys Read Book Club started. I missed the first one because I was home with a high fever, a lovely UTI and kidney infection. Since kids read this blog I won’t get into the details.

Anyway back to the boys. At one point I had a flash back to five years ago and the eight little third graders that made up that first book club. (Yes, you were little!) I am fortunate to work in a school with so many male teachers. Yep, I’m not alone with the 30 monsters that make up this years Guys Read Book Club. I figure that about 25% of the boys in grades 3-5 attend the book club. (In five years we have read only ONE non-fiction book.) It is exciting and overwhelming to think about what long-term effect the book club will have on these young readers.

Due to the shear number of boys we split them up into three groups. It is very scientific. I count the number of boys and make little slips with numbers, and they draw. Well, that part is going to change for next month because a few fifth graders figured out what group I was going to have and sorted through the numbers to find the #1. Nicholas, another fifth grader, was more blunt he said, “I didn’t even pick a number I was going in group no matter what!”

Yet, again the discussion was not deep, but it was a fun time. Teachers are expected to do many things, most of choose to do even more. As I begin another year with these boys all I can think about is that no matter what, spending time with this ever growing group of knuckleheads makes my job as a teacher even more special.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

2011-10-31T10:07:00.001-06:00

I just finished Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick! My mind is racing, and all of my thoughts are not in order over this spectacular book. However, I am afraid if I don’t write right now I will never put down those thoughts in writing. Awestruck comes first. Through out the book I constantly stopped and re-read sections to take in the beauty of Mr. Selznick’s prose and illustrations. I know my writing will not do justice to this book.

Wonderstruck is a story told in text and illustration. It is a hybrid novel, picture book and graphic novel. Unfortunately, these labels do not do truly fit this book. There are two principle characters in the story. The section on Ben is done in text and takes place in 1977, and the section on Rose is done in illustrations and is set in 1927. Eventually the two stories collide.

The inside flap says, “both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.” We the readers are fortunate to travel with them on their quests. At the end we are get as much out of the journey as Ben and Rose.

I use Hugo Cabret in my higher guided book clubs because Mr. Selznick ability as a storyteller makes students slow down and REALLY think about what they are reading, and everything is not always as it seems. I will use this book the same way. It will be easy to challenge students to find the clues of how the characters are connected. What type of items would they put in their own wonder cabinet? What will I put in my wonder cabinet?

Sorry for jumping all over the place, but I am excited about this book because I have a new student that is severely hearing impaired and I can’t wait to share this book with M and her mom.

To stop my ramblings I will end with just a couple more thoughts about Wonderstruck. First, one of the reasons I am passionate about getting children to read is, so they can experience books like this. Second, this book is for people 8 and above. (YES adults must read this book.) Finally, Brian Selznick should come to the CCIRA Conference!

Wonderstruck is nominated for the CYBILS in the graphic novel. I did not receive a copy from the publisher, but it is worth the $30.

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michalel Chabon

2011-10-17T13:34:00.001-06:00

The other day I was reading The New York Times Book Review, and on the list of bestseller picture books was a new book by Michael Chabon. How did I miss the fact that my favorite author had a new kids book? The beginning of the school year, a kidney infection, and a new puppy played a major part of being out of the loop; but missing this geez!

The very first author I saw speak ok was Michael Chabon. He was read from The Mysteries of Pittsburg. I remember sitting at the Tattered Cover, mesmerized by an author discussing the writing process. Over the years I have read his books and seen him speak a few more times. Can you say groupie? The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier and Clay is one of my favorite novels, even if I spent a lot of time looking up words in the dictionary. I do use this example to show my students that all readers have to use different strategies to be successful.

The other day I had a dentist appointment, so I had a little extra time between when my guest teacher showed up and the hygienist mutilated my gums. What does one do with an extra hour in the middle of the day? Easy! Spend the time loading up with books at The Bookies. My copy of The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man was one of the many books in my box.

I instantly fell in love with this book. From the beginning the reader gets to know that Awesome Man is very special. Throughout the book Awesome Man demonstrates his many talents. He is so totally awesome that he can hug mutant Jell-O from Beyond the Stars. Awesome Man shares his secret identity with the reader, or does he?

When he reveals his secret identity half my class guessed incorrectly. Do not worry there will be no spoiler alert. Awesome Man is an enjoyable read aloud. Kids laughed at his abilities and understood the importance of the ginormous Awesome Power Grip.

I have waited years for Chabon to write a picture book. It is exciting that I finally get to share his writing with my students.

CYBILS

2011-10-06T05:30:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be a judge again this year. The last two years I was a first round judge for Middle Grade Fiction. This year I am honored to judge Graphic Novels. There are positive changes in this years nominating process, so make sure to read them. Check it out here CYBILS 2011 LET THE READING COMMENCE!!!

Alex Van Helsing Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson

2011-07-26T12:14:00.001-06:00

The other day I was going through my stack of books figuring out what to read next when I pulled out Alex Van Helsing Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson. A couple of items caught my eye. First, the publicity firm is in Marblehead, so I figured wow another Mass connection. Secondly, the back made me laugh “NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES HERE!” As I read the press release and back I thought why not give it a try? Normally I don’t read the second book in a series if I haven’t read the first one. It is hard enough keeping up with books, so unless a student recommends it I tend to shy away from them. But like I said this one perked my interest.

Truth be told I enjoy watching mindless TV. I find it reduces the brain waves during a hectic week, so I must admit that I enjoy True Blood and a few shows on USA Network. Now before I continue I want to be perfectly clear. I REALLY enjoyed Alex Van Helsing. I quickly became engrossed in the story, and plan on reading the first one. It is better written than White Collar or shows on SyFy, but I couldn’t help comparing it to some shows. Mr. Henderson please understand what I am about to write I mean as a good thing. Picture Buffy the Vampire Slayer (change the name to Alex) meets Nakita (without Section being evil, and change the name to Alex) meets Covert Affairs and you have a fun read; andpossible Guys Read Book Club book.

The story is about Alex Van Helsing. A young man sent to a boarding school in Austria. During his first month he finds out he can fight vampires. The vampires have their hideout under Lake Geneva. How cool is that?

The story is fast paced. Great vocabulary. I needed to look up a couple of words. Focus on world issues, and it takes place in Europe. The press release and book says that it is for ages 12 and up. I would say 10 and up. There are some intense scenes and possible questions on why on earth parents would send their kids to a boarding school. I know a few guys that will be excited to read this book.

Thanks harper Collins for the ARC. Book to be released today!

Cheesie Mack Is Not A Genius or Anything by Steve Cotler, Wicked Good

2011-07-19T13:50:00.001-06:00

Fried Clams and Lobster

For some reason most of the books I have read this summer have a New England setting. It has been way too many years since I have been there. Recently I even read that Anchovies is still a great neighborhood place. I remember when that was our big night out! So, Cheesie Mack is Not a Genius or Anything by Steve Cotler didn’t help with the homesick. If anything it made it worst because the setting is Gloucester Mass. I lived in Boston, but it so close to Crane’s Beach and Essex, home

of the world’s best-fried fish. The story had me so close to Woodman’s yet so far!

Two best friends, Ronald “Cheesie” Mack and Georgie Sinkoff, are approaching the end of an era and the beginning of a frightening one. Yes, the end of elementary school and the upcoming entrance to middle school. As any normal fifth grade boy they plan the perfect event to make sure their “graduation” is memorable. The principal makes sure it is normal like all the ones before.

Luckily the boys have summer camp to look forward. Unfortunately, Georgie finds out his dad can’t afford it. In solidarity Cheesie declares he will not go if Georgie cannot go. On the way to figuring out what to do for the summer, they make a new friend and discover the true meaning of integrity.

I really enjoyed this book. It was wicked funny. I liked the voice and the first person narration. The drifting off topic made me laugh. The first time I had to re-read the previous page before I figured out that at times Cheesie would insert an idea for another story. It will be a great book to put in the hands of kids this fall.

Me, a Writer?

2011-07-11T06:57:00.000-06:00

I am a writer. For the last 48 years, I have not considered myself a writer. Yes, I can write an email, a letter, a thank you card, report card comments, and even a blog. But writing and being a writer are totally different. I think back to my writing instruction growing up, and I don’t remember any teacher teaching me how to write. I know I did worksheets. How can I forget the cold feel of new dittos? And the smell? I remember writing my first “term paper” on Norman Rockwell. I worked really hard on it, and I was so proud of my work. When I saw the “C” on the cover I was devastated. The teacher’s comments were “Your notecards are incomplete, we’ve talked about your poor penmanship, and why are there words printed on the back of the pages?” However, the most painful memory of writing happened in sixth grade. I turned in my “How to Essay.” I can still picture the harsh look on my teacher’s face, and her voice when she told me she didn’t understand anything I had written. When I asked her to explain she replied, “You are such a spoiled brat!”

Being that, historically, I was a non-writer, teaching writing is a struggle. As a third grade teacher, teaching students to write is paramount. So year after year, I have lied and faked my way through the Writer’s Workshop. I dreaded that they could sense my fear, and one day, my young students would realize I was a fraud. They would look up at me and say, “You want us to consider ourselves writers; you are not even a writer!”

Given my relationship with writing, it is ironic that I ended up applying to the Denver Writing Project. Last February at the state reading conference, I was visiting with Mark Overmeyer, a respected writer/educator who has published two books on Writer’s Workshop. As we discussed the conference, he brought up the Denver Writing Project and encouraged me to participate. While he talked my stomach started turning flips, and my heart started beating faster. I thought he must have me confused with someone else. All I could think about was that I was not a writer. Why would I even contemplate doing a writing project? I listened politely, looked at him; finally confessed that I was terrified to write. That night I received two emails from Mark. The first was information about the Denver Writing Project, and the second was about my blog. “I just read your blog. You can write!” Mark is very polite, so I took it as a nice gesture. Remember, I was not a writer.

Always the curious one, I clicked on the link and read about the Denver Writing Project. The more I read the more I thought: I need to do this.

I need to do this.

I was tired of the anxious feeling I had every day before writing. I took the next step and applied. I filled out the application and wrote the brief essay.

As you can guess, I made it into the Summer Institute. On the morning of June 13, 2011 I timidly made my way into the classroom on the University of Colorado at Denver campus. This was to be my home, away from home, six hours a day for the next 20 days.

I learned how to use SLAM poetry to engage students.

I wrote.

I learned how to use low-risk activities so students can experiment with different leads for stories.

I wrote.

I shared MY WRITING with my colleagues.

I wrote.

I was inspired by a peer that demonstrated the importance of not just showing our students our writing; but writing with them so they can see the process.

I wrote.

I learned ways to bring writing to life in my class.

I wrote.

I learned not to reel from horror at having to be a writing teacher.

I wrote.

My confidence grew and slowly I began to change the way I looked at writing. I know writing will never be easy, and I realize that it will always be a slow process. I will still struggle with spelling and misuse words like than and then. I will never write like Michael Chabon or Federico García Lorca, but I will write.

This I believe is why the Denver Writing Project helped me find the writer inside me.

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

2011-07-06T07:28:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid there was a commercial with the tagline “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” Ironically it was for margarine, which is totally messing with nature. That’s a whole different topic. The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill has a different take on what happens when one tries to fool with Mother Nature.

Jack is delivered to the house of his aunt and uncle. They live in Hazelwood, Iowa. Jack’s life in San Francisco was lonely. He had no friends and his parents rarely paid any attention to him. He wasn’t in any family pictures. Jack was invisible. Once he moves in with his aunt and uncle everything starts to change. Jack is noticed, he learns how to have friends and the town bully sets his sights on him. He thinks things might start to become normal. WRONG!!!

While Jack is getting accustom to his new life magical and spiritual happenings are making his life anything but normal. Mother Nature was split in half. The Good and The Bad. Greed took the lives of many innocent children. As Jack’s friendships strength he learns that he must make a huge sacrifice for the ones he loves.

I am not doing justice to The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill. I don’t want to give too much away from this wonderful, creepy story. Just like in the story where children are sucked in, Ms. Barnhill’s storytelling sucked me in. I had trouble putting this delightful book down. The twists and turns made it exciting and emotional.

The press release and the info on the back of the book say’s that is for ages 8-12. NOPE. The content is too mature for 8 year olds. My best bet is 9 ½ to 12. There will be a fourth grade or fifth grade class that will be excited to get my copy.

Copy courtesy of the publisher. On sale August 2011.

Book Talk Tuesday

2011-06-28T07:08:00.000-06:00

Summer is in full swing. Which means spending some afternoons reading at the neighborhood pool, dinner on the patio, farmer’s market, mosquito bites and annoyance that a couple of tomato plants still have no blossoms. This summer there has been less reading because of the Denver Writing Project. I am in the trenches right now and loving it, so expect a non book related post in a couple of weeks about my time as a Fellow.

My reading so far this summer has been some major misses (The Tragedy of Arthur), but mostly incredible hits. One of the latter is my first read aloud of the new school year. I initially entered the blog world of kid lit to find titles for new books to share with my students. In six weeks I am excited that I get to share Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne with a new group of third graders.

Noah is an eight year old that runs away from home. It is not an abusive home just a sad home. He ends up in a very odd small village. There is a magical tree, a talking donkey and dachshund, and an old man that shares his incredible life’s tale with the young Noah. As the old man tells Noah his story, young Noah starts to realize that running away might not be the best thing to do.

The story takes place in England. There are humorous references to the Irish and Scots. Mr. Boyne points out that the Scots are the second smartest people in the world right after the Irish. Kids in Southie will get this, but it is truly in the story for the adult reader. At times the setting seems to take place in the “olden days” but then there is a reference to a mobile phone. This will make for interesting conversations about the setting in stories.

When I get to the end of some books I am sad that I don’t get to spend more time with my new friends, there are endings when I say “you’ve got to be kidding that’s it?” and in the words of Goldilocks there are ending that are just right. This book is that. Don’t worry there is no spoiler, but I enjoyed the ending. It left me with the feeling that I knew the whole story. Luckily, though I get to spend more time with Noah, the Old Man, Donkey and Dachshund.

(Thank you Random House for the copy of the book, but I also purchased one at The Bookies. That one is being passed around by former students.)

My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

2011-06-15T07:27:00.000-06:00

Whenever I travel I am not allowed to bring schoolbooks along. The directive from above is that I need to read adult books, “NO, kid books!” Anyhow, while I was figuring out what to take to read on vacation in Spain I found a YA book I snuck in my bag. I don’t follow rules well, which is why I often get called to the principal’s office. (That’s another story!) The book was My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park by Steve Kluger.

Recently, I have started to read YA books differently because so many of my former students still come to me for recommendations. My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park it is a tale of the friendship between three unique teenagers, two best friends and the new girl at school. The book begins with an 11^th grade writing assignment. The students must write about their most excellent year. Our three protagonists write about their freshman year. The first is TC Keller aka Anthony or Tick. He is a very special young man whose mother died when he was six. Next is Augie Hwong, Tick’s gay Chinese-American “brother”. Finally, is Alejandra Perez aka Alé a daughter of a Mexican diplomat and love interest of Tick. Funny thing though tick is not the smoothest with the girls and says very corny things to Alé. After his first line she asks him “Do girls really fall for that?” The three friends tell the story, so the voice changes with each chapter. Tick meets Augie after he returns to school following the death of his mother. When Tick returned to school the other kids didn’t know how to interact with him, or were afraid that the cancer that killed his mom might be contagious and thus their mom’s catching it. Augie wasn’t afraid of him and joined him for lunch and asked a very casual question. The two boys quickly become friends and soon “brothers”. Their parents set up the boys bedrooms to make life easier because of all the time they spend at each others house.

Tick is a very caring person that passionate about baseball. His parents met at a Red Sox game. He started a web site to “Free Buck Weaver” one of the baseball players banned fro baseball after the White Sox cheating. Buck Weaver was banned even though he didn’t participate in the cheating. Once Alé arrives at his school Tick’s starts his hilarious quixotic quest for her heart. Teenage boys are dorks! Tick’s passion through the book is what makes him so lovable. He wants the best for those around him. Augie is a gay teen whose “brother” and folks know he is gay before he admits it. His coming out is more an opening night then quiet letting everyone accept the news. His family and friends see his sexuality as just another part of Augie. The newest addition to the boy’s life is Alé Perez. Her parents and brother are diplomats that end up in Brookline Mass. It was always expected that Alé would end up in the family business. She is a blunt young lady who insults heads of states and doesn’t realize that others think she is snobby when she talks about having dinner at Madonna’s house. Augie strong arms her into helping with the talent show and a funny thing happened on the way to the stage she found out she is an awesome singer and dancer.

I truly, enjoyed My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park. I like the chapters with the different voice and how emails and texting also are tools to drive the story. There is teenage angst, but not to the point of total despair and melancholy. I laughed throughout the book, but also felt sadness when the characters were hurting. In other words if I was a high school teacher (And thank god I’m not. WAY TOO HARD!!!) I would want students like these three kids. Most importantly and the reason I think it is appropriate for 6^th graders is the issues of relationships are honest and innocent.

PS Thank you to my Denver Writing Project writing group.

Squish Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

2011-05-11T08:44:00.000-06:00

The more kids books I read the more I think, “Why wasn’t this around when I was a kid?” and I don’t mean color TV. This morning I read Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. A little background about Squish: it is a spin off of Babymouse. I have tried to get boys to read Babymouse. Even though it is a graphic novel it is PINK, so very few boys will touch it. Thankfully, brother and sister graphic novel team Jennifer and Matthew Holm have introduced a new graphic novel that will appeal to boy humor. The main character is a dork like most of us. He gets suckered into giving his best friend his lunch money, ending up it trouble, reading comics (OH NO!!!), and saving the world from the bully.

The shapeless illustrations (come on the characters are amoebas), the simple colors and great lines, “Dude, don’t eat it!” right before Squish eats the tuna fish sandwich will make this graphic novel a hit in my class. With so few days left in the school year it will be fun to bring in a fantastic new book.

An Interview with Pam Allyn

2011-05-07T13:40:00.000-06:00

There are many books out there on boys and reading. They are filled with crucial data about how boys flounder in literacy and what we as a society must do to increase boys interest in literacy. I recently received an advance reader’s copy of Pam Allyn’s new book titled Best Books for Boys. It will be a great book to add to your collection. The first 30 some pages discuss why we should focus on boys, and key questions. The rest of the book is filled with fantastic lists of books for boys. I had an opportunity to do a cyber interview with Ms. Allyn. Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. Here it is:

Ms. Allyn thanks you for taking the time to answer my questions. I enjoyed your new book Best Books for Boys. It is very user friendly and points out why we as teachers must focus on boys and reading.

· There are so many ways and methods for labeling books. Your list is thoughtful and varied. I was excited to see many books on the list that my boys have in their hands. You use Emerging for younger boys, Developing for middle grade boys and Maturing for middle school boys. I noticed that there are books you labeled as developing that I would classify as maturing and vice versa. What are some of the criteria that go into grouping a book?

IDENTIFYING BOOKS BY LEVEL IS VERY CHALLENGING! THERE WILL ALWAYS BE HEALTHY DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, AND I WELCOME THESE. THE MAIN CRITERIA I LOOK FOR IS READABILITY AND EMOTIONAL PREPAREDNESS. I TRY TO USE THIS FORMULA PLUS MY OWN TEACHING EXPERIENCE TO CUE PARENTS AND TEACHERS IN TO APPROXIMATELY WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL RANGE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. SOMETIMES THE BOOK MAY APPEAR EASY BUT THE EMOTIONAL THEMES IN THE BOOK ARE AT A HIGHER LEVEL. SOMETIMES THE BOOK MAY REQUIRE SOME WORK IN TERMS OF DECODING, BUT ACTUALLY CAN APPEAL TO A LESS EXPERIENCED READER THANKS TO ITS COMPELLING THEMES OR WONDERFUL GRAPHICS. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE MIGHT SOMETIMES FEEL DIFFERENTLY; I ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT FOR YOUR CHILD AND OTHERS YOU KNOW WELL RATHER THAN RELY TOO LITERALLY ON ANY ONE PERSON’S ASSESSMENT. THE VERY BEST WAY TO MATCH KIDS WITH BOOKS IS TO GET TO KNOW THE CHILD AS WELL AS POSSIBLE AS A READER. THEN THE MATCH FEELS NATURAL.

· The iPad and eBooks are a new tool. What impact do you think these will have on boys and literacy?

I LOVE TECHNOLOGY! WHAT I ALREADY SEE IS THAT THESE TWO TECHNOLOGIES ARE HAVING ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE READERSHIP OF ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST BOYS. WHAT I AM INTERESTED IN IS BUILDING LIFELONG READERS AND WRITERS. THE TOOLS WE USE TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL ARE JUST THAT, TOOLS, NOTHING MORE. I WANT ALL BOYS AND GIRLS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH STORIES, POEMS AND INFORMATIONAL TEXT IN WAYS THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES. TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US TO RE-INVENT WHAT IT MEANS TO READ, AND IT THRILLS ME FOR THIS REASON. THE IPAD ALSO ALLOWS FOR CHOICE WITH PRIVACY. FOR EXAMPLE, A STRUGGLING READER CAN PUT EASIER READS ON HIS IPAD WITHOUT THE WORLD SEEING WHAT HE’S READING. IN THIS WAY, HE CAN PRACTICE HIS READING IN A SAFE SPACE. THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT BENEFITS THERE ARE TO TECHNOLOGY IN READING.

· The number of male elementary teachers is so low what do you think we can do as a nation to get more male role models into elementary classroom? THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. THINK OF THE MESSAGE THIS SENDS! UNTIL WE BEGIN TO CONSIDER TEACHING AS A PROFESSIONAL CAREER PATHWAY (WITH BENEFITS THAT INCLUDE SALARY SCALES THAT REWARD EXCELLENCE AND WAYS TO ADVANCE A PROFESSIONAL LADDER WITHIN THE CLASSROOM) WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET TO FIFTY PERCENT ON THIS, AS IT SHOULD BE. PEOPLE THINK IT’S ALL ABOUT SALARY BUT IT’S NOT. IT’S ALSO ABOUT PERCEPTION. WOMEN ARE LESS VALUED IN OUR SOCIETY, AND SO IS TEACHING. IT STANDS TO REASON THEN THAT THEY ARE MATCHED UP IN THIS UNIVERSE. THE ISSUE IS BOTH ABOUT GENDER EQUITY AND ABOUT VALUING THE TEACHING PROFESSION. I LOVE WHAT TEACH FOR AMERICA HAS DONE TO BRING YOUNG MOTIVATED PEOPLE INTO THE PROFESSION, BUT I’D LIKE TO SEE THEM CONSIDER TEACHING LESS AS A TWO YEAR PEACE CORPS KIND OF STINT AND MORE AS A CAREER FOR LIFE.

· There is much written about reluctant boy readers and how to get them engaged in reading. What are your suggestions to teachers and parents that have boys that aren’t reluctant readers, but may become so?

BOYS OFTEN BECOME RELUCTANT AT MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN SCHOOL, THIRD AND SEVENTH GRADE ARE TWO EXAMPLES. WHEN THE WORKLOAD INCREASES AND READING BECOMES A CHORE, BOYS WILL QUICKLY TURN OFF TO READING. MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS RICH WITH ENJOYABLE OPPORTUNITIES AND SELECTIONS FOR READING. ALWAYS BE THE KIND OF PARENT WHO DEMONSTRATES HOW PLEASURABLE READING CAN BE, AND MAKE YOUR HOME A PLACE WHERE YOUR CHILD CAN ALWAYS FIND A READING REFUGE AND THE KINDS OF READING THAT HE IS GOING TO WANT TO DELVE INTO. DON’T JUDGE YOUR BOYS’ READING SELECTIONS. IF HE WANTS TO BROWSE A VIDEO GAME MANUAL OR SCAN THE INTERNET ON THE IPAD, CELEBRATE ALL THESE FORMS OF READING. THEY WILL TURN HIM INTO A LIFELONG LOVER OF WORDS.

· I have a boy’s book club with about 25 third to fifth graders. The reading level ranges from grade level to

about 10^th grade reading level. It is a challenge to find books that meet all the needs. Do you have any suggestions?

I SUGGEST SHORT TEXTS, SUCH AS SHORT STORIES AND POEMS FOR CLUBS OF MIXED LEVELS. I ALSO SUGGEST FRAMING THE CLUB AROUND A READ ALOUD RATHER THAN ESTABLISHING AN EXPECTATION THAT THE BOYS CAN ALL READ ONE BOOK AT THE SAME TIME AND AT THE SAME PACE. THESE SUGGESTIONS SEEM TO BOUNCE UP AGAINST OUR ROMANTIC IDEA OF EVERY CHILD WITH A CHAPTER BOOK IN HAND HAVING LONG CHATS ABOUT THAT ONE BOOK, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT BOOK CLUBS CAN BE AMAZING IF THEY FOCUS ON ONE GOAL: HELPING READERS LEARN TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS, STORIES AND POEMS AND COLLABORATE TO NEW IDEAS ABOUT THEM. ANOTHER WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS TO SELECT THEMES ACROSS THE YEAR FOR THE CLUBS, SUCH AS COURAGE. THEN USE ONE SHORT TEXT FOR THE READING IN THE GROUP AND BETWEEN SESSIONS ASK EACH BOY TO SELECT A BOOK AT HIS LEVEL THAT REFLECTS THIS THEME AND THEN RESERVE TEN MINUTES OR TWENTY EACH BOOK CLUB SESSION FOR THE BOYS TO CONNECT THEIR OWN READING SELECTION WITH YOUR READ ALOUD TEXT OR SHORT TEXT. IN THIS WAY, ALL READERS CAN READ COMFORTABLY AT THEIR LEVELS BUT YOU ARE UNITING THEM THROUGH THE BIG OVERARCHING THEMES.

Finally, 10 iPads Arrive in My Classroom

2011-04-12T06:27:00.000-06:00

Last autumn I applied for a technology grant through my district to introduce 10 iPad’s into my classroom. The primary objective is to increase student achievement in literacy. While I was writing the grant the question or main idea that was in the front of my mind was how can I prepare my readers for the 21^st century? I love books. I get excited opening a new book, looking at the side to see how much further I needed to go to finish, and nosily looking at what others are reading. I didn’t own an e-reader (that has changed) and wasn’t sure whether the e-reader is just an expensive toy. I do know that my reservations could not get in the way of preparing my students for the future.

Fast forward to Friday. (Actually given how long it took to get the iPad’s slow forward!) The iPad’s arrived in my classroom. Excitement was in the air and there was giddy anticipation of what was to come. I had sent home an agreement form stating “I (student’s name) will…. Basically use the iPad correctly and not look for games. I spent all day Sunday setting up the iPad’s and getting them ready to use. When I walked in to school not one of them connected with the schools system, so I spent yesterday afternoon redoing most of what I did on Sunday.

The iPad is such a new tool in education that our tech department hasn’t planned for questions that are going to come up. At first I was REALLY annoyed! I mean how could they not have thought through how students were going to connect to the Internet, or how to easily download apps from iTunes? Well, a funny thing happened on the way to annoyance, I realized I hadn’t even planned what books I was going to download first!!! Yes, you read it right. An expensive tool for literacy I don’t have a list prepared of books to download.

I basically need to build a classroom library from the bottom up. If you have any ideas let me know!

Age Appropriate Books

2011-03-30T08:18:00.000-06:00

I am a little slow on the uptake. The buzz about The Hunger Games series has been going strong for awhile, but I just recently finished reading all three. It made me really think about age appropriate books. My hope is that this post won’t be too rambling. To begin with I teach third grade and a big chunk of my class read at a high fourth grade or higher reading level. I push the envelop in the books I read aloud, do in guided group and have on the shelves of the class library. I believe censorship is one the most damaging acts done to democracy. I don’t understand why as a society it is alright for there to be very violent shows on TV and at the movies, but The King’s Speech is given an R rating because one bad word is repeated numerous times.

With that said I DO NOT think every book should be put in any hand of a kid wanting to read it. The Hunger Games series, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and the last few books of the Harry Potter series are just a small of example of what I mean. (I won’t mention the Twilight series because my kids aren’t even talking about them. Thank god!) I will start with the Strange Case of Origami Yoda. I love this book. I love the way it is written. I love the characters. I love the message is sends. I love it. I love it for mature fourth graders and for an entire class of fifth graders. In my opinion it is not for third grade boys. It is not a challenging book and because of this the publisher is marketing it for boys. I have talked to a few boys walking around with Origami Yoda finger puppets about the book. I have asked them what they liked about the book. They respond, “It is so funny. Do you like my finger puppet?” “What did you think of the end with the dance?” I ask. “Oh, I didn’t like that so I didn’t finish it.” UM that’s what the book is about, boys liking girls and girls liking boys.

My first read aloud of the year was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I realized that many of these kids had never heard the first book or even read it. Many students in class were so engaged that they went on to read more of the series. From the beginning I told them that if it was an appropriate reading level they could read it in class. A couple of my highest readers want to read the last two books. I do not have copies of them in class because they aren’t appropriate for third graders. JK Rowling wrote the books fro kids to grow up with not for third graders to read all seven in one year. There have been many days where nine year olds are mad at me. I have told them and their parents that if the parents want to get them for their kids it is their choice, but I would need a note saying it was ok for them to read it at school. To date no parent has done this. I tell D “dude just wait until your older. You will enjoy them even more because you will understand everything that is happening in the book.” He still thinks I’m being a mean teacher. He’ll get over it.

I devoured The Hunger Game series. I downloaded all three when I got my iPad and read them non-stop. They were interesting and have a social commentary that is important for adults to read and understand. I had a student last year that in third grade read at a high school level and could easily done 6^th grade mathematics. He is a very smart kid. He is funny, but not always socially in tune to what is happening around him. The other day he was reading Mockingjay. I said “N do you think that is a good book? Is it appropriate for you?” “Oh yea. I loved the first two.” “I don’t think those are appropriate for you. Does MS. T know you are reading them? Do your parents?” I ask. He replies that they all know. This blog post is about my opinion on books kids should read not on the fact that his fourth grade teacher doesn’t read kids literature. She says she doesn’t have time. Enough said. However, N’s parents are usually more involved in what he is reading. I saw his mom the next day and I asked her if N spoke to her about what I said about his reading choice. She said no. We talked about why I felt the way I did. That night she and N talked about the books. N is not very mature and I still believe he doesn’t truly understand what he read.

The reason books are challenged or banned is because they are powerful. As teachers we need to use this power for good and as important learning tools. I stride to keep an open dialog with my students about appropriate books. I look for books that will push them academically and socially.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka and The Lunch Lady

2011-03-29T07:50:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago Denver was visited by a great kids author and overall really nice guy. We welcomed Jarrett Krosoczka to the Mile High City. He was in town doing a few days of school visits. While in town he made a stop by the Tattered Cover on Colfax. I still have a hard time going to this Tattered Cover. It has nothing to do with them as a bookseller. The space is well merchandised and truthfully it is very close to my home and I drive by it daily on the way to school and from school. I just missed what used to happen in the building. I don’t think I will ever get over the fact that Denver didn’t support the Bonfil’s Theatre. As a teen and 20 something I spent a lot of time watching my friends preform there.

OK, sorry back to Jarrett. I met Jarrett a couple of years ago at the CCIRA conference when I was lucky enough to be his host for the day. He still thinks I accidently lost him, little does he know…. It was right before the first Lunch Lady book came out. I received an ARC at the ALA Mid-Winter conference, which he signed. He let me read the galley of the second Lunch Lady. I spent the day laughing. It was a wonderful day. Over the years we have kept in contact through the blog world, Facebook and Twitter. So when I saw he was coming I planned my schedule around seeing him. He really knows how to pull in an audience. He has a group of preschool and kinder girls singing and acting out the Lunch Lady. My friend Lauren and I got there early and were able to visit with Jarrett for a while before his talk.

In the classroom Jarrett is in much demand. The Lunch Lady series makes a constant round of book boxes. It is a graphic novel series that is popular with both boys and girls. For a reward for good behavior I showed them the video for Punk Farm. For a week kids walked around singing the punk version of Old McDonald.

Thanks Random House for the free copy.

The new REM album is quite good. I am listening to it this morning while writing this. (Nothing to do with this blog!)

I.Q. By Roland Smith and the Book Fair

2011-03-28T08:01:00.000-06:00

Our most recent book for Guys Read was I.Q. Book One: Independence Hall by Roland Smith. Most of the guys read the book and really enjoyed it, as a matter of fact I had a copy of Book Two I received for the Cybil’s Award; so I raffled off first reader. The book is somewhere at school in the hands of a boy. Last week was our Scholastic Book Fair and there were a limited number of copies of I.Q. Book Two. Needless to say they went very quickly. I went in to get one, but no luck. It was funny because a parent volunteer said to me “Why is that books so popular? You’re the third person to ask for it in the last five minutes.” I explained that the first one in the series had been a Guys Read book. An odd look appeared on her face. She does not have a son in Guys Read, so she didn’t quite understand how 26 boys can get about a book they like.

To be honest Guys Read Book Club has been a challenge lately. During the first three years there was always at least one guy in each grade that was a reading leader. He motivated his peers to read. Unfortunately, this year there is no true reading leader in the third grade class. Most show up without even reading the first chapter. The older boys are getting frustrated and so am I. I have decided that when we get back from spring break I am going to meet with the third graders and lay it on the line. Hopefully, the directness and honesty will get them to take the club seriously.

What is hard about all of this is that the whole mission on the club is to have fun. I have always told the boys that they are welcome even if they haven’t finished the book. The third grade cohort interpreted that to mean that they don’t need to try, but still come and be goofy. Hopefully this works.

I.Q. Book Two was sent by the publisher.

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

2011-02-13T16:18:00.001-07:00

I recently started receiving galleys from NetGalley. A fun and interesting way to get advance reader copies. There is a list and I pick what looks interesting. I click a button to request a copy and wait for a response. If they say yes I down load it to my iPad. There is a wide range of books to choose from. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I say a listing for The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I quickly clicked the button and patiently waited (not really I couldn’t stand the wait!). Once the email came I was on my way to reading another fantastically scary book.

I don’t normally do scary. I am what is commonly referred to as a chicken. Covered eyes and all, so it is interesting that I am so taken by Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s young adult books. I guess it is easy to figure out why. His books they are engrossing and beautifully written. This new book is no different. The book was written in 1994, but because of legal issues (Carlos Ruiz Zafón mentions this on his site.) was not translated until this year. It was worth the wait.

The Midnight Palace takes place in Calcutta in 1932. The beginning of the book starts with a first person narrative of events that happened that year. The Midnight Palace is a place where a group of orphans from the orphanage have secret meetings to discuss wonderful dreams and goals. One of the orphans is Ben. When the orphans turn 16 they must leave the orphanage. The story opens on the eve of the departures. It is that night that Ben discovers he has a twin named Sheere. They have been hidden from evil reincarnated their entire lives. Evil goes by the name Jawahal. He is driven to destroy these two teenagers no matter who or what gets in his way. Jawahal is the name of the orphan’s father spelled backwards, Lahawaj. Ben and Sheere’s father was an architect that built a fabulous train station in Calcutta, but a horrific event happens that kills hundreds of children and destroys the station. Once the twins turn 16 Jawahal want to … I can’t tell you because there is NO WAY THERE WILL BE SPOILER here!

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a master of prose. After finishing The Midnight Palace I wish there was another I could read today. Alas, I will have to wait.

CCIRA Conference and The Boy Reader Session

2011-02-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I presented at the CCIRA Conference. Yes, I presented at the same conference with people like Regie Routman, Katie Wood Ray and Patrick Allen. The proposal CCIRA accepted was: Kyle will share his newest thoughts on motivating boys. He will discuss the importance of humor, talking during “independent” reading, graphic novels and book clubs. He will provide a wide range of new book titles boys love to read.

The morning of my session I found out that I would present in the amphitheatre. I was nervous at first. Like I said in my last post I don’t have a front to my classroom. Anyhow I quickly got into the presentation and shared many titles. Further down will be that list. It was cool Katie Wood Ray and I both shared City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems and Jon J Muth.

The part of my presentation that stood out for me was the part on “dependent reading”. I have been observing the boys in my class during independent reading time. Often they are sitting next to another boy. Here are a couple of observations I have made:

They are looking at the same book and are taking turn reading and discussing what they just read.
Reading different books, but stop often to share what they have just read.
Constantly borrowing each other’s book to reread a favorite part, and discussing the book.

The difficulty teachers face is that this behavior can be disruptive to others, so we tell them to stop talking and get back to work. What would happen if we just let them do these behaviors? Would their fluency increase? Will they have a deeper understanding of what they read? Will they be more engaged in the reading process? I argue YES! YES! YES!

What are your thoughts?

Here are the books I shared:

Picture Books

Bear in Underwear by Todd H. Doodle
city dog, country frog by Mo Willems pictures by Jon J Muth
It’s a Book by Lane Smith
A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever by Marla Fazee
Let’s do Nothing by Tony Fucile
A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton & Tom Lichtenheld

Novels

My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian cartoons by Jake Tashjian
because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson
NERD 2 M is for Mama’s Boy by Michael Buckley
Boom! by Mark Haddon
Crunch by Leslie Connor
Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

Graphic Novels

Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Hardy Boys by Scott Lobdell

Frankenstein The Graphic Novel by Mary Shelly

Poetry

City I Love by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Guyku a year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka & Peter H. Reynolds

Others

Horrid Henry’s Joke Book by Francesca Simon

Guys Read Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka

We Are in a Book! By Mo Willems

2011 CCIRA Conference Part One

2011-02-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful three days. The CCIRA conference ended today with two sessions by Katie Ray Wood and luncheon entertainment by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, but more about them later. Back up to Thursday morning. I barely slept that night because of excitement for the conference. Thursday was a busy day. First, I was to spend the day hosting Wendy Maas, but weather put an end to that. I do miss the fact that I didn’t get to spend the day with her. Next, I did a session on boys and reading. (My classroom doesn’t have a front. The tables are on the perimeter. The Third Teacher and my principal helped me design my layout) I found out I was speaking in the amphitheatre. I was nervous at first, but quickly got into my groove. I will blog more about my presentation later. Lastly, I received the Kay Mervar Outstanding Reading Educator Award at one of the luncheons. It was a wonderful day!

Friday turned out to be outstanding as well. Two sessions by Regie Routman! Her second one focused on optimal learning. We are in the process of finding a new leader for our school. Regie Routman said “It takes seven years for self-sustaining a school and one year to fall apart!” I will do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen. The luncheon was Patricia Polacco. Unfortunately the weather was so bad in Chicago her train was delayed. Modern technology made it possible for her to SKYPE into the luncheon. At the end there wasn’t a dry eye in the room and the serving staff was back against the wall mesmerized. Thank you Patricia Polacco.

Today it was Katie Ray Wood. Wow. Wow. Wow. All I can really say is I can’t wait for Monday to confer with my writers!

My head is full and I hope I can put into practice what I heard and saw.

My thoughts on Read Alouds

2011-02-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

I went to six different elementary schools and I don’t ever remember my teacher reading a novel to us. I am sure it must have happened, but it did not have an impact on me. Maybe this is why I was determined when I started teaching that I was going to read aloud to my class. It is by far my favorite time of the day. There are teachers in my building that DO NOT do a daily read aloud. Their reasons for not doing it are baffling. I mean really spending 10-15 minutes a day WILL NOT hurt their chances of success on the CSAP. The reality is that 10-15 minutes will help their chances of success in LIFE! (Enough of my soap box) Carol and Mary Lee have written wonderful observations about read alouds. Mary Lee has a link to a new blog by Rick Walton Why Read Aloud? that has some interesting comments. I want to add my thoughts to theirs.

Over my years of teaching I have taught first through fourth grade. There have been kids from families barely able to get their kids to school, English Language Learners and kids that belong to country clubs. Each and every one needs to be read to. Carol used to start our faculty meeting with a read aloud. It was the best part. So, even we need them! Back to kids.

I got into the blog world because of read alouds. When I went up to third grade (I mean started teaching third grade) I wanted to find something that looked good to me and my students. I asked around the school and teachers suggested Roald Dahl (most teachers read him, but not my cup of tea) Little House on the Prairie (sorry having a root canal sounded better!) The Littles and on and on. You get the picture fine books but I wanted WOW! With just a little research outside my school and the help of Carol I started finding some fantastic books to read aloud to kids.

Read aloud is a special time. It is right after lunch. It gives the kids a chance to relax and at the same time prepare for the afternoon. I rarely read the same book twice. There are a few exceptions. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone years ago and re-read it this year. Most of the class had never heard or read the book. The day after I finished the book one boy came up to me, “Mr. Kimmal can I borrow Harry Potter to read?” I looked at him and said “D, we just finished it.” “I know but I think I can read it by myself.” He took the book from the shelf looked at me with a huge smile and said “Wow, I can’t wait.” He is still reading the book and doesn’t read his joke book everyday.

Another book I read aloud often is Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy. It is a narrative of Ms. Roy’s aunt. Her aunt was one the few surviving children of the Lodz Ghetto. It is told in a dairy form and introduces children to the Holocaust. It is a powerful book that leads to many interesting discussions. It is a book that prompts kids to look deeper into our history. A couple of years ago a Jewish student in class was greatly touched by the books and spent a couple of years researching the Holocaust. His fifth grade independent project on the Lodz Ghetto was incredible.

The other book that I have read more then once is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I had no intention of reading it twice, even thought it is a GREAT READ ALOUD! Last year I taught a 3/4 split. Most of the 10 of the 12 fourth graders had been in my third grade class. They talked about so much that the class begged, pleaded, promised extra good behavior if I would read it. Little did they know that the begging would have been enough. Here are a few of the things that happened during this read aloud. First, kids loved it so much you could hear a pin drop on the carpet. The book is filled with great stopping points. At one stopping points the class was so upset that I stopped that another teacher entered my room because she thought something bad had happened. “Mr. Kimmal is everything alright?” “Yes, they are just mad because read aloud is over.” It is hard to describe the look on her face. I’m sure she was thinking are they really that upset about a read aloud being over. Next, my building is old and I have two doors into my room. One day one of the doors was closed and when I got to an eerie part of the book the closed door creaked open just a little causing nervous laughter. Soon after my principal walked through the other door and the kids screamed. She was startled and said “I’m not scary!” Finally, I find the ending of The Graveyard Book very touching. “Mr. Kimmal What’s wrong with your voice? Why does it sound funny?” I replied that I was fine and luckily did not cry.

As I said at the beginning read aloud is my favorite time of the day. It is a non-negotiable. Patrick Allen just Twitted “Remember when children quoted authors? Now they talk about their reading levels.” I don’t want my students growing up just thinking about reading levels or CSAP scores. In 40 years I want them to remember their favorite read aloud.

Boom ! by Mark Haddon

2011-01-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

A few years ago my book club, at the time, read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. I affectionately called it the dead dog book. I loved the book. You know I’m not much for dog books. The dogs always end up dead. Here the dog starts off dead, so no emotional strings to pull the tear ducts. Two summers ago we spent time in Scotland. We ended our trip in Edinburgh where I purchased another Mark Haddon book titled A Spot of Bother. (I got it at Waterstones!) Where the first was a YA book this one definitely was not. I enjoyed this one as well and since we had just spent time on the little island I did have some back ground knowledge.

So, I was very excited to see Boom!. The story is about two friends, Jimbo and Charlie, and the discovery that their teachers are aliens. Jimbo’s family is making a transition to Dad staying home and Mom working. Jimbo has a strained relationship with his older sister and HATES school. Charlie’s mom is a caterer and his dad is a doctor, very CSI! Charlie is, also the leader. In other words he gets both into trouble.

Jimbo and Charlie decide the must stop the aliens. OK Charlie decides and Jimbo reluctantly follows along. After they have proof Charlie disappears and Jimbo and his sister, Becky are attacked. They take off on a quest, become friends and help safe the world.

That last part is what makes this such a fun book. The aliens have most of their knowledge of earth from pop sources and ABBA! Mr. Haddon has a quirky writing is fantastic. I started the book and couldn’t put it down. This is a great 5th grade and above book. I was hoping that I could use it as a read aloud, but I was disappointed because of amount of times “Hell” is said at the end. I will push the line with read alouds but I do have a point. I get in enough trouble with cussing A LOT! I did give it to a fifth grader that loved and didn’t say peep about the language.

Cybil's 2010 Middle Grade Novels Finalists

2011-01-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

The finalists have been announced. I know I'm a lttle late. Here is a link to the fantastic list. It was great fun and hard work being a Round One Judge, but it must be even harder picking the winner. Enjoy reading the list. Cybils 2010 Finalist List.

Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg

2011-01-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

This autumn I read many books for the Cybil’s Award. A common theme was death and autism. One book had death, violent murder, autism and a National Book Award. Through out the process I kept saying to myself “This is a beautifully written book, but does it have kid appeal?” Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg is one that dealt with death and has kid appeal. The book is about a dork (the book says geek, but in my class it would be dork) named Milo Cruikshank. (I have a student this year named Milo with a last name that is even more fun or torturous.) His mother dies of cancer and after the death Milo, his sister and dad move often. Milo is always the new kid. Not an easy task for a tween, especially one that is having to deal with the death of his mother on his own.

Milo makes friends at his new school. As a matter of fact this friendship helps him start the process of fixing his family. Throughout the book Milo tries to win the heart of the girl of his dreams, balance two friendships one with a boy and one with a girl, not sticking out at school and how to be polite to strangers. Milo’s father has not dealt well with the death of his wife and mother of his children. Ok, to be blunt, Dad is a jerk. His way of dealing with the grief is to pretend that the person never existed. (Given how my dad grieved his parents Milo’s dad must be German and Dutch!) The stranger is the woman across the street. He befriends her after a tough day. Actually they befriend each other. Sylvia Poole helps Milo understand that it is important to remember loved ones. This leads Milo to take charge of his families healing in a fun and productive way.

Here is why I think Milo SN&BF has kid appeal:

It is well written.
It is funny.
It is sad.
It is filled with hilarious illustrations of Milo’s life.
It has an alter ego named Dabney St. Claire. (Come on with an alter ego like this what’s not to love.)
It has romance. Ok not really, just tween hopefulness.
It makes you think.

There were many wonderful books nominated for the 22010 Cybil’s and in my opinion one of my favorites was Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze.

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

2010-12-23T08:07:00.001-07:00

As I wrote yesterday, I know can you believe it two posts in a row; there were many wonderful books on the middle grade Cybil’s list. One of my favorites was The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter. It was the last one I read. I had to wait a REALLY long time for it to come from the library and the copy I ordered from The Bookies won’t be here until next week. It is so good that I am glad I will have a copy for my classroom. Accessibility to kids was in the front of my mind when I read books for Cybil’s. It may be a beautifully written book, but will the average kid pick it up t o read. The answer with The Kneebone Boy is YES, YES, YES. Note to the publisher don’t change the cover when you release it in paperback. You can’t always judge a book by the cover, but in this case the delightful cover sets the stage for a wonderful read.

The story revolves around the three Hardscrabbles siblings. Otto us the eldest that hasn’t spoken for years, but uses a sign language that he created. Lucia, pronounced Lu CHia not Lucy a, and the youngest brother Max. They live in a small town in England called Little Trunks. From the beginning the reader does not know who the narrator is because the siblings they want to make sure that the story belongs to all three of them. I think it is Max. Anyhow, as you can tell by the cover they aren’t your average 21st century kids. Their father is an artist that leaves for periods of times to paint portraits of dethroned royalty. Many years ago their mother disappeared. The children have no idea what happened. This sets the stage for the adventure to find out what really happened to their mother.

During their quixotic quest they learn about survival, their great aunt and that their siblings are important. Their journey is what I enjoyed most about this book. It is fun to follow these quirky kids. The longer I read the book the more I cared about them. It is so odd (but not weird odd) that I think boys will love reading it. I have many boys like Max and Otto. Know you may ask why is it called The Kneebone Boy. I will not add a spoiler to this post. In other words you have to read it to find out.

I’ve heard and read that there is Newbury buzz about The Kneebone Boy. Often the winner is not so kid friendly. In this case it is very kid friendly. Regardless of whether it ends up with a gold sticker on the cover it is a winner for the reader. Thank you Ellen Potter.

My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian

2010-12-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Done! I just finished my blurb for a book on the shortlist for the Cybil’s. It was a fantastic reading season. I read more this year then last. There were many great books and some not so good. It was an interesting list. It leaned older middle grade, boy and white. To get it out of the way the books I will blog about from the Cybil’s list express just MY views and not the fabulous Middle Grade category.

My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian was one of the boy books. (Since this is The Boy Reader it fits nicely into this blog.) It is a great book, so I ordered it for my classroom. (The copy I read came from the library.) I have a list of boys that will enjoy reading this book. Derek Fallon is a typical 12 year old looking forward to a fun summer until he ends up at Learning Camp. Derek is labeled a “reluctant reader” by his teacher, but as he says “I like to read. If everyone just left me alone with Calvin, Hobbes, Garfield, …”. Does he remind you of anyone you know? At the beginning of the book Derek finds a ten year old newspaper article about a girl that drowned. His mom refuses to discuss the article. Note to Moms when asked about something mysterious avoidance just leads to no good! Derek spends many hours trying to find out the answers to his questions. At one point he spent an hour READING on- line, but is afraid he will get in trouble because he wasn’t READING.

I enjoyed this book because Derek is a fun, lovable, and determined kid. The book is filled with little, fun illustrations (done by Jake Tashjian the author’s son) of vocabulary words. A strategy Derek is supposed to use to help him remember his words. I liked how Derek solved the mystery and to be honest I didn’t see the twist coming at the end.

Even though Derek is twelve I would say this is a third and fourth grade level book. A struggling or “reluctant” fifth grade would easily enjoy it as well.

Poetry Friday

2010-12-03T05:45:00.001-07:00

I am very excited about today’s Poetry Friday which is at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Three years ago our district started a poetry competition for grade K to 5 and the winning poems are published in a poetry collection. Poems are submitted in the spring and in the autumn students, parents and teachers find out if the young poets will be published. Last night was the book reception and poetry reading. Two of my boy poets are now published poets. They did an awesome job reading to a packed auditorium. Below are their poems. I hope you enjoy them. The first one is on the Welcome Page.

Books are ways to escape reality,

ways to feel joy in times of pain

Books are portals to other worlds
     waiting to be opened
         waiting to be read
      waiting to be enjoyed
       waiting to be explored.

Ethan (currently a fifth grade)

The Full Moon

The full moon casts and eerie glow on the ground
Lighting the night for the horned owl to find its prey
Telling people it is time to turn into werewolves
It lures us to sleep with its glow
That’s the moon.

Nicholas (currently in fourth grade)

Both boys are very high readers. Last year there were many times when I had to say “Put the book down. Do something else.” Never thought I’d say that as a teacher.

2010-11-08T09:53:00.002-07:00

because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea

2010-10-29T16:36:00.002-06:00

The Cybil’s list of middle-grade fiction is full of 144 books. Our task is to read the first 50 pages of as many books as possible and then marrow it down. Not an easy endeavor, especially if they are like because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea. At page 98 I realized I was way past the 50 page minimum.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I don’t cry. Plain and simple I don’t cry. I have a good reason for not crying. It is too hard to stop. I don’t like the feeling of losing control. It took many years for this to happen. The event that put me to the point of no more tears happened 20 years ago. I spent too many days crying while my brother laid in a coma with a brain injury. For a long time I thought it was my fault. Why didn’t I just drive him to the bank? I was an adult so I realized that it wasn’t my fault. It was just an accident. This book made me cry and I didn’t care. Actually, I do care. It is such a special book that it deserves my tears and laughter. Thank you Mr. Buyea.

As teachers we read many books that touch us and more importantly we get to spend our day with children that touch us and make us better people. because of mr. terupt is a book that has both. It is a beautiful book about a class of fifth graders and a new teacher. The book is told by seven of the students. I love books like this because it is a graet way to teach voice and narration to kids. My spoiler gives away that someone ends up in a coma with a brain injury; but as Jessica, one of the students, tell Mr Terupt she likes happy endings. This book does have one.

I first I thought this would be a great read aloud. I’m not sure. The tears are still fresh. I will get back to you if I do. What I can say is enjoy this first novel.

Thank you delacorte press and Random House for the book.

Cybils 2010

2010-10-25T06:10:00.004-06:00

Teachers are an odd breed. We fill our plates and when we see something new and exciting we say "Wow, now I can fill my dessert plate!" That's what it is like being a First Round Cybils Judge. Even better is the fact that this year I came back for seconds. I am a judge on the Middle Grade Panel. It is a strange category because middle grade is an odd group. the range is beginning third graders to just shy of YA. Talk about a range. I have read some wonderful books so far. Stay tuned for updates.

It's a Book by Lane Smith Part 1

2010-10-23T17:07:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago The Bookies had its yearly Teacher Night. As usual it was a joyful night. One of the employees even commented that it is fun to see so many familiar faces. It is fun to catch up with friends and colleagues and to talk about what is great in the kid lit world. I always look forward to what the great staff at The Bookies is going to share. This year was no different. There are so many wonderfully interesting books out there. I am excited about all the new books I got that night. One that stands out is It’s A Book by Lane Smith.

I love this book on so many levels. Recently there was a disheartening article in the New York Times that discussed the decline of the picture book because many parents feel they are TOO EASY. It’s a Book disputes that argument. NO FOUR YEAR OLD is going to get the true meaning of this book. However, they will still enjoy this book.

It’s a Book pokes fun at technology. At Teacher Night I did have an interesting conversation with Shelly. She’s a wonderful resource and a true book lover. We talked about young kids and how easy it is for them to use an IPad and other types of technology. She mentioned during her presentation how she watched a trailer of a book she had on her lap. Truth be told we don’t know the impact e-books and other forms of technology are going to have on books. I do know that if we challenge kids using them and tell them that they can only read from a book we will lose.

It’s a Book has three characters. There is the monkey that loves to read, his fellow soul mate the mouse, and the techno-lover Jackass. The morning after Teacher’s Night I read It’s a Book to a couple of teachers. They both were shocked that I would even consider reading it to kids. They were both concerned that a teacher would get in trouble reading the word jackass to a class. I was SHOCKED, so I read it to a couple of more teachers. One said he’d read it to his own kids, but never to his class. Their reactions scared me and my beliefs. (That’s never a good thing when a children’s book is involved.) It is impolite to call someone a jackass, but when did it reach the level of forbidden words. It was used often on the Andy Griffith show. I had my assistant principal read it. She said “Can’t you just say his name is Donkey?” I said should I just say Winnie the Bathroom?” Ok, I didn’t say that but I thought that. Now I am worried. What is happening? I leave the book for my principal. Later in the day she drops it off and says, “I love it. Any parents call I’m sending them to you.” She is very supportive. This was the answer I was looking for.

After she left I picked it up and said “There are many different names for a donkey. This book uses one of them. Its’ a Book by Lane Smith….” We laughed at the pictures, we laughed at the sentences and we laughed at Jackass.

It's A Book - By Lane Smith Part 2

2010-10-23T17:06:00.001-06:00

The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom by Stephen M. Giles

2010-09-30T06:25:00.003-06:00

Does the amount of hair and the type of pet determine the wickedness of the villain? After reading The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom by Stephen M. Giles I would argue that it does matter. I mean look at Dr. Evil, he has no hair and a tiny kitty. Silas Winterbottom, on the other hand has a full head of hair and a pet crocodile. He personifies evil.

Silas Winterbottom is dying and he needs an heir. He sends for his nieces and nephew to determine which unsuspecting kid will be his “heir”. There is Adele, a red head with a mad scientist for a mother. Dear Old Mom threatens to send her to an orphanage if she does get the money. Then, there is Isabella an uncommon criminal that will do “anything” to be picked as the heir. Finally, there is Milo. He parents were killed by a volcano. Milo lives with his grandfather and wants nothing to do with the fortune. The three are forced to join forces to stop Uncle Silas.

I loved this book. It was funny and suspenseful. I wish it was in paperback because it would be our next Guys Read Book Club book.

Thank you Sourcebook Publishing for providing the ARC.

Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen

2010-09-01T06:10:00.001-06:00

It is hard to believe that I am two weeks into a new school year. My plan this past summer was to post numerous entries on The Boy Reader and comment on other blogs. Oops, that didn’t happen. I guess I needed a break. I am back with a fun book for reluctant readers that are proficient readers. I really want to focus on that. It seems much is written about reluctant boy readers that struggle and are below level, but not much on reluctant boy readers that read at or above grade level. They seem to be the boys that would rather go to the dentist then read.

Anyhow I received in the mail Gary Paulsen’s new book Masters of Disaster. It is a fun read. Three junior high boys set out to be “famous”. Actually it is Henry that wants the fame and adventures he just drags his friends Riley and Reed along for the ride and in Reed’s case literally and off the roof of the neighbor’s house. The short chapters make it easy for a teacher to read at night during the first weeks of school. This, also, makes it appealing to the reluctant reader. With many of Paulsen’s books the content is better for fourth and above.

Look forward to more posts. I really am back to blogging.

Thanks Random House and Knopf Delacort Dell

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

2010-06-16T11:31:00.004-06:00

Last summer when I was on vacation in Scotland I read in the Sunday Book Review what the best books were to take on holiday. The woman that wrote the article wrote about The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. She wrote that it was a wonderful prequel to one of the best books she had ever read, Shadow of the Wind. Now when a reviewer writes about their favorite book it must be good. She was right on. When I returned home I bought Shadow of the Wind and couldn’t put it down. I had to wait patiently for The Angel’s Game (Paperbacks reduce the amount of money spent on books!) to come out in paperback. It was perfect timing because it was right when school got out.

At the same time The Angels’ Game was released in paperback Zafón’s first novel was released in English in the States. Zafón states at the beginning of the book in “A Note From the Author” that the book had been trapped in a legal issue. Here is the exciting part it is considered a YA book. Even more exciting news it is not totally YA, and it is on my list for a read aloud next year.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a mysterious supernatural tale that takes place during World War II. The Carver family moves from the capital to a seaside village. It is on The Channel, but it is hard to tell exactly where. This adds to the mysterious nature of the story. It is very different from Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game where Barcelona is an important character. The story is about a family that moves to a house with a tragic past. The main characters are the son Max, his older sister Alicia, their new friend Roland and the Prince of Mist. The Prince of Mist goes by many names. His most recent is Dr. Cain. He grants wishes, but with a huge debt attached. A debt is still owed to him and he has returned to collect. The battle between good and evil is very clear. Max and Alicia risk their lives to help their new friend Roland.

As I was reading The Prince of Mist I could help but feel that Dr. Cain is very similar to Andreas Corelli from The Angel’s Game. Both are evil through and through! There are hidden identities in all three novels. The uncertainty of who someone really is makes all three books such wonderful reads. I love the feeling of wanting to quickly finishing a book to find out what happens, but once I am finished I miss the characters. Zafón’s beautiful use of language is hypnotizing. Of course, his wonderful translator Lucia Graves eloquently puts his words into English. No easy task. I end with a passage from The Angel’s Game:

I stepped in the book shop and breathed in that perfume of paper and magic that strangely no one had ever thought of bottling.

I cannot wait to share Zafón with kids!

The Reluctant Trout and The Reluctant Reader

2010-06-15T16:31:00.007-06:00

The angler enters the fly shop giddy with anticipation of what new flies will be found. The angler asks “What are they biting? What do you suggest?” The shop keeper replies with “Well, I hear that some are biting the streamers and wet flies on the rivers. The dry flies are working at the ponds, but you could also try the nymphs.” The angler ponders the choices. I do have some great streamers, but it doesn’t hurt to try something new. I always have luck with nymphs. Let me see what the hatch is. “Excuse me. What is the hatch? Any good nymphs I should try?”

After spending time and a lot of money in the fly shop the angler heads out to the find the perfect spot to try out the new flies. The angler spends time preparing the rod, putting on the correct strike indicator and weights. After getting into the waders the angler slowly enters the rushing river and prepares to catch a trout. After awhile the angler tries a different fly. You can see that the perseverance will pay off and a trout will be caught.

The teacher enters the book shop giddy with anticipation of what new books will be found. The teacher asks “What are they reading? What do you suggest?” The shop keeper replies with “Well, I hear great things about this new series by… These new non fiction books are engaging, but you could try the graphic novels.” The teacher ponders the choices. I do have some great graphic novels, but it doesn’t hurt to try something new. I always have luck with books by…. Let me see what the best sellers are? “Excuse me. Any good series I should try?”

After spending time and a lot of money in the book shop the teacher heads out to read the perfect book. The teacher spends time reading the books, thinking of the correct questions. After getting the plans ready the teacher slowly enters the classroom and prepares to catch a student. After awhile the teacher tries a different book. You can see that the perseverance will pay off and student will be caught.

Last week I spent a few days with my dad and brother fly fishing near Crested Butte. Truthfully, I spent most of my time reading. I think I used up all my patience during the year, so trying to catch a trout was very challenging for me. One morning we tried to catch some trout at the base of the Taylor Reservoir. It was a beautiful spot. The river had many crystal clear pools. It was easy to see and count the fish. As I stood there trying to get my line in correctly about six fish just stared at me. (Ok, not really but there were six fish right in front of me.) They had no interest in what I was doing. I realized that the angler is very similar to a reading teaching. We both spend hours trying to get the reluctant trout and reluctant reader to bite. We DO NOT give up. When they strike and take the hook we are elated. We can’t wait to share our successes. I can honestly tell you I would rather spend my day trying to catch the reluctant reader, but spending a few days in the Rocky Mountains with family and a good book is a great way to start the summer.

Now it is off to do more pre-painting prework. Fun times house painting.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

2010-06-14T15:15:00.006-06:00

OK really, in a decade far far away my life changed. It was the summer of 1977 and a 14 year old dork saw Star Wars 14 times on the big screen at the Cooper Theatre in Denver. (for the record I did see it one more time during the school year, and once in Mexico City the following summer when I studied abroad! The dubbing was awful!!!) I will never forget the opening text followed by the most important scene I could have ever imagined.

Last Sunday as I was reading the book reviews in The Times I read a review of a book I HAD TO HAVE. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger was immediately ordered. I emailed the Bookery Nook and it came in by the end of the week. Now I know some of you are saying “Kyle Yoda wasn’t in Episode 4. He doesn’t come until Episode 5.” Yes, I know. It even references that at the end of the book, but I knew that some boy out there will be greatly impacted by Star Wars.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger is about a group of misfit “friends” in the 6th grade. Yuck what an awful year. Tommy the main character writes the book with help from other people helped by Yoda’s wisdom. His friend Harvey comments at the end of each chapter pointing out that it was Yoda’s wisdom but just coincidence. Origami Yoda was created by Dwight the biggest misfit of all. He has little social skills yet seems deeply aware of what is happening around him. Yoda/Dwight give advice on what to do when it looks like you have a pee stain, asking a girl to dance and sharing. It is a really fast and fun read. I laughed out loud for an hour. Given the content I would say it is 5th grade and above. I am sharing it with a couple of Guys Read boys this Wednesday. Enjoy and may the force be with you.

PS. Can anyone help me on how to add a you tube video to my posting? I have a great on to put here.

Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka

2010-06-04T07:40:00.002-06:00

Book, TP, Breakfast cereal

and Tide courtesy of

Simon and Schuster.

Summer is here. I have spent the last few days (ok few weeks) reflecting on my challenging year. I spent most of the year feeling like a first year teacher. Luckily, I had one of the kindest classes I have ever taught. As a matter of fact it was the first time in all my years of teaching that I cried saying good bye to a couple of VERY special kids.

May was a whirlwind of a month. One of the many unique programs at my school is the multiple field trips we go on. However, as a teacher of two grades I went on double the number of trip. This included two wonderful overnight trips. The fourth graders spent two days and a night on the plains. It was a VERY COLD night in a teepee. The boys were excited because in the morning a little bunny had spent the night sleeping by my head. The other option would have been a rattlesnake. The third grade trip was an overnight in the basement of an historical mansion. The girls slept in the ballroom and we slept on the floor of the bowling alley. Two 8 year old boys had fun ALL NIGHT long. During the two weeks of the trips there was all the rest of the end of year teacher work and preparing my student teacher for next year. It was the best two weeks of the year.

When I returned home from the third grade trip there was a box from Simon & Schuster on the front stoop. Hurrah, a box of books. Well, I opened the box and the fun began. I laughed, laughed and laughed. I took the box into class on Monday morning and during Morning Meeting I shared the contents with my class. Throughout the year I have shared ARC’s with my students. Thank you publishers for bringing so much excitement to a group of third and fourth graders. This box, however, is different. The comments I heard came down to this “WOW a box of books. We can’t wait to read the new books.” I laughed because in the box were four items: a roll of TP, a box of Raisin Bran, and a packet of Tide all with a sticker that read SPHDZ, and one book by Jon Scieszka titled Spaceheadz Book#1! They laughed as hard as I did.

With any new book I try to make it fair to the readers. Which student gets to be the first? Sometimes I pull sticks, sometimes a lottery, etc. This time I decided to let S be the first to read it. S came to me a tall, gawky, no self confidence third grader. He started the year just barely at grade level and finished the year at an Independent DRAII 50. The expression on his face as I explained which student would be first made my month. He even wrote about how it was one of the best memories of the year.

S loved the book. I loved the book. It is a funny new series about aliens needing the help of a fifth grader named Michael K. They tell him that if they can sign up 3,140,001 Earthlings Earth will be turned off. It is great for reluctant readers. (Yes lots of humor!)

Pre-Poetry Friday or a Thursday Poem during Poetry Month

2010-04-22T11:09:00.004-06:00

In honor of the Thursday before Poetry Friday I thought I would share a boy poem from a wonderful new book of poetry. The Wonder Book By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Paul Schmid is a fun collection of poems and drawings. As a read the book I marked a poem that I thought would be fun to share with students and to blog about. When I got to the end I realized that I had marked almost every page. So here are a few tidbits about some of the other delightful poems: In Delightful Day we find the many bedtime questions asked my kids worldwide. In Clarification Ms. Rosenthal gives important pointers in regards to what one should or should not run with. Finally in Stop That! Be Quiet! Please Sit Still Mr. Schmid’s illustrations capture the boys in my room.

A Rose by Any Other Name

In Spain it’s called pedo
In Hungary you’d pass a fing
In Dutch you’d say en wind laten
When your bottom sings

In Japan it’s called he onara
In Germany you’d pass der pup
In Italian you’d say peto
When that small sound erupts

In Russia it’s called a perdun
In Hindu you’d pass a pud
In Polish you’d say pierdzenic
For both loud or quiet duds

No matter where you come from
Or what language that you speak
It’s really really funny
To hear a tushy squeak.

Thanks Harper Collins for the book.

Born Yesterday the Diary of a Young Journalist

2010-04-16T11:39:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in a fifth grade class. My colleague spent the afternoon with her student teacher planning the last unit. My student teacher taught my class, so I took a break from DRAII testing to spend time with students I had a few years ago. It was fun, but I am glad I don’t teach that age. I read them Born Yesterday The Diary of a Young Journalist by James Solheim. Last week I read it to my regular class. The story is about a little girl’s first year. It is told in journal from. It starts with her first entry written right before birth. She clearly states that had she know birth was so public she would have worn a tank top. The hilarious illustrations of Simon James capture the equally funny parts about older sisters and the importance of your reputation. Mr. James shows exactly what a baby looks like after it has bitten her ankle.

It is easy to fall in love with this story. It is amazing how a picture book with a baby on the cover can bring silence to a group of students. Off course the silence is filled with deep roars of laughter. I have learned over the years that this is the truest sign of a well loved story.

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

2010-03-17T06:23:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I was at my neighborhood book store The Bookery Nook and I picked up Dull Boy by Sarah Cross. It was between the middle grade book section and the JA section. (As a 3/4 grade teacher this is a real grey area to be in.) The cover caught my eye. Bold letters, superhero power boy flying through the words. I was excited because I am in desperate need for books for E. He is a fourth grade that reads at an eight grade level. He was in my class last year and again this year. He has read about EVERYTHING in my library. Well, that grey area wasn’t so grey once I started reading Dull Boy. It is a huge reminder to read books before handing them out.
Dull Boy is a great story about Avery Pirzwick an average 15 year old that has developed superpowers. His parents don’t know and he hasn’t learned how to control them. He soon discovers that there are a few other teens in his town that have superpowers. The group soon discover that they have many things in common. I really enjoyed the book. I SO wished I could let E read it. It’s not the language, though there are some not age appropriate phrases. It’s not the situations, though there are some situations that he doesn't need to know about yet. It’s everything combined. Please understand I am not advocating censoring what kids read, but there are books for kids, books for teens, and books for us. Where does this leave me? I still need books for E!

Wimp Yourself

2010-03-04T13:12:00.007-07:00

Click on Greg and have fun. Thanks Travis! http://100scopenotes.com/

The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman

2010-02-13T16:34:00.002-07:00

Last night was the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. I thought it was a beautiful show. The First Nations of Canada part was incredible. I loved the kid that flew through the pictures on the changing landscape of our neighbor to the north. NBC finally got it right by showing the countries of the World. They even showed us the countries that marched while we were at the commercials.

I am not a big sports guy. I enjoy listening and watching baseball and it is fun to watch soccer at the local fish and chips joint. So, when I received The Greatest Moments in Sports by Len Berman I said to myself “Boy, are you out of your league!” As I started the introduction I soon realized this is a great book for my class. The author Len Berman writes about how historians can’t even agree on who invented baseball, so how is he going to be able to say what are the best sports moments. It is this line that hooked the teacher (me) “You may or may not agree with my choices, but for each moment, I’ll tell you why I thought it was one of the greatest.” YES!!! An author telling kids you have to have supporting details.

So to date myself I do remember the Miracle on Ice. I was at the Court Club in Denver. I had just finished having my dad beat me at racquet ball for the 8,000,000 time. It was exciting to watch the final minutes. Even further back in time I had a poster of Secretariat hanging on my wall in my room, so it was fun to read the chapter about the wonderful horse.

The book has all the components of a good non-fiction text. It has heading, captions, tables, the list goes on. There is also a CD that has recordings of some of the great moments. I imagine that when this goes in the new arrival basket it will quickly end up in a book bag.

Book Courtesy of the Publisher.

An Unspeakable Crime The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank and Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America

2010-01-31T15:19:00.005-07:00

I am not a huge non-fiction reader, but this year I have read two that I have really enjoyed. One is a grown-up book and the other is a young adult book.

A parent at our school recently published a book. Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe. Many of us at school read the book and felt the same. We would come to school the next day annoyed and exhausted because we stayed up WAY TOO late reading the well written, thought provoking, and page turning book. The book follows the lives of four girls in Denver. All four attend college. Two have legal status so they are able to get grants, etcetera. Two do not and even though they have been in the USA for years, attended school, and graduated with honors they cannot apply for the same grants. The debate about immigration is bigger then this little blog, but it is one that impacts everyone. I could go on about his book, but for the sake of your sanity I won’t. I will say very simply this is a MUST READ!

The second non-fiction book, a young adult book, is An Unspeakable Crime The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank by Elaine Marie Alphin. Ms. Alphin writes about a Jew accused of killing a young girl in Atlanta in the early part of the 20th century. It is a fascinating story. Anti-Semitism and, more importantly, hatred of northerners led to this awful persecution of an innocent man. I found it interesting that the Anti-Defamation League was founded because of this trial. The story is about Leo Frank, a northern Jew. He moves to Atlanta to work for his uncle’s pencil company. He falls in loves and marries and soon after he is accused of murdering a 13 year old girl that works at the factory. Most southerners still resented the North. They hated the fact that many families had to work in factories owned my northern companies. This led to the police and media wanting to blame the gruesome murder on a non-southerner.

The book is engaging. The use of photographs, newspaper articles and layout of the chapters makes it difficult to put down. I like how Ms. Alphin explained how the lack of technology played a part in this story. There was no CSI or Law and Order SVU of find the real killer.

Both non-fiction books I have read spotlight the conceptions or misconceptions our society has on people that are “different” from us. As a teacher it makes me think about how I interact with children that are different backgrounds from me. I hope that I am able to provide a learning environment where they will grow to be responsible adults and not judge someone based on the color of their skin, the language they speak at home, the church they attend or the person they love.

Just Like Us was a gift from a student. Leo Frank was provided by the publisher.

Thank You Jon Scieszka

2010-01-05T07:28:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was our first day back to school. We spent the morning grading a district mandated writing assessment and the afternoon in our rooms. Oh, and lunch out with teachers. In my box was a Christmas card from a student that I had two years ago. Sadly, his family moved and he goes to another school. Fortunately, his mom still brings him to book club each month. In the card his mother had included a copy of a writing sample G had to do at his other school. I thought I would share a couple of sentences from the writing. They are appropriate in our days of thanking Jon Scieszka.

Here is a little background about G. He was at Montclair for just the year he spent with me. He had been at a private school and left there wounded from a bad year in second grade. He had VERY low self-esteem when he entered my class. He was reading a little below grade level and was very upset when he made mistakes. Over the year G grew more then any other student I taught. He found his voice and was willing to take risks. The writing his mom sent is about me and that year.

There is no better way to thank someone then by telling them the impact they have on your life. I met Ambassador Scieszka at the CCIRA conference a couple of years ago. It was after we had started our Guys Read Book Club at Montclair. So Ambassador here is what a fifth grader writes about the importance of book clubs:

“Mr. Kimmal announced he would start a book club for boys only….Mr. Kimmal handed out fliers to everyone. My friends and I decided to join. On the day it started, we walked up to Mr. Kimmal’s room. He explained how a book club would energize boys. Next he showed us some books that interested us, even though he knew none of us would read them, but after the second book, we got hooked. Mr. Kimmal knew how to make everyone crave reading…..Just by looking at the cover we knew our parents would hate it, and they did.”

I can’t remember the first book. I did know they would read the book. They often are true knuckleheads, but they come each month and the numbers keeping growing, so THANK YOU for inspiring me and my guys.

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes

2010-01-03T14:24:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year and Happy Cybils reading! The Cybils Shortlists are posted and two of my favorites made the lists (from categories I didn’t judge). The Curious Garden by Peter Brown made the fiction picture book shortlist and The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton made the non-fiction picture book shortlist. I love both of these books.

I contributed to the shortlist of Middle-grade fiction. It was hard to narrow down to JUST seven books. Good luck judges. One book that made the list is Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes. (The teacher in the story Miss Loupe is on A Year of Reading’s 100 Cool Teachers of Children’s Literature. She is a great first year teacher. One we would all loved to have had.) I truly enjoyed this book. It even made me cry. Here is my little blurb about the story that is, also, posted on the Cybils site:

Operation Yes is a story that revolves around cousins, Bo and Gari. Bo’s father is in charge of a military base in the south and Gari’s mother is deployed to Afghanistan; so Gari must relocate from Seattle to live with her cousin. They are both in the same sixth grade class and their teacher teaches in a box about the importance of life outside the box. What makes this story standout is how kids can overcome tough times and show adults what kids are capable of doing when they work together.

Book provided by the publisher.

Beyond the Station Lies the Sea by Jutta Richter

2009-12-30T08:52:00.002-07:00

A few years ago I asked my friend Carol about finding a new read aloud for my third grade class. I wanted to read something different. I have nothing against the cannon, but I knew there had to be more. She gave me some suggestions (I would not be the teacher I am without her!) and recommended that I also look on line. This began my life in the blog world. It reached a new level this year when I was lucky enough to be a judge for Cybils. As I have written there were some wonderful books nominated.

As we know the read aloud is the soul of the reading day. Our voice (someone else’s words) can bring laughter and tears to a classroom of listeners. That is why it is SO important to find the perfect story. Beyond the Station Lies the Sea by Jutta Richter is one of the books nominated I would love to read as a read aloud. Jutta Richter’s language (or the translators) is full of beautiful imagery. I could not put it down. I am just not sure if it is appropriate for a third/fourth grade class. I am not afraid to push the limit with my kids. I know that kids can comprehend a lot more then they are given credit for. I’m not advocating reading Proust, Tolstoy, or Bellow but reading them books that push their thoughts is so important.

Beyond the Station Lies the Sea by Jutta Richter is stunningly written novella about a young boy that runs away from an abusive home. He befriends an older homeless man. They dream of moving to the sea, but to get the money to move Niner (the boy) must sell his guardian angel to a wealthy woman. She obtained her riches by being a prostitute. Here lies my dilemma, how does one explain to 9 year olds about some of these topics.

Abuse, emotional but doable
Rough language, doable
Prostitution?????

On line the book is listed as 8-12 but in my mind I am thinking 12 and above.

Book courtesy of the publisher.

The Last Newspaper Boy in America by Sue Corbett

2009-12-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

When I was in the third grade we moved from Mexico City to Nogales Arizona. It was culture shock when we first moved to Mexico from Denver, but truly a bigger one moving back to the States. Nogales is a small border town about 60 miles south of Tucson. It was in Nogales that I had my first job. I sold the Nogales International in front of the Santa Cruz court house and library. Imagine a 9 year old toe head selling papers. I made pretty good money. My next endeavor in the newspaper business was home delivery of The Denver Post. To date myself it was delivered in the afternoon.
I can honestly tell you that even though the money was coming in it was an awful job.

I think my two experiences with newspapers influenced my reading of The Last Newspaper Boy in America by Sue Corbett. It was one of the books I read for the Cybils Middle Grader Fiction. In the story we learn that it is a family tradition to deliver The Cooper County Caller. When a member of the David family turns twelve they take over the delivery job. However, on Wil David’s 12th birthday he finds out that they are going to stop local delivery of the newspaper. Through determination, civic duty, and a HUGE need for a computer Wil sets out to change the newspapers mind. I really enjoyed this story. It is another story of kids taking control of their lives. There is a lot of humor in the story, often driven by Wil’s older brother, Sonny. He seems unconcerned with the world. Oh, who am I kidding, he seems like a dolt. But we find out a lot about the David family by Sonny’s action. Another great read aloud.

The Cyblis Shortlist and The mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg and now a NEWBERY AWARD HONOR!

2009-12-28T09:17:00.004-07:00

Before you continue The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg was just awarded a Newbery Honor. Well deserved.

The Cyblis shortlist for the Middle Grade Fiction is on the way to the judges for the final round. I truly enjoyed being a judge. It was A LOT of reading. There are great books out there. We did notice that death and war seemed to be a common theme this year. That’s not a bad thing, just an observation. My criteria for books that made it on my short list was:

Would this be a good read aloud book?

Would I use this as a guided group/literacy circle book?

The final list will not be posted until 2010. That is so far away. Well, not really; but it seems that way. I plan on blogging about many of my favorites.

FULL DISCLOSURE!!! All the books came from the publisher or library, so FCC or FTC go after the bonuses of Goldman Sachs etc. Leave this teacher alone. The few books I received doesn’t come close to what a Goldman Sachs guy pays for a pair of shoes. Another point: in the coming days, before the final list is released, the books I blog about are not necessarily on that list. I know, hard to believe but we didn’t all have the same top lists!

So here goes. (Possible story spoiler!)

The mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick is the story of Homer’s quest to free his older brother from the Union Army. You guessed correctly. This book has war and death, but it is a humors. Homer’s older brother Harold is sold illegally to the Union Army. During the Civil War wealthy people could pay someone else to take their place in the army. Homer sets out to free his brother. He has a tendency to stretch the truth, so he gets him self into some funny situations. I enjoyed this book because the historical information helps carry the story, but what I really liked was the perseverance of Homer to save his family and the honesty that Harold has with Homer at the end.

Reading level is about 4th to 5th grade.

When is it too early to call?

2009-11-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our monthly Guys Read Book Club. We discussed Ark Angle by Anthony Horowitz. The guys enjoyed, but didn’t love it. There was not a lot of discussion during the month about the book. This is an easy way to tell the popularity of the book. Our next book is Cirque du Freak The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan. I have a feeling this will be much more popular. Here is one reason why. This morning a mom told me a funny story about the new book. She said that another student called their house at 7:30 AM to find out how far E, her son, had read. She answered that E was still asleep because he had stayed up to 10:45 PM reading the book. Hmmmmm, “ Late to bed and early to rise” seem to be signs of a popular book.

Friday the 13th and Christmas

2009-11-13T09:53:00.002-07:00

It’s Friday the 13th, but it could be your lucky day!

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I love the colors of the leaves, the pumpkins, the colder weather, and because it leads to Christmas. WOW! A period filled with dazzling colors, joy, and magic. That is why I was excited to participate in this book tour. The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Jon J Muth and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King illustrated by Gail deMarcken are both a must for any library.

Over the years I have learned that the children’s illustrators are very important, so when I saw the names on these two books I knew I was about to read two special books.

I had the privilege to listen to Jon J Muth at a Teacher’s Night at The Bookies. It was fun and interesting to learn how he does his work. He ranks up there as one of my favorite illustrators. He does not disappoint with The Christmas Magic. Lauren Thompson’s story about how Santa prepares for the special day is charming and magical. I have spent the last few months emphasizing the importance of descriptive, rich and exciting language. I want students to use words like: snug, tingling, shaggy, creaky, gleams, and the list in this short books goes on. Thanks Ms. Thompson for a brilliant example. I am a very visual person so Jon J Muth’s magnificent illustrations bring the story to life. Who knew Santa had bunny slippers. Also, I know wonder what parsnips and berries would taste like.

One of my favorite read aloud books is The Giving Quilt. It is a beautiful story about the importance of giving to those in need. The illustrations by Gail deMarcken have made it a book I share year after year.

When I hear The Nutcracker I think of Russian Ballet with cute kids dressed up. I never really paid attention to the fact that it is an old German story. I admit the first thought I had whan i looked at The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was “OK, I blog about books boys will like. Will a boy like this book?” After reading I changed my mind. Boys will enjoy reading and hearing this story. The story has battles etc, but it is Gail deMarcken’s illustrations that will fascinate boys. The intricate illustrations of the tooth falling out of the nutcracker to the seven headed Mouse King will excite boys.

I look forward to sharing these books with my class and my nieces and nephew.

So here is how it is your lucky day. Two, yes two lucky people that comment (Can commenter be a new blog word?) will win both books. I am stealing this idea from the Shelf Elf. When you comment tell me what your favorite holiday book is, also, making sure I have access to your email address. US addresses only.

Billy Twitter’s and His Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex

2009-11-09T06:11:00.001-07:00

First, I want to say the Billy Twitter did not invent twitter. That was a question asked before I read Billy Twitter’s and His Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex. Secondly, it is a great boy book. Billy is not the most responsible kid. His parents tell him that if he doesn’t do his chores etc. he will get a blue whale. Let me think no work cool pet, what would anyone do? Well, you guessed right Billy Twitter does get a whale. He soon learns that it is a HUGE responsibility to care for a blue whale.

The humor in the book is non stop and at many different levels. Yes, adults will love it. What makes the book special is all the factually information about blue whales. It always helps to have non-fiction text wrapped up in a fun fiction book. Here is a question, how many skateboards does one need to haul a blue whale down the block?

Winter’s Tail How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff

2009-09-29T06:03:00.003-06:00

I love dolphins. I always have. I remember the first time I touched one when I was in second grade. My dream is to swim with them, so when I was asked to be on the book tour for Winter’s Tail How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff, I quickly said yes. The story is about Winter, a young dolphin that gets caught in fishing net. He is rescued and taken to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida. (Don’t you like my very brief summary?)

My summary is short because YOU MUST read the book to find out all the special events that happen in the life of this young dolphin. I just started a unit on non-fiction reading and writing with my third and fourth graders and this book will come in handy. As a non-fiction text it has the features we are talking about: introduction, photographs, maps, captions, etc. However, it is the engaging story that will suck the kids in. This book is not just “The facts, just the fact!” It has soul. Boys and girls at many different reading levels can and will enjoy Winter’s Tail.

One last exciting bit of information. There is a give away. Stop by and comment and you will have a chance to win the book, a dolphin (not a living one!) and much, much more. The contest ends October 13, 2009.

Book for review courtesy of the publisher.

Lunch Lady and the First Book Club of the Year

2009-09-18T07:05:00.002-06:00

The first guys read of the year met on Wednesday. Wow. 22 eager, loud, hyper….boys. My fellow teacher was at an IEP meeting, so I was left to control the herd. We spent most of the time getting to know each other and talking about protocols. Large group of hyper boys, so you can imagine that discussion. (Ha!Ha!) Our first book was Lunch Lady and The League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Most of the boys read the first Lunch Lady book last spring. Yes, I was one of the lucky ones with an advanced reader copy. It was a fun afternoon. What made it special was that four new members, that would not come last year because of reading levels, came. Because of the format of the book they were able to comprehend most of what was happening and felt safe coming to book club. One of the new guys, A, came up to me last week and quietly asked if he could come.

A is an African refugee. His mother speaks no English, and their native language has not written component. Verbally, he didn’t say much at book club, but the joy on his face spoke volumes. A few of the advance readers are going to trade off reading aloud to our new members so they can keep coming. It is going to be a great year in book club.

Multiage, DTR and Advance Reader Copy

2009-09-13T10:58:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe what a whirlwind the beginning of this school year has been. I am teaching a 3/4 multiage in a district where only literacy aligns. Yes, trying to teach Everyday Math to third and fourth graders is like spinning plates on the Gong Show! (I, also, have three second graders join us for math!) I haven’t been gonged yet, but I'm still spinning! I have been able to briefly keep up on what my blogger friends are doing. A Year of Reading has a great entry on the importance of supporting new teachers and future teachers.

Franki and Mary Lee write about the importance of mentoring our future peers. I am fortunate this year to be part of a new teaching program that was developed between Denver Public Schools and The University of Denver. It is called Denver Teacher Residency, and is modeled after programs in Boston and Chicago. In a nutshell 26 “students” are getting their Masters in Education and certification at the same time. We have six in our school. My DTR spends four days a week in out classroom, one day a week in seminar, and one Saturday a month in classes. There is a slow release model, so they do not become overwhelmed. It is exciting to have some in the classroom, but daunting as well.

Daily a student will do something that reminds us why we teach. It can be a smile, a well written sentence, a look of joy on their face when they finished the book of their dreams, or making a new friend. However, sometimes they say or do something that makes us laugh so hard that we wished everyone could experience the joys of teaching. I looped with 8 kids from last year, so there is some strong background knowledge which can come in handy! The other day we were making a chart of Non-Negotiable in writing. We all know the drill “I’m done with my writing”, and their “finish” piece is lacking in the basics. Capital letters are not scary. Ending punctuation is not expensive. So, anyhow, we are making the list and N, a student, I taught last year raised his hand and said “Mr. Kimmal, can’t we just write Advance Reader Copy on the top so you know there are mistakes?”

Really, you can’t make this stuff up!

Poetry Friday

2009-08-21T05:16:00.004-06:00

Forty years ago was a summer of firsts. It was the year Armstrong walked on the moon. It was, also, the year my dad moved my mom, me, and my brother from suburban Denver to on of the biggest cities in the world, Mexico City. It was a summer of first for me too! I had my first artichoke, pepino (sliced cucumber covered in lime juice and chili powder) from the street vendor, limón paletta (lime popsicles made with lime juice), earthquake (OK my only one!)and my first ride on a subway, El Metro del Cuidad de Mexico. Wow, this boy was hooked. I have never gotten over living in a big city. Our apartment even had an elevator as the front door.

As I thought of what poem to do for Poetry Friday I immediately thought of Subways are People from Lee Bennett Hopkins new book of poetry City I Love. Come on what boy does not love trains, and the metro is subterranean train? When I first read this poem the memories rushed by just as the Mexico City Metro rushes by the Aztec ruins. Enjoy.

SUBWAYS ARE PEOPLE
By Lee Bennett Hopkins

Subways are people-

People standing
People sitting
People swaying to and fro
Some in suits
Some in tatters
People I will never know.

Subways are people-

Some with glasses
Some without
Boy with smile
Girl with Frown

People dashing
Steel flashing
Up and down and round the town.

Subways are people-

People old
People new
People always on the go
Racing, running, rushing people
People I will never know.

Guilty Pleassure

2009-08-11T07:22:00.002-06:00

Last February at the CCIRA conference Jane Yolan gave a potent luncheon speech. One of her points was that publishers “create” series to make money. I agree, but some of them are fun and do get kids to read. I read the fourth 39 Clues this summer. It is not great literature, and will probably not stand the passage of time, but they are fun. I borrowed the book from M. He emailed me four times to see how I liked it, and to tell me “Mr. Kimmal it is the best one yet!”

How bad can a book be if it keeps a nine year old reading during the summer?

Reading Level high 3rd grade and above.

Lunch Lady

2009-07-30T18:20:00.002-06:00

There was a mess up from the publisher, so mine just arrived! My students will be so excited. I got emails this summer asking "Mr. Kimmal do you have the second Lunch Lady?" Book talk on the first day will be FUN!

THE CANDY SHOP WAR by Brandon Mull

2009-07-21T08:19:00.001-06:00

One way I judge a great book is how involved I become with the characters. This summer I read City of Thieves by David Benioff. I wanted the book to end so I could find out what happened to the characters, but when I finished the book I was sad that I was done. I wanted to spend more time with the characters and I felt like two friends had moved away.

Another book I have the same relationship with is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull. I loved this book. The friendship between the Nate, Summer, Pigeon, and Trevor is real and interesting. Brandon Mull captures the scary way adults can manipulate kids. It was exciting to read about the risks these four were willing to take to save the world from evil. (I don’t want to spoil the book!) While I was reading the book, I thought this would be a great Guys Read book because of the adventures and the importance of a female character; but I am doing it for my first read aloud. Nate, Summer, Pigeon and Nate work well together to confront the bullies that torment them, (small spoiler alert!) but at the end they save them. I feel that it is important to share books with strong characters that have to deal with bullies.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull Shadow Mountain.

SLOB by Ellen Potter

2009-07-14T11:41:00.002-06:00

Recently I was talking with a friend about SLOB by Ellen Potter. She started reading it at the library, but passed it off to a student she had last year and I had the year before. It is funny how we can start a book and when we see a student we will pass it on and tell them “I think you will like this book.”

M (the student) is a great kid, but can be uncaring. My first thought is that M wouldn’t like this book, but after more thought I realized that it is a perfect book for him. Slob is about Owen Birnbaum, an over weight, smart 12 year old. He compares every day as being the first day of school in a new school. Not a great thought is it? Owen eventually befriends another outcast. This is the reason that this is a great book for M. First impressions can be very wrong, and we often end up friends with someone we would never expect. I hope that M learns from this book.

It is on the short list for first read aloud of the year

Too Much Background Knowledge?

2009-07-08T08:39:00.001-06:00

Background knowledge is an important part of comprehension, but what happens when there is too much background knowledge? Can it negatively effect what we read? I just finished Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford and my background knowledge made it a very hard book to finish.

Captain Nobody is about a boy named Newton Newman. Certain events happen in the story to turn him into Captain Nobody. I’ll discuss the story after a little information about my background knowledge and how it impacted my thoughts of this book.

Nineteen years ago my brother was hit on his bicycle. It was a hit and run. He was in a coma for nine days. Once he woke up he had to learn how to walk, eat, etc. He lives on his own now, but has a severe brain injury. During the time Kris was in a coma it tore our family apart. We all felt helpless, and, at times, hopeless. At the hospital I had time to spend with my brother and was present when the doctors spoke with my parents. This experience made it difficult to read Captain Nobody.

Let me start by saying that after I finished the book I realized how much I enjoyed it. Newton “Newt” is a skinny kid that happens to be the younger brother of the star football player. He is the son of parents too involved in their jobs to pay close attention to Newt. He is, also, best friend with two great kids. During the “big game” Newt’s big brother is knocked out and ends up in a coma.

There are many things I loved about the book, and some situations that bothered me. What I liked:

I loved the friendship between Newt and his friends. Newt is very self sufficient. He is a great care giver. Newt is funny, and aware of his short comings. Captain Nobody is Newt’s Halloween costume. The day after Halloween he realizes that he doesn’t have any clean clothes, so he wears his costume to school. The teachers think he is wearing the costume to deal with the family tragedy. A sequence of funny events turns Newt into a real super hero.

My dislikes have a lot to do with my background knowledge. After the accident Newt’s parents spend the rest of the book at the hospital. In their quest not to scare Newt they give him no information. A 10 year old needs the information. There is no adult staying with Newt, just the drive by sleep over by one parent. This is where I’m not sure if my experiences cloud my judgment, or if it is the book. I didn’t like that the principal and the counselor didn’t have any idea who Newt was, even after he met with them.

I am curious to see what others will think about Captain Nobody.

Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon

2009-07-01T08:17:00.003-06:00

Last autumn I was told about the most popular books in the UK. The second grader, that told me, had received a few of them from relatives that live in London. His mom said that they were wonderful and E zipped through them laughing the entire time. During my next trip to The Bookies I was told that they heard that they might be published in the US sometime in 2009. After making travel plans for my summer vacation in Scotland I knew what books I was going to bring back. Well, right before I left for Prestwick I received the first four Horrid Henry books.

In Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb Henry’s feelings about reading sum up what most boys think about reading: “Reading was hard, heavy work, Just turning the pages made feel exhausted.” It is a challenge to find exciting and fun books for reluctant and struggling boy readers. There are the old standbys, but most have read them or are not interested in a boy with his dog.

When I opened the package and saw the cover of the series I laughed out loud. The titles alone are enough to get most boys interested in at least picking them up, but once word gets around about the stories the wait list will be long.

Here are few things I like about the series:

Horrid Henry isn’t too horrid. He is very likeable.
Perfect Peter is FAR from perfect as we learn in the first book. Other “P” words come to mind and they aren’t that nice.
I love the adjectives added on to all the characters. Moody, Acrobatic, Rude….
Great vocabulary. I could easily use it for ELL’s and showing the importance of rich language for higher readers and writers.
Tony Ross' illustration capture boys and make me laugh.
Short chapters/ stories.

The list goes on. Without evening thinking hard I know 20 boys that will eat these up. I am excited to share these books with the readers in my class.

Free books!!! The first two people that email me or comment and want a book will get their own copy of a Horrid Henry.

A Wonderful Summer Afternoon Part 1

2009-06-25T07:53:00.003-06:00

Imagine a summer day, a lovely old park, 18 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders discussing a book. It seems like an unbelievable scene, but it was how I spent a couple of hours yesterday. Last summer I was asked to continue the book club over the summer, so it just made sense to continue it this summer.

Last summer an average of 6 guys showed for book club, but this year WOW! The dynamics of the book club were interesting because there were a lot of new third graders, and the new fifth graders were used to me and the process.

At first I was overwhelmed with so many boys, but we quickly got into the groove and after awhile new friends were discussing the book like an adult book club. The book we discussed was The Mysterious Mr. Spines Wings by Jason Lethcoe. Some had read Mr. Lethcoe’s series The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff. We talked about how both series have an orphan and take place in California. There was an interesting bit about how he must be Lethcoe must be an orphan because writers write about what they know, but some disagreed that not every story is based on an authors experiences. Again, I say WOW what a great way to spend a summer afternoon.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-06-24T07:43:00.004-06:00

I have never read Jane Austen, but I have seen many movies based on her books. I laughed when I read about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. When I finally ordered the book it the back was backordered. It hadn’t, even, been released. It shows that early blog press can drive book sales. My copy finally came in during the chaos of end of year stuff! I put it on the top of my summer reading stack.

Reading is a very private activity, so when I decided to read it on the plane to Scotland I knew there would be comments. I mean really who can’t comment on the cover? I enjoyed the book, but wished there was a bit more zombies. There is a great “chic fight" between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine.

It is definitely not a book for the average Jane Austen fan or third graders, but I do have a couple of guys that will enjoy the challenge of reading a classic with a zombie twist.

Happy Summer!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009-05-27T07:25:00.002-06:00

I entered the world of Kidlitosphere because I wanted to find different books for Read Alouds. Boy, what a wonderful world it is. I recently finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It was one of the best read aloud books I have ever done. It was fun to watch the faces of other adults when the book is described. Yes, the look of shock and “What are you thinking?” is not easily masked. A while back I was at The Bookies and we were talking about the book and someone said “It will be in the cannon of children’s lit!” I agree.

The Graveyard Book is not your normal read aloud. It starts off with a gruesome scene, but what follows is what makes it a hit. When I finished the book the class clapped and said read it again. I had 29 third graders at the tip of my tongue. What power in Mr. Gaiman’s words. Here are just a few things my students had to say about this book:

“I like graveyards and dark stuff. The Graveyard Books is wicked!” OK, F is really into vampires!
“It was creepy.”
“My favorite read aloud this year was The Graveyard Book because Bod is able to see ghosts and I like to imagine that.”
“It always had a good ending of the chapter.”

My read aloud time is right before lunch. It is not long enough, but we make due. The book is full of cliff hangers which made it fun to stop at key points because it was lunch time. Towards the end of the book the suspense builds, but it was time for lunch. The reaction to me stopping was so loud that the art teacher came out of her room to see if there was a fight. They were ready to get me!

I read the book before I did it as a read aloud. I enjoyed it more the second time. I can’t wait to find another book that will excite us in the same way.

Last day of school tomorrow!!!

A few Off the Summer Reading List

2009-05-26T06:22:00.002-06:00

I just read Carol' s list of her summer reading list. Truthfully, that's her weekend reading list. I don't have mine in order yet, but thought I would share the beginning. My first goal is to finish Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, it is hard to do adult reading during the year! My first three, I am taking them on my trip, are:

The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt
Time Was Soft There A Memoir, A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

P&P and Zombies took forever to come in. (Remember The Boy Reader!) The first printing sold out before it was released. I'm reading this one first on the plane to Scotland. As time permits I will add more. It is fun to see what others are reading. We never want our stacks to get small!

Inspiration from a Boy Reader

2009-05-14T07:32:00.003-06:00

It has been way too long since I have posted. Sorry! I normally write about books I have read or what they boys are reading for book club, but this post is different. One of my boy readers is quite a young man. He is a bookaholic, an awesome soccer goalie, a spaz that can’t sit still, a swimmer, you get the picture. A normal nine year old, however, this one has a soul and since of justice far larger then most adults.

A few months ago he asked me if he could do his independent project on marriage equality and equal protection. Big issues for a third grader, but it is my job to support their passions. He wanted to plan a rally and do a report. Of course I thought he meant a little rally in front of the school for a few students and teachers. Nope! He wanted it at the State Capitol. This Saturday is the rally. He arranged speakers, obtained the proper permits, and even inspired a film company to do a mini-documentary on him. We have no idea what the turn out will be, but given that it is posted on many sites in the Denver area I imagine it will be bigger then a few students and teachers.

The picture is of Ethan asking Senator Bennett for support!

The Three Investigators: Alfred Hitchcock Mysteries

2009-04-22T07:37:00.003-06:00

When I was a kid one of my favorite series was The Three Investigators: Alfred Hitchcock Mysteries. The series is very similar to The Hardy Boys. Three friends, Jupiter Jones, Bob Andrews, and Pete Crenshaw start their own Private Eye Agency. What was cool was that their headquarters was in a salvage yard. It was, also, fun to have the stories take place in California. The first book The Secret of Terror Castle still sticks out in my memory.

Yesterday Ethan showed me the book he is reading. He said “these were my grandma’s!” (I read them much later!). I got so excited. I told him how much I loved the series when I was a kid. I started to search for them on line, but it looks like I will have to order them as single books from many places. Wow, a new summer project. I will keep you updated as I reread these wonderful mysteries.

2009-04-10T14:45:00.003-06:00

I waited until Opening Day to read this book to my class. (Usually, I go to the game, but they traded Holliday. It is my own protest.) Their first question was “Were you upset when the Dodgers moved?” They are mean! I’m not that old. You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax by Jonah Winter is a beautiful and informative book about baseball. It is a brief biography about a legend. The “Brooklyn” English is fun. The kids loved it.

In today’s Denver Post there was an article about Evan Netzer. He is a third grade teacher in Windsor Colorado with a boys book club. He does it twice a month! How do you that? Here is the link to the article. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12112015 It is exciting to see boys book clubs getting press.

A Special Visit

2009-04-08T07:29:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was an exciting day at my school. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Senator Michael Bennett came to see our little school. They spent time in my room having a round table discussion with some of my kids, and I got to give the Secretary the gift from the school.

I know my blog is about boys and reading, but I needed to write about this visit. Our school has worked very hard to be a part of school reform. We are one of two schools that have innovation status under a new Colorado law. It is risky, but important to have control over what we can control.

(My CCIRA chair is in the last picture! Thanks Pat.)

The Brimstone Network by Tom Sniegoski

2009-04-05T15:50:00.003-06:00

Most of the books we get for our Guys Read Book Club are paid for by the A to Z Grant. It is part of the DPS Foundation. We are very lucky to get his grant. Last Wednesday people from A to Z came to see how their funds are being used. I called the guys in at the beginning of lunch to give them a heads up, and to warn them to be respectful. Something happened during the rest of the day. I, strongly, suspect that the real boys were taken and replaced with well behaved articulate cylons. They were skin jobs.

They still rolled around and fought over Dorritos, but what came out of their mouths was, well, not what comes out of 8-10 year old boys. Last year the conversation was “I like this book!” That’s it no more details. Wednesday as they were discussing The Brimstone Network by Tom Sniegoski there were comments like “ I like the symbolism of ….”, and “ I am having hard time deciding if this is better then The Lightening Thief because…..” They loved the book because to be compared with The Lightening Thief is about the highest praise a book can get.

Of course some of their favorite parts had to do with the end of the book and how the hero saved the day. I will not give away the ending, but the graphic retell of the demise of the bad guy had a big impact on our visitor. The expression on her face was perfect “Oh my god , they are such boys!”

New Book Store

2009-03-29T14:27:00.004-06:00

OK, how exciting is this? A new indie book store is opening 5 blocks from my front door! I walked by and looked in the window of The Bookery Nook. It looks REALLY cool. New black book cases, comfy chairs etc. It looks like it will have a big kids section. I can even take, my dog, Gus. Their web site says opening April. Hopefully, by this time next week I will have an update.

Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight

2009-03-26T07:56:00.002-06:00

Recently Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight was reviewed on A Year of Reading. As usual their reviews make me want new books. Well, I did get a chance to read it as well. For full disclosure I must admit that I love Westies. Eric Wight’s illustrations of Argyle are incredible. He captures every mood of the stubborn Westie.

I have an idea for a follow up with the kid with the world’s most amazing imagination. Frankie Pickle imagines Argyle is a dog that listens (not just when he wants to), that can go on a walk without a lead, comes when he is called, and does not look at Frankie with looks of contempt. Wait, that’s not a Westie that’s a Golden. What fun is having a Westie without the cute and the stubborn?

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

2009-03-23T09:07:00.002-06:00

Gardening is very important to me. Last summer we were on the local garden tour, and when we plan trips seeing different gardens is always on the itinerary. That is why two of my favorite books are Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney and The Gardener by Sarah Stewart. Flowers and plants are important to the soul. A new book has taken their place, and the main character is a boy! The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a wonderful book. The story is about a boy named Liam that discovers the abandoned elevated train tracks. He finds dying plants and takes it upon himself to be their gardener. Tending the thicket always has joyous results. (There is aLiam in my class who's mother is a master gardener, and is responsible for Montclair's fantastic spring plant sale!)

Peter Brown’s story and illustrations give me goose bumps. As I reread the story I find more fun things that make me want to read it again. I do love the mysterious gardener. The message is similar to Miss Rumphius and The Gardener. Our little efforts at making the world a better place pay off. It may be cliché, but smiling is contagious!

Thank you Peter Brown!

Soccer or Book Club?

2009-03-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

Soccer season has started. Many of the third grade guys are on the same soccer team, so there were fewer of us at book club. I am glad their parents are making them choose. Actually, I think some are saying you have to do soccer. For the couple of boys that are “picking” soccer over reading I am glad. One of the 3rd grade writing prompts was about having the choice to play outside or read for an hour and two wrote about playing, and not reading. L even wrote that he hates reading! Liar, liar pants on fire. L has read Here Be Monsters four times! I told them that at least their essays were well written even though they were far from the truth. Their grins told the real story. E wrote “I try to get in as much reading as I can every day.”

OK back to book club. Our book was Billy Hooten Owl Boy by Tom Sniegoski. The guys loved it. One even said that it is a great book to discuss because it is so well rounded and fun. He needs to help my book club get back on track. The guys love to talk about their favorite parts and for once they didn’t all have the same one.

Boys can be very silly. N a very quiet boy got the giggles and tried to stop, but that only made it worse. He finally ran out of the room laughing and crying. Now, you must understand boys are so sympathetic to feelings because when N returned they all said the same word that set him off originally. Yes, he lost it again.

Our next book is another Tom Sniegoski book titled The Brimstone Network. It looks good!

Happy Birthday Carol

2009-03-06T05:31:00.001-07:00

For a dear friend, special person, loving mother, awesome teacher, and important mentor I say to you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-03-04T13:40:00.004-07:00

Recently I received the first two books in the Roscoe Riley Rules series by Katherine Applegate. My plan was to read them quickly during free time at school and write about them on my blog. Well, they vanished the first morning. Book 2 did reappear yesterday morning. It is hard to pry good books from 3rd grade hands.

The funny part is that the series is for lower reading level then the class that has the books. It is hard to tell if older kids will read books about younger kids, but they seem to love this series. One boy said he has them at home and rereads them.

We are dealing with bullying issues here at school (which school isn’t?), so I think most can relate to how Roscoe and his friend feel.

My goal is to get the book into the hands of struggling readers.

Books sent to me by the author.

CSAP Poetry

2009-03-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today we start the Writing part of the CSAP. Lauren gave me a great poem.

The Toucan
Tell me who can
Catch a toucan?
Lou can.

Just how few can
Ride the toucan?
Two can.

What kind of goo can
Stick you to the toucan?
Glue can.

Who can write some
More about the toucan?
You can!

Shel Silverstein

A bunch of Knuckleheads

2009-02-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we met to discuss Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka. Not a moment too soon. For some reason 3rd and 4th grade boys are not patient beings. Go figure! Jr. (other Kyle 3rd grade teacher) bailed on me. Something about tutoring kids for CSAP! Luckily Liam’s dad joined us.

The guys were SO excited to share their favorite chapters. Yes, Crossing Swords was a favorite! The guys with me started reading chapters. The funniest part of the entire evening was when Max A. read Chapter 36 “What’s so funny Mr. Scieszka?” I laughed so hard I cried and my face turned bright red. The guys made it funnier by asking “What’s so funny Mr. Kimmal?”. I had a great time that evening.

Our next book is Billy Hooten Owlboy. It is a fun book about a reluctant super hero.
Hopefully, no parents will be upset about this one!

CHOICE

2009-02-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

The common thread of all the sessions I attended at the CCIRA Conference was giving students choice in what they read. Jon Scieszka, Matt Zbaracki, Patricia Polacco, Jane Yolen, Debbie Miller, myself, and even Nancie Atwell emphasized how important it is to let kids, especially boys, feel like that have a say in what they read. Ambassador Scieszka spoke about how his wife lets him choose between two ugly shirts. He said “they are both ugly, but at least I get to pick which ugly shirt I am going to wear!”

Too often many educational experts, even ones that are still teachers, discount what the practitioner is doing in the classroom. One of my best practices is to give them choices. For example, for Guys Read I bring in a stack of about seven books and let them pick.

CCIRA

2009-02-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am cleaning up after the CCIRA Conference. My hands will be loaded tomorrow with books that need to be returned to kids and the classroom. I had to pry many books out of the hands of reading boys to use in my presentations on Thursday and Friday. They will be happy to get them back.

Thursday was wonderful day. I spent it with Jarrett J. Krosoczka. He is so charming and has a wicked sense of humor. He even let me read the galleys to Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. What is it with librarians? Either they are the best or ……..

At the end of the day Jarrett introduced me to Laurie Keller. I spent Saturday morning with her. She is funny, and it is amazing how small her house is. On Saturday I had a cool conversation with Ambassador Scieszka about boys and reading.

Lunch Lady and The Cyborg Substitute

2009-01-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

A Vespa that shoots sloppy joes to stop bad guys. The laptop disguised as a lunch tray, and Betty with the spatu-copter. These are just a few of the fun parts of a new graphic novel that is coming soon from Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Last Friday I got to go to the exhibit hall at the ALA Mid-winter Conference. The bag of books I came home with is SO cool!

I laughed the entire time I read Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. The humor is, well, right up my alley. I can’t wait to let students read it. The fun part is that next week at CCIRA I get to spend the day with the author. Someone that writes like that will be fun to be around.

ARC. On sale: July 28, 2009

Nothing to do with boys or reading!

2009-01-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

The current (early spring 2009) Country Gardens Magazine has a piece on my parents and their wonderful green house. It is fun to see my parents in a national magazine.

Video Games and Reading

2009-01-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did a mid-year DRAII assessment on one of my lowest readers. Marco is a wonderful boy that just isn’t reading. To back up a little, last week we were generating ideas for personal narratives. (Thank you Lucy Calkins for your great ideas!) I had the students make a list of things that are hard, easy, first time etc. Marco put reading down on his list. Then he wrote a personal narrative about how reading is hard, but he needs to know how because he can’t read the directions for his new video game.

Marco was a DRAII 8 at the beginning of the year and now is a DRAII 14. In the past he lacked confidence in his reading. I truly believe that his new sense of “I can do this” is because he now has a reason to read. I will take what ever reason I can get. I am proud of his growth, but more importantly he is. We are going to keep at it so that the directions are no longer an issue.

Franki and Mary Lee at A Year of Reading have started a new discussion on 21st century literacy. I’m not sure if this fits into that discussion. Yes it is 21st century video games, but it is old fashion ya gotta read!

New York Times Style Section

2009-01-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

I cross country skied all weekend, so I did not have a chance to look at the Sunday paper until yesterday evening. One of the first sections I look at is the style section. I was so excited to see the front page. YES! Diary of a Wimpy Kid is styling. Jeff Kinney’s series was featured in a great article by Jan Hoffman. There is also a piece on Jeff Kinney. As I read the article I kept thinking about all the things written about Captain Underpants and Bart Simpson. It is funny how similar it all sounds.

In the end it comes down to a quote from a mom, Debbie Drucker, “He (her son) knows the boys are naughty and not P.C., and he loves that. It’s not a big message books as opposed to the other stuff we try to cram down his throat. I’m just happy to have him read.”

That’s my goal. Get the boys to read! And, hopefully not eat cheese off the playground, no matter what the bet is!

Evan's Dad

2009-01-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first Guy’s Read of 2009. They were very excited to attack the snacks and sing songs. After about 10 minutes we split up to discuss the books. This meeting turned out to be special because a dad participated in book club. Evan’s dad Mike joined us for discussion. Every month I invited dads to join us and this was the first time. It was fun to have the connection to home. He admitted that he had one chapter left. He was glad at the end of book club that no one gave away the ending. He was excited to go home and finish the book.

I am excited that there is a bigger home and school connection. I hope more dads will come in the future.

Our next book is Knucklehead Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka. Most have already read it and talk about their favorite parts. Hopefully there aren’t many electric radiators at home.

My New Look

2009-01-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

So everyone is talking about resolutions, and as I wrote earlier I do NOT do them. At the beginning of the school year one of my goals was to make things simple. I played around with different layouts and found one that is simple. I hope you like the new look.

Now if I could just do the same clicking with everything else.

The Wrong Book

2009-01-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

Picking books for the book club can be challenging. Finding a book they will all like is something that is in the front of my mind. One Small Step by P.B. Kerr is a great book about the Apollo space program (OK the secret ape space program), and a fantastic book for guys. I learned many things about space travel. For instance, pooping in space is not an easy chore! It is not a challenging read, but there are too many situations that are not appropriate for third graders. Carol wrote on her blog about a Maya Angelou book, and how it is not right for certain ages.

As educators we have to balance appropriate reading for our students without censoring what they read. CENSORING BAD, directing kids to the right book priceless!

2008

2008-12-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that today is the last day of 2008. I cannot tell a lie it is ending wonderfully. I spent the morning with my friend Carol. We work and live within miles of each other, but it has taken months to actually get together. We spent hours talking about, well about everything. It was nice to see her. She asked “Are you making any resolutions?” The answer is NO! I look forward to the upcoming year. Thank you to all the fellow bloggers that inspire and teach me. Have a fantastic 2009.

Bright Beginnings for Boys: Engaging Young Boys in Active Literacy

2008-12-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week my friend Barb gave me an article from the most recent IRA magazine about a new book called Bright Beginnings for Boys: Engaging Young Boys in Active Literacy by Debby Zambo and William G. Bronzo. The joy of technology is that I was able to down load the first chapter from the book. The first chapter is titled Nurturing Young Male Readers. I am not a researcher. I am a practitioner, so this information helps me work with my students.

What I really liked about this chapter is how it addresses capturing boys’ imaginations. Zambo and Bronzo talk about using picture books that have positive male characters (I argue that it must be true in novels and graphic novels too.) and how boys relate to the actions and emotions of the characters. This was very evident in my class this week when I brought out An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco. 25 of my 29 students heard this story last year in second grade. I heard many boys say “this is such a sad story!” When I asked do you want me to read something else the chorus of “NO” was very clear. I agree with the authors that “Thinking about how characters feel allows boys to step outside themselves in to someone else…”

While I read the chapter I thought of the Guys Read book club and how the boys reacted to all the books we have read. Their favorite books are the ones with positive role models (I guess Greg in Wimpy Kid is positive!). They take it outside to role playing their own version of Lightening Thief.

I often hear teachers and parents say “Boys only read non-fiction.” I find this not to be true. I have given the guys many non-fiction books as possible book club books and they have not chosen one. They want the characters.

As I read more of the book I know it will inspire me to post more of my thoughts.

39 Clues: One False Note

2008-12-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

I finally finished 39 Clues: One False Note by Gordon Korman. It took me awhile because I was so tired every night. Thankfully it happened before the weekend because Ethan was about ready to just take it out of my bag. There is already a queue of boys waiting for their turn.

I have to admit they are a fun read. I really like how geography and history are embedded in the story. When do you think they will figure out they are learning while having fun finding clues? The only problem with finishing 39 Clues: One False Note now is that the next one is due out until March!

Does it have to be a classic?

2008-11-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Recently a parent asked me why I didn’t pick any of the classics for the Guys Read. I explained that my goal is to introduce the boys to new books. She asked “but don’t you think the old ones are good? How about Red Badge of Courage?”

So, my question is, am I being too narrow in the books we are reading? There are so many wonderful books to choose from. The canon is important, but if we don’t read the new authors how will it ever increase? I, also, think that as they continue in their education they will have enough teachers that will ONLY let them read the classics.

Comment Challenge

2008-11-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

I am having fun trying to meet the challenge. It is hard, but I enjoy finding all these new blogs. I entered to win a book at Book Dads. Wish me luck in both winning the book and doing a proper link to their blog.
http://www.bookdads.com/

2008-11-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you The Well-Read Child.

What to do with 20 "guys" that want to discuss books?

2008-11-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is hard to believe but last week 20 third and fourth grade boys showed up for book club. I am excited that so many showed, but trying to have a discussion was challenging. When it came time to pick the next book it was a tie. Half the group picked The Navigator by Eion McNamee and the other half picked One Small Step by P.B.Kerr. Since I am always flying by the seat of my pants I said that next time we would meet in two groups. One with me and the other with Mr. Bry, my team teacher. By the way his name is also Kyle! Luckily the next morning he said he would. Wish us luck.

By the way it is nice to have a long weekend. Off to read and enjoy a cup of tea we got in Paris last spring.

don't forget to comment on other blogs!

Finding Just Right Books for Book Club

2008-10-30T18:12:00.000-06:00

The last couple of books we read for book club have been a little challenging for some of the guys. The first one Silverfin was exciting, and at their level; but it really is a book for 5th grade and above. The second one is Mariah Mundi The Midas Box by C.P. Taylor. Content and theme is much more 3rd to 6th, but the vocabulary was challenging at times. It is a great book for teaching rich language.

I have started the quest for a few more suggestions for the book club. I have a small stack and have started to read them. I started with Science Fair by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Kids hate when you laugh while reading silently. They want to know what is so funny. We had a little time on Tuesday before our Parade of Masks and the autumn party. The story is about a science fair at a wealthy middle school where only the wealthy students win. There is more. In the capital city of Krpsht (pronounced “Krpsht”) in a country named the Republic of Krpshtskan the president is planning to destroy the United States. If you couldn’t tell there aren’t many vowels in the language either. I enjoy the book but it is definitely NOT for 3rd and 4th graders. One reference to a “hot” student is OK, but five on one page and it on to the next.

2009 CCIRA Conference

2008-10-29T11:45:00.000-06:00

I received the conference registration book this past weekend, and as I looked through it I said "Oh my god what now?". This past spring I submitted a proposal for a session. Carol helped me wordsmith. During the summer I was notified that I was accepted. NOW the moment of truth. I am in the book. Will people sign up? Will it be what they want. I hope so. It is an hour session to talk about setting up a book club and suggested books. I am looking forward to it, but scared.

"Again! Again! Again! Again! Again!

2008-10-05T13:14:00.000-06:00

The other day I watched my niece and nephew. Hannah is 3 and Levi turns two this Thursday. Yes, he is a two year old boy. He LOVES trains and trucks. Once I got them into their pajamas I let them pick a book to read. Hannah picked a pink book, she loves pink, “I like purple now!” and Levi chose Smash!Crash! by Jon Scieszka. I read, and when I finished he said “again, again, again” It is a great book but five times is tough. I got him I’m Bad! By Kate & Jim McMullan. It is a cute story about a hungry T-Rex that loves him mom.