The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

 

1. They are looking at the same book and are taking turn reading and discussing what they just read.
2. Reading different books, but stop often to share what they have just read.
3. 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

 

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

 

Novels

1. My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian cartoons by Jake Tashjian
2. because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea
3. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
4. Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson
5. NERD 2 M is for Mama’s Boy by Michael Buckley
6. Boom! by Mark Haddon
7. Crunch by Leslie Connor
8. Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
9. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
10. 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

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

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.