New Book Store

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!