BBAW - Connecting Makes The Books Go Round

Kellee: Until you become a book blogger, you can never understand how wonderful the community of book bloggers is and how powerful it is to be part of it. One of the things that Jen and I have done to help us build our TMT community is starting the Kid Lit to YA version of “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” meme.

Jen: I’m not afraid to admit how much I am in love with the IMWAYR meme!!! It’s another way to see what others are reading and to hear what they think of those books. It’s fun to see how the great friends who are joining in seem to read what others are reading. I noticed a bunch of people reading Hattie Big Sky knowing that Colby Sharp and John Schu would be hosting their Hattie Big Sky book club. There are other books, too, that I notice someone has raved about and then later a few people are reading it. It truly has become a book community that shares and discusses books and people read books to have read a book in common. It’s amazing.

I’m so glad to see how IMWAYR has taken hold in the blogosphere of kidlit! It has a great following on Sheila’s blog Book Journey and I hoped it would be just as successful with a kidlit focus on our blog. It’s has become more than I had imagined.

Kellee: One of my favorite things of IMWAYR is that I see the readers learning about phenomenal books and then the next week, they are reading them. Seeing Wonder and The One and Only Ivan spread throughout the blogosphere was so great to watch!

Jen: It’s pretty amazing to see how building communities works in schools and classrooms but also how it works in real life for adult readers. That’s how school should be, kids practicing what works for reading in real life.

Kellee: My favorite thing this week was the interview Tuesday because we were able to share all of the great blogs we love, people we love and who inspires them.

Jen: I think I would agree that Tuesday was my favorite day, too. I loved reaching out to our favorite bloggers and learning more about them. It was nice to highlight them and for our readers to find new blogs. It just really felt like more community-ness...and that’s what Book Blogger Appreciation Week is all about!

(I did also love reviewing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green finally...that’s a close second favorite thing of the week for me. I just love John Green and that book. It’s brilliant. If I was teaching high school students I would be booktalking that book all the time. Okay, I’m done, I know I already gushed enough yesterday.)

(I love The Fault in Our Stars!!!!)

(Seriously, I’m done.)

Kellee: Overall, I think this week was a great success and so much fun! We got to share our favorite blogs/tweeps, talk about how we started and why we choose to review like we do and share one of our favorite books. BBAW couldn't have been any better!

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BBAW - Pimp a Book: The Fault in our Stars

When we read that for the Thursday of BBAW 2012 the theme was "Pimp a Book", we knew that our choice needed to be a book we both loved thus we chose The Fault in our Stars by John Green. Not only do we love this book, but we also felt that TFioS shows a great sense of blogger community because it was the inspiration for John Green Week hosted by YA Bibliophile.

During John Green week, here at TMT we celebrated John in many ways including sharing our favorite John Green quotes and Vlogbrothers videos, summarizing John Green's presentation at NCTE 2011, reviewing John Green's short stories  Let it Snow, "Freak the Geek", and "The Great American Morp" as well as his novels Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Paper Towns and finally ending with a review of NCTE's sneak preview chapters of The Fault in our Stars. Because John Green Week was leading up to the publication of The Fault in Our Stars we never reviewed it! But now we will!

Title: The Fault in Our Stars 
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books 
Publication Date: January 2012 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 
     Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 
     Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.  
What Kellee Thinks: I'll be honest. I have not written a review of this book. Every time I think of writing one, I don't know if I am going to be able to do it justice. It is one of those books that you read and as you read, there are so many good things and so much you love and you know that it is something so special. Even now as I sit here, I don't know what to say. I know that I wish that it was more appropriate for middle schoolers so I could share it with more students, I know that it is a book that everyone should read, and I know that it is a book that I am glad we are sharing here on TMT.
          The Fault in our Stars is not only an emotional and funny book, it is beautifully written. As I read, I knew I wanted to mark quotes for a review, but as I read, it was hard to find a page to not mark. (Jen here, chiming in, I couldn't even begin to share my favorite quotes for the same reason - I had so many lines highlighted it's not even funny.)

John Green has a way with words. If you have read anything by him, you know what I am talking about. I think what makes this book even more powerful is that it is a combination of John Green's voice and a deep, amazing story. Put the two together and you get a masterpiece.
What Jen Thinks: I completely echo everything Kellee has to say about The Faul in Our Stars. The entire book exudes John Green-ness. If you have watched any of the Vlogbrothers videos or seen any interviews with John Green, it is just so apparent that this book is all him. Kellee really got it right when she said that this is a deep and amazing story. John Green's books deal with teen issues but this book is completely on a different level even for him. I seriously just wish I could sit and swoon and gush and pour my heart out to you about how awesome this book is. It has to be read, though. It's borderline impossible to express accurately how imperative it is for you to read this book if you haven't.
     Now let me take a deep breath and try to explain a little bit of why this book is so great. First of all, as I said, it is an amazing example of voice. John Green's vocabulary and how he plays with words and creates words is so unique to him and perfect as a mentor text. For a second, it seems as though he's talking nonsense but then it all makes sense and instead turns out completely brilliant. His characters have incredible word sense and can spit out lines with amazing wit. I can see how someone might find them unbelievable but having worked with middle and high schoolers, I know there are intelligent kids out there who are as articulate and charming as Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. (They remind me a tiny bit of characters from Dawson's Creek or Gilmore Girls...just a teensy tiny bit - and really only because of their )
     Hazel and Augustus spend much of the book discussing a book they love, An Imperial Affliction. Their connectedness and torment over not knowing how the story ends is such an interesting part of the book. It's it's own storyline in a way. (Seriously, this book is so deep. It's got layers, man!) I love to see how invested they become in the book, but also about how it ends up being more than simply wanting to know how the story ends. I can see how the book is a symbol for their own lives and life in general - the stories our lives become. We all have a story to tell and hopefully there is someone to listen and learn from that story. This idea seems to emerge in other parts of the book as well.
     I am barely even starting to scratch the surface of aweseome-ness when it comes to this book and all the millions of literary discussions you could have. Here's just one more that I found remarkable both times I read it. The title is actually from a quote from Shakespeare about the fault in the characters' destinies. It's like how Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers. They are insanely in love with each other but it's just not in the cards for things to work out for them. I think a discussion of The Fault in Our Stars and Romeo and Juliet in a high school class would just about make my brain explode. It would rock.
     My final thoughts, I learned my current most favoritest word in this book: hamartia. If that doesn't make an English teacher do a double take, I don't know what will. If you haven't read the book or don't know the word hamartia, look it up...and then get a copy of The Fault in Our Stars. What more can we say?

Read Together: Grades 8 to 12
Read Alone: Grades 9 and up
Read With: The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, any John Green book 
Snatch of Text:  "It wasn't even that the book was so good or anything; it was just that the author, Peter Van Houten, seemed to understand me in weird and impossible ways. An Imperial Affliction was my book, in the way my body was my body and my thoughts were my thoughts." (p. 36)

"Hi," I said. "How are you?" 
    "Grand," he said. "I have been wanting to call you on a nearly minutely basis, but I have been waiting until I could form a coherent thought in re An Imperial Affliction." (He said "in re." He really did. That boy.)
     "And?" I said. 
     "I think it's, like. Reading it. I just kept feeling like, like." 
     "Like?" I said teasing him.
     "Like it was a gift?" he said askingly. "Like you'd given me something important."
     "Oh," I said quietly.
     "That's cheesy," he said. "I'm sorry."
     "No," I said. "No. Don't apologize." 
     "But it doesn't end."
     "Yeah," I said. 
     "Torture. I totally get it, like, I get that she died or whatever."
     "Right, I assume so." I said. 
     "And okay, fair enough, but there is this unwritten contract between author and reader and I think not ending your book kind of violates that contract."
     "I don't know," I said, feeling defensive of Peter Van Houten. "That's part of what I like about the book in some ways. It portrays death truthfully. You die in the middle of your life, in a middle of a sentence. But I do - God, I do really want to know what happens to everyone else. That's what I asked him in my letters. But he, yeah, he never answers." (p. 66-67)
Mentor Text for: Voice, Characterization, Metaphor, Symbolism, Dialogue, Emotional Impact, Humor, Making Connections - Text to Text, Expository, Personal Narrative, Word Choice, Word Play, Theme
Writing Prompts: Hazel has a book that is her favorite and means so much to her; what book do you love that you could not live without? Choose your favorite line or quote from the book and discuss why  you connected with it so much. Write about someone who made an impression on you but who you have lost touch with.
Topics Covered: Cancer, Depression, Friendship, Reading, Death, Love, Family, Destiny, Determination, Trust, Integration - History/Genocide/WWII, 

Jen and Kellee *heart* It:

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BBAW - What Book Blogging Means to Us

Jen: Today for Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2012, we are talking about what book blogging means to us! Just recently, we have started sharing reviews of non-fiction books on Wednesdays and want to share more about that, too.

Kellee: Before I joined Teach Mentor Texts a little over a year ago, I was considering joining other blogs or starting my own; however, I knew that I wanted to be part of something special and Teach Mentor Texts fit that bill perfectly. Jen designed TMT to be a blog that would not only review books, but helps teachers find the best books for their classroom. It’s objective was different than other blogs and was exactly what I wanted to be part of!

Jen: I’m glad you say that, Kellee, and I love to hear others tell me that they find value in Teacher Mentor Texts. The main reason I started blogging was to share the books I read and to share ideas for using them as mentor texts with students. I love to read and talk about books so it makes so much sense to have a blog devoted to just that. Actually, I had been reviewing books on my family blog until a friend of mine suggested I try a blog devoted to just books (I secretly think the books were taking over my other blog and she was telling me that in a nice way...).

Kellee: Jen and I talked this summer after she read Pathways to the Common Core and I went to a Common Core training. One of the biggest changes from state standards to CCSS is the heavy inclusion of non-fiction. We know that non-fiction is so important to incorporate in the classroom so that children are exposed to it and learn to be a reader of non-fiction. Ultimately, it was decided that we wanted to pick one day a week to review only non-fiction so that our readers would consistently be exposed to non-fiction for their classroom. We were even more ecstatic when we saw that Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives did a nonfiction picture book Wednesday. We jumped right and became part of their weekly posts and we love being part of the non-fiction community.

Jen: I really feel like non-fiction gets a different kind of love than fiction. It’s easy to fall into love with fiction and forget about non-fiction. Luckily, there are some really unique and engaging non-fiction books out there if we just look for them! I have loved learning about these great non-fiction books from blogging and Twitter friends - they remind me that non-fiction is awesome, too. Some of my favorites are Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, Here Come the Girl Scouts by Shana Corey, Knuckleheads by Jon Scieszka, and How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg.

This whole new emphasis on non-fiction and the conscious focus at Teach Mentor Texts is an example of something else blogging means to me. Blogging helps me stay current and relevant as I read others’ blogs and strive to make changes that reflect best and current practices in teaching. I love that Kellee is part of the blog, too, because I can bounce ideas off of her and we grow through our discussions. It’s pretty cool that TMT is ever-evolving!

Kellee: That is exactly why I love doing a blog with you, Jen! It is so great to be able to brainstorm with you. The saying “Two brains is better than one!” definitely works in this case.

I’ve been so thankful to be part of the blogging and Twitter PLN that we have. You are so right in that it is the only way I have been introduced to some of my favorite books including non-fiction ones. Recently I have read and loved books by Jane Yolen, Doreen Rappaport, Sid Jacobson, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Tanya Lee Stone, and many great authors.

Jen: I love that Book Blogger Appreciation Week helped us slow down and reflect on what blogging means to us. When it comes down to it, it's about always learning and being part of an online community that helps facilitate that. We would love for you to share what blogging means to you!

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BBAW - Interview Day!

Today is interview day for Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2012! 
We decided it would be great to ask some of our favorite kidlit blogs to share why they
started book blogging! It's fun to read about how their book blogging journeys began!

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger? 

Katherine (@katsok): You all did! My friends that were already blogging and kept nagging me (in a super wonderful way) to get writing. Attending NCTE for the first time last year and meeting some wonderful people who were all blogging and be inspired by them was a huge influence. I came home on Sunday and started my blog that Tuesday. Yikes! You can see my first post here: http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/2011/11/testing-water.html I clearly remember the nervous feeling in my stomach when I hit "publish." And, for you teachers, that feeling was the beginning of many lessons that writing publicly has taught me to share with my students. 

What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?  
Katherine: Oh man, so many. Obviously yours, Colby's (Sharpread), John's (Watch. Connect. Read.), Teri's (The Goddess of Ya Literature), Franki and Mary Lee (A Year of Reading), Travis's (100 Scope Notes), Anita's Silvey's (Children's Book Almanac), Karen and Bill's (Literate LIves), Mindi's (Next Best Book), and so many more. Donalyn Miller has been a huge influence for me as have my friends through Twitter and Slice of LIfe. 

http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?  

Colby (@colbysharp): I felt like it would be a good way to keep track of what I was reading and I hoped that it would help to to begin consistently writing.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Colby: When I started I was a giant fan of Mr. Schu and Mr. Jonker's blogs.

http://sharpread.wordpress.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?

Debbie (@stylinlibrarian): I had too many thoughts on books to contain myself anymore just on Goodreads and Facebook, so with my sister's encouragement and my husband's patience, I decided to begin officially blogging. I did blog a tiny bit before my Styling Librarian posts, but those were not personal, more for professional library webpages. I love how I'm able to reach around the world and have conversations with inspirational people, keeps me going! Plus I have incentive to explore new children's literature and share treasures.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Debbie: Too many to count. My favorite bloggers that influence me are:
A Fuse 8 Production
Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac
books4yourkids.com
I am lost in books
Poetry for Children
The Book Chook
The Unquiet Librarian
Watch. Connect. Read.
Teach Mentor Texts
Nerdy Book Club
Sharp Read
Teaching in Cute Shoes
Try Curiosity
and way too many others... honestly.

http://thestylinglibrarian.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger? 

Beth (@foodiebklvr): I was inspired to become a book blogger for two reasons: 1) My husband isn't a reader and none of my friends lived nearby so I didn't have anyone to talk books with, which resulted in my decision to take to cyberspace to do it. 2) I wanted to know what was new and up-and-coming in the publishing world so I could share that with my students. I didn't want to be the teacher who was always recommending the same five books because I didn't know any different.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Beth: The bloggers that inspired me from the very beginning were Lenore Appelhans at Presenting Lenore and Kelly at Stacked. Their commitment to their craft has always been evident in their reviews and I have tried to emulate that commitment in my own book reviews. I have since become inspired by my teacher and librarian friends/Nerdy Book Clubbers like Donalyn Miller, Mr. Schu, Colby Sharp, Brian Wyzlic, Sarah Andersen, Jillian Heise, and of course Jen Vincent and Kellee Moye. :) I am amazed at what all these people do to promote the love of reading in their students.

http://www.foodiebibliophile.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?  

Franki (@frankisibberson) and Mary Lee (@maryleehahn): Well, here is how our blog started. Mary Lee and I have always met and chatted about books forever.  For years, every January, we'd meet for coffee or breakfast and make our Newbery predictions.  It was a fun chat and made our own rules.  Then one year at Panera after we had talked about books, Mary Lee said, "What if we blog our conversation this year?" I had no idea what a blog was but Mary Lee said she'd take care of that part. And so we started "A Year of Reading" . The intent was to chronicle our year of reading on a blog --the conversations we'd always had--leading up to the Newbery. One year turned into 2 and now into almost 7.  

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Franki and Mary Lee: For the first 6 months, we pretty much just talked to ourselves and each other.  Some blogs that we first learned from (we were such huge fans they were our "idol" blogs)  are blogs that we still love and learn from.   We loved and learned from were Betsy Bird's even before her #Fuse 8 blog became part of SLJ.  We learned so much from her from the very beginning. Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page was another blogger who had a huge influence on us.  We loved her blog and her "Cool Girls in Children's Lit" inspired our "Cool Teachers in Children's Lit".  She taught us about the possibilities of blogging. Melissa Wiley's blog "Here in the Bonny Glen" was another that we loved from the start. (Melissa was actually the person who invented the word KIDLITOSPHERE many years ago!)  And we loved and learned from Pam Coughlan and her blog, Mother Reader. Now we learn from too many to even count.  We count on our kidlit blog friends for sustaining our lives as readers and can't remember how we lived without all of our great blogger friends.

http://www.readingyear.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?

Amanda (@maestra_amanda): I didn't realize that you could actually blog about books (I thought blogs were for homeschooling mommies, politicos and people's diaries!)  But then, I read about ARCs Float On and was matched with Michelle from GalleyCat, and she sent some great books for me to put in my classroom.  So I pondered that for a bit.  Then I asked a professor of mine (at the time), how I could become more involved with and more knowledgeable about children's books.  She suggested joining several committees, and also starting and reading other people's book blogs.  And the rest, as they say, is history...

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Amanda: I'm not kidding when I say you guys!  I know that if either of you, John Schu, Donalyn Miller, Colby Sharp or Danielle from There's a Book recommends or is super excited about a book, its a winner and I either have to put it on hold at the library, sit in the picture book section of the bookstore to read it, or just go ahead and buy it! And not only that, but all you guys are so nice.  I am in awe of your combined knowledge of books, children and teaching.  I hope that one day I can be as knowledgeable, and as enthusiastic, as you guys!  

http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?

Kim (@kagmoran): I was inspired to be a book blogger because in my job I am so surprised to find out that a lot of teachers and other friends don't know so many amazing books are out there. I wanted to share what I love and have been inspired by. I also wanted to write about it for myself. I like to reread what I write about books and how I was thinking. It surprises me sometimes. I forget how much a book like The Scar by Charlotte Moundlic moved me to tears. This helps me keep a record.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Kim: When I first started blogging, I wanted desperately for more followers. I don't really worry about that any more. I was inspired by great teachers like Kristin from A Teeny Tiny Teacher and Abby from The Inspired Apple, but I never felt like them. So I started looking around at blogs that moved me and helped me become who I am now. I followed Teach Mentor Texts, Nonfiction Detectives, Susanna Leonard Hill, Grade Onederful, Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes, Mrs. Wills Kindergarten, and Colby Sharp. When I met Mr. Schu on Twitter, I fell in love with his passion and followed him as well. So many blogs influenced me and still do.

http://1stinmaine.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?

Lorna (@notforlunch): The last 15 years or so, I've found my own passion for children's literature reignited as I went back to school to get my teaching credential for what was a short career, and then building a love of reading with our two daughters, now 8 and 11. The last five years or so I've been more actively reviewing the books I've read on sites including Goodreads as I found myself reading too many good books not to share. I'm one of those people who's constantly recommending books to the adults and kids in my life. This evolved into my blog, Not For Lunch, which I started in 2011 where I talk about my reading and parenting life. My blog is my way to share my book love!

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Lorna: My own kids and the other kids in my life are the greatest influencers on my blog. I'm reading to find things that might pique the interest of them, their friends, my friends' children, or my young nephews. I love finding books that entertain and books that teach us something about ourselves or the world around us. Even though I'm not teaching anymore, I am constantly inspired by the reading community I have meet through Twitter, including the kind, generous members of Nerdy Book Club (Twitter hashtag #nerdybookclub). Many of these folks have great websites that I visit frequently for not only great book ideas, but great ways to present that information to others including Nerdy Book Club, Mr. Schu's Watch. Connect. Read., Colby Sharp's sharpread, and Maria (who is a former teacher and parent, like me) at Once Upon A Story, amongst many others.

http://notforlunch.wordpress.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?
Earl (@ea12l): I've always loved reading, and when I find a great book, I want to share it with everyone! This year, in particular, I started "The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer" to share my thoughts on the books I've read and to let people know of interesting literacy-promoting websites and events- as well as a way to keep myself accountable with my writing.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?
Earl: The best thing about starting my blog was discovering all the other people who are as passionate as I am about children's literature. They inspire me every time I visit their blogs.

http://thechroniclesofachildrensbookwriter.wordpress.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?
Maria (@mselke01): My blog started out as a way to share my thoughts on anything that popped into my head. That's why I went with the name "Melange" (though it is also a Dune reference, for you classic science fiction readers). Over the course of the past year, though, it seems like more and more of my posts are book related. I think that's mostly due to the rich reading and teaching community I've found on Twitter. The more I read, the more I want to share what I've loved with others. Being involved in the weekly "It's Monday" thread has pushed me further in that direction. I also blog about parenting, gender issues, and geeky topics like comics and science fiction and fantasy movies.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?
Maria: Hmmm... I'd have to say that Teach Mentor Texts has been a huge influence. I've tried to find my "niche" in how I write reviews (especially my SciFi reviews) by looking at how you do it. I'll admit to also using this site to help guide me as I worked in my first ever Blog Tour for Ann Aguirre's Outpost (which just went live on Monday!) Two Writing Teachers also impacts me, because I try to participate each Tuesday in the Slice of Life challenge. I managed to write every day in March as part of that challenge! 

     This past year has given me so many opportunities to write posts on my blog and as guest posters. I linked up here with a post on Dystopian, with Donalyn's Book Whisperer blog on creating reading communities, did solo and joint posts on Nerdy Book Club, and even did a post on using Star Wars fandom to teach literary analysis for the School Library Journal's Connect the Pop blog. 

     Interacting with authors on Twitter has been another major source of inspiration for my blog. Kate Messner and Gae Polisner (and Jen) got me writing a lot this summer as part of Teachers Write! Getting to know them and other authors like Tom Angleberger, the Holm siblings, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka inspires me to share my love for their books.

http://www.mariaselke.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?
Crystal (@librarygrl2): Last summer I was taking a art class about unleashing creativity where one of the assignments was to journal every day. I also stumbled onLaurie Halse Anderson's challenge to write 15 minutes a day. It seemed that a blog would be a great way to accomplish daily writing without feeling threatened or pressured. I settled on children's lit and reflections of the coming school year for my focus since I am an elementary level teacher librarian and I adore books. I didn't write every single day, but did write WAY more than I had in the past.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?
Crystal: Another set of people also helped to give me a reason to write. Cathy, from the blog Reflect and Refine, and Mandy, from the blog Embrace Learning, announced a virtual picture book party called 10 for 10. I needed to have a spot online to post my ten favorite picture books for this great event.  Of course, after I started blogging, there have been many more people helping me on my way through some great modeling.
     Here are a few more fantastic influencers who also happen to be Nerdybookclub members (in no particular order):
John Schu
Donalyn Miller
Colby Sharp
Maria Selke
Kellee Moye and Jen Vincent
Alyson Beecher
Katherine Sokolowski

http://readingtl.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger?

Linda (@lbaie): I began my blog because I thought I had something to say about literacy, all kinds, including books.  I began my teaching career as a first grade teacher because I wanted to teach kids to read.  I thought there probably was nothing greater than to see a young child’s eyes light up when they realized those marks on the page were something they could interpret.  They could read!  As I began writing for my blog, I realized that I sometimes found books that I believed everyone should know about.  So I began writing about them.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Linda: Well, my blogging connections with Kellee and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts have been special.  They inspire me because they do so much reading and sharing of new and old good books, so I feel as if I can’t let them down, like one thinks about a special teacher.  I started blogging withTwo Writing Teachers, Stacey and Ruth, and loved the way they talked about teaching, including books good for professional growth as well as terrific mentor texts.  And I began contributing to the Poetry Friday group where I learned about many volumes of poetry for all ages and learned some things about how writers talk about poetry.  Finally, the blogs that, like those above, both inspire and add to my weekly reading/book buying adventures that sometimes seem out of control are Katherine at Read,Write,Reflect, Colby at Sharpread, and the NerdyBookClub blog.  Of course I read many other blogs, in the slicing community and those who contribute on Monday.  Every one, and there are a few special friends, adds to my knowledge and are those that I emulate.  I enjoy writing and adore reading, so blogging in a community that feels the same way is simply a joy in my life.   Thanks to all who help me realize that every day I read their words.

http://teacherdance.blogspot.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger? 
Jenn (@jennann516): During Christmas break there was a lot of talk on Twitter about different NerdyBookClub challenges, and I made plans to participate in the NerdPrintz and Nerdcott challenges. I've had a personal blog in the past, and I figured the new year and new challenges would be the perfect time to start a book blog. I'm definitely still growing, and I don't post nearly as much as I want, but I love blogging about what I'm reading.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?
Jenn: The Teach Mentor Texts blog was actually a huge inspiration! I've read this blog for about a year, and I love the IMWAYR posts each Monday. Fellow teacher book bloggers Sarah Anderson (yaloveblog.com) and Jillian Heise (heisereads.com) were also inspirational. I love that they review books they have in their classrooms, and how Sarah has occasional student guest reviews.  

http://fountainreflections.wordpress.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger? 
Alyson (@alybee930): The community of other bloggers, teachers, librarians was a significant part of why I became a blogger.  I loved sharing with others and getting to creatively talk about what I was doing and what I loved (books and literacy).


TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?
Alyson: There are so many blogs that I love but don't have enough time to read every day or every week.  Here are a few though that I really try to catch on a regular basis:
Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac - Great focus on a variety of books and lots of fun facts.
http://childrensbookalmanac.com/

Mr. Schu's Watch.Connect.Read  - Aside from all the great book trailers that John finds, I also enjoy the author events, and the glimpse into his library, and the other unique features.

http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/

Nerdy Book Club - Great posts and great people!

http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/

From the Mixed Up Files...of Middle Grade Authors  - Definitely a great resource for Middle Grade books.
http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/

Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer - Always relevant and a great resource
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/Of course there are lots of friends who are also teacher or librarian bloggers but if I started listing them all, we would run out of room.

http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/

TMT: What inspired you to become a book blogger? 

Danielle (@the1stdaughter): Without a doubt it was my son first and then the marvelous Natasha from Maw Books Blog. My son is a voracious reader and I couldn’t keep up with his habit. Even at eighteen months it was difficult to find books for him and I knew I couldn’t be alone. I sought out review blogs online and quickly discovered that an old “real life” friend of mine had a great book blog, Natasha. Her site showed me that it wasn’t only possible to accomplish what I was hoping for, but that there was an entire community waiting to welcome me.

TMT: What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

Danielle: Yesterday I shared a list of some of my favorite book blogs and those would definitely be some of the inspiration behind what I do, but there are definitely others. Yours, Jen & Kellee, because of the detail and experience you bring to your posts inspire me to pay attention to the details and remember to share those with my own readers. Also Amy from My Friend Amy, because of her dedication to the book blogging community, Pam from Bookalicio.us because of her tenacity, and my own mom who was one of the original food bloggers that started out with Julia from the Julia and Julia movie/book. More than anyone, my mom taught me to blog about what you love and forget what everyone thinks because you never know who will be there tomorrow, but your words will remain forever.

http://www.theresabook.com/

If you weren't one of the book bloggers we interviewed, 
we would still love to hear from you! What inspired you to become 
a book blogger? What blogs, people, etc, influence(d) you and your blog?

 and

Lions of Little Rock

Title: Lions of Little Rock     
Author: Kristin Levine  
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile 
Publication Date: January 2012 
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958

Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn't have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say, especially to Sally, the resident mean girl. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear - speaking, which Marlee never does outside her family.

But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn't matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families. 
What I Think: I first read Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals after I found it while wandering the shelves of my university bookstore. One summer, I wanted a good read and thought I would look and see what lit classes had as required reading. It is an amazing book and so interesting. I love non-fiction accounts because sometimes it is so crazy to believe that things that happened but they really did happen. I knew that because I loved Warriors Don't Cry, written by one of the nine African-American students to integrate in Little Rock, I would probably love this book. Lions of Little Rock did not disappoint.

I love how the writing is so descriptive in this book and really draws readers into Marlee's story. Even though the book takes place in 1958, the year after the Little Rock Nine integrated Central High, it feels like Marlee could be a 12-year-old student today. Her family dynamics and friend dynamics come to life feel just as relevant today as then. (I mean, the issues she deasl with are still very relevant today...but they feel so similar and not fifty years apart.)

Readers will love how Marlee is afraid of taking risks but how she learns to be strong and take maybe the biggest risks when she believes it's what is right and needs to be done. It's more than a book about integration, it's about being true to yourself and standing up for what you believe in even if it's scary. A really beautiful book.
Read Together: Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles, Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip M. Hoose, Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals, The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Read Alone: Grades 6 - 9 
Read With: Grades 4 - 9 
Snatch of Text: “It was a beautiful day in September and I was standing on top of a diving board. The blue sky was reflected in the water below, the white board felt scratchy under my feet, and the smell of hot dogs wafted up from the snack stand. It was a perfect summer day  - the kind you see in the movies – and I was positive I was going to throw up.

You see, it wasn’t just any high dive. Oh, no. It was the super-huge, five-meter-high platform diving board, the tallest at Fair Park Swimming Pool, probably the highest in all of Little Rock. It might have even been the highest in all of Arkansas. Which wouldn’t have been a problem if I hadn’t been afraid of heights. But I was.” p. 1

“Miss Winthrop was a glass of seltzer that had been pumped full of too many bubbles. Even if you skinned your knee or something, she’d say, “Oh, darling, there’s no need to cry!” with a huge grin on her face, as if she enjoyed seeing you bleed. “I’ve got a Band-Aid right here in my purse. Isn’t that fabulous luck!” p. 99

“’I think a friend is someone who helps you change for the better. And whether you see them once a day or once a year, if it’s a true friend, it doesn’t matter.’”

 p. 289

Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions, Characterization, Descriptive, Personal Narrative, Metaphor, Visualizing
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you disagreed with something an adult believed in and how you responded. Write a metaphor to describe someone you know by comparing him or her to a drink. 
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Friendship, Shyness, Values, Segregation/Integration, Little Rock Nine

Jen *hearts* It:

   

BBAW Day Three!

Today for Book Blogger Appreciation Week I'm talking about an Unexpected Treasure...which means I'm talking about a book or genre that I tried because of the influence of another book blogger.  I have to say that I read so much over at Fiction State of Mind about zombies that I had to try one myself.  I'm not sure I picked the perfect book for diving into zombie books, but I read Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe.  Looking back on it now, I actually think it's a fun book that preteens/teens would be amused by.  This book wasn't Twilight (The Twilight Saga) for me, but I'm sure I'll be reading more zombie books in the future!   


Speaking of Twilight (The Twilight Saga), I'll never forget when I read Twilight and was telling everyone I knew about it.  They were with me until I'd get to "...and she falls in love, but he's a vampire".  It was crazy but look at where crazy got Stephenie Meyer.  I love that authors come up with these ideas that sound so insane but totally work!