Cover Reveal- Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

I am so happy to have the opportunity to share with you the newly revealed cover of 

Cheryl Rainfield's next young adult novel, Stained. 

Drum roll please......

The cover already shows me how intense the book is going to be and just like Cheryl's past novels, Stained will definitely be a special book for many a teen who find their solace in no other book. 

Book Description:

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.

Tag Line:

Sometimes you have to be your own hero.

Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr0a8pw-csQ&feature=youtu.be

Release Date:

Nov 19, 2013

Publisher: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

From the author:

Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.

Available For Pre-Order on:

Amazon (hardcover): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087 

Amazon (kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

Amazon.ca (hardcover): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087

Amazon.ca (ebook): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087/

Amazon.co.uk (ebook) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780547942087/?a_aid=allbookstorescom&selectCurrency=USD

Powell's: http://www.powells.com/biblio/:new:0547942087:?&PID=7355

Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780547942087?AID=42121&PID=520726

I hope you are as excited about reading this book as I am! 

*Thank you to Cheryl for asking TMT to be part of the cover reveal!*

Dot Day

 

Peter H. Reynolds uses his picture books to share with his readers how important creativity and the need to find, nurture and celebrate it. Because creativity is forgotten too often in a world of standardized testing, Fablevision and Peter H. Reynolds came together with educators from around the world to celebrate Dot Day "by making time to encourage their students' creativity." 

Though I had never celebrated Dot Day before this year, when I heard about it last year I knew it was something I had to do. Then when Terry Shay began mentioning the upcoming Dot Day on Twitter, I jumped right in- talking to my colleagues about it, tweeting about it and beginning to plan for my Dot Day. 

At my school, my colleague Caitlin and I teamed up to celebrate Dot Day for the first time at our school. Since Dot Day was on a Saturday this year, Caitlin planned on doing Dot Day on Friday and myself on Monday. I couldn't wait to hear from her how Dot Day went at the end of the day Friday, and this was what I found out from Caitlin: 

I was excited to celebrate Dot Day for the first time ever with my students this year. It was a day that let us stray from everyday schoolwork and allowed my students’ creativity to really shine through.

I told my kids throughout the week that Friday was Dot Day in order to spark their curiosity. They had never heard of Dot Day before so they kept asking questions. I had to keep telling them that they would find out on Friday. When Friday finally came and it was time to celebrate Dot Day, they were so ready to find out what it was all about. I started by telling them that it was a day that was inspired by the book The Dot and it was all about “Making Your Mark.” I then read my students the book and they all thought it was such a cute story. I then asked them to tell me the difference between Vashti in the beginning of the book and Vashti at the end of the book. My students told me that in the beginning she thought she couldn’t draw at all but then at the end she had become an artist. I asked them how it all started and they replied with Vashti making the first dot on her paper. Vashti had found her inspiration through a single small dot on a paper. I told my students not to be so quick in saying that they can’t do something. You never know how good you are at something until you try and who knows who you’ll inspire along the way. I told them that through trying, you may make your mark on the world in some way. Vashti made her mark by moving others with her artwork

Next, I wanted to see how inspired my students were with Vashti and her dots so I allowed my students to make their own masterpieces. They created their dots inside the same frame Vashti’s teacher used for her artwork. I was so impressed with the dots that my students came up with. They created dots with glitter glue, construction paper, pipe cleaners, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and felt. I couldn’t believe how creative all of them were! Some students were inspired by things that looked like dots. For example, I had a student make a clock, one made a peace sign, and another made some planets in the solar system with stars (also as dots). Some students wrote their name with dots and others just covered their whole paper with multicolor dots. When they were finished with their artwork, I allowed them to hang their artwork on my door and on the wall in the hallway for all to see. It gave them the opportunity of showing off their masterpieces. 

All in all, I think it went great! The students were truly inspired with Vashti’s dots. Hopefully they were also inspired to try new things throughout their lives and to “Make Their Mark” on the world, whatever that may be. I definitely plan on celebrating Dot Day with my students again next year.    

  

  

I then piggy backed off of Cailtlin's enthusiasm and celebrated with my students on Monday and I found the same enthusiasm that Caitlin found. I think that many students are so used to being graded all of the time and being stressed that having a chance to just show their creativity was a sigh of relief within their life. I also found that it was an opportunity to talk to students about some really deep issues like never giving up, their future and teaching. It was a great chance to slow down and really chat with my students.

I think one of my students' other favorite parts of Dot Day was being able to see  the map of all of the schools participating as well as all of the Celebri-Dotshttp://www.celebridots.com/ showing them that they were doing something that was happening all around the world with kids and celebrities. Some of the Celebri-Dot highlights for them were Jeff Kinney, Sharon Creech, Carole Hart (Sesame Street is still popular!), Tia Kratter (everyone loves Pixar), Julie Andrews, and Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!). Though I think the Celebri-Dot favorites were Ame Dyckman, Renata Liwska, and Chris Barton. We only made it through June 3rd, we'll have to spend some time in the future looking at some more.

The students then used this momentum to create their own masterpieces and I was so happy to post them all for the school to see. Below are all of my students' Dots as well as some of my favorites: 

   

   

  

If you haven't celebrated Dot Day with your students yet, it isn't too late to do so. 

Don't forget to make your mark! 

Unwrapping the Read Aloud: Making Every Read Aloud Intentional and Instructional

Title: Unwrapping the Read Aloud: Making Every Read Aloud Intentional and Instructional (Theory and Practice in Action)
Author: Lester L. Laminack  
Publication Date: 2009  
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Professional Book and DVD 
Summary: Laminack takes a close look at the benefit of reading to kids and how to prepare for reading a book by identifying your purpose for reading and using the hints in the text to understand how it should be read.  He relates reading aloud to playing music because you have to pay attention to how the words and the layout are guiding you as a reader.   
What I Think: I find myself learning so much now that I have my own little Peanut to read to.  It has opened my eyes as an educator, especially when it comes to reading to him.  I just assumed everyone knew how to read a book aloud to a child.  It never occurred to me that it doesn't come naturally to everyone.  (I say this to demonstrate my naiveness not to fault people for not having the knack to read aloud as others might.)  I've heard people read to Peanut and thought, "Wow, he's not really reading with much emotion...it's like he just wants to get through the book..."  And I've heard people read books like Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner that has such colorful language that it sounds choppy if it's read for the first time out loud.  Both of these experiences made it clear to me that is important to preview a book and plan how to read it ahead of time.  That is exactly what this book talks about!  Gotta love it!  
Read With: Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox; Cracking Open the Author's Craft: Teaching the Art of Writing (Theory and Practice in Action) by Lester Laminack
Snatch of Text: "When we read aloud to inspire, our expectations or students are simple and direct.  We want nothing more than to pique their interest, to spark their desire, to entice them to read.  Our ultimate goal is that they fall in love with language and books, that they lust after language and books and reading as they will later lust after driving.  Therefore, any intentional read aloud designed to inspire would not ask students to answer a set of questions, give a retelling, unpack meaning, host a conversation, define vocabulary, write a character sketch, compare or contrast anything.  None of that would follow a read aloud to inspire our students." p. 25-26 
Topics Covered: Book Talks, Just-Right Books, Genres, Authors, Integration
Translated to Spanish: No

 

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don't)

Title: Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't)

Author: Barbara Bottner  

Illustrator: Michael Emberly 

Publication Date: 2010

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Picture Book  

Summary: Poor Missy just doesn't like books and can't get excited about books despite her librarian's efforts.  Miss Brooks doesn't give up until she finds a book that's just what Missy is looking for!  

What I Think: Am I the only one who didn't know "Shrek" the movie was based off of Shrek! the book by William Steig?  I hadn't a clue!  I just added it to my list of books to get this week!  Back to Miss Brooks Loves Books...this is such a fun book that I could completely relate to after years of working with students and encouraging them to read.  Sometimes it's hard to find books kids will get into and other times it is!  Missy is such a great character, the text and the illustrations work together amazingly to bring her to life.  I love that Miss Brooks never gives up and finally does find a book that Missy wants to read and gets excited about reading.  I think this would be great for starting a discussion about choosing books AND I have a feeling kids would all want to read Shrek! the book if they read this book! 

Read Together: 1 - 5

Read Alone:  3 - 5

Read With: Shrek! by William Steig; Wild About Books by Judy Sierra;    

Snatch of Text: "Then in May, Miss Brooks tells us about something truly terrifying: Book Week!

   'You each need to pick a favorite story to share with the class.  I want you to waer a costume and tell us all about it.  Really show us why you love it!' she says.

   'I'll never love a book the way you do,' I tell Miss Brooks.

   'Don't be so sure,' she says.

   When I get home, I ask my mother if we can move to a new town.  My mother says there's a librarian in every town.

   I ask if she wants to do my assignment for me.

   'I've already been in the first grade,' says my mother."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Choosing Just-Right Books, Making Connections

Writing Strategies to Practice: Characterization, Personal Narrative

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you were not looking forward to something, but then it turned out to be a good experience.  Write about a person who got you interested in books.  Write an article persuading someone to read your favorite genre of books.    

Topics Covered: Reading, Genres, Creating an Environment for Reading  

Translated to Spanish: No

Igniting a Passion for Reading

Title: Igniting a Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers
Author: Steven L. Layne  
Publication Date: 2009  
Genre/Format: Reading-Nonfiction/Professional Book
Summary: Layne offers ideas, strategies, and personal anecdotes about fostering a love of reading in students.  Oftentimes, teachers focus on teaching the skill of reading but overlook the importance of teaching students the motivation and desire to develop a love of reading.  
What I Think: I came to this realization myself this past school year and it was awesome to read about someone else proclaiming how important this is.  I loved being able to hear Layne's own passion for reading and teaching come through in this book.  I like reading professional books about reading but it is so much more enjoyable to read when you can truly hear the author's voice just emanating from the pages.  Layne works for a university very near to the district I teach in so I'm going to see if I can hear him speak.  I love his ideas and can't wait to try some of them next year - especially the "status of the class"!!!
Snatch of Text: Here are some quotes that I marked while reading:
"It's not necessarily that students can't read, it's that many of them don't.  People, both children and adults, who have the ability but not the desire to read are termed aliterates (Mikulecky, 1979), and they should be a source of concern for a nation that wants 'no child left behind.'  The age-old concern of why Johnny can't read needs to change with the times.  A new question, Why won't Johnny read, even if he can? needs some of our serious and undivided attention." p.6
"...I've always looked at it this way: I may not reach everybody, but every time I reach somebody, I'm doing more than I would be doing if I were doing nothing." p.23
"I have become a reader hopelessly addicted to books written for children and young adults, and there's no going back.  There's no self-help group either.  I'm not so sure it's the books that I'm addicted to really (though they are tremendous and getting better all the time); I think it's actually what has happened again and again when I've put the right book in the hands of the right reader, or when I've known just the right book to recommend to a student who's convinced there's nothing she'd like to read.  When I can do that, kids read; moreover, I feel like I am what I say I am - a teacher." p. 38
"At no point in my teacher training nor at multiple levels of higher education had a learned person ever said, 'Read books written for the age group you teach and then tell the kids about the books.'  In other words, nobody ever told me to deliver short (five- to eight-minute) commercials for books to my students.  No one told me (or taught me) to deliver book chats.  and though it may sound ridiculous, I simply never thought to do it either.  I read a lot of great books aloud to my classes for the first eight years of my career, but I never told my students about great books they might enjoy. 
To further embarrass myself, I admit that during these early years of my career I was always in the front row at a conference or seminar where a speaker was talking about great new books for kids.  I loved to listen to book chats, so I am dumbstruck looking back and wondering how it never crossed my mind that my students would love to hear someone talk about books, too." p. 40-41
Read With: The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
Topics Covered: Reading, Book Talks, Just-Right Books, Genres
Translated to Spanish: No