Rereading For Fluency with Sarah Cynthia Silvia Stout

Today Poetry Friday is at The Poem Farm with Amy Ludwig VanderWater! Be sure to visit and check out all the great poetry posts. This month is extra special because April is National Poetry Month.

When I was in second grade, we held a poetry event. Students were partnered up and asked to draw a picture of a Shel Silverstein poem. We each had a different Shel Silverstein poem to prepare and recite. Technically, we were supposed to know it by heart but our teacher put the words on the back of our picture so we could peek at the words if we needed to. Where The Sidewalk Ends will always be one of my all-time favorite poetry collections. 

The poem I recite with one of my friends, was "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" and it is still one of my most favorite poems to read out loud. I was actually just talking to a friend about Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches and how keen Dr. Seuss was to be able address serious topics through picture books. Shel Silverstein reminds me of that. He seems to have addressed some serious topics in his poems as well. I've been thinking a lot about waste lately. I have a science teacher friend who has an indoor worm compost bin and I would love to get started...I just have to be brave enough to actually commit. I'm mostly worried about hurting the worms by over or under feeding them and about smelling up my house somehow. Maybe it'll be a summer project.

Today I'm rereading "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" and thinking about how wonderful this poem is for practicing fluency. Reading poetry is a perfect opportunity to think about timing and inflection, emotion fluidity in your voice. When we reread, we can practice fluency. The first time through, students familiarize themselves with the words, but when rereading, they can take the time to practice their fluency and to think about how to best read the words to make the biggest impact. And what an impact this poem has!

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out

By Shel Silverstein

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout 

Would not take the garbage out! 

She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans, 

Candy the yams and spice the hams, 

And though her daddy would scream and shout, 

She simply would not take the garbage out. 

And so it piled up to the ceilings: 

Coffee grounds, potato peelings, 

Brown bananas, rotten peas, 

Chunks of sour cottage cheese. 

It filled the can, it covered the floor, 

It cracked the window and blocked the door 

With bacon rinds and chicken bones, 

Drippy ends of ice cream cones, 

Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel, 

Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal, 

Pizza crusts and withered greens, 

Soggy beans and tangerines, 

Crusts of black burned buttered toast, 

Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . . 

The garbage rolled on down the hall, 

It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . . 

Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs, 

Globs of gooey bubble gum, 

Cellophane from green baloney, 

Rubbery blubbery macaroni, 

Peanut butter, caked and dry, 

Curdled milk and crusts of pie, 

Moldy melons, dried-up mustard, 

Eggshells mixed with lemon custard, 

Cold french fried and rancid meat, 

Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat. 

At last the garbage reached so high 

That it finally touched the sky. 

And all the neighbors moved away, 

And none of her friends would come to play. 

And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said, 

"OK, I'll take the garbage out!" 

But then, of course, it was too late. . . 

The garbage reached across the state, 

From New York to the Golden Gate. 

And there, in the garbage she did hate, 

Poor Sarah met an awful fate, 

That I cannot now relate 

Because the hour is much too late. 

But children, remember Sarah Stout 

And always take the garbage out!

Rereading in April 2015!

In April of 2012, I decided it would be worthwhile to take time to reread some of my favorite books in April. It's funny now but at the time, I felt like I needed to give myself the permission to stop and reread. There is just so much to keep up with that I don't often stop and reread. But over the last few years, I've realized how much I do reread. I don't always reread a whole entire novel...but I do reread parts or my favorite texts and I definitely reread picture books.

Whether I'm writing a book review and scouring a book for a great snatch or text or looking through my favorite books for some writing inspiration - I find myself rereading more than ever before. I know I reread my own writing a lot. Revision and I are best buds lately and rereading plays a big part of revising for me. Recently, I was stuck with how I wanted to introduce a character in my novel and I pulled out two of my favorite books: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Jenny Han's book is very similar in genre and style to my own but The Night Circus is not the same genre at all. What's great about rereading is it allows a reader to really hone in on what the author is doing well. Regardless of the genre, we can look closely at what craft moves an author has made and think about applying these in our own writing.

Close reading has been in the spotlight now more than ever. Close reading is harnessing the power of rereading. When we reread, we go deeper into the text, into understanding what has been written, why the author might have written it, and how the writer communicated his or her message.

In previous years, I made a list of novels I wanted to take time to reread but I'm thinking a little more flexibly this time around. I'm hoping to share some of my favorite texts to read and reread and to highlight how or why we might reread. It'll still be a celebration of rereading but we'll discover some favorites to share together along the way.

The Devil in the White City

Title: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness At the Fair That Changed America 
Author: Erik Larson 
Publisher: Crown 
Publication Date: October 17th, 2002 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Narrative Non-Fiction 
GoodReads Summary:  Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. 
     Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. 
     The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. 
     Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. - John Moe
What I Think: I first read this book in 2003 after it was first published. At the time, I had recently graduated from college and was working as a counselor for Adventure Camp in the town I grew up in. We had lots of bus rides from the park where our camp was held to and from the pool, to field trips, and even to a state park for overnight campouts every two weeks. One of my fellow counselors was reading The Devil in the White City and recommended it to me. It's fun to think back on a memory of sharing books before blogging and before Nerdy Book Club. I have always been a reader but it's neat to think upon a memory and know that books have truly always been part of my life.
     I read The Devil in the White City and was fascinated by the stories - both true - of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and alternately, H.H. Holmes, a serial killer in Chicago at the time of the World's Fair. It was amazing to me that I grew up north of Chicago and had never once in my entire life heard of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 or the Chicago Word's Fair of 1893. Many of the famous names who brought the Fair to fruition I did recognize. I loved reading about many inventions and occurrences that are still recognizable today. Equally fascinating is the story of H.H. Holmes and what he got away with during the time of the Fair.
     This is a book I decided to reread in April. I was curious if I would still enjoy it the second time around. I remember there being so many facts in this book and that some of it was indeed dry because it is non-fiction. I actually enjoyed it even more the second time around. It might be because I was familiar with the arc of the story and I remembered what was going to happen. I could focus more on the people in the story and take in a more clear understanding of each of them as well as the time. The setting is such an integral part of this story. Larson does an amazing job of depicting Chicago at the turn of the century and how Chicago as the site of the Columbian Exposition factored into plans for the Fair and even H.H. Holmes' plans.
     I recommend this to anyone who lives or loves Chicago but also anyone who is looking for a great non-fiction narrative book and is fascinated by history. This book is completely full of history and while the Exposition was over one hundred years ago, there are still so many connections to our world today. 
    This is definitely a book you would find in the adult section of a library or bookstore but a high school student could definitely read this from a content perspective. 
Read Together: Grades 9 - 12
Read Alone: Grades 10 - 12 
Read With: Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, Columbine by Dave Cullen, Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran  
Snatch of Text: 
     "It had lasted just six months, et during that time its gatekeepers recorded 27.5 million visits, this when the country's total population was 6.5 million. One its best day the fair drew more than 700,000 visitors. That the fair had occurred at all, however, was something of a miracle. To build it Burnham had confronted a legion of obstacles, any one of which could have - should have - killed it long before Opening Day. Together he and his architects had conjured a dream city chose grandeur and beauty exceeded anything each singly could have imagined." (p. 4-5)
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Narrative, Imagery, Expository 
Writing Prompts: Choose an event or person from history and research the event or person. Then write about the event or person using elements of narrative writing to bring the story to life.  
Topics Covered: Integration - History, Ingenuity, Hopes, Dreams, Death, Perseverance, Will, Determination 

I *heart* It:

The One With My Favorite 2013 Posts #slice2013

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here.   

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I love reflecting at the end of the year...I actually do a lot of reflecting all the time, maybe too much of the time, but this kind of reflecting is fun. I'm super proud of this blog and love being able to share a slice of my life here on Tuesdays but every other day, too. 

This year Kellee and I hosted book swaps and a Girl Power series and created Un-Boring Lists for 2013. We partied on World Read Aloud Day, stopped to Unplug and Read, and Reread in April. I'm so glad to have shared this space with Kellee for two years. 

Jen's 2013 Bookish Un-Boring List

Kellee's 2013 Un-Boring List

World Read Aloud Day 2013

WRAD After Party

My favorite reread post: Jen Rereads The Fault In Our Stars

Unplug and Read 

This summer was another great summer of writing with teacher friends and author cheerleaders with Teachers Write. I started regularly participating in the Slice of Life Challenge, Poetry Friday and Ruth's Celebrate Link Up.

 

Some of my favorite Slice posts:

The One With Random Thoughts About Pears

The One With Revisions and Headstands (Nerdlution)

The One Where I Write YOU a Letter

We held the first ever nErDcamp and it was awesome!

Franki and I brought back the fun of Team Bear and Team Rabbit with our 10 for 10 Picture Books post this year.

And I had a blast celebrating my all-time favorite books of the year:

Must Read Mentor Text - Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild Blog Tour Scavenger Hunt

Reading in the Wild Book Tour!

I know it's not quite the end of the year but too soon it will be time to think about 2014 and all that it holds in store so I thought I would do this recap now. Thank you so much for being part of my 2013! What are your favorite memories of the year? I would love to reminisce with you if you want to share!

The One Where Jon Klassen Rocks #slice2013

Every Tuesday, Ruth and Stacey, host Slice of Life at their blog, Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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Over the weekend, I got to attend the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago and celebrate the winners of the Caldecott, Newbery, and Wilder awards. You do know who won the Caldecott this year, right? And who not only one the Caldecott but also won a Caldecott Honor? Just in case, I'll tell you! The remarkably brilliant Jon Klassen. 

I'm a pretty huge Jon Klassen fan and when I saw him on Sunday, I told him how amazing to think of all that has happened in the last two years. Here's my experience with Jon and his books told in a little Teach Mentor Texts timeline. 

June 3rd, 2010

I reviewed Cat's Night Out by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by Jon Klassen.

August 19, 2011

I visited Candlewick Press when I went to visit my friend, Alison, in Boston.

Regan Castle who works for Candlewick just happened to be there on a Friday afternoon and she so graciously showed me around the office. It was surreal to see into the world of publishing at Candlewick. I admire the work that they do and their passion for great books. Regan told me that I needed to look for I Want My Hat Back which was going to be published in the fall. 

September 27, 2011

I Want My Hat Back was published!

I read I Want My Hat Back with Peanut as soon as it was published, he was four at the time and I hadn't read it before we read it together...and I didn't anticipate the ending!  It took me a while to process...and lots of Twitter discussions which led me to my first post about I Want My Hat Back.

October 28, 2011

I finally gathered my thoughts enough to put together my post about my love/hate relationship with I Want My Hat Back. 

November 22, 2011

At the NCTE Annual Convention, I was so excited to visit the Candlewick Booth and talk about I Want My Hat Back and our fun #teamrabbit and #teambear debate. I was glad I got to be there with Colby and my point, red hat! I also saw a preview of House Held Up By Trees which Jon illustrated and couldn't wait to read and review it when it was published. 

January 17, 2012

Extra Yarn was published!

February 23, 2012

I reviewed Extra Yarn, written by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon. I absolutely love Extra Yarn and wished I could just curl up inside it's pages. 

March 27, 2012

House Held Up By Trees was published!

April 1, 2012

Colby and I reread I Want My Hat Back for our I-94 Book Club month of rereading. 

April 30, 2012

I attended the International Reading Association 2012 Convention in Chicago and could not wait to get to the Candlewick booth at the exhibit hall so I could read their copy of This Is Not My Hat. I was the weirdo caressing the cover before even opening it because I knew it contained complete magic inside. I had goosebumps just reading it because it's so good. The spread where all we see is the sea plants is my all-time favorite two-page layout in all children's literature. I don't think there is anything that rivals the suspense I felt at the moment in the book. I know I had tears in my eyes and I couldn't bring myself to turn the page for a long time. So much is happening in that moment and my mind was just thinking of all the possibilities of what would come next. 

May 18, 2012

I reviewed House Held Up By Trees, it is beautifully illustrated and an amazing book. The text is be Ted Kooser and equally as astounding.

October 9, 2012

This Is Not My Hat is published!

October 13, 2012

I reviewed This Is Not My Hat and shared its extreme awesomeness.

October 19, 2012

Jon visited Anderson's Bookshop for an author signing and I got to sit down with him beforehand and talk all about his work. It was completely fascinating to hear him talk about his work and is an experience I will never forget. 

November 25, 2012

At the NCTE Annual Convention last year, we celebrated This is Not My Hat and I put together a video of some of my favorite Jon Klassen fans.

January 28, 2013 

The ALA Youth Media Awards were announced and This Is Not My Hat won the Caldecott Medal which honors the illustrator of the year's most distinguished American picture book for children and Extra Yarn was awarded a Caldecott Honor award. Hooray! *throws confetti* Jon is totally deserving of both of these awards. 

Over the weekend, it was nice to see Jon and hear his acceptance speech for receiving the Caldecott. It was an excellent, heartfelt speech and another moment I will never forget. Today though, I'm thinking about what else is still to come from Jon Klassen. He did a wonderful job with the illustrations for The Dark by Lemony Snicket which Kellee and I reviewed recently. It's such an exciting time in children's literature and I know Jon is going to bring us more outstanding books to share with young readers. I can't wait! I'm happy to my own kids get to experience such fantastic books. Congratulations again to Jon!

Jen's Mish Mash in May

Believe it or not, like it or not, ready or not, May is here! It's actually closer to mid-May than the first of May. It's hard to understand how the school year has flown by or that fact that it's truly May already. We have been so busy on the blog with our Girl Power series and other guest posts that I haven't had the chance to talk about rereading in April or some other fun things that have happened lately. I have been making of list of things to blog about and this is the lucky post where I mix it all up and share with everyone. To start, I'd like to quickly recap my rereading in April. Then, I'd like to talk about Edcamp Chicago and the fact that my oldest son, Peanut, is six which also means that it's the three-year anniversary of Teach Mentor Texts. So much to share!

Last year in April, I declared it to be a month of rereading. This year, I decided to give myself the go ahead to take a break from new books so I could reread some favorites again. I think it's a combination of April being such a super busy time of year and the awesomeness of rereading, but it was exactly what I needed as much this year as I did last year. I enjoyed revisiting books that I love. It's a wonderful feeling to read or listen to a book that I already know I enjoy. Many of my reviews of rereads were all about how we read it first to soak in the story and then when we reread we're able to acknowledge and appreciate what the author has done. Rereading is so critical and I believe now more than ever that we need to keep this in mind when working with students. How often do we read with students and then stop and ask questions about craft or literary techniques without giving them time to reread? We should stop and ask them to read it again or listen as we reread and to think about what the author is doing. It comes down to giving students the chance to read it and revel in it the first time but then the expectation to focus and find what the author has done that makes it so great by rereading. And sometimes when rereading we are able to more objectively view a text. There were a few books I actually was much more critical of as I reread because I could access the text with a different lens having already read it one time through. Overall, rereading in April was another fascinating trip into thinking about how readers read. Here are my 2013 rereads (click on the titles to read the review)!

Jen's 2013 April Rereads:

The Fault In Our Stars

Okay For Now

Bink and Gollie #1

Bink and Gollie #2

All-American Girl

Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always

From What I Remember...

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Dreamer

Naked Mole-Rat Letters

Gabby and Gator

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

Two weeks ago, I got to attend my very first Edcamp! It was also my first time organizing an Edcamp so it was an insanely crazy learning experience for me in more ways than one. I'm still reeling from how energizing it can be to simply gather people in a space and let them free to share and discuss and learn from one another. If you haven't heard the news on Twitter, Colby Sharp is organizing his own Nerdy version of Edcamp on July 11th in Battle Creek, Michigan. I'm ecstatic to be on the team to help bring his nErDcamp vision to life. Click the link here to register and join us! If you couldn't make it to Edcamp Chicago or aren't able to travel to Michigan this summer, I recommend looking for an Edcamp near your or hosting your own! It's a phonomenal experience!

My baby turned six on Friday! It's crazy to think that I have a six-year-old son! It's been amazing to think of how much he has grown. On Friday, when he woke up, I told him about the day he was born. It was a week past my due date and I had to be induced. We woke up super early and drove to the hospital so I could get all hooked up to machines and start the whole process of inducing labor. It wasn't until 7:10 p.m. that he finally made an appearance. I'll never forget the feeling of holding him and looking into his eyes for the first time. And now, six years later, I'm so proud of the kiddo he has become. He's just a blast to be around. He has a kind heart and a great sense of humor. He was born a few days before Mother's Day making him the hands-down, best Mother's Day gift I could ever ask for. 

Three years ago, after we celebrated Peanut's birthday with family, I remember he took a nap and I sat down to take the plunge into book blogging. I had already been blogging for over year but a dear friend, Laura, suggested I think about doing a book blog since I was always reviewing books on my home/family/cute kid blog. I was pregnant with Little Bean and had just turned in my National Boards box...I have no idea why that was the day, but it was. And here we are today, three years later. Right from the beginning, I felt such a warm welcome from other book bloggers. I've so appreciated the guidance and support from Danielle at There's a Book who has been and continues to be a true inspiration along with all the other great bloggers out there! Two years ago, Kellee started blogging with me and she has been a great partner. I have loved being able to collaborate with her and to share her perspectives on books and reading here at Teach Mentor Texts. I'm sad to see her go but know her new blog Unleashing Readers will be an asset to the blogging community. Overall, blogging for the last three years has brought me so many wonderful experiences and I'm looking forward to seeing how my adventure in blogging continues. 

With all the reflecting I've been doing on my life, blogging, and the school year lately, I realized it was important to share how important reflection really is. It was also the perfect opportunity to create a postcard to share with you using my Bill Atkinson Photocard app. I love this app! A big thank you to everyone who has visited and been part of Teach Mentor Texts over the past three years!

If you've made it all the way to the end of this post: hooray! It was a mix of news and updates but important things I wanted to share and celebrate. What's new in your world this week? What are you reflecting upon at this point in your life, career, school year? I'd love to hear about it!

 

Kellee Rereads Harlem

I have been a Walter Dean Myers fan ever since I read him for the first time in 2007 during my Young Adult Literature graduate class. Since then I have read 8 of his novels, 2 of his pictures books, and a handful of his poetry. I have enjoyed, appreciated, and admired every piece of his that I have encountered. Though, because of either the intensity of the story or the complexity of his writing, I find that I only fully experience his books during my rereads of his books. Harlem, a poem picture book of his, was no exception.  I originally ordered this book from the public library because I have a student who adores WDM and had asked me to get it for him. He read Harlem multiple times and said it was amazing; I knew I immediately wanted to read it and discuss it with him. When I first read Harlem, because of the lack of background knowledge I had about the history and culture of Harlem, I found myself not connecting with the book. I knew that on the reread, I wanted to change the outcome. 

Title: Harlem: A Poem

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Illustrator: Christopher Myers

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: 1997

Genre/Format: Poem/Picture Book

Goodreads Summary: Walter Dean Myers calls to life the deep, rich, and hope-filled history of Harlem, this crucible of American culture.

     Christopher Myers' boldly assembled collage art resonates with feeling, and tells a tale all its own. Words and pictures together connect readers -of all ages - to the spirit of Harlem in its music, art, literature, and everyday life, and to how it has helped shape us as a people.

What I Think: After reading this book the first time, I knew I was going to have to tackle it differently than just reading a picture book. I wanted to make sense of it and I knew that I didn't have the background knowledge and I know that the power of all of the words had not sunk in yet. So, I typed up the poem in Google Drive and begun doing my very own close reading of the poem.  I started with research of terms and names that I didn't know building my knowledge of the culture and history of Harlem. Through this build up of knowledge, I began to understand the beauty behind Myers's poem. The voice of this poem is one of heartbreak, but strength; proud of not only what he has become, but where he came from. This poem is a celebration of the history of Harlem and its citizens- a celebration of its religion, music, poets, authors, and everything that made/makes it a hub for the civil rights movement and African America culture. 

     While doing my research, I found an amazing website that I will definitely use when teaching this poetry book- Harlem: A Visual Interpretative Analysis- which takes an excerpt of the poem and an accompanied collage and takes the reader through an analysis of the excerpt and artwork. Fascinating!

     This book would be a great one to use across many different subject areas- history, literature, and art. 

Read Together: Grades 3 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 4 to 12

Read With: Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra and Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, The Complete Poems including Harlem by Langston Hughes, Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers, Nonfiction books about Harlem

Snatch of Text: 

They brought a call

A song

First heard in the villages of

Ghana/Mali/Senegal

Calls and songs and shouts

Heavy hearted tambourine rhythms

Loosed in the hard city

Like a scream torn from the throat

Of an ancient clarinet

A new sound, raucous and sassy

Cascading over the asphalt village

Breaking against the black sky over

1-2-5 Street

Announcing Hallelujah

Riffing past resolution

Mentor Text for: Imagery, Rhythm, Mood, Voice, Metaphor, Making Connections

Writing Prompts: Do research about your ancestors and your heritage. Through this research, find people, places, literature, art, musicians, etc. that helped shape who you or your family are. Use this research to contruct a poem about your heritage. Find a piece of artwork to accompany your poem. 

Topics Covered: Harlem, Religion, Music, Slavery, Boxing, Poets, Civil Rights

I *heart* It:

(Originally) 

(After my reread and research)