Jabber-Walking

Title: Jabber-Walking 
Author: Juan Felipe Herrera  
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: March 13th, 2018 
Genre/Format: Poetry 
GoodReads Summary: Juan Felipe Herrera, the first Mexican-American Poet Laureate in the USA, is sharing secrets: how to turn your wonder at the world around you into weird, wild, incandescent poetry.

Can you walk and talk at the same time? How about Jabberwalk? Can you write and draw and walk and journal all at the same time? If not, you're in luck: exuberant, blue-cheesy cilantro man Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States, is here to teach you everything he knows about being a real-life, bonified, Jabberwalking poet! Jabberwalkers write and speak for themselves and others no matter where their feet may take them -- to Jabberwalk is to be a poet on the move. And there's no stopping once you're a Jabberwalker, writing fast, fast, fast, scribble-poem-burbles-on-the-run. Scribble what you see! Scribble what you hear! It's all out there -- vamonos! 
What I Think: I love this! It's part writing strategy, part humorous fiction, and part autobiographical. Juan Felipe takes us on a wonderful journey. Even though I read this in one sitting at my kitchen table, it was like I was off and zipping around with him on writing adventures. He shares ideas for how to gather up ideas around you or from things you have read. And he shares stories from his life and how he became a poet. This book exudes voice like salsa juice running down your wrist as you try to eat an over-stuffed burrito. 
     As a mentor text you can totally share this book with students as you talk through how to gather up ideas. You can ask them to try jabber walking or even go on a jabber walk with them yourself. You can also look at voice because his voice to distinctly jumps out at you. No one else could have written this book. Voice is such a hard idea to grasp and having examples like Jabber-Walking is great because it's so obvious. It's so easy to see and hear his voice so it makes a perfect mentor text to study for voice. I would pair it with another poet to show the difference. Robert Frost comes to mind because he clearly writes poem about nature and about walking around and observing things but his style is so different from Herrera. 
Snatch of Text:  
     "SCRIBBLE your burbles, your words of things --- that you see and think and feel but it is really not thinking or even feeling. It is plain ole bonified, fuzzy, puffy, blue-cheesy, incandescent, brave Jabber!
     Jabberwalking is not for the neat, polished, well-combed aesthete --- it is as stated in the epigraph by Señor Lewis Carroll at the start of this fine volume. Jabberwalking is for the Jabber Walker with "eyes of flame."
Writing Prompt: Try going for a jabber walk! Grab your notebook or anything to write on and write with. Wander somewhere new or different and jot down what you see and notice. Then turn it into a poem. 

Bull

Title: Bull 
Author: David Elliott
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date:  March 28th, 2017 
Genre/Format: Mythology/Novel in Verse 
GoodReads Summary: Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.
What I Think: Holy smokes! This book has voice, voice voice. From the very first line, I was like, whoa. I had no idea what to expect when I picked it up other than the cover was awesome and I knew it was about the myth of the minotaur. I only vaguely remember the original myth but it seems like it's pretty true to it, it's not a retelling as much as it is a new and up-to-date version that's going to speak to today's teenagers. 
     As a mentor text, I can't tell you enough how fantastic the voice is. Poseidon is pretty full of himself, he's a god after all, and David does an amazing job of bringing him to life on the page. You can't miss him. He's larger than life just as a god should be. Of course, there are other characters too and it's clear the difference in voice when other characters share their perspective. To think about the different characters, I would look at the word choice and what we learn about the characters through their actions and make connections to what students are visualizing. One way to do this would be to have students draw one or two characters based on what they can infer about their personalities or a variation of this could be to have students create a collage that represents a character, pulling pictures from the Internet or magazines. Students can think about what a character might wear, where they would hang out, what hairstyle they might have. There are so many ways to take the words in the book and ask the students to pay attention to how what they read translates to what they know about a character. Another option would be to have kids create a social media profile for one of the characters. There are so many options and I'm always in favor of giving students a choice but because of how clearly the characters jump off the page (especially Poseidon), this book truly lends itself to think about character development and how word choice and voice influence that.
     If I was teaching high school, I'd be bringing in this mentor text to compare with a more traditional version of this myth and to see what is similar and what is different. I'd also look at other examples of works that have been retold and maybe retold in different ways. One book that comes to mind that I read recently is My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. The authors take Lady Jane Grey's story and twist it up in so many ways. This would make a great lesson for thinking about ideas and how we find ideas. Sometimes a great story comes from taking a well-known story and turning it on its head and we can help students see this.
     Please know that there is mature language in this book (from beginning to end!) and some mature content. This is a book that I would recommend to a student who is at least in high school.
Snatch of Text:  

I could have turned his eyes

Into a nest for seething wasps.

I could have turned his face

Into a snapping clam.

I could have given him hooves

Or studded the roof

Of his mouth with thorns.

Could have fitted him with horns.

Flippers. 

Feathers.

Fits.

Made him smell like an outhouse.

Covered him with zits.

Turned his arms into eels.

His teeth into snails.

Bleat like a sea cow.

Blow like a whale.

Boils!

Scabs!

Gills!

A Snout!

Turn his

Ding-dong 

Inside 

Out!

I could have. 

But I didn't.

Parlor games.

A tad too mild.

Child's play.

And Poseidon's no child.

He needed something 

He'd remember

His howl stinkin' life.

That's why I bypassed him...

And went straight for his wife."

(p. 11-13)

Writing Prompt: Describe one of the characters and their character traits using evidence from the text to support your reasoning.

The Wild Robot

Title: The Wild Robot 
Author: Peter Brown 
Illustrator: Peter Brown 
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 5th, 2016 
Genre/Format: Science Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When she tries to care for an orphaned gosling, the other animals finally decide to help, and the island starts to feel like home. Until one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her... 
What I Think: If you had asked me, I would have told you that it was highly unlikely that a story about a robot could make my heart race. Or that a story about a robot could make me cry. Or that I could fall in love with a robot. But it's true. It can. It did. And I did. And it's all Peter Brown's fault. 
     The Wild Robot isn't just a story about a robot. It's about a remarkable, learning robot and all the wilderness friends she makes. Which is to say it's about relationships. It's about relationships in so many different ways and that's what makes it fascinating but also what makes the story resonate so deeply. Peter takes two seemingly simple things: robots, animals, but he puts them together and creates a multi-faceted story that readers will find captivating.
    To take a robot and bring her to life in such a way that readers like her - love her - and can relate to her, is a lesson in character development. As a writer, introducing a character to a reader is crucial because if the reader doesn't like the character, he or she probably won't have much interest in continuing to read the story. Readers can look at The Wild Robot and use it as a mentor text to think about what a character might say or do that helps to bring him or her to life for the reader.
     What I'm most excited to use The Wild Robot for as a mentor text, is to look at descriptive writing. Peter uses the setting to work for and against his main character in this book. The setting is almost a character in itself because of how it influences Roz and her story. A sense of time and place is very important to a story and Peter takes time to put the reader on the island with Roz by carefully describing her surroundings. He uses alliteration and onomatopoeia and strong word choice to bring the readers right into the story alongside Roz. Students can close their eyes and imagine what their own characters might see, hear, smell, taste, or feel and then try describing similar to how Peter does in The Wild Robot. 
Read Together: Grades 3 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 7 
Read With: The Curious Garden and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and others by Peter Brown, Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, The Martian Chronicles and There Will Come Soft Rains (short story) by Ray Bradbury
Snatch of Text:  
     "Animal sounds filled the forest. Chirps and wingbeats and rustlings in the underbrush. And then, from the sea cliffs, there came new sounds. Heavy, crunching footsteps. The forest animals fell silent, and from their hiding places they watched as a sparkling monster stomped past." (p. 16)

     "Roz stood on the peak and watched the sun sink behind the ocean. She watched shadows slowly spread over the island and up the mountainside. She watched the stars come out, one by one, until the sky was filled with a million points of light. It was the first night of the robot's life." (p. 25)

     "'...and sometimes I see you waddling behind your funny-looking mother and you seem so nice that I thought I'd come down and introduce myself but now I'm nervous and I'm talking too much and my name is Chitchat I think I said that already.'
     There was a pleasant silence.
     Brightbill stood on one foot for a moment.
     Then the gosling took a deep breath and said, 'It's very nice to meet you Chitchat I don't think you talk too much I think you talk just enough and I like you so let's be friends.'
     A big smile appeared on the squirrel's tiny face. For once, Chitchat was speechless." (p. 109)

     "'We're a strange family,' said Brightbill, with a little smile. 'But I kind of like it that way.'
     'Me too,' said Roz." (p. 126)

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you needed to gain someone's trust and what you did. 
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Loyalty, Determination, Trustworthiness 

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Maybe a Fox Blog Tour And Giveaway!

Title: Maybe a Fox 
Author: Kathi Appelt and Allison McGhee  
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books 
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary:  
Sylvie and Jules.

Jules and Sylvie.

Jules adores her older-by-one-year sister, Sylvie.

Sylvie: beautiful like their mother.
Sylvie: supreme maker of tiny snow families.
Sylvie: faster than fast.

Sylvie: gone.

Into thin air, Sylvie goes missing, and as Jules stumbles in grief, a fox cub is born. A shadow fox, spirit and animal in one. From the minute the cub opens her eyes, she senses something very wrong. Someone—Jules.

Jules: steadfast like their father.
Jules: supreme maker of tiny snow foxes.
Jules: collector of rocks.

Jules: heartbroken.

Who is this Jules? Who is this Sylvie she cries out for? And why does the air still prickle with something unsettled? As that dark unknown grows, the fates of the girl Jules and the fox cub, laced together with wishes and shadowy ties, are about to collide.
What I Think: You know how sometimes you read a book and it touches your heart? This book touched my heart. It's a story of two sisters but it's also a story of family and love and what that love looks like.  
     As a mentor text, I love the description in this book. Kathi and Allison bring the characters and their emotions to life so well. One thing that really struck me about how they do this is that they seem to have a really strong sense of their characters. They share what is important to each of the characters. Their description is so specific and it really makes the story shine because of this. As we work on voice and showing in writing, looking closely at what we know about the characters in the book based off of their writing is a great activity for young writers - and even for me! Showing not telling is sometimes hard to describe and clarify for writers. Activities like writing what is in your main character's closet, what songs they have on their phone, who their best friends are. Knowing your character and bringing him or her to life is a great place to start or to focus on when adding voice and developing characters.
Read Together: Grades 4 - 6
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 7 
Read With: See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles, Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 
Snatch of Text:  
"...no matter how hard she tried, her memories of their mom grew smaller and smaller, each one folding in on itself, so that not even her 10x magnifier could see them." (p. 13)
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when something unexpected happened to you.  
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Love, Loss, Courage, Determination 
Additional Resources:

Kathi Appelt is the New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books for children and young adults. Her picture books include Oh My Baby, Little One, illustrated by Jane Dyer, and the Bubba and Beau series, illustrated by Arthur Howard. Her novels for older readers include two National Book Award finalists: The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp and The Underneath, which was also a Newbery Honor Book. In addition to writing, Ms. Appelt is on the faculty in the Masters of Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in College Station, Texas. To learn  more, visit Kathi’s website at kathiappelt.com.

Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of Someday, as well as Firefly Hollow, Little Boy, So Many Days, Bye-Bye Crib, Always, A Very Brave Witch, and the Bink and Gollie books. Her other children’s books includeAll Rivers Flow to the Sea, Countdown to Kindergarten, and Snap. Alison is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize–nominated adult novel Shadowbaby, which was also a Today show book club selection. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and you can visit her at AlisonMcGhee.com.

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President Squid

Title: President Squid 
Author: Aaron Reynolds 
Illustrator: Sara Varon 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: March 1st, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: Join Aaron Reynolds and Sara Varon as they explore the ideal qualities of leaders, diplomats...and giant squid. Squid knows all about being president. It means living in a big house, doing all the talking—oh, and having a tie is crucial. He's all set! In the next election, make a more informed choice. Vote for President Squid! 
What I Think: After seeing Aaron Reynolds at my son's school this year, I can hear his voice when I read this book! It's hysterical. We've read it multiple times already in our house and my kindergartener quotes it all the time. It cracks me up and I love that my kids love it.
     As a mentor text, this book is fantastic for voice. Squid is just completely over the top and exudes attitude. There are also so many discussions to be had about making connections between what we know about presidents versus what Squid thinks about presidents. You can easily compare and contrast and think through what qualities might be good in a president. And this would be a great book to think about character traits and how we can infer those based on what the character says and does. Finally, this book makes a great read aloud because the character has so much energy which also means this is a great book for kids to practice fluency in terms of reading with emotion and excitement in their voices.
Read Together: Grades K - 6 
Read Alone: Grades K - 6 
Read With: Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds, Duck For President by Doreen Cronin, Grace For President by Kelly DiPucchio
Snatch of Text:  

"I HAVE REALIZED SOMETHING 

VERY IMPORTANT.

Something that changes everything!

No giant squid has ever been president before!

Which means I will be the first.

President Squid!

Now that has a nice ring to it.

I WILL BE THE

GREATEST PRESIDENT

WHO EVER LIVED!"

Writing Prompts: Write about how you believe a president should act.  
Topics Covered: Integration - History, Determination, Perseverance 

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Reproductive Rights: Who Decides?

Title: Reproductive Right: Who Decides?
Author: Vicky Oransky Wittenstein   
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (CT) 
Publication Date: January 1st, 2016
Genre/Format: Non-Ficton/Expository 
GoodReads Summary: Examine reproductive rights through a historical lens, from early history's methods for family planning to the introduction of the Pill in the 1960s and the Roe v Wade decision of the 1970s, to contemporary legal and societal battlegrounds. 
What I Think: I'm amazed by all the history included in this book! It's completely fascinating. Vicki takes a somewhat controversial topic and writes about it from a very matter-of-fact perspective. It's clear and concise and informative at the same time. You'll find a blend of text and non-fiction features to support readers.
     Honestly, I don't envy healthy and physical education teachers who have to discuss this topic with students! But if I were teaching this topic, I would definitely appreciate having this as s resource.
    As a mentor text, this would be a great text to use when talking about voice in a text. Clearly, this book has a much more clearcut sense of voice even though it as accessible to readers.
Read Together: Grades 8 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 7 - 12 
Writing Prompts: Choose one of the topics in the book that interest you and see what additional research you can find to learn more about that topic.
Topics Covered: Integration - Health, Integration - History, Wellness 
Additional Resources: Before becoming an author, VICKI ORANKSY WITTENSTEIN prosecuted criminal cases as an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney's office. She earned an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Vicki has written a number of science articles and books for the juvenile market, including Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths, which won the 2011 Science Communication Award from the American Institute of Physics. Her book For the Good of Mankind? The Shameful History of Human Medical Experimentation was a Junior Literary Guild selection. Vicki and her husband live in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her website at vickiwittenstein.com.

Praise for REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: WHO DECIDES?

★"Though slim, this volume packs a wallop."  --Booklist (starred review)

"Well written and impeccably researched, this volume will appeal to budding activists and feminists and to those concerned about human rights." --School Library Journal

A Junior Library Guild Selection

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Thurs, Feb 25	The Pirate Tree	http://www.thepiratetree.com/
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Eric the Boy Who Lost His Gravity

Title: Eric the Boy Who Lost His Gravity
 Author: Jenni Desmond
 Illustrator: Jenni Desmond
 Publisher: Blue Apple Books
Publication Date: March 11th, 2014
 Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction
 GoodReads Summary: We've all seen kids who kick and scream and lose their cool. But when Eric loses his temper over his annoying little sister Alice, he floats up to the ceiling! And so we have a fresh and funny twist on temper tantrums created by star-on-the-rise Jenni Desmond. Eric, The Boy Who Lost His Gravity, with an amusing story and expressive painterly art, captures a spot-on understanding of how children feel when they get out of control and how they need help to pull themselves together - or, as in Eric's case, back to the ground. There will always be annoying brothers and sisters and things one wants, but can't have. This book gives children and parents an entertaining way to gain perspective and talk about these issues. For all of them, Eric offers a wise, witty, and uplifting tale that kids won't want to put down
What I Think: I live with a four-year-old. I live with a seven-year-old. I also live with a thirty-two-year-old. Sometimes my four-, seven-, and even my thirty-two-year-old get angry. It's hard to live together and not get cranky at some point or another. Eric in Eric the Boy Who Lost His Gravity is closest in age to my four-year-old and he has a little sister who has a tendency to make him angry, as innocent as she is. I really enjoyed this book for thinking about how we feel when we get angry and talking through some of those emotions. It seems like I do a lot of calming down of situations with my kiddos. Little Bean and I are often talking about making good choices and I have to remind him (a lot) that he can't always have his way. He identified a lot with Eric in this book.
     As a mentor text, I really like how this books can help kiddos think about their feelings and think about how to handle feelings that seem to take over. It's great to have a book where kids can explore these feelings through a character and when they (hopefully) aren't experiencing those feelings at that time. I would use this book to talk to readers about making connections because I'm guessing they have felt like Eric at some point in their lives. From here, students can write about a time when they were mad and how they handled it. Maybe they didn't manage their anger very well and now they can reflect on how they acted and what the might do differently. They might come up with a situation that could easily turn into a seed idea in their writer's notebook.
     I can also see using this book as a mentor text with older readers to look at dialogue and voice. The snatch of text I pulled shows three characters talking: Eric, his little sister Alice and his dad. You can hear Alice's sweet words telling Eric that her bunny wants to play with him, you can hear the short angry words from Eric and then you can even hear the tone in Dad's voice. Without even knowing the story, you can easily hear how each character would say these words. It would be great to ask students to read the words aloud and to add inflection in their voices so that they tell their message with their tone as much as with the words they are speaking. This is a great way to practice fluency but also voice and to look at how dialogue fits into a story. Dialogue is powerful in story. It helps the reader see how different perspectives and it does help to build a reader's understanding of different characters. Dialogue is a great way to bring characters to life. I love how the snatch of text can be used in isolation or during or after reading the whole picture book to look at how dialogue helps to capture character voice.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 2
Read Alone: Grades K - 2
Read With: Chloe Instead by Micah Player, Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Snatch of Text:

"'Bunny wants to play, too,' said Alice.

'Get that bunny off my train,' said Eric.

'Eric, play nicely, please.' called his dad." 

Writing Prompts: Write about a time when someone else made you really mad and how you handled your emotions and the situation. Would you handle your anger in the same way again or might you try responding in a different way the next time you get angry?
Topics Covered: Family, Anger, Frustration, Problem-Solving, Empathy

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Wake Up Missing

Title: Wake Up Missing 
Author: Kate Messner  
Publisher: Walker Childrens 
Publication Date: September 10, 2013 
Genre/Format: Science Fiction - Thriller/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Meet Quentin, a middle school football star from Chicago... 
Sarah, an Upstate New York girls’ hockey team stand-out... 
Ben, a horse lover from the Pacific Northwest...
And Cat, an artistic bird watcher from California. The four have nothing in common except for the head injuries that land them in an elite brain-science center in the Florida Everglades. It’s known as the best in the world, but as days pass, the kids begin to suspect that they are subjects in an experiment that goes far beyond treating concussions….and threatens their very identities. They’ll have to overcome their injuries – and their differences – to escape, or risk losing themselves forever. 
What I Think: A book like Wake Up Missing is so hard to review! I hate trying to review a book that I love so much. I always have a ton to say that I have no idea where to start. Having read so many of Kate's books, met her a few times, and worked with her on Teachers Write, I know Kate is a wonderful person and writer. As I read Wake Up Missing, I could hear her reading and even imagine her doing research and writing it. With Eye of the Storm and now Wake Up Missing, Kate has been able to really infuse her love of science into her novels. I love reading her books and feeling that each one is just so Kate. If a class was lucky enough to do a in-real-life or virtual author chat with Kate, I think it would be a great chance to discuss voice and to really have them read Kate's blog, learn about her, pay attention to her demeanor and then connect all of that with her writing to see how they can see her in her books.
     Wake Up Missing centers around a group of kids who have all experienced head injuries that led them now to a brain-science center. My husband is a huge sports fan but especially a football fan. As we listen to sports news, the topic of head injuries and the danger associated with them is often discussed. I'm not sure how much kids really think about head injuries - and avoiding head injuries - when they want to play sports like football. What I absolutely love about Wake Up Missing is that it really brings the issue of head injuries to the forefront in such a fascinating way that shows how it truly is a big deal while also gripping readers. Kate does such an excellent job of writing entirely real characters that readers connect with them. By connecting with the characters, it makes things those characters deal with - like head injuries - so much more real and important. Over the summer I read an article called "Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer", which explains how readers are given the opportunity to empathize differently because they have experience imagining what it might be like to be inside a character's head. I'm not entirely sure how reliable the article is, but the idea is intriguing. I do believe that as I read Wake Up Missing, it encouraged me to think more about head injuries and I think it would definitely encourage young readers to recognize the severity of head injuries after reading the experiences, albeit fictional, of Cat. Kate strikes a remarkable balance of incorporating science and facts into a gripping fiction novel.
     One last thing! I love Kate's description throughout the whole book. There are so many wonderful examples of great descriptive writing. The snatch of text I pulled is from the very beginning of the book. Two pages in and she has already pulled readers in with the imagery she creates by comparing the character to feeling like a puzzle that's missing a piece. This isn't just a simile for the sake of including a simile...it's not. It's really not. As a mentor text, this snatch of text is awesome for thinking about author's purpose and author's craft and really asking them to think why this simile is just so strong. In my mind, there are a few reasons. First of all, I would venture to say that most people have done a puzzle. And with finishing a puzzle comes that awesome contentment in knowing that the puzzle is finished. Likewise, puzzle pieces are notorious for being lost. It's easy to remember how horrible it feels to get to the end of a puzzle and not have the last piece. It just doesn't feel right. Not only does Kate make the connection between the feeling of having a head injury and the feeling of not being able to finish a puzzle, she then adds to the description. Just think of how differently the simile would be if it ended with the words jigsaw-puzzle pieces. This is a whole mentor text mini-lesson on similes right here! And then students could hone in on noticing what Kate does with description throughout the book as they read. Love it!
     Oh, one extra last thing! Kate has a great author's note at the end that discusses connections between the fictionalized parts of the book and non-fiction resources that Kate referred to as she was writing. This book is a great opportunity to encourage students to do further reading. I love that reading fiction can lead to reading non-fiction and I imagine this story and then the information in the author's note would definitely encourage that.
Read Together: Grades 5 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 7 - 12 
Read With: Eye of the Storm, Capture the Flag, and Hide and Seek by Kate Messner, Heat and others by Mike Lupica, Cover Up and others by John Feinstein, Football Genius and others by Tim Green 
Snatch of Text: 
     "The most terrifying thing about hitting your head so hard is when you wake up missing pieces of yourself. Pieces of the person you were before it happened." (p. 1)

     "I thought if I went to I-CAN, I'd wake up found.
     And all the missing parts of me - lost balance, scattered memories - would snap back into place like the jigsaw-puzzle pieces Mom pulled out from under the wicker sofa. She blew the dust off and placed them into the holes in our carnival scene, one by one, until the last piece patched an empty gap in the sky. And then it was whole.
     That was what I wanted. To be whole again." (p. 2)
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing, Analyzing Author's Purpose 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Descriptive, Imagery, Craft, Voice, Similes, Persuasive, Expository
Writing Prompts: Read more about head injuries or another current issue in science and/or sports.
Write a persuasive essay that explains both sides of the issue and then takes a stand for or against practice or happenings.
Topics Covered: Courage, Family, Friendship, Identity, Determination, Instincts, Problem-Solving, Ingenuity, Integration - Science, Integration - Sports 

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Like Bug Juice on a Burger

Title: Like Bug Juice on a Burger 

Author: Julie Sternberg 

Illustrator: Matthew Cordell 

Publisher: Abrams 

Publication Date: April 2nd, 2013 

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel In Verse 

GoodReads Summary: I hate camp. I just hate it. I wish I didn’t. But I do. Being here is worse than bug juice on a burger. Or homework on Thanksgiving. Or water seeping into my shoes. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Eleanor is off to summer camp. At first she’s excited to carry on the family tradition at Camp Wallumwahpuck, but when she gets there she finds icky bugs, terrible food, and worst of all: swim class, where she just can’t seem to keep up with everyone else. But as the days go on, Eleanor realizes that even the most miserable situations can be full of special surprises and that growing up is full of belly flops. 

What Jen Thinks: I remember when I first read Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, I fell in love with how real Eleanor is. Eleanor deals with even more emotions in Like Bug Juice on a Burger when she has to...gets to? go away for summer camp. I can totally relate to Eleanor, I loved going away to summer camp but hated it at the same time. It seems like feelings can get all mixed up when you are a kid. There's the feeling of wanting to be independent while also feeling unsure and nervous about things. I'm sure kids will relate to Eleanor, especially this time of year when summer camp is right around the corner. 

What Kellee Thinks: This book definitely brought back memories! I loved the idea of summer camp and many of the activities, but I hated the bugs and the food and the changing in front of other people. There are many times when I was away that I just wanted to go home; however, there were things that saved me- specifically, like Eleanor, the animals. I loved working in the barn with the horses and it is what saved me and then got me going back year after year. I remember walking into the barn and being able to be part of these horses' lives and the scene where Eleanor meets Cornelius the goat brought me right back to that moment. 
     This book would be a wonderful read aloud for right before summer because even if students are not going to summer camp, there is probably something new and scary that they will try this summer and this book will definitely cause discussion about how something new may be scary, but that doesn't mean you won't like it eventually. Julie Sternberg's writing also lends itself to some amazing discussions about free verse poetry and, in this one, letter writing. Maybe use the letter writing part of the book to segue into writing a letter to next year's class. 
     Finally, I love the idea of the Wall of Feelings! The Wall of Feelings is where the campers put up how they feel about camp; however, Eleanor is given the job of writing about how she used to feel about camp and then how she feels about camp now. What a great way for students to express themselves! This would be a great formative assessment for looking at how students feel about reading or school or some other topic at the beginning of the year vs. the end. 

Read Together: Grades 2 - 5 

Read Alone: Grades 2 - 6

Read With: Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg, Marty McGuire and Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner, Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli, Just Grace (series) by Charise Mericle Harper, The Summer Camp Survival Guide by Chris Pallato and Ron Defazio, Go Out and Play! by KaBoom!, Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett Kroscozka, Camp Babymouse by Jenni and Matt Holm,  

Snatch of Text: 
"The bus was bumping
down a gravel road
with bushes and trees and weeds all around. 
This isn't beautiful
I thought. 
This is creepy. 
I missed sidewalks full of people
checking their phones
and walking their cute dogs. 
I missed paved roads, too, 
filled with taxis and bik riders." (Chapter 5) 

Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Descriptive, Rhyme, Imagery, Characterization, Voice

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you did something you were scared to do. How did you overcome your fear/nervousness? How did it turn out in the end?  

Topics Covered: Friendship, Family, Traditions, Courage, Independence, Fear, Animals, Responsibility

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Visit Julie Sternberg's site for activities to go along with Like Bug Juice on a Burger!

 and

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing copies of the book for us to review!**