World Rat Day

Title: World Rat Day: Poems About Real Holidays You've Never Heard of
Author: J. Patrick Lewis  
Illustrator: Anna Raff 
Publisher: Candlewick 
Publication Date: March 2013 
Genre/Format: Poetry Anthology/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: From the Children’s Poet Laureate comes a year-round ode to wacky holidays just begging to be celebrated.

Nobody should ever forget Ewe on Ohio Sheep Day (July 14). No mata mata how hard they may try on World Turtle Day (May 23). If you’ve never heard of Dragon Appreciation Day, International Cephalopod Awareness Day, or Yell "Fudge!" at the Cobras in North America Day, it’s not because they don’t exist, it’s simply that they needed someone to spread the word. Luckily, the fantastically zany poems of J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff’s equally hilarious illustrations have memorialized these holidays forever. So get out your calendars — from Happy Mew Year for Cats Day to Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, World Rat Day (April 4) calls for a year-round celebration. 
What Kellee Thinks:Who knew there were so many animal related holidays?!?! J. Patrick Lewis takes us chronologically through the year and introduces us to quirky holidays throughout the year ranging from Dragon Appreciation Day (1/16) to National Skunk Day (Today!) to National Sloth Day (11/19). The poems range in types including concrete, but most are AB rhyming. The only thing I wish is there was a text box explaining the history of each holiday so we understood the holiday more instead of only having the poem as the reference; however, this could lend itself nicely into how to use it in the classroom. Read the poem, read a nonfiction article about the holiday, then write a story or some sort of variation.
What Jen Thinks: I hope that I am able to avoid skunks today! While I'm happy they exist in this world, I'm happy to not have to co-exist with them in the same space. I much prefer skunks in books...and rats for that matter. There are all sorts of animals throughout this book. I know that students will be intrigued by certain animals and also by all the silly puns throughout this book. I love talking to students about words with multiple meanings and giving them time to think through the plays on words throughout the poems in this book.
     I remember celebrating the spring equinox when I was in high school. We wore yellow and had a sun-themed party to celebrate  that our days were going to be getting longer and that we would have more fun. I loved that celebration, however nerdy it was. I can see how talking about the different days in this book could spark a conversation with students about what they might want to celebrate. Then students could research different days associated with what they want to celebrate. As I was reading this book, I was reminded of Anita Silvey's Book Almanac and website. There she shares bookish tidbits about the day. Matching these two together would be a wonderful way to share Anita's resource with students.  
Read Together: Grades K and up 
Read Alone: Grades 2 and up
Read With: Children's Book-A-Day Almanac by Anita Silvey (http://childrensbookalmanac.com/) 
Snatch of Text:   

June 14

National Skunk Day

"If the skunk did not exist,

Then the skunk would not be mist."

(p. 27)

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Asking Questions
Writing Strategies to Practice: Expository, Personal Narrative, Word Play, Puns, Rhyme,
Writing Prompts: Find a holiday that wasn't mentioned in World Rat Day and write your own poem celebrating this holiday.; After learning more about one of the holidays in the book, write a story about celebrating the holiday.
Topics Covered: Holidays, Animals, Integration - Social Sciences 

We *heart* It: 

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It Seemed Funny at the Time

Title: It Seemed Funny at the Time: A LARGE Collection of Short Humor

Author: David Lubar

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 

Publication Date: October, 2011

Genre/Format: Short Stories-Humor/eBook

Goodreads Summary: David Lubar has gathered his best magazine pieces from the past fifteen years, tossed in his most popular works from the early days of online humor, bundled up the comedy material from his national conference talks, and stuffed everything in one juicy volume.

     Health care, telemarketers, celebrity picture books, Amish buggy rides, pigeon shoots, tasteless sneaker ads, inept Olympic broadcasters, and lots more -- it all seemed funny at the time. And, happily, it still does. Along with a ton of humor aimed at a general audience, there are special sections for computer geeks, writers, librarians, teachers, and fans of young-adult novels. Check it out. It's a lot of funny for just a little money.

What I Think: Although this book is not all completely appropriate for the classroom, such a wonderful portion of it is. David Lubar's humor radiates off of the pages and although much of it is very specific, you YA and Kid Lit lovers and teachers will love much of it. I also loved how he set much of it up. Most stories were set up with an introduction followed by a hilarious list. For example, he has a list of renamed books that have no chance of being banned, a list of "knockoffs", book and TV mix-ups, the next wave of edgy books, and more while in the kid lit section there are lists of Halloween books, horror cross-overs, and weird author pairings. In the other sections of the book, there are a smattering of other stories that can be used in a classroom as well like Poe humor, little-known literary facts, kids writing FAQ and high school humor. Many of these shorts will be great conversation starters and would be wonderful as read-alouds in the classroom. 

Read Together: Varies by story; primarily 6 and up

Read Alone: Varies by story; primarily 7 and up

Snatch of Text: "Think about it - a team named after a poem. But not just any poem. This poem was written by the man who invented the detective story, the man who gave us tales of such horror that they've become classics in the genre. 

     The Ravens won their first game this season. They lost their second game. But I'm a loyal fan. I won't desert them. But I'm hoping that they won't stop with just the name change. There is so much more potential if they stick with the Poe theme. So, as the number one fan of the Ravens, I'd like to suggest that they adopt the following ideas: 

     Forget about a digital time display on the scoreboard. Use a huge clock with a pendulum. For extra excitement, install a pendulum over each end zone.

     Every player should grow a black little mustache." (Kindle Location beginning 566)

"Don't you just hate having your day interrupted to deal with a book challenge? Whether it's in the form of a shouting parent, a sign-waving picket line, or a smoldering pile of burning books setting off the sprinklers in the YA section, there's nothing like a protest to put a crimp in a peaceful afternoon spent monitoring Internet surfing or helping ninety-six eighth graders find information about some obscure prehistoric trilobite that nobody except their teacher has ever heard of. It might seem as if every book is going to offend some group. But that's not the case. There are some books that nobody could possibly object to. They are ban proof. It is our pleasure to provide the following list. 

     Where the Mild Things Are — To help his parents cope with the stresses of life, a teen crosses the country in search of the blandest food, tamest tourist spots, and least-threatening people. He stays in the right lane throughout the book.

     Boy Meets Buoy — kids go for a swim. There is no horseplay, body contact, or Speedos. All characters remain in safe, shallow water throughout the story." (Kindle Location beginning 1935)

Mentor Text for: Allusion, Puns, Word Play

Writing Prompts: After reading "Mean"- In your life, what are some things adults say that really means something else?; Research a banned or challenged book. Why was it banned? Write a letter to a challenger stating why you think the book should not be banned.

Topics Covered: YA Literature, Kit Lit, Banned Books, Editors, Careers, Idioms, Prequels and much more

I *heart* It:

 

**Thank you to David Lubar for providing a copy of his book for review**

The Infects

Title: Infects

Author: Sean Beaudoin

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: September, 2012

Genre/Format: Sci-Fi, Humor/Novel

Goodreads Summary: A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.
     Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an “Inward Trek.” As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of “infects” shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate “Zombie Rules” almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back.
     Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that that’s a delight to read—whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten—and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.

What Kellee Thinks: Sean Beaudoin definitely has a unique style that you cannot confuse with anyone else. It is like when you see a movie and you know who the director is - that is how distinct Sean's writing is. And what he does so well is keep his style yet still has characters that have distinct voices that you can distinguish between. He actually reminds me of John Green in that way; however, Sean Beaudoin is more of the underground, quirky, dry twisted humor sort of way. This book also reminded me of the humor you found in Libba Bray's Beauty Queens in that it is very much a parody of qualities of pop culture and primarily emulated at zombie flicks such as Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead. 
     Once you get used to Beaudoin's style, the story sucks you in. An incomparable cast of characters takes us through a survival guide against those who want to eat you. You lose some you care about, you cheer when some turn and many will dream about one particular female. Between the cast of characters, the humorous plot line and Beaudoin's style, many will eat up this novel.
What Jen Thinks: I agree with Kellee, this is one of the most unique examples of voice that I have ever read. The whole novel exudes voice and energy. I felt like I needed to be running in place the entire time, it's completely an amped up book. I kept making connections with all the zombie stories I read when I read Zombies Vs. Unicorns. Those are some wild stories, it's amazing how unique zombie stories can be and reading all of those really expanded my whole thinking of zombies and of where they come from or what it means to be a zombie. It's an amazing exercise in writing - to think like a zombie and to try to understand a zombies hopes and dreams - they are...well, were...people, too. I love the idea of not simply accepting that a zombie is a dead person who's soul and essence are gone. What if when a person becomes a zombie he or she is still who he or she was....or that some people can become zombies but still act completely normal - like Edward is a vampire but has committed himself to not eating people. Is there a zombie who can withstand diving into a bowl full of brains? Talk about stepping into someone else's shoes and trying to walk about. I'm so impressed with Sean Beaudoin and what he has created with The Infects. I can completely see how readers are going to devour this book. Mmmmm...brains, I mean...books. 

Read Together: Grades 11 and up 

Read Alone: Grades 9 and up

Read With: Gaff by Shan Corea, Zombies Vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbastelier, Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe, Beauty Queen by Libba Bray, Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio

Snatch of Text: "But Petal Gazes was a whole other universe, a different orbit, a brighter sun. She was a tenth straight espresso, pure feedback, wet-toe-in-socket beautiful. 
At least to him. 
Which went directly against Nick's long-standing policy: Never Want Anything. 
Treeless Christmas? Eggless Easter? Toastless morning? 
It's hard to be disappointed when you don't give a crap. 
But now he really, really wanted something. 
Petal Gazes." (p. 8)

Mentor Text for: Voice, Style, Humor, Parody, Allusions, Word Play, Vocabulary, Flashback, Dialogue, Making Connections, Activating Background Knowledge, Perspective

Writing Prompts: Write your own short story about what would happen if you encountered a zombie. Write a short story from the perspective of a zombie, show the reader what he or she might not realize or appreciate about zombies. 

Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Love, Survival, Courage, Zombies

Kellee and Jen *heart* It: 

and

**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing copies of The Infects for review**

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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Captain Underpants

Title: Captain Underpants series 

Author: Dav Pilkey

Illustrator: Dav Pilkey

Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books

Publication Date: 1997 to 2012

Genre/Format: Fantasy-Humor/Illustrated Novel

Goodreads Summary of Adventure of Captain Underpants (#1): Pilkey plays with words and pictures, providing great entertainment. The story is immediately engaging - two fourth-grade boys who write comic books and who love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-ramas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building.

What I Think: Ever since I started teaching I have had Captain Underpants fans in my classroom. Readers (especially boys) love these books. This last year, when I taught intensive reading, my students loved that I read so much but were astonished that I had never read a Captain Underpants book, so I promised them this summer that I would read the entire series.  And suprsingly, I am happy I did. I enjoyed the books so much and I found many different ways that I could use in the series in classroom. As I read I not only enjoyed the stories (well most of them, the booger one was quite gross) but kept notes on different ways each book could be a mentor text.  I know that students already love the books so I would love to be able to use them in the classroom. 
     Some of my favorite things that are addressed in the series are spelling, grammar and vocabulary. The spelling is not directly addressed; however, Harold and George misspell a lot of words and it would be good to use to talk about phonics and spelling.  Also, each book begins with an anagram which is great word play.  The grammar is sporadic only showing up in some books, but the vocabulary is in all of them.  Some vocabulary I found was billowing, narratively convenient, fizzled, improbability, jubilant, mock, scurried, and merciless and that is just in book 3! Each book also has some great alliteration- each title alone has alliteration in them. There are also allusions, puns (mostly in the flip-o-ramas) and onomatopoeias. 
     Lastly, I love the set up of the novels. They are a great mix of novel, graphic novel, comics, and picture books. It is a great transition between picture books and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I especially like the flip-o-ramas. They are unique to the Captain Underpants books and I think it puts a great interactive and kinesthetic feel to the books. 
     One thing I do not understand is why these books are challenged. Yes, they have some potty humor. Yes, the adults aren't the best representation of teachers. Yes, it is silly. But they are harmless and actually have some really great qualities to them. 

Read Together: Grades 2 to 7

Read Alone: Grades 3 to 6

Read With: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald, The Adventures of Ook & Gluk by Dav Pilkey, The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey, Lunch Lady series by Jarrett Krosoczka, Frankie Pickle series by Eric Wight

Snatch of Text: "Warden Schmorden was known far and wide for his cruelty and strictness. He once sentenced a prisoner to a year of solitary confinement for ending a sentence with a preposition." (#9, p. 36) 


"'I've heard a lot about you two, said the rabbi, 'and I don't want you boys playing any of your tricks today.'
     'Silly Rabbi,' said George, 'tricks are for kids!'" (#5, p. 55) 


"[H]e had his won personal drinking fountain, because . . . well, would you use a drinking fountain after a Bionic Booger Boy had globbered all over it?" (#6, p. 98)

Also, check out some flip-o-ramas by going to Scholastic's click-o-rama site. The puns are hilarious. 

Mentor Text for: Allusions, Onomatopoeia, Grammar, Paradox, Rhyming, Alliteration, Spelling, Vocabulary Development, Anagram, Comics/Paneling, Puns

Writing Prompts: In the first Captain Underpants, Harold and George brainstorm a superhero including his name and then create a comic based on their superhero. With a partner, brainstorm a name for a superhero and then complete a story to go along with your superhero. To expand it even more, complete a comic for your superhero. 

Topics Covered: Comics, Humor, School, Science, Math

I *heart* Adventures of Captain Underpants and most of the series including the newest Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers:

 

Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking

Title: Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking     
Author: Alan Katz  
Illustrator: Edward Koren  
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing  
Publication Date: October 2011   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Poetry
GoodReads Summary: Bestselling author Alan Katz, of Silly Dilly fame, knows kid humor, and he knows just what subjects are funniest—from school to siblings to sports, this assortment of spirited poetry has something for everyone. In the tradition of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, with black-and-white illustrations throughout, this collection of more than 100 poems will have kids roaring with laughter!   
What I Think: In my effort to read more poetry in 2012, I grabbed this book at the library. I had a feeling it had the potential to be very Shel Silverstein-ish but it's really not even close. I grew up with Shel  Silverstein and can vividly remember reciting "Sara Cynthia Silvia Stout" and "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too" by heart. Maybe it's my unfamiliarity with these poems but they really struck me as not that great. I found myself thinking that some of these poems wanted to be Shel's poems and were pretending that they weren't anything like Shel's poems when I really felt like they desperately wanted to be. I'm usually not negative in my reviews but this book left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Of the one hundred poems included, there were five I thought would be worth sharing with kids. It made me kind of sad for the poems.
     One poem I think is fun is "Shhhhh...". This poem is full of onomatopoeia and I can never get enough onomatopoeia. I think onomatopoeia is so much fun. I love sharing onomatopoeia with kids because so often we overlook words that can be considered onomatopoeia. It's fun to talk about it and then challenge kids to pay attention and listen for onomatopoeia. Usually we end up noticing it all over the place, subtly hiding, but this poem definitely brings it to the forefront and bashes you in the head with it.
     The other poem that could be a talking point for kids is "It Doesn't Compute". In this age of technology, I think this poem is really relevant. I was just talking to my mom about how busy life is and how hard it is to juggle everything as a working mom with two kids and she remarked how when I was growing up things were much simpler. There wasn't the same kind of technology - no checking e-mails at home, no surfing the Internet or Facebook, no writing blog posts. I love how technology brings the world together but it does keep me busy. I immediately thought of Lane Smith's It's a Book! when I read this poem because it also talks about how kids are so accustomed to technology now that something like a book is foreign to them.
     As a collection these poems didn't speak to me and I'm not sure how much they will appeal to kids. Some of the topics will probably appeal to them but I wonder if some of the last lines will resonate as funny to them. Some of the last lines that were meant to be something akin to punchlines in a poem didn't flow or sound connected with the poems but I would be curious to hear what kids think.
Read Together: Grades 3 - 5 but some can definitely be relevant to older grades  
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 5
Read With: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, It's a Book! by Lane Smith, Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Snatch of Text:  

Shhhhh...

Please don't bang!

Or slam!

Or buzz!

And please no loud

bansheeing!

Do not click!

And do not clunk!

I'm onomatopoeiaing.

p. 36

It Doesn't Compute

Daddy's downloading music.

Mommy's downloading pix.

Sister's downloading homework.

Brother's downloading flicks.

Grandma's downloading health forms,

and I have a really big hunch:

They're so busy on their computers,

no one's free to download me lunch.

p. 139

Mentor Text For: Making Connections, Puns, Play on Words, Homonyms, Word Choice, Rhyme  
Writing Prompts: When you are describing using the five sense, try adding in words that sound like the sounds in your scene - how does using onomatopoeia change your writing? 
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Friends, School, Morals, Responsibility

 

Zombie In Love

Title: Zombie In Love
Author: Kelly DiPucchio 
Illustrator: Scott Campbell 
Publisher: Atheneum 
Publication Date: August 2011
Genre/Format: Science Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Mortimer is looking for love. And he’s looking everywhere! He’s worked out at the gym (if only his arm wouldn’t keep falling off). He’s tried ballroom dancing lessons (but the ladies found him to be a bit stiff). He’s even been on stalemate.com. How’s a guy supposed to find a ghoul? When it seems all hope has died, could the girl of Mortimer’s dreams be just one horrifying shriek away? 
What I Think: I'm not a huge zombie-thriller-scary book fan but I love Mortimer. He's just so sweet and endearing in a zombie kind of way. I don't necessarily want to date a zombie but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve someone's love.
This is an example of a book that goes so well with pictures. The text is great but seeing the pictures matched with the text completely made this book for me. I can't get over his zombie grin. It's so funny. I do feel bad for Mortimer because he's lonely for much of the book. It's not very nice when people giggle or run away from him. In the end, I'm so happy he finds someone to love. I love how this book takes a mushy, love story and makes it into a gory, zombie, love story. As a mom of two boys I so appreciate that.
There are a few instances when you can use this book as a mentor text for puns or show how the author plays with words. Mortimer's ad in the paper is a zombie version of the Pina Colada song by Rupert Holmes. I would play the song and then compare the two versions. I'm sure many kids would never make the connection between the song and this book but you can point it out to them...although, I would only play the song for older students because I don't think it's really a kids' song (if you play the whole thing). Otherwise, there is a pun at the end that you can share with kids of all ages. I always make a point to talk about idioms or how authors play with idioms for my students who are deaf and hard of hearing and any kids who are learning English as a second language because they oftentimes don't catch on.
Read Together: K - 12
Read Alone: K - 12 
Read With: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie by E Van Lowe, Zombies Vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, Scorch Trials by James Dashner, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Snatch of Text:  

TALL, DEAD, & HANDSOME

If you like taking walks in the graveyard

and falling down in the rain.

If you're not into cooking,

if you have half a brain.

If you like waking up at midnight,

horror films, and voodoo,

then I'm the guy who you've looked for

and I'm dying to meet you!

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Word Choice - Puns, Personal Narrative
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you felt lonely because no one seemed to have the same interests as you or a time in your life when you connected with others who did have something in common with you and how you felt. Choose a line from a song or poem or a well-known idiom and change it to refer to something specific like zombies or something other than what it refers to originally.
Topics Covered: Zombies, Love, Friendship, Loneliness, Taking Risks

   

Big Chick

Title: Chicken Big     
Author: Keith Graves 
Illustrator: Keith Graves
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: 2010 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
Summary: When a super-sized chicken is hatched, the coop residents aren't sure what to think!  Will Chicken Big find a place where he fits in? 
What I Think: Silly chickens are just funny!  I like it when characters are just silly enough that they're funny without being annoying.  The chickens in this book are just the perfect amount of silly for me.  This book would be great to use when talking about comparative and superlative adjectives.  The book uses the three characters repeatedly which lends a rhythm to the book while also making it reflect the element of three that is found so often in fairy tales and other folk literature.  
Read Together: Pre-K - 6 
Read Alone: 1 - 3 
Read With: One by Kathryn Otoshi, Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino, Horton Hears A Who! by Dr. Seuss, Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison 
Snatch of Text:  

"'It's big!' clucked the small chicken.

'It's enormous!' clucked the smaller chicken.

'It's an elephant!' peeped the smallest chicken.

(She was not the smartest beak in the flock.)"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Inferences, Making Connections 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you didn't fit in or your felt left out.
Topics Covered: Farm, Differences, Fitting In, Friendship 
Translated to Spanish: No

 

Sneezenesia

Title: Sneezenesia 
Author: Deb Lucke
Illustrator: Deb Lucke  
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 2010   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
Summary: A boy suffers from sneezenesia when he sneezes so hard all his memories fly out of his nose!
What I Think: It's sad to say this book caught my attention because I am one of the sneeziest people.  My husband is forever teasing me because I sneeze all the time.  I am allergic to so many things and I've gotten used to my sneezing.  I don't let it bother me, but when I saw this one I knew it was a book I had to read.
   It took me a few times to figure out how to even pronounce the title of the book, I had to keep reminding myself that it sounded like the end of amnesia.  I love playing with words and just the title lends itself to a discussion with students about word parts and making new words with those word parts. I also like how this could be used to get some brainstorming going around the idea of "What if?"
     This book reminds me of The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers.  Both can get some good discussions going and I would recommend both for kiddos who are a little older.  I read both of these with Peanut and while he listened to the story I don't think he quite got the full gist of either of them.
Read Together: 1 - 6 
Read Alone: 3 - 6 
Read With: The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers,  A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Snatch of Text: 

"He sneezed so hard, he

blew down aisle three and when

he got up he no longer knew

where he was or how he had gotten there.

Again and again his nose

wrinkled up and went

'Achoo!'

Out came an eight, then a six, then a two...

...followed by Squanto teaching

the Pilgrims how to plant corn...

...and an entire hanky's worth of presidents."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Word Analysis, Word Play, What If?, Narrative
Writing Prompts: Brainstorm your own "What if?" ideas, then choose one to write a story about. 
Topics Covered: Amnesia/Memory, Knowledge 
Translated to Spanish: No