TMT Summer Writing Group - Week Eight

It's week eight of our gruelingly fun Teachers Write! Bravo and a round of applause to everyone who is still hanging in there or is joining in now or took a break and is back! The important thing is you are here! Thank you for checking in and helping support me and others. Also, thanks again (because I just can't say it enough) to Kate and Gae for their work on each of their blogs supporting all of us!

On Friday, I spent all afternoon on Spreecast with Gae Polisner and so many Teachers Write friends for our Progress Pool Party. It was the perfect way to end the week! After all this time interacting in blog posts and comments, it seemed like I was just visiting with friends…except we were still all online.

@gaepol, @mentortexts, @kagmoran, and @astarowicz

Gae and I hosted five reading sessions on Friday. There were a few technical difficulties and we feel extremely bad for those who weren’t able to join us but the Teachers Write participants who did seemed to have a great time. There was waving and clapping and lots of feedback given for those who shared their writing. It was like Gae’s Friday Feedback brought to life!

@brianwyzlic, @mentortexts, @alissagrosso, and @gaepol

Before the party, I opened the timer on my phone and started reading, watching the seconds closely to find a 90-second or 2-minute section. When I found a few just-right passages, I then went back to reread them. I practiced changing my voice for the male and female dialogue. I also made sure I knew where I would pause and slow down or speed up or add inflection – all those things good readers do.

Since so far I have focused on writing a first draft, I haven’t revised my writing yet. As I prepared, I found myself revisiting parts of my draft that I haven’t look at since I first wrote them. Parts I haven’t looked at since the summer started. I've already learned to quickly spot changes to make – looking out for words I repeat too often or unnecessary description, like telling the reader a coffee table is in front of me when that’s usually where coffee tables are, duh.

Reading it aloud helped me hear if sentences flowed on their own and with each other. It helped me decide if my dialogue made sense and sounded believable. I remember teachers always recommending I read my work aloud and I recommend it often to students. I suggest they read their writing aloud to see if it makes sense and to listen for mistakes. I tell them to whisper-read if they are in class and want to go over their work. Guess what? There’s a reason to do this. It really does help to see what changes need to be made when you read your work aloud.

Thanks to our Teachers Write Progress Pool Party, I was able to experience what it's like to prepare for a reading and I even learned a bit about revising - I was so aware of my audience. I always have to reread what I have written before anyone reads it - this is true for blog posts or Friday Feedback - but this feeling was completely heightened when it was going to be me reading live and getting instant feedback in the moment from valued friends.

The Progress Pool Party reinforced my strong belief that having trustworthy people to listen and give constructive feedback – the kind of feedback that makes you want to make your writing better instead of making you want to crawl into a hole and eat your WIP so no one else will ever have to endure it - makes a huge difference in my writing. I honestly owe my success this summer in sticking with my writing to Teachers Write and the amazing support of this community. To everyone who has been part of Teachers Write! and has joined in on Friday Feedback and our weekly check-ins here at Teach Mentor Texts: Thank You! I appreciate you and I truly hope it has been as helpful to you!

My rules for the TMT Summer Writing Group:

1. We respect each other and the types of writing we do.

2. We only criticize each other constructively.

3. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

4. We recognize and maintain this as a safe environment.

**I reserve every right to put the smackdown

on anyone who messes with our positive energy.**

Today, in the comments section:

How has being part of Teachers Write influenced your writing this summer?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the not-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The bet part, the most-fun part?)

What are you looking forward to and planning for the week ahead?

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week of writing!

Above World

Title: Above World
Author:Jenn Reese   
Publisher: Candlewick Press  
Publication Date: February 2012 
Genre/Format: Dystopian/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is in doubt. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. 

But can Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt—growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains—here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true. 
What I Think: I was completely drawn to the cover of this book. Isn't it beautiful? Candlewick does an amazing job with their book covers, if I do say so myself. I was really excited that this book was a middle grade dystopian. I wasn't sure how intense it would get, but Aluna and Hoku really are thrown into the gauntlet - or, I should say, they throw themselves into the gauntlet. They definitely want to do whatever they can to help their people. They are able to see how close-minded their leaders are being and take it into their own hands to make a difference.
     The main characters end up meeting so many interesting characters who are hybrids of humans and other animals. I thought that was very creative. In a way, it reminded me of the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. From the standpoint of talking to kids about this book, I would be asking them to look at how the author goes back and forth between her two main characters. Aluna and Hoku are very different; they each have their own strengths and weaknesses yet they both truly care for each other and make decisions based off of that. It's so interesting to me how they both grow throughout the book but each in his or her own way. I think this is something important for readers to pay attention to but also that writers can learn from as well.
     I can't write this review without mentioning the action and excitement that builds as the book goes on. I would have given this book five hearts based solely on the fighting scenes. I think Reese does a great job of bringing these scenes to life. (The only thing that held me back from giving the book five stars was figuring out whether they were in the water or the Above World at the end of the book...it was just a bit unclear.) I noticed in the acknowledgements that Reese mentions her martial arts family and I can definitely see how her experience with that helped to make the fighting scenes believable.
Read Together: Grades 4 - 7 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 8 
Read With: The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler, The Looking Glass Wars (series) by Frank Beddor, Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner 
Snatch of Text:  
     "Her father's brow darkened. 'You are too young to understand what's happening. You know nothing of the Above World and its horrors. Grow up, Aluna. You're about to get your tail, and you're still acting like a child.'
     She glowered, her blistered hands curling into fists. She couldn't speak, not without screaming. Where was the proud, honorable man the rest of the Kampii saw when they looked at her father? All she saw was a coward. A coward who was perpetually disppointed in her.
     'Get out of my sight,' her father said, and she did." p. 34

     "Hoku looked at the silvery water safe. A great whirlpool was forming inside his belly. Not just of fear, although there was certainly some of that, but of excitement. It swirled inside him, faster and faster, until it was all he could feel." p. 56
Mentor Text For: Characterization, Descriptive, Making Inferences, Imagery, Personal Narrative
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you had to trust in yourself and do what something you believed in.
Topics Covered: Friendship, Family, Loyalty, Doing What's Right, Bravery, Courage

I *heart* It:

 
**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing a copy of his novel for review**

The Younger Days

Title: The Younger Days

Author: Mike Hays

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

Publication Date: March, 2012

Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Novel

Goodreads Summary: Even a decade after the Civil War, the evil deeds carried out in the Border War for "Bloody" Kansas are not forgotten. Hate and revenge still rule the hearts of some, while others wish only to forget and disappear. 
     In the beginning, Boy Smyth has a dull Missouri farm life and a burning desire to be an outlaw like his hero, Cole Younger. 
     In the end, Boy Smyth has five dead bodies and two burning buildings at his farm and the most feared man in the United States crying outside his front gate. 
     And that desire for the outlaw life? It's purged completely from his system.

What I Think: Do you know what a Bushwhacker is? Well I didn't until I picked up this book (they are outlaws that fight over disputed land after major conflicts, just FYI. Jesse James was one.). I knew going it that it took place 10 years after the Civil War, but I didn't know much else. So, when I began reading and Boy Smyth started talking about Bushwhackers and Cole Younger and train robberies I was intrigued. I immediately wanted to know what the history was and what the fiction was, so I jumped on the computer and did about 30 minutes of side research- this time period is so interesting! I had no idea that this border war continued for years after the end of the Civil War. 
     Once my background knowledge was sufficiently built, I jumped back into the book. It is not only about the history of border wars and bushwhackers, it is a story about loyalty, family, friendship, revenge, and faith (though not too preachy). 
     One of the things I liked the most about the book, was the father-son relationship that grew throughout. At the beginning, Boy Smyth didn't not really know his father, but through the events in the book, he became proud of and closer to his father. 
     And- MAN! Around page 50, just as you think you have the story figured out, something crazy happens! I couldn't stop reading. 

Read Together: Grades 6 to 8

Read Alone: Grades 6 to 9

Read With: Crogan's Loyalty by Chris Schweizer, Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen, A Boy at War by Harry Mazer

Snatch of Text: "I saw Pa and my family life in a whole new light. I think I understood better why Pa was the way he was. Understood why Pa didn't brag or tell tall tales like some of the other men around town. Still, I had the urge to shout up and down [the truth]. I also knew why I could never tell a soul and understood the weight of the promise I'd made to Ma." (p. 48)

Mentor Text for: Historical Fiction, Background Knowledge

Writing Prompts: Some time parents don't make any sense; however, they always have a reason for doing what they do- tell me about a time where your parents seemed irrational or unfair, but were really looking out for your best interests. 

Topics Covered: Missouri-Kansas Border War, Civil War, Bushwhacker, Family, Faith, Loyalty, Revenge, Friendship

I *heart* It:

 

**Thank you to Mike Hays for providing a copy of his novel for review**

Kids Read Comics 2012

Almost two weeks ago, my family and I made the trek to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Kids Read Comics 2012. It was a lot of fun to meet up with old and new Twitter friends and Nerdy Book Club friends. At the event, there were so many breakout sessions for kids to interact with cartoonists. Whether it was wandering Artist Alley, watching a quick draw led by Dave Roman or learning how to turn your ordinary everyday life into a comic with Raina Telgemeier, there were numerous choices and nonstop fun all weekend. You can read more about Beth's experience and see pictures here.

I grew up reading Garfield comics from the library and the Archie comics I would beg my mom to buy me at the the grocery store. My favorite part of the newspaper always has been, and still is, the funny pages. In May, I was excited to learn about Free Comic Book Day. I buckled Peanut into the car and drove to our closest comic book shop. Peanut was excited because there was a Star Wars Storm Trooper at the door. We tried to look for Star Wars comics to buy but most of them were really graphic and honestly didn't seem to tell any of the stories from the movies Peanut was familiar with. We did our best to buy something appropriate for him...the poor man at the shop was pulling comics from different spots, but none of them really seemed just right for a five-year-old. 

**Imagine disgruntled mama-teacher face now.**

This has bothered me ever since. I want to help my kids and my students love comics but it doesn't work if there aren't comics they can read. The comic book store closest to my house just isn't kids friendly. It's a tiny, tiny store, packed with boxes of comics and one wall of comics displayed. It really has zero appeal to kids. I'm serious, zero. (It doesn't even have a website...) In Ann Arbor, while wandering around the night before the Kids Read Comics fun, we found Vault of Midnight. When I walked in there, I thought, "Now this is a comic book store!" I was thoroughly impressed. 

It is colorful. It is big (it even has a downstairs!). It has real shelving...maybe it wasn't hard to impress me after the last comic book store I had been in, but seriously, it was awesome! I still had no idea where to look for kid-friendly comics and we didn't really have a lot of time to chat with a store helper because we had Little Bean with us and he was ready to just run around the store if we let him. All the comics though, and look what my kids are interested in:

That's right, the toys. To be fair though, toys are marketed for kids. The comics we have found in comic book stores don't seem to be. Peanut was interested in some of them, but a lot of them I didn't even want him to be interested in because I could tell from the covers that the content and the artwork wasn't going to be appropriate for him.

During Kids Read Comics, I was excited to join in on Jerzy Drozd's Comics Are Great discussion of kids reading comics with some awesome cartoonists when they asked audience members to ask questions of the assembled panel. My question to them started by me explaining how completely overwhelmed I feel walking into a comic book store. I have never felt so much like a mom who just doesn't get it than when I am in a comic book store. Most of the time, I feel like I can help my kids make decisions and explain things to them...but in a comic book store that is a totally different situation. What I wanted to know was what I should ask for when I go into a comic book store. The answer I got really was suggestions for great books for kids and an amazing resource for kids' comics.

I realized then that it was time to let go of the idea of being able to walk into a comic book store with my five-year-old son. Not that I can't and not that I won't...but I do think that for now, we'll focus on reading graphic novels similar to those we already have from our library or bookstore. There are so many great comics for kids in book form right now to keep us busy until Peanut is a bit older and ready for some of the more mature comics we have seen in comic book stores.

Raina Telgemeier recommended the book A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics: Choosing Titles Your Children Will Love. I love it! There are many titles I recognize in this book but also many suggestions for other titles to look for. It gives very specific reviews and samples of the comics. 

In the foreword, it says: "...once you've begun to explore the field, the next step is to let your children to go the library and explore whatever areas they gravitate to." Notice it does not say "go to the comic book store."

In the introduction, it says: "You'll note that our list does not include magazine-like comic books that you may have read growing up. Such comics still exist - but many, if not most, are aimed at older readers." I was right! I finally understood that what I was experiencing in comic book stores was really the case. 

Finally, they also say this in the introduction to this wonderful guide: "...somewhere along the line, in the comics industry's struggle to have the medium taken seriously as a way to tell mature, sophisticated stories for adults, comics forgot about kids."

The exciting part is that recently many people have been working to publish quality comics for kids. Many of these are the books we read at our house. Yay! I am much happier having realized that we are reading comics in the form or books in our house and that's exactly what we should be doing at this point. I've added some of my favorites below but I also recommend checking out our buying A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics and I also recommend listening to the new podcast series by Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd called Kids Comics Revolution. 

 

Please share your favorite graphic novels in the comments! 
I love to hear what comics you are reading!

Goddess Girls

Title: Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls #6)

Author: Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin

Publication Date: August, 20112

Genre/Format: Fantasy-Mythology/Novel

Goodreads Summary: These classic myths from the Greek pantheon are given a modern twist that contemporary tweens can relate to, from dealing with bullies like Medusa to a first crush on an unlikely boy. Goddess Girls follows four goddesses-in-training – Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis – as they navigate the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most priviledged gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills. In book 6, an exchange student from Egypt, Isis, is encroaching on Aphrodite's match-making turf. Will she also edge Aphrodite out of her group of friends?

What Kellee Thinks: I am definitely going to read more of the Goddess Girls series. They are as fun as the covers are. I am so glad that I finally picked one up and read it. What I loved the most is that the story was very much one that you could understand without being knowledgeable about mythology. Much of it was explained and by the end you would be taught what was essential to the story. It even taught me knew mythology- I didn't know about Pygmalion or Metis, Athena's mother, being turned into a fly. 
     This particular story also had some Egyptian mythology in it, introducing Ra, Isis and 3 other Egyptian goddesses. This series is a great one to add to fans of mythology (yes, it is primarily a girl book though I can definitely see parts of it being used in a classroom and entertaining both boys and girls). 

     The book also had a pretty important moral to the story which I think is not preached, but will definitely make the reader think about their friends, choices and enemies.

Title: Artemis the Loyal (Goddess Girls #7)

Author: Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin

Publication Date: December, 2011

Genre/Format: Fantasy-Mythology/Novel

Goodreads Summary: It's time for the annual Olympic Game, and the four goddessgirls are not happy! It's boys only- and the girls at MOA are not pleased. 
     Led by Artemis, Athena, Persephone, and Aphrodite, the ladies of Mount Olympus hatch a plan to get Zeus to open up the games to everyone. Will they succeed- or end up watching from the sidelines again? 

     These classic myths from the Greek pantheon are given a modern twist that contemporary tweens can relate to, from dealing with bullies like Medusa to a crush on an unlikely boy.  Goddess Girls follows four goddess-in-training - Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis- as they navigate the ins and outs of divine social live at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged gods and goddess of the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills. 

What Jen Thinks: This book was so much fun! I am a huge fan of girl power books and this book was all about girl power! Artemis and her friends are not happy about being shut out of the Olympics Games merely because they are girls. I love how they take matters into their own hands instead of simply accepting that they can't compete. They start a petition and talk to Zeus and do their best to change his mind about only allowing boys to be part of the Games. 
     This book is perfect now that the Olypmics are rolling around. I think this book provides teachers and parents with an opportunity to talk to students - girls and boys - about how girls weren't always allowed to compete in sports the way that boys do. The kids in this book actually debate over whether it would make sense for the girls to be able to compete or not. I think this book would fit in nicely with books about sports, about mythology, or for talking about equality and debating girls' in sports. 
     The characters in this book are kids I really think tweens will relate to (like it says in the summary). The authors capture the voice of middle grade students really well. Artemis' inner dialogue and that conversations she has with other characters in the book are great examples of dialogue for young readers and writers.

Read Together: Grades 3 to 7

Read Alone: Grades 4 to 8

Read With: Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus or Kane Chronicles series, Tera Lynn Childs's Oh. My. Gods. series, Carolyn Hennesy's Pandora series, Dussie by Nancy Springer, non-fiction about the Olympics Games and history of women's rights.

Snatch of Text: "His expression was fierce and his meaty hands were balled into fists. Wild storm winds whirled around him, whooshing scrolls out of passing students' hands, tangling their hair, and whipping at their chitons and togas. Thunderbolts crashed toward the ground, tearing up grass and splitting trees. 
     "Whoa," said Persephone. "Someone's grumpy today."
     Aphrodite glanced at Athena. Aside from being King of the Gods, Ruler of the Heavens, and the principal of MOA, Zeus was also Athena's dad." (#6, pg. 15)

Mentor Text for: Characterization, Dialogue, Personal Narrative, Expository, Persuasive

Writing Prompts: Using what you know about the gods and goddesses of mythology, write your own myth. Read more about the history of the Olympic Games and then share what you learned in a form of expository text (brochure, poster) using non-fiction text features.; Write a persuasive essay about why girls should be able to compete in boys sports. Write about a time in your life when you felt strongly about something that needed to be changed and what you did to make the change happen.

Topics Covered: Bullies, Friends, Enemies, Love, Fitting In, School, Competition, Equality, Mythology

Kellee *hearts* Aphrodite the Diva:

Jen *hearts* Artemis the Loyal:

 and
**Thank you to the author, Joan Holub, for sending us copies of these books to reveiw!**

Babymouse For President!

Title: Babymouse for President     
Author: Jennifer Holm
Illustrator: Matthew Holm  
Publisher: Random House   
Publication Date: July 10th, 2012 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Graphic Novel 
GoodReads Summary:  A Cupcake in every locker! It's election season and if anyone knows what this country . . . er, what the student council needs, it's Babymouse. The only trouble is, everyone else is running for President, too—even Babymouse's locker! Will Felicia Furrypaws turn out the meangirl coalition? Does Babymouse have what it takes to become the voice of the people? Find out in Babymouse for President! Remember, a vote for Babymouse is a vote for cupcakes! 
What I Think: I always love Babymouse. It's hard not to love Babymouse. If you ask me, this book, and all the Babymouse books really, are perfect examples of characterization. Jenni and Matt Holm do a great job of bringing her to life between how she is drawn to what she says and how she interacts with the narrator. They do an amazing job of bringing her to life with a lot of personality.
     One great thing about graphic novels is that kids can read them fairly quickly but they are so engaging that kids can read them again and again. I'm a new fan to rereading but it really makes sense to reread graphic novels that are short enough to read and reread without it being a chore. I love that kids can read through and get all the elements of a story and understand how a story comes together and plot development in such a fun way.
Read Together: Grades 3 - 5
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 6 
Read With: Other books in the Babymouse series by Jennifer and Matthew Holm,  the Lunch Lady series by Jarret Krosoczka
Snatch of Text: 

Reading Strategies to Practice: Making Connections, Identifying Story Elements 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Persuasive, Characterization  
Writing Prompts: Write a letter to your classmates or teacher about what you think needs to change in your school and why. 
Topics Covered: Student Council, Dreams, Taking Risks, Friendship, Confidence, Perseverance

I *heart* It:

I participated in the Nerdy Book Club Babymouse for President contest and 
won two copies of Babymouse for President! I was so excited that I'm giving one away! 
***The giveaway is now closed!***

  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 07/16/12

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

After doing the meme for a couple of weeks, we realized this would be a fun meme to start up with a kidlit focus - anyone reading and reviewing books in children's literature - it can be picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, you name it in the world of kidlit and it's in! We have loved being a part of this meme and we hope you do too! We encourage everyone participating to go and visit the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and to comment on as many posts as you can. We love talking books and believe in sharing and discussing what we're reading. We hope you join us!

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: This week I read Pathways to the Common Core and loved it. I have had very minimal PD on Common Core so this really helped me understand it so much more and to understand the intentions and the possibility the Common Core standards offer teachers. I definitely recommend this book! I finished Fallen In Love which is the 3.5 book in the Fallen series. I'm excited to listen to Rapture - the end! I started listening to What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami and should finish this week. I also read Babymouse for President and will be reviewing it tomorrow - along with a giveaway! I also started Above World which I'll be reviewing at the end of the week.

Kellee Says: This week I had a pretty good reading week. I finished Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald and I can see why some people wouldn't like the anti-reading message, but I felt that it actually taught the importance of reading through an almost reverse psychology method and humor. I actually had time to finish my audiobook, Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel, and I was so surprised at how well done a book about bats was. Kenneth Oppel is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite authors. 
     I also finished a couple of graphic novels, a nonfiction short story collection, and a middle grade novel. First, Maria Selke was kind enough to send me a copy of Princeless's first book which is a collection of Jeremy Whitely's comics and I adored it! I now see why she raves about the series. The other graphic novel was Power Play by Liam O'Donnell which was an interesting book that had a narrative but mixed in a bit of information as well. The nonfiction book I read was True Teen Stories which had 5 stories dealing with different issues ranging from anorexia to Sudan's Lost Boys. Finally, I read Chase Against Time by Steve Reifman which I will be reviewing for you next week. 

Reviewed Last Week:

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Guys Read: The Sports Pages Giveaway winner is:

Deborah Baldwin

Congratulations to Deborah! 
Thanks again to Walden Pond Press for providing three Guys Read books for us to give away!

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I'll finish listening to What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and then I think I want to listen to the third in the Penderwicks series. I'll finish reading Above World to review on Saturday and also plan on starting Jeff Anderson's 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know. I also have Astronaut Academy by Dave Roman that I haven't read yet and am excited to read. 

Kellee Says: This week, I really don't know what I am going to read. I have caught up on my review books and I'm in-between committee readings, so I think I'll just have to go into my box of books I brought from school and/or my Kindle and see what I find. I do have a bunch of Netgalley books to read, so I'll probably try to read some of those. We'll see next week I get to. 

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to hear about these books. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Please link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!

 and