October Mourning

Title: October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard 
Author: Leslea Newman 
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: September 25th, 2012 
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Novel-In-Verse 
GoodReads Summary: A masterful poetic exploration of the impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder on the world.

On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life. 
What Jen Thinks: I'm sad to say I only vaguely remember hearing about Matthew Shepard in 1998. I was a freshman in college then. I'm glad Leslea Newman is telling his story now. She not only brings Matthew Shepard's story to life, but that of so many others in the world near him and around his story through her poems. This work is such an excellent example of personification because she writes from the perspective of the fence, the moon, the road, the truck, a deer and so many others on that night. She has imagined so much of that night through her poems and brought them so perfectly to life for readers. The story is sad enough, but these poems truly made me realize the extent of how horrible it really was. What I think is so important is the message of thinking about your actions. Matthew Shepard was very trusting of the two guys who picked him up. If only he had thought twice about leaving with them. There are so many "if only..." stories told in this book and I hope it encourages readers to think about decision they make. It's sad that we have to teach kids to be wary of others in this world, but at the same time, it's reality.  In my mind, there can never be too many books that help us see the world from someone else's perspective. Through books like this we learn about ourselves and learn about others.
What Kellee Thinks: I was a junior in high school at a fine arts school of choice when Matthew Shepard was murdered. My two best friends were both gay. I remember that they were afraid of going anywhere alone after Matthew was killed. We cried for him. However, over time Matthew has become one of a way too big statistic. Though his horrendous death got a lot of press, hate crimes on gay, lesbian, queer, transgendered, bisexual and transsexual people happen daily.
     Leslea Newman takes us into the night of Matthew's death. Her poetry examines the smallest detail of the night (the buck lying near Matthew) to the motives behind his murder. The poems' narrator range from the fence he was found tied to to his mother to the murders to the reactions of the gay community. It shows how this crime affected a nation of people and what we can learn from it.
     Not only is this a story that needed to be told to young adults, but it is done in a beautiful novel-in-verse. Also, she makes sure to make the poetry accessible- she added "Notes" and "Explanation of Poetic Forms" for each poem. Each poem was set up so methodically and were based on truths. Both of these elements make it even more powerful.
Read Together: Grades 8 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 9 - 12 
Read With: Please Excuse Vera Dietz by A.S. King, Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, Tricks by  Ellen Hopkins, Columbine by Dave Cullen, I am J by Cris Beam, Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez, Shine by Lauren Myracle
Snatch of Text:  

Then and Now

Then I was a son

Now I am a symbol

Then I was a brother

Now I am an absence

Then I was a friend

Now I am a memory

Then I was a person

Now I am a headline

Then I was a guy

Now I am a ghost

Then I was a student

Now I am a lesson

(p. 41)

Mentor Text For: Perspective, Rhythm, Repetition, Alliteration, Personification, Poetry 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you did something that you regretted or that you learned from after the experience. Write a poem from the point of view of an object looking at a situation. 
Topics Covered: Life, Death, Decision-Making, Choices, LGBTQ, Prejudice, Racism, People, Family, Teen Issues, Trust, Hate Crimes 

Jen and Kellee *heart* It:

and 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 09/24/12

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: I felt like I had a good reading week last week...but my GoodReads list doesn't really reflect that. I finished reading the print version of Fake Mustache. My last discussion of Fake Mustache with Colby will be up this week. Such a fun book! I also read October Mourning by Leslea Newman from Candlewick Press. It will be available tomorrow and it's excellent. I'm excited to share my thoughts on this wonderful novel in verse. I also read an adult non-fiction book titled Wired for Conflict by Sondra S. VanSant. It looks at different personality types and how we handle conflict with each other. Definitely thought-provoking. I've also been listening to Enclave on my drive to and from work. 

Kellee Says: Well, my post is going to be especially lame. Last Monday I finished Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie, like I said last week, and then I all of a sudden started feeling under the weather and it hit me like a pile of bricks. Monday, I felt horrible and knew I had to call in Tuesday. Then I called in Wednesday. (I've never called in two days in a row!) While at first I was trying to read, but I found that my headache was too bad to read for long periods of time. I was so upset! I also was sleeping most of my free time. Though I went back to school for Thursday and Friday, I continued to sleep a lot instead of read. This continued until today, so... in other words... I didn't read much. *sigh* 
     I did read The Dot with my reading classes on Monday. Then, this weekend I was able to squeeze in 3 graphic novels and 1 illustrated novel that I really enjoyed, but no YA or MG novels this week: Silverfin: The Graphic Novel by Charlie Higson, Kit Runner: The Graphic Novel by Khaled Hosseini, Curses! (Foiled #2) by Jane Yolen and Ricky Vargas: Born to be Funny! by Alan Katz. 

Reviewed Last Week:

 
 

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: The plan for me this week is to finish up Enclave on audio and then I have Neverending Story and Eldest to listen to. I have a great stack of graphic novels to read: Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge, and Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks. I also have Walter Dean Myers' book on writing: Just Write: Here's How and Splendors and Glooms to continue reading. Should be more fun! (Oh, and I'm also still trudging through Visible Learning for Teachers. Joy.)

Kellee Says: This week can only be better than last week. I am currently reading Alice Bliss and will finish it. I also hope to read a couple of graphic novels and a short piece of fiction. Scorpio Races is going to go slower (which stinks because I was really getting into it!), because my car broke down today so I will be car pooling every day this week. I do plan to listen to it at home whenever I can. 

This Week's Reviews:

     

Check back throughout the week to hear about these books. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!
To help build our community and support other bloggers, 
we ask that you please try to comment on at least the three blogs that posted before you. 
Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

 and

Get Your Read On!

Before the school year started, I met the new teachers in our district at new teacher orientation. It was a two-day event that all the new teachers attended so it was a large group all at once. This week, we started smaller group professional development for our new teachers and their mentors. We had three different groups come to us this week. It was so exciting to spend time with them and to be able to share my passion for literacy. This year, we are modeling how to develop a culture of literacy and a community of readers and writers. Throughout the day, we shared professional texts that aligned with what we were discussing and I set up several bookish displays around the room. I have lots of ideas, but here's what I have set up so far:

 Reading Now - Reading Next

 Got Robots?

If you liked:

 The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

You may like:

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

Shine by Lauren Myracle

 Coming October 2012!

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

 A digital frame that cycles through pictures of people I caught reading

Wonder by RJ Palacio - Choose Kind!

 Great Wall of Books - everyone is invited to share a book they love or to comment on a book someone else has shared - star ratings match GoodReads - markers hang from strings

R-E-A-D! 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, 

Darth Paper Strikes Back 

and The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee 

by Tom Angleberger 

It's so much fun to be able to share my love of all things books in this new position I am in. Seeing everyone's classrooms and their ways of building a community of readers and writers on Twitter and blogs has been great. I love getting ideas and then making them my own. If you have shared your own classrooms or pictures on Twitter, I would love if you would share the links in the comments so others can visit and get a glimpse into how you develop a community of readers and writers!

 

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate

Title: The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate

Author: Scott Nash 

Illustrator: Scott Nash 

Publisher: Candlewick Press 

Publication Date: September 25th, 2012 

Genre/Format: Fantasy/Novel 

Goodreads Summary: Hoist the Jolly Robin! Fly with a swashbuckling crew as they soar through the air — and evade danger on the ground — in search of treasure and lofty adventure.
     Captain Blue Jay, notorious and feared pirate of the skies, has a fondness for collecting treasure, especially eggs. Unfortunately, sometimes his treasure hatches, and this time the hatchling is the strangest one theGrosbeak has ever seen. No sailor is certain whether the chick is a young god or just an oversized bird who needs too much food, but one thing is clear: the winds over Thrushland are shifting, and dramatic changes are in store for all. Whether outwitting a gang of thieving crows, outrunning murderous fishers and weasels, or rallying Briarloch’s beleaguered sparrows, this motley crew must do all they can to stay together and stay alive. And that’s just the tip of the bird’s feather! Offering a bounty of illustrations and a host of memorable characters — from an endearing star-nosed mole to an unlikely little warrior with a vendetta — here is a treasure for anyone who has ever wanted to take to the skies and see where fortune blows.  

What Jen Thinks: After reading Neversink by Barry Wolverton, I thought I was ready for Blue Jay the Pirate by Scott Nash...and actually, I think I pretty much was. I've realized when reading fantasy like this book that I have to let go of reality. I guess that makes sense, but as a reader, it is still hard for me to delve into books of fantasy that don't really make sense to me. I'm sure it has something to do with my personality type, but I get caught up in the things that don't seem like they can happen or the things that don't match up with this new fantastical world and then I get stuck. I've learned to be able to let that go more.
    Let me just ask you this...if the book is set in a world where birds/animals are anthropomorphized, wouldn't it make sense that if they were to eat an animal - say a bird eats a fish - said animal (the fish) should also possess these powers of humanism? I just feel like, if they are a talking animal, then any and every animal should also talk...right? I don't know if I really even agree with myself, these are just the kinds of questions that go through my head.
     I learned about myself as a reader when I read Neversink and I also learned that I have grown a bit as a reader now that I have read Blue Jay the Pirate. I loved the characters in this book and the fact that they are able to go off on this big adventure to save their ship and a colony of birds. I love pirates so I did my best to forget that the characters were birds and try to think of them as people. How I read fantasy books like this has evolved. Also, I gained more perspective as to what it might be like for students trying to read fantasy. It really isn't the easiest to read. While kids are following the plot as it develops, they are also visualizing a (sometimes) very different world. This also goes for writing as well. Authors who write fantasy or science fiction sometimes face creating a whole different world. When writing, they spend a lot of time developing and describing the setting so the reader can understand everything they need to read, understand and enjoy the book.
What Kellee Thinks:  First, I want to say I am very proud of Jen for learning to enjoy these types of fantasy. I think they are quite fun and definitely have a group of kids who enjoy them. And I agree anthropomorphism in books can go either way: amazing or stretching, but Blue Jay the Pirate definitely more amazing than stretching. Scott Nash makes a world of birds that could theoretically exist up in the sky. First we meet Blue Jay the Pirate who is an outlaw causing havoc to supply ships and other ships with treasures. He is one of the most feared pirates of the skies; however, he has a secret passion- collecting bird eggs. So, one day when he sees a strange, large egg he must have it and all of a sudden trouble envelopes his ship, the Grosbeak. 
     This novel is such an nonstop, swashbuckling adventure that you even begin to forget that the main characters are birds. The heroes are just as heroic as human characters and the villains are just as villainous. It will be a great book to recommend for fans of anthropomorphic books like Redwall and Seekers as well as pirate and adventure fans. 

Read Together: Grades 5 - 8 

Read Alone: Grades 6 - 8 

Read With: Neversink by Barry Wolverton,  Seekers (series) by Erin Hunter, Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques

Snatch of Text:  "Whilst fighting fearsome Finch's feet, we'be
sung out, "Yo! Heave ho!"
And hearing hawks hanging high have I 
nobly faced the foe; 
Then put round the grog, so we've that on our
prog, 
We'll laugh in strife's homely face, and sing, 
"Yo! Heave ho!" 
We'll laugh in strife's homely face, and sing, 
"Yo! Heave ho!" (p. 1)

"It was about this tiny crow named Napoleon, who was about the size of a hummingbird. Well, Napoleon, he developed an attitude on account of his being so di-mun-u-tive - that means tiny -" And Crookie was off, launching into what turned out to be a very long story." (p. 276)

Mentor Text For: Poetry, Iambic Pentameter, Foreshadowing, Description, Allusion, Science/Sailing Vocabulary, Research, Anthropomorphism 

Writing Prompts: What kind of bird would be if you were a bird? Choose a bird (research or look around on the Internet or in a book if you need help) and then write about your day if you were a bird doing everything you usually do. 

Topics Covered: Sailing, Ornithology, Pirates

Jen and Kellee *heart* It: 

and

Dolphin Sky

Title: Dolphin Sky

Author: Ginny Rorby

Publisher: Puffin (originally), Ginny Rorby (updated ebook) 

Publication Date: March, 1998 (originally), July, 2012 (ebook) 

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel

Goodreads Summary: When the captive dolphins that she has befriended are threatened, Buddy risks her father's condemnation and the law to save their lives in this powerful story about a dyslexic child, trapped by the limitations of her learning disability, who discovers that real freedom comes from being true to your heart.
What I Think: I know you have heard this before from me, but Ginny Rorby just has a way of sucking me in and pulling on my heart strings. Dolphin Sky is Ginny's first book which she just rereleased as an ebook, so I grabbed it as soon as she let me know. Once again, I cried, I cheered, I laughed. I loved every second of the book. 

     If you have never read a Ginny Rorby book, let me explain what she is good at: Ginny knows how to intertwine human issues and animal issues into a seemlessly touching story. Buddy, our young protagonist, is bullied at school and has a very tough time keeping up. A specific bully is relentless making her feel stupid specifically when she has to read outloud and cannot. The only time Buddy feels like she can be herself is around her grandfather, The Admiral, who, after an accident, is in a wheelchair. Even her father is very distant and her mother is dead. Buddy also finds relief when she is around nature and she specifically loves dolphins, so when she befriends Annie, a captive dolphin at a small roadside attraction, she knows she has found a friend for life. 

     One of the things that Ginny does so well is voice- unique per book, but also consistent between. Though this book is in 3rd person, the narrator has a specific voice throughout and they are different between every book (though I can always tell it is Ginny writing). She has a style to her descriptions and prose that is perfect for the books she writes. In this book, specifically the setting comes alive because of Ginny's writing.

     The other thing I think Ginny does well in all of her books is characterization of not only the human characters, but the animals as well. Annie the dolphin is as much a character as anyone else in this book. So is Osceola, the crab, who ended up being one of my favorite characters. 

     Lastly, again, Ginny pays homage to good teachers who can make a difference. Miss Conroy, the doctorate student who meets and mentors Buddy, as well as Miss Daniels, Buddy's teacher, are great advocates for Buddy and really show how a good teacher or mentor can make a difference.  

Read Together: Grades 4 - 8

Read Alone: Grades 5 - 9

Read With: Ginny Rorby's other novels Hurt Go Happy, Outside of a Horse, and Lost in the River of Grass; Carl Hiaasen novels Hoot, Scat, Chomp, and Flush; Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Snatch of Text: "She puts out her hand and Annie comes slowly toward her, but sinks away before Buddy touches her. The dolphin circles, and Buddy feels her pass, feels the pressure that the movement of her tail makes in the water. She turns, trying to keep track of where Annie is... Buddy lets herself bob to the surface, takes a breath, then dangles face down, making a slow circle, trying to find the dolphin. From directly beneath her, Annie looms up out of the murky water. That monstrous form moving slowly toward her floods Buddy with the same fear she felt when she first fell into the water. Panic wells in her, flattening her lungs against her ribs until her breath leaves her in a gasp. But she doesn't move or scream and, in that moment, realizes that her fear exploded on the surface in that bubble of air. The emptiness in her chest fills with love." (Location 1598-1591, 1608-1612)

Mentor Text for: Setting, Imagery, Description, Characterization, Research

Writing Prompts: Just as Buddy's teacher assigns, research an animal native to your area and determine how humans are affecting its population and what we can do to help. 

Topics Covered: Animal rights/treatment, Dyslexia, Bullies, Everglades

I *heart* It:

Genre Introductions

     At the beginning of each school year, I know I need to acclimate my students to books. Since I teach intensive reading, many of my students are reluctant and struggling readers; that means that they have not been around or fans of books, so my classroom library is a bit overwhelming. The best way I have found to introduce my students to my classsroom library and books in general is a mini-genre study. The way it works is I spend each day introducing a genre. I separate my genres into the main 7- realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, informational nonfiction, biography, and traditional literature - and 3 formats - graphic novels, poetry, and short stories. (Updated to include poetry as a format after much discussion with teachers and students [you can see some below].) Thus, the mini-study lasts approximately 10 days including 1 review day and 1 assessment day.
     Each mini-study goes the same: First, I introduce the genre and we enter the definition onto a tree map. Then, the students brainstorm aspects and examples of the genre using a circle map. For example, if we are doing "Fantasy", it will include things like: magic, vampires, Harry Potter, Twilight, Amulet, talking animals, dragons, couldn't ever happen, etc.

      Following our discussion of each genre I would read a picture book of that genre and then we'd discuss how it is said genre. The picture books I used were:

Historical Fiction: Titanic Cat by Marty Crisp

Biography: Martin's Big Words or John's Sweet Dreams by Doreen Rappaport

 or 

Realistic Fiction: First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Fantasy: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Traditional Literature: Lon Po Po by Ed Young

Science Fiction: Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg
(though we discuss how this one could be considered fantasy as well)

Poetry: Falling Up by Shel Silverstein (read Strange Restaurant)

Short Story: Nightmare by R.L. Stine
Graphic Novel: Into the Volcano by Don Wood
[Did not read the whole books, used them to show the format]
   

     After each picture book, I use this opportunity to show students how to respond to writing like I am going to ask them to when we start our reading workshop. Thus I model a journal entry after each picture book.

     Next, I allow my students to access the classroom library. Each student gets to pick two books of the discussed genre.  I then do a book pass where students pass around the books they chose. With each set of books, the students get 2 minutes to preview the book and decide if they want to add it to their "Books to Read Someday" list. 

     The last thing we do, and this was new this year (an idea that I stole from my friend), was after students got the books they chose back, as an exit slip, they needed to tell me why the book they chose is the genre we are discussing. For example, if a student had Suck it Up by Brian Meehl they would put that Suck it Up is fantasy because it has vampires in it and vampires don't exist. 

     After going through all 8 genres and 2 formats, we review by playing the Pyramid Game and 4 corners and we finally end with an assessment which includes multiple choice, short answers, and students writing a story of a specific genre. By the end of the unit, students have a long list of books they want to read from all the genres and know how to find books in the classroom library. 

This is the beginning of cultivating readers.
Happy growing!

Hanging on Jefferson's Nose

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Here at Teach Mentor Texts we are always looking for more ways to support teachers! We've found that teachers seem to be constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction. We know we are! To help with this undying quest for outstanding non-fiction, we are excited to participate in Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives. Every Wednesday, you'll find a non-fiction review here - although it may not always be a picture book review. Please visit Kid Lit Frenzy and The Nonfiction Detectives to see what non-fiction others have to share, too. 

Title: Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose: Growing Up on Moutnt Rushmore 
Author: Tina Nichols Coury
Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport  
Publisher: Dial 
Publication Date: May, 2012  
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Growing up in the shadow of Mount Rushmore

Lincoln Borglum was a young boy when his father, the great sculptor Gutzon Borglum, suggested to a group of South Dakota businessmen that he should carve the faces of four presidents into a side of a mountain as an attraction for tourists. But Mount Rushmore would never be finished by Gutzon. It would be his son who would complete the fourteen-year task and present America with one of its most iconic symbols. 
What I Think: I am completely in love with non-fiction picture books! I seriously learn so much! Or I at least learn more and maybe have different insight after I read them. The picture book format is great for non-fiction that tells about a historical event, a famous - or maybe important but mildly famous or often over looked - person, or a current issue. When I saw Hanging off Jefferson's Nose in the library, I wanted immediately. I will never forget seeing Mount Rushmore when I was a child. I'm not sure exactly, but I'm guessing I was eight or nine when my family took a roadtrip and one of our stops was Mount Rushmore. I'm not sure if it would seem as big to me today, but as a child, it was so amazing to see all the four presidents carved on the mountainside. Statues in general can be amazing, but I remember Mount Rushmore as being completely regal. The faces were cleanly cut and so smooth. All around me were trees and trees and trees....and then these gorgeous rock-white faces. Since then, seeing the statue of David in Italy is probably the only statue that has had such an impact on me. (It might be the statues as much as the presentation. Both instances it just seems like these statues stand apart from everything around them and that seems to add to the awe I felt when I saw them.)
     Apart from my fond families memories of seeing Mount Rushmore, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. This story wasn't really about the man who set out to carve the faces of three (and then four) presidents into a mountainside. It's really about his relationship with his son and how this encouraged his son. His son, who respected his father so much as a child, that he grew up to follow in his footsteps. I felt such an overwhelming feeling of perseverance and will in this story. (I tend to get sentimental...but I do think the author shares a lot about their relationship that helps the reader realize how the bond between father and son guided his life. *tear*) Our focus in education today seems to prepare students for college - well, the boy in this book chooses not to go to college - but I can see discussions that might happen around that moment. Students will have to take into account the time period (not so long ago in the grand scheme of the world) and then what the decision to stay meant. What did the boy give up by not going to college? Was it worth it for him? What can character traits can we infer? How might that have felt? Is this the true definition of bittersweet? Have students ever had to make a decision between doing something worthwhile and also doing something worthwhile?
     I wonder sometimes how many kids today know about the treasures we have in our country. I definitely consider Mount Rushmore to be a treasure. When I read Dan Gutman's The Genius Files, I was so excited because the kids make fun stops as they travel across the country. I love to take roadtrips and to stop to see things along the way. I always end up learning something and it's sometimes cooler if it's something so random and unique. Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose is a book that I hope will remind or introduce kids to Mount Rushmore. Maybe they'll visit it after reading and appreciate all the work that went into the monument if they do thanks to this book.
Read Together: Grades 4 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 12 
Read With: Sky Boys by Deborah Hopkinson, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein, Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, The Boy on Fairfield Street, Jim Henson, Wilma Rudolph (and others) by Kathleen Krull, The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton,
Snatch of Text: "Back in 1920, when Lincoln was eight, the Borglum family moved often. Lincoln's dad was a famous sculptor and the only mountain carver in the world. His work took him all over the country, followed soon after by Lincoln, his mom, and his little sister, Mary Ellis. Whether Gutzon was sculpting a fountain in Connecticut or carving a mountain in Georgie, the Borglum family stayed together."
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Asking Questions, Making Connections, Making Inferences 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Expository, Personal Narrative  
Writing Prompts: Write a response to this book that explains what you think of Lincoln Borglum and what character traits you inferred he possesses. What connection to your own life or another book can you make? Write about a time in your life when you had to choose between two honorable things. How did you decide? How did you feel after you made the decision? Write about a time in your life when you were determined to get something done.
Topics Covered: Family, Decision-Making, Determination, Perseverance, Responsibility, Hardworking, Dedication, Success, Integration - Art, Integration - History/Geography

I *heart* It: