Jen Rereads All American Girl

Every week, when Peanut comes home from school with a library that he has checked out, it's a non-fiction book. All year, he has gravitated towards the non-fiction books. It's really sweet that he knows what he likes and he knows exactly where to get it. We talk often about how it's okay to skip to any part of the book when it comes to non-fiction. We'll look at the table of contents and pick a part to jump to. Oftentimes, we'll read through but it depends on the book.

Last night, Peanut pulled out Scaredy Squirrel to read and a DC Pets chapter book called The Fantastic Flexy Frog. We have read Flexy Frog countless times. Last night it was late and the kids should have already been in bed, I knew I couldn't read him the whole book. I explained that I would just read one chapter in Flexy Frog.

Then, do you know what happened?!? When I started to open to the first chapter, he said, "Wait", grabbed the book, turned to the last chapter, and handed it back. He wanted me to start at the end. I was so shocked, I just looked at him in disbelief. Then I realized since we have read the book so many times, he definitely knows what happens in the chapters leading up to the last chapter. And I thought of my favorite movies that I'll  find on TV and will watch from the middle or the end because I know what already happened. It was at this moment that I had a revelation yet again about rereading. When it comes to rereading a long(er) fiction text, if you've already read it, it's okay to skip around and go to your favorite parts. It's okay to treat a linear story like a non-fiction text. It's okay not to start at the beginning. I think this would have horrified me to see a student do this but maybe then I would have also made this revelation sooner.

This has helped open my eyes even wider to the power of mentor texts. Yes, Common Core asks us to do close readings, but I hesitate to encourage students to only read short or truncated pieces of longer texts. We still have to encourage students to read, read, read, but then we need to teach them how to go back and reread and think about those books in a very focused and specific way. I'm not saying do this with every book, overanalyzing every beloved book for weeks upon weeks wherein they begin to groan when they see it. No, let's not mistake that. Teach kids how to use and refer to their own independent reading as mentor texts. I adore mentor texts but most of the time I, as the teacher, would bring in books to use as mentor texts. I definitely asked my students to read and notice what the author was doing in their independent reading books, but now that I think about it, I never got my students to the point of independently referring to previous texts the way that I do now as I write.

All the books a student has ever read should be thought of 

as their own personal reference library for their writing.

I'm living this as a writer right now. I admire the work of so many great authors. When I chose my books to reread this month, there were specific reasons for each as it relates to the novel I'm working on revising. The books I'm rereading are tools in my toolbox, I pulled out the ones that I need for what I'm currently working on. Some were for voice, some were for description, some were for the plot, some were for the characters. Some were for one specific thing and some were for multiple reasons. There were so many connections I made to my own book when reading All-American Girl. Now I'm going to go back to those parts and really study them and focus on what Meg Cabot did and why and make specific connections with what I love about her choices and how they can tie in with choices I'll make as I revise. I can't say enough how imperative it is that we pay attention to the innocent decisions kids make about books and our own actions when it comes to reading. It is in these organic moments that we realize what real readers do and what we should encourage in our own students.

For a great article on the Common Core and close reading, check out this recent ASCD article, Closing in on Close Reading.

Title: All American Girl 
Author: Meg Cabot 
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: August, 2003   
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Samantha Madison is an average, cool Washington, D.C., teen: She loves Gwen Stefani (who doesn't?), can draw like nobody's business, and enjoys being opposite to her sister's annoying ultra-social personality. But when she ditches art class one day, she doesn't expect to be jumping on the back of a wannabe presidential assassin. Soon the young hero is receiving worldwide acclaim for her bravery, having dinner with her family at the White House, and is even being named teen ambassador to the UN. As if this weren't enough, she and David, the president's son, strike up a friendship that everyone wants the dirt on, which starts to give her romantic "frisson" feelings. Unfortunately, Sam thinks her sister's boyfriend, Jack, is the true love of her life, and she makes a few wrong turns that could screw up what she's developing with David. Will she ever stop following what she knows and start following what she sees?  
What I Think: Meg Cabot is exactly the author I wish was writing books when I was in high school. I would have read every single Princess Diaries book as it came out (instead, I got to read them afterwards and I didn't have to wait for them to be released...which was just as good). I love her characters, they have their insecurities but also have their convictions. They can be completely confused but at the same time completely sure of their beliefs. Aren't we all complicated like this? I think tween and teen girls will relate to her characters while also learning a lot about girl power. We could have listed Meg Cabot's characters as great girl power characters actually!
Read Together: Grades 8 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 8 - 12 
Read With: Princess Diaries (series) by Meg Cabot, From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, Ten Things We Did (And Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski, Audition and Subtraction by Amy Fellner Dominy
Snatch of Text:  
     "'I got into big trouble because of what you did! Now I have to go to some stupid, lame art class twice a week after school, when I could be, you know...watching TV.'" (p. 10)
     "Back in the days when Catherine and I had gone around tapping on the backs of wardrobes, hoping to get transported to a land where there were fauns and hobbits, not Lunchables and Carson Daly, meeting someone like Susan Boone would have been a thrill." (p. 37)
Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing, Characterization, Voice, Dialogue, Personal Narrative  
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you stood up for something you believed in even when it was hard to do.  
Topics Covered: Siblings, Friendship, Love, Courage, Bravery, Integrity, Trust, Integration - Art 

I *heart* It:

Girl Power - Kristin Levine

We are having such a blast with our Girl Power series! It's been great to hear from Maria Selke, Kirby Larson and Jenni Holm already! Jen is watching American Idol this year and is so proud to see that the top five finalists are ALL girls! It's been more than a few seasons since a girl won American Idol and there's not doubt now that it will happen again this year.

It's a such a great time to be talking about girl power! Today we bring you Kristin Levine, author of Lions of Little Rock and her thoughts on strong female characters in children's/young adult literature. 

TMT: Why do you think it's important to write about strong girl characters?

Kristin Levine: When I was a little girl, I was a huge Star Wars fan.  But when I acted it out with my friends (mostly boys), we always argued about which character I was going to play.  I was the girl, they said, so I should be Princess Leia. But she only gets to be rescued and watch in concern as others blow up the Death Star.  Boring.

I always wanted to be Luke Skywalker, get a lightsaber, plan a daring rescue and fly an X-wing.  I guess I think it is important to write about strong girl characters, so that other young kids don't have to have that argument.

TMT: Describe a memory from your childhood when you felt empowered.

Kristin Levine: The summer after I graduated from high school, my parents let me and two girls from school borrow their car and drive across the United States for five weeks.  Sure, a few things went wrong.  We broke down in the Rockies and had to call a tow truck.  Everything we owned got wet in a rainstorm in Yosemite.  But we had a great time and gained so much confidence.  I have always been grateful that my parents trusted us to go on that trip. They did insist we bring along a "car phone."  The year was 1992 and it was about the size of a suitcase.

TMT: Did you have a female literary character you look up to?  (now or when you were growing up...)

Kristin Levine: A few of my favorites:

The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley - I read and reread these fairytale-like adventures about heroines who were anything but boring.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursala K. Le Guin - The second in the Earthsea series is one of my favorite books.  It's a about a girl who is quite passive at the beginning of the story, and how she slowly learns to reclaim and use her own power.

Sabriel by Garth Nix - A super-exciting action heroine with one of the coolest weapons ever - a bandolier of bells.  Also great as a book on tape.

Finally, I've always had a fondness for Anne of Green Gables too, probably because we once visited her house on Prince Edwards Island.

TMT: What message do you hope to send to girls when you write strong girl characters? 

Kristin Levine: I guess I mainly write strong girl characters for myself, because it's what I would have liked to have read when I was young.  And it's still kind of for me, because no matter how old we are, I think learning to stand up for yourself and those around you, being brave enough to speak out and use your own power, is not a lesson we learn once.  It's something we have to learn again and again, in different situations, throughout our lives. 

Not sure how many interviews can say they include Star Wars, suitcase-sized car phones and Anne of Green Gables! Many thanks to Kristin Levine for stopping by to share her take on girl power!

 and

Unplug and Read! I Haiku You

We are so excited to be part of Random House Unplugs: A Screen Free Week promotion. We're getting ready to unplug and read in only ten days to celebrate Screen Free Week! Today we'll tell you about Screen Free Week, review I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder and share our interview of Betsy Snyder! First, let's start with more information about Screen Free Week coming up, April 29-May 5.

Screen Free Week is the annual celebration from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) that encourages turning off screens and turning on life.  CCFC’s Screen Free Week is a creative response to growing public health concerns about the unprecedented time children spend with entertainment screen media—television, computers, video games, and smart phones. Studies show that Preschoolers spend as much as 4.1 to 4.6 hours per day using screen media. Including multi-tasking, children 8 to 18 spend 7.5 hours per day with screens. Unplugging for one week provides an opportunity to reset media habits, establishing a healthy, sustainable tradition of media consumption in households and schools. This Spring, Random House Children’s Books is issuing a challenge: UNPLUG & READ during Screen Free Week April 29 – May 5.

 

 

Today we are so happy to be reviewing I Haiku You and sharing our interview with the author and illustrator, Betsy Snyder! we adore this little gem of a book and Betsy's work!

Title: I Haiku You     
Author: Betsy Snyder 
Illustrator: Betsy Snyder 
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: December 2012  Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: This giftable little picture book of haiku by award winner Betsy Snyder is something adults will love to give one another as much as they'll enjoy sharing it with the youngest listeners. Perfect for Valentine's Day and any day of the year, this book will inspire people to tell one another, "I haiku you!"   
What Jen Thinks: Adore is the perfect word to explain how I feel about this book. I just adore it. It's such a sweet book in every way. These are exactly the kind of books I love for mentor texts. I Haiku You has wonderful illustrations and excellent text to match. This book isn't just another haiku poetry book; Betsy Snyder gets it write with these heart-warming haiku. Writing haiku is definitely an exercise in word choice because writers have to adhere to the specific number of syllables in each line. When you only get so many syllables, it makes you much more conscious of what words you are using. I love talking to students about synonyms and the intensity of words. We brainstorm a list of synonyms and add to our list by looking in a thesaurus but the most fun is talking about the difference between those words. No two words are exactly alike, they have (at least) a little difference of intensity. That's the trick about using a thesaurus and synonyms, students have to realize that it's not okay to simply go to the thesaurus and exchange a word. This is such a great introduction or reiteration of author's purpose. The author intentionally makes decisions to communicate with the reader and students need to see how their jobs as writers is to make decisions about how to express themselves. 
    I was so head-over-heels in love and inspired by Betsy's work in I Haiku You that I wrote my own haiku review: 

little small-sized book

soft watercolor artwork

adorable haiku-love
 

What Kellee Thinks: Such a cute picture book that is not only perfect for gift giving, but for a haiku discussion in a classroom (any level). The book focuses on love on all levels- romantic, family, pets, friends, nature, etc. and I love the conversation that this could start. I also liked the structure that Betsy Snyder chose going through the seasons and, of course, accompanying them all are adorable illustrations that add another level to the picture book.  
     Like Jen, one thing I loved in this book was the word choice. You can tell that she used very specific wording; not only to fit the haiku format, but to paint a picture in the readers mind. I don't teach grammar too often; however, I love teaching descriptive language and this book inspired me to have haikus be part of this discussion and lesson as they narrow your focus and make the writer be even more specific than they would be in a different setting.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read With:  Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, Dogku by Andrew Clements, Someday by Eileen Spinelli, Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen
Snatch of Text:  

"wiggle-wag tail love,

sloppy-smoochy-poochy love,

true-furry-friend love"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences
Writing Strategies to Practice: Descriptive, Adjectives, Compound Adjectives, Poetry, $100 Words, Word Choice 
Writing Prompts: Write a haiku to someone who is special to you, think closely about the words the you choose because you have limited syllables to use. 
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Friendship, Love, Pets, Life Seasons

Jen *hearts* It:

Kellee *hearts* It:


TMT Interviews Betsy Snyder!
We asked Betsy about I Haiku You and her plans for Screen Free Week!  

TMT: Screen Free Week is a perfect chance for kids to turn off the TV and read. Then after kids read I Haiku You, they can write their own haiku. In haiku, word choice is so important because you have a limited amount of syllables to say precisely what you want to say. Can you give advice on how you collect or discover words and then how you finally decide which words to use?

Besty Snyder: A haiku is like a word picture, painting an image in your mind. I usually start with a moment or a feeling, often nature or favorite-thing inspired. I work the words around that moment. The syllables and sounds need to fit, but the ideas also need to fit—it's like putting together a seventeen-piece puzzle. I use a thesaurus or dictionary to help me make a word list, and then I shuffle and rearrange until all the words feel just-right. I try to keep my haiku playful and make the three lines mean something more when they are all combined. Placing theaha moment in the third line usually works well—it's like revealing the answer to a riddle. The more haiku you write, the better you get.

Writing I Haiku You and Haiku Baby was a little more complicated in that each haiku needed to fit the theme and work well together as a collection. But for each haiku, I still went back to the same writing process.

TMT: I Haiku You lends itself towards teaching about haiku but can be a novelty gift for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary or a just-for-fun read during Screen Free week or any week, for that matter. Did you purposefully set out to write a book that would cover all of these different avenues?

Betsy Snyder: Yes, I did set out to write a collection of haiku that felt personal but also universal. It took some time and experimenting to find a voice that spoke to kids, adults and all kinds relationships. My favorite children's books are ones that speak to the child in all of us—I don't think we ever outgrow books like that.
 

TMT: Throughout the book, you change the point of view for each poem. Why did you make this decision?

Betsy Snyder: My early haiku attempts for the book lacked emotion—they felt too distant. Point of view was really the key to making the haiku feel like a sentiment. When I started to think about the haiku as valentines, POV clicked for me. I didn't consciously shift POVs—I think I just picked the POV that felt right for each moment. 

 

 

TMT: We especially love the descriptive adjectives you use like: “wiggle-wag”, “sloppy-smoochy-poochy”, and “achy-heartbreak”. Jen refers to them as compound adjectives but has always been curious about what those are called. What do you call those adjectives!?

Betsy Snyder: Here's a little English lesson from my expert editor:

'Well, you sometimes have taken two verbs to make an adjective, as in "wiggle-wag," which becomes an adjective modifying "tail," and then the whole thing becomes an adjective that modifies "love." "Achy-heartbreak" is an adjective modifying a noun, but, again, you use the whole compound phrase as an adjective to modify "love." Same with "sloppy-smoochy-poochy." So the compound phrases are all being used as adjectives even if there are different parts of speech within them.'

Clear as a bell, right?  

TMT: What are you reading and loving right now (or recently)? Do you feel that you read books differently now that you are writing your own?

Betsy Snyder: Grown-up books? Just read Life of Pi (Yann Martel)—now I'm interested to see how the movie stacks up. 

Children's books? Loving Jon Klassen's books like The Dark (by Lemony Snicket) and This is Not My Hat. Also digging picture-book biographies like A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin (by Jen Bryant, art by Melissa Sweet) and Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell (by Tanya Lee Stone, art by Marjorie Priceman).

I definitely appreciate books differently (and even more so) now that I am writing my own. I can see the genius in a story that is seemingly so simple. I understand how much work and editing happens behind-the-scenes and that what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. I adore when words and images come together perfectly.

TMT: What are your plans for Screen Free Week? Do you have your eye on any specific books you want to unplug and read?

Betsy Snyder: I'd like to unplug and WRITE—
I have some book ideas I hope to spend some time with!

Here is my Screen Free Week pledge:

1. I will pick up a sketchbook, journal or a book instead of the tv remote. 

2. I will limit social media and computer use to work-only.

3. I will read a book with my niece…maybe a few chapters of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (Betty MacDonald) orWhatever After (Sarah Mlynowski)?

4. I will handwrite a letter to a friend or relative instead of a typing an email.

5. I will visit the library.

6. I will take at least one walk in the woods.

TMT: At Teach Mentor Texts, we're always promoting literacy and spreading the love of books but especially for Screen Free Week. You are involved in publishing books as an author and an illustrator. How would you finish these three statements?

Betsy Snyder: 
Reading is…a vacation to an unknown destination.

Writing is...a chance to share part of yourself.

Illustrating is…bringing stories to life.

Thank you to Betsy Snyder and Random House Kids for including us in the Unplug & Read Blog Tour! We are excited to celebrate Screen Free Week and hope you are, too!

  and

Kellee Rereads Hilda and the Midnight Giant

 

Title: Hilda and the Midnight Giant

Author: Luke Pearson

Illustrator: Luke Pearson

Publisher: Nobrow Press

Publication Date: April, 2012

Genre/Format: Fantasy/Graphic Novel

Goodreads Summary: In Hilda and the Midnight Giant, our protagonist finds her world turned upside down as she faces the prospect of leaving her snow-capped birthplace for the hum of the megalopolis, where her mother (an architect) has been offered a prestigious job. During Hilda's daily one-and-a-half hour trek to school she looks for ways to stall her mother's decision. She conspires with the beings of the mystical Blue Forest to delay the inevitable. Will they help or hinder her? More importantly, who is this mysterious Midnight Giant?

     This is the first part of the Hildafolk series, a series that follows Hilda on her many adventures and travels through the magical fjords and enchanted mountains of her birthplace as she unravels the mysteries of the supernatural world that surrounds her.

What I Think: When Hilda and the Midnight Giant was in Mr. Schu and Scope's Top 20 of 2012 and I hadn't heard of it, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Graphic novels are the most loved format in my classroom and I try to keep as up to date about them as I can. I went straight to my bookstore, ordered it, and waited patiently. When it arrived, I delved right in. On my first read, I just found the story odd and didn't find myself connecting to the story at all. I knew then and there that I needed to reread at a later date to see if my perspective changed, so when April came around again, I knew that I would be reading Hilda for "It's A-OK to Reread in April".  Like Penny Kittle says in Book Love, "Rereading is an opportunity to see more. On the first time through a novel I am trying to figure out who is who and what is happening. I'm too engaged in understanding to analyze the book well. ON a second time through, I see the whole and then the parts differently." And this was no exception with my reread of Hilda. 

     Hilda reminds me a bit of Coraline- she is independent, a bit quirky and loves rainwear. And just like Coraline, she has a fantastical world surrounding her and she doesn't even know it.  It took this second time for me to realize the magic within this story: the connection between Hilda's and the Giant's story, the love of the Giants, the magical world of Elves, and the fascinating Woffs.
     I read one review that said Hilda's fantastical world reminded them of Miyazaki's work and though I didn't see it the first time (I think I was just caught up in the oddness), I definitely saw it the second time. The Woffs reminded me most of him- silent creatures that play a small yet important role in the story.
     In the end, I am so glad that I reread Hilda so I could get the full magical experience and I definitely recommend it. 

Read Together: Grades 4 to 8

Read Alone: Grades 3 and up

Read With: Coraline by Neal Gaiman, Explorer edited by Kazu Kibuishi, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Snatch of Text: 

Mentor Text for: World Building, Paneling, Imagination/Fantasy, Predicting

Writing Prompts: Is there something that you viewed differently after reading/seeing it for the second time like I did with Hilda? If not, try rereading a story that you didn't like; see if your perspective changes. 

Topics Covered: Territory, Love, Home, Discovery, Imagination

I *heart* It:

Let's Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans

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 to see what non-fiction others have to share, too.

Title: Let's Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans

Author: Gabriella Francine

Publisher: BBM Books

Publication Date: October, 2013

Genre/Format: Nonfiction/Picture Book

Goodreads Summary: This fun and colorful book helps children come up with strategies to contribute to the well-being of orangutans.

What I Think: Protecting apes is a passion of mine and I love that this nonfiction book for kids not only teaches kids about orangutans, which are such amazing creatures, but it also teaches the reader about what it means to be endangered, rain forests, palm oil and how even the littlest person can help. I like that no where in the book does it seem to talk down to the reader. When I look at nonfiction for kids, I want it to include the same facts as it would for adults and this one does. 
     The first half of the book is primarily about the orangutan species and what makes them unique as well as why they are endangered. The second half shares how kids can help the orangutans. All of this is accompanied with beautiful illustrations and fun facts throughout. 

     I love that this book (and I hope a series) shows children that they can make a difference. That the decline in our Earth does not have to be something that we just sit and come to terms with; there are ways to make it better. 

Read Together: Grades K to 3

Read Alone: Grades 1 to 5

Read With: Ape by Lisa Magloff, Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours by Jane Goodall, Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins

Snatch of Text: "Even if you can't visit, you can help." (p. 21) 

"Orangutan Fun Fact: Not just birds have nests. Orangutans will build a nest every night high in the trees, to sleep in. Sometimes they even add a roof of leaves!" (p. 8)

Mentor Text for: Nonfiction Text Features, Author's Purpose 

Writing Prompts: What are some other ways that you could help the orangutan and its habitat? 

Topics Covered: Orangutans, Endangered Species, Palm Oil, Fundraising, Organizations

I *heart* It:

Jen Rereads The Dreamer

We're halfway through April! It seems like things are going really fast this time of year...I think because  I'm so busy I barely have time to think! I do at least have time to listen to books on my commute still and that might be part of what keeps me going. Reading in general is such a great escape but I am finding that I enjoy rereading more and more because I know I enjoyed the book the first time and anticipate enjoying it again the second time around. If curling up with a good book is like visiting with a friend, curling up to reread a good book is like spending time with a long-time great friend.

Title: The Dreamer 
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan   
Illustrator: Peter Sis 
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: April, 2010
Genre/Format: Historical Fiction - Fictionalized Biography/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Neftali finds beauty and wonder everywhere: in the oily colors of mud puddles; a lost glove, sailing on the wind; the music of birds and language. He loves to collect treasures, daydream, and write--pastimes his authoritarian father thinks are for fools. Against all odds, Neftali prevails against his father's cruelty and his own crippling shyness to become one of the most widely read poets in the world, Pablo Neruda. This moving story about the birth of an artist is also a celebration of childhood, imagination, & the strength of the creative spirit. Sure to inspire young writers & artists. 
What I Think: The first time I read The Dreamer I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was based on the childhood of Pablo Neruda. Pablo Neruda is a name that holds so many memories for me. My sweet grandmother has always been an avid reader. When she was little, she read every book in the local library...even the books that weren't appropriate for age when she was young. My grandmother read and read and read. She would tell us stories and jokes and recite poems and songs. I have always been amazed at how much she knew by heart. In college, my husband took a Spanish class and one of his assignments was to memorize and recite Pablo Neruda's Poema 20. I spent hours listening to him repeat the lines over and over again. And when he recited it for my grandmother she recognized it right away and started saying the lines with him. It is a wonderful memory I have of my grandmother and of my husband. After reading this book, I immediately called my grandmother and told her all about it. I was most excited to share that Pablo Neruda would write in green ink because he believes green to be the color of esperanza, which means hope. Esperanza is my grandmothers name and I believe her to be one of the smartest and most creative people I know. She's just a great woman.
     I tell this story of my connection with this book because Pam Munoz Ryan brought Neftali's story to life for me in such a unique way. I didn't know much about Pablo Neruda before reading this book other than he was a very famous poet whose writing was very sensual. Reading The Dreamer helped me really connect with Pablo Neruda and helped me be able to understand his creativity and where his passion came from. I can't imagine being as creative and passionate as Pablo Neruda but being as stifled as he was by his father. The beautiful, lyrical writing seems to exude Neruda's character. I can't recommend this book enough. I think it would be great for older readers to pair with Stitches by David Small which is a autobiographical graphic novel about another artist whose father impacts his life. I can also see it paired with non-fiction text about life in Chile during the time he was growing up in the early 1900's and throughout his life. It would be interesting to look at how the culture and the government and life in general during that time period influenced his father which then impacted his life. I loved getting lost in this book again and being able to think more about his father and to try to understand him.
     I did want to mention that last year around this time, our great friend, Alyson Beecher from Kid Lit Frenzy reviewed The Dreamer for us and also had wonderful things to say as well. You can read her review at Kid Lit Frenzy.
Read Together: Grades 4 - 8 
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 8 
Read With: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Stitches by David Small, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Paperboy by Vince Vawter 
Snatch of Text:  
     "His sense whirled and he felt giddy. He could not turn his head fast enough to absorb it all: tiny needles of light piercing the canopy, the untamed overgrowth of plants and trees, the musty smell of giant mushrooms, the crisp fragrance of pine, the sudden shrieks and flight of parrots." (p. 95)
     "All morning, Neftali wandered, inhaling the scent of wet leaves, wild herbs, and cinnamon." (p. 97)
Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Personal Narrative, Descriptive 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you felt like you wanted something or wanted to do something but someone or something held you back.
Topics Covered: Family, Friendships, Siblings, Confidence, Perseverance, Hopes, Dreams, Adversity, Stuttering, Poetry, Writing, Determination, Creativity

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/15/13

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!

Spring Book and Bookmark Swap Announcement:

Sign up for our Teach Mentor Texts Spring Book and Bookmark Swap is now closed! If you signed up, you will be receiving your book giving information later today! Thanks to everyone who joined in!

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: At the beginning of the week, I finished Okay For Now on audio and then I listened to The Dreamer on audio and even started All American Girl by Meg Cabot. I did reread the graphic novel Gabby and Gator and had fun talking about it with Peanut. I love hearing what he infers from the artwork. For professional books, I read and so enjoyed Mentor Author, Mentor Texts by Ralph Fletcher and then I started reading Book Love by Penny Kittle. I love it! I'm excited to read more. I also made more headway with Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle and am really enjoying it!

Kellee Says: Like Jen, I am still reading Book Love by Penny Kittle. It is interesting how much slower I read professional books than other reading. I am cherishing Book Love as I read it and it is going quite slowly, but I am enjoying every single word. This week I listened to another David Sedaris book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, and I was so sad that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. Maybe I didn't get some of the jokes... I am a much bigger fan of his memoirs. I finished Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy this week and was so happy to like it as much as the first one- cannot wait to share it with you at the end of this month. Finally, I read 4 picture books we'll be reviewing later for you: Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig-VanDerwater (a beautiful poetry picture book about nature), Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown (a biography of Tito Puente), Aesop's 1st Book of Childhood Adventures by Vincent Mastro (a very-early illustrated chapter book based off of Aesop's Fables), and World Rat Day: Poems about Real Holidays You've Never Heard Of by J. Patrick Lewis (is just as fabulous as it sounds). Overall a pretty fantastic week!

Reviewed Last Week:

   

  

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: This week I'll continue listening to All American Girl by Meg Cabot. If I get through it, I have Will Grayson, Will Grayson to start. I'm still reading Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle and at the same time am going to start Hound Dog True and then make my way to From What I Remember... and I'm also reading Book Love. I also have a book called See Me After Class by Roxanna Elden which is advice for new teachers that I have wanted to read for some time now. I also have a bag of picture books from the library that I'm excited to dig into! Lots of good reads on deck! 

Kellee Says: Along with continuing Book Love, I am currently rereading Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson for my review this week. Last night I also started Small Damages by Beth Kephert and really love how she writes and am looking forward to finishing it. As for audio, I am going to continue my David Sedaris streak with listening to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. 

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!

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