Let's Celebrate Author Fun!

It's time to CELEBRATE This Week with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.  Every week Ruth invites us to share our celebrations from the week and link up at her blog. What a fun way to reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. 

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This week I'm celebrating ALA award-winning books!

*throws confetti*

Last weekend was so my weekend. We took the kids to meet author Aaron Reynolds at The Book Stall in Winnetka on Friday night and then I spent all day Saturday at Anderson's YA Literature Conference in Naperville.

Aaron Reynolds was super enthusiastic and the kids are still walking around sayind, "Woot woot!" all the time. It was great how Aaron explained what his job is like as a writer and answered the kids' questions.

At the YA Lit Conference, we heard from wonderful keynote speakers and attended some great breakout sessions. I was thrilled to meet Gary D. Schmidt and hear him speak. His story of how he tells others' stories and encourages them to write was amazing. I was moved to tears. We also heard from Marie Lu, Ally Carter, James Dashner, David Baldacci, and David Levithan. I was surprised that so many wonderful authors were there. It was definitely a cool event that I hope to get back to next year. 

The timing was completely perfect for me. I needed a refresh and to feel re-energized to push through revisions. I find it helpful to be surrounded by people who nourish my creative spirit and remind me I can go on and I should. Hearing from the authors was perfect but hanging out with my friend Amy Pine and running into Christy Rush Levine were also highlights of my day. I've spent many late nights and early mornings writing with Amy and I'm so glad she invited me to join her this year! 

Me and Amy Pine

Me and Christy

It was definitely another weekend of pinch-me moments when I'm constantly reminding myself that this is my real life. I'm so lucky for every amazing experience I've been able to be part of! I think one very important skill we need to teach children and young adults is to know what nourishes their soul. I love music and quiet car rides but I also love being around people who are passionate about books - reading them and writing them - and happy to share their excitement for them. What fills you up and gives you energy to persevere?

What are you celebrating this week?

The One With Lost Teeth #sol15

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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Last night I dreamt that two of my teeth fell out. No big deal. There wasn't any blood. I can't remember the details but I think I was playfully wrestling someone...rough housing...joking around. And one tooth fell out, right into my hand. And then other one fell out too.

I used to love dream interpretation when I was in high school. My best friend and I would tell each other our dreams on the way to school in the mornings and try and decipher them. We each had dream interpretation books and would sometimes look up the meaning of our dreams, overanalyzing ever detail like teenage girls tend to do.

It's been a long time since I paid attention to what my dreams me but this morning the complete clarity of my dream - the two teeth nestled gently in my palm - seemed overwhelming meaningful.

So I looked it up.

Guess what?

Losing your teeth in a dream can be symbolic
of going through a major change,
a time of transition
or of letting go
or starting a new phase in your life.
My dream was spot on.

It's been about two months since school started. I love my new job. I'm doing similar work but now I'm close to home and impacting the schools where my own kids go to school. The people are great. The conversations are fulfilling. But it's still change.

It's still new people and making friends and figuring out where I fit in. I so miss my friends who were like family in my previous district but I trust that I'll get there in my new district. I keep reminding myself that even if it's hard, I have to keep going. I'm positive I'll look back on this post and think how silly I was.

But it's not silly. I'm feeling these emotions so strongly that even my dreams are begging me to acknowledge them. To recognize that this is a huge shift in my life. It's amazing in so many wonderful ways but still of epic proportions.

Students start a new school year or a new school, move to a new place, make friends, figure out where they fit in. Getting to know students, fostering an environment where all students feel safe and respected, showing them you care in the slightest of ways, is so important. That's where it all starts. And when they sense the sincerity, it's the beginning trust.

It's a pretty important job we do as educators and parents. We feel the pressure to do as much as we can as quickly as we can as best as we can. But we need to remember that it all starts with helping kids feel connected so they know they have us - a support system that believes in them - whenever they have to face something new.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/12/2015

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...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. 

Scholastic Teacher Giveaway!

Enter to win a one-year subscription to Scholastic Teacher!

Max the Brave Giveaway
Don't forget to enter the giveaway of Max the Brave by Ed Vere!


Cybils Nominations are open!

Nominations for the Cybils awards are open!

I'm a judge for the Book Apps category. 

If you have favorites from the last year, please nominate them before 10/15!

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Over the weekend, I finished This Book Is Gay and immediately walked it over to our neighbors to get their opinions. I really enjoyed it but am curious how someone who is gay feels about it. Peanut and I finished up Quirkus Circus, too! It was super cute to watch him guess how it was going to end. I also ready Sunny Side Up by Jenni and Matt Holm. It was great to read a non-Babymouse or Squish graphic novel from them for a change (although I adore Babymouse and Squish!). I'm also well into Another Day by David Levithan after seeing him and lots of author amazing authors at the Anderson's Bookshop YA Literature Conference on Saturday. Friday night we also met Aaron Reynolds and he read aloud his new picture book Nerdy Birdy which was super cute!

Reviewed Last Week:

 

Click on any picture above to go read my review/post.

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I read more of The Construction Zone this week but also jumped into unpacking Lucy Calkins' Units of Study. Both are amazing and I'm glad to read more. I'm excited to read more of Another Day and then I have so many other great books waiting for me. Peanut bought the first book in Dan Gutman's The Genius Files and I'm excited to reread some parts of it with him.

This Week's Reviews: 

Check back throughout the week to read these reviews/posts. 

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 comment on at least three other blogs before you. 

Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

Poetry Friday - Happiness Is...

 Today Poetry Friday is at Writing The World For Kids with Laura Purdie Salas! 
Be sure to visit and check out all the great poetry posts!

Last year, Little Bean discovered Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. He requested the holiday classics over and over again. It was cute to watch him so excited by characters I loved to watch when I was little. 

We were excited to see that a new Peanuts movie is coming out and then I saw friends Peanutizing themselves on Facebook and knew I had to do it with the kids. We had a blast clicking through all the options, trying out silly combinations, and finally deciding on versions of ourselves that seemed right. 

Mom

Dad

Peanut

Little Bean

There's something about the kids' pictures that look so much like them! Maybe it's just that their personalities seems to shine through more. I wanted to share our Peanutized selves and then I remembered my friend Erin Jackle and her blog posts where she writes about what she loves at the moment or what makes her happy and it reminded me of the song Happiness is... from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I happened to have performed You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown when I was in 4th or 5th grade (I can't remember now!) and it was fun to sing this song. It was my favorite. I'm sharing it here today and then my own version below.

Happiness is...
from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Happiness is, finding a pencil

Pizza with sausage

Telling the time 

Happiness is, learning to whistle 

Tying your shoe for the very first time!  

Happiness is playing the drums in your own, school band

And happiness, is walking hand in hand.

Happiness is, two kinds of ice cream

Knowing a secret

Climbing a tree 

Happiness is, five different crayons 

Catching a firefly 

Setting him free  

Happiness, is being alone every now, and then 

And happiness, is coming home again. 

Happiness is, morning and evening, daytime and nightime too.  

For happiness, is anyone, and anything, at all, that's loved, by you! 

Happiness, is having a sister 

Sharing a sandwich

Getting along! 

Happiness, is singing together when day, is through, 

And happiness is those who sing with you. 

Happiness is morning and evening, daytime and nightime too. 

For happiness, is anyone, and anything, at all, that's loved, by you! 

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

Happiness is...
by Jen Vincent

Happiness is
groggy kids whispering, "Good morning, Mom"
telling my boys I love them
walking to school

Peanut so excited to tell me about cool science experiments
watching him crouch down to examine a leaf bug on the sidewalk
and declare he could never kill a bug, it's one of his rules

Little Bean singing his letter and number songs
following his tiny finger trace them in the air
and push his glasses up on his nose

fall sun shining into a classroom in the afternoon
driving with the sunroof open and the music blaring
(I still like to do that even though I haven't been a teenager for years...)

a quiet house after everyone has gone to bed
the cool and calm feel of the yoga mat after a long day
the familiarity of the keys under my fingers as I type
seeing my words appear on the screen
hoping someone somewhere will enjoy them

getting to wake up and do it all over again

I so wanted to add an exclamation point at the end there! Little Bean spotted an exclamation point on some artwork we have in our living room and now we've been looking for exclamation points everywhere. He found two today. When he finds one, he points to it and gasps in surprise, looking at me and waiting for me to realize what he's noticed. It's adorable and I wish I could hold every little moment like it in my hand and gently place it in a jar to cherish forever. I would love for you to share what happiness if for you today! 

Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet

Title: Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet
Author: Buzz Aldrin and Marianne J Dyson
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books 
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Expository 
GoodReads Summary: Space is still the final frontier and Mars continues to make news and attract generations of young people. In this fascinating book, hero-astronaut Buzz Aldrin challenges curious kids to think about Mars as not just a faraway red planet but as a possible future home for Earthlings! 

What will your new home be like? How will you get there? What will you eat for breakfast? Find out what life might be like far, far from Earth as you navigate your way through this fun and fascinating book. What kid wouldn't want to blast off with him on this (literary) journey!  
What I Think: I was amazing by how much Buzz Aldrin has really thought about moving people to Mars! I knew it was possible and that people were working on it but I've never read about it so thoroughly and that it's definitely possible. There are so many pictures throughout the book that really brought it to life but the text supports and explains everything in simple detail so young readers will be able to access the information.
     As a mentor text, it would be awesome to look at how Buzz's excitement for moving to Mars shines through even though it is a non-fiction text. You can also look at the layout of the book and how he goes through all the different elements and explains each one. He gives specific details so the reader can actually imagine what it would be like to live on Mars. He shares information about how you'll be able to breathe there but also how you'll be able to have fun there as well.
     I'm completely fascinated now, especially after seeing how soon he believes we can do this. Welcome to Mars would be a great discussion starter and then a great text to use to ask kids questions about what it might be like to live on mars. I can see student writers easily going from reading non-fiction to writing their own science fiction stories as they imagine what it really would be like to live on Mars. 
More About the Authors: Buzz Aldrin, one of the first people to walk on the moon, is a pioneering astronaut and member of the historic Apollo 11 crew. A renowned rocket scientist, he developed the orbital rendezvous technique critical to America's moon landings and the Aldrin Mars Cycler, a futuristic space transportation system to reach Mars. Aldrin also chairs his own educational organization, ShareSpace Foundation.

     Marianne J. Dyson is an award-winning author and former NASA flight controller. She has a degree in physics and became one of NASA's first women flight controllers during the early Space Shuttle program. She has won the Golden Kite Award and the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award for her children's books. 

Read Together: Grades 5 - 8
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 6 
Read With: Moonshot by Brian Floca; other books about space 
Snatch of Text:   
"What do you need to pack for our trip? We need a lot more than clothes, toothpaste, and snacks for our trip to Mars. There will be some things already there waiting for us, though. The first fe crews will have set up temporary houses or habitats ('habs' for short) for us to live in. We'll have air and water from local Martian sources. The electrical power station will have come from Earth. Most of our food will come from greenhouses and underground mushroom farms. And I hope you like potatoes! We'll be eating lots of those!" (p. 12)
Writing Prompts: Write about how you would feel if you were one of the first people going to Mars. Would you feel excited,  nervous, scared? Explain why. 
Topics Covered: Integration - Science, Integration - History, Adventure, Courage 

I *heart* It:

The One With a Surprise from Scholastic #sol15

Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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I'm thrilled to share that this week Scholastic launched Scholastic Teacher! It's a beautiful magazine full of great articles and tips for teachers. This issue has articles like My Best Lesson Ever and Crazy for Chromebooks and others with a math and STEM focus. There's something for everyone and you're sure to find a new or refreshing idea!

Scholastic Teacher has evolved since 1891 when it was first published as "Normal Instructor"!

To celebrate, Scholastic is offering a discounted rate for a one-year subscription to Scholastic Teacher. You can subscribe here if you are interested. And they've also offered me the opportunity to offer a subscription to one of my lucky readers in exchange for spreading the word about Scholastic Teacher.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/5/15

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...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. 

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Eep! I didn't blog last week at all after Monday's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post! I've reached the phase in my life when I'm the busy beaver that I am while also being the mom taxi to my little beaver kits (I looked it up! Baby beavers are called kits! It's short for kittens.) I did read The Brilliant World of Tom Gates and met the lovely Liz Pichon this week thanks to Candlewick Press. I'm still reading The Construction Zone and pulled out Teach Like a Champion and Celebrating Writers as reference material this week. I love looking back at books I've read and seeing the notes I've left myself in the margins. Little Bean and I particularly enjoyed One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo and David Small this week. We also read Puff the Magic Dragon the picture book but it made him miss Gramma and he burst into tears. 

I do have a giveaway of Max the Brave by Ed Vere going on!
You'll want this book! It's super cute!
Max the Brave Giveaway

Cybils Nominations are open!

Also nominations for the Cybils awards are open!

I'm a judge for the Book Apps category. 

If you have favorites from the last year, please nominate them!

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I'm determined to finish The Construction Zone this week and to get back to This Book Is Gay. Peanut and I have to finish up Quirkus Circus too. He's been reading Terrible Two on his own and sports books with dad but I'm hoping to get back to Quirkus Circus. Happy reading, everyone!

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to read these reviews/posts. 

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 comment on at least three other blogs before you. 

Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 9/28/15

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...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. 

Last Week's Book Adventures:

I'm still reading The Construction Zone, This Book is Gay, Quirkus Circus,  and Roscoe Riley Rules #1. It's just taking me longer to find time and get through them!

Reviewed Last Week:

 

Click on any picture above to go read my review/post.

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I'll still be reading The Construction Zone, This Book is Gay, Quirkus Circus, and Roscoe Riley Rules #1. I'm also excited to read the Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon!

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to read these reviews/posts. 

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 comment on at least three other blogs before you. 

Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!