Read Along on I-94 - Rereading Part 2 - Charlotte's Web (1/2)

It's A-Okay to Reread in April and Colby is rereading along with me this month. He picked some great books for us to reread in April. Last week we talked about one of our all-time favorites, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. This week and next week we'll be talking about Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. We hope you join us in our discussions or in rereading in April!

COLBY: Do you remember the first time you read Charlotte’s Web?

JEN: I don’t! I remember reading it but I can’t remember how old I was or if I read it to myself or if someone read it to me. But I remember the story.

COLBY: I remember my third grade teacher, Ms. Frey read it to our class as a read aloud. I thought it was going to be so stupid, but it ended up being my second favorite read aloud, Hatchet is of course number one, that I experienced as a child.

JEN: I vividly remember Charlotte saying “Salutations!” to Wilbur. Charlotte uses such big words and seemed to regal and sophisticated compared to the other animals. I remember all the big words in the book so I wonder if it was a read aloud with my class but I really cannot remember!

COLBY: Okay, my plan was to read half of Charlotte’s Web before we started this chat. I failed. I just had to read the whole darn thing in basically one sitting. We have lots to talk about, but first I’d like to say that I think Charlotte’s Web is one of the top 5 books ever written for elementary school children. It’s that good. WOW!

JEN: I read the first chapter with two students this week but I’m still reading one of my adult rereads for April so I hadn’t focused too much on reading Charlotte’s Web. I decided to reread it by listening to the audiobook. I was kind of excited to listen to it anyway because it’s read by E.B. White himself. I love listening to an author read his or her own book. I seriously had no idea E.B. White was a man. (I’m on the third of three CDs, by the way.)

I agree that it’s a great book for elementary students but my perspective is a little bit different reading it now though because I am so aware of how rare farms like the Zuckerman’s are in today’s world. It makes me a sad to think of how farms are so different. It’s a great story but I keep thinking about how it might give kids a false idea of what farms are like. It’s my grown-up mentality stepping in. I found myself trying to talk to my students about how bacon comes from pigs and about how animals are raised and then slaughtered. In a way I felt like I was bursting their little bubble-worlds but at the same time it was a natural conversation to have with them because it made sense as we discussed the book.

COLBY: I never in a million years would have thought about how farms are different in the world we live in today from the Zuckerman’s farm. Every year my students and I go on a field trip where high school students tell them about farming. We visit about 20 stations where we visit: various animals, farm equipment, and model farms. The farms we learn about are similar to the Zuckerman’s just a little bigger.

JEN: I won’t get that much into it but most of the meat in the meat industry comes from factory farms that really don’t resemble the happy-farm picture most people probably envision when they think of a farm. It’s really sad. My eyes were first opened when I read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Froer. It’s a main reason I decided to first to become vegetarian and then eventually vegan. I think the biggest reasons some people do eat so much meat is that there is a huge disconnect between what people eat and where it comes from. Katherine Applegate, who wrote our beloved The One and Only Ivan, pointed this same thing out when we saw her speak at Anderson’s. She asked people to think about what the animals have to go through just to be in a circus simply to entertain us humans. There is a disconnect between what people in the audience see at the circus and what life is like for the animals behind the scenes.

COLBY: I eat a lot of meat because it is delicious.

A agree that there is a disconnect, but man I can not imagine life without a burger or chicken wings. Yum.

JEN: I never thought I could live without burgers or melty cheese but apparently I can. I think it would still send a message to the meat industry if everyone could eat a little less meat. Some people go meatless on Mondays or eat veggie until dinner. Or be conscious of where your meat comes from and try to not buy meat from the big companies known for their factory farming. That’s just my two cents! I’m done now. :) You know who to talk to if you ever want to talk about it more.

COLBY: Okay, Jen, I know you love to look at “snatches of text”. Charlotte’s Web, has my favorite first sentence of any book in the history of kid lit:

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Seriously, can you think of a better first line? Young readers have no choice but to read on. They must know where Papa is going. Fern setting the table for breakfast immediately throws us into an early morning setting. Jen, this book is SO STINKING GOOD.

JEN: I do so love snatches of text and I completely agree with you that the first line of Charlotte’s Web is a great snatch of text because it is an awesome hook. How can you not want to know what happens next!? And you are right, kids have to infer a lot about the story and can visualize so much just from that one line. It even brings up some questions...like where could he really be going with the ax?

COLBY: By this point in the school year, at least half of my fourth graders can quote this opening line because they’ve heard me say it so many times.

A couple of years ago when the new Charlotte’s Web came out on DVD I was very excited to watch it. I rushed to the video story and checked it out. When I got home I popped it in the DVD player only to be devastated when they decided to start the movie without that perfect line. I was so mad that I shut off the movie and took it straight back to the video store. That is how much I love that line.

JEN: I think I have seen one of the cartoon versions and it was cute but I can’t remember if it has the first line. It’s rare for the movie to be as good as the book. The adult book I have been rereading all week is my all-time favorite book, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and the movie did not do justice to the amazing writing that the author put into this book. It was okay and interesting to see on screen but so much had to be taken out and they made it much more soft and romantic compared to how raw and intense the book is. Just today I asked my oldest son to promise me he would read Harry Potter before seeing any of the movies. He was confused but agreed, which made me happy.

COLBY: I LOVE that you made your son promise that.

We'll be back next week to talk more about Charlotte's Web! Thanks for reading along with us!

It's A-Okay to Reread in April - Week 1

Lots of people seem excited about It's A-OK to Reread in April! I shared this challenge a few weeks ago and now April is here! It's been almost a full week of rereading in April actually. I first want to share with you what books I will be rereading in April and then I'll share my experience so far in rereading!

Jen's April Rereads:

Time Traveler's Wife *finished reread 4/6/12*

Wonder (audio) *finished reread 4/4/12*

Graceling (audio?) 

Charlotte's Web (audio) 

Hurt Go Happy (I skipped it in my video, sorry!)

Marty McGuire #1

Little Princess

Finnikin of the Rock (audio?)

Night Circus

 Fire (audio?)

Maniac McGee (audio?)

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (audio?)

Backups (If I have time):

Outsiders

First Part Last (audio) *finished reread 4/3/12*

Stargirl (audio?)

Jen's Deep Thoughts on Rereading:
I am having a blast with this challenge. I read furiously last week to be totally ready to reread this week. It's fun to reread! I love all the books in my stack so it's like revisiting old friends.

First, I noticed that while I remember and love the stories I am rereading, there are moments in the book that I read and think, "Oh, yeah!" because I had forgotten a small part of the story until I get to that point. It has only been a short time since I first read Wonder by RJ Palacio but I had forgotten about the farting nurse! She's so funny. There were other moments like this that were fun to reread.

Another thing I noticed while rereading was that since I was familiar with the story, I was able to savor the writing. I reveled in the author's craft and wondered why he or she made the choices he or she did. I thought about characters and how the story was woven together. I love how RJ Palacio moved from narrator to narrator in Wonder and I could see how it flowed. I appreciate the authors' work even more.

The most surprising revelation was I made different connections while rereading. I know, duh...but it took rereading for me to understand completely. The first time I read The First Part Last I was a new mom and I related with the main character. This time around I connected with him even more thinking about how I now have two kiddos to love in my life and how my love has grown for them. In Time Traveler's Wife, Henry visits the Art Institute of Chicago and sees Saint George Killing the Dragon. Over winter break, our friend, Shawn, showed us around AIC. She was an art teacher so she had lots of tidbits to share with us. She took us to see Saint George, a beautiful piece with a mesmerizing story. Before, when Henry visited Saint George, I kept reading but now I was excited because I have seen the painting and can picture where they were. There are only two examples of how I made different connections this time around with both books because I've had new experiences since I read them.

The last thing that struck me was I was still moved by the stories even though I had read them before. I wondered if I would cry at the same parts that I did the first time I read these books. And I did! In a way, I thought I wouldn't be as emotional this time because it wasn't new any more but I still love the characters. If anything, I might have been more emotional because I knew what was up ahead. In all three books I reread this week, I found myself teary-eyed or crying at times when I don't remember crying the first time through...and then again at the same times that I did the first time reading. 

Remember you can join in on the rereading fun to earn a Rereading button at the end of the month!

Rereading Rules!

Reread 1 novel (MG or YA) and 3 picture books or chapter books.

Write at least 1 blog post or 1 comment that shares your rereading experience.

Any book that you have read before - 

whether it was 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago counts as a reread! 

Rereading Rockstar!

Reread 2 novels (MG or YA) and 5 picture books or chapter books.

Write at least 2 blog posts or 4 comments that share your rereading experience.

Any book that you have read before - 

whether it was 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago counts as a reread! 

Curveball

Title: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
Author: Jordan Sonnenblick 
Publisher: Scholastic 
Publication Date: March 1st, 2012 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class? In his new novel, teen author Jordan Sonnenblick performs his usual miraculous feat: exploring deep themes of friendship, romance, family, and tragedy, while still managing to be hilariously funny. 
What I Think: Jordan Sonnenblick is awesome. He might very well be the king of YA realistic fiction male protagonists. Every time I talked to someone about this book and tried to explain it, I realized there were so many layers to this book. I started of saying it's about a boy who loves baseball but gets hurt and now can't play...but then there is so much more to this story. Sonnenblick is able to write characters that we love, characters that have to deal with hard situations, and still characters who make the most of what they are going through. He is able to capture the trickiness of a boy liking a girl and going from friends to more than friends. It is so much fun to read but at the same time serious.


I recommend every book that he has written. Curveball is another great addition to the books Sonnenblick has written and is worth adding to any middle school or high school library. I have been talking with students recently about taking a moment and exploding it. Like stopping time in writing and describing every little aspect of a moment. Sonnenblick does an amazing job of this at different times in Curveball. It is a great mentor text for talking about how doing this can help the reader really get in touch with the character and what is happening at that moment.
Read Together: Grades 7 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 7 - 12 
Read With: Other books by Jordan Sonnenblick: Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, After Ever After, Notes From a Midnight Driver, Zen and the Art of Faking It, Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar, Schooled by Gordon Korman 
Snatch of Text: “Freshman year rolled along, kind of. Well, parts of it rolled along, parts of it lurched along, and parts of it scraped and screeched along in the manner of scrap metal being dragged across a chalkboard.” p. 100 
Mentor Text For: Making Connections, Narrative, Personal Narrative, Descriptive, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Simile, Characterization
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when circumstances that you couldn't control meant that you couldn't do something that you really wanted to do. Write about a time in your life when you had to do something hard that you felt was too hard for you to handle.  
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Sports, Photography, Feelings, Growing Up, Responsibility, Romance, Honesty, Alzheimer's

 

Here Come the Girl Scouts

Title: Here Come the Girl Scouts! The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure
Author: Shana Corey
Illustrator: Hadley Hooper
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: January, 2012
Genre/Format: Biography/Picture Book
Summary: Daisy never would take no for an answer. She believed that woman could do anything and everything that a man could do even though she lived during a time when others did not think so.  So, instead of sitting at home, she went on adventures learning how to do anything she wanted to- from forging a gate for her house to riding on elephants. Then, during one trip to England, Daisy learned about a group called Boy Scouts and she knew that she had to make something like this for the girls of America. This idea was the birth of girl scouts.
What Jen Thinks:  It’s no secret that I love nonfiction more now than I ever have before. I love discovering more and more great nonfiction picture books. Here Comes the Girl Scouts! is another great nonfiction book. Having been a Girl Scout growing up, I have a special spot in my heart for Girl Scouts. This is the first year I haven’t bought Girl Scout cookies. Usually, I buy lots of boxes because I remember what it was like trying to sell Girl Scout cookies. It was awesome any time someone wanted to buy a lot of boxes. (No one approached me this year and I don’t eat them anymore, so I didn’t buy any this year…)

Shana Corey tells the story of Juliette Gordon Low – known as Daisy to her friends and family – a girl who loved being outside and loved adventure. She wasn’t prim and proper as she was expected to be. She wanted to make a difference in the world and because of this determination, she brought us the Girl Scouts. I love the text, but what I love even more about this book are the little quotes mixed in with the text. I want to frame them all and hang them all around me. There is so much motivation and girl power in this book it’s amazing.

In terms of the writing, there are several times throughout the book when Shana use repetition at the beginning of sequential lines. I love that there is a name for this: anaphora. I would challenge kids to look for when Shana uses anaphora in the book and then notice how it impacts how you read and think about the story. Varying our sentences is important in writing, but employing anaphora brings an emphasis to what we are saying and makes the reader slow down and, in this instance, recognize how many things Daisy accomplished with the Girl Scouts. Shana can share the numerous things they accomplished without needing endless pages to discuss each accomplishment.

Hadley Hooper does a great job with the illustrations. It almost seems as though she created many of the pictures using a sponge to color in the drawings. She uses lots of color, but it isn’t overwhelming because of the white space left from what looks like a sponge. The whole book has a feel of being set in the past but at the same time being fresh and captivating.

What Kellee Thinks: This is one of those books where the text and illustrations so perfectly complement each other that the book becomes a piece of art in itself.  I love how Shana Corey and Hadley Hooper played off of each other throwing in colors in the text and quotes in the illustrations.  As Jen stated above, it is a wonderful mentor text to discuss anaphora and sentence variation as well as a great introduction to primary sources.  It can also start a discussion of layouts and colors.

As a Girl Scout, we learned about Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low every year when we celebrated her birthday. She was the woman that we all strived to be like. She showed us all that girls could do anything we wanted to and also how important it was for girls to be friends with each other. My troop even went to Savannah to see where Daisy and the Girls Scouts began.  Girl Scouts is such an empowering organization and truly teaches you how to become a responsible and well-rounded part of civilization and Shana Corey along with Hadley Hooper do such a superb job embodying the idea of Girl Scouts and the power and brilliance of Daisy Low while also entertaining the reader and teaching about an amazing woman in history.
Read Together: Grades 1 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 6 
Read With: Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey, Me...Jane by Patric McDonnell, Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison
Snatch of Text: 

"To get the full benefit of actual contact with Nature it is absolutely necessary to camp out... where every breath of heaven can read you and all wild things are within easy reach.

The Girl Scouts went camping. 

They took an oyster boat to an island near Savannah. 

They sang songs around the campfire. 

They feasted on fish and cornbread and turtle eggs. 

At night, they tiptoed out of their tents and slept under the stars."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Background Knowledge, Making Connections
Writing Strategies to Practice: Anaphora, Biography, Primary Sources
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you did something different from what others were doing. Or write about a time in your life when you were hesitant to do something against the grain.
Topics Covered: Feminism, Equality, Girl Scouts, Friendship, Taking Risks, Unique

Jen and Kellee both *heart* it

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Bluefish

Title: Bluefish

Author: Pat Schmatz

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: September, 2011

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Young Adult Novel

Goodreads Summary: Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of school. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take "pass" for an answer—a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters—and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.

What I Think: This is one of those books that makes me proud to be a teacher. Students like Travis is the reasons why I became a teacher and I hope that I am a teacher like Mr. McQueen who ultimately changes Travis's life. And not only is this book a love story to good teachers, it is a love story to books and the written word. But it is also about grief and family and fitting in. I think the quotes below will really show you the power of this book.

Read Together: Grades 6 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 7 to 12

Read With: Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Schooled by Paul Langan, Just Juice by Karen Hesse, Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Snatch of Text: 

"McQueen stepped in front of the room. 'I'm supposed to teach you how to take the standardized reading tests so you won't be the child left behind. But because I'm subversive' -he turned and wrote the word on the board as he talked- '(look it up if you don't know what it means, and it will be on the vocabulary text next week), I am actually going to try to teach you a passion for the written word.'" (p. 9) 

"Grandpa always said a good dog needs work, and the night Travis's mom went to the hospital and didn't come back, Rosco found his job. Travis's dad died in an accident three months later, and then Rosco forgot all about being anyone's dog. He became Travis's mom and dad and a couple of brothers thrown in. That's what Grandpa said." (p. 37) 

"I couldn't eat because the book made me cry so hard, I couldn't even breathe. Connie said to keep reading and keep breaking, like that was easy. Tears and snot just about came out of my butt, I cried so hard. After I finished the book, Connie fixed up a spot in the study room with a pillow. I told her __ being dead is like a long-fingered claw that keeps scratching at my heart. She said she knows that claw. She said grief is a rough ride but the only way through it is through it. Then she told me to take a nap. Liesel the book thief was tough. I 'm not tough. I'm not anything." (p. 171) 

"I've been thinking about the whole sitter-upper thing that McQueen talked about from The Book Thief. The madre is not a sitter-upper. She's a lier-downer. But Travis is a sitter-upper. If it wasn't for him, I would have turned into a lier-downer after __ died. Or for sure after Sylvia ___. I don't want to be a lier-downer. Even if I never get out of Russet for my whole life. I'll be a sitter-upper waitress if I have to." (p. 217) 

Mentor Text for: Characterization, Setting, Point of View, Author's Purpose

Writing Prompts: Travis is afraid to ask for help with his reading.  What is something you struggle with that you don't like to admit? 

Topics Covered: Reading, Books, Family, Death, Grief, Friendship

I *heart* it

This review is also featured on today!

Wonder

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication Date: February, 2012

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Middle Grade Novel

Summary: August, Auggie, has never been to school. It isn't because he never wanted to, it was because he never could. After being born with an almost unknown birth defect, he has had over 25 surgeries in his short 10 years of life. Now, after a time of surgery-free life, Auggie's parents have decided that it is time for Auggie to go to school. As a 5th grader. Which is the first year of middle school. As Auggie's dad says, it is like leading a lamb to slaughter and the ride that Auggie goes on is a roller coaster of emotions. 

What Kellee Thinks: There are certain books that while you are reading, you wish that you could share it with every person, adult and child, that you know. This is one of those books. It is almost too hard to explain because of how wonderful it is. It is a book that will make you want to be kinder to every person that you meet. It is already a lesson that I try to teach my students and a book like this will assist me in showing them how words and actions can affect another person. 

Although August is amazing and you cannot feel for and love his character, there are 2 other characters that made this book for me. First, Summer. She shows that there are 10 year olds that are still loving and thoughtful. The other is Mr. Browne. I love his precepts and how he teaches his class. What a way to make students reflect about their lives and to think deeply. 

What Jen Thinks: Wonder has inspired me to want to be a kinder person to everyone I meet. I want to stand and applaud everyone but especially RJ Palacio for writing such an amazing story. 

I am a teacher of kids who are deaf and hard of hearing. I can't wait to share this book with them. After I finished, I was making a list of all the people I am anxious to share this book with. Right away, I called a student who has been out of school all this week to tell her and her family how amazing they are. This particular student has a very rare syndrome that is somewhat similar to Auggie's and her family is so great. She is a lovable kid who brings a smile to the faces of everyone that she meets. I am proud to know her and I realized how much more I need to express to her and all of my students how admirable they are for the strength they show everyday. 

RJ Palacio has done a remarkable job of telling a story that is sure to inspire everyone to be kinder than necessary and to make the world a better place.

Read Together: Grades 3 to 8

Read Alone: Grades 4 and up

Read With: Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt, Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper, Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund

Snatch of Text: 

"I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. I eat ice cream. I ride my bike. I play ball. I have an XBox. Stuff like that makes me ordinary. I guess. And I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go... My name is August, by the way. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." (p. 1) 

Mentor Text for: Characterization, Point of View

Writing Prompts: This book has prompted Jen and I to be more conscious of how we treat others. Think of a time that you could have been nicer to someone or think of a time where you judged a person based on looks before ever even talking to them. 

Topics Covered: Disability, Birth Defects, Kindness, Friendship, Family, Stereotypes, School, Bullying

Jen and Kellee both *heart* it

and

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/2/12

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 followed Katherine's lead and decided to make an Animoto video to show you and my students what I read over spring break. I loved being able to participate in #bookaday!

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

Kellee Says: Man! I wanted to make an Animoto video too, but I really think my school has paid for an account so I didn't want to sign up before I found out. So, I am going to do this the old fashioned way: 
I had a pretty good spring break reading wise. I read 5 novels, 3 picture books and 2 graphic novels (a bit less than I'd hoped as I was so busy during break, but still pretty good I'd say). I am in the middle of 2 novels as we speak as well, so we'll see if I can get one more finished today. 


Novels- I read Marty McGuire Digs Worms! by Kate Messner which was as good as the first, See you at Harry's by Jo Knowles which broke my heart, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter which was a magical story, Trapped by Michael Northrop which kept me on the edge of my seat and Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel which is the last in the Matt Cruse series and I am so sad it is over.  We have reviews schedule for the first three, so you can check back to learn more about them.  


Picture Books- Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomberos by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Dan Santat which is a wonderful bilingual book about the bravery of fire fighters, Big Turtle by David McLimans which is a Native American folk tale and Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley which is a great nonfiction picture book about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. 


Graphic Novels- The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier which is a swashbuckling adventure that lost me at parts (but the artwork was amazing and I liked the story) and Wonderland by Tommy Kovac which is a fun adventure in Lewis Carrol's world of Wonderland that follows the adventures of Mary Anne, the white rabbits house maid, as she offends the queen and must escape to save her life.


I'd say not so bad :) 

Reviewed Last Week:

      

Just click on any picture above to go read the review.

The winner of our Neversink giveaway is: Stacey!
Thanks to everyone who participated and to Barry for a fun interview!  

We also participated in Bloggiesta this weekend and got so much accomplished!
Click on the button above to read our post

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: It's time for It's A-Okay to Reread in April! I am so excited. I have been anticipating this for a long time. I have a pile of awesome books that I am ready and so delighted to be able to reread this month. Usually, I explain that I don't reread books and it seems foreign to me when I hear of people who have read a certain book multiple times. There are only a few books I have reread in my life. One of those is my all-time favorite book Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I am starting by rereading that and I am going to first listen to Graceling by Kristin Cashore and then I'll listen to the audio of Wonder by RJ Palacio who is coming to Anderson's on April 14th. After TTW I'll be rereading Charlotte's Web to discuss with Colby this month. Are you rereading anything this month?

Kellee Says: Just thinking about going back to my busy (er) schedule makes the reader in me sad. I have no idea what I am going to get read.  I mostly have YA and MG novels waiting for me, so I will be reading as many of them as possible. I hope to finish the 2 I have started and hopefully a couple more. We'll see. Wish me luck! 

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

Read Along on I-94 - Rereading Part 1 - I Want My Hat Back

Colby was nice enough to choose some books for us to reread in April for my It's A-Okay to Reread in April challenge! We will be rereading two picture books, a chapter book, and a novel. Our first book to reread, of course, as if it could be any other book, is I Want My Hat Back by our beloved Jon Klassen. I've read and reread Hat Back before but could reread it an infinite amount of times and still love it!

JEN: I am really excited to talk about I Want My Hat Back! I love that you picked this book for us to discuss as part of It’s A-Okay to Reread in April! I’m not sure how I’m going to contain myself and my excitement...

Colby: This book kind of started our friendship. I can’t think of a better way to kick off It’s A-Okay to Reread in April.

JEN: It did really start our friendship. We had talked on Twitter but we really got into it when I read I Want My Hat Back and freaked out at the ending.

COLBY: I think that I Want My Hat Back is my all-time favorite Twitter book (book people talked about on Twitter).

JEN: I Want My Hat Back is so remarkable because it did spur such an amazing conversation. So many people were discussing this book, choosing sides, debating the characters’ choices. We had twibbons on our Twitter pictures and the #hatback hashtag. It was crazy going to NCTE and overhearing one of the reps at the Candlewick booth telling someone how insane the discussion had become over I Want My Hat Back on Twitter.

COLBY: The first time I read I Want My Hat Back, I thought it was funny, cute, and a little surprising. I had no idea that it could cause to much discussion and passion. For me it showed the importance of having shared reading experiences with your reading community. Whether it be in a classroom, on Twitter, or with friends. People that read and talk about books they love with people they trust, creates some pretty amazing conversations.

JEN: The first time I read it I was completely appalled by the ending. It totally caught me by surprise. I haven’t read many books as unique in their ending as Hat Back and I think that’s why it was able to cause people to really be able to discuss it.

You are completely right though, it was an awesome look at how a community can develop around a book. This book made us think, made us take sides, made us want to give it to others to read, made people who hadn’t read it want to see what we were talking about. What if in your classroom you start discussing books...then won’t everyone else want to be discussing books? And if a few people/students are talking about books...won’t other kids want to read those books and be part of the discussion, too. Building that same community in classrooms and schools is important.

COLBY: I think that kids need to see that talking about books is cool and that it is what is done in a classroom of readers. In my class we don’t talk much about things like sports, television, or music. We talk about books. They have so many other places in their lives where those things are the center of attention. I want them to know that it is cool to talk books.

JEN: It is cool to talk about books! That’s what Nerdy Book Club is about, too. There seem to be a lot of blog posts lately about finding out someone you know is reading the same book as you and how excited people get when they find that out. It’s fun to share reading experiences.

COLBY: Books are so much more fun when you can share them and talk about them. This makes me think a lot about how important it is to read aloud to your students. It gives your class that foundation of books that you’ve shared together. I find my students often comparing books we’ve read in class together to books they are reading independently. They do this a lot when the are book talking books to the class.

JEN: I realized when I started reading like crazy (which was about five years ago), that the more I read in general, the more I was able to make connections and notice what an author is doing. So often, kids struggle when it comes to making text to text connections...and I think that’s because they need a huge background of books first. If they have only read a few books it’s harder to see how elements of a book can connect with another book.

COLBY: The whole read aloud piece is giant. Some of my readers have a hard time reading the books that other kids in class are reading, but their issues with reading the book on their own almost disappear when the book is read aloud to them. It gives them that background of books you talked about and it gives them the opportunity to have shared reading experiences with readers in the classroom that are at a different place as a reader than they are.

JEN: My students are rarely at grade level when it comes to reading and some of them are English Language Learners and some of them don’t have parents who read to them at home. One of my students was in fourth grade and reading more and more in English but no one could read aloud to her in English at home. Read aloud is so extremely important. I started sending her home with one of my old iPods loaded with an audiobook and the book so she could read the book and listen at the same time. I love the power of read aloud to be able to move kids ahead in their reading because they have heard words that are above their reading level. Love it.

COLBY: I love the idea of sending home old iPods. My students are starting to get into audiobooks and it really helps level the playing field for some of my readers, and it’s a great way to help develop fluency. You are so smart.

JEN: I am really excited for Jon Klassen’s book That’s Not My Hat. The cover looks like there is a fish wearing a blue bowler hat...and in I Want My Hat Back the snake says, “I saw a hat once. It was blue and round.”

COLBY: I’m so excited for his next book. As a result of the conversation we all had about I Want My Hat Back I will forever read everything Jon Klassen. I think that when we can get students to connect with an author they feel the same way I do about Jon Klassen. I MUST READ EVERYTHING HE EVER WRITES!

JEN: Agreed. It’s a great way to choose books, if you like an author, try another book he or she has written. It’s so cool that he’s an author and an illustrator...I want to read everything he has written but I also want to read anything he has illustrated, too. I love Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. I picked up The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood just because he did the artwork on the covers.

Uh, Colby, we didn’t really talk about the book itself...just that we love it, it’s amazing, it’s awesome.

Maybe even more people will go read it just to know what we are talking about...we’ll get those few people who haven’t read this if they are out there. Be sure to tell us in the comments which team you are on! I’m #teamrabbit and Colby is #teambear.