It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 08/13/12

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 had a great reading week! Monday my youngest son went back to daycare so that gave me more time to concentrate on reading. Tuesday, I was home allll alone and got to read and write as much as I wanted! It was glorious! For an awesome, quick, back-to-school read, I definitely recommend F In Exams by Richard Benson. It is hysterical. I can't even explain how awesome it is. I have two teacher friends in my neighborhood (plus my husband) and we all had a blast reading through it. I read two graphic novels, Luz Sees the Light and Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School. Both were fun! I'm reviewing Ellie McDoodle this week and will also review Luz soon. I finished Rapture by Lauren Kate. It's always hard for me to say good bye to a series but it makes me happy when it was worth the time I invested in reading a whole series. The ending did not disappoint! I've been reading Real Revision by Kate Messner and finished Girl Parts by John Cusick. I also listened to The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I loved the characters and can't believe I waited so long to read it!

Kellee Says: This week I tried to read as much as I could during my last week before school starts. I finished my audiobook, Black Heart by Holly Black, and adored it. I am always so happy when a series ends in the perfect way (though I'd love to get more Cassel Sharp in the future). If you haven't read these books, check out the audio- Jesse Eisenberg narrates them and they are great! I read three nonfiction books, Who Was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards, The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson and One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale, which are nonfiction books that will definitely get some readers. They were very well done and were kid friendly though 9/11 Report was more YA than juvenile fic/MG.  The 9/11 Report will definitely be a book I'll review for you later because it is a great resource for teachers. I was lucky enough to read Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson which is a sci-fi book endorsed by The Challenger Center, an educational center from NASA. My realistic fiction book for the week was Remembering Mrs. Rossi by Amy Hest which was a touching story of a young girl whose mother, a teacher, passed away.  I also read two Netgalley e-books of graphic novels I am so excited about- Poseidon by George O'Connor and Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch.  They both were great additions to their series and I cannot wait to buy the books when they come out.  Lastly, I read the final book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series, The Serpent's Shadow, and it is just as good as the rest of the series and was a pretty solid ending (though it did leave some questions unanswered). 

Reviewed Last Week:

  

   

   

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I'll keep reading Real Revision. I have Stupid Fast to listen to thanks to Gae Polisner's recommendation and I have The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee waiting for me at a local bookstore that I am soooo excited for. I'm also reading Hattie Big Sky for my I-94 book club with Colby and will be rereading The One and Only Ivan in preparation for a book club with students when school starts again. For anyone back to school this week already, I send you my best wishes for a wonderful year!

Kellee Says: This week is going to be a professional reading week for me. It is preplanning so I am going to be working on my curriculum for the upcoming year. I look forward to reading some professional books I have been waiting to read. The only non-professional book I will be reading is my audio book Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel.

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

TMT Summer Writing Group - The End?

Believe it or not. Accept it or stay in denial and stick your fingers in your ears and sing la-la-la-la. Either way, it's true and I'm going to say it: summer has come to an end.

I know! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it had to be said. It's been ten amazing summer weeks of the awesomeness of Teachers Write! I have to say thank you again to the fabulous Kate Messner and the wonderful Gae Polisner for making this super secret plan as insanely super to the millionth degree.

Kate's Teachers Write quick-write post on Thursday asked us to write a letter to ourselves 10 weeks ago. I love thinking back to where I was, who I was, and how I felt about writing a mere 10 weeks ago. How excited were you to read that the Teachers Write fun has not come to an end?!?!? I know that when Kate talked to me about the need to continue Teachers Write, I was ecstatic and relieved. I don't know how it would be possible to say good-bye or really truly say, "The End."

What exactly does "Not The End" look like for Teachers Write here at TMT? My plan is to continue to share thoughts and ideas about writing and specifically how my experiences or your experiences can influence how we teach students and support them with their writing. Teachers Write posts won't be every Sunday, but they'll be once or twice a month. I hope you all stop by and share your continued progress!

I can't stop my fingers from going on ahead and writing this flashback letter so I have to just do that now. Thanks again to everyone! I appreciate each and every one of you and I hope you experience was as positive as mine!

Dear Jen,

In November, you signed up for NaNoWriMo. It didn't work out. You've been trying here and there to add to what you started for NaNoWriMo. That hasn't worked out either. Face it, you need to get real about writing and you need help to make it work. You want this. It's time to reassess what you are doing and find something that works for you. The time is now.

Here's what you need to do for yourself:

You need to make writing a priority. 

Find a time to write and find a place to write - away from distractions.

You need to set some goals and get to it.

When you really do make the time and stick with your writing and give it the energy it needs - you are going to make huge progress on your writing. You have 15,000 words written but by the end of the summer you'll be so proud of the work you have put in and how far you have come. (I won't tell you how far you'll get - that'll have to be a surprise. Just trust me, you'll be so overjoyed that you'll give yourself two big thumbs up.)

Here's the next thing to do - you need to find support:

You don't have to do it all alone!!!

Tell all your family and friends you are writing a book.

Send an e-mail to Kate and Gae - authors who want to help.

With Kate and Gae's help, you will never feel alone.

Do what you can to bring other teachers who want to write along with you!

Keep your eyes open for friends on Twitter and in the blogosphere who have something to share.

Be a cheerleader and you'll find others to cheer you on.

Don't be afraid to take risks and reach out to others - you need them!

By the end of the summer you'll not only be amazed at what you have written, you will be full to the hilt with amazement at the support you have received. Kate and Gae and all the other authors who join in will overwhelm you with their generosity and positive energy. You'll strengthen relationships with friends and find totally new friends who all share a passion and excitement for writing and learning. You'll find a maquizga - no one even knows what that is yet, but by the end of the summer you will look back and recognize that having a maquizga made a huge difference in your life as a writer.

It's time. You can do it. Believe in yourself. Don't give up. Stay strong!

You are a writer.

Now write.

Lots of love,

 

Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture

Title: Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture (Fallen series) 
Author: Lauren Kate 
Publisher: Delacorte Press 
Publication Dates: December 2009, September 2010, June 2011, June 2012 
Genre/Format: Paranormal Romance/Novel
GoodReads Summary: Fallen - There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
     Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.  
     Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.     Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story. 
Click to read the GoodReads summaries for the other books in the series: Torment, Passion, Rapture.
What I Think: I really enjoyed this series! I realize that sometimes I hesitate to review a book that is part of a series either because I haven't reviewed a previous book in the series or I don't officially know how the series ends. I just finished the last in this series though and realized I would share my thoughts on the series as a whole.
     I listened to all of these books on audio and I really enjoyed the narrator. It helped me to listen to the books and keep all the characters straight. The whole concept of fallen angels was intriguing to me. What also really drew me into this series was the relationship Luce has with Daniel. I've read so many books and watched so many movies where the main characters just fall in love and don't question their love. Love is such a complicated and unique thing and sometimes I feel like books and movies oversimplify it. I love that Luce is drawn to Daniel but at the same time that she questions their relationship to an extent. Throughout the entire series, Kate addresses this idea of recognizing what love means and understanding her relationship with Daniel instead of assuming they are just together because they are together. I love the message this sends and shares with teen girls especially.
     After the first book, I was hooked and ravenous to read the other books in the series. I love to read books in a series but it's rare that I start a series towards the end of all the books being published. It was a rare treat to be able to zip through these books without having to wait and wait and wait for the next book to be published. It made me realize that it's important to share books with students that might be part of a series that is already all published. It's exciting to be reading the most current and right-now series, but there's also something fun about reading a series that you don't have to wait for.
Read Together: Grades 7 - 12
Read Alone: Grades 8 - 12
Read With: Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer, Firelight (series) by Sophie Jordan, Wings (series) by Aprilynne Pike 
Snatch of Text: 
"He stood and turned, the sketches left behind on the leather chair. And there she was, pressed against the ruby velvet curtain in her plain white dressing gown. Her black hair had fallen from its braid. The look on her face was the same as the one he'd sketched so many times. There was the fire rising in her cheeks. Was she angry? Embarrassed? He longed to know, but could not allow himself to ask." -Fallen, p. 3 
Mentor Text For: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Narrative, Personal Narrative, Characterization, Dialogue 
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when in order to make a decision you had to see or experience or research something for yourself. A time when you couldn't take someone else's word for it.  What was the decision and what did you learn in order to be able make your decision. 
Topics Covered: Love, Family, Friendship, Loyalty, War, Angels, Time Travel, Good Vs. Evil, Trust,

Jen *hearts* Them All:

 

Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

Title: Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Illustrator: Elicia Castaldi

Publisher: Ginee Seo Books

Publication Date: July, 2007

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Collage

Goodreads Summary: Ginny has ten items on her big to-do list for seventh grade. None of them, however, include accidentally turning her hair pink. Or getting sent to detention for throwing frogs in class. Or losing the lead role in the ballet recital to her ex-best friend. Or the thousand other things that can go wrong between September and June. But it looks like it's shaping up to be that kind of a year! Here's the story of one girl's worst school year ever -- told completely through her stuff.

What I Think: Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff begins as Ginny starts 7th grade and her life was a mix of ups and downs. Her father passed away when she was younger; however, Ginny's wish has come true and her mom has a new, nice boyfriend. Her brother who used to be her hero and friend is getting into trouble left and right. And her best friend is no longer her friend because Ginny got a lead part in a ballet they were in. Seventh grade can only be better, right?

     Jennifer Holm keeps surprising me. Every time I read something by her, I see how amazingly talented she is- if you compare Babymouse, May Amelia and Middle School you would assume they are by different authors; however, all are the work of Jennifer and all are so well done. 

     I love the format of this book. The story is told in a mixture of things- report cards, newspaper clippings, essays, poems, post-it notes, receipts, comics, notes, IMs, etc. It is amazing how an entire story can be told without there actually being a narrative. I, being an English teacher, loved the poetry and essays because it was the parts that really showed Ginny's emotions and the poems especially would be great exemplar texts to use to show students poetry that they could connect with. I also would love to have students "write" a personal narrative in much the same way- I think they would enjoy it and would be a great way to discuss narrative elements and prose in general.

     This book really touched my heart. One of the reasons I am a middle school teacher is because I hope that I can be a shining moment in the students' tough years. I love Ginny and I love that a teacher is important to her and I hope I make an impact like Ginny's teacher did for her. 

Read Together: Grades 4 to 7

Read Alone: Grades 5 to 8

Snatch of Text: "4_Police Blotter

Gnomes Suspiciously Vanish On Pine Street

Woodland Glen, PA- The theft of several garden gnomes from the yard of Mr. and Mrs Noorski has left the neighborhood puzzled. The gnomes, five in all, had been brought over from Norway on a family vacation, and had been a source of pride for many years."

"I don't want to make a lot of fuss, 

but I'll never sit at the back of the bus. 
All the cool kids are sitting there, 
you can tell just by looking at their hair. 
I hear the seats are nicer in the back
not like the ones up here all cracked. 
Just take a look at the window panes. 
They don't even steam up when it rains." 

"Three Meatloaf Haikus

Oh yucky meatloaf
sitting under the hot lights
so gray and gristly. 

Nothing tastes worse than
you, not cauliflower or
even lima beans. 

And what is that weird
thing sticking out-- a whisker?
hair? a rubber band?"

(Page numbers not provided as book is not numbered)

Mentor Text for: Poetry, Collage, Inferring, Personal Narrative

Writing Prompts: Like Ginny, collect items to put together to share a personal story. You can include essays, poems, photos, receipts, text messages, etc. Make sure that the items give enough information for your reader to be able to infer and understand your story.

Topics Covered: Death, Friendship, Family, School

I *heart* It:

Top Ten Books for Struggling & Reluctant Middle School Readers

For my first 5 years of teaching, I taught 6th and 7th grade Language Arts; however, a year ago I switched to teaching 6th and 7th grade Intensive Reading for the students in my school who had not passed the state assessment. When I moved to primarily teaching struggling readers, I knew I had to exam more deeply which books would truly grab these students' attention and help me make them identify themselves as readers. After a year in this position, I have some go-to books that I find have become great foundations for my students to grow into just plain readers, not struggling or reluctant.

For the lists, I did break them up by genders, but they are definitely not concrete. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is loved by all kids, but I put it under boys. Same thing with Sharon Creech's Love that Dog and Brian Selznick but vice versa. This is just a guideline for books I have found to be successful.

Top 10 Books for Struggling and Reluctant Middle School Boys

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney

Big Nate (series) by Lincoln Peirce

Amulet (series) by Kazu Kibuishi

Bone (series) by Jeff Smith

Knights of the Lunch Table (series) by Frank Cammuso

Graphic Novels Bad Island, Ghostopolis, and I'm sure Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

Sidekicks by Dan Santat

I Survived... (series) by Lauren Tarshis

Maximum Ride: The Manga (series) by James Patterson

Any nonfiction book by Seymour Simon

Top 10 Books for Struggling and Reluctant Middle School Girls

Dork Diaries (series) by Rachel Renee Russell

Smile and I'm sure Drama

Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton

Love that Dog & Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech

Bluford (series) by various

Surviving Southside (series) by various

Popularity Papers (series) by Amy Ignatow

Any novel in verse, specifically Lisa Schroeder 

and Sonya Sones

I am looking forward to sharing these books with students again this year 

and I hope you find success with them as well. 

Happy reading and sharing! :)