Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

Title: Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto

Author: Paul B. Janeczko

Illustrator: Various (from the Terezin Ghetto)

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: August, 2011

Genre/Format: Historical Fiction/Poetry Collection

Goodreads Summary: Paul B. Janeczko’s stirring new collection of poems goes inside the walls of the notorious camp to portray the indomitable spirit of those incarcerated there.

Hitler hailed Terezín (Theresienstadt) as a haven for artistic Jews, when in reality the Czech concentration camp was little more than a way station to the gas chambers. In his second book inspired by devastating history, acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko gives voice to this heartrending creative community: its dignity, resilience, and commitment to art and music in the face of great brutality. The many memorable characters he conjures include a child who performs in the camp’s now famed production of Brundibár, a man who lectures on bedbugs, and a boy known as "Professor," who keeps a notebook hidden in his shoe. Accented with dramatic illustrations by prisoners, found after WW II, Janeczko’s spare and powerful poems convey Terezín’s tragic legacy on an intimate, profoundly moving scale.

What I Think: Paul Janeczko has written such a haunting book of poetry. It is as if he transported himself to Terezin and lived the life of these people who he has created to tell us the story of the ghetto. Combined with the all too real artwork from Jewish artists from Terezin, Requiem is a brilliant collection of poetry.

This is one of those books that is really hard to review. There is anything negative to say and it is hard to portray through the review what the book contains. 

Read Together: Grades 8 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 9 to 12

Read With: Once by Morris Gleitzman, Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust by Ruth Thompson, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Parallel Journeys by Eleanor H. Ayer, Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Snatch of Text: 

"Victor Lizik/23790

Snow was in the air

as we marched from the station

that November afternoon

as solemn as the sky, 

three hundred volunteers

packed into Transport Ca-114 from Prague

to read the fortress

for those who would follow

to this play Hitler gave to the Jews. 

The Nazis watched

as we measured, sawed planks for bunks

three high, sometimes four, 

painted and plastered one barracks then another- 

Madgeburg, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg- 

All with good German names. 

We knew others would come to this place, 

family, neighbors, strangers

to this place Hitler gave to the Jews

this "haven for the elderly."

The Nazis told us

that our work would help protect us

and others we knew would be arriving. 

So we sawed, painted, hammered..." (p. 3-4) 

"Hilda Bartos

This was a good town.

Quiet.

Isolated. 

My family farmed, 

raised goats for generations

before war arrived, 

a menacing visitor 

that took away my town

because its wall, 

empty barracks

would be easy to guard. 

They liked the railroad

so close to Bohusovice. 

I know this from Jakub

a ready listener at the tavern...

At Christmastime the first of the Jews arrived, 

an endless funeral procession 

of fumbling ancients, 

women with babes in arms, 

children stooped with fatigue and fear, 

men with hats pulled down

all bearing a yellow star on their coats. 

Through our streets a pitiful parade

to the barracks..." (p.. 33-34)

Mentor Text for: Poetry, Perspective, Historical Fiction, Attention Grabbers, Making Connections

Writing Prompts: Why did the Nazis allow the Jews at the Terrezin Concentration Camp to write, make art and play music?; How did the Nazis trick the Red Cross inspectors into thinking Terezin was a good place?; Why do we need to learn about the Holocaust and places like Terezin? 

Topics Covered: Holocaust, World War II, Terezin, Music, Art, Family, Death, Religion, Nazis

I *heart* It:

One Cool Friend

Title: One Cool Friend     
Author: Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: David Small  
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2012 
Genre/Format: Fantasy/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: On a momentous visit to the aquarium, Elliot discovers his dream pet: a penguin. It's just proper enough for a straight-laced boy like him. And when he asks his father if he may have one (please and thank you), his father says yes. Elliot should have realized that Dad probably thought he meant a stuffed penguin and not a real one . . . Clever illustrations and a wild surprise ending make this sly, silly tale of friendship and wish fulfillment a kid-pleaser from start to finish. 
What I Think: The first time I read this book it was actually read to me by David Small himself. After reading the book, he went back and talked about the illustrations and how much thought he put into the illustrations in order for them to truly support the reader throughout the text. He worked hard to give readers clues to how the story will end. The first time through, it's so easy to overlook all the little tidbits in the illustrations, but then when you go back, it's clear as day. I am a huge fan of rereading (now), and this book begs to be reread. It's a perfect opportunity to discuss rereading and how once we know a story, we're able to reread and look at the text in a different way. Point out how an author and, in this case, an illustrator, use foreshadowing. How does the foreshadowing help us as a reader? It is also a chance to point out how our purpose as readers may change when we reread a book. 
     I love Eliot. On the very first page he stands looking out at the reader with a mischievous smirk on his face...and he's wearing a tuxedo complete with bowtie. How can you not love this kid? The text and the illustrations give readers an understanding of Eliot. He is very proper indeed - you can tell from his actions and his words - but he is also one to do what he wants to do. Reading this book and focusing only on Eliot would be a great lesson in characterization. Students could even use the illustrations as a time to stop and describe what is happening. Small's illustrations do tell a lot about the characters so ask kids to try and describe what the illustrations so expertly are showing us about Eliot. This would be a great way to dive into a discussion on Eliot's decision to take a penguin home. The penguin seems happy enough living with Eliot instead of at the aquarium but Eliot did actually steal a penguin. Is it okay to break the rules?
     Finally, this book clearly demonstrates dialogue. There are speech bubbles to indicate when a character is talking. It's obvious when someone is talking versus when the narrator is talking. It's also clear how the characters take turns. It's a perfect opportunity to introduce students to quotation marks and dialogue in a story. Would be interesting to read I Want My Hat Back first and look at that text which is all dialogue and then compare to this book where the author adds in some narration with the dialogue. 
Read Together: Grades 2 - 12  
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 6 
Read With: Larf by Ashley Spires, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen 
Snatch of Text: 

"Eliot was a very proper young man.

So on Saturday morning when his father said,

'Family fun day at the aquarium. Shall we go?'

Eliot thought, Kids, masses of noisy kids. But he only said,

'Of course. Thank you for inviting me.'"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Inferences, Predicting 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Narrative, Dialogue, Characterization, Foreshadowing
Writing Prompts: Imagine you could visit the aquarium or the zoo and bring home a "pet." Choose the animal that reminds you the most of yourself and then write a story about what would happen if you tried to bring home that animal!
Topics Covered: Family, Father-Son Relationships, Animals, Pets, Audacity, Friendship

Jen *hearts* It:

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 06/25/12

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 finished I've Got Your Number on audio last week! I feel like I haven't finished much lately so it was an accomplishment for me! I loved it. I usually enjoy anything Sophie Kinsella writes. I also read Naked Reading by Teri Lesesne. I love reading a professional book that confirms everything I have been doing and believe in when it comes to teaching kids and reading. Otherwise, I didn't get much reading done. We ended up taking a little roadtrip up to the Mall of American in Minnesota for a few days. We had a lot of fun but there isn't much down time with two kiddos in a totally unknown place to all of us. It feels good to be home!

Kellee Says: Since I am back from vacation, I am right back into the swing of #bookaday and #summerthrowdown. First, on the bus to and from NYC I was able to finish Inside Out and Back Again and Maus I & II. I was so glad that I reread Maus. The first time I tried, I really didn't like it, but I think it was because it was one of my first graphic novels. This time, I truly enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy a horrifying story). I also read 4 other novels: 
- Without Tess by Marcella Pixley, about a girl dealing with the death of her sister. Very much like Wintergirls or Lessons from a Dead Girl. 
- Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, about a boy who needs to find strength. 
- I Am J by Cris Beam, about a transgendered teen boy fighting for his identity. 
- Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern, about two friends deciding if they are more than friends while they are on a road trip to find their "kidnapped" friend Penny.  

Reviewed Last Week:

   

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I have specific goals for myself this week and they will be accomplished! I will read my bookstack of picture books that I have. I will finish The Boy Who Howled, The True Meaning of Smekday, Insurgent, and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. I am also going to dive into Stephen King's On Writing. I have no idea how I'm going to make all of this happen, but I will! (Actually, my oldest son is going to a camp two days a week in the morning so that might give me some extra time! Hooray for camp!)

Kellee Says: Sitting right next to me is Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones which I will start (and maybe finish) today. I also plan on reading Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos and Brother/Sister by Sean Olin. I'll actually be driving to work 3 days this week, so I will continue listening to Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel.  I also hope to jump into Amulet by Kazu Kibiushi and Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey- both series that I promised my students I would read. After that is Insurgent and Bitterblue which I am so excited for! We'll see how much I get through this week. 

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 - Week 4

This week, I have asked Katherine from Read, Write, Reflect. to talk about her 

experience at the All Write!!! Summer Institute this year. On their website it says:

The All Write!!! Consortium is dedicated to providing professional development in literacy with emphasis on the interconnectedness of reading and writing instruction. The philosophy of instruction used by All-Write!!!, is child-centered, research-based, and considered “best practice” by leading authorities in the field of education (Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde,  Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools, Third Edition, Heinemann 2005).  

I wish I could have attended as this is an amazing group of people to learn from as well as such a unique and intimate experience when I compare it to a national conference. Luckily, we have Katherine here to tell us a little bit about what she took away from All Write!!! 

     I attended my first NCTE convention in Chicago this past year. I remember on one of the last nights talking with a friend, Colby Sharp, about what I was coming away with. Both Colby and I left NCTE feeling that we needed to write. We were better reading teachers because we were readers, didn’t the same hold true for writing? But I wasn’t writing, not really. I wrote papers for grad school. Some journal writing here and there, but I was not living my life like a writer.

     Fast-forward seven months. I would certainly say I am writing more than I was before NCTE. I came back and immediately began a blog. I started a journal because after sitting next to Penny Kittle in a session I became envious of hers. I have a document on my desktop where I generate a list of possible blog topics. I participated in Slice of Life for March and write several other blog posts each week.   
    
     I do feel that I am beginning to live my life as a writer, but I can continue to improve. One step in that growth was when I saw Kate, Gae, and Jen post about Teachers Write. Any group that would help me to write more sounded like something I needed to do. I joined immediately.  
    
    Through the month of June I’ve learned a few things. One, I have to make time for writing. Two, I have to make Teachers Write my own. There are times that I write to the prompt just to stretch my writing muscles. But there are other times I just write. I’m trying to work on some non-fiction writing and at first I felt bad about that. Now, I think I’ve accepted we are all writing differently but with a common goal, to renew our focus on writing. Mine writing might not look like anyone else, but I think that is ok.


     The last thing I have learned is something I already knew. The people I surround myself with matters. I’ve been at the All Write Conference in Indiana for the last three days. I came here last year to meet up with some friends and we returned for a second visit this year. Speaking over the past two days were wonderful educators and writers such as: Ruth Ayers, Patrick Allen, Donalyn Miller, Ralph Fletcher, Jim Burke, Franki Sibberson, Debbie Diller, Katie Wood Ray, and more.  There has been so much new learning, so much learning reinforced over the past two days that my head is spinning. But tonight as I reflect back a few things stand out to me.

     I have to continue to live like a writer. Ruth Ayers and Patrick Allen continually reinforced how important that was – to be a role model to our students but also just to understand what we are asking them to do. I heard them speak on the same topic at NCTE and this was huge to me. I understand the problems my students face as readers because I experience them too. Becoming a writer allows me to connect on that level with my students. I will be a better writing teacher for it.

     Ralph Fletcher reminded me of the importance of living like a writer. Carrying my notebook with me. Living my life with my eyes wide open. Ralph said his notebook was where he incubated ideas. He also said keeping a notebook gets you in the habit of paying attention to life with all of your senses and your heart. I use the computer as my primary source of writing so I am recommitting to using my notebook on a daily basis.

     Finally, Donalyn Miller reminded us of the importance of reading communities. Helping students to understand the habits of strong readers and surrounding them with a diverse reading community will help them to be readers once they leave our classroom. I think the same can be said for writing. Being at All Write, meeting with my friends – many who are already published writers, talking to them about my plans, and even saying those plans out loud – all of these things help me in my writing. I think writing can be such a solitary activity, bringing others in makes you feel less alone and infinitely more supported.

     And this is what Teachers Write is also doing for so many of us. Giving us support, surrounding us with others trying to grow as writers. Building this community will ensure that we go on to be writers long after we leave this summer “classroom” because Kate, Gae, and Jen will have set us up with the habits we need and then we can go forth and share that new knowledge with our students. I am excited to continue to grow this summer alongside all of you.


I saw Ralph Fletcher a few years ago and having a writer's notebook has truly changed my writing. It does open my eyes to everything around me. Little things I might not have noticed before become ideas. It's amazing how many stories are around us just waiting to be told. Thank you, Katherine, for sharing your thoughts and feelings after All Write!!! 

My rules for the TMT Summer Writing Group:

1. We respect each other and the types of writing we do.

2. We only criticize each other constructively.

3. We are positive and encourage each other at all times.

4. We recognize and maintain this as a safe environment.

**I reserve every right to put the smackdown

on anyone who messes with our positive energy.**

Today, in the comments section:

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the not-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The bet part, the most-fun part?)

What are you looking forward to and planning for the week ahead?

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week of writing!

 

Larf

Title: Larf     
Author: Ashley Spires   
Illustrator: Ashley Spires  
Publisher: Kids Can Press 
Publication Date: April 2012 
Genre/Format: Fantasy/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: No one believes Larf exists, and he likes it that way. Larf, you see, is a sasquatch, the only sasquatch in the world (or so it seems). He has a very pleasant, and very private, life in the woods, where on any given day he might be found jogging, gardening or walking Eric, his pet bunny. But everything changes one morning when Larf discovers that another sasquatch is scheduled to make an appearance in the nearby city of Hunderfitz. What? That must mean he's not the only sasquatch in the world Excited by the prospect of having a friend to share hair grooming tips with (and let's face it, teeter-tottering alone is no fun), Larf disguises himself as a city slicker and heads for Hunderfitz -- where he's in for a couple enormous surprises. Ashley Spires once again shows her chops for creating irresistible, quirky characters and laugh-aloud stories and illustrations. Readers with little feet and big feet will fall head over heels for Larf. 
What I Think: I loved Larf after seeing the cover of this book. He just seems like such a nice sasquatch (although I've never met any sasquatch to compare him to.) Once I read the story, I still liked Larf. He's just a nice sasquatch who does his own thing and seems to enjoy his life. But when he finds out there is another sasquatch who exists, he wants to meet him. He could have a friend! Sometimes you don't realize what you are missing until you do something different. It reminded me of the Scaredy Squirrel series. He is so scared to doing something different and worried but then, when he does, it's not so bad. I love trying new things but it's not always easy.

Ashley Spires' illustrations truly add to Larf's story. This is a picture book that is so much more fun when you really pay attention to all of the illustrations. Her voice and the humor in the story is intensified when you take your time to really look at the illustrations and everything that is happening in the book besides the text. Larf can really be a great way to help introduce students to graphic novels. In graphic novels, there are so many clues and inferences going on in the art that students need to pay attention to. Larf has these elements in it so it would make a perfect book to transition from a picture book to a graphic novel. AND, even more exciting, Ashley Spires has an awesome graphic novel series, Binky the Space Cat. Students can read and look closely at Larf and then they can read one of the Binky books and notice how similar they are.
Read Together: Grades K - 5 
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 5 
Read With: Scaredy Squirrel (series) by Melanie Watt, Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires,
Snatch of Text:  

"Larf is a sasquatch. The only sasquatch, it seems.

He lives a quiet life in the woods with his bunny, Eric."

"Have you ever felt like

nobody knows you even

exist? That's exactly how

Larf feels. And he likes it

that way."

Reading Strategies to Practice:  Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative
Writing Prompt: Write about the first time you met one of your close friends. What did you have in common? Write about a time when you did something new for the first time.
Topics Covered: Identity, Adversity, Loneliness, Friendship

Guantanamo Boy

Title: Guantanamo Boy

Author: Anna Perera

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Publication Date: July, 2011 (in US)

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel

Goodreads Summary: Innocent until proven guilty? Not here you're not. Robbed of his childhood, this is one boy's fictional experience of the supposed war on terror. Khalid, a fifteen-year-old Muslim boy from England, is abducted from Pakistan while on holiday with his family. He is taken to Guantanamo Bay and held without charge, where his hopes and dreams are crushed under the cruellest of circumstances. An innocent denied his freedom at a time when most boys are finding theirs, Khalid tries and fails to understand what's happening to him.

What I Think: Guantanamo Bay is a very secretive part of American present history. It was a place where the American government acted as if they were above the law torturing and detaining suspected terrorists, including children, without a fair trail, much less much evidence. And although it has now been found that complete horrors were happening there, it is still open and housing approximately 169 prisoners (as of 4/12). It is hard to imagine the violations of civil rights that happened at Guantanamo Bay and this novel lays them all out for you. 

Anna Perera takes a young boy named Khalid and puts him through what some young Muslim men went through during the War on Terror after September 11th. Khalid is visiting his family in Pakistan when he is attacked and kidnapped by a group of men and then handed over to the American military who pay for any suspected terrorists who are turned over to them. Then through torture, including water boarding, they force him into confessing to terrorist acts which makes him end up in Guantanamo. 

This is not an easy story to read. It is a part of our history that most Americans wish wasn't true. This book is tough and puts the reader is a tough situations, but there is a lesson to learn by the history portrayed.

This book would be a great book to have in a social studies curriculum. 

Read Together: Grades 7 to 12

Read Alone: Grades 8 to 12

Read With: As I was looking through all of my books, I couldn't find the perfect book(s) to list here. Any book about the middle east or a lack of civil rights (fiction or nonfiction) would connect like Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples, Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan, The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, etc. But none of them are exactly right to connect with Guantanamo Boy. 

Snatch of Text: "He's badly mistaken. Blocking the hallway is a gang of fierce-looking men dressed in dark shalwar kameez. Black cloths wrapped around their heads. Black gloves on their hands. Two angry blue eyes, the rest brown, burn into Khalid as the figures move towards him like cartoon gangsters with square bodies.  Confused by the image, he staggers, bumping backwards into the wall. Arms up to stop them getting nearer. Too shocked and terrified to react as they shoulder him to the kitchen and close the door before pushing him to his knees and waving a gun at him as if he's a violent criminal. Then vice-like hands clamp his mouth tight until they plaster it with duct tape. No chance to wonder what the hell is going on, let alone scream out loud." (p. 62)

Mentor Text for: Setting, Suspense, Characterization

Writing Prompts (from Michael Robinson): Should torture be used to obtain information from someone?; Are the punishments found in the book effective and appropriate? 

Topics Covered: Guantanamo Bay, Prison, Torture, Terrorism, Punishment, Government, Religion, Family

I *heart* It:

 

Teachers Write Progress Pool Party Announcement!

I am completely thrilled by all the fun and learning and writing going on with Teachers Write! It has been an awesome experience for me so far and I think (and hope) others are getting a lot out of Kate's Virtual Writing Camp, Gae's Friday Feedback, and TMT's Writing Group Check-In. Gae had an awesome idea to do poolside virtual readings! It's amazing what we can do with technology. Mark your calendars, then keep writing and get ready to really share your work with this unique opportunity.

Teachers Write!

Progress Pool Party!

Put on your best sunny beach wear!

Join Gae and Jen poolside via Spreecast

for our first-ever Teachers Write Progress Pool Party!

Friday, July 20th, 2012

One-Hour Sessions from:

12:00 pm EST - 5:00 pm EST

Share 90-second readings from our Works In Progress

*20 people per session - on-camera reading*

Chat and get support about our writing

*Unlimited participation all afternoon in the chat area*

Stay tuned for more details and sign up information.

We'll see you there!

 

Orchards

Title: Orchards

Author: Holly Thompson

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication Date: February, 2011

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction-Multicultural/Novel-in-Verse

Summary: After a classmate of Kana's commits suicide, Kana wonders if she is partially responsible as her and her friends were not kind to Ruth and since her death Kana has learned a lot about her. To help her get through her grief and away from the situation, Kana, half Japanese half Jewish, is sent to stay in her mother's small home village in Japan. Here Kana works in the orange groves and finds peace within the orchards. Though at times she feels out of place or that her grandmother is being too tough, she begins to heal. 

What I Think: When a novel in verse is written well, it can have such an emotional presence and this book is one that is and does. This book not only deals with grief, it deals with being conscious of your actions and being responsible for your words. Kana, being an 8th grader, says that the words were only words, but to Ruth, the words hurt her so much she didn't feel like she could live anymore. This intense novel, filled with beautiful moments (and some funny ones) keeps you emotionally attached throughout the whole novel. 

Read Together: Grades 7 to 9  

Read Alone: Grades 7 to 11

Read With: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelley Hall, Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Snatch of Text: "Chapter 1: Because of You

One week after

you stuffed a coil of rope 

into your backpack

and walked uphill into

Osgoods' orchard

where blooms were still closed fists

my father looked up 

summer airfares

to Tokyo

why?

I protested

it wasn't my fault

I didn't do anything! 

exactly!

my mother hissed and made the call 

to her older sister

my aunt

in Shizuoka

nothing would change 

their minds." (p. 1-3) 

"when you started talking

to Jake Osgood

who Lisa liked

who Lisa hoped to go out with

who Lisa had enlisted all of our help

all winter

to get

when you and Jake 

just sat down on the 

sidewalk and

leaned back against the school wall

     and laughed

     and shrugged

     and just talked casual

          like you were best friends - 

what did you expect?" (p. 37)


Also check out page 72 & 200

Mentor Text for: Novel in verse, Setting, Free verse

Writing Prompts: Do you think that Kana and the other girls's bullying pushed Ruth to suicide? What could Ruth have done instead?; Research bipolar disorder. What are some ways that Ruth could have gotten help for her disorder?; How can you stop bullying in your school?  

Topics Covered: Cross curricular- Physics, Suicide, Bullying, Identity, Ancestors, Family, Culture, Heritage, Hard work, Bipolar Disorder, Clique, Responsibility

I *heart* It:

Tua and the Elephant

Title: Tua and the Elephant     
Author: R.P. Harris   
Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo  
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: April 2012 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Ten-year-old Tua (Thai for peanut) has everything she needs at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, except for one thing she has always wanted: a sister. In the market one day, Tua makes an accidental acquaintance one with wise, loving eyes, remarkable strength, and a very curious trunk. And when Tua meets Pohn-Pohn, it is clear this elephant needs her help. Together, the unusual team sets off on a remarkable journey to escape from Pohn-Pohn's vile captors. From the bustling night market to the hallowed halls of a Buddhist temple and finally, to the sanctuary of an elephant refuge, this clever girl and her beloved companion find that right under their noses is exactly what each has been searching for: a friend. 
What I Think: I love the wonderful descriptions in this book. It is a book that is set, for me, in such a unique place that is very different from where I live and have lived all of my life. The setting Harris brings to life in Tua and the Elephant is beautiful - he definitely brings a voice that makes the book feel like it is a story being told and he also so seamlessly captures the culture in the story. I love Tua, she's just a sweet kid who keeps herself busy visiting relatives at the market until she finds a hole in a wall. It beckons to her and she lets her heart guide her on a journey to help her new elephant friend.
     I am an animal lover so I am naturally drawn to stories about animals and about helping them. I think elephants are beautiful creatures. They are so smart. I love to read about them. This is a great book to share with students and to remind them that even though they are young, they can still make choices to help animals. I do have to say that how Tua helps Pohn-Pohn initially might be a good topic of discussion. She is helping the elephant but she does something I think is somewhat wrong. It reminds me a little of the discussions we have had about I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. Is it okay to do something wrong if you feel that it is justified?
Read Together: Grades 4 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 5 - 6 
Read With: Non-fiction about elephants and/or Thailand, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen,  Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (adult) 
Snatch of Text: "Strings of bare lightbulbs crisscrossed overhead, igniting the street in a blaze. Vendor's carts crowded both sides of the street, hawking their wares to the people strolling down the middle." p. 12
"Behind where the boxes and crates had been stacked higher than a brown dog can jump - and gaping like old Grandma Orn's toothless mouth - there, looking just big enough for Tua to squeeze through...was a hole.
If walls could talk, this one would have invited Tua to step through the hole to the other side." p. 22
Mentor Text For: Descriptive Writing, Characterization, Visualization, Voice, Personal Narrative
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you did something wrong but you felt your reasons for your action were worthy of the action. Start a story by finishing this sentence, "If walls could talk, ..."
Topics Covered: Friendship, Adventure, Help, Compassion, Family, Culture, Elephants, Story-Telling, Courage

Jen *hearts* It:

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 06/18/12

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: Yay! I finished a book! Two books actually! I was very excited to get some reading done this week. I finished Teach Like a Champion. I loved the last part where it talked about how all teachers of every subject should still be teaching reading. I love that and wholeheartedly believe that. I also finished The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate! I can't wait to send this on to Kellee. After how long it took me to get into Neversink, I was ecstatic that reading this one was much easier for me. Since Kellee read and loved Neversink, I think she'll enjoy this one! I did read a few picture books and Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming was my favorite. It was super cute and also informative. Seriously, Candace Fleming can do no wrong.

Kellee Says: I was doing so well with #bookaday having read at least 1 book since the students got out and I was finally out completely Tuesday afternoon after our 2nd day of post planning and a day of preplanning for summer (though I don't teach until July)- and I was doing pretty well I read a novel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but then I went on vacation to Syracuse to visit my sister and reading has not been a priority.  I love to read, but when you are seeing a relative you only see 2-3 times a year, reading moves down the list.  


First, I finished listening to Hound Dog True by Linda Urban which is a quiet yet powerful little book about a shy young girl. Then I read Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman, a scary real book about internet predators, The Summer of May by Cecilia Galante, a book about a troubled young girl trying to find happiness after her mother left, and Americus by MK Reed, a graphic novel about book censorship.  I, unfortunately, didn't get to any We Give Books picture books, but I'll catch up when I get home. 

Reviewed Last Week:

    

 

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I am listening to I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella still so I haven't started another audiobook. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street just came in at the library again so I'm hoping to finish that and then I'll really be on to Smekday. I did start reading Insurgent this week and am almost halfway in. There are just so many books I have that I want to read that I can't stay focused! I think after I finish Insurgent I'll have to take time to read Bitterblue. I'm excited! Hoping this week brings lots of reading. 

Kellee Says: I have started two books- I've read about 10 pages of Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai and I've listened to 8 tracks of Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel, so I don't really have solid opinions about either book yet.  


Today we go to NYC to visit through Tuesday, so there won't be very much reading during the day, though I do have 4 hours in the bus each way then 3 hours on a plane on Wednesday, so that gives some great traveling time for reading. Then on Wednesday I'm back home and should be able to jump right into #summerthrowdown and get back to my #bookaday. I hopefully will read Maus I and Maus II as well as Without Tess by Marcella Pixley, I Am J by Chris Beam, and Don't Stop Now by Julie Helpern. I may even get to some of my graphic novels I brought home from school and some We Give Books picture books. 

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!

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