Celebrate This Week! 4.04.15

It's always good to end the week on a positive note.  Sometimes we concentrate on the negatives.  We have a choice.  Choose positive.  Choose to celebrate.  I will be joining Ruth Ayres and her weekly link-up, Celebrate This Week.  Check out all the other celebrations HERE

This weekend I am celebrating Voxer!

Last summer at nErDcampMI, Colby Sharp talked about Voxer.  He explained it as a walkie-talkie app that was allowing him to stay in contact with the other nerdcamp planners.  I remember thinking at the time that I just didn't know how I would use it.

This past winter, Voxer was brought up again with some friends I had met at nerdcamp/ncte.  Again, I wasn't sold on it since I couldn't see how it would work for me.

Then, I read a Nerdy post by Katherine Sokolowski and how she uses Voxer to talk daily with a group of people.  That got me thinking, I talk daily with friends across the country on Twitter.  But 140 characters can be limiting and not as personal.

I sent out a tweet and got it going.  Now, I talk daily with groups of people about everything.  One group is just daily bantering.  Going back and forth about life.  Making each other laugh.  Another group is daily inspiration.  We share books.  We share ideas.  We share thoughts.  It's invigorating and exciting. 

One of the best parts about Voxer is how personal it is.  Hearing voices instead of reading words makes my heart happy.  I love that Voxer allows me to hear my friends, yet if I need to text my words I have that option on there as well.  I can send pictures too.

I want to be happy in life.  A big part of our lives is our jobs.  I'd like to think everyone goes into teaching because they love being with children and are looking to make an impact on young lives.  Somewhere in ideal land and reality, many people change their attitude about their daily work.  Twitter has changed my attitude about work.  Having new ideas and something to be excited about has impacted what I do with students.  Voxer has only increased it.  Getting new ideas and having a space to share them with others who want to know and share that excitement is infectious.

I'm celebrating my Voxer friends and to many more conversations with them! 

#mustreadin2015 April update

Update #1!

I did really well in January and February, but by the time March came around, I think every library book I've ever had on hold came in!  I slowed up a bit, still read, just not as much from this list.  But I'm determined to turn that around, even though I have I think 10 novels currently checked out from the library!

This month, April, I'm determined to get to:
A Dog Called Homeless
Echo
Wish Girl
Finding Serendipity

We'll see how it goes, but I always feel like declaring it publicly helps :)

The 2016 Bluestem Choice List came out a few weeks ago and that has also put a dent in my #mustreadin2015 list, as I'm trying to read those.  Oh well, read read read :)

Here's my #mustreadin2015 update. 

Books that are coming out in 2015
Wish Girl by Niki Loftin
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven read 1.21.15
The Way to Stay in Destiny by Augusta Scattergood read 1.04.15
How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel by Jess Keating read 1.02.15
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper read 2.04.15
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John read 2.23.15
In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks
Jack by Liesl Shirtliff
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb
Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielsen read 3.05.15
The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein
The Quirks and the Quirkalicious Birthday by Erin Soderberg
All Fall Down by Ally Carter
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

Books that are part of a series
Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle
That Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen read 2.22.15
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Revolution by Deborah Wiles
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Villainous by Matthew Cody
The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
Always Abigail by Nancy Cavanaugh
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Books that are on the IL 2015 Bluestem list
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
Amulet The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi read 3.27.15

Books that have Newbery buzz
Greenglass House by Kate Milford read 1.29.15
West of the Moon by Margi Preus

Books that I haven't read and I really want to
The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. by Kate Messner read 1.10.15
Glory Be by August Scattergood
The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Blakemore
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
Rules by Cynthia Lord
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee
The Nightingale's Nest by Niki Loftin
The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
Nest by Esther Ehrlich
Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin
Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana
The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe

Young Adults
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Non-Fiction
The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming

Transitional Chapter Books
Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst read 3.24.15

Adult Reads
Wild Things! by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson, Peter D. Sieruta
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Best to Laugh by Lorna Landvik

Still much to read!  Happy reading :)

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday 4.01.15

I am excited to join Alyson Beecher and other friends in this weekly challenge.  Finding great nonfiction picture books isn't a challenge anymore, there are so many wonderful books to be read now!  The challenge is sharing them with as many people as possible so they can find this wealth of literature to share with our young readers.  Thanks to Aly for starting this weekly link-up and thanks to all who join in!

It's time to think spring, even if the weather in the midwest is not cooperating!

Our kindergarten has studied birds and other animals and this week begins their study of eggs.  Thinking spring, animals and eggs, check these out!

Egg: Nature's Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

I'm not going to write much about this beautiful book, instead I'll refer you to Margie Myers-Culver's comprehensive post from last week - she does the book justice!  

I read a conversation on Twitter today by Carrie Gelson, Alyson Beecher and Melissa Stewart about text structure, and I thought about that a lot as I read this book.  Egg is full of amazing information but Jenkins and Page make it so accessible to all readers by dividing the information into sections, example "Egg Eaters" and "Egg protection" are two different headings.  Teachers can guide young children through the book slowly and read just a bit at a time or they can focus on specific sections.  When going back through the book, students can use the heading to locate information quicker.  There is so much information, it helped me think about eggs in different ways but be able to categorize everything as I read.

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre
Oh my, have you seen this gorgeous book?  This is one that warranted numerous re-reads. You need a read to just read the words, then a read to think about what it's teaching you, then a read to go back and re-read after you read the end notes about the science behind the book, and of course a read just to look through the amazing photographs.  So much to do with this book:
* ask, "what does rain do to insects? plants?
* what sounds do raindrops make?
* what does rain do?
* what happens after rain stops?
* how is rain important to the environment? (think plants and animals)
* look at the describing words, sort them into categories - examples: helping, science
Gorgeous.  And again, make sure you read Margie's post on this beautiful book.



Sweep Up the Sun by Helen Frost
Poet Helen Frost and photographer Rick Lieder, the team that brought us Step Gently Out is back again with another sight for our eyes and prose for our ears.  Frost captures what it must be like to be a bird, flying solo or with friends, living on earth or up in the skies.  Lieder's amazing photography captures birds at moments that take our breath away.  This book is beautiful.  The endnotes, again, share information about the birds to make this book a wonderful addition to a science unit.
* I think I would use this book with students, first, just sharing the poem.  After talking about the words and what it makes us visualize, then I would share the stunning photography.


You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple
Ok, I'm cheating here with this one.  It's a work of fiction, but if you just concentrate on the endnotes, then you're talking nonfiction!  This is a very sweet story, maybe even a bed time story about a mother sharing with her child about some of the nesting habits of birds, but always reminding her child "you nest here with me".  If kids aren't careful, they might even learn a little bit about birds and how and where they nest.  And if they have a savvy parent who shares the information in the endnotes, well, then they will definitely learn a few facts about the birds featured in the book.

What are some of your favorite bird, egg and spring books?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3.30.15

This weekly post comes from Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers.  It's a great source to find new books to use with your students.

Spring Break reading was good :)
Here are the ones that really stood out.  I reviewed everything on Goodreads.  Check these books out:

Picture Books


Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett
5/5 stars
I talked about this book briefly after ALA.
I'm so grateful to Jen Vincent for pointing this book out to me!
Being scared of the dark is something many young children face.  Having an illogical fear of something is a rite of passage for young children.  In this book, Orion has many fears, but the big one, is being afraid of the dark.  Until the Dark comes to visit.  Dark reminds me a bit of Beetle - a kind, old soul that has a heart of a giant.  
I think I said "awwww" a couple of times as I read this gem.  Make sure you find a copy of this book.  Maybe like me, it will find its way onto your bookshelf.


You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple
4/5 stars
Mother-daughter team have created a wonderful bedtime story - visions of parents and children snuggling up to read this story come in my head.
But then the teacher side of me sees how this book is teaching its young readers about nesting habits of birds.  
This lovely fiction story has wonderful end notes, giving us additional information about each bird, their feathers, eggs, nests and other interesting facts.
And, oh yes, Melissa Sweet is the illustrator.  Icing on the cake.


My Pen by Christopher Myers
4/5 stars
A pen is a tool that lets our imagination come to life. 
A great story that would leave much to talk about and write about and draw about.  I think this story has a place with older students.  I think they will understand it on a different level.  But young students may love where the pen takes them in the story.  What I love about picture books is they don't have an age limit stuck to them.  They are not just for our primary students.  So many more can enjoy them.


Meet the Dullards by Sara Pennypacker
4/5 stars
Need to teach sarcasm to students?  This is a perfect tongue-in-cheek book that will get them laughing.  A family that finds staring at paint fun?  Mr. and Mrs. Dullard are trying their hardest to keep their young children dull.  But it's hard when a neighbor welcomes them to their new home with... chunky applesauce cake!!  Mr. Dullard even has to ask her to "Please don't use exclamation marks in front of our children."

Young Adult


Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
4/5 stars
I like Oliver's books, but... they really make me nervous for my daughter to become a teen! Surely not all teens drink, do drugs, have sex, sneak out, and be mean to everyone, right?????
This one was good too.  Good twist.  But if you're going to read this book, I highly recommend reading it slowly.  Or else you're going to want to go back and reread everything to find what you missed.

Graphic Novels


Amulet #1: The Storekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
5/5 stars
I've had this one for awhile, just haven't gotten around to it.  I cannot believe how popular these books have been this year.  Very thankful for what this series has done.
This was on my #mustreadin2015 list.  Check it off!

Transitional Chapter Books


Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst
5/5 stars
I love Lulu - she's a spunky and a not-so-perfect character.  This third installment is probably my favorite.  She's funnier, more clever, and has even more schemes.  I love how Viorst turns and talks to the reader.  This book makes a beautiful read-aloud - kids will laugh and since it's a series, there's more to read!

Adult Reads


Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim
4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book.  If you liked The Help, I would recommend this one.  It's a great story about a wet nurse and her charge, a young plantation debutante.  It takes place during the time of the Underground Railroad.  The story was gripping, I didn't want to put it down.  But... the writing was not so good.  Debut author, but you would think the editing would have found some of the holes - week transitions, confusing at times, hard to sometimes follow who was telling the story, parts that needed to be developed.  But, even with all of that, it was a really good story!  It's a quick read.  Highly recommended.

Currently Reading


The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith


Black Dove White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

On-Deck

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

Celebrate This Week 3.28.15

It's always good to end the week on a positive note.  Sometimes we concentrate on the negatives.  We have a choice.  Choose positive.  Choose to celebrate.  I will be joining Ruth Ayres and her weekly link-up, Celebrate This Week.  Check out all the other celebrations HERE

Small Celebration Saturday!

It was a rough week a week ago and I just didn't have it in me to celebrate last weekend.  A week has passed, and no huge ups, but no bad downs either.  Just small celebrations.

1.  Spring Break
This was not the best Spring Break.  It was full of doctor appointments (routine) and appointments of things that need to be done not during a school day.  I appreciate that I had a week to do them.  I do my best to get things done outside of school but that's not always possible.  Having a week to get things done is helpful.  Of course we started Spring Break with a snowfall of 5+ inches.  Yuck.  The temps have not been cooperative.  But, we were off school.  I took a nap 4 days over break.  I didn't pack a lunch.  I got reading done.  Not bad.

2.  Movie time
Last weekend my daughter and I had a mother-daughter movie date.  We saw the new Cinderella.  Have you seen it?  It was beautiful.  The costumes were gorgeous, the scenery breath taking and the story fantastic.  Disney does it again.  I really enjoyed the casting too. Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother?  That was a bit far-fetched, but it was fun to see her play a "good guy" because she really is a fantastic villain!  And the Frozen Fever short was so fun!  I adore Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff so it was a pleasure listening to the new song.  This weekend my daughter is going to have a father-daughter movie date and go see the new movie Home.  It looks cute, but I think I may enjoy some downtime of my own!

3.  Shoe shopping
I have had trouble finding good spring shoes the past couple of years.  I think I finally solved the problem for this year.  A couple of weeks ago I got a couple of pairs of Sketchers, the new ones with the memory foam in them.  I love them, but feel like sometimes I need something just a bit more dressy.  I found 2 super cute pairs this week that fill that void.  And I have a pair of flip flop sandals that I love love love.  But they are getting to the point where they don't smell the best :)  Found them on Zappos, so now have a cute pair of nice smelling flip flops!

4.  Author week
I'm sure many of you have heard of the wonderful Indie bookshop, Anderson's in Naperville, IL.  It's a little over an hour away from our house.  Closer to 2 hours away when you're driving in rush hour traffic.  We don't get down there too often, which is unfortunate because they have wonderful children's literature authors that come frequently but always on a school night.  We took Spring Break as an opportunity to see two amazing authors - my daughter and I met Chris Grabenstein and.... the one and only Katherine Applegate!  We went two different days and shopped both days.  Came home with some great kidlit including a blinged up copy of The Crossover!

5.  Doing Good
This week my daughter and I went with Jen Vincent (@mentortexts) and her son to Feed My Starving Children.  I knew it was a place where you put food together that they ship out to the hungry.  I didn't realize the extent of what we were doing.  They showed us a video before we started of children in third world countries and what malnutrition is doing to them. Then we got ready and went back to the food prep room.  We actually put together food packets (vitamins, veggies, soy and rice) they they called Manna packets.  These packets are put in boxes and shipped to these different countries.  It was a great experience - the energy in the room was amazing.  This is something I would definitely like to do again.  I'm glad Jen got me involved!

Packed food w @knott_michele and her daughter at @fmsc_org today! http://t.co/ErF8pJMvLu pic.twitter.com/rX8HLpWwRa
— Jen Vincent (@mentortexts) March 27, 2015

Happy week, everyone!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday 3.25.15

I am excited to join Alyson Beecher and other friends in this weekly challenge.  Finding great nonfiction picture books isn't a challenge anymore, there are so many wonderful books to be read now!  The challenge is sharing them with as many people as possible so they can find this wealth of literature to share with our young readers.  Thanks to Aly for starting this weekly link-up and thanks to all who join in!

This week I read the book Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird by Stephanie Spinner because it landed on the 2016 Bluestem Award nominations.  This is the 3rd-5th grade IL Kids Choice award.  This book is a great mentor text for narrative nonfiction.  It is divided into chapters, with each chapter being several pages long, usually one full page of an illustration and the opposite page with another illustration and half a page of text.  The amount to read is very accessible for 3rd-5th graders, with even younger students being able to listen and comprehend the story.  The story is in narrative format, showing how Alex the Parrot learned information and was able to communicate over time.  The scientific process is shown to students as the text explains how the scientist, Irene Pepperberg, went about her study of how the grey parrot learns and communicates.  This highly engaging text and story will be a book students read again and again.  With multiple ways of using the book - either as a mentor text for writing nonfiction, a mentor text to show the scientific process in writing, or a mentor text for looking at research, this is a great addition for the classroom.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3.23.15

This weekly post comes from Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers.  It's a great source to find new books to use with your students.

I love my on-line life and it has certainly added to my reading pile.  I try to get as many books as possible from the library so my budget isn't absolutely ruined by my book buying.  As soon as I see a book I am interested in, unless it's already in my must-be-purchased-immediately-without-even-looking-at-it-first pile, I put it on hold at the library.  But why is it when you have as many books on hold as I do, they all seem to come in at once?  And if you have any longer chapter books, say some young adult or even adult reads on hold, well. that really dents your reading time!  So, not a ton read, but some good longer reads to recommend!
I also just got back from seeing the new Cinderella movie.  While I am definitely Disney-biased, I do highly recommend this movie.  It was beautiful!

Picture Books


In Mary's Garden by Tina and Carson Kugler
5/5 stars
I quickly read this book at ALA this winter, but I was thrilled to have more time with it this week.  Art can be so many different things and I love that Mary Nohl saw something so unique and special.  I think this book is going to touch the hearts of many readers.


In by Nikki McClure
4/5 stars
I think this book is going to go on my Mock Geisel unit at the end of this year.  Simple words, but I love what you can talk about the writing.  This book reminded me of Lizi Boyd's Flashlight but with text.  The things you can find when you use your imagination...

Informational Texts


Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally Walker
4/5 stars
For those who know me, they know I love all things Disney.  However, I detest Winnie-the-Pooh.  Not a popular opinion, I know.  I've never liked Pooh Bear.  Too whiny for me.  I don't care for any of the Hundred Acre Woods characters.  But I thoroughly enjoyed this book that gives some of the history behind the bear.  Maybe because it's history, I can look past my detest for Pooh and love his story!

Middle Grade


The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold
4/5 stars
My heart broke for the main character.  To want something that in your heart you know cannot happen... to ask the impossible questions.  Thought provoking book, especially at the end.  While I loved the emotion and big questions it asked, I thought the author could have gone a bit deeper, it seemed that she got into the shallow water... almost at the deep end... but came up a little too soon.  

Adult Read


Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
4/5 stars
I love historical fiction and this family chronicle has fed that part of my book soul.  This was another good addition to the Clifton family story, and as usual, it ended with a cliffhanger.  Since I know the next one won't be out for another year, this time I wrote down what was happening with all the main characters.  I'm hoping that will help me remember the major plot lines.  It seems like I spend the first part of each book going, oh yeah!  Now I remember!

Currently Reading


Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim
Loving the story - told in the 1800s, about the relationship between a young daughter of a plantation owner and her nurse, a slave the family owns.  Fantastic story.  It's gripping, and I always want to return to it when I have to put it down.  It's a debut author and I think there are certain writing techniques that need to be improved upon (better editing??), but the story is so strong, you can get through the writing.  Highly recommended.

On Deck

It's Spring Break reading time!  I have a lot of picture books to get through.  The 2016 IL Bluestem  and Monarch Reader's Choice nominees just came out and I'm trying to get through some of them.
Some other books in the pile:
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
RollerGirl by Victoria Jamieson
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean
Amulet #1 by Kazu Kibuishi
Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst

Here's to #bookaday!!!