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It’s Monday. What are You Reading? Late but not forgotten

Books, Heather Cato May 7, 2013 Leave a comment

Books I FINALLY finished this week:

The Great Gatsby

A mere five days before the movie comes out, I have finally finished the book! This is now officially my third time to read the classic story and I loved it just as much this time as I did the first two times. I’m not sure if the visual images that I had playing in my head as I read were tainted by the movie previews, but I really think the glitz and glam of this era is purely mesmerizing.

Books I am going to read this week:

Texas Library Association Convention

Empty book bag in hand, a couple of weeks ago browsed the isles of the exhibit hall at the annual Texas Library Association Convention. While there I was able to snag some great books that I am so excited about reading. Of course I won’t get all of these read this week. In fact, most of them will move on to my to read pile for the summer, but none the less a new stack of books is always invigorating to a voracious reader. I think of all of these, I will probably start with Dessen’s latest. I can always count on Dessen to provide a nice story with great characters!

Reel Reading: The House of the Scorpion

Book Trailers, Readers Workshop May 1, 2013 Leave a comment

I love to watch student-made book trailers, especially when the students are not mine, and I’ve already read the book. I guess I see with a teacher’s eye: Did the student get the gist of the book? Did she love it and want others to read it as much as I did?

I felt a thrill when I watched this trailer for Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion. The images and music parallel one another nicely, adding that touch of intrigue, which parallels the adventures in the book. The few errors in writing make me smile– my students will do that, too.

My kids will soon start creating their own book trailers. They got to choose the books they read. They get to figure out how to format and create a trailer that will get others to want to read that book. Should be interesting to see what they come up with.

I cannot wait.

Reel Reading: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Book Trailers, Readers Workshop April 25, 2013 Comments: 3

For their final project my English I students are to create their own book trailers. We’ve watched enough of them this year that they should have a pretty good idea of what an effective trailer should do: compel someone to read the book.

In a last ditch effort to get my kids to understand the task, we are watching student-made book trailers for the next little while. These are a couple that are done very well about the book IF I STAY by Gayle Forman.

In my experience, if you can get a kid to read just one of Forman’s books, she will read them all.

It’s Monday. What Are You Reading?

Amy Rasmussen, Books, Readers Workshop April 22, 2013 Comments: 8

Today I am reading something for me. All me.

I’m tired.

I’m tired of school and kids and teaching. I’m tired of testing (and my students’ tests has been over for a while now.)

I’m tired of reading YA novels about punk kids, drugs, gangs, and so much angst.

Get it? I’m tired.

So, this Monday? What am I reading? This inspiring book that has helped me see some things clearly for the first time in a very long time. I’ve written inside the front cover: “Stop trying to be God.”

It’s a start.

Reel Reading for Real Readers: SHIPBREAKER

Book Trailers, Readers Writers Workshop April 18, 2013 Leave a comment

Watching this book trailer, I am reminded of how much I loved this book when I first read it. I passed it off to my son who read it but also lost the book cover. Does anyone else have a difficult time getting kids to read hardback books that have no cover? Dark, thick, foreboding. I cannot get one kid to even try a book unless the cover is at least attempting to be cool.

So, a week ago I’m cleaning out closets, and I find the jacket to SHIPBREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi, and I’m reminded of its protagonist Nailer and the beautiful girl who changes his life. I love these words in the front cover:

Even at night, the wrecks glowed with work. The torch lights flickered, bobbing and moving. Sledge noise rang across the water. Comforting sounds of work and activity, the air tanged with the coal reek of smelters and the salt fresh breeze coming off the water. It was beautiful.

There’s a mini-lesson on imagery in there, isn’t there?

It’s Monday (or Tuesday). What are You Reading?

Books, Heather Cato April 16, 2013 Comments: 6

I’m fully aware that it isn’t Monday – The way I see it is it really is better late than never, right?

Books I read (or am still reading):

Scarlet

For those of you who have been following my posts, you know my feelings about sequels/trilogy/whatever, but I was drawn to continue reading this series because of the indirect relationship the series has with traditional fairy tales. In the first book Cinder, the author weaves the classic tale of Cinderella in a post-modern society. In the second book, Scarlet, the story of Cinder continues to unfold while at the same time a new character, Scarlet, is brought into the frame. Of course, Scarlet’s character is based of the fairytale Little Red Ridding Hood. It truly was fascinating to see how Marissa Meyer was able to intertwine both fairy tales all the while maintaining the futuristic story line. I am certainly curious to see how the series wraps up in the third book.

Books I’m reading (going to try to actually read) this week:

The Great Gatsby

My goal this week is to get through Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is one of the very few books I have ever read more than once and the only book I ever loved being required to read in school. Clearly, I was excited when I saw that the book once again was coming to life on the silver screen. While I have no notion that the movie is going to be an exact replica of the book I am, once again, excited to see someone else’s interpretation of this book that I have enjoyed.

Reel Reading: Crackback

Book Trailers, Books April 11, 2013 Comments: 3

Brandon’s asked me every week if I had any books about football. Sadly, my classroom library is lacking in sports books. Then, while shopping at the EF book sale, I found this gem. I’d like to put Brandon’s name on it, but I won’t. I’ll show the trailer and let him beg for it in front of the class. I’m mean like that.

Crackback by John Coy

It’s Monday What Are You Reading? ONCE, THEN, NOW

Amy Rasmussen, Books, Readers Workshop April 8, 2013 1 Comment

Once I escaped from an orphanage to find my Mum and Dad.

Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.

My name is Felix.

This is my story.

A friend told me about these lovely books a long while ago. I love the covers. The simplicity, the intrigue of the soft pictures: a boy on a barbed-wired tightrope, a boy and a girl on that same tightrope, a locket in the shape of a heart. Heather, you should have tied me up and forced me to read these tender books much sooner?

I want to expand my students’ thinking and get them thinking about the world beyond their neighborhoods. I want them to learn what empathy is and the value of it in their own lives. In past years, I’ve taken students to the Holocaust Museum in downtown Dallas. These books are a sweet reminder of why that is such a worthy activity.

The author reads the first chapter: “Once I was living in an orphanage“

Reel Reading: Fat Angie

Book Trailers, Books, Readers Workshop April 4, 2013 1 Comment

“There was a girl. Her name was Angie. She was happy.” ~E.E. Charlton-Trujillo

How can you not love a book with a cool title? My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece is my favorite book title of all time. The book itself was pretty good, but oh, that title!

Fat Angie has rested on my whiteboard rail for some time now. I decided I needed to make it move and found this awesome book trailer. I know the perfect student for this book, but I’ll show the trailer and let her see why it screams “Read me!” for herself.

Close to the top of my favorite things to do: match the perfect book with the perfect kid. Hoorah!

Spine Poetry: A Hit and a Bonus

Amy Rasmussen, Books, Strategies to Add Some Zip April 2, 2013 Comments: 2

I didn’t carefully read this post Wanted: Any and All Book Spine Poems, but I took the idea and ran with it. Now, I need to let 100 Scope Notes know about our fun as we kick off National Poetry Month.

The Friday before spring break I needed something engaging to do with students whose hearts, minds, and souls were already on vacation. Classes were short, and we only had 35 minutes.

Creating spine poetry did a few key things:

1. Students had to read book covers–and, BONUS, some kids even checked books out from me after class.

2. Students had to think about words that would create topics and themes in order for their poems to make sense.

3. Students had to read their poems aloud, making sure that even without punctuation, their poems could be read with some kind of rhythm.

4. Students got a little introduction to the much more rigorous study of poetry we will do this month.

The Process: I have eight round tables in my room. I took a big stack of random books from my classroom library shelves and stacked them on each table. I showed the one model in the link above, and told students to get to work.

Create a poem, using only the words on the spine of the books.
Your poem must make sense–if it has a theme, even better!
You must use at least five books.
Someone in your group must read your poem aloud to the class.
Let me know when you are finished creating, so I can take a picture of your stack of books to show the class.

Here’s what my 9th graders created. Some make me proud.