Happy Summer!
Welcome to KidLit Book Club SECOND AUGUST SESSION!
You are going to choose what to read. Please select texts of approx. 100 pages. For instance, you may read 4 picture books, 2 early chapter books, or a longer novel. They should be things that are new-to-you. You may read them in any format--audio, ebook, or print.
Here on the blog, please post what you've chosen to read so that others in the course can see and share. Please login to blogger so your comments are labeled or put "This is Michele" in the text of your book announcements and reviews bc otherwise you will be listed as "unknown". You are encouraged to read the blog comments and add your own to anyone else's... that's the "club" part of the course. However, peer comments, aside from your summary, are not required.
When you finish, post your review. It should include at least 3 sentences with these points:
a one sentence gist that mentions the main character and main plot thrust,
a one sentence opinion as a reader-perhaps a favorite part,
and a one sentence opinion as a teacher-perhaps with a comment about teach points or the type of reader you'd rec the book to.
If you read 4 picture books, yes you do this for every book.
If you read 2 short early-reader chapter books, you'll submit 2 reviews.
Ex Book Report: Little Red Riding Hood by Perrault. A little girl encounters a trickster wolf in a historical fairy tale. I really enjoyed the way the suspense builds, but was surprised by the abrupt ending with the odd way the wolf dies. I would not choose to read this out loud but would recommend it to kids who want edgier, spookier reads (that really aren't all that bad).
You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly. 2 middle school kids play online scrabble and form a friendship. They help one another through divorce, bullying and finding their own voice. The characters speak in alternating chapters to connect the plot. They were quirky and well developed and easy to identify with, situations were real to life and the solutions were happy but not sappy. This would be a good small group book to start discussions about navigating friendships.
ReplyDeleteWow you make this book sound way less edgy than the reviews I read of it. It is def one of the "it" books of the moment. I want to read it to see if its right for our school.
DeleteThis sounds like a great book - I am adding it to my list! :)
Delete-above comment from Lisa Pallifrone (sorry!)
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ReplyDeleteI read Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol: The Haunted House Next Door. This is the first book in a 4 book series. Two more books will come out this fall. I think Michele has books 2 and 3 in her library. It's 122 pages long - a highly illustrated (one illustration per page), relatively beginning chapter book. I'd guess Level M, plus or minus a level. It's not from the Branches publishing arm of Scholastic, but it is a lot like those books - accessible to most 3rd graders (probably many 2nd graders, as well) and almost a cross between a picture book and a chapter book. This book, I'm guessing, sets up the series with a new kid moving into two. His house is haunted (a very tame haunting - ending with a bit of gross-out humor) and his next door neighbor ends up being Desmond Cole, Ghost Patrol. Laughs, light adventure - I'm sure using the first one as a quick read aloud (3-4 days) would make it a popular series for kids to get from the library.
ReplyDeleteI think for this month I'm going to read Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. He is a very popular author with 8th graders (girls mostly), and I've been wanting to read this latest book by him.
ReplyDeleteJust finished Turtles... not what I expected. Great writing like always from John Green, but I found this book to me more depressing than his others. It is for older teens, but I can see that making it appealing to 8th graders. So I am glad that I read it so I can be informed when discussing it with readers due to the heavy subjects involved. A high school junior, Aza, has severe anxiety and OCD, and reconnects with an old friend whose billionaire father has gone missing. I thought the book would be more of a mystery about Aza and her friend finding the father, but that wasn't what most of the story was about. The majority was Aza dealing with how OCD and anxiety is impacting everything she does. I liked the book for the descriptions of how she is feeling. It will for sure help me understand students with mental health issues better. This book MIGHT be good for a book group with a select group of students.
DeleteI want to read The One and Only Ivan. I have been meaning to read this for a couple of months now! Aly
ReplyDeleteThe One and Only Ivan is a great book! I read her book Wishtree this last school year....another good one to add to your list!
Delete-Lisa Pallifrone
I have the picture book that goes with Ivan, Aly--fyi.
DeleteI read this at the beginning of summer- I loved it!
DeleteMy second short chapter book is Isadora Moon Goes to School. This is the first book in a so-far 6 book series. I believe Michele has the first 3 books in her library. 116 pages, illustrations on every second or third page. Probably a Level N text. Isadora Moon is half-fairy and half-vampire (very tame vampires - they eat/drink red foods, tomato juice is a staple.) She is going to start school - she tries the Fairy School, but doesn't fit because she is only half-fairy . Same with the Vampire School. In the end she meets some of the neighborhood humans and decides to try regular school (we don't see how that turns out in this book.) A fine story, I could see it fitting with girls looking for a new series to read. Maybe a connection to "everyone is different, which is great, so just be yourself", but that idea is mentioned on more of a surface-level.
ReplyDeleteI just finished Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It has been on my reading list for a while and I am so glad I finally had time to read it. This book is about a girl named Ally, who struggles in school. She often misbehaves and gets in trouble, until one teacher recognizes that there is a bigger problem that Ally is trying to cover up. Powerful book for both teachers and students. Definitely a book to teach about acceptance, learning difficulties and fitting in.
ReplyDelete-Lisa Pallifrone
I read the 100 page chapter book called The Curse of King Tut's Mummy by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld. The book is a true story about a young boy named Howard Carter who became a painter for a well-to-do family. At age seventeen he was hired to travel to Cairo and become part of the Egypt Exporation Fund team where he would spend years painting/copying tomb art. He learned all about the tombs of the Pharoahs (Egyptian kings) within the vast pyramids. While most burial chambers had their treasures and artifacts stolen over the years, Howard was convinced that at least one more tomb still lay hidden in the valley. After a series of circumstances and job changes, Howard convinced a rich friend to fund a crew led by him to search the desert for a remaining treasure. After several years of tumultuous digging and exploration, Howard and his crew found one remaining tomb. For over eight years, Howard excavated one of the last known tombs, that of King Tut. I loved this book and thought the descriptions of the ancient treasures were especially well done. I thought that this was a great elementary level read for 2-5th graders and was a great glimpse into history in a way that was entertaining and kept your interest. I was fascinated and would definitely recommend it to my own kids or to students.
ReplyDeleteThe Curse of King Tut's Mummy post was by Sarah Kachmaryk
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah!
DeleteLove That Dog by Sharon Creech. A novel told in a series of poems written by a reluctant 4/5th grade boy who doesn't like poetry.... until he does. Each poem is set up as a writer's notebook entry and is part of a continuous conversation with the teacher (we don't hear or see the teacher's words). The first poem:
ReplyDeleteI don't want to
because boys
don't write poetry.
Girls do.
The voice is clear and funny with a slow developing curiousness regarding his dog. Fabulous way to intro poetry writing. A Read Aloud that has humor and a bit of a heartbreak at the end. I see it fostering some tender conversations as a class.
Way back in my early years, I made the mistake of reading this book as a read aloud without pre-reading it first. We got to an especially emotional part, and were all just floored. I try to know my texts a little better now...
DeleteThe library search term for long form books like this is "novels in verse". They are catnip to me! so easy to read for the kids, yet so much to talk to about. Last year my high-readers book club read Where I Live by Spinelli and they loved it. It reveals very quickly who can/not infer.
DeleteYou've piqued my interest
ReplyDeleteThis is Michelle Procious with a review of The Eagle's Quill written by Sarah L. Thomson. I was interested in checking out this book after reading the first book, The Eureka Key, in the series for VIS Community Read last school year. A small group of young adventurous kids find out they are destined to find and protect historical artifacts left by the Founding Fathers who happen to be their relatives. I really love the teaching aspects of the books and connections made to our American History. It reminds me so much of The Magic Tree House series. The teaching points would be all the history and you could tie it into Social Studies Curriculum. I would recommend this book to kids that like adventure and suspense in the life of kids their age.
ReplyDeleteThis is Michelle Procious with a review of an old favorite, To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. I read this book while tutoring a student for a pre-AP English course this school year. This is an intense story with the setting set in Alabama in the years 1933-1935, main characters grappling with racism, prejudice, poverty and very separate social classes. I very much enjoyed most how Lee developed the characters all throughout, the courtroom drama and the very much unexpected ending. I cheered, cried and did both again! Many points in the book gave me the chills. I listened to the author via the audio recording. Her portrayal of their voices and intonations was incredible. I think listening to her narrate the story through Scout is the best way to read this book to get the full effect. Reminded me of Bud, Not Buddy-so much better to listen to Christopher Paul Curtis narrate it than to read it in my own head. There are several teaching points all throughout this book-social struggles, social classes, Black vs. white, bigotry, hypocrits, holocaust, human maturity, etc. I think the book would need to be presented in a very mindful manner in present day. This book takes a great deal of maturity to understand all themes being presented.
ReplyDeleteI have really been moving to audio books too!
DeleteHi all
ReplyDeleteIt's Claire here...my name is not showing up when I sign in :(
I read Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams Garcia. I chose this book because I try to consider multi-cultural texts, especially as the ENL population increases in Victor.
This story is about a boy, Clayton, who lives with his mother and his grandfather. His grandfather is a jazz musician and plays in Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Clayton's grandfather passes away and leaves his harmonica to Clayton. In an attempt to honor his grandfather, Clayton decides to leave school and go on the road with the Bluesman, his grandfather's band. Most of this book takes place during the one day he decides to run away from home and go on the road.
The challenge of this book is that there are many references to living in a big city, New York, and many references to jazz music and style. Although the text could be read by a 4th-5th grade student, I think the teacher would have to preface the book by talking about paying close attention to parts that don't make sense. This would require additional work on the reader's part to find out what the text is saying, even though the student would probably be able to read all the words. This amount of reading beyond the text and understanding something outside of a student's experience would be a good first step for a reader of this age.
Thanks Claire!
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