Welcome to KidLit Book Club.
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. My book this summer is Aru Shah and the End of Time by Chokshi.
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 because it posts as Anonymous and I won't know who completed the work. 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:
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).
My Last Year Book Report:
Making Mistakes on Purpose was absolutely hilarious and bizarre in the tradition of classic British madcap adventures. The lighthouse-boarding-school houses the unflappable Ms. Rapscott, her 2 assistant corgis, and 5 female charges, each of which has an arc. They often cross paths with their compatriots in the boys school on the mountain as they journey To the Top through many other funny community characters. Because of this intense cast, I find this book best as a read aloud for grades 3-5. The characters are 9, but the amount of peril and independence they face makes them feel more like 12. The book has a slow start and I wasn't a fan of the slow writing at the end, but OH! the adventure in between... It's a LITERAL take on metaphors so would be great to reinforce them, and the characterization of each different strong-willed girl was superb. What keeps me from rec'ing this book as a Must Read is the length... it's super long. Took me days to read and I'm like lightning. However, it's full of life lessons like how to make friends, recover from hurt feelings, and take matters into your own hands... it has gobs of discussion material great for the fall.
Link to Last Year's Club
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. My book this summer is Aru Shah and the End of Time by Chokshi.
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 because it posts as Anonymous and I won't know who completed the work. 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:
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).
My Last Year Book Report:
Making Mistakes on Purpose was absolutely hilarious and bizarre in the tradition of classic British madcap adventures. The lighthouse-boarding-school houses the unflappable Ms. Rapscott, her 2 assistant corgis, and 5 female charges, each of which has an arc. They often cross paths with their compatriots in the boys school on the mountain as they journey To the Top through many other funny community characters. Because of this intense cast, I find this book best as a read aloud for grades 3-5. The characters are 9, but the amount of peril and independence they face makes them feel more like 12. The book has a slow start and I wasn't a fan of the slow writing at the end, but OH! the adventure in between... It's a LITERAL take on metaphors so would be great to reinforce them, and the characterization of each different strong-willed girl was superb. What keeps me from rec'ing this book as a Must Read is the length... it's super long. Took me days to read and I'm like lightning. However, it's full of life lessons like how to make friends, recover from hurt feelings, and take matters into your own hands... it has gobs of discussion material great for the fall.
Link to Last Year's Club
We are doing a new unit for ELA 8, and students will be required to read a multicultural book in groups. So my goal this summer is to read as many of the choices students will have as possible. I am going to start with The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande.
ReplyDeleteI read both these book. In The Distance Between Us, Reyna Grande tells the story of her life growing up in Mexico with both of her parents working in the US. She later crosses the border illegally with her dad, and tells of her life in the US since then. This is one of the choices students can read in our multi-cultural book groups, and I can't wait to see what the students think and what current connections they can find. I also read Poet X about a teenager who uses poetry as an outlet for the injustices in her life. Definitely for a more older student, I think we decided that only 8C students can choose this book, but it is incredible!
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ReplyDeleteAfter the students left for summer vacation, we were given many books for book clubs for the 2019-2020 school year. I haven't (hadn't) read any of the books. So my goal is to read as many as I have time for. Over the last 2 days, I had to do a lot of riding in a car, so I finished 4 books.
ReplyDelete#1 - Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett Krosoczka. This is a choice for our Graphic Novel book club. The pages aren't numbered but it's about 100 pages. This is the first in a series of Lunch Lady graphic novels and introduces a lunch lady who is a secret superhero. She has a lunch lady side kick (Betty) who invents cooking-based gadgets like a spatula that allows the Lunch Lady to fly (a Spatu-copter). The 3 main kid characters are Hector, Dee and Terrence. Hector is a smart, imaginative rule-follower who gets bullied by Milmoe (the school bully). Dee is a tough, athletic, tomboy who stands up to Milmoe, and Terrence is a bit insecure, but he has an adventurous side. Terrance suggests that the 3 friends follow the lunch lady to see what she's up to and they end up getting involved in fighting off a large group of evil robots/cyborg substitute teachers. The author uses humor, imagination, and superhero style adventure and fighting throughout the graphic novel. The book ends with the villain (science teacher - Edmond Edison) contacting the main cyborg villain to give orders for his next crime... If students get hooked into this book and these characters, there is an entire series of books for them to continue to read.
#2 - Rose's Journal by Marissa Moss (author of the Amelia's Notebook series).
This is historical fiction about a girl named Rose and her family's struggles during the great depression. The setting is on a farm in a small faming community in Keota, Kansas. This is written as a journal/notebook. This chronicles the life of Rose and her family from Jan. 1, 1935 - June 16, 1935. The book is colorful, uses lots of drawings, some graphic novel type comics, and has actual photos from the time period as well. This is beautifully written and very engaging. I learned so much about life in Kansas during the depression and the struggles,hardships, and heartbreaks people had to endure during this time. There were long periods of drought, horrific dust storms, not enough food or water for the people or the animals. Rose is a very strong, hopeful, optimistic character, but it was heartbreaking to learn about what people and animals had to endure. Rose's older brother, Floyd, wanted to an artist, not a farmer. The father wanted him to be a farmer, and there was a great deal of conflict between the Floyd and his father. Floyd eventually left the farm to try to find a better life and to use his artistic talents. Through Floyd's letters home, we learn about struggles people were facing in the other parts of the USA during this time as well. There was so much tragedy in this book, I almost stopped reading it. I couldn't bear to learn of more things going wrong. But I did finish the book and reallly enjoyed it. This may be a difficult read for empathetic students who love animals and people. Students will have a strong understanding of the struggles of the Great Depression after they read this book. Thankfully, the resolution of the book was postive.
My daughter will LOVE Rose's Journal!Thank you for the review!
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ReplyDeleteThis summer has been particularly exciting for me, as my 10 year old( who is an avid reader) has been sharing books with me after she reads them so we can discuss and she has also enjoyed us reading the same book separately, but simultaneously and discussing( like our own mini book club!)
ReplyDeleteShe shared this book with me after reading it and told me that I would LOVE it. It is called Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It is ablout a girl named Ally( great name, right) who has gotten to sixth grade without being able to read. She is afraid to ask for help and thinks she is dumb, until she gets a long term sub who figures her out and ends up helping her. This is a classic Mr. Falker type story, but it is cute and entertaining. It has themes such as friendship, making mistakes, hard work, bullying, and the idea that we all have out own "stuff" to deal with and we handle it in different ways. I plan on reading this to my students this year at the beginning of the year to spark some discussions around these themes and and how we can use the lessons learned in this book to make ourselves better humans. Super cute read and even better that my Sweetie shared it with me!
I just read the most amazing book - Refugee by Alan Gratz. Many of my 6th grade boys were reading his books last year and I never got a chance to get to them until now. Well, I am hooked!
ReplyDeleteRefugee follows three different kids stories in different time periods(1930's, 1994, 2015). All of them are trying to escape their country for a better life. The characters are fictional, but the stories are based on real life.... they are heartbreaking and will keep you flipping the page.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic/historical fiction and actions/survival type of books. A lot of my reluctant boy readers in 6th grade really this book. It is a heavy topic though, so I would make sure the reader is aware of that. Will 100% pick up another book by Alan Gratz.
~Lisa Pallifrone
I love this book! We are adding it to the 8th grade curriculum this year!
DeleteThis summer I read Game Changer, which emphasized the importance of providing children with diverse libraries of books. So, for this book club, I decided to read George, by Alex Gino. George is a fourth grade student who was born a boy, but knows in her heart that she is really a girl. The story is told over just a couple of weeks as the 4th graders audition, rehearse, and perform a play for Charlotte's Web. George wants to be cast as Charlotte, but meets resistance from his teacher. As the story unfolds, George encounters a variety of reactions from his mother, older brother, and best friend as he finds the courage to share his "secret" with them. I found this to be a very timely read, and I was glad that the author explored not only the reactions of others, but the impact they have on a person who is trying to be his/her true self. I don't think I would use this book as a read aloud, but I think it is an important book to have in a classroom library, and it is one that is worthy of a book talk to promote tolerance and inclusion.
ReplyDelete-Gisela Armbruster
I choose to read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. From second grade blogs I follow, teachers raved about this book as a fantastic read aloud for second graders. In this book, Edward is a toy bunny rabbit who has a china face and velvet ears. His owner is a sweet little girl named Abilene This little girl eventually loses Edward over the edge of The Queen Mary. After nearly a year on the bottom of the ocean floor, Edward is recovered by a fisherman. Edward is loved, lost, thrown out and broken many times throughout his thirty year journey with different and unique owners until, after being broken so badly, he was repaired by a doll maker. Edward sat in the doll shop waiting to be adopted but continually was passed up for more traditional dolls.
ReplyDeleteThis book deals with loss, recovery, kindness, and compassion. The ending is delightful! I will surely read this to my class this year.
Hi there!
ReplyDeleteI read picture books galore. Here are 4 Must Haves:
Lubna and Pebble - Wendy Maddour Sweet story of a young refugee who has a pebble for comfort. She meets another young arrival and they have adventures. When she leaves for a new home Lubna gives the pebble to the boy. Illustrations are beautiful. I'll use for supporting how small acts are powerful.
Why Am I Me? - Paige Britt. Wonderings by two characters that don't realize they are asking the same questions. All about how we're all different and yet similar with lovely illustrations of daily life filled with diverse people. Can't wait to use to support our discussions of how we are a community.
Say Something - Peter Reynolds. Another beauty by author if Ish, Happy Dreamer, The Dot. The world needs your voice. say it with art, music, words, actions etc. It will be a perfect way to connect the variety of voices our students have into compassionate action.
The Pigeon Has To Go To School - Mo Willems. 'nuff said.
I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. At 279 pages it would normally scare me off of using as a read aloud, but the text is relatively well-spaced, making it read "faster." I appreciate that this book focuses on a different culture. The story follows Minli, a girl in China, who leaves her family in search of the Old Man of the Moon. She is seeking him with the hope of finding out how her poor family can change their fortune. Along with the central narrative, some of the characters tell other stories within the main story. The stories and characters overlap, wrapping up with a satisfying ending. With lots of storylines to keep track of, I think this would make a very fun read aloud. I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteTwo of the books I read this summer have really left their mark forever on my heart. They were powerful and relevant.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Written in free verse, this book shares the story of Jude, a young girl who is forced to immigrate to America with her mother. Jude lives in Syria with her mother, father, and brother. When it no longer is safe for them to stay in Syria, Jude and her mother leave for America to live with her mother's brother. Moving to America is a challenge for Jude. So much changes for her: her mother is pregnant, her brother runs off with the Syrian rebel forces, she and her mother move in with her uncle, aunt, and cousin, and she begins school in America. The story follows Jude as she makes friends, auditions for the school play (Beauty and the Beast), learns more English, and finds herself. I'd suggest this book for end of 5th and beyond. There's a brief section about Jude that details how she becomes a woman and begins wearing a hijab. In addition, terrorism is discussed in sections throughout the book and younger students may not possess the background knowledge to understand. I love everything about this book!
Second, Out of Left Field by Ellen Klages. This book tells the story of Katy Gordon in 1957. She's a 10 year old girl desperate to play baseball in Little League. When her teacher assigns a research project, she jumps on the opportunity to investigate the untold stories of women in baseball. While she doesn't get the league to overturn their rule, she learns valuable life lessons while investigating the history of women in the sport. I loved this story and how it portrays the time period. It intertwines science (the Space Race) with the fight for equality for women, and an American past time. This would make a great read aloud 4-6.
Michelle Procious . Book Review 1
ReplyDeleteI chose to read one of my son's books that he loves. He is a reluctant reader and we had to get creative with how to get him involved in reading. I know it is strange but I read...151 Yo Momma Jokes by LOL Funny Jokes Book Club. It was hilarious and we enjoyed it together as a family at times. It is 32 pages so a quick read and something you could keep in the car to "trick" them into reading. Each chapter has a different start, such as yomomma so tall, yo momma so short, etc. We laughed and laughed. In the book it also includes the science behind laughing and the health benefits that come with it.
Michelle Procious Book Review 2
ReplyDeleteI read Tongue Twisters For Kids written by Riley Weber. This book is fun and easy to read, again, another one fun for the family and perfect for the car. There is a series of them. This book would be great for fluency practice for kids at any age. The illustrations are nicely done and grab your attention. I could see using this in the classroom to teach students to create their own fun tongue twisters.
Michelle Procious Book Review 3
ReplyDeleteI read Snow Ball Wars by Marcus Emerson & Noah Child. It was written in 2013, so a little dated but popular with kids. This would be a great WINTER months read-a-loud. The main character, Jordan, is with his friends Landen, Amelia and Dylan. They are second graders. School had been canceled because of the snowy weather and the snow was perfect for packing snow. They talk about building a snowman and doing snow angels until snowballs start whizzing by them. They are being chased by a boy named Max, and his friends. Max is the villain and portrayed as a bully. Its just a really cute and quick read. It is perfect for our kids because they can relate it to our snow days. I highly recommend this book for the classroom.
Michelle Procious Book Review 4
ReplyDeleteI read The Story of The Erie Canal written by R.Conrad Stein. It is perfect for our students because many of us live so close to the Erie Canal. My kids and I are near the canal every day of the summer. We go on the canal path each day so I thought this would be the perfect book we all could share. The author did a wonderful job recreating the story of it's history with storytelling. He provides all the important dates and key people involved. This book could be used to teach social studies, timelines and biography research. A field trip would be an awesome idea too, get to an actual lock on the canal and see it work, that would be amazing. There is a song in the back of the book, many of you may know. I think I remember singing it in my music class as a kid! Great book!
Megan Mancini Book Review 1
ReplyDeleteI read Sofia Martinez: Singing Superstar by Jacqueline Jules. Sophia receives a boom box for Christmas and wants to sing constantly to her family. Most of them do not want to listen. However, at the end of the story Sophia find the perfect audience. This book has Hispanic main characters and some Spanish words, so it can appeal to Spanish-speaking students. There is a Spanish glossary so any child can enjoy the story learn a bit about another language in the process. This early chapter book is short and has pictures on every page, so it is a good introductory book for students who are intimidated by chapter books. This book also requires a lot of inferencing since character's opinions are not explicitly stated. It can be a good tool to teach inferencing and reading dialogue with expression. The downside of this is that a child who struggles to inference may miss a lot of the story. The story has a happy ending. (Sofia's grandma wants to hear her sing.) However, I wish the author took time to address the fact that Sofia was being selfish for most of the story and not considering others opinions before singing to them and interrupting what they were doing.
Megan Mancini Book Review 2
ReplyDeleteMy second book was Ricky's Mighty Robot vs. the Voodoo Vultures from Venus by David Pilkey and Dan Santat. Ricky and his Mighty Robot must fight the Voodoo Vultures from Venus who have hypnotized the town. This book is a mix between an early chapter book and a graphic novel - there are pictures on every page. The language is fairly straightforward and the book is engaging because of its superhero theme. This book would also be good for teaching story arc since it has a clear exposition, inciting incident, and the climax is easy to identify. This book could be used to introduce story arc, or for independent practice to ask a students to independently identify parts of a story arc after reading it. It would be challenging for a young child to finish this book in one sitting, so it can help introduce children to the fact that it is normal for advanced readers not to finish a book in one sitting. This book isn't deep, but it encourages positive morals (obedience to parents, responsibility, and heroism), which is good for young readers.