It's Monday, What Are You Reading-March 3, 2014

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Picture Books

Buddy and the Bunnies in Don't Play with your Food

by Bob Shea

Cute story of how the clever bunnies distract Buddy each day so he won't eat them.  In the end, they become friends. 

Grades K-2

Locomotive

by Brian Floca

I really enjoyed this nonfiction Caldecott winner. 

Grades 1-5

Currently Reading

A Snicker of Magic 

by Natalee Lloyd

I am reading this with my lunchtime book club. 

It Starts with Food

By Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig

Still Reading

Teach Like a Pirate

by Dave Burgess

What Are You Reading Friends?

Stack It Up Sunday-March 2, 2014

Each stack has its own story. 

I think I am officially calling these posts "Stack it up Sunday". It seems that most Sundays I don't have anything in particular to talk about, but I always have stacks of books. If you didn't read my Celebration post about book piles, you can find it here. 

Here are some of my current stacks.

This is stack one of two from the public library in the town where I teach. I am hoping to read some of them today. 

This stack is also from the same library waiting to be read. 

Locomotive and Lightship by Brian Floca came from the public library where I live.  I read Locomotive yesterday.  My librarian recommended Lightship to me, but I have not read it yet. 

I was thrilled to win Oh My Godmother: The Magic Mistake from a Goodreads giveaway hosted by Alyson Beecher. I loved the first book and can't wait to read this one. 

This stack of A Snicker of magic is for our lunchtime book club that started this week.  Loving this one already!

What's in your stack? 
Feel free to take a picture and post a link in the comments. 

Celebrating This Week- A Birthday, Kicking the Sugar Habit and Bookish Fun!

Every week, Ruth Ayres over at Discover. Play. Build. invites people to share celebrations from their week.  Please visit and consider linking up your own celebration. 

As I look back on this week, here are my celebrations. 

A Birthday!

Today my sweet, sassy, amazing daughter turns 12! Watching her grow up is wonderful, but sad. She is a middle schooler now and less of a little girl.  Although there are times when she lets her guard down and holds my hand or sits in my lap. I treasure those moments as I know we are on borrowed time until she wants nothing to do with us. 

Something For Me

Recently my health has been less than optimal. I have been fatigued, out of breath and more foggy-headed than usual. I decided to look at my eating habits and do a complete overhaul. I am participating in the Whole30 plan for 30 days. Today is day 6 of no sugar or grains.  This is a big deal for a carb and sugar lover.  I am so proud of myself for actually completing 5 whole days already.  I actually do feel better.  I am excited to see what this month brings. 

Unfortunately, coffee is yucky without sugar :(

Book Buzz

This was a great week in my class.  Many students are getting into the Harry Potter series. They are really enjoying talking about these books together.  Two of my girls who have read Rule and Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord came up and asked me if she has written anything new.  Well, yes, as a matter of fact she has.  Guess who will be ordering some copies of Half a Chance this weekend. Then we started our HUGE Snicker of Magic lunchtime book club. We ordered a bunch of copies and waited until after our February vacation to start. We are loving it already. 

What are YOU celebrating this week? 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? February 24

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

My last Monday post was on Feb. 3. 
So here are the highlights from the last few weeks.

Picture Books

 

Desmond and the Very Mean Word

by Desmond Tutu 

Illustrated by A. G. Ford

An excellent book about the power of forgiveness.

Grades 1-5

The Watermelon Seed

by Greg Pizzoli

This adorable crocodile swallows a watermelon seed. He becomes more and more afraid as he imagines what the seed might do inside him. Fun book for younger kiddos pre-K-2. 

Line 135

by Germano Zullo

Illustrated by Albertine

It is difficult to summarize this book. A young boy goes an a journey of sorts to see his grandmother. It is a picture book with many layers to it. If you liked Journey by Aaron Becker, then you may like this one as well. Could be used with many different ages. 

Poetry

In the Sea

by David Elliot

Illustrated by Holly Meade

A beautifully illustrated book of short ocean animal poems. Great for grades K-3. 

Dear World

by Takayo Noda

These poems are told through a child's letters to the Earth. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, this book is sure to interest kiddos in grades K-4. 

Middle Grade

I finished reading....

Half a Chance

by Cynthia Lord

 I love Cynthia Lord and her latest book is wonderful! 
She is a master story-teller. This book is a story of new friendship, loss, change and 
coming of age. I highly recommend it for grades 4 and up. 

Mark of the Dragonfly

by Jaleigh Johnson

I may need to do a full review of this complex book and even then I won't be able to do it justice. It is a dystopian fiction novel that I recommend for grades 4 and up. 

Finished listening....

Touch Blue

by Cynthia Lord

I LOVED this book. A small island in Maine decides to have families take in children in the foster care system to increase the enrollment at their school. The state has threatened to close the school because of the low population. 

If you liked One for the Murphys this one is for you. Grades 4-8. 

Currently Reading

Teach Like a Pirate

by Dave Burgess

Starting soon

A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

A big group of kiddos, my partner teacher and myself will be reading A Snicker of Magic together as a book club.  Excited!

What are you reading friends?

Post a Picture of Your Pile

I have posted about my piles of books before.  I thought it might be fun to periodically post a picture of a pile or two.  If you make piles like me, then you know that each pile has its own story.

Recently I have started to cover my hardcover books with jacket covers and my well-loved paperbacks with a plasticy cover hoping to make them last longer. This pile is waiting for me to cover them. 

This is my "I hope to read soon" pile.  There are two library books under the Reading Teacher journal. Maybe I'll get to them today. 

What's in your pile?

Celebrating This Week-Winter Break

Every week, Ruth Ayres over at Discover. Play. Build. invites people to share celebrations from their week.  Please visit and consider linking up your own celebration. 

I am trying to get my blogging mojo back. It has been a while since I have been able to post regularly. This week I am celebrating my vacation. 

In Maine we have a week's vacation in February. Unless you go away to some place warm, or you love snow, February vacation can be kind of anti-climactic. Despite the TON of snow we received, my family managed to squeak out a pretty nice vacation. Here is what I am celebrating from the past week. 

1. Time
The school weeks are always rush, rush, rush.  It was so nice to ease into the days with long, lazy mornings.  There was time to talk, time to play, time to watch movies and time to read.  I love having nothing planned and just seeing what the day brings. 

2. Anniversary
Although our anniversary usually gets overshadowed by other things, my husband and I celebrated 13 years of marriage this week. Since he also works in a school (he is a school secretary at my son's school) we got to spend lots of time together this week.

3. Organization
The amount of clutter our family manages to create never ceases to amaze me. We were able to spend some time decluttering and organizing.  Molly's room got a bit of a makeover. My husband painted it two new, bright colors (she said she wanted a "happy room). We also got rid of some junk and bought her a desk. It feels like the room of a "tween" now and less like a little girl. I'm not sure how I feel about that. 

My son TJ found the paint while he was playing upstairs alone. No, this wall was not supposed to be yellow. 

4. Party!
TJ, turned 8 years old this week. I can't believe how fast time flies. It was nice to have our family get together to celebrate. His favorite gift was a new lamp with 6 different colored shades. 

5. Friends
On Friday I got to have a long, rejuvenating lunch with my two favorite nerdies, Susan Dee and Cathy Potter. It was so great to sit and talk. We got to talk about books (and a few book-related topics) for over two hours! It was heaven.  

6. A "Warm" Day
I have to admit, I do not love snow. Yes, I live in Maine where the winters are long, cold and very snowy, but I don't really enjoy winter. However on Thursday it was unseasonably warm here, reaching into the 40's, so my family and I went sledding. We had a blast! This winter has been very long and it was great to play with the kids outside. 

What are YOU celebrating this week? 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday- Rachel Carson and her Book that Changed the World

My Friend Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a weekly link up to share Nonfiction Picture Books. Please visit her amazing website. 

Rachel Carson and Her Book 
That Changed the World
by Laurie Lawlor
Illustrated by Laura Beingessner
Published 2012 by Holiday House
Copy obtained from public library

If you don't know anything about Rachel Carson, this book gives a great overview of her journey to becoming a biologist and changing how people look at the environment. After writing two books about the ocean: The Edge of the Sea and The Sea Around Us, she began to notice disturbing trends in the environment. Determined to show the government and the American people how toxins were affecting the environment, she wrote perhaps her most important book: Silent Spring. This book detailed how poisons like pesticides were polluting the air and water and what it meant for people and all living things. The epilogue describes the changes in environmental policy were put in place after Carson's death as a result of Silent Spring.  This book is written in a manner that is appropriate for grades 2-5. 

Here are some of the most interesting tidbits:

*When she was eleven, Carson had a story published in a children's magazine. This is when she decided to become a writer.

*She was a shy person who had trouble fitting in socially at college. She would much rather go to the science lab than a party or dance.

*Rachel was inspired to become a biologist because of a biology professor named Mary Scott Skinker. 

*Although she never married, she adopted her niece's 5-year-old son. 

*She wrote Silent Spring while bedridden with cancer and never lived to see the effects of her book. 
*Sadly, Rachel Carson died at the very young age of 56. 

This book could be used.....

As part of a unit on biographies.

As part of a science/ecology unit.

To discuss how writing can change the world. 

More Information

Rachelcarson.org

Kid Scoop

Teacher Tube Biography