Nosebleeds, Groundings and....Obituaries?

Jack Gantos' incredibly entertaining book Dead End in Norvelt tells the story of young Jack Gantos who ends up being grounded for the entire summer.  I know what you're thinking, "how good could this possibly be if the main character is grounded for the whole book?"  Let me assure you-it's good.

You see though Jack is grounded his mother still lets him help others in his community. His elderly
neighbor, Miss Volker, has such bad arthritis that her hands are often unusable so she recruits Jack to help.  What does he help with?  Miss Volker's job is to write the obituaries for all of the original town residents.  Along the way she and Jack get into all kinds of shenanigans and Miss Volker imparts her wealth of town history to Jack.  At times helping Miss Volker is even better than not being grounded!

Written from Jack's perspective, Dead End in Norvelt tells the story of a dying small town from the eyes of a young boy-an imaginative, lovable, highly energetic young boy who is plagued by near constant nosebleeds-at that.  It is impossible not to be hooked (especially if you are an admitted history nerd like myself).

Finding fun even while grounded.....that's kids stuff.  

History Nerd

Little-known fact about me; in college, I minored in history. The bulk of this coursework was done during my study abroad semester in Athens, Greece.  I liked history before my time in Athens, but a semester spent surrounded by the remnants of ancient history was enough to make me a full-fledged history nerd.  Here are some pictures from the Temple of Poseidon, located in Sunion, just a short trip outside Athens.  *Bonus points if you can guess what book series this is leading into.*

  Amazing, right? Like I said it's enough to turn you into hard core history nerd.





Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of fantasy.  If I'm looking for a book to read just for fun, nine times out of 10 that book will be fantasy.  So what do you get when you make a  YA book, that's fantasy, and mixes in a significant chunk of history-even better Greek history?  Well for one you get a book that I'm definitely going to love, but you also get Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson Series.
This series revolves around a group of demi-gods (half human, half god), all of whom have a parent who is one of the gods of Olympus.  The main character, Percy Jackson, works with other demi-gods and a variety of mythical creatures to battle monsters and help wage the battles of Olympus. Oh, and they go to summer camp.  But Camp Half-Blood is like no other summer camp you've ever seen.

The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian 

These books meet all of my criteria, fantasy, history, adventure, it's a series, some (but not all) of the series have been made into movies.  And best of all Rick Riordan has written a ton of other books! The Kane Chronicles follows the same concept, but is based on Egyptian gods. Heroes of Olympus is set in the same world as Percy Jackson, but introduces the Roman form of the gods, with character overlap weaving in and out-much like the Greek and Roman gods interacted in history.

If you're looking for a great world to get lost in, especially as winter is coming with snow days sure to follow, this would be an excellent choice.  

Being a history nerd.....that's kids stuff.  

Books, Movies and Music

One of the things I love doing in my classroom is playing music (low in the background) while students are working independently.  I think it creates a great tone for the classroom and it really increases student engagement.  It also goes a long way in making my classroom a place where students want to be.   One of my new favorite Pandora mixes is "Film Scores."  Students have a great time guessing what movie the music comes from.  And it makes the days activity feel much more epic.

I bet you're wondering where books come into this.  Well, as you can tell from my previous posts I am focusing, for the moment, on books that have been made into movies.  One of my favorite film scores (which comes from a great movie, which was inspired by a great book) came on. What was it you ask?  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  And even better, from a reading teacher's perspective, not all the books have been made into movies. 

I loved these books as a child (I also really love the cover of this edition-it's the one I own). I think it was one of the first series that I really got into.  Each story is short enough to be read quickly but has enough detail and adventure to be a thrilling read.  Most of the stories center around a group of 4 siblings who travel to an alternate world, through a variety of means (most famously through the wardrobe) and after defeating the existing evil, become rulers of that world.

The series is:
The Magicians Nephew
                                     The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
                                     Prince Caspian
                                     The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
                                     The Silver Chair
                                     The Horse and His Boy
                                     The Last Battle
There is some debate on what order these books should be read in since the publication order does not match the chronological order.  My opinion is the order doesn't really matter-all the books are wonderful and worth reading in any order you can. 

Making your day a little bit more epic....that's kids stuff. 

Birthdays!

Today is my birthday!! Hooray!  One of the ways I like to celebrate is by treating myself. This year I treated myself to some new books on kindle.  I don't love reading from a tablet, I much prefer an actual paper book; however, I do love seeing an intriguing preview at the movies followed by the words, "based on the best selling novel" and being able to own that book almost instantly. 

That is exactly how I came to own the Maze Runner trilogy.  James Dashner has written an action packed trilogy: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure.  There is also a prequel (which I confess I have not yet read) called The Kill Order.  This is another series set in a post-apocalyptic world, but what this series has that the others don't is mystery.  In The Hunger Games or Divergent we understand the rules of this society.  In The Maze Runner people are dropped into a compound surrounded by a maze (which is full of terrifying monsters), but their memories have been modified so they have no idea where they are or how they got there.  As the reader, you get to try to figure it all out right along with the characters.

I must admit I was exhausted at the end of the first book, this book is action packed-heavy on the action.  But as soon as I finished the first one I went straight to the Kindle Store and bought the next two (another Kindle feature that is both awesome and dangerous).  I had to figure out how this series ended!  Also the second two books were just as full of action and suspense, I did not feel let down the way you sometimes can when reading later books in a series.  This series was definitely a treat worth buying!

Treating yourself.......that's kids stuff. 

Favorites

One question I get asked a lot is, "so, what's your favorite book?"  Sometimes I brush it off with, "That question is impossible to answer" or "well it depends on my mood."  But if I'm really honest with myself I do have a favorite.  If you read my last post you probably think my favorite is Harry Potter.  While I do love those books they don't quite get the favorite spot.  My absolute most favorite book of all time is............The Giver by Lois Lowry.  Other people think it's pretty spectacular as well because it won the Newbery Medal (which puts Lois Lowry in the exclusive club of authors who have won more than one medal).  Also it is now a major motion picture (which is not anywhere near as good as the book but is a pretty good movie in it's own right). 

This society has decided to make the move to sameness.  Your childhood years are marked by certain rituals, at 1 you  moved from the nurturing center to live with your family, at 9 you get your bicycle, and at 12 you are given your assignment.  Your assignment is like your career and the handing out of assignments is the culmination of the ceremony that marks each years changes.  The ceremony proceeds like normal until the chief elder skips Jonas.  She reveals that Jonas has not been assigned he has been "selected."  After that Jonas' life is forever changed.  To see how he responds to "sameness' you'll have to read the book. 

My copy is signed!!!

To make it even better Lowry has rounded out the story in the next three books, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. I can honestly say I have never been more satisfied with an ending than with this series.  While Harry Potter offered a lot of firsts, The Giver was the first book that really made me think.  Perhaps that's why it's my favorite. 

Picking favorites.........that's kids stuff

It's Magic

How do you even begin to describe a book that defined most of your childhood?  A series where you anxiously awaited each new release and got every new book the day it came out even if it meant waiting in line for hours?  A story that you love so much you take the time to re-read it every summer? It's magic.  That kind of book lets you enter a whole new world.  When you're reading it you are completely enveloped in the story and you lose track of reality.  As one of my students said the other day, you go to "bookworld."

For me that book (or in this case books) was the Harry Potter series.  J.K. Rowling's popular series is beloved by many and I am no exception.  I was 10 when I read the first book and I remember hoping against hope that an owl would swoop up to my window and I would get my letter inviting me to Hogwarts.  I had always loved reading, but this was the first series that captivated me, the first series where I stayed up through the night just to finish the book.  The first book where I completely forgot my own reality and was completely engrossed in the wizarding world. The first book that inspired me to make up my own stories in that world.  The first book where I physically shed tears over the death of a character. 

Normally I give a quick description of the book, but I'm not going to do that here.  The smashing success of both the books and movies mean that many of you probably already know the story.  And if you don't-even better.  I want you to experience that same wonder that I felt when I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  Every single book in this series is fantastic.  Though it is written for young adults any reader can appreciate the story and the themes go deep resonating even with the oldest, wisest adult.  I cannot recommend these books enough.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

 

Waiting for your owl to come....That's Kids Stuff

Book or Movie

One of the things I try to do is read all of the books that are currently being made into movies.  Teaching middle school I know that movies really grab the attention of my students so I want to suggest books that are current AND they could see as movies.  I know there are a lot of purists out there who only want to read the book, but especially for struggling readers it can be helpful to see the movie first.  That way you already have a sense of the characters and plot so comprehending the book becomes much easier.  And (sneaky teacher move here) many of the books being  made into movies are part of a series, so once a kid gets hooked on the first one they will have to read the second book before the second movie comes out!  Here is a smattering of some book series that have already been made into movies.

The Divergent series by Veronica Roth (Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant).  I must admit the day I started Divergent I did not sleep well because I could not put this book down.  I was up half the night finishing the story.  Tris, the main character, lives in a society where everyone is sorted into a faction based on what they value most.  One faction values kindness, another honesty, the third courage, another values learning and the last values service.  But, as you may be able to guess by the title, not everyone fits neatly into one category....   Definitely a thrilling read and, bonus, not all the movies have been released yet so you will have to read the book first! If you do read it be sure to tell me what faction you think you are in (my new favorite question to ask). 

 Next up is the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay).   First lets just take a second to appreciate that this another blockbuster series with a female lead!  What a wonderful shift from stories where the girl is the one who needs to be rescued.  Now we have girls who do the rescuing.  This is another dystopian society only this time society is divided by geographic area and each area produces a different kind of good.  The twist here is that the government has saved society from total annihilation by war.  To pay back the government for this benevolence each area must offer up one girl and one boy to compete in The Hunger Games.  All of the tributes are locked in an arena (which is filled with it's own hazards) and fight to the death, winner take all.  Watch as our heroine Katniss battles her way through the games.  As you can imagine it's anything but easy. 

What's great about these two series is that they are similar enough that if you liked one you will probably really enjoy the other.  So if you liked the first of either series you now have 5 other books you can put on your "to read" list. 

Reading the book before seeing the movie.....that's kids stuff. 

Re-Vamped and Revived

I started this blog when I was in graduate school as a way to chronicle my journey through all of the Newbery winning books.  Now that I get to teach reading I find that I am constantly being asked, 'What book should I read?"  I thought I would revamp this blog to help answer that very question. 

What's already here?
Most of the Newbery medal books are already here.  If you click on the tab for "Newbery Winning Books" you will find a complete list of books.  If you click on the book title it will take you to the post I wrote about that book.  If you can't click on the title it means I haven't read it (yet!) or haven't activated the link yet.  Both situations I will be working to remedy in the near future. 
These books won an award for a reason.  Though I wouldn't say they were all favorites all are well written and worth a read!

There are also a few of the Caldecott winning books here.  These books win awards based on the quality of their illustrations.  They are most often easy reads, books you would find in preschool/kindergarten classrooms; but lets be honest-who doesn't love a good picture book every now and then?

What's coming?
New books are constantly being written and I have read tons of amazing books that didn't win a medal.  As I read books that I think are especially fantastic I will write a quick summary (don't worry no spoilers)/review for this blog. 

I hope this becomes a helpful tool for you and I am very excited to track my reading once again! 

Reading books for fun....that's kids stuff!