3 New & Exciting Children's Books

This week I have introduced two new books to my class. My 8th graders has entered into a poetry unit. The are responsible for composing their own reversal poem. Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee' Masse, is a book full of reversal poems. The book is full of illustrations that that show the fairytales that is being discussed in the poem. Pictures are illustrated in reversal which add a fun touch to the book.
The Other Side by Jaqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis has depicted beautiful illustrations that shows beautiful imagery of what was going on in the Civil Rights Era. I introduced this book to the class while talking about symbolism. The fence painted in the book was a beautiful symbol of segregation and racism during that time.
Sleep like a Tigerr by Mary Logue and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, is a book that takes us through a journey of a young girl fighting bedtime. The book illustrates many animal in their sleeping habitats. The illustrations are abstract, bright, and exciting. I have yet to introduce this to my class but I look forward to it.

The Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Finding Winnie is a Caldecott Medal winner full of detailed and vibrant illustrations. The book takes readers through a historical journey of a bear named Winnie who inspired the life of Winnie-the-Pooh. This particular book stood out to me because the text was at a higher level than what I am used to seeing in children's books. The amazing thing about this book is the way the illustrations mirrored the words on the page. The text could be a bit difficult for our struggling readers but the pictures could help with the disconnect students may be having which will also help with the comprehension.  This book warmed my heart and I am happy to add it to my collection!

Slice of Life- Thursday Terror

"Your rough draft is due at the end of class. You have 20 minutes left!" The pencils begin to move at a rapid pace. "Miss, are we going to have time tomorrow to finish?" My head bounces from left to right with my eyes shut closed. "We are now in Lock down. I repeat, we are now in LOCK DOWN!." "Everyone in the corner. QUICK." I rush to cover the small rectangle glass window while fumbling with my keys that will lock us inside. Faint steps grow increasingly louder towards my room. "Everyone lock your doors, NOW!" "Miss, what is going on!?" "Shhhhhh"  I whisper. Two minutes turn into three, and three minutes turn into ten. "The building is now secure." Miss, that wasn't a drill was it?" "No sweetie, I don't think it was."

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky

I chose Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky because it is a genre that I believe we need to see more of, African folktale. The illustrations were done by Blair Lent and the pages are full of color and filled with African culture. The book is a tale of how the sun and moon made residence in the sky. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and will introduce this to my children. It will remind them of exactly where they came from.

Childhood Memories

Growing up I had a small obsession with Dr. Seuss books. Ok, small may be an understatement. Once I got a hold of Green Eggs and Ham, I made my parents by every Dr. Seuss book that was published. A big part of my obsession with Green Eggs and Ham was that we read it and school and got to actually make GREEN EGGS AND HAM!! It was an experience that still sticks out in my mind today. The level of creativity my teachers possessed allowed me to be engaged and excited about the book. If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, was another book that I could not put down as a child. The illustrations were bright, bold, and not to mention cute. Of course, my partial obsession was due to me loving milk and cookies. :)


List of my FAVS!


-Green Eggs and Ham
-If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
-Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
-The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Literacy in Secondary

Reading has always been a big deal in my family. Growing up I always had a book in my hand. Staying up until 2 a.m. was not unusual when I got my hands on a new novel. In school, reading was a breeze for me. I never really struggled on test and scored high on the state exams. However, I did have an issue engaging in  texts that were not interesting to me. My high school teachers taught me how to pull the information out of a text that I may not be that interested in. My senior English teacher made the biggest impact on my life. She is the reason why I fell in love with not only reading but writing. As I look back on my senior year of high school the biggest thing that my teacher did that stood out to me was giving students a choice. I think when possible it is important to give students' a choice in what they are reading. My teacher knew that I loved historical romances and she introduced me to Pride and Prejudice. This very day I still pick that book up at least once a year.

Patience

I have chosen the word "Patience" for the year. This word is not only important for me but also for my students' regarding literacy. Our 8th grade language arts students recently finished a novel study as well as a reading benchmark test. All through their middle school careers strategies have been taught to help assist in purposeful reading. I often find that my students' tend to rush through a book or passage just to get it done quickly. When the time arrives to write, they are often lost and confused and unsure where to begin. Patience is a concept that I preach constantly in my classroom. I encourage my students' to annotate and take their time while reading. I often need to practice patience when teaching strategies. One strategy may not work for a certain class or student. One student may grasp a new strategy or concept quicker than others. I must remember to be patient with each and every student and remember just like this is my first time teaching the strategy it is the first time they are learning it.