It's Monday What Are You Reading?

It is Monday and again I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in over at the Mentor Text Blog. Just click on the picture below.

This last week I read See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles.  A very moving book that addresses a number of issues.  Mainly my sympathy was with 

Fern and the sense that she had at times that she was invisible especially to her mother.    I loved how Sara, Fern's older sister steps up and gets Fern and Holden to the homecoming dance.  The book bravely addresses the issues of a death in the family and homosexuality.  

I am not sure whether I will introduce this to my class, only the very older ones perhaps. If you've read it when would you introduce it into a class library? I wonder as mine I think are just say a year too young. (10-12 year olds)

Origami Yoda while still addressing issues important to middle graders, was far more lighthearted and I found myself chuckling a few times. I know there will be many readers in my class for this one.

I read this for my own professional reading.  I found it very helpful , especially the middle section that explored the telling of narrative.  Even if I was never to do digital storytelling in the classroom, this section gives a good approach to planning a narrative where there is tension and character development and change.  Something quite hard for younger writers to grasp. This book has given me some ideas on how to help them.

Apart from that I am going to try digital storytelling and I found this book very useful.

This coming week I will be reading Franny K Stein Mad Scientist  Lunch Walks Among us by Jim Benton and Marty Maguire Digs Worms by Kate Messner.