It's Monday - What are You Reading?

t 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 
                                                 
I managed two novels this week - mainly because they were short ones and I liked them so I had a bit of oomph to read them. They were:

Newbery winner - Island of the Blue Dophins by Scott O'Dell.  I didn't really expect to 'like' this one but I did.  There is something about a book that explores resilience and making it against the odds in the natural environment.

Another Newbery winner - Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George.  Well I didn't really expect o get wrapped up in this one either, but I did.  Again it explored resilience and making it in an environment with no other humans close. Both books had that feel of Hatchet by Gary Paulson.  I read this book in a day and I think sometime in the future I would like to read the follow up to this book.

While I am not the sort to want to face into the situations these two characters faced - believe me I wouldn't survive- however they both challenged me to be more resilient in the wild frontiers of my own life!



I also read Chapter 2 of 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know which was about using mentor texts.  This chapter gave me more insight into using mentor texts and the way the author shared how he - Jeff Anderson - uses them has made me realise I need to do more of this, it will be a goal for my new school  year in 2013.  I'm from New Zealand remember, our school year closes in December.

What might I read this coming week, well I'm waiting on books, so I think I will read what I have sitting here: Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor, the sequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  The Scopio Races by Maggie Stievater has just arrived from Scholastic book club, so may also get into that.

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.

I read Eragon through the week, mainly to see why some of my students have enjoyed it. I can see that they would and I would encourage them to keep going with the series, although I will probably call it a day with this one. I loved especially the relationship between the dragon Saphira and his Rider Eragon.  For me it lacked I am not sure what to call it, psychological depth - plot seemed to me to be the most dominant aspect.

This week I have planned to read an Ursula Le Guin - I so loved her Earthsea trilogy, so while fossicking around in our local library looking for Newbery winners, I got sidetracked by her books and picked out Gifts to read.  I also have coming Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Miltdred Taylor, so I hope to read that this week too, to get back on track with the Newbery books.

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 past week I read:

A book for younger readers - 7-9 years would enjoy it and some of my 10 and 11year olds might as well.

Another great Marty McGuire book, and if a class is thinking about building a worm farm a really fun book for them to read.

An Abundance of Katherines which is a YA book.  I can't say I really connected with this book, it was my first John Green book. I think I will need to read another of his to judge if I like his writing. Perhaps this was not a good one to start with.

For professional reading:

This book is by Janet Angelillo. I found it really helpful for myself as Janet models a way to proceed with scaffolding students to think more deeply as readers.  I will be using her ideas in my classroom when I return in mid July. 

For the coming week I plan on reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini - fantasy. The series comes highly recommended by one of my students so I decided to read the first one in it.

It's Monday What are You Reading?

It's 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.

I read Guts by Gary Paulsen.  This is the actual life experiences of Gary Paulsen that provided him with the material that made Hatchet and the Brian books so real and accurate.  

I am not an outdoor person in the sense of going into the wild but I respect people who have ventured in.  I know that I certainly have not in any way changed my mind about venturing in after reading the book.  And I certainly never want to meet a moose! 

Students who have read Hatchet and any of the other Brian books will like this book.

I also read this graphic novel,  an accident buy. Got it mixed up with the real Lunch Lady so still have to seek her out!

I think younger students would enjoy it, says on the back Guided Level: K.

Illustrations are well done, and while it is for younger students I think there will be a few in my class who will buy into this.  Don't read just before a meal, could put you off eating!

This coming week I plan to read The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Perhaps a few more as well, will have to see how the week goes.

Happy reading everyone.

Meme What are you Reading?

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 The Red Pyramid, the first of the Kane Chronicles.  It was good and I enjoyed the humour.  This book had a lot of action and adventure as well as Egyptian mythology.  It is not my favourite genre, however I enjoyed it enough to read on into the series.  So sometime this year I will read the next one.

I also have been listening to Insurgent - and am about half way through. This book too is full of action!  What did I just say about lots of action, can't be listening to myself.  I am really enjoying this audio version.

For the coming week I plan to finish listening to Insurgent and then reading Holes by Louis Sachar.  It is one I have been planning to read for ages, also being the 1999 Newbery medal winner, it means I cross

 another medal book off my list as read.

I am also reading all over the web as I gather information on digital storytelling and the making of videos aspect of that.  This morning I was just reading Matthew Needleman say that media literacy is important, and by making a movie it helps us to analyse and think critically about visual media. So I still have a lot of reading to do just on his blog!

Monday Again! What are you Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog.

This last week I read:  Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.   This book certainly had points of difference and explored the idea of being yourself versus fitting in with the crowd.  When you decide to fit into the crowd there is a cost, and when you decide not to fit into the crowd there is a cost also.  I believe this book would make my students think and explore their own lives - as indeed it made me do.  Sign of a good book!  I liked it enough to want to search out the sequel to this book.

What am I reading this week?  The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Kane Chronicles.

I have just started to listen to Insurgent by Virginia Roth. This will take me a few weeks to listen through as I only listen while out walking mainly.  Roth doesn't do any recapping of the previous book, Divergent,  and I found myself a little hazy on the characters, so I read a blog post she had written helping her readers refresh their minds on the story - so now I think  I am good to go!

I'ts Monday, What are you Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog.

This last week I have read and enjoyed:

The Flying Beaver Brothers and The Fishy Business by Maxwell Eaton 111. A graphic novel for approximately 8 to 11 year olds. I enjoyed it and think some of the students will too.

Babymouse and Puppy Love another graphic novel by Jennifer and Matthew Holm.  I know the Babymouse fans and animal lovers in the class will like this one.

Marty Mcguire by Kate Messner and Brian Floca.  I really enjoyed this one and will be looking forward to reading about her digging worms!  This book will be enjoyed by the younger readers in my class and I intend matching them up with Marty.

As I am learning to work with iMovie on my iPad I made a little book trailer for Marty Mcguire, nothing special but gave me the sense of how iMovie on my iPad can work for students making book trailers.  Once I mastered the ability to put the music I wanted onto my iPad I was happy!  Sometimes small things take a bit of time.

This week I am reading:

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Writing about Reading by Janet Angelillo  (this will be ongoing as I want to absorb it - so into slow reading.)

Archive of this months #titletalk.  Not being in class these times I was able to attend this month, it was fantastic but so fast, I need to go back and glean all the pearls.  

It's Monday...

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I read just the one book this week - Super Finn by Leonie Agnew.  It was a quick read once I got going, and I even surprised a few laugh out loud moments out of myself.

This book would mainly suit about Year 6, although one of my Year 8 students awarded it 4 out of 5 stars.

Leonie Agnew is a teacher and I think there was some gentle ribbing going on regarding how PC our schools can sometimes be.

This coming week I thought I would go for:

Marty Maguire by Kate Messner            - been meaning to read this for awhile.

The Flying Beaver Brother and the Fishy Business by Maxwell Eaton.

Babymouse  Puppy Love.

It's Monday...

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

I fell off the wagon there for a couple of weeks towards the end of term and first week of the holidays.  I kept reading but just didn't find the energy to blog. Up and running again now!

During that time I finished the Hunger Games trilogy, I had to stand in line with some of the readers in my class who were also madly passing them from hand to hand. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them, even though the whole concept was so repugnant to me.

Another book that stands out to me in last few weeks is Smile by Rainer Telgemeier, a true story told in graphic form.  It so speaks to girls of that 

12 -13year age group and some of those in my class are reading and liking it.  I book talked it to those who had braces!  What I notice is when I have finished a book I drop it on the small table by my desk.  Before I pick it up to book talk it someone will approach me and ask to read it.  Seems they keep an eye on 'the 

spot'!

I am going to count Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt into this week as well.  I did read it over the NZ summer break, and have spent our 1st term reading it aloud to my students.  They all fell in love with it too! We finished on the final day of school, as I closed the book there was a spontaneous round of applause.  Now I know its not my reading, it was the book. I so love this book, I loved reading it again - the voice of Doug comes through so strongly. His intimate way of addressing the reader had some of my students spontaneously answering him as I read.  As we read along I placed a picture of the bird that the chapter referred to and I found that a tremendous help.  Fabulous read aloud book. My students are very keen to read more books by this author so I must check out The Wednesday Wars.

I have just finished this book Wonder and it was amazing. I know everyone that has read it will say that.  This is a book that I want to read aloud to my class.  I won't be there this term and I can't decide whether to drop it into the class library now, or hold it over to when I return in Term 3.  It can be bought in NZ book shops which is a plus.  

Reading this book was a spiritual experience, one that touches the human heart in a way that you know you can never be the same after reading it.  If you are looking for a book with a theme of kindness this is it.

This morning in my Google reader I noticed these two posts, I think you would enjoy finding more out about this book here in this post by Teach Mentor Texts

and this one on Read, Write, Reflect.

This coming week I am going to be reading Super Finn by Leonie Agnew, a book contender for the NZ Post Book awards.  

Maybe something else as well, I will see where the mood takes me.

It's Monday. What Are You You Reading?

Monday has come around again and I am joining in the meme over at Mentor Texts.
Hop on over and join in at the Mentor Text Blog. 

 I had a better reading week this past week, the week before was a bad week for reading with nothing finished.

The first book I finished this week was The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. Very interesting and really liked Deza very much. A very courageous young girl. However if I had to choose between Doug Swieteck of Okay for Now or Deza, well I have to admit it would be Doug.







In New Zealand we have the NZ Post Book Awards. There are 5 nominations each in picture books,  non-fiction children's books, junior fiction and senior fiction.  The final choices will be made in May. They can be seen here.  NZ Post Shortlist.   Some of our students are reading them and then in May we have a local Mastermind quiz on the books among local schools.  It is a lot of hard work for them but also very rewarding. As I want to read these books as well some of my reading has been and will be these books.

Just Jack by Adele Broadbent is the story of Jack who leaves his home at 13yrs to become an apprentice jockey.  It is set in 1931 and includes the Napier earthquake. I enjoyed this book and rated it 4 stars.  Realistic and historical fiction.

This book is by Barbara Else and was also enjoyable. It started really well and left the reader with many questions to be answered. So it is both mystery and fantasy.  It is well written and for most of the book I was hooked. However by the end of it I was a little more disengaged. Everything ended very well tied up and I just got a little bored. I am interested to see what my students make of this one. I awarded it three stars.




For the coming week I plan to read:
Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon - Jennifer and M Holm
Amulet - Book One The Stonekeeper - K Kibuishi
And two NZ Post Award books -
The Flytrap Snaps by J Knox  and...
Kimble Bent - Malcontent.  By C Grosz