Spring Break Reading

Always trying to find interesting books for kids and to keep abreast of what is new and exciting in the book world, I have a few good books to recommend.  I just finished reading these books over spring break...

 Nerd Camp is great if you are a gifted student or if you have a gifted child because it is about this boy who goes away to a summer gifted camp called The Summer Centre for Gifted Enrichment SCGE (I would love to be at this camp!).  The main character, Gabe, wants to impress his new soon to be step-brother, Zack, who is a 'cool kid' - not into reading or science or school.  Gabe starts to test his hypothesis  "Am I a nerd who only has nerdy adventures?" at camp.   I loved this book...it was fun and gifted kids will be able to relate to the characters.

Being adopted myself, I could absolutely relate to this book!  I had tears at the end because no matter where you come from, it is the parents who raise and love you that are "your real parents"! This book is about a Korean boy, raised by Italian parents, and his quest to find out who he is.  I loved the characters and felt the author did a great job showing the difficulty of wanting to protect your child but also support your child in their quest to find their identity!  I think all adopted children, adults, and parents who adopt should read this book.

Fun stuff...a good adventure story about a blended family being stranded on a deserted island.  This is the first in a series.  Not heavy reading, but good survival material.

I was just introduced to this mystery series, and I think it is fun because it deals with cooking, mysteries, and history.  The first book takes place in Vancouver, which is a great hook for students in this city.  I just finished the first book, "Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders" and I am going to read the second, "Neil Flambe and Aztec Abduction" and third, "Neil Flambe and Crusader's Curse". 

Happy Reading!

The Write Stuff

Right before spring break, I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of writers in grades 4 and 5.  I am always looking for resources to help make writing more accessible to children, as well as to inspire those young authors who love to write.  I was recommended this fantastic resource:

This book is created by this great organization called "826 National", which is actually a store/writing centre in San Francisco, with other chapters in Brooklyn, L.A., Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Ann Arbor, and Washington DC!

Basically, the goal of these centres is to be "a vibrant setting for rigorous educational activities. Connecting students with local authors, artists, and college students while providing a space that is whimsical and fun proved to be an excellent model for achieving results, and this idea was replicated in seven additional cities." 

The centre has created this great resource called Don't Forget to Write, which I purchased at Kidsbooks this past week.  The Youtube video is great to watch! 

I would love to create one of these centres in Vancouver...I think I need to go on a fieldtrip to Seattle to visit one of these centres in action!

Book Club Kids

This year, I am offering two book clubs in the Challenge Centre and we have been reading the following books:

1.  Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
2.  The Giver by  Lois Lowry
3.  The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird
4.  Holes by Louis Sachar

Why these books?  All are a great story, and I found them accessible and each one unique.  I am also suggesting another book:  "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate.

This book made me cry my eyes out.  What a beautiful book and truly deserving of the 2013 Newberry Medal.  My debating group is going to be debating the proposition, "Animals should not be kept in captivity", which ties right into the book.  Many of the students were horrified that in 1964,  a Silverback could be privately bought, taken from the Congo, and placed in a mall in Tacoma!  How times have changed.  

You can read about the real Ivan here  and here .

As well, as these 5 books, I am also suggesting the group read as much as possible and bring in their suggestions for our second meeting.  Happy reading, everyone!

Reading Suggestions

 I am working with a group of grade five students and we are engaged in a book club.  We meet once per week for 45 minutes, and we discuss novels.  I assign a book, they read up to a certain chapter, and we discuss.

 I came to the process with clear guidelines, but what I am enjoying most is having these seven students talk about each book.  They discuss whether or not they like the characters, what they found moving, or disturbing, or enjoyable.  I lead the conversation with questions, and I keep them on track, but they love to share their opinions and ideas.

I assigned them the Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird, first, because it is such a great novel to talk about human rights and how kids may live in a different part of the world.  Even though the novel has its dark parts, it also has a good ending, which the students really like.  The main character is essentially sold into slavery, and escapes to live on the streets in Ethiopia.  A really fantastic story.

The next book I assigned was The Giver by Lois Lowry:  a classic novel about a world that is very different from ours as well; a completely controlled society.  This group did not like the novel.  I thought that they would enjoy how different it was from "The Garbage King", but they expressed to me that they didn't like the ending...it was vague and open ended and it was up to the reader to interpret what happens to the main character.  

The next book we are reading is "Out of My Mind" by Sharon Drapper; a favourite book of mine.  I think the group is eager to read this, and I am looking forward to their ideas and what they felt about the book.   Finally, I am ending with an entertaining book, with a great story, "Holes" by Louis Sachar.  I think they will like the story and how it has a happy ending!

Once we read all four books (before Christmas), I will work with the students on completing a project based on the books.  We are deciding this collaboratively.  I am having a wonderful time reading, sharing, and inspiring these fantastic readers.

Book It!

Met with the grade fours for our final book club meeting....here they are sharing projects...

 A puzzle made after reading Hugo Cabret

 A board game about a book...

There was huge interest in the Hunger Games Series.

How did I teach a book club challenge centre?

1.  I met with the students on the first day.  I had already made sure that the schools only referred students who were passionate about reading and could read novels independently.  All the candidates fit this criteria.  We spent the first hour of the program discussing good books we had read, and offering suggestions for books to discover. From there, I realized the planning I had done was now irrelevant because these students wanted to create their own projects and make meaning of what they had read (not what I had created!).

2.  For students that love to read, the enjoyment of reading and sharing books is to open up the curriculum, give choice about projects, and allow the students to make meaning out of what they read.  With these students, doing chapter summaries, vocabulary pages, comprehension questions, and fill in the blank answers about what happened in a book doesn't work.  I discussed with the students what the options were:  do a project together....or have them create what they wanted to do.  They chose to create their own projects.  So, we brainstormed ways to demonstrate their understanding of the novel:  a diaroma of their favourite scene, a board game about the book, a quiz about the book, a character study....and on we went.


3.  Student choose their own project, and worked and worked and worked on them.  They were fully engrossed in what they were doing.  It was fascinating to observe and ask questions, and to see how focused and purposeful their work was.


4.  From there, they decided as a group to choose their own novels.  For the second novel,  they were to find a book that they wanted to read and have it read for the next session.  All students knew exactly what they wanted to read. They were given choice about their projects, too.


5. For their 3rd book, students had to choose a book and create an award about the book. The criteria was to think about what type of award this book could win. Students had to create their own criteria for the award, design and draw an award, create a trophy for the award, prepare a presentation to the audience about the award, and write a two paragraph summary about the book and why is should win the award.


6.  For their 4th book, students were again given the choice as to what to create, taking in mind that they had the day to come up with and finish their project.


On the last day, we made lists of books we wanted to read in the future.  

My plan is to work with these inspiring readers next year, perhaps pulling them together for another few sessions.  The students got a great deal out of having the experience of being able to "take off" with their passion for reading and being with other students who love books as much as they do. Thank you Grade Fours...you were exciting and inspirational to work with!

Book It!

Met with the grade fours for our final book club meeting....here they are sharing projects...

 A puzzle made after reading Hugo Cabret

 A board game about a book...

There was huge interest in the Hunger Games Series.

How did I teach a book club challenge centre?

1.  I met with the students on the first day.  I had already made sure that the schools only referred students who were passionate about reading and could read novels independently.  All the candidates fit this criteria.  We spent the first hour of the program discussing good books we had read, and offering suggestions for books to discover. From there, I realized the planning I had done was now irrelevant because these students wanted to create their own projects and make meaning of what they had read (not what I had created!).

2.  For students that love to read, the enjoyment of reading and sharing books is to open up the curriculum, give choice about projects, and allow the students to make meaning out of what they read.  With these students, doing chapter summaries, vocabulary pages, comprehension questions, and fill in the blank answers about what happened in a book doesn't work.  I discussed with the students what the options were:  do a project together....or have them create what they wanted to do.  They chose to create their own projects.  So, we brainstormed ways to demonstrate their understanding of the novel:  a diaroma of their favourite scene, a board game about the book, a quiz about the book, a character study....and on we went.


3.  Student choose their own project, and worked and worked and worked on them.  They were fully engrossed in what they were doing.  It was fascinating to observe and ask questions, and to see how focused and purposeful their work was.


4.  From there, they decided as a group to choose their own novels.  For the second novel,  they were to find a book that they wanted to read and have it read for the next session.  All students knew exactly what they wanted to read. They were given choice about their projects, too.


5. For their 3rd book, students had to choose a book and create an award about the book. The criteria was to think about what type of award this book could win. Students had to create their own criteria for the award, design and draw an award, create a trophy for the award, prepare a presentation to the audience about the award, and write a two paragraph summary about the book and why is should win the award.


6.  For their 4th book, students were again given the choice as to what to create, taking in mind that they had the day to come up with and finish their project.


On the last day, we made lists of books we wanted to read in the future.  

My plan is to work with these inspiring readers next year, perhaps pulling them together for another few sessions.  The students got a great deal out of having the experience of being able to "take off" with their passion for reading and being with other students who love books as much as they do. Thank you Grade Fours...you were exciting and inspirational to work with!

Book Awards for Children's Literature

 I had a grade four student ask a wonderful question:  What is that round medal in the corner of the book that she was reading?  I looked at the book, and it was a Newbery Medal.   So, we discussed books we had read that had the medal, and we looked around the classroom to find other books with a medal on their front cover.

Another student asked, "What  other medals are there for books?".  Another great question!  A question that I needed to research!  That they needed to research...

But with a little google searching, I have discovered book medals and in turn, have found three fantastic web sites for teachers and students alike.  


1.  The American Library Association has a division called the Association for Library Service to Children where there are the Newbery Medal and Honor books listed from 1922.  As well as Newbery winners, there are a range of other medal winning categories:  the Caldecott Medal for the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children; The Wilder Award for an author or illustrator whose books, published in the US, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.  There are other medal awards as well, so please take a look.


2.  The Canadian Children's Book Centre has numerous awards for our Canadian writers!  They have a Canadian Awards Index which lists all the awards for Children's books in Canada.   There is the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction to name a few.  It is worthwhile to check out this website as it has great resources for librarians, teachers, and parents.


3.  Red Cedar Awards which is BC’s young readers’ choice award for students in grades 4 through 7.  It was launched by the Young Readers’ Choice Awards Society of BC in 1996 to encourage children to read, develop their ability to judge the quality of published works and create an awareness of the works of Canadian authors and illustrators.  Each year, 2 awards are given – 1 in the fiction category and 1 in the information book category.  Students vote for their favourite non fiction and fiction book, once they have read at least 5 in the category.


Check out these websites!   The ideas are endless:  I am thinking about organizing a book club around Canadian award winning books; or have students read 2-4 Newbery books and decide upon their favourite; or have them create  criteria for the Newbery books, or have them figure out an original award for  their favourite book.

PS: For the grade four readers in my book club, I just bought a huge selection of Newbery Award winning books which you will get to read for your next book selection.  Spring Break is near, so happy reading!

Finally, here is a link to a great website that discusses this year's winners of various book awards in the United States.

Book Awards for Children's Literature

 I had a grade four student ask a wonderful question:  What is that round medal in the corner of the book that she was reading?  I looked at the book, and it was a Newbery Medal.   So, we discussed books we had read that had the medal, and we looked around the classroom to find other books with a medal on their front cover.

Another student asked, "What  other medals are there for books?".  Another great question!  A question that I needed to research!  That they needed to research...

But with a little google searching, I have discovered book medals and in turn, have found three fantastic web sites for teachers and students alike.  


1.  The American Library Association has a division called the Association for Library Service to Children where there are the Newbery Medal and Honor books listed from 1922.  As well as Newbery winners, there are a range of other medal winning categories:  the Caldecott Medal for the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children; The Wilder Award for an author or illustrator whose books, published in the US, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.  There are other medal awards as well, so please take a look.


2.  The Canadian Children's Book Centre has numerous awards for our Canadian writers!  They have a Canadian Awards Index which lists all the awards for Children's books in Canada.   There is the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction to name a few.  It is worthwhile to check out this website as it has great resources for librarians, teachers, and parents.


3.  Red Cedar Awards which is BC’s young readers’ choice award for students in grades 4 through 7.  It was launched by the Young Readers’ Choice Awards Society of BC in 1996 to encourage children to read, develop their ability to judge the quality of published works and create an awareness of the works of Canadian authors and illustrators.  Each year, 2 awards are given – 1 in the fiction category and 1 in the information book category.  Students vote for their favourite non fiction and fiction book, once they have read at least 5 in the category.


Check out these websites!   The ideas are endless:  I am thinking about organizing a book club around Canadian award winning books; or have students read 2-4 Newbery books and decide upon their favourite; or have them create  criteria for the Newbery books, or have them figure out an original award for  their favourite book.

PS: For the grade four readers in my book club, I just bought a huge selection of Newbery Award winning books which you will get to read for your next book selection.  Spring Break is near, so happy reading!

Finally, here is a link to a great website that discusses this year's winners of various book awards in the United States.

A Beautiful Book

One of my students in the Grade 4 book club recommended this book to me.  It is called "Journey to the River Sea" by the late Eva Ibbotson.

What a beautiful book.  I could not put it down and read it in one sitting.  I have now purchased another book by the same author titled "The Dragonfly Pool", which I will hopefully find time to read soon.

Why did I like this book?  It was a beautiful tale about the Amazon River, finding oneself, and friendship.  It was so nice to read a book that wasn't "over the top" as some literature is today (think Hunger Games, etc), but a nice story that all students can read and get drawn into.  

I was impressed with the grade four readers I worked with last week.  Their passion for reading and their wide range of interest in novels was so refreshing and wonderful.  When I sat down and asked the students to recommend novels  or stories they had read, I thought we would have a 10 minute discussion, but instead, the students talked and shared books for nearly an hour.  I needed to write some of those titles down, too, as I am always learning from the students what to read! 

Thank you Grade Fours...you are truly amazing and inspiring and I now have lots of book suggestions  for Spring Break!

A Beautiful Book

One of my students in the Grade 4 book club recommended this book to me.  It is called "Journey to the River Sea" by the late Eva Ibbotson.

What a beautiful book.  I could not put it down and read it in one sitting.  I have now purchased another book by the same author titled "The Dragonfly Pool", which I will hopefully find time to read soon.

Why did I like this book?  It was a beautiful tale about the Amazon River, finding oneself, and friendship.  It was so nice to read a book that wasn't "over the top" as some literature is today (think Hunger Games, etc), but a nice story that all students can read and get drawn into.  

I was impressed with the grade four readers I worked with last week.  Their passion for reading and their wide range of interest in novels was so refreshing and wonderful.  When I sat down and asked the students to recommend novels  or stories they had read, I thought we would have a 10 minute discussion, but instead, the students talked and shared books for nearly an hour.  I needed to write some of those titles down, too, as I am always learning from the students what to read! 

Thank you Grade Fours...you are truly amazing and inspiring and I now have lots of book suggestions  for Spring Break!

Book Club: Mysterious Benedict Society

Students brought in their projects for book club:  they read The Mysterious Benedict Society for their first book.  

The projects were very impressive and demonstrated the students knowledge about the book, and their understanding of 10 important events.

 I enjoyed how each of the students made their own meaning of the assignment.

 This was a very original way to display information; I used this student's project as a model for my astronomy adventures students, and one student was eager to use this format to present his learning!

Great ideas..
The next book we read was Magyk...and the students are writing articles about the book which I will share soon.

Book Club: Mysterious Benedict Society

Students brought in their projects for book club:  they read The Mysterious Benedict Society for their first book.  

The projects were very impressive and demonstrated the students knowledge about the book, and their understanding of 10 important events.

 I enjoyed how each of the students made their own meaning of the assignment.

 This was a very original way to display information; I used this student's project as a model for my astronomy adventures students, and one student was eager to use this format to present his learning!

Great ideas..
The next book we read was Magyk...and the students are writing articles about the book which I will share soon.