Summer Reading

The 2010-2011 school year has officially come to an end. Friday, May 27 was my last day with kids. As I gave my students one last goodbye hug, I encouraged them to keep reading over the summer. I shared with them my desire to dive into some great books, get lost in a new novel, learn something new, and visit faraway places by way of the library.

 I know many of you out there use summer to catch up on reading. What titles do you have sitting in the stack of books beside your bed? What books are on your summer reading list? I can’t wait to hear your recommendations (both education and non education related)…

Here are a few of mine:

·         The Hero Inside of You: 260 Thrilling and Inspiring True Stories of Ordinary Heroes by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun. This little delight was a gift from two of the student interns at my school. It’s a great little book not only because of the inspirational stories, but also because it’s easy to read a story in a couple of minutes while you’re waiting for the train or sitting at the dentist’s office and it fits nicely in my purse.

·         Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differentially in the Primary Grades by Mary Cowley. I’ve seen this book in the Stenhouse Publishers catalog and it’s been on my list for some time. While I was at the International Reading Association Conference three weeks ago, my colleague, Mrs. Tautkus, purchased it herself, not knowing it was on my wish list and excited shared it with me. I perused her book and went right over to the Stenhouse booth during my next break and picked up my own copy. I started reading it on the plane ride home and I am not disappointed. If you are interested in creating nurturing environments that foster socially responsible and critical children, this is the book for you.   

·         Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.  I saw a video on You Tube and immediately added it to my list. Check out the video at http://youtu.be/NugRZGDbPFU if you want to know why I’m intrigued.

·         Anything We Love Can be Saved: A Writer’s Activism by Alice Walker. I was at the Rapid City Public Library looking for Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers  by Freya Manfred. I couldn’t find the book; however, this one caught my attention. Although Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple; it was the title that convinced me to add yet another book to my pile.

·         The Wind Blows Free by Frederick Manfred. This is the selection for my The Novel Ladies and Friends book club in June.  It’s a personal memoir of the Dust Bowl.

·         Lot’s Return to Sodom by Sandra Brannan. See why here.  

·         What Really Matters in Response to Education by Richard Allington. I’m reading this one for a summer book study with several colleagues at school. I’m looking forward to some good conversations about designing RtI programs that support struggling readers.

·        Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. The authors show how to blend intellectual intelligence and social intelligence to create dialogue. The forward is written by Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, so I am confident it will be a productive read.

As you can see, I am sorely lacking fiction titles here. Once I finish these eight, I have several others waiting in the wing, but I’m always on the lookout for more. I can’t wait to see what everyone else is reading.

Book Clubs in the Primary Grades

Speaking of book clubs, I have been wondering how to incorporate the concept of Book Clubs into my first grade classroom.  Several years ago, I experimented with Book Clubs at the end of the year. We had several different selections and students got to choose which book they wanted to read.  It was quite structured and students had a specific “assignment” every day.

Here’s a great book I recently pulled from my bookshelf and plan on rereading this summer: Comprehension Right From the Start: How to Organize and Manage Book Clubs for Young Readers by Donna Marriott. It focuses on moving students to “intense conversations” about books. It talks about a five-day course of study. The format includes an emphasis on 1) introducing the study, 2) skill/strategy, 3) literacy discussion, 4) writing about reading, and 5) celebrations of learning. It also includes lesson plans for the five-day study of The Carrot Seed, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Another idea I’ve come across is the Brown Bag Book Club. Although I haven’t tried this yet, I can foresee my students loving it. Students read a book and fill out a graphic organizer, thinking map, or reader’s response and glue it to a small brown paper bag or lunch sack. The bags would later be filled with popcorn and students would pair up to share. The discussions could be guided by (but not limited to) the information on their bag. I anticipate many productive discussions coming from this process.  Of course, we only have five more school days left, so there’s no time to try it this year, but it will definitely be on my plans next year.

My purposes are to facilitate the joy and adventures of reading and encourage dialogue around high quality literature and related topics. I am also hoping that this will deepen comprehension and increase meaningful student discourse.

I’m interested in hearing from others who have had experiences with managing Book Clubs in the primary grades. What things have you tried? What works well for you? For those of who have not tried Book Clubs yet, what ideas and/or questions do you have just floating around?

Book Clubs- Not Directly Education Related

I have never been a part of a book club before. I take that back. I have been a member of several different Bible studies where we were choose a book and meet on a regular basis to discuss what we are learning. I loved those experiences; however, I have always wanted to be a part of a group that shares my love of reading. I also wanted something with the focus on the enjoyment and not the pressures of a graduate literacy course.  Additionally, I wanted to be introduced to books that I might not otherwise pick up.

I got my wish! I was recently invited to be a part of a book club called Novel Ladies and Friends. It is everything I wanted and more. They meet on a monthly basis and each take turns choosing the book and being the hostess. The participants are from all walks of life and many generations.

My first experience with Novel Ladies was on Cinco de Mayo. I am so glad I went. Our book for the month was Sandra Brannan’s book, In the Belly of Jonah. Although I love to read, I usually find myself with works of nonfiction, mostly education related. I forgot how enjoyable it is to read fiction. It’s so relaxing and satisfying to read without a highlighter or feeling the need to take notes. I devoured the book in just a couple of nights.



The Novel Ladies and Friends



Good food and drink were a big part, but the highlight of the night was having the author at the festivities. Sandra is such a fun, down-to-earth person. I was enthralled by the book and absolutely adored Sandra as a person. I can’t wait until her next book in the series, Lot’s Return to Sodom, comes out in June. Liv Bergen is back to solve a mystery in our own Black Hills! I will be at Borders on June 4 at 2:00 to get my autographed copy. I’ll see you in line…

Yes- I'm an Author Groupie!

If you would like to learn more about Sandra and her book, please visit the following links. Considering this book is a murder mystery, keep in mind that the material may not be suitable for young children.

Review and exclusive interview with Sandra Brannan: http://www.book-club-queen.com/belly-of-jonah.html

Sandra Brannan talks about her book: http://dai.ly/j3BdsN

Book trailer for In the Belly of Jonah: http://youtu.be/1esPz1SLp94

Sandra Brannan’s website: www.sandrabrannan.com

It's a Book...It's a Must Read

Here’s another book to add to your reading list… It’s a Book by Lane Smith.  This book is a dialogue between a laptop loving donkey and a book loving monkey.  It’s hilariously funny. I laughed out loud in the aisle of Borders when I first read it.

I often find myself in the Pro-Book / Pro-E-Reader conversation. My husband has wanted to get me a Kindle for some time, but I am holding out. Although I am not against technology, I have to say I am a traditional book gal in every sense of the word. Yes, I see the benefits of one, but nothing compares to holding an old fashion book in my hand and turning the pages. I hope in the future that it is not one or the other- traditional books or e-readers- but that people can enjoy both.  Maybe I will eventually go for a Kindle, but traditional books will always remain #1. I love to buy them, borrow them, arrange them, hold them, and read them.  

I am not sure who the audience of this book should be. Adults should definitely add it to their list. Parents and educators will want to preview this book before using it with kids. Smith uses the language of “jackass” for the donkey in the final line of the book, which will be a sticking point for some.

Watch the following YouTube video for a sneak peak and see what you think.

Visit Smith’s blog at http://curiouspages.blogspot.com/2010/07/lane-smith-on-its-book.html  to read about how the book came to be.

So, where do you stand in the debate? Are you Pro-Book? Pro-E-Reader?  Or somewhere in between? What do you think of Lane Smith’s It’s a Book?

Taking a Risk and in Denver by 6:00

Friday during Easter weekend my husband texted me the following “Let’s fly to Denver tonight.” A little background is in order here… my husband works for an airline and as part of his benefits, we can fly stand by for free. Picture this: we have been married for 10 years and I have only used his benefits 3 times (for our honeymoon, to attend my sister’s wedding reception in Omaha, and once when I took my oldest son to Salt Lake City to visit friends). The timing is never right.  I always have something that needs to be done or the flights are full and I worry about getting back. I thought he was crazy for even suggesting it. I had been gone two weekends in a row- one for the Milken Forum and one for Courage to Teach. All I wanted to do (or thought I wanted to do) was stay home.

For some reason, I decided to just go for it this time around. For anyone who knows me, this is not me at all- not planned, very spur of the moment. I rushed home at 2:00, took a shower, packed for myself and my two boys, packed for my daughter who would be staying with her grandma, dropped off my daughter in town, and was at the airport by 4:00.



"Once you have tasted flight,

 you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. "

~ Leonard da Vinci



We were in Denver by 6:00. Eli seemed to relax about his fear of flying and actually enjoyed the return flight. It helped to have dad there explaining all the noises and process of flight in technical terms, which calmed Eli’s fears better than my strategies. Ethan experienced his first ever flight and loved it.

The next day, we took public transportation to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We saw a 3D show at the IMAX. It was called Born to be Wild 3D. I don’t know who enjoyed themselves more- me or my boys. I have never seen a 3D movie before. Experiencing one at the IMAX was unbelievable. Born to be Wild is an incredible story about orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the amazing individuals who rescue, raise, rehabilitate, and return them to the wild. Visit the following link to learn more about the story and view a trailer of the film. http://www.dmns.org/imax/current-films/born-to-be-wild-3d

If I would have thought about things too much, I probably would have said no and I would have missed all the incredible experiences that occurred in one, short, 24 hour period. The lesson here…sometimes you just have to take a risk.  This year has really been one of stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things, both personally and professionally. See my previous post "I'm new. I'm trying." Button about trying new things.

What risks have you taken this year? How has it paid off? What have you learned from your new experiences?