Tuna, Wahoo, Chomp Oh My

Carl Hiaasen does a great job of mixing humor and serious topics in a nonthreatening way. The novel, Chomp, does not stray away from this format. Filled with round characters like Wahoo and Tuna, this novel will take you on a wild ride through the Florida Everglades. This is a refreshing read and I actually was able to chuckle several times while reading. Child abuse and alcoholism is mentioned and even explored throughout the novel. This isn’t off-putting and the issue is approached in a way that is appropriate for kids.

Wonder left me wondering

My mom always told me when reading a book that I wasn’t excited about to read the book anyways to find out specifically why I didn’t like it. This is what I had to do with the novel Wonder. This was not my favorite read. The novel was about a boy with a deformity and the relationship he had with his peers and family. The first couple of chapters were spent describing the boy, August. The reader is provided a descriptive image that would make the Beast look like a beauty. There was an unnecessary build up and hype surrounded by the deformity and I think it did a disservice to the novel. This is the first year that August is going to school where he experienced good relationships and negative relationships. And of course at the end, August gained friends and was accepted by all.

The reason why this novel was not my favorite probably has nothing to do with the novel. Honestly, I can’t wait for the moment when there are all types of children represented in novels and their “issue” whether it’s skin color, health issue, socioeconomic status, whatever the “it” is just exists. August is a boy. He has a deformity. He needs to interact with others and overcome a “difficult issue”. This is something that all can relate to. We have all been there. The fact that he is grotesque and his appearance was shocking did not add to the plot of the story.

What I love the most was the theme of family. I love how the parents were represented in this novel and how there were examples of genuine love between the parents and children.

Not my favorite novel, but it gave a voice to children with disabilities and it is a great discussion starter for a middle school setting. The speech the principal gives to the student body at the end of the novel was great and provided a great wrap up to the novel.

Summer Reading Has Begun

 

What a great way to begin my summer reading. I loved this hilarious novel, Free Thaddeus. I have a tendency to think like a 6^th grader, so I thought the jokes and a student’s perspective on in school suspension was very funny. I think Thaddeus’ is a relatable character and I would recommend this novel for boys and girls from 4^th – 6^th grade. While the novel is pleasurable, there is a hint of seriousness as the reader slowly discovers that Thaddeus’ father passed away. This somewhat explains Thaddeus’ need to “fix” and “help” everyone around him. I like a little love in my books and while this book does not have any romance, Thaddeus has a great friend in Alison who finds time to write him and give him the scoop on class as Thaddeus sits in ISS. This is the second book in a series and there was not a need to read the first book before reading this book.

 

Easter Fun

How was your Easter? Did you put books in your Easter basket? In addition to making smaller baskets this year, my daughter and I decided to make baked goods. It was tons of fun.

Summer Reading

I am trying to "jazz up" the 6th grade summer reading list at my school. We will have one novel that will serve as a main novel and we will have one main novel that will jump start our year. Below are some titles we've discussed but fill free to add more!
Esperanza Rising
By: Ryan, Pam Munoz
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.
Lexile: 750
Peak (May 2007)
By: Smith, Roland, 1951-
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Lexile: 780 [view chart]
Smile (Feb 2010)
By: Telgemeier, Raina
An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.
Lexile: 410
Sixth-grade: Glommers, Norks, and Me (Jan 2005)
By: Papademetriou, Lisa
As she starts middle school, soccer-playing sixth-grader Allie Kimball worries about losing her best friend and being considered a "nerd," but ultimately makes important decisions about how to treat others and remain true to herself.
Lexile: 650
The Big Field (Mar 2008)
By: Lupica, Mike
When fourteen-year-old baseball player Hutch feels threatened by the arrival of a new teammate named Darryl, he tries to work through his insecurities about both Darryl and his remote and silent father, who was once a great ballplayer too.
Lexile: 970
Scat (Jan 2009)
By: Hiaasen, Carl
Nick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing.
Lexile: 810
Bud, not Buddy (Oct 1999)
By: Curtis, Christopher Paul
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.
Lexile: 950

Little Shop of Stories Visit

My family and I travelled to Atlanta this weekend and we had such a great time. Along the way I visited a children’s bookstore, Little Shop of Stories. What an amazing place.  It was definitely kid friendly and organized. Every section of the store was labeled appropriately. There was a “grown up section”, a section for teens, as well as divisions by genre. The staff was friendly and helpful and my 15 year old walked away with a book simply because he didn’t have to weed through books that were “boring”. He went to the section that was most appealing for him and he walked away happy. There were games and “cute’ items, but the focus was on reading which I enjoyed! There was a reading camp being held upstairs during my visit and from the looks of things, the kids were having a blast. I would definitely recommend visiting this store if you are in the area.

Generation Gap

My daughter turned to me and asked why the Statue of Liberty was holding an iPad. A couple of months ago, she looked at me as if I was crazy when I explained to her that birds tweet. In her mind, she only associated tweets with Twitter. My daughter is 5. And while I am not a techie; she has access to laptops, an iPad, e readers, gaming systems, you name it and she does it. She also takes technology as a part of her curriculum in school.

I have been teaching for 8 years I can’t say whether or not I feel that technology is “the answer” or should take “the blame” for the successfulness or failure of our students. Because every child learns differently, I don’t think that there will ever be one answer. I don’t blame technology for the problems that children are faced with. I believe that every generation has their “thing”. As parents it’s our job to provide our children with boundaries.

My daughter lives in a print rich environment and is constantly exposed to books. Why did she think that the Statue of Liberty was holding an iPad? Why wouldn’t she assume that it was a book?

Was my daughter’s question the result of a generation gap, or am I missing a bigger picture?