March Madness Reading Competition

Mrs. S, our librarian, always comes up with the cutest reading competitions. This one is a contest between the sixth grade classes to see who can read the most books about a foreign country. Love the board! The basketball net is made out of a food sack! Love it!!

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Title: Call It Courage (1940)

Author: Armstrong Sperry

Other Books by this Author: None that I have read, but for a full list, click here
AR Reading Level: 6.2

AR Interest Level: Middle Grades

AR Points: 3

My Rating: Didn't Like It, It was Okay, Liked It, Really Liked It, It was Amazing

This book tells the story of a young boy who lives on an island. His culture values courage, of which he has none. The boy has been afraid of the sea for almost his whole life - ever since it claimed the life of his mother when he was only three. The boy decides he must conquer his fears once and for all by going on a journey at sea. The book details the trials of this journey and at many points had me at the edge of my seat, anxious to see what would become of him.

Spring Reading Thing

This is a challenge that I have participated in before on my own personal blog, but since I have kind of abandoned that blog, but still want to do the challenge, I am putting my "teacher spin" on it. You can read about the basics of the challenge here or you can click here to see others who are participating.

I am planning on keeping my list pretty simple this year since I have a ginormous amount of reading to do for my masters program. My goal is to read six Newbery Medal books - that is, two a month for each month of the challenge. This will also help me out with my own personal Newbery Reading Challenge. I may change my mind as to which exact books, but here is my tentative list:

1.) 1941: Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry FINISHED 03/24/11
2.) 1988: Lincon: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman
3.) 1997: The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg
4.) 2000: Bud, Not Buddy by Christoper Paul Curtis
5.) 2004: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
6.) 2011: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Wish me luck and check back for my progress and reviews!

Update June 20, 2011:

Well, I got discouraged. I checked out the audio cd's for Moon Over Manifest. The book was going okay... until I got one of the cd's stuck in my car's cd player. And, almost six weeks later, it is still there. I am getting ready to be unable to renew it. I think my husband may have to take the entire dash off of the car to get it out. Ugh. I consider this Spring Reading Thing to be a big, fat, fail for me! Oh well, better luck when Fall into Reading comes around...

Newbery Honor Books

Since I am doing the Newbery Medal Reading Challenge, I thought I may as well keep track of the Honor Books that I have read as well. And I know that I read a lot of Newbery Honor books when I was in school, but I am only recording the ones that I have read and actually remember well. Looking at the list, they are all books that I read in college or have read since.

1. 1953 – Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
2. 1971 – Kneeknock Rise by Natalie Babbitt
3. 1988 – Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
4. 1993 -- The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by Patricia McKissack
5. 1996 – The Watsons go to Birmingham: 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
6. 1998 – Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
7. 2003 – Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
8. 2004 – Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
9. 2005 – Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (07/11)
10. 2007 -- Rules by Cynthia Lord (01/12)
11. 2010 -- The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (07/13)

Read Across America Day

Happy Read Across America Day!!

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Title: Chasing Lincoln's Killer (2009)

Author: James L. Swanson

Other Books by this Author: Manhunt (a New York Times bestseller for adults), Bloody Times (a sequel to this book)

AR Reading Level: 7.5

AR Interest Level: Middle Grades +

AR Points: 6

My Rating: Didn't Like It, It was Okay, Liked It, Really Liked It, It was Amazing

This book is a true account of the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. It is full of interesting pictures and artifacts from the time period. Anything that appears in quotes was actually said by that person.

I liked this book, but it is definitely not for fourth graders! I would not recommend this book for anyone under sixth grade, and then, only if they were really interested in history. There was an actual picture of four people hanging in the book, which is a little eerie even for me to look at!

Newbery Medal Reading Challenge

Since 1922, 90 Newbery Medals have been awarded. No, the Newbery Medal is not the be-all, end-all of what makes a good book. I sometimes read a book and get frustrated that it is such an awesome book and yet received no recognition. On the other hand, sometimes I read a book that has won a prestigious award and I hate it. But no one can argue that on the whole, Newbery books are awesome books for intermediate children and as an intermediate teacher, I feel I should definitely make an effort to read more of them.

I am challenging myself to read all of the Newbery Medal Winners. Since a new one is added every year, it may take me quite a while to catch up! 

Here are the Newbery Medal Winners that I have read (and remember well enough for them to count!):

1. 2009 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (04/10)
2. 2008 Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (04/10)
3. 1999 - Holes by Louis Sachar (BeforeChallenge)
4. 1997 - The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg (07/11)
5. 1994 - The Giver by Lois Lowry (BC)
6. 1991 - Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (BC)
7. 1990 - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (04/10)
8. 1989 - Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (03/10)
9. 1988 - Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman
10. 1986 - Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (BC)
11. 1984 - Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (BC)
12. 1982 - A Journey to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (03/10)
13. 1979 - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (05/13)
14. 1978 - Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson (BC)
15. 1977 - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (10/13)
16. 1968 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg (BC)
17. 1963 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (BC)
18. 1941 - Call It Courage (2011)

(BC) - Before Challenge

~Wish Me Luck!!~

Mudshark by Gary Paulsen

Title: Mudshark (2009)

Author: Gary Paulsen, Newbery Honor Winner

Other Books by this Author: Hatchet, Brian's Winter, Lawn Boy, and many others

AR Reading Level: 6.3

AR Interest Level: Middle Grades

AR Points: 2

My Rating: Didn't Like It, It was Okay, Liked It, Really Liked It, It was Amazing

I enjoyed this book. It tells of a boy who has answers - all because of his mad observation skills. These skills help him solve all types of problems, which is good because his school has a lot. Each chapter opens with an announcement from the principal warning kids to return lost erasers, stay away from the rogue gerbil, and ignore the Hazmat team that is dealing with the problem in the faculty restroom.

This book would be a little bit too difficult for most of my fourth graders, but for the ones who would be able to read it, it would be enjoyable and age-appropriate.

Book List -

 A list of the books I've read since beginning the blog. If I have written a review, it will be linked.

Of course, I have read more books than this, but I am only including ones relevant to teaching : ) 


For Students:

1. Mudshark by Gary Paulsen (02/11)
2. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (02/11)
3. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry (03/11) NB
4. Kneeknock Rise by Natalie Babbitt (06/11) NB
5. The View from Saturday by EL Konigsburg (07/11) NB
6. Best of All by Max Lucado (07/11)
7. A Penny's Worth of Character by Jesse Stuart (07/11)
8. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (07/11) NB

For Teachers:

1. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller (06/11)
2. Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers by Debbie Silver (07/11)
3. Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox (07/11)

Reading 911 - Chapter Books as a Whole Class

Questions from Teachers Just Like You...

"Right now I am working on a literature unit for my reading class because we are sooo bored with our routine with the reading textbook. I've been reading Arthur, For the Very First Time by Patricia MacLachlan and want to make some fun activities and assessments to go along with it. Any ideas? I really want to introduce my students to wonderful books written by great authors! Any helpful hints or suggestions? Do you all read any chapter books as a whole class?"

I think our kids can get bored with the basal series too. Some of the stories just plain don't interest them. I personally do not teach any core reading, but I do have a supplemental reading class. My kids are the more advanced readers and so I have read a few chapter books with them. We are getting ready to start reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg. I read this with them last year and the kids really seemed to like it.

As far as fun activities and assessments go, I always find my best ideas through google. I found this site while looking for ideas for my class. Last year, I narrowed down some of these choices for my kids and let them pick for themselves. I had some pretty good diary entries from Claudia's point of view, a few homemade board games, and some really neat travel brochures the kids made by researching the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I also had a student make a really nice sculpture based on the Angel sculpture from the book. I wish I had taken pictures!

Do your kids suffer from Basal Boredom?? Please post any ideas you have used/found for using chapter books in your classroom!!

If you have a question or situation you would like some input on, please email me or find me on facebook!