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Saturday, July 12, 2014

Bookworm Buzz

Get ready for it-here they come!  I have many reviews for you based on my summer reading.  How are you doing with your reading?  Remember to share books with friends (Mrs.Merten has some of my favorites) and to use the library!  Ask the librarian how you can put a book on hold, (I put books on hold all of the time!) if you can't find what you want on the shelves.  Read lots, and lots and lots!  Leave me a comment or send me an email to let me know about what you are reading, I would love to hear from you. :)

Zita the Spacegirl (Zita the Spacegirl, #1)Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fans of Amulet will love this series and it is a nice introduction to the science fiction genre.  It will make the Amulet series, which I LOVE, more accessible to 4th graders.  Mrs. Richards will have to get us a few of these, and the other books in this series. :)


View all my reviews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story continues and of course the plot thickens!  Waiting for the third one to arrive from the library!  Give this series a try, I know you will like it!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this version of the Three Little Pigs, I am a karate mom afterall!  I loved that it was told in rhyme and that the third little pig was a girl!  Dan Santat is one of my favorite illustrators EVER, remeber Carnivores and Sidekicks!  Mrs. Richards will need to get me this one too!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wonderful story about friendship, how friendships change and accepting life as it comes.  Themes of friendship, loss, and overcoming challenges are present.  Very cute illustrations as well.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A wonderful story from India, it will make a nice addition to the myth text set.  Amazing illustrations!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
 Based on Mark Kurlansky's critically acclaimed bestseller Salt: A World History which is for adults, this picture book will interest many 4th graders.  I learned so much from this book, I didn't realize there was so much to know about salt.  Try it, not just on your food, make it part of your reading diet!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Although this is the third book in this series, it was the first book that I have read.  I think 4th graders will like the characters and will be able to relate to their problems.  This would make a fun book group!


Summerhouse TimeSummerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An oldie but a goodie. I could relate to the setting as I love to go to our beach house. There are many talk worthy points in this story which could lead to some pretty interesting persuasive essays.

View all my reviews My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There are some interesting themes in this book, hope, homelessness, anger, change; much to talk about and lots of writing lessons here!  A great story of how characters change over time.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An oldie but a goodie and will make a nice addition to the baseball basket.  I love a good historical fiction book and this one does not disappoint!  Mrs. Mac will love this one too because of the history of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."  I can't wait to share it with her!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This will make a great non fiction addition to the text set for The One and Only Ivan.  It will help readers understand Ruby and Stella and why they had the relationship that they did based on facts.  I loved the photos, the  "Did you know,"page and the author's note.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What a great way to focus thinking and to write about one small seed idea, and the ending was fun too!  Mrs. Hess will be able to find many ways to use this book in Art class, too.  The illustrations are amazing and I loved the artist's note at the end of the book.  Hoping that there will be more books like this one, maybe the The Great Big Red?


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Bookworm Buzz

  There have been 22 days of summer vacation and I have read  37 books* so far (I will be posting some new reviews shortly so see above post).  I am trying to do the Book-A-Day Challenge . Here is a summary of the rules posted by Donalyn Miller on May 18th, 2014 via Nerdy Book Club:

The yearly Book-a-Day challenge invites readers to reconnect with daily reading, discover new books and new reading friends, and celebrate our reading lives. During Book-a-Day, readers strive to read one book for every day of their summer vacations.
This challenge began as a public commitment to read all summer and share books with other readers.  I’ve met many treasured friends during our yearly Book-a-Day events—including my dear friend, Colby Sharp. Mini Book-a-Day events pop up during spring and winter breaks, and literacy gurus like Teri Lesesne post book titles under the #bookaday hashtag all year.
That series you never finished? Those novels you borrowed from a friend two months ago? That sliding stack of picture books you need to read? Don’t you have books that are calling you, too? Please join me for the 6th annual Book-a-Day challenge.
The rules (more guidelines, really) are simple:
  • You set your own start date and end date.
  • Read one book per day for each day of summer vacation. This is an average, so if you read three books in one day (I know you’ve done this!) and none the next two, it still counts.
  • Any book qualifies including picture books, nonfiction, professional books, audio books, graphic novels, poetry anthologies, or fiction—children’s, youth, or adult titles.
  • Keep a list of the books you read and share them often via a social networking site like goodreads or Twitter (post using the #bookaday hashtag), a blog, or Facebook page. You do not have to post reviews, but you can if you wish. Titles will do.
Don't forget to take advantage of your local library!  I have and am having a great time finding books, ordering books and sharing books.  Keep up and you'll be kept up!
* 2 of my the 35 books were comic books for adults and I did not add them to my Goodreads list, but they count and I loved them!
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Friday, July 11, 2014

Poetry Please


Haiku

Taking a nice jog
Breezes flowing in your face
You see lots of trees

By Manal


Great job, Manal-I love it!  
Mrs. W
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Poetry Please

The view from my run
The sun glistens through the trees
A beautiful day!

Write a poem about my picture or anything that you want and email it to me or put it in the comment. I'll post it for you! Happy Friday :)

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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Bookworm Buzz

Hi everyone!  Apparently, July is "book a day," month for some teachers and they try to read a book a day.  I have been reading A LOT and finally had time to post some of my reviews to Goodreads and here.  I have several more in my "to read," pile and am hoping to read Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke today.  I have been making at least two trips a week to my library and so far this summer I have saved over $500.00 using my library card. That money might be enough for me to take another vacation!  Are you using your library card?  It is super fun, try it!  I hope that you have been reading A LOT as well.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you have been reading, if the book is good or if you just can't get into it.  :)  Can't wait to hear from you!

Sophie Scott Goes SouthSophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book!  A great narrative non fiction with awesome text features.  This will make a great addition to the Mr. Popper's Penguins text set.  Check this out from your local library, you won't be disappointed!


View all my reviews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another narrative non fiction with great text features!  Plus, the story includes the MOS in Boston, which was pretty cool! A great addition to a text set for the grade 3 butterfly unit.  New 4th graders should check it out!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you like the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold, this latest installment won't disappoint!  It is a sweet story about true friendship and what it means to "unconditional friends."  It also is pretty funny too!  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A nice story about being your own person and not being afraid to be who you really are. It would make a nice addition to a text set about friendship or books with the theme of "believe in yourself."  The pictures and type face make for some talk worthy discussions. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun story that could be used in art, math or when studying Canada.  It would be a great jumping off point for a creative arts project involving collages, or with a technology project in which students could translate the book back into French from English.  The possibilities are endless!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mrs. Hess could use this book when teaching students about Picasso as an alternative way to look at the work by the artist.  There are many lessons in this story and much to talk about with students.  It is a picture book for upper level elementary students.  4th graders would be able to understand the character's feelings and have some great discussions about character traits vs. character feelings.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good book which is best suited for middle school students.  I was really hoping that it would be just right for fourth graders and that I would be able to make it part of a text set for when we read The One and Only Ivan, but that is not the case.  There are some themes that would need to be explained to 4th graders and are not really necessary to understanding the work of the scientists presented.  A cool way for middle school students to be introduced to Jane Godall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas.


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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Juicy Nibble



This is a video that I took today at the beach.  The fog was thick this afternoon as it rolled in from the water.  It is a result of the upcoming storm named Arthur.  There will be many rip currents this weekend, so I will have to stay on the beach and OUT of the water.  Can you believe that it is only 5:00 in the afternoon?
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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Juicy Nibble

Our "summer of cousins," continues! Can you guess where I am? The first person to correctly guess my location will earn a blue ticket. Leave a comment with your guess. 2 blue tickets if you can tell me the significance of the American flag. :)
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