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Sunday, August 30, 2015

Bookworm Buzz

Well, it is finally here, the last day of summer vacation for teachers.  It has been 65 days since vacation began on June 27th, and at the start of vacation I set a goal to read one book a day to complete the summer reading challenge for teachers.  As of today I have read  84 books.  Most of them were books for students, but there were a few in there that were just for parents, my high school friends and my middle school friends.  I did abandon three books this summer that just didn't keep my interest. If you have been keeping up with me on Goodreads, you know that I have read some fantastic books this summer.  Here are all of my reviews since my last post.  There are so many because about 20 of them were still on my "to-read," shelf in Goodreads, when in fact I had read them.  Enjoy!  Scroll down to the post below this to read an introduction letter for new 4th graders and their families.  See you on Wednesday!
Dear Hank WilliamsDear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to using it as a partner read or in a book club group. Mrs. Richards will have to get us several copies of this one.


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All the Lost ThingsAll the Lost Things by Kelly Canby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very nice story. Loved the illustrations. Many talk worthy discussions possible and will make a nice companion story to Pandora's Box myth.


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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolutely loved it.  Can't wait to share this book with students!

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The Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher by Lisa Passen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just for fun.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A funny rhyme book that will make readers laugh....and wonder,

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A beautiful story of friendship. Great for character education.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved it, fun and funny! Will definitely read this one this week!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun sequel to the original, can't wait to share it with students!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great story, lots of connections, love the message.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great for point of view!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful and the illustrations are beautiful.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great book to share with students for many different lessons. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, very well done. Hoping to use it in small groups or as a partner read.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A quick read, enjoyable characters and some surprises at the end.  Definitely for my middle school friends as some of the themes are not just right for 4th graders.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
So much going on in this book and I was hooked right away. I enjoyed the characters and the plot but had some problems with it from a reality perspective. It was difficult to believe that not a single teacher before 6th grade intervened with Ally and her struggles or Shay and her struggles. I do think students will enjoy this book and I will share it with readers and will look forward to discussing it with them.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. I will definitely add it to our writer's workshop launch unit as a mentor text.  There is a great message and it would be a nice addition to the character education text set.  The illustrations were very cool and will appeal to readers of all ages.



My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute story and fun illustrations!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great way to learn about spiders! This will make a fine addition to our text set for Charlotte's Web!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fascinating book about chickens with great non fiction information supplied through a question and answer format.  I will add this to our new basket on bird books. Very neat!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really love this series and can't wait for the next one. A very important topic that will appeal to many readers, especially guys involved in athletics.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great book to add to the launch of reader's workshop at the beginning of the year. Would be a welcome addition to k-2 classroom libraries.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book! It will be on my shelf this fall as part of character education. I plan on having students partner read this book when the situation calls for it. Really great and cool pictures too!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was read to me on my iPad through my library's tumble app. Very cute and I loved the twist at the end!

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Lots going on visually, not really my cup of tea and I love graphic novels.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A nice story about what it means to be the new kid in school and how having the right teacher makes all the difference.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Beautiful illustrations. A sweet story about simple gifts.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting story in rhyme about the importance of reading. 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just for parents. It has taken me a while to get to this one....so many kids/ya books to read, but I finally did. It was absolutely amazing, I loved it, couldn't put it down! Rich characters and plot and an enduring tale of true love, forgiveness and family. Thanks again, Mrs. Richards!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very nice illustrations. This will make a nice addition to our text set for The One And Only Ivan. Readers will be able to draw interesting parallels between the characters and the plot.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A friend recommended this book to me and she said that it would make a great addition to the mentor texts for when we launch writer's workshop and she was right! Mrs. Richards will have to get this one for the book room!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Beautiful illustrations and a great way to learn about woodpeckers, the mini lessons are endless here! I have read many books about birds this summer, I think I will need to start a basket just about birds!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely LOVED this book. I was laughing out loud in the library, I'm so glad it's o.k. to laugh out loud in my library! 




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Sunday, August 23, 2015

A Big Bite


Welcome to all of the new students and their families to 4th grade!  Students please click here to view my welcome letter to you.  Parents can click here for a welcome letter.  See you next week!
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Monday, July 27, 2015

Bookworm Buzz

Here are my latest updates from Goodreads on the books that I have been reading so far this summer for the #bookaday challenge.  30 days of summer vacation are gone and I have read 50 books so far.  With 65 days of summer vacation, can you figure out how many books I have to read in order to meet the #bookaday challenge?  Send me a comment and let me know the answer.  Don't forget to include a label!
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (An Abolitionist Tale about Harriet Tubman)Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A great way to tell the story of Harriet Tubman.  4th graders will love the format and the story!


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Flowers Are CallingFlowers Are Calling by Rita Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful illustrations in this picture book about flowers. Rhyme is mixed in with non fiction which will appeal to many readers.


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The FlyThe Fly by Petr Horáček
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great book to add to the launch of reader's workshop at the beginning of the year. Would be a welcome addition to k-2 classroom libraries.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved the illustrations and the message.  Can't wait to use this one. :)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great book for making connections and drawing parallels with life and characters from other books. Also fun for point of view.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
We will read this book a few times this year as a mentor text in writer's workshop, reader's workshop and during character education.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting chapter book that will have readers asking questions and making connections.


Image result for The Boston Girl  I have also read The Boston Girl, by Anita Diamant.  This is for parents and my high school friends.  It was a quick and easy read.  I enjoyed the story from the narrator's perspective and it was fun to read about Boston in the 1920s.!

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Thursday, July 23, 2015

Juicy Nibble

4th grade teachers enjoying lunch and brownie sundaes, yum, yum!  We hope that you are having a great summer, reading, writing, finding math in your world, having fun adventures and eating LOTS of ice cream! Send us a picture to share your summer time fun. :)

I have been reading many books and have been posting them to Goodreads.  Stay tuned for an update here, my #bookaday challenge is going great, I am close to, if not over, 55 books so far!

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Saturday, July 11, 2015

Juicy Nibble

Hiked Good now Flow mountain in the Adirondacks today! 2 miles up, 2 miles down, climbed 2,685 feet! Amazing view had to strike a pose. :)

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Friday, July 10, 2015

Bookworm Buzz

I am heading off to the beautiful Adirondaks for a few days where there isn't any internet or cell phone service so I will be completely off the grid!  I will have my books though and  I am planning on one more trip to the library before I get on the road.  I am excited to try kayaking for the first time!  Have you tried anything new?  Here are my Goodread posts from the last week, ENJOY!!! For my older friends, I did finish my reread of To Kill a Mockingbird, it was even better 30 years later. :)
14 days of summer vacation are gone and  I have read 41 books for the #bookaday challenge.  A blue ticket in the fall if you can tell me what is special about the number 1441. :)  I think I will make the challenge by the end of the summer!

Marilyn's MonsterMarilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As Yogi Bhajan says, "patience pays." Some good talk worthy discussions are possible with this book. Loved the illustrations.


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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book has some great potential for word study lessons and character education. Some great talk worthy discussions are possible!


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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting introduction to saving money.  A good mentor text for writer's workshop.


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Definitely for our kindergarten friends! A fun counting/rhyming book

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book will be a good addition to our character education text set. The message of being true to yourself and believing in your ability to be unique will connect with many fourth graders.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beautiful illustrations and a strong message of friendship. Another great addition to our character education text set. Mrs. Richards will have to get this one for the book room!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This will be fun to add to our text set for when we read Charlotte's Web. It is a fun story about a boy, a goat and a state fair. 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just for fun and a good message too! I laughed out loud. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lots of great questions and talk worthy discussions are possible with this book! Mrs. Richards will have to get this one for the book room for sure!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An oldie but a goodie! Why don't I have this book on my shelf? Mrs. Richards will have to get this one too! A great mentor text for everyone. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Douglas Florian! This will be added to our Douglas Florian collection for an author study in the spring. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Amazing illustrations! A story that is just right for fourth graders and will lead them to find other non fiction books with a similar theme.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting read, not really my cup of tea. Glad I stayed with it until the end. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow! Heavy duty but a timely topic. Some very important talk worthy topics here and the potential for some great writing with students!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A fun story about the importance of manners. Our kindergarten friends will enjoy it and the message is important for all of us!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book has some great potential for word study lessons and character education. Some great talk worthy discussions are possible!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A nice addition to our Cinderella study. I liked the twist at the end!


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