Farewell!

It's that time of year already!  I can't believe the year is almost over.  I enjoyed having each and every one of you in class.  I'm proud of you all!

Sixth graders - congratulations on raising over $5,000 so that a village can have clean water.  You made a difference in the world!  I wish you the best of luck at the junior high. Keep reading and writing, and  I hope you keep in touch!  Here is the e-mail from Marie Cinti, one of the leaders from Water for South Sudan:

Here is what I have!  Your well was drilled and I have the following information:

It was drilled in the village of Wuntim, Warrap State, Gogrial East County.  The village chief is Bol Majok Deng and this village has a population of approx. 760 people.  

The GPS coordinates I have are :  N08 05; 830" E028 15' 053"  I can't make the degree sign but it would be read at 8 degrees N, 05 minutes, 830 seconds (etc.)

I do not have photos yet but will send them as soon as I have them!  It might not be until middle of June.

Anything else I can provide?  Congratulations!!!!  Well done!

Fifth graders - this isn't goodbye; it's see you later! :-)  You also need to be congratulated because you donated 45 pairs of pajamas to families in need in our area.  Scholastic also donated a book for every pair of pajamas.  You kept kids warm and reading this winter!  Here is the e-mail from a leader in the Pajama Program:

Thank you for collecting pajamas for the children. We have so many children in need this time of year and your contribution will help make sure that they have warm pajamas to sleep in.

You all need to be congratulated for the many books you read this year, the writing you created, and all that you learned.

Have a wonderful summer!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

These are memes started by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey, and I'm excited to participate, along with many other bloggers, in reviewing books I read the previous week. I'll be reviewing picture books through adult books.

PICTURE BOOKS

Sparky! by Jenny Offill and Chris Appelhans

Podcast Interview with Chris Appelhans

2014-book, animals, friendship, humor, mock-caldecott-2015, pets, picture-book Aw, I LOVED this book! I was laughing the whole way through and then loved the sweet ending. The illustrations are hilarious and have a Jon Klassen quality (I wrote this before listening to Appelhans's podcast - see link above - in which he talks about Klassen). Love the thick pages and sepia tones. And I love Sparky. I now want a pet sloth. Pair this up with A Little Book of Sloth.

 

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems compiled by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

2014-book, mock-caldecott-2015, picture-book, poetry, seasons Melissa Sweet never disappoints. This beautifully illustrated book of poems compiled by Paul Janeczko and arranged around the seasons is a must have for the classroom library! Some of my favorite poems like "The Red Wheelbarrow" and "Fog" are given new life. It's amazing that Janeczko is the anthologist of almost fifty collections and Stewart has illustrated almost 100 books. What a team! Aviary Wonders Inc. Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual by Kate Samworth   2014-book, birds, environmental, mock-caldecott-2015, nature   This a strange but intriguing book that makes an environmental point about what might happen if we allow birds to go extinct. The illustrations manage to be beautiful and disturbing at the same time. I look forward to more by this new picture book author/illustrator. MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking by Erin Dionne art, audio-book, grandparents, intermediate-kids-book, mystery, young-adult-book     I listened to this entertaining mystery, and I loved the narrator's Boston accent. The spunky main character had me rooting for her the whole time, and I thought Dionne's characterization of Grumps was excellent. The way Moxie treated her grandfather's Alzheimer's was touching, and I enjoyed hers and Ollie's friendship. The real life art heist is intriguing - be sure to listen to/read the author's note at the end. This reminded me of Balliett's Chasing Vermeer and Messner's Silver Jaguar Society...more I listened to this entertaining mystery, and I loved the narrator's Boston accent. The spunky main character had me rooting for her the whole time, and I thought Dionne's characterization of Grumps was excellent. The way Moxie treated her grandfather's Alzheimer's was touching, and I enjoyed hers and Ollie's friendship. The real life art heist is intriguing - be sure to listen to/read the author's note at the end. This reminded me of Balliett's Chasing Vermeer and Messner's Silver Jaguar Society mysteries. I'm reading aloud to one of my 6th grade classes. YOUNG ADULT Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith   2014-book, drug-and-alcohol-use, fantasy-science-fiction, fears, friendship, horror, humor, lgbt, love, mock-printz2015, point-of-view, reluctant-hero, science-fiction, survival, young-adult-book   NOTE:  This is NOT for middle graders! This one was tough for me to decide how to rate/review. I completely understand and appreciate the brilliance of this writer, the raw and honest way he writes, and the ground-breaking storytelling, but it was not my cup of tea. It was gross and disturbing, and I had a hard time liking any of the characters. I debated abandoning it, but I had to find out how it ended (I guess that tells you that it IS compelling). Many Nerdy Book Club folks wrote excellent reviews, and I respect their love of this book. I don't want to take anything away from Andrew Smith's talent. He has a ton of fans, and I know there are older teens out there who would love this book, but it was not for me. CURRENTLY LISTENING TO CURRENTLY READING   My family loves to read, too! Libby (21 yrs. old) Katie (18) is in the middle of a "Grey's Anatomy" marathon - season 7. ;-) Mom Dad My husband, Ed What are YOU reading this week?

Nonfiction Wednesday

 I'm excited that Alyson Beecher, at Kid Lit Frenzy, is continuing her Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge for the third year in a row. 

 

More creative nonfiction this week!

Handle With Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns, photography by Ellen Harasimowicz

2014-book, creative-nonfiction, journey, life-cycle, mock-sibert-2015, nature, nonfiction, nonfiction-challenge-2014, photography

 

This is a beautiful and interesting book about a box of pupae shipped to a museum in Boston from a butterfly farm in Costa Rica. Burns chronicles the life cycle of a butterfly in this innovative and captivating book, filled with gorgeous photographs. Now I want to visit Costa Rica!

Feathers: Not Just For Flying by Melissa Stewart, illustrations by Sarah S. Brannen

2014-book, birds, creative-nonfiction, figuative-language, mock-sibert-2015, nonfiction, nonfiction-challenge-2014, picture-book, science

 

 

 

What a great addition to our unit on creative nonfiction! Stewart teaches us fascinating information about feathers through similes. There were a lot of things I didn't know about the way birds use their feathers. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous - I love the color tones and the scrapbook-like design. Great author's note at the end. I will definitely be purchasing this for our classroom library.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

These are memes started by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey, and I'm excited to participate, along with many other bloggers, in reviewing books I read the previous week. I'll be reviewing picture books through adult books.

EARLY MIDDLE GRADE BOOK

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

	2013-book, award-winner, character-development, character-who-writes, early-middle-grade, read, teachers-who-inspire

	This is a sweet story about Billy, a second grader with a big heart and honest feelings. My favorite chapter was the one about his love/hate relationship with his sister. I think younger middle grade readers will like it. I love Kevin Henkes because he find beauty and humor in simple things.

MIDDLE GRADE BOOK

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

2014-book, bebrave, character-who-writes, characters-with-disabilities, family, fantasy-science-fiction, fears, figuative-language, friendship, gifted-character, home, loss, love, mock-newbery-2015, mock-schneider-family-award-2015, model-for-writing, mood-tone, vocabulary I wrote about this book and my Mock Newbery Club's Skype visit with her on my Celebration Saturday post, but I'm not done talking about her or her fabulous book yet! You can see Natalie (just barely) on the screen with us. Brady (2nd front left) is holding the Jeni's Ice Cream we ate during the Skype visit. We sent some to Natalie as a thank you, too! Spindiddly! I just finished what is destined to become a children's literature classic. I knew I was in for a treat when one of my sixth graders, who read it for my Mock Newbery Club and is a voracious reader, said, "This is the best book I ever read. It has everything I like." Wow. I know what she means now. It's funny, poignant, compelling, magical, and real. I have so many post-it flags marking favorite parts that I couldn't possibly write them all, but I'll include some: - A sister is like a...more Spindiddly! I just finished what is destined to become a children's literature classic. I knew I was in for a treat when one of my sixth graders, who read it for my Mock Newbery Club and is a voracious reader, said, "This is the best book I ever read. It has everything I like." Wow. I know what she means now. It's funny, poignant, compelling, magical, and real. I have so many post-it flags marking favorite parts that I couldn't possibly write them all, but I'll include some: - A sister is like a super-forever-infinity friend. - But there is was. I'm fairly certain LONELY'S most natural habitat is a school cafeteria. - I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person's mouth. When you know they'll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time. - Some miracles are big and flashy, and others are sweet and simple. - Home isn't just a house or a city or a place; home is what happens when you're brave enough to love people. Lloyd's writing reminds me a little of Ingrid Law, Kate DiCamillo, Sharon Creech, and Deborah Wiles, and that's factofabulous!    The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black                                    2013-book, fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult-book   I'm a big fan of Holly Black. My kids read her Spiderwick Chronicles when they were young, and we met her and Tony DiTerlizzi when they visited The Blue Manatee years ago. I LOVED Doll Bones, a 2014 Newbery Honor Award winner. This one, however....yikes!!! This is no Twilight romance - it's a dark and violent vampire story. Black's writing is captivating and creepy. Not for the faint of heart or younger teens! Great ending. Here are pictures when we met Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi in 2004

Slice of Life Classroom Challenge - Memoirs - Post 4

We are participating in a modified way in the Two Writing Teachers' Classroom Challenge.  Since my students don't have individual blogs, they are writing a slice every day in their writer's notebooks.  Several times a week I will select a few to post here, on our classroom blog, to link up with other classroom slicers.  We are writing memoirs this month, so many students are writing about memories.  I gave them a choice, though, so some slices are about other topics.  We'd love for you to comment on any or all the slices I scanned and posted.  I hope you can read them okay. I'm slicing, too, right along with my students, on my own blog:  http://hollymueller.blogspot.com/

 

I've started reading Twelve Kinds of Ice aloud, and we're practicing identifying figurative language and sensory details so we can put it into our own memoirs and Slices of Life.  The memoir writing continues.  Enjoy!

 

                I accidentally cut off a line here.  It reads:  really little.  He is just like

 

We'd love to hear your comments!

 

Classroom Slice of Life - Trying Out Different Leads and the Memoir Writing Begins! Post 3

We are participating in a modified way in the Two Writing Teachers' Classroom Challenge.  Since my students don't have individual blogs, they are writing a slice every day in their writer's notebooks.  Several times a week I will select a few to post here, on our classroom blog, to link up with other classroom slicers.  We are writing memoirs this month, so many students are writing about memories.  I gave them a choice, though, so some slices are about other topics.  We'd love for you to comment on any or all the slices I scanned and posted.  I hope you can read them okay. I'm slicing, too, right along with my students, on my own blog:  http://hollymueller.blogspot.com/

 

In yesterday's mini-lesson, I showed the kids several leads that draw readers in: dialogue, action, description, thoughts/feelings, etc.  I asked them to try out their memoirs several different ways and pick their favorite one.  I counted the starters as their slices that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I gave a mini-lesson on how to write dialogue.  There are SO many nuances to writing dialogue, but they got the gist.  We'll fine-tune it as we go along.  I love the "before the dialogue mini-lesson" in Sam's writing, and the "after."  I love seeing the difference!

 

 

 

 

And now we're starting our rough drafts! 

 

5th Grade Slice of Life Classroom Challenge - Post 2

We are participating in a modified way in the Two Writing Teachers' Classroom Challenge.  Since my students don't have individual blogs, they are writing a slice every day in their writer's notebooks.  Several times a week I will select a few to post here, on our classroom blog, to link up with other classroom slicers.  We are writing memoirs this month, so many students are writing about memories.  I gave them a choice, though, so some slices are about other topics.  We'd love for you to comment on any or all the slices I scanned and posted.  I hope you can read them okay. I'm slicing, too, right along with my students, on my own blog:  http://hollymueller.blogspot.com/

 

This week I have used several mentor texts.  These are picture books I have used for years to teach memoirs because they are pretty much perfect.

 

 

 

And a new one! 

 

 

I asked my fifth graders to write memories about someone older than they are, a place they love, and an animal story. We also noticed an author's craft, so there are writing techniques that show up in their writing that they are trying out - figurative language, repetition, reflection, etc.  I love that many of them are coming to me saying they only set out to write half a page in their notebooks (the requirement), but they end up writing much more.  Writing is POWERFUL!

 

Write about someone older than you:

 

 

Write about your favorite place:

 

 

 

 

Write about an animal story:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We'd love for you to comment!  Come back in a day or two for more slices from these talented young writers!