When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

• Rebecca Stead
• Wendy Lamb Books

When You Reach Me came to me as a recommendation by Maya Byers of Babar Books. Miranda, the main character is dealing with a lot of issues: the loss of her best friend, a mother who wants to be on a game show and spends much of her time practising with flash cards and then some mysterious letters. The letters warn of a possible tragedy; Miranda tries to understand them to avert it. There are enough clues that children can solve this through their reading.

Maya particularly liked the character development and the rich details about every day life. She felt that it was somewhat evocative of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which figures in the story. The book is part mystery and part a story of growing up.

To read a short interview with Rebecca Stead that appeared in The Horn Book, click here. This looks like a great book to add to your classroom library.

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

• Rafe Esquith
• Penguin Books

Rafe Esquith is an extraordinary teacher whose devotion to his students, most of whom live in an impoverished neighbourhood in Los Angeles, goes way beyond what most people can do. He has tremendous respect for his students and instills in them a strong work ethic. I believe few people can duplicate what he does with his them without burning out. However, despite this, I would recommend reading this book. Rafe Esquith is an inspiration to all teachers.

Every year many of his fifth grade students along with other students from the school present a Shakespearean play in its entirety along with musical selections that the students learn to perform. Rafe also has a music program going in his "spare" time. You can learn more about this venture here.

He truly gets his students involved in learning and in understanding why education is important. A must read is his section on field trips and how he prepares his students. He teaches not just content but life skills.

For any of you who may go to the Reading for the Love of it conference in Toronto in February 2010, you will have an opportunity to see Rafe Esquith.

While you may not agree with all his teaching techniques, there is plenty of food for thought. I would love to hear from anyone who reads this book. Let's share our impressions.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

• E. Lockhart
• Hyperion

This YA book was recommended to me by both Shannon at Babar and Joan Wasserman. It is a rolicking caper about a strong-minded young teenager, Frankie Landau-Banks, and her attempts to find her place and find acceptance for who she is. Some of the issues tackled include the roles and games males and females play and are expected to play. Frankie is exploring her world, playing with language and ideas. Most of all she is exploring her identity and resents that there are people who exclude her from things simply because she is female. Her infiltration of her boyfriend's secret society leads to a variety of humourous incidents. Girl power is a force to be reckoned with.

As the story takes place in a wealthy boarding school, I would hesitate to recommend this for a class novel, but would recommend it for a book club or small group discussion.

What books have you found that stimulate excitement in your class?

Alphabet Books

Primary teachers often have their favourite collection of alphabet books. This link to Book of the Day Activities: ABC Books, came my way. It is from a Kindergarten blog and lists a number of alphabet books along with some supporting activities.

To add to the list you will find above:

Museum ABC

• The New York Museum of Art
• Little, Brown Young Readers

While the words representing the letters may be common, the images are not. They are works, or parts of works from the museum's collection. This is a wonderful way to bring art into language. Older children can read the back section which tells more about the art work and the artists who created them.

What are your favourite alphabet books and why? What kinds of activities have they led to with your students?

Book Reviews on the Internet

Summer is heating up and winding down at the same time. Perhaps you have a bit of time to explore what is available on the Internet. Here are a few sites readers would find interesting.

KidsClick Book Reviews

The reviews I read were written from the point of view of a character in the book. You can search by genre or by level.

Notable Books from the American Library Association

Find out which books from 2009 have been recommended. From the site:

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.

The Canadian Children's Book Centre

Find resources for librarians and teachers. Check out the awards section - all books are by Canadian authors with Canadian content.

Do you have sites to recommend or share? Add them to the comments.

Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning and Creativity

• Jason Ohler
• Corwin Press 2008

Jason Ohler is an ELA teacher at heart. Although this book is about technology and how to use it to enhance storytelling, it is always about the story first. How can we get our students to tell powerful stories, whether personal narratives, documentaries, family tales or any other kind of story? This book has practical advice to help bring out the stories from idea, to planning, to writing and then amplifying them through the use of technology. For the technologically challenged, he walks you through the tools with recommendations on how to use them. As Ohler says,

Are there rules about digital storytelling? Perhaps one: story without digital works, but digital without story doesn't.

Media literacy is an important component of the English Language Arts programme. Ohler introduces the grammar of media so that teachers can help their students make effective use of the multiple modes which make up a digital story. The production process is well-articulated from planning through to sharing. He also talks about assessment and what to look at when evaluating a media production.

Visit Jason Ohler's website - many of the materials in the book are available on the site.

Archie's War and My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright

I am recommending two books this time, both by Marcia Williams. They are picture books, but not really. Both are aimed more at middle school aged children, the age of the children "writing" these books.
Archie's War: My Scrapbook of the First World War

• Marcia Williams
• Candlewick Press, 2007
  

Archie's War is done as a scrapbook by a boy, starting at the age of 13 in 1914 and following through until the end of the First World War. Through drawings, comics, mementos, writing and more, the reader gets a feel for life in England, first London and then the countryside at this time in history. One gets glimpses, too, into life at the front through letters and the reality of returning soldiers. Through Archie's family, one experiences different viewpoints regarding the issues around the war.

My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright

• Marcia Williams
• Candlewick Press, 2008
  

My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright is written in the style of a diary of a girl (actually Archie's daughter) during the Second World War. Begun at the age of nine in 1939, it concludes with the end of the war. When Flossie's father leaves to join the army, she is left to take care of her baby brother and uncle, her mother having died the previous year. Through her eyes, the reader lives through the war, gaining an understanding of life in the countryside with land girls helping the local farmers, evacuees from London and more. Letters, photographs, postcards and other memorabilia are pasted into the diary fleshing out the story from others' point of view.

I found both these books to be jewels. Both really give the feel of history through the eyes of a child.

• It might be interesting to use them both in a class and compare and contrast the experiences during the two wars.
  
• They can also serve as models for students to create their own scrapbooks or diaries about events in their own lives. They can think about the many ways to tell their stories, through visual and written representations. They can extend that to digital storytelling. If one of the children were keeping a record of their experiences now, this may be the medium they would use.
  
• In addition, there are many issues to discuss. For example, in Archie, there is a sister who opposes the war. It is a great opportunity to look at opposing views. It could be a great starting point for a discussion on the demands of life in society and diverse ways of thinking, part of the ERC programme.
• Choose one of these books to read along with a real diary of war (e.g. Anne Frank, Zlata's Diary) - compare and contrast.

Visit Marcia Williams' website.
Share your experiences with these books here. Who else has recommendations?

Listen to the Wind

Listen to the Wind, The story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea

• Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
• Collages by Susan L. Roth
• Dial Books for Young Readers

If you have read the book, Three Cups of Tea, you know the story of the extraordinary Greg Mortenson. After losing his way in the Himalayas he found himself in a small village in Pakistan. Upon seeing the outdoor school, he vowed he would help the village and build a school. Listen to the Wind tells the story for children in a picture book illustrated with magnificent collages by Susan L. Roth. Included in the book is a scrapbook of photographs, illustrating the actual process of bringing the school to reality. Because of the theme of the book, it is appropriate for students of any age as an introduction to other cultures and to the power one person can have to make changes in the world.

As a follow up to the book, students can create their own collages, perhaps illustrating a way they have, or could, help someone else. They may wish to raise money for Greg Mortenson's charity which helps build schools, Pennies for Peace. You can find a toolkit, should you want to launch a campaign. It includes a number of videos which can be downloaded and used in the classroom, many of which are useful even if you do not raise money for his project. There are good connections to the Broad Area of Learning: Citizenship and Community Life.

If you have not read Three Cups of Tea, I recommend it. Greg Mortenson is an inspiration for what he does, for his determination and for how he has bridged cultures and brought a message of friendship wherever he goes.

Welcome

As part of my dossier in English Language Arts for LEARN, I thought it would be great to have a space to share our love of and interest in books.

This space has been created to share our love of reading. Each week will feature a different book - for primary grade children, middle school children, young adult readers as well as professional books and books you may enjoy reading just because.... Let's try to make this space interactive. Maya Byers, from Babar books has agreed to make some recommendations of new books. However, there are many books that have been around for a while that deserve to be featured. Make those recommendations.

You can come to learn about books , but you can also share books that have been meaningful to you. We welcome comments - click on comment at the bottom of a post and add. You can comment anonymously, but it would be great if you would leave your name.

Do you feel you have a lot to share? We can have more than one contributor on this blog. Leave a comment on this post to offer your services.