All posts tagged: book talks

April Book Recommendations

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I have some book recommendations for you! They aren’t grouped by a particular theme or genre; this month’s recommendations are books I’ve read this month and enjoyed.  They are also books I’ve book talked in my classroom and had many students read and like too.  Enjoy! The Pushcart War Author: Jean Merrill Genre: realistic fiction; satire This book was recommended to me by our library specialist and even though it was written decades ago, I thoroughly enjoyed the wit and humor.  If you haven’t read it, you’re in for a real treat. When The Sea Turned to Silver Author: Grace Lin Genre: fantasy Not only is this book beautifully written, but the artwork is amazing as well.  If you love mythology and folklore, you’ll love this book.  The author does a fantastic job weaving old Chinese tales into the larger plot structure.  (And the protagonist is a young girl!)  I could not put this book down. Hey, Kiddo Author: Jarrett Krosoczka Genre: graphic novel; memoir This is the first graphic novel I read and while …

How to Encourage All Types of Readers

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We’ve now been in school for one month.  One month! I can’t believe it.  It seems like just yesterday I was putting my classroom back together.  Now that all the nitty-gritty has been taken care of (syllabus, classroom expectations, where to find things in the classroom), class has settled in and there’s the slow hum of students reading and writing. By the end of the first week of school, students understand that independent reading is a big component of my class.  Many smile, as they love books, but there’s always a small handful that dread finding books to read, let alone reading them. The following strategies have worked in my classroom with all kinds of readers, voracious and limited and everywhere in between.  And if you think about it for a minute, don’t we all have ups and downs in our reading paths?  I know for me, there’s been times that I have read book after book, created piles of completed books and piles of what-to-read-next books in my house.  There has also been times …

Book Talk–Brown Girl Dreaming

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Teaching to adolescents, I am always on the lookout for a great book that grabs you right away.  Many adults have short attention spans, but young adults? Even shorter.  This novel is actually a memoir, but it’s told in poetry form.  The author hooked me right away, and I was drawn not only to the language and word choice, but the gripping story that unfolded.  I could not put it down. Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson Genre: memoir (told in poetry form) Summary: This memoir is about a young African American girl born in Ohio in the 1960s.  At a very young age, her mother leaves her father to move back home to South Carolina and takes Jacqueline (the author and narrator) and her two siblings with her.  Her mother then leaves for New York City, to try to obtain a job and a better life for her children.  While she is gone, Jacqueline is raised by her grandparents.  Later, her mother returns for the children, and she spends the rest of her childhood …

Book Talk–Pax

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While looking for a new book to read and share with my middle school students, Pax kept coming up as a recommended read.  This is the first book I have read by the author and in many ways, it brought me back to my childhood and reading Where the Red Fern Grows.  (Ahh, I loved that book!)  Pax carries the same punch and beautiful writing as that book.  It also tugs at the heartstrings, for anyone who has ever had a pet will instantly connect with the main character in this book.  Although it is written for upper elementary to lower middle school children, there is much that adults can connect to, and the writing is anything but “childish.”  Great sentence structure, vocabulary, and a powerful story creates an unforgettable book and journey as boy and fox try to be reunited again amidst a great war. Pax, by Sara Pennypacker Genre: children’s literature; nature; animals Summary:  Peter and Pax are inseparable, ever since Peter found Pax alone and abandoned as a kit.  However, years later a large war …

March Book Talks

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I read some really great books last month that I’d like to recommend to you.  All of these novels are considered Young Adult, but they appeal to more than just teens.  Being an English major, if you told me that someday I would read YA lit (and actually like it) I would have laughed heartily.  However, if you haven’t given one a chance yet, I would urge you to try one. Book—Piecing Me Together Genre–Realistic Fiction Summary–Jade is a poor, African-American attending a private high school through an academic scholarship.  She decides to be a part of a program tilted Woman to Woman, a mentoring program for high school girls.  Through the woman she is being mentored by, Jade learns more about her strengths, talents, and how to be true to herself when she doesn’t feel like she fits in. Why I liked it–This book was beautifully written, and although it’s been two decades since I’ve been in high school, I really resonated with the main character.  Watson does a great job with characterization and seeing …