Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ally Nickerson has been to seven schools in seven years.  She struggles with reading and writing and has become quite skilled in avoiding assignments during school.  Sometimes she acts out in order to be sent to the principal’s office in order to avoid an assignment.  

After a few blunders in her current classroom, she is moved to a different class.  Her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, quickly picks up on Ally’s challenges.  He works with Ally, first during class, then after school, and helps her understand how she learns.  Feisty Keisha and brilliant Albert quickly become Ally’s friends and help her adjust to her new classroom.

This story reminded me of several students who have passed through my classroom.  It’s told from Ally’s perspective, which I found enlightening.  This is a great story for everyone to read, whether you have worried about school, struggled in school, or excelled in school.  It reminds us that everyone learns differently.  In fact, the quote, “Everybody is smart in different ways.  But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing is it stupid.” is featured on the inside cover flap.  So true!  

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Mim Malone is not okay.  She walks out of school one day and escapes her new life.  Her parents divorced, and three months later she is living with her father and stepmother in Jackson, Mississippi, a thousand miles away from her old life.  She boards a  Greyhound bus from Jackson, Mississippi  to Cleveland, Ohio.  She is determined to find her mom.  More importantly, she finds herself.  

During her journey, Mim meets a variety of people.  Carl, the Greyhound bus driver; Arlene, her seatmate  with a mysterious box (bless her heart and rest her soul); the disgusting Pancho Man; creepy Caleb; the fabulous Ahab and the Pale Whale; Officer Randy; Dr. Michelle Clark; and sad Claire, all contribute to Mim’s adventure in their own ways.  

The characters who help her the mst on her journey are Walt, a homeless kid with Down’s Syndrome, and Beck (sigh!), a college student on his own quest.  Mim, Walt and Beck become fast friends.  Wit their love, support, and encouragement, Mim is able to complete her mission.  

This is a story about finding hope in sucky situations, believing in yourself, growing up, facing the truth, and forgiving.  It is funny, sad, hopeful, and definitely worth reading.

As Mim says, sometimes a thing’s not a thing until you say it out loud.  This book is A THING.  I will say it out loud (and  type it on this blog).  It’s A THING!

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

Fifty years before the war to end all wars, a boy named Otto plays in the woods with his friends.  He meets three mysterious sisters who give him a harmonica.  The sisters tell him he must send the harmonica into the world so a soul could be saved at the moment of death.  This is only the beginning of this magical adventure.  

This story is told in four parts and follows three adolescents from different geographical areas in different time periods.  All three come to possess the same harmonica which produces beautiful music.  In part one, Friedrich Schmidt, of Trossingen Germany in 1933, must figure out how to rescue his father from a Concentration Camp after he refuses to support the Nazi party.  Part two introduces Mike Flannery, of Philadelphia in 1935,  who tries to protect his younger brother after they have been taken to an orphanage by their grandmother who can no longer care for them.  In part three, Ivy Lopez, of southern California in 1942, feels responsible for holding her family together after they move and her brother leaves to fight in World War II.  All three stories end rather abruptly.  While I read, I couldn’t wait to learn about the new character, but I wanted to know what happened to the character I just met.  In part four, set in New York City in 1951, the first three stories, along with the stories of a few supporting characters come together and are resolved in a fantastic manner.

I read this book in a circle, first reading the prologue, then reading the story, and then the epilogue.  I went back and re-read the prologue, which made much more sense after the second reading.  

I love this story.  The book is long, but the chapters are short, so the reading is manageable.  It will not matter how long it will take you to read this book. The time spent reading is well worth it!

Fort by Cynthia DeFelice

Wyatt and Auggie are eleven years old and looking forward to the best summer of their lives.  They scavenge for scraps to build a fort in the woods, where they spend days at a time, hunting, fishing, and hanging out.  

The boys are friendly with Gerard, who is bullied by two older boys, J.R. and Morrie.  When their fort is vandalized, Wyatt and Augie suspect Gerard, but they soon find out that  J.R. and Morrie are the culprits.  With help from Unk, Augie’s great-uncle, and Al, the owner of the local junkyard, Wyatt and Auggie plan and execute Operation Doom, designed to teach J.R. and Morrie a lesson.

This book is funny, realistic, and cute.  It’s a great book for anyone who likes to root for the underdog.

The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine

The year is 1953 and Tommy Wilson lives in Downers Grove, Illinois.  His  life has become quite complicated.  

His mother, under the stress of grieving her mother who died the previous year, giving birth to her fourth child, and seeing her oldest daughter burned in a terrible accident, often has trouble coping.  She cries a lot, explodes with anger,  and locks herself in the bedroom for hours and days at a time.  The house is a mess, the two youngest children are not adequately cared for, and Tommy receives countless beatings from his mother.  

He bullies his peers at school.  He makes fun of one student because of his weight, calling him “Little Skinny” and makes fun of a student who has a deformed hand due to polio.  

Tommy and his best friend find a copy of The Daily Worker, a communist newspaper during the community paper recycling drive.  Tommy keeps it, and is determined to find out which of his neighbors is a communist.    

Will Tommy’s mother get the help she needs?  Can Tommy change his ways?  And who is the communist? You should read this book to find out.

I haven't read many historical fiction novels set after World War II, and this story was an interesting glimpse into that time period. The different characters were dynamic, and I like the way that the neighbors came together in the end to help each other.

A good read!

All the Answers by Kate Messner

What would you do if you had a way to find out the answers to your questions?

On the morning of a big math test, twelve year old Ava Anderson searches through the kitchen junk drawer for a pencil.  She finds one, puts it in her backpack, and is off to school.  While taking her test, she discovers that when she writes a question, a voice tells her the answer.  Suddenly, she doesn’t have to study for tests, she can tell her best friend which boys have a crush on her, and she can learn secrets about her friends and family.  Ava quickly realizes that she must be cautious with her inquiries because once the pencil is used up, she won’t be able to ask questions anymore.  Ava fights the urge to ask about everything she wants to know, but sometimes finds the pencil too tempting.  She uses it to indulge her fears and anxieties, and finds that she receives answers she may not want to know and ruins some relationships.

Should Ava keep using the pencil, or find a way to give it up?  

Life isn't about knowing all the answers, after all.  That’s part of the fun.

Somebody On This Bus is Going To Be Famous by J.B. Cheaney

As the title suggests, this book takes place on a bus, and someone on the bus becomes famous.  

The book focuses on nine different students.  Each of these students has their own potential to famous...or infamous.  Shelley is an aspiring pop star.  Bender is a bully who struggles to live up to the greatness of his older brother.  Spencer is a genius.  Jay is a great football player hoping for a professional contract.  Matthew won the Science Fair.  Igor is a troublemaker who already had a minor brush with fame.  Miranda is a great writer and an even better friend.  Kaitlyn is very generous and inspires generosity in others.  Alice is the new girl who reads a lot.

Each chapter of the book is titled for one month of the school year, and each month a different character is highlighted.  It was interesting to learn each character’s story and to predict who would become famous.  This book is also a good reminder that students sometimes have difficulties at home, like financial issues, absent parents, divorce, sibling issues, demanding parents, family secrets, and aging grandparents.  

There are several mysteries in this book.  Why does the bus stop make a stop where no one gets on the bus?  What happened to Jay’s uncle, and why won’t anyone talk about it?  Who is the famous bus rider?  To find out, you’ll have to read the book.  

Reading Goal: 2015-2016

50 books

I will read 50 books this year.  I already have the first twenty seven picked out.  It's time to start reading! 

Sustained Silent Reading at Frederick County Middle School

During my first two years as a middle school librarian, sixth and seventh grade students visited the library and checked out books on a regular basis.  I’m sure many of them read the books they checked out, but there were also many who didn’t.  I knew this needed to change, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to make the change.

In the summer of 2014, I read Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller and attended one of her sessions at Lord Fairfax Community College.  I quickly realized that one of the simplest ways to encourage students to read wildly was to read wildly myself, and to share my wild reading adventures with them.  I set a goal.  I would read 45 books during the 2014-15 school year.  I created a bulletin board in the library, told the students about my goal, started reading and created this blog.  

At the Virginia Association of School Librarians Annual Conference in November 2014, I attended a session about Sustained Silent Reading at the Secondary Level and heard Stephen Krashen speak.  Inspired, I returned to school, and ordered The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, and Readicide:  How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher.  

I spent the next several months researching the benefits of silent reading and let the information marinade in my brain.  Finally, I reached a conclusion.  In order for our students to become better readers, they needed to read material of their choice, simply for the sake of reading.  In order to read, our students needed to have time to read.  We could give them that time.

I prepared a presentation about the importance of silent reading and sent it to our administrators.  I sent an abbreviated version of the presentation to our teachers. We discussed how silent reading could be implemented at our school at a faculty meeting.  

Starting today, everyone in our school,  students, administration, and staff, will spend the first 15 minutes of every day reading material of their choice.  

All students visited the library last week, and everyone checked out reading material.  A “Free Books” shelf has been established in the library, and several teachers have visited to take reading material for their classrooms.  

We are ready to read.

Summer Reading 2015

Today is the first day of the 2015-2016 school year.  That means summer, and the reading that goes along with it, is over.  No more long afternoons, sitting on the couch reading a book.  No more sitting on the deck in the evening reading until I ran out of daylight (or couldn’t stand the mosquitoes anymore).  No more staying up, reading late into the night.    

Here’s what I read over the summer.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Lou and Will.  Sigh.  They’re kind of like the adult version of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars.  This book has been on my reading list for the past year, and  I’m so glad I finally read it.  I loved it, and I can’t wait for the movie to come out in June 2016.  There’s a sequel coming out in September.  It’s already on my wish list!

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I’ve read most of Jodi Picoult’s books, and this might be my favorite.  I really enjoyed learning about elephants, and the relationship between Alice and Jenna was very special.  I had heard about the twist at the end, and found myself trying to guess what it would be as I was reading.  Boy, was I wrong!  Lot’s of tears!  This book will stick with me for a really long time.

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

The sequel to The Rosie Project, this book explores Rosie and Don’s relationship soon after they marry, move to New York, and discover that they are expecting.  A funny light hearted book!

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

A Young Adult book about teenagers who attend a support group to deal with various issues.  Adam, who has been diagnosed with OCD, meets Robyn and immediately falls in love.  He becomes the unofficial leader of the support group, and all of the members begin to work on themselves.  This is a sweet book about accepting who you are and accepting others for who they are.   

Paper Towns by John Green

Loved the book.  Margo Roth Spiegelman is amazing.  No, I haven’t seen the movie...yet.

Now that school has officially started, it’s time to set my reading goal for this year.  More on that, later.  

Summer Reading List

The 2014-2015 school year is coming to a close. Now it's time to start thinking about summer...and summer reading! Here's my summer reading list.

Young Adult Reads

George by Alex Gino

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

Professional Read

How Children Succeed:  Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

Personal Reads

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

What do you plan to read this summer? Post your summer reading list as a comment. Happy reading!

My Top Ten: 2014-2015

Here is a list of my top ten favorite books that I read this year.  It was really hard to choose, and even more difficult to put them in order, but I think I succeeded.   

1. Rooftoppers and Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell

Both of these books are beautifully and imaginatively written.  I’m definitely a Katherine Rundell fan.  Rooftoppers reminds us to never ignore a possible, that a mother is a place to put down your heart,  and that love and courage can be two words for the same thing.  Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms reminds us that everyone starts out with some strange in them and that it’s important to be who you are.   Can’t wait for The Wolf Wilder to come out in August!

2.  We Were Liars by e. lockhart

The ending!  Amazing!  I’ve had many conversations with students about what the ending means.  Interesting that everyone has a different opinion and a unique perspective.  I hear this book has been optioned for a movie.  Can’t wait!

3. The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

Science Fiction, Adventure, and Fantasy all in one book!  I told my sixth graders about this book in the spring and everyone wanted to read it.  I ordered 5 (!) more copies, and every one of them has been checked out.  Can’t wait to read book #2, The Inquisitor’s Mark.

4.  The Thickety:  A Path Begins by J. A. White

Witches and magic.  Can’t wait to read book #2, The Thickety:  Whispering Trees.

5.  Loot by Jude Watson

This book includes mystery, adventure,  resourceful and creative kids, and a twist at the end.  This book did not stay on the shelves after I told my sixth graders about in in the fall.  A must read!

6.  Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine

A historical fiction novel set in 1972 in Stony Gap, Virginia.  At the beginning of the book, Red Porter’s father, his idol, passes away.  His mother wants to sell the family home and business and move to Ohio to be near her family.  Red is determined to stay.  This book deals with race relations, women’s liberation, gender roles, family relationships, keeping secrets, and loss and grief.  This book fits nicely with the seventh grade USII curriculum.  It’s a heavy story, but it will make you think...and it will stay with you long after you have finished it.  

7.  The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

A book about healing from a loss, making a place for yourself, and connecting to other people.  A really nice story.   

8.  Nightingale’s Nest by Nikki Loftin

Twelve year old Little John is spending the summer helping his father with his tree removal business.  One day, he hears a beautiful song, and he sees a girl, Gayle, singing in a tree.  He becomes friends with her and finds out that she is living with a foster family.  Her magical spirit offers him comfort from the troubles in his life...grief over the death of his younger sister and the financial problems his family faces.  Little John isn’t the only one who has heard Gayle’s song.  Mr. King, the owner of the home where he and his father are working has heard it too.  Mr. King makes Little John an offer he almost can’t refuse.  In exchange for a recording of Gayle’s voice, Mr. King will give Little John a large sum of money.  Can he betray his friend?

9. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

A fun story!  Kyle loves games.  His hero,  Mr. Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the new town library and announces a contest to allow 12 students the chance to be the first to spend the night in the library.  Kyle enters the contest.  To see if he wins, you’ll have to read the book.  

10.  El Deafo by CeCe Bell

Set in Roanoke, this graphic novel tells the story of CeCe who has a hearing impairment and must wear hearing aids to school.  She is sure that all of her classmates will notice, and is embarrassed.  Through a series of events, she quickly learns that our differences are our superpowers.

Ok, I cheated a bit.  This is really a list of eleven books.  I said it was hard to choose!

Mission Accomplished!

At the beginning of this school year, I challenged myself to read 45 books before the last day of school. Over the weekend, I finished reading my 45th book.  Hooray!  Please view the slideshow below to see what I have read.

It's Been a Busy Month!

It's been a busy month, but I've been reading.  A lot.  Not much time to blog, though.  Here is a list of the books I have recently finished.

Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Lofton
Red Madness:  How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat by Gail Jarrow
Jackaby by William Ritter
The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schlinder
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Thickety:  A Path Begins by J.A. White
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

These are books 37-44 in my quest to read 45 books this year.  One book and 17 days to go.  I think I'll make it!

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

Jaxon Aubrey is an orphan.  His cousin, Naomi, and her family have offered to take him in, but he has been sent to live with Riley Pendare, an eighteen year old who eats a lot, watches a lot of television, and forgets to pay bills.  

The day after his thirteenth birthday, Jax wakes up to find there is no electricity, the sky is a strange pink and purple, there are no cars on the streets and there are no people around.  Could this have been a result of the zombie apocalypse or an alien abduction?  

Jax wakes up the next day which proves to be a regular Thursday.  He goes to school, talks with his friends, and finds everything has gone back to normal.

Jax learns that he is a transitioner.  He, and others like him, have the ability to experience the eighth day, an extra 24 hour period between Wednesday and Thursday.  Others, the kin, only experience this extra day. Riley has been tasked with protecting Evangeline, the kin girl who lives next door.  Evangeline is the key to the spell that created the eighth day, and some transitioners and kin are after her so they can reverse the eighth day.    

This is an adventurous story with elements of science fiction and fantasy.  There are time warps, magic, fire, fights, kidnappings, bank robberies, a link to King Arthur, and the threat of human destruction.  

You'll have to read this story to experience all of it’s awesomeness for yourself.  Don’t wait until Grunsday to read it!

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

For Book Club this year, we read Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick.  It’s the story of Kevin (Freak), a physically small incredibly smart and imaginative boy who befriends Max (the Mighty), a very tall and large slow learner.  It is a perfect middle school book because it appeals to all students regardless of gender or grade and it fits perfectly with our character education program.

I announced the club in January (and after a few snow days) the club was formed, students received their books at the beginning of February, (and after a few more snow days and testing), we met to discuss the book last week.    

Here are some of the questions the students were asked and a few of their responses.

Would you recommend the book to a friend?

definitely, absolutely, everyone should read this book

Describe the book in one word.

Twisty.  It kept me guessing.  Emotional.  Entertaining.  Sad.  Creative.  Unexpected.  Inspiring.  Hopeful.

Which core character trait do you think was most evident in the story?

Empathy.  Sometimes it takes a lot of empathy to accept someone for who they are, especially of other people don’t.

Courage.  Freak wasn't scared to be himself and Max wasn't scared to be friends with Freak.

Loyalty.  Freak stood by Max no matter what.

Would these characters fit in at our school?  

Yes, they would fit in because we have tall people and small people and smart people and not so smart people.  

Who was your favorite character?

Freak.  He’s smart and he has a big imagination.  I love his dictionary.

Max.  He’s inspirational.  Just because he is tall and muscular doesn't mean people should make fun of him.  He learned how to believe in himself.

Frax.  I can’t choose.  I like them both.

The students were able to make a lot of connections and had very thoughtful opinions about this book.  I was very impressed by our discussion.  As Freak would say, “that’s the truth, the whole truth, the unvanquished truth.”

The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

At first glance, this is the story of Grace, who is sent to live with the Grandma she has never met after her mother dies.  This book is much deeper than that.  

The book starts with loss.  Both Grace and her Grandma are dealing with some pretty heavy losses.

Grace never met her father, her father’s parents, or her grandfather because they all died in  accidents before she was born.  She and her mother moved around frequently, often packing quickly and only what would fit in their car. Then her mother accidentally drowns.  Only twelve years old, she has to leave Mrs. Greene and her daughter, Lacey, with whom she thought she and Mama had found a home, to live with Grandma.   

Grandma is dealing with the deaths of her husband and daughter.  Now she has to raise the granddaughter she never met.  

At first, Grace is sad and angry.  She is mean and deceitful and she misbehaves in an effort to be sent back to live with Mrs. Greene and Lacey.  During a visit with Mrs. Greene convinces Grace to give Grandma a chance.

Grace and Grandma slowly develop a relationship with each other; Grace by moving from the shed into the house, and Grandma by answering all of the letters Grace wrote her over the years (even the angry ones) and knitting her a scarf.  Grace forges a friendship with Jo and learns about her mother from people in town.  Her mother becomes a magical, mystical presence in the story, gently guiding Grace through this transition in her life.

At it’s heart, this book is about life.  It’s about losing pieces of yourself and finding a way to put yourself back together.  It’s about creating a family and a place for yourself where you thought there wasn't one.  It’s about trusting yourself.  It’s about letting people be who they are and loving them for it.   It’s about paying attention to the magical signs all around you.  Most importantly, it’s about learning from the past, living in the present, and preparing for the future.  

Grace remembers that Mama said, “thinking can steal the magic right out of a thing.”  I hope, in this instance, this quote is not true.  I will be thinking about this book for quite a while, but I don’t want the magic of it to fade.  

This book is like a secret hum in my head.  I hope you will read it and hear the humming.

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

“We support all actions that lead to the joy, the fun, the reward, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.”  So begins the I Kill the Mockingbird Manifesto.  This is the story of eighth grade students and best friends Lucy Jordan, Elena Vallejo, and Michael Buskirk who love reading and become a self described trio of radicals, rebels, and literary terrorists.  

As they prepare to move on to high school, their teacher, Ms. Caridas gives them a summer reading list.  Among the seven book choices is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lucy’s favorite book.  Many of the local bookstores stock the books on the reading list to make them available to students.  After a trip to one of these bookstores, the trio devises a plan to encourage more people read and appreciate To Kill a Mockingbird.  The plan, called “I Kill the Mockingbird”, involves hiding books, flyers, a website, and social media.  The movement eventually spreads across the country, and the trio realizes they may be in over their heads.

Read this story to find out how the I Kill the Mockingbird movement ends and what happens at the Mockingbirdpalooza.

I also support the joy, the fun, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.  You should, too.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rose (rows) Howard is a fifth grade (grayed) student.  She has been diagnosed with high (hi, heigh) functioning autism and loves words (specifically homonyms), rules, and numbers (especially prime numbers).  She struggles with making friends at school and being in a classroom.  She lives with her father, Wesley, who struggles with being a single parent.  Her Uncle Weldon, who is much more stable and has more patience (patients) than her father, lives nearby.  

One night, her father brings home a blonde dog with seven white toes (tows).  Rose names her Rain (reign) because her father found her in a rain storm.  Rose and Rain develop a special bond.  By taking care of Rain, Rose develops a routine at home and is not (knot) so lonely.  She is able to (two, too) use Rain to develop relationship with her peers.

During Super Storm Susan, Rose’s father lets Rain out of the house without her collar.  Rain runs away and Rose is determined to find her.  

This is a wonderful story with themes of autism, bullying, single parents, love, loss, determination, and integrity.  

Please (pleas) read this book.  You (yew, ewe) might (mite) need a tissue toward the end, but the conclusion is well worth any tears that may fall.   

The Graham Cracker Plot by Shelley Tougas

Almost twelve year old Daisy Bauer lives in the River Estates Mobile Home Park, a place with neither a river nor estates, with her mother, a single mother with a set of problems and a new boyfriend named Alex.  Her father, The Chemist, is serving time in a minimum security prison, nicknamed Club Fed, for accidentally blowing up a house during a chemistry experiment.  Once a month, Daisy’s grandmother takes her to Club Fed to visit The Chemist.  During a visit, Daisy realizes that his time in prison may be more difficult for him that she thought.

Graham Hassler, or Graham Cracker, is Daisy’s sometimes friend.  He lives with his mom, Kari,  in the trailer park.  He hates school and wants to run away from home to start a new life where his mom won’t have to work extra hours to pay the bills, he won’t have to wear thrift store jeans, and he won’t be bothered by a bully.  

One day, Daisy’s mom announces that she and Alex are taking a vacation to Mexico for some alone time.  Daisy will spend Spring Break with Graham and his mom.  During this time, Daisy devises a plan to break The Chemist out of prison and move to Canada to start a new life.

With a pair of wire cutters, a jar full of change, a notebook, sandwiches, a change of clothes for The Chemist, and two rolls of toilet paper, Daisy and Graham start head to Club Fed to execute their plan.  They pick up Graham’s cousin Ashley, a twenty four year old with her own set of problems to be their getaway driver.   A horrible sense of direction, poor map reading skills, a dog, and a mini horse all contribute to this adventure.  

Daisy tells the story through flashbacks in letters she writes to Judge Henry. Through the letters, Daisy learns about family, broken trust, admitting when she is wrong, and unconditional love.

I will tell you three things right now.

Number one:  This book is funny.  I could tell you why, but I don’t want to ruin the book for you.

Number two:  This book is relatable.  People like Daisy, Graham, and their families really exist.  

Number three:  You should read it. You will enjoy it.