#IMWAYR October

I haven't posted a #IMWAYR in quite a while, so now is as good as time as any to get caught up with some of my October reads! Back to school this year has been insanely busy as I get to know my new readers, learn and teach the new Units of Study and implement #classroombookaday. I may not have been reading quite as much as "usual" but I feel like I'm finally starting to feel on top of things that are happening in the classroom.

So, here's what my reading life has looked liked recently...

I purchased Ryan T. Higgins' latest gem as birthday present to myself and I'm so glad I did! It may be my favorite of the Bruce series so far. Bruce, the mice, and the goslings are all back and looking for a new home! The end papers and "undies" of this book are my favorite of 2017! We also read all the Bruce books for #classroombookaday and the students were not disappointed either. I highly recommend this book as a read aloud for any classroom.

I had seen so much social media press about this story. So I had to pick up a copy and read it for myself. This story was great and did not disappoint me or my fifth graders. Loved the messages that change takes time and everyone gets to create their own destiny. I also loved that Bad Seed taught us that no one is perfect even bad seeds trying to be "good."

This was a recent read. I picked up a copy at our local book festival, Books by the Banks. I loved all the photographs of shelter dogs and their rescue stories. I wish there was a little more about each dog or their new lives but I think this will make a nice addition to my classroom library along with my other photography based books like Strong is the New Pretty.

My audiobook for October was Dumplin' and I'm a Julie Murphy fan for life. I love her writing style and the story of Willow Dean. I can't wait for  the next installment Puddin'. From the Dolly references to the local beauty pageant - this book takes the crown! Loved Willow's sassy and bold voice while also showing that she can be insecure and vulnerable too. A great audiobook and fantastic story! 

I'm absolutely loving the voice of Karma is in this new middle grade novel. Perfect for upper grade readers that are starting to notice changes in themselves and with their friends. Karma's dealing with a lot from family changes to the seventeen hairs she discovers on her upper lip, this story is sure to connect with lots of kids, especially girls who find it hard to fit in during those middle school years. I can't wait to finish this book and share it with my students! I'm also super excited to meet author Kristi Weintge as she's coming to a local indie, Blue Manatee Bookstore in November!

I picked this book up last year prior to the Newbery awards. But I just couldn't get into it. I wanted to love it as I absolutely love Medieval historical fiction (major Karen Cushman fangirl! Catherine Called Birdy & The Midwife's Apprentice were my jam back in 6th grade) and really enjoyed The Canterbury Tales in high school. But alas, I just couldn't dig into it. So, I rebooted this time as an audiobook. I'm enjoying the audio although it is a little hard to keep track of all the characters telling the tales even though there is a whole cast of narrators. I also almost put it down again but I've reached the farting dragon and I think I'm finally hooked enough to finish this story! Finally, starting to feel like the story is coming together and moving in a direction I can get behind.

What are you currently reading?

#Classroombookaday Read This... Then That!

Our #Classroombookday is going strong this year. We read a picture book every day Monday through Thursday. If you want to learn more about #Classroombookaday check out the hashtag on Twitter or the Nerdy Book Club post by Jillian Heise.

Today, I thought we'd match up some great picture books and novels! I know many of my students are making thematic connections between picture books and novels so why not pair up some picture books and novels! Plus, you could easily read one of these picture books Monday - Thursday and then share a novel counterpart for a #FirstChapterFriday!

If students love the humor and fractured fairy tale genre of It's Not Jack in Beanstalk by Josh Funk then they will love any of Liesel Shurtliff's fairy tale retellings including Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Both of these "remakes" of classic fairy tales add lots of humor and dynamic characters to the mix. Imaginative and creative, both these stories have students reimagining these famous tales while laughing along the way! Both stories also make for an excellent read aloud as each "Jack" has such a strong voice and personality. I can't recommend both of these titles enough. If they are not currently in your classroom library, you'll want to order them ASAP!

I'm in love with After the Fall. After meeting Dan Santat two weeks ago and hearing him read After the Fall, I hope a shiny sticker will be on his cover come February. I was surprised and amazed by his new creation - if you haven't read this story yet, put a copy on hold at the library NOW. Do it. You'll thank me. As I was thinking back to novels with a similiar theme, I instantly thought of Garvey's Choice. Written in verse, Nikki Grime's story centers around a main character that is also trying to face his fears (and his father) while finding his place in the world. Both stories teach students about perseverance and having the courage to be who you were always meant to be. Although both characters often doubt themselves or are fearful at times, they eventually have the courage to let their true selves shine.

Both We're All Wonders and Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, teach us that differences don't define us but instead make us "wonders." In some ways we are all wonders and that's what makes the world such a special place. Both Auggie and Aven have physical disabilities yet they don't let those differences stop them from living their lives. While both experience stares and sometimes glares, they both stand proud are not afraid to be themselves. Aven's voice will be one you won't soon forget and I'm hoping the Schneider Award Committee notices this middle grade gem!

If you're looking for some great reads about taking risks, then you'll want to pick up Jubari Jumps and Amina's Voice. Both Jubari and Amina are facing some scary challenges from climbing up the highest diving board to a Quran reading competition. At first, both characters are afraid to try something new and face their fears. With a little help from their families (and friends), both characters face their fears with more confidence. Both stories are great for teaching growth mindset and the power of "yet." 

Nerdy Birdy and Real Friends are two stories that are a must own for any elementary classroom library. Nerdy Birdy has a problem, he doesn't fit in with some of the other birds like the eagle and hawk. He finally finds birds that are just like him - nerdy! But he soon learns his fellow nerdy birdies may not be the true friends he's been looking for. Similarly, Shannon in Real Friends realizes she may not really fit into her group of "friends." Both Nerdy Birdy and Shannon, must seek out true friends that will appreciate them for who they are. Students will identify with both main characters as many middle grade readers also struggle to find those "real" best friends. Filled with themes of friendship and kindness, these books are for creating meaningful discussions around what it means to be a true friend.

What are your favorite picture book and novel mash-ups?
Happy Reading, 

Mock Newbery Write Around

It feels like it's been ages since I've sat down and blogged. Truthfully, I'm a little sad because I absolutely love the time I spend blogging. I have a few new Read This & Then Read That posts planned out and hope to complete a few more Mock Newbery related posts as well. So, check back in soon!

Today, I thought I'd share a little about how Mock Newbery is going so far in my classroom and share a few resources that were really helpful to me and my students!

Since we only had 30 minutes for our first meeting, we tried to keep it simple. We read The Last Stop on Market Street and then discussed how that text was distinguished. This launched us into creating an anchor chart of what we can notice about a text and how different stories can be distinguished.

These notes were taken inside manila folders next to their calendar of dates and some "teacher" reminders. To see our notes you can check out our handout {here}.

For our second meeting, we reviewed what it meant to be distinguished and then set kids off to talk about distinguished elements they've been noticing in their books. Last year, we had created a poster for each Mock Newbery Book. This year with more titles and a group of about 42 students, that just was not feasible. We focused our posters on story elements this year and students choose books that they felt had excelled in those areas.

Here are our results:

If you would like a copy for your classroom, you can grab the Editable PowerPoint version {here} or the Non-editable PDF version {here}. Looking back, if I had to create these again, I'd use Last Stop on Market Street as that was a previous winner and a touchstone for all my book club students. However, in the moment, I used Wish by Barbara O'Connor because it is our current read aloud and a book all students are very familiar with.

Hope everyone else is enjoying these great books of 2017! 
Look for a new Read This & Then That post soon!