Monday Morning Inspiration

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~Samuel Ullman

Oprah's Reading List

Oprah.com has what I think is a great selection of titles for kids 10-12. I plan to use this list as my recommended summer reading for rising 5th graders. I like that there are books for both boys and girls, as well as a selection of genres from poetry to non-fiction. My kids will love seeing Jabberwocky updated to our time, after reading it in class. Unfortunately, the latest Wimpy Kid installment won't be released until the fall, so I had to be sure not to include it on my list. I know that would be the first choice of 90% of my students - girls and boys alike!

Edward’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
Edward’s eyes and his self-taught ability to throw the perfect knuckleball are part of what make him extra special in an already large and loving family. The connection he shared with his siblings continues after his untimely death through a well-matched organ donation recipient.
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2007. ISBN: 9781416927433

Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac; illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
Baron knows that the “Bearwalker” is a half-human, half-animal beast that appears in tales told by his Mohawk people. When a school camping trip goes wrong, however, he finds himself facing a real, live monster who is just as deadly and dangerous as the creature from the legend.
HarperCollins, 2007. ISBN 9780061123092

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll; illustrated by Chistopher Myers
The classic nonsense poem at last makes sense when brilliantly illustrated as an urban playground one-on-one basketball game where intimidating size meets quickness and skill.
Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2007. ISBN: 9781423103721

Women Daredevils: Thrills, Chills, and Frills by Julie Cummins; illustrated by Cheryl Harness
What were women doing between 1880 and 1929? These 14 fascinating women were performing death-defying feats such as walking on the wings of airplanes, taming tigers, diving 60 feet into a tank of water on horseback and more.
Dutton, 2008. ISBN:9780525479482

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
When Ted’s cousin, Salim, disappears while riding the London Eye, it’s up to Ted and his sister, Kat, to figure out what has happened. Ted comes up with many interesting theories because, as he states, his brain operates on a different system (he has been diagnosed as having a “syndrome”). Will one of these theories solve the mystery?
David Fickling, 2008. ISBN: 9780375849763

Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It by Sundee T. Frazier
Brendan has a notebook full of questions, and he hopes to find all the answers during his summer vacation. Then, he meets the grandfather he never knew about, and new questions need to be answered: Does his grandpa want him around? And, if not, does it have anything to do with the color of Brendan’s skin?
Delacorte, 2007. ISBN 9780385734394

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The daughter of two magicians, Igraine wants to be a knight. When their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor, Igraine proves her bravery.
Scholastic 2007. ISBN: 9780439903790

Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata
A German shepherd must leave his boy to joins a military canine unit stationed in wartime Vietnam. His new job: using his acute sense of smell to sniff out deadly booby traps. A first-rate tale for readers who like animals and adventure.
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2007. ISBN 9781416906377

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
Greg and his best friend, Rowley, adjust to middle school, where they are undersized weaklings. When Rowley grows more popular, Greg kicks off a chain of events that tests their friendship.
Abrams/Amulet, c2007. ISBN: 9780810993136

Savvy by Ingrid Law
Mibs can’t wait for her 13th birthday; in her family, that’s when one’s “savvy” or extraordinary talent appears. When her father is terribly injured just prior to her birthday, she is certain that her savvy can save him and embarks upon an odyssey full of quirky characters and colorful events.
Dial, 2008. ISBN: 9780803733060

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Orphans, neglectful parents, a baby on the doorstep and a lonely billionaire are some classic themes in children’s literature that receive a humorous twist in this delightful, slim volume.
Houghton/Walter Lorraine, 2008. ISBN: 9780618979745

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
From 1920 to 1945, some of the roughest, fastest and most amazing baseball games took place in the Negro Leagues. Magnificent paintings and fascinating anecdotes introduce Rube Foster, Oscar Charleston and many other unsung heroes of the sport.
Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2008. ISBN: 9780786808328

Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
Maggie knows everything there is to know about the sport of baseball and her favorite team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. She makes friends with a firefighter who shares her interest (even though he’s a Giants fan), but their relationship changes when he is shipped off to fight in the Korean War.
Clarion, 2008. ISBN 9780618927999

Billy Creekmore: A Novel by Tracey Porter
In 1905, 10-year-old Billy, storyteller extraordinaire, is rescued from an orphanage by his aunt and uncle. His life continues to take on many twists and turns, from the West Virginia mines to the circus, and he discovers much about himself along the way in this fast-paced, Dickensian-style novel.
HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler, 2007. ISBN: 9780060775704

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
Quirky Emma-Jean loves to observe her fellow seventh graders’ behavior from afar. When she decides to help a few classmates with their problems, tension and humor ensues.
Dial, 2007. ISBN: 9780803731646

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew by Ursula Vernon
In this animal fantasy, Nurk, a shrew who likes clean socks, sets out hoping (sort of) for adventure. Inspired by his famous and heroic grandmother, he paddles down a stream in a boat he made from a snail shell. He rescues a dragonfly princess from the stream and becomes a reluctant hero who is happy to return to his quiet life at home.
Harcourt, 2008. ISBN: 9780152063757

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Frannie can see that the new boy in school doesn’t fit in. His skin color is different, and everyone calls him “Jesus Boy,” but something about him fills her with curiosity, sympathy and a surprising feeling of hope.
Putnam, 2007. ISBN 9780399239892

Monday Morning Inspiration

Nine-tenths of education is encouragement. - Anatole France

Spring Reading Thing 2009

I finished the first four books on my list that I checked out from the library at the end of March, as well as two additional books from Donalyn Miller and Kelly Gallagher. Yesterday, I took another trip to the library. I had a huge list of books that I brought with me. Unfortunately, my library doesn't have the latest and greatest, stocked and on the shelves. I ended up getting one from my list: Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go. Additionally, I picked up Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (I was looking for Found), Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams's Tunnels, and Jerry Spinelli's Milkweed. I can't wait to crack the first one open, but I'm having a hard time deciding which to start first?

Just Finished Reading...

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Yes, that's her name. And before that it was Hullygully. Before Hullygully it was Mudpie. Before that she was Pocket Mouse. Originally she was Susan.

"So...you change your name whenever you get tired of it?"

"Whenever it doesn't fit anymore. I'm not my name. My name is something I wear, like a shirt. It gets worn, I outgrow it, I change it."

This just scratches the surface of the title character in the story. We never understand Stargirl on an intimate level; instead we see her through eyes of Leo Borlock. He is enamored with her. She strums her ukulele and sings "Happy Birthday" to students in the cafeteria. She has a pet rat named Cinnamon. She sends cards to strangers anonymously. She cheers for the other team. She cares about other people. She never seems to care what other people think of her.

Leo cares, though. He and Stargirl have been "shunned" by the school populace. He feels invisible and it bothers him.

This is a great story about conformity and staying true to yourself. After reading it, I wish I had a little bit of Stargirl in me. I wish I didn't care what others thought. But I have to identify with Leo. As humans, we need to feel we belong. We need interaction with others to feel our own existence. And so Leo has to make a choice: happiness he feels with Stargirl, or the approval of his peers.

Spinelli does not preach to the reader; instead he draws us in with Stargirl's odd behavior. What weird thing is she going to do next? While Stargirl's behavior and reactions do seem to be unfathomable, it's Leo who we are supposed to learn from. Stargirl is a mythical Santa Claus who visits a run-of-the-mill town. Leo is all of us. If we ever were lucky enough to meet a "Stargirl," would we react the same? Make the same choices? This goes along with Kelly Gallagher's argument that reading is like a dress rehearsal for real life. Students can use Leo's lesson as an example for making decisions when they come to similar crossroads in their own lives.

There is a follow up to Stargirl called Love, Stargirl. It's set a year later and from Stargirl's perspective. I'm not sure if I'm interested in reading it, though. I feel like she was meant to be this impossible thing to touch, to understand. To get inside her head would be like killing the mystery that is half of her charm. I'll wait until I hear something more about it.

Just Finished Reading...

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is the author's first novel for young readers. Riordan is, or was, a middle grade teacher and that makes his books even more exciting to read. This first book in the Percy Jackson series is in some ways similar to the mythical land of Harry Potter. Percy has two good friends Annabeth and Grover, a wise old mentor Chiron, an impossible home life with step dad Smelly Gabe, MIA parents (one a god and the other a mortal who's been taken), a home-away-from-reality called Camp Half-Blood, a nemesis or two, as well as deceitful confidants. The cool thing about this story is that it's set in urban America, and instead of witches and warlocks, we are surrounded by a world of gods, goddesses, and mythical monsters. Knowing a thing or two from studying Greek mythology in school, it was fun to see how Riordan brought these legends to life in a modern form. Ares, god of war, is a biker. Dionysus is banned from Mount Olympus and confined to drinking non-alcoholic beverages. The gates to Mount Olympus are located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. The entrance to the Underworld? Los Angeles, of course!

This book is a page-turner every step of the way. The mythology has been updated and students will want to know what's going to happen to Percy and who is the real thief of Zeus's lightning bolt. I've read the first book in the Harry Potter series but I've found this book much more enjoyable that I plan on reading the rest of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Quickie

I am back from visiting my hometown. While away I finished reading Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, Kelly Gallagher's Readicide, and am halfway through with Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer. These will all be reviewed in due time. I also want to discuss my passion with the month of April for many very good reasons. However, I brought back with me a nasty bug that has my tonsils swollen, ears throbbing, head ached, and whole body pained. All of these incubating posts will have to wait a little longer to hatch. (Yes, my lame reference to Easter.) Right now, I'm cuddling up with a snuggly blanket, my puppy dog, and Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. Later!