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Reading in our classroom is hugely important! There is so much research that supports the benefits of reading in all of its forms: independent reading, buddy reading, shared reading, listening to read alouds, etc. How do we prepare our classroom community for a year of reading together? It’s not just filling the room with books and children that ensures we will create passionate readers. A few other things need to happen . . . .

#1 Book Organization. Everywhere you look, there must be books but we need to be able to find what we are looking for! So accessible bins and labels/organization that lure children to explore help everyone out.

We have books labelled by genre (i.e. Adventure, Mystery, Rhyme and Repetition etc.), by favourite authors (Steve Jenkins, Mo Willems, Melanie Watt, etc.), by theme (Sea Creatures, Friendship, Folktales, etc.) and by popularity (i.e. Popular Graphics, Favourite Read Alouds, Recently Read). There are a lot of bins in our room! Books, books, books everywhere you look!

Important for us as the teachers – to have a system that helps get books out into bins and into the hands of students. So we have a bin for books that need to be labelled, bins of books to book talk, bins of read alouds for specific times of year/themes, etc.

We also like to be able to access mentor texts, books we use for Reading Power, specific non-fiction titles easily so our teacher area has books organized for easy access. Below are all of of our Reading Power titles (Connect split into early/mid/late, Visualize, Question, Infer, Transform).

#2 Keeping Students Organized During independent reading, it is great to have “go to books” so that students can settle right into the reading rather than spend the whole time searching for books. Students  stash titles they want to read/are currently reading in their book boxes. Next week we will begin a schedule of adding new books to our boxes so that there isn’t a mad rush to exchange books during independent reading time. This is also time for the adults in the room to assist students with book selection, to introduce new genres, to set reading goals, etc. As you can see from the boxes below, Mo Willems is trending right now in our class!

While most books have stickers on the back that correspond to specific bins or author bins that we are familiar with, we ask students to put books into “Book Return” bins if they are not sure where to return  them. We have a “Book Return: Picture Book” and a “Book Return: Chapter Book” bin for students to use. This ensures that books get back to their proper “homes” when the next person is looking for them!

#3 Book Promotion Books are book talked daily in our room! Students  are often unfamiliar with both the book organization sytems and the wide variety of titles and authors we have in our classroom when they arrive in September. We book talk books in our current collection, often highlighting specific book bins and we also book talk books new to our collection, books from the library, books that have gone unnoticed, etc.  There is a bin in our teacher area specifically for books that need to be book talked but we also spontaneously highlight specific titles when interest in an author is there or when connections are made in our learning to specific books.

 #4 Time for reading is paramount. Readers need to read. Readers of every level grow their skills best when they have time to read self selected titles that they are interested in! In our classroom, we have daily time dedicated to independent reading. Soon we will also begin buddy reading with our kindergarten buddies!

At this age and stage of reading, independent reading often is interrupted by sharing of interesting parts, questions about what someone else is reading, or reading a part aloud to a neighbour. We encourage this as it helps build a “buzz” about different titles and encourages student recommendations. This is how we learn about new books and begin making talking about books an important conversation!

#5 Building stamina as readers: Currently, during part of every block of independent reading we are spending some time book talking, sharing titles, and exploring different book bins. It takes time to build up our ability to sit and read for an extended time period no matter how excited we are! Eventually, we will be able to read for longer sessions and for some of us, experience that lovely feeling of “falling into a book” and not even realizing that the bell has gone or that everyone has cleaned up to go for recess! A favourite activity to introduce new books at the beginning of a reading period is to do a book sharing circle. Every two minutes pass the two books you are looking at onto the next person and at the end of the sharing, read quietly on your own (maybe a new title you discovered or a book you had on the go). This activity is pictured below with our reading group from last year who are exploring some non-fiction titles.

#6 Exposure to great titles! Along with our reading stamina, we are building up our listening stamina. Reading aloud happens in our room every day. We read poetry, excerpts from non-fiction texts, picture books, chapter books, etc. For many students in our class this year, listening to a chapter book is a new experience. Sara Pennypacker to the rescue! We have started our first classroom read aloud: Clementine and the Family Meeting (written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee). We have only read Chapter One but we are very intrigued. Students are already wondering about Clementine’s friend Margaret and her germ phobias. They are worried about where the rat Eighteen has gone. And of course we are very curious about why a family meeting has been called in Clementine’s family. Reading aloud gives us wonderful opportunities to model our thinking aloud.

Of course, many other things go on in our room as part of reading instruction: direct instruction with phonemic awareness for those who are building decoding skills, fluency practice, reading comprehension strategies, opportunities to respond to what we read, etc. This post highlights book interaction and independent reading.

It is going to be a wonderful year of celebrating reading!  

How do you set up for reading success in your classroom?

We shared a gorgeous picture book in class today which inspired some beautiful art. I Feel a Foot is written by Maranke Rinck and illustrated by Martijn van der Linden.

Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird and Goat awake in the dark of night to a sound. Each one goes exploring and runs into some kind of creature. Turtle thinks it is a humungous turtle because he feels what seems to be a turtle leg. Bird thinks he feels a beak. It must be a huge bird! Octopus thinks he feels a large tentacle. The creature is an octopus (super sized). In the end it turns out that each animal felt just one body part and that the animal is actually . . .  Do you think you can guess?

We were inspired by the bright colours in the illustrations to make our own turtles and birds.

We used oil pastels, coloured construction paper and tried to create interesting patterns and outlines around our animals.

We then cut out around the outside of  our creations.  Ms. Gelson and Miriam glued them onto black construction paper and they are posted on a bulletin board in our classroom! Come in and take a peek!

We love the expressive eyes and smiles on these turtles!

The great thing about this project? Everyone finished an animal! And . . . all of our work was displayed together. Posted together, the effect is all the more striking!

Every picture is so unique!

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Link up to Jen and Kellee’s meme and share what you have been reading from picture books to young adult selections!

It was back to school this week which has meant more reading to others and less time for my own quiet reading. Which is just fine! I am so happy to be reading to students again!

I just posted (here) my first read alouds. Humour helps to ease the first week’s anxiety so these books bring plenty of  smiles and giggles! We shared Chloe and the Lion, You’re Finally Here and Bink and Gollie: Two for One. 

Other books I read aloud:

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds It is International Dot Day on September 15th. (Read more here) I shared this book with my class and we spent the next half hour getting creative and sharing our dots! Low stress. High engagement.

This Plus That written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by  Jen Corace. I find that when this book is read aloud, everyone gets kind of quiet and reflective. Thinking about connections and how things relate. I love the effect.

Other picture books I’ve enjoyed this week:

A Poke in the I, a collection of poems selected by Paul B Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka I would pick this book up just because Raschka is one of my favourite illustrators, but this book is worth exploring for many reasons. I love the variety of ways words and poems are presented. What inspiration for students!

Necks out for Adventure written and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering I am a big fan of Ering’s Frog Belly Rat Bone so when I saw this book on a Monday reads list, I was intrigued.  A few weeks later I was searching through a box of donated books and I found this book! It is quirky and odd in the best of ways. Can’t wait to share it as a read aloud.

Delicious (A Pumpkin Soup Story) by Helen Cooper I love books that have another sub-plot going on somewhere else on the page via the illustrations (think Phoebe Gilman’s brilliant Something from Nothing). While persnickety duck keeps rejecting soup flavours, the industrious bugs invent ways to capture the rejected flavours. As a parent, I certainly connected to the picky eater aspect of this story!

I only finished one novel:

The Apothecary written by Maile Meloy. I don’t want to say much about this book because it has so many mysterious twists, I’d hate to give anything away. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Part fantasy, part mystery, part historical fiction, many parts adventure . . . You can’t really go wrong with his title.

I just picked up Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue from the library (have had it on hold for months!) so that is the book I delve into next!

Oh, how I have missed reading aloud to a classroom of children! We didn’t switch classes until the end of this week so I had the pleasure of reading some books to our class from last year. Here were our first three reads:

Chloe and the Lion written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex (although his artistic contributions to this book were impacted when he was fired by the author and during the time he was inside the lion’s belly!)

I told the students that this book was a little different than most picture books and asked them to predict how just by looking at the cover. We looked carefully. What was different? We saw cover art, the author’s name, the illustrator’s name . . . Everything seemed normal. Pictures of the author and illustrator? Hmm . . . We didn’t always see that. Well author and illustrator featured hugely in this book. In fact story line, author issues, illustrator perspectives were all intertwined. We bore witness to the creative process, the discussion (often heated) between author and illustrator and even watched the character have impact on how the story unfolded. How did we like it? There were laughs. There was shouting. There was opinion expressed from my very involved audience. If everyone was in on this, why not us?! A delightful read aloud experience. Mrs. Morden, our principal, walked in during the story and nobody even gave her a glance. All of our attention was on this story! (We later sent this book home with Mrs.Morden to read to her children so she wouldn’t miss out! )

You’re Finally Here written and illustrated by Melanie Watt

This is not the first time I have read this book aloud to this group. Last spring I brought it in to share after finding it at the public library. Sergio must have asked me every week to read this book again and I never saw it again at the library. So when I found this title at the end of August, I tucked it on my school bag to share this first week back. This book is just as fun on the second read. So many giggles – especially at the contract the bunny wants us to sign to promise to not leave him and make him our highest priority! This book made its rounds during quiet reading and the next day was still being shared – often one student reading it to another and giggling a lot! A delightful book to share when everyone needs a smile. (First week anxiety means creating lots of opportunities to laugh and smile together)

Bink and Gollie Two for One written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile. 

Having just read this book myself last week, I realized it was the perfect book to bring in since so many students had visited Playland/the PNE this summer and this book is set at the State Fair. We related to the delight of rides, the games and booths, the sweet treats and the fortune teller tent. Needless to say, students were delighted by the antics of Bink and Gollie and appreciated the subtle and not so subtle humour (poor Mr. Whack the Duck man!)

The last It’s Monday! What are you reading? post of the summer! I really hope I can find lots of time to read as the new school year begins. My TBR towers everywhere are a great incentive!

Link up with Jen and Kellee’s meme and share your reading from the week (picture books to young adult titles).

Our family finished listening to the False Prince  by Jennifer A. Nielsen as an audio book. It was the perfect Vancouver to Seattle and back listen and we finished the book all sitting happily in our den listening avidly to the last disc. What a story! We loved the suspense, the character of Sage and all of us are excited for the next titles in the trilogy. In fact, there are almost daily arguments about who gets to read the second book first when it is published.

I read a few middle grade titles this week. The first was The Great Gilly Hopkins written by Katherine Paterson. Gilly is a raw, angry  character. Quick to judge. Guarded. But so in need of love and acceptance and a real sense of belonging. The character of Maime Trotter in all of her simplicity is a hero of sorts. I thought I might read this book to my Grade 2/3 class but realize it needs a slightly older audience. Still love that it so candidly deals with the reality of being a foster child.

I just finished Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. As I read, I kept thinking: “Wow.” By the end of the book I was up to a lot of “Wows.”  A must read middle grade selection for so many reasons: the history, the character of Moose and what rests on his very tall shoulders, the way autism was understood and misunderstood in the 1930s and the depiction of childhood in times of more freedom (despite living on Alcatraz). Can’t recommend this book enough.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I read a lot of picture books this week, finding titles at the public library, my school library, and my own collection. As always, for brevity’s sake, I will limit this list to five. A bit of a back to school theme going on here with the final three.

Bink and Gollie: Two for One written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated (perfectly) by Tony Fucile. Take a state fair with all of its rides, booths and amusements, add Bink and Gollie and there is guaranteed laughter! My favourite lines?

“Tell Madame Prunely what it is you seek.”

“Truth,” said Gollie.

“Food,” said Bink.

Art and Max by David Wiesner. Absolutely delightful! So much to discuss as this book takes us through a very colourful exploration of art, fantasy and imagination.

 Vera’s First Day of School by Vera Rosenberry. Something speaks to me in little Vera – the way she holds so firmly to the black and white version of life (totally appropriate at her age and stage.) When she hasn’t entered school by the time the bell has sounded, she is convinced she can’t go at all. A lovely Mom, an understanding teacher and a brave attitude allow Vera to begin her day again.

Things I learned in Second Grade by Amy Schwartz. A lot happens in a school year. This book is an interesting documentation of just how much for one little boy. Great to read at the end or beginning of a school year.

Mr. Ouchy’s First Day written by B.G. Hennessy and illustrated by Paul Meisel. The first day of school is a first day for everyone, teachers included! Children might be surprised at how nervous those new teachers might be! A lovely book that explores the building of classroom community and the passion a teacher has for making learning paramount for his students!

We enjoyed listening to an audio book so much that we have just started The London Eye Mystery. Should be a fun nightly routine as we ease back into a new school year!

Happy Reading everyone!

It’s Monday! What are you reading? How I love sharing the books I’ve been reading by participating in Kellee and Jen’s meme (celebrating books read from picture books to young adult selections)! Such a great way to find out about different titles.

This past week was holiday time so I read lots of novels and only one picture book that I found book shopping at Elliot Books in Seattle. I’ve been collecting Caldecott medal and honour books for the classroom and this is one I didn’t have.

Sam, Bangs and Moonshine by Evaline Ness. The illustrations were lovely in this book that won the Caldecott medal in 1967. I liked the line drawings, the limited colours and the intense expressions on the character’s faces. I had a real soft spot for Sam whose overactive imagination was used to compensate for a mother who was not really a mermaid but who had died and a father who was busy fishing all day long. Her imagination leads to some scary situations but she doesn’t abandon the magical completely.

 I also read a number of middle grade and young adult novels and even one adult novel (a rarity lately!) – an ARC called Three Graves Full.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. This was an intense read but I really enjoyed it. You don’t often find a sibling relationship based on a lot of respect and care and this book really showcased a lovely relationship between brothers. I’ve read some reviews that claim this book is too confusing and not connected but I thought it all tied together well in the end

Will Grayson, Will Grayson written by John Green and David Levithan. I have had a very John Green summer (reading An Abundance of Katherines, The Fault in our Stars, Paper Towns, and Looking for Alaska) so I had to end my summer with this title co-authored with David Levithan. This book was all about characters. Not that plot wasn’t important, but the characters were so large (yes, literally in Tiny’s case) that they just sang out of the book (yes, again literally, in Tiny’s case ). Days after finishing this book, I found my mind occupied by these characters. Funny. Edgy. Humble. Vulnerable. Powerful. Such a great read!

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Wow. Such a get under your skin little book. Loved the honesty of the characters, the relevance of the story and the power in the words. Because it is told in verse, you can sit and finish this book in one sitting and then take the rest of the day just to digest it all.

Our family is one disc away from finishing the audio version of  The False Prince. Such a fantastic book!

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Participating in Kellee and Jen’s meme celebrating books read from picture books to young adult selections is such a pleasure. There is so much to learn in what everyone is reading and blogging about.

This week I read a number of fantastic picture books. I had a difficult time trying to narrow my favourites to the top five to keep this post to a reasonable size! But here they are – my top 5 picture books of the week:

Sector 7 by David Wiesner. I love Wiesner’s books but for some reason I had never read this one. When I found it at the library the other day, I was delighted. I am always using wordless books in the classroom  (I posted about using wordless books in the primary classroom here) and so love finding new titles to share. This book celebrates creativity, imagination and the endless possibilities in the clouds!

Footprints in the Snow by Mei Matsuoka was in a pile of books I had ordered from Scholastic last year and hadn’t yet labelled. When I read this book I was pleasantly surprised by the clever twists. First we meet Wolf who has been reading books about wolves and realizing that wolves are always portrayed as (yes, you know what’s coming) nasty, scary and greedy. He sets out to write his own book that depicts Mr. Nice Wolf acting in only lovely ways. He continuously meets animals that seem only to have met stereotypical awful wolves and they run from him. Finally a duck indulges Mr. Nice Wolf in a bit of a conversation and . . . Here’s the twist you might not have expected . . . I won’t spoil it! It’s worth finding a copy and having your own little chuckle as you read this book.

So I’ve decided that Sarah Stewart and David Small simply have not created enough picture books together. Very soon there is going to be a week where I can’t include a Stewart/Small title here and on that day, I will be very sad. This week I read The Library. All about book love and devotion. Nothing more needs to be said.

My next two favourites were sent to me in a box of “bookly delights” by a book loving friend.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce I absolutely adored this book – it fast became a favourite picture book. I love that it is so whimsical, the illustrations lure you in and you feel entangled with all of the books in the pictures. Amazing. But it also reads beautifully. I read it aloud to my two children and it was so smooth, so lyrical. Cannot wait to share this with my class this fall.

Cats’ Night out written by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by Jon Klassen. This was the first picture book that Klassen illustrated and it is so fun. I love the colours – all of the dark browns, blacks and shadows. Across each page dance cats. Cats with such serious smug expressions like they are saying, “We certainly don’t see you, dear reader,  up here doing the fox trot so elegantly in evening dresses or tuxedos.” The text is rhyming and one soon realizes that this is a counting book. Counting by twos! What fun and if you look carefully you can find numbers hidden in each illustration. A book that deserves multiple readings and begs to be shared with a friend to search for numbers, marvel at the pictures and reread the poetic text.

In other reading . . . .

I read Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. This is a mystery novel that is so much more. There is definitely a mystery which keeps it fast paced and highly energized. But wow, the characters! The other story lines going on! The idiosyncrasies of a small town and its inhabitants. The power of family no matter how it is defined. If this isn’t on your TBR list, add it!

I also read The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin. Loved Kevin Cornell‘s illustrations. There were lots of funny parts in this story but I worried that it might possibly too difficult for early readers (this is an early chapter book) to follow. Different chapters are told by different characters and I didn’t think it was always clear who was who. Maybe I’m wrong. I will see how some readers handle it this fall.

I also read Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet: The Cloud Searchers (Book Three) While I am always so impressed with the art work in Kibuishi’s Amulet books, all of the battle scenes are not my thing. But if it is your thing (my son adores these) these books are pretty amazing.

 I am still reading The Search for Wondla to my children and we started listening to The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Exciting!

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Celebrating books read and enjoyed from picture books to young adult reads. Link up with the meme sponsored by Kellee and Jen.

This week was quite busy for me – organizing/revamping my classroom library. Much of my reading was picture books and early chapter/graphic novels. (Trying to make sure that I am as familiar as possible with my library – often my purchasing gets ahead of my reading!)

The one novel I finished was Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones. I had been wanting to read this young adult novel for some time. Years ago I read The Maestro by Wynne-Jones and it became one of my favourites. While I loved the mystery and drama associated with the plot of Blink and Caution, what sold me on the book were the characters. Both main characters (Blink aka Brent and Caution aka Kitty) were so accessible, vulnerable and likeable. I was along for the ride simply because I really wanted to be around these characters. Wynne-Jones did not disappoint.

Early Chapters/Graphics:

Fangbone 2 The Egg of Misery by Michael Rex. While I personally didn’t love all of the gross humour (the stinky feet did me in), I can absolutley see the appeal for my Grade 2 and 3 students. I know these books (I have #1 as well) will seldom be in a basket and frequently passed around the room and enjoyed. Lots of fun, lots of action, lots of silly.

 I also read the first book in the Captain Awesome series. Comic books. Super heroes. Yucky cafeteria food. Another book with large kid appeal.  I plan to get a few more of these titles for my classroom collection. Captain Awesome to the Rescue was written by Stan Kirby and illustrated by George O’Connor.

I spent much of this week reading picture books. Four of my favourites were:

 Press Here by Herve Tullet. How I haven’t read this book up until this point, I have no idea! I’ve frequently seen it but this week I sat in the library and actually read it. Or is that what happens with this book? It is much more than reading! Yes, I did everything asked. Pressed. Shook. Titled. Turned. Giggled. Now I must own this book for my buddy reading/sharing bin!

Elsie’s Bird written by Jane Yolen and David Small. I adored this book. I think every week I fall just a little more in love with David Small’s illustrations. I am also trying to read as many picture books within the historical fiction genre as possible because. . . . Well because I am just in the historical fiction mood in a big way! I even started a new pinterest board! Any suggestions? Please share!

Fish on a Walk by Eva Muggenthaler. I found this book at the library earlier this week and was captivated by the illustrations. It is basically wordless – just two words on each page. Opposite words like scared/brave, cranky/kind, jealous/accepting . . . Examine the pictures. Find the stories. So interactive.

Let’s Talk About Race written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Karen Barbour. I have almost nothing to say about this book right now because I have so much to say about it. Many ideas in my head, plans for themes I’m considering for this year. Philosophical discussions. Art projects. Oh, I have plans for this book . . . .

Currently I’m reading The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi to my children. It’s an engaging read aloud and we love all of the picures. I’ve just started Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage So far – wow!

Picture Book Love!!

This is the first year I am participating in the Picture Book 10 for 10 event hosted by Cathy from Reflect and Refine: Building a Learning Community and Mandy from Enjoy and Embrace Learning.

Any opportunity to celebrate a love for picture books, count me in!

Of course I could have listed hundreds but I tried to select the first ten that came to me. My list for 2012:

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed. Oh how I love this book that celebrates love! I gushed about it here. This book is quite possibly my favourite picture book ever. And that is really saying something!

The Giant Seed by Arthur Giesert. Giesert is a master at telling a beautiful and whimsical fantastical story through a wordless book.  How the pigs happen to be saved from volcanic disaster is a reason to share this story many times. Gorgeous.

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. I really liked this book on first read. But after sharing it with my class I quickly grew to love it. My students went crazy for this book! Read more here. This book read aloud in a classroom of book lovers is a force to be reckoned with.

All the World written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee. This book could be read daily and one would never tire of it. I have blogged about it before: “The images are comforting, saturated with details and evoke our own memories attached to the experiences suggested by each picture. These pictures are so easy to connect to, I felt like I had taken a journey through some of my own most happiest of memories.”

Hunwick’s Egg written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Pamela Lofts. I have blogged about this book before as it is one of my favourites: “Hunwick’s egg never hatched although it provided him with companionship, faith and an important secret. Yes, he realized his egg was not an egg at all but a perfectly shaped stone and he loved it all the more. This book is beyond endearing and my heart lifts just pulling it off the shelf.”

The Gardener written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small. It is wonderful to have historical fiction wrapped up so beautifully in this illustrated book. My own children wanted to study this book again and again.

House Held up by Trees written by Ted Kooser and illustrated by Jon Klassen. This book celebrates the power of nature and how we are naturally drawn to it. Efforts to keep it at bay are often futile. Nature finds its way. This book is stunning.

Leaf by Stephen Michael King. A story of the friendship between a boy, a dog and a plant. Simple, sweet, endearing. The best thing about this book? It is nearly wordless – the only text  - sound effects – Whooosh, Boing, Sploosh, Glurg glurg .

Hello Goodbye Window written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. The vibrant colours in this book are pure joy! I love the celebration of the relationship between grandchild and grandparents. “Hello World! What have you got for us today?” We still quote this line frequently in our house!

Wilfred Gordon Macdonald Partridge  written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas. A favourite of mine for years. Every time I read it aloud to a new group of students I sit back and enjoy their discussions of all the special kinds of memories. A book every house and classroom should own.

It’s Monday What are you Reading? Celebrating books read and enjoyed from picture books to young adult reads. Link up with the meme sponsored by Kellee and Jen

I was on vacation this week so all of my reading was from the stack of books I brought with me except for two picture books I purchased at the Island bookstore.

Liu and The Bird: A Journey in Chinese Caligraphy Written and illustrated by Catherine Louis. Calligraphy by Feng Xiao Min. So many of my students every year attend Chinese language classes – this book will allow them to be the experts as everyone explores the calligraphy in this book. Illustrations are gorgeous!

Rain Rain Rivers written and illustrated by Uri Shulivitz. Loved the lyrical descriptive writing. In Vancouver, we had better celebrate rain! This book gets us started.

This week I finished a read aloud novel with my children: Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. A great adventure story that intrigued us all.

Hidden by Helen Frost. I found the format with the two perspectives told in different form very interesting. A quick read.

Having read both The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns in the last few months, I continued with two more John Green novels.

Loved the characters in Looking for Alaska.

An Abundance of Katherines had many funny passages but probably my least favourite of Green’s novels so far. Colin, and his dependency and constant self doubt began to irk me. But loved the characters who resided in Gutshot.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater was my favourite read of the week. Finished it late last night and still digesting it. Dramatic. Haunting. Amazing.

I also read two professional books this week: Kelly Gallagher‘s Readicide and Tony Stead‘s Good Choice.

Happy Reading everyone!

It’s Monday What are you Reading? Celebrating books read from picture books to young adult reads. Link up with the meme sponsored by Kellee and Jen!

I read some wonderful picture books this week!

Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog by Mini Grey (who I happen to adore – read more here) There were lots of things I loved in this book – more in the pictures than in the storyline honestly. Love the oppositely stereotypical parents (Dad in apron and Mom with her circular saw). Loved the compost bin as play site. And what could be better than a search down the Grand Sofa Canyon? It did after all uncover a hairy sweet. This book reminds us germophobes not to come between a boy and his toy. Rescues into the slimy trash heap will be attempted!

Alfie Runs Away written by Kenneth M. Cadow and illustrated by Lauren Castillo.  Alfie is upset and decides to run away announcing it emphatically. His mother “helps” him get ready. Absolutely captures the sentiments of both mother and child. Love Castillo’s illustrations.

Pierre in Love written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Petra Mathers. A beautiful picture book about being in love and being brave enough to admit it.

The Gardener written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small. I so love this author/illustrator team. And the book . . . We read it one night as a read aloud. Then the next day my daughter asked to read it again because she wanted to study the pictures. Lasting impressions – this book makes them! Love historical fiction delivered beautifully in a picture book!

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins. I read this with my children as one of our many nightly read alouds (we also have a novel and a book of fairy tales on the go) over a few evenings. We were fascinated, shocked and sometimes disgusted (in the best of ways) as we learned all about beetles. Plan to purchase my own copy of this book and share it in the classroom this fall! Think of the art it will inspire! And since one in four living things happen to be a beetle, the

It’s Monday What are you reading?

from Binky Under Pressure

Here is my second post participating in Kelly and Jen‘s meme that celebrates all of the great literature being read by avid book lovers and bloggers (from picture books to YA fiction)

Picture Books I read this week:

My Dad is Big and Strong but . . . (A Bedtime Story) written by Coralie Saudo and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo  Loved the muted colours in the illustrations and the interesting twist on the going to bed battle.

Unfortunately written by Alan Durant and illustrated by Simon Rickerty. I purchased this book and The Plot Chickens this spring to add to my mentor texts to inspire writing. Can see this book inspiring mini stories illustrated in graphic style panels. Finally got a chance to read these titles I uncovered a basket of books in my new book area that I had thought I misplaced!

The Plot Chickens written by Mary Jane Auch and illustrated by Herm Auch. Such a fun book to emphasize important story elements.

East Dragon West Dragon written by Robyn Eversole and illustrated by Scott Campbell. I found this book at the library but would put it in my “diversity” bin at school if I end up purchasing it.

Swirl by Swirl (Spirals in Nature) written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes I finally read this book after seeing it on multiple lists all year. It is really as gorgeous and amazing as all of the hype!

This is the first time I am officially participating in Kellee and Jen‘s meme It’s Monday What are you Reading? blog link up! Such a wonderful way to share books read over the past week and plans for future reading.

Three favourite picture books I read:

The Friend by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small. I loved this book immediately because David Small is just so good. These pictures are gorgeous and depict the nuances and emotions that the book conveys. What a beautiful story about little Belle and Beatrice Smith, the housecleaner who adores her. Took me back to my own childhood of long summer days that start out with daily chores only I was lucky enough to be working side by side with my Mom.

Lola and Fred by Christoph Heuer.  A delightful wordless book (How I love wordless books!) about a tortoise and a frog who want to fly. Just how will they make this happen? Imagine this would be a wonderfully loud “share aloud” with a primary class.

Two Bears and Joe by Penelope Lively and illustrated by Jan Ormond. This book celebrates imagination, play and pretend. Love Ormond’s illustrations as always.

I also read a number of Early Chapter, Middle Grade and Young Adult novels this past week.

Early Chapter:

Heidi Heckelbeck and the Cookie Contest by Wanda Coven

Piper Reed Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt I bought the first four titles in this series and plan to introduce it to some of my new students who are ready for a chapter book that is just a little bit longer. Love the school themes and the true to life family dynamics in the Reed family.

Middle Grade:

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. The children’s librarian at the Vancouver Public Library branch we frequent has started a Middle Grade ARC club allowing readers to “borrow” the ARCs, bring them home to read, write comments in if they so choose and share reviews. My nine year olds and I were vey excited and joined. I did a little leap when I saw this title on the shelf. (Review coming later this week) Fantastic!

I promised my student book club I would regularly update this blog with titles I’ve been reading this summer so that I can pass on recommendations throughout the holiday break. This week’s theme: realistic fiction, guaranteed to produce a few tears . . . All of these are middle grade reads.

One for the Murphy’s by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Carely Connors is released from the hospital into the care of the Murphys –  a family that is able to show her what looking out for family really means. The dynamics of her relationship with her new family are very believable. Not everything is smooth. Neither are Carley’s first few weeks at a new school. Friendship dynamics are explored in a believable and appealing way. Trying to decide just where she belongs, Carley watches the way the Murphys  interact and rethinks everything she has known about family. A highly emotional book, reminding us that we are always better people to have known each other, even when our time together is short. This book speaks to the power of unconditional love, the magic of resiliency and the need we all have to matter. Lynda Mullaly Hunt has crafted a story that will pull at every heartstring you have.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker

Stella and Angel now share a secret when they only once shared a somewhat respectful disdain. Both girls have been in the care of Stella’s Great Aunt Louise. Angel is an orphan in foster care and Stella for a time, has been orphaned by circumstances. Her mother is “finding herself” and Stella is not part of the plans. When Louise dies, the girls decide to handle the burial themselves and tell no one in order to try and ensure the possibility of family security that both girls want so desperately. A secret this big, hidden in plain sight is all encompassing and caring for themselves and each other over the course of this important summer is more difficult than they first anticipated. How this story enfolds is heartbreaking, full of vulnerability but often delightfully humorous.

See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

It’s difficult to write about this book without giving away important plot points. This is a story of a family whose daily lives are defined by the family owned restaurant they operate. But a busy family with four children means that there are many relationship dynamics to explore. The third daughter Fern tells a story that is hard to tell. When something happens that changes everything, the family must navigate their way both alone and together to the “moving on” side of life. Guilt and grief and hope are intertwined. Knowles reminds us that love is holding close and letting go. I adored Fern. She is humble and true. She stands on the brink of young adulthood and feels so much. She is far from perfect but she is so so good. The ideal narrator for this story. It’s an emotional ride, this book. But in the end, somehow, one is soothed.

Highlighting the adventure genre:

One of the many interesting things about having boy/girl twins is selecting books that will have read aloud appeal for both of them. The books below are selections from recent read alouds that we have particularly enjoyed together.

In the mood for . . . Adventure? Suspense? Mystery? These titles will capture you!

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Hugely suspenseful yet beautifully lyrical, Kirby’s tale pulls the reader into a frozen land cut off from the world by ice. It is a landscape that protects and threatens Solveig, her siblings and those warriors sent to protect them while their father battles an enemy on a distant battlefield. When it is clear that a traitor resides amongst them, everyone becomes suspect. Solveig navigates the world through observation and a mystical connection to her dreams and possible prophecies. Not beautiful like her sister, or valuable as the future king, like her younger brother, Solveig slowly discovers that her talent lies in the power of words. She apprentices with Alric to be a skald (storyteller) and ends up wielding as much power as the weapons of war with her carefully crafted tales. Nuances of old Nordic tales with suspicions of treachery, much mystery and beautiful prose, Icefall held us spellbound.

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel has crafted a story full of adventure, fantasy, suspense and high drama aboard the Aurora, an airship sailing through some sort of alternate history. Matt Cruse is a cabin boy who is more at home in the air than on the ground and calls the Aurora home.  He meets passenger Kate de Vries who has come aboard to find out if the mysterious creatures her grandfather spotted from his hot air balloon might exist. Matt is intrigued by the possibility and attracted to Kate’s independent spirit. These two characters find themselves beginning a quest of proportions they would never have dreamed about. Pirates. Mysterious creatures never before discovered. Storms. Seemingly deserted islands. Shipwrecks. And villians you would never want to encounter. Airborn is the first book in a trilogy.

Alabama Moon by Watt Key

Moon is 10 years old and for as long as he can remember, has lived in the forest with his father who is determined that they have minimal contact with the outside world. They need to avoid the government, depend on no one and always be prepared for “someone coming for them.” When Moon’s father dies, Moon tries to carry out his father’s wishes and head to Alaska to find others who will be like him. But getting to Alaska from Alabama alone is not an easy feat. Along the way, Moon is caught and placed into the system – a boy’s home on lock down. His escape attempt is successful but nothing else is simple. Friends and enemies enter into this new world in ways he is not at all prepared for. He can make a shelter, eat from the forest, “whip up on anybody” but how does he deal with this outside world that he might in fact need?  A real stor

Our last BLG book of the year was read by Deborah. Willie and Uncle Bill by Amy Schwartz is a hilarious collection of three adventures all ideal to read out loud!

There are babysitters and then there are babysitters. Babysitters of the “Let’s embrace a little wild, a little mischief, a little of what your mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her” kind. Uncle Bill is that guy. He is the kind of uncle/babysitter that introduces Willie to adventures of the everyday kind (“Let’s make icky stew!”), the rockstar kind (guitars, squeals and stomps) and the because we must kind (thank goodness for barbers who can make self styled cuts “all better”). And . . . . the house still looks good when Mom returns (being a Mom, I noticed this important detail).

A lovely read aloud celebrating family, fun and adventure.

Report card writing means book blogging is a diversion I shouldn’t be taking! But we did so much great reading aloud last week, I can’t help but highlight five favourites. The power of reading aloud is always worth celebrating!

Bird, Butterfly, Eel with story and paintings by James Prosek. We shared this book in our reading group where we have been reading a variety of information storybooks and focusing on evidence that supports specific questions we pose. Right away we were curious what these three creatures on the front cover might have in common. In reading the book, we discovered that there were many things. Students summarized key points in their writing: each creature starts out on a farm near the sea, they each migrate over a large distance and they each return to the farm after a long return journey. We did note that only the bird travels south and returns and that the monarch and the eel who return are part of a new generation. Fasincating. This book prompted a lot of discussion and further investigation.

One of the books we read during our morning book sharing was not actually a book but one story from the book Tom Thumb (a collection of Grimms’ tales) illustrated and retold by Eric Carle. We read The Fisherman and his Wife and I was surprised at how instantly engaged the students were with the story. There was constant chatter and commentary and we frequently stopped the story to discuss what might happen or what we thought about the actions of a character. The Fisherman’s wife got few points; generally, we thought her quite awful and selfish! We were glad when she lost her grand homes and titles. “She’s so greedy that she can’t be trusted with all of that power,” someone aptly pointed out. Students have been asking me to read the three other stories in this collection.

I found the book Virginia Wolf written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault at the public library and asked my Reading group to give me some feedback. Should we put this book on a list of books Ms. Sheperd-Dynes should purchase for the library? Personally, I loved this book. I appreciated that it explored sadness, sibling relationships, the negative influence one child’s mood can have in a house and that it celebrated the perseverance of a sister to lift her sibling out of a dark funk. But . . . what would kid’s think? They loved it too! They told me it had a theme of “emotions” and “wrong-side-of-the-bedishness” and “being transformed.” They were fascinated to see what Virginia really did look like. Many read this book again on their own during independent reading. The verdict? It’s on the “we need this book for the library” list!

I have had Albert written by Donna Jo Napoli and illustrated by Jim LaMarche sitting on my desk for months waiting for the perfect time to read it aloud. It is rather long for a picture book and I wanted to make sure that we had time en

A sunny day in June. What could be better than taking a canoe ride out on Deer Lake? Not much! Students and staff from John Oliver’s Take a Hike Program picked up Division 5 with two vans laden with canoes and it was off on another adventure!

Once canoes were loaded off the vans and life jackets were secured, it was time to hear about the safety rules on the water.

Gathered together in Circle

We were a confident bunch. Some of us especially so! Doesn’t Sergio look ready to paddle across a lake?

Got my paddle. I'm ready!

One adult. Two students and the boats were out on the water in no time! My boat was full of enthusiasm. “This is so great!” “We’re really doing this.” “Let’s go faster!” “This is the best thing ever!” “Are we going to race?”

All smiles out on the water

The rule was when Tim’s paddle went up in the air, everyone should come to him. With many novice paddlers, this accomplishment was a big one!

Let's all meet in the center of the lake!

Then it was off to find turtles! Many questions when we were on the lake: “Are there any beavers?” “There aren’t really any alligators, are there?” “Can I catch a fish with my hand if I find one?” “Was that a dragonfly? Look there are three!”

Okay crew, let's go "that a way"!

Some of us looked like absolute naturals on the water! Often the steering genius of the adult in the back wasn’t realized. But hey, paddle in hand, an open lake, and we felt like we could do anything!  Still, thank you Take a Hike students and staff for the back end of the boat power!

Two boys on a big lake

We headed in for lunch and some impromptu “goose herd

What I love about Arts Umbrella Workshops:

1. Engaging, skilled teachers who can instruct and inspire in less than 2o minutes!

2. Students get to work big! Nothing like having one class and the whole gym floor to spread out on for art!

3. With instruction that inspires confidence, students are able to apply new learning instantly. Instructors walk around and give lots of great feedback!

Look how well the proper position of the facial features has been learned!

4. Students take risks. They aren’t afraid to experiment and try new things because it has been modeled and encouraged! Look at the fantastic colours!

 5. Students get to create pieces where they get feedback that sounds like this: “Wow!” “Did you do that?” “That really looks like you!”

 6. The instructors leave us with hints for finishing off pieces (like going back to add details with pastels) so that completed pieces really stand out!

7. Our hallway and classroom bulletin boards look like this a few days later!

Thanks again Arts Umbrella for a fantastic learning experience!

Last year we also were fortunate enough to have an incredible workshop.

This week in a piece of writing, one of my students shared, “My teacher is a book maniac!” This not only made my day, it made my week. Because the love of books, the excitement over stories and the magic of reading are the gifts I never tire of giving and hope that I have gifted in abundance this year. Every week we share a lot of things. And books? Well, they are at the top of our list! Reading aloud on a daily basis is a priority. We find many reasons to read together.

What did Division 5 read this week? When you add it all up, it’s a lot! 

On Monday we read . . . 

We often begin our mornings with a read aloud (or two or three). On Monday when we had five students absent, we began to wonder if this book might have been up to no good on Friday afternoon. Was is ravenous? Were some children devoured? We had to wait until the next few days to see who returned all in one piece! A fabulous book to humorously explore a little bit of fear . . . . The Book that Eats People is written by John Perry and illustrated by Mark Fearling.

We used Thank You Miss Doover to get us in the mood for writing an appreciative and personal thank you letter. Students learned a lot about writing and giggled through the how to train a puppy aspects of the story. Hint: there is paper and it is often yellow after a certain puppy stands on it. I was ordered to place this new book in the humour bin!

(Written by Robin Pulver and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson)

On Tuesday we read . . .

On Tuesday morning I shared some books that were brand new to our school library. When the students saw author Kevin Henkes on the cover of Penny and Her Song, they begged me to read the book aloud. Well, c’mon! Kevin Henkes? How could I say no?

I then shared another new to the library title. The Giant Seed by Arthur Giesert is the sequel to the fabulous Ice that we read a few months ago. (The book that instantly made us Giesert fans). This new title lets us revisit the island with the industrious pigs and this time, the disaster they face is not a water shortage but a volcanic eruption. Evacuation via dandelion parachutes is absolutley delightful. Our class loves sharing wordless books!

Our Reading Group finished Hurricane, another fantastic information story book by Celia Godkin. Students had many questions about what happens during and after a hurricane. Just how destructive can it be? How d

Our BLG book today was read by Dan: Crafty Chloe written by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Heather Ross.

Chloe is very good at making stuff. Sewing, crafts and creativity are where she shines. She sees the world through “what could I make with this?” eyes and her little world is all the more intersting because of it!

My favourite picture has to be this one where we learn that Chloe is convinced that “anything becomes less boring with googly eyes on it”.

When Chloe’s birthday shopping plans for her friend Emma are thwarted by classmate London who swoops in and buys the Violet doll Chloe had planned to purchase, Chloe announces that she is going to make something for Emma. London sneers. “You’re going to MAKE her something?” Chloe has a challenge ahead. When the ideas don’t come, she suddenly develops a horrible case of the chicken pops (horrible blue spots of the washable variety) and she announces that she will be unable to make Emma’s party. When her Mom reminds her that there will be pony rides and that Emma is a really good friend, Chloe’s illness quickly disappears and her inspiration returns.

When London ends up dropping her gift into a mud puddle on route to the party, Chloe’s home made gift saves the day. AND it is beautifully adored by Emma. What we appreciated was how Chloe helped out London even when London had insulted her. Themes of friendhip, making good decisions and creativity.

Are you a crafty kid? Or an adult who spends time with one? Check out Chloe’s crafty website to make the crafts featured in the book.

Our student reviewers report:

Truman: I like the part when it showed the note that said, “P.S. I made it myself.”

Khai: I liked it because Violet said you’re going to make something? And laughed. Chloe still helped her.

The amazing team of  Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long deliver another picture book masterpiece with their third book A Butterfly is Patient.

This year we have shared An Egg is Quiet (as part of our learning about birds) and A Seed is Sleepy (to supplement our plants/seeds/gardens learning) With both titles we used a modified version of Adrienne Gear‘s Knew-New Connections from her Non-Fiction Reading Power book to represent our learning.

Students were excited to share this book as many had learned about butterflies or even hatched butterflies in their Kindergarten or Grade 1 years and so they had a lot of prior knowledge to connect to their new learning and they were able to represent all of this background knowledge under “I KNEW this already!”

A butterfly is helpful (fantastic pollinators)

What is lovely about representing our knowledge on a sheet like this is that it is very open ended. It allows students to document their own learning from exactly where they start. There are no “right” answers. Some facts ended up on “This is NEW to me!” and for others, these same facts were included on, “I KNEW this already!” Being familiar with the sheet allowed students to start organizing their thinking as we read. There were comments like, “Wow. I didn’t know that!” or “Hey that is what we learned last year. Remember how we talked about . . . ” When it came time to write, everyone had lots to say!

Describing prior knowledge and new learning.

Another student example of all the new things he learned today.

Some other student examples from “I KNEW this already!”

*Butterflies help plants make new plants (pollinate)

*I knew that some butterflies have spots that look like eyes on their wings

*They molt (shed their skin)

*I knew they started out as an egg

*Butterflies make chrysalises. They don’t make cocoons

Information shared for “This is NEW to me!”

* I found out that they taste with their feet

*I did not know that butterflies can be poisonous

*I didn’t know that a peacock butterfly can make a hissing sound by rubbing its wings

* I discovered that they drink water from mud puddles

* I didn’t know that butterflies could get water from wet soil

Our latest BLG book was read by Bill: Jonny Duddle‘s The Pirates Next Door (Starring the Jolley-Rogers) 

The little town of Dull-On-Sea has a temporary population blip. Instead of 2222 people residing in this seaside town, for a little while there are 2227. This is what happens when the house that has been for sale forever next to Tilda is occupied by new neighbours. Neighbours who haul their pirate ship into the driveway and unload barrels, treasure chests, cannons and crates. Tilda thinks her new neighbours are just grand! Jim Lad, his little sister Nugget, Grandpa and parents are sure to liven things up!  Her Mom and Dad are not so thrilled. Her teacher isn’t at all pleased with Jim Lad’s attire. And the neighbours find plenty to complain about. Oh the gossip. The judgement. The nasty comments. It seems that pirates just won’t do in this little town.

When the pirates leave suddenly in the middle of the night without warning, every lawn has an X over a recently dug hole. Turns out that the pirates have left surprises for all the residents that has them quickly singing a different tune about their temporary neighbours. Funny what a little treasure does to public opinion!

We enjoyed the rhyming verse, the colourful pictures and the pirate antics. A fun book. Students also pored over the family tree poster included on the book jacket.

This post has nothing to do with something new and brilliant I’ve discovered about helping students learn their multiplication facts. Instead, it is about my learning. About a year ago, I wrote this post: Times (x) they are a changing . . . .  It was a reflection on how and why I stopped doing timed multiplication drills. Back then, I learned from my students about what they needed. We began to work on our facts in a different way and I was excited about what I saw.

In no way did I throw the baby out with the bathwater. I still believe children benefit from knowing their multiplication facts. Especially if they know them “by heart” so the answer to 7 x 8 is as easily retrieved as a birth date. This allows them to use these facts easily and quickly as they work on more complex problems in the intermediate grades.

But one year later, what am I thinking? Watching my students approach their daily practice with multiplication facts, I am absolutely convinced that timed drills are not the way to go. Why?

*The stress of “being timed” just completely shuts some learners down before they even begin.

*Timed drills have a “test like” vibe and everything gets quiet. The “talking through thinking” stops and often, so does the thinking.

*Timed drills highlight what you already know as a teacher. Some kids learn their facts almost instantly, some learn them with lots of memory work and some struggle no matter what. So why create a situation that highlights this? It doesn’t highlight learning.

*Creating a situation where memorization is the only route to success means not everyone has success

What do I do instead? 

*We spend a lot of time on the concept of multiplication. The symbol x is taught as “groups of” so we would read this math sentence 2 x 4 as 2 groups of 4. We draw pictures. We work with manipulatives. We play games. We build and draw arrays (with blocks, graph paper, rows and dots) We solve problems (using pictures or blocks, etc)

* We then move on to learning that there are strategies to answering multiplication questions – this comes from our observations, discussion and the patterns we notice as we go. I never teach “tricks” at this stage like “just add a 0 to the other number when you multiply by 10″ I let students figure it out themselves so that the “trick” is connected to the concept. Not so it replaces it.  It sounds something like this: Student A says, “I was counting by tens to solve these problems (4 x 10 and 7 x 10) but then I noticed that all of the questions that are groups of 10 always end in a 0.” Student B concurs, “Yes! It’s kind of like because you are counting down the 100s chart at the end part where you are skip counting by 10s. So you can just put a 0 on the end of the other number.” Another child listens to this and looks confused. Student A and B get out blocks or the hundreds chart and show them with skip counting.  They try out a few more and boom, they have a strategy that now works for them. And, they all understand because they have made meaning together.

*While we continue using multiplication to solve problems and even move onto division concepts, we do a daily practice sheet that contains 16 multiplication questions. Students move through these sheets at their own pace. They can talk. They can ask for support. Some work with a partner. Some get out blocks and build arrays. Some skip count on their fingers. Some do what they know first