March 2012 archive
Toby has a passion and a big problem. His passion is baseball. He works part time for Mr. D. so he can earn money to buy baseball cards, especially players for his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. He even makes his high school baseball team as a backup catcher. Not too bad for a freshman brainiac who is a year younger than his classmates. The cute girl on the softball team even smiles at him. Now if he could just get through Nurse Wesley’s classes on human sexuality without dying of embarrassment, school would definitely be looking up.
At home, though, things are falling apart faster than he can pick them up and put them back together again. Ever since his dad moved to California and he had to leave his old home and neighborhood, Toby has tried to hold his family together. He’s worried his mom might slip back into the funk that left her in bed for weeks. Throwing out the American Express bills and ordering three magazines for a chance to win one million dollars, though, might not have been the best plan. He wants to be the wise older brother for Eli, but how do you answer your younger brother’s question about the Easter Bunny? Toby’s biggest problem is his oldest brother, Jake. Jake slips out at night and comes back later and later. He’s dropped off the baseball team to hang out with a known drug dealer. No matter how much Toby cleans up the messes and sprays orange citrus scent, it is not enough to cover over the odor of pot.
Patricia McCormick hits a homerun with My Brother’s Keeper (Hyperion Paperbacks 2005). Baseball and hormones collide in Toby’s life as he struggles to make sense of his family. I found myself laughing out loud at parts. Toby can be quite funny, intentionally or not. At other times my heart ached for him. He felt he had to solve problems by himself that are simply too big for one thirteen-year-old to take on alone. Slowly, Toby realizes that he is not alone and that he can reach out to ask for help.
Sharon Draper may be best know for creating realistic portrayals of teens facing modern problems, but she brings the same power and insight to her work of historical fiction, Copper Sun (Antheneum Books for Young Readers 2006). She brings a dark chapter of history to life, from the interior of Africa to the shores of the Carolina Colony.
Fifteen-year-old Amari basks in the love of her family and neighbors as she looks forward to a rich and joyful life with her beloved Besa. In an instant, all of it is stolen from her when slave traders attack her village, killing the old and young and taking Amari prisoner. She is marched to the coast and held in one of the slave castles before being loaded onto a ship. Having learned about the Middle Passage before, I knew what horrors awaited Amari on the ship. Draper’s vivid description turned my stomach. I can’t imagine the strength of human spirit that enabled people to survive. Many didn’t. Once the ship reaches the Carolina Colony (this is in the 1730’s before there was a United States), Amari is sold to be the birthday present for the plantation master’s son, Clay.
Amari’s strength sustains her through horror after horror, but somehow she keeps hope alive. She does not have to do it alone. People along the way encourage and strengthen her. Afi whispers for her to remain strong through the long journey across the ocean. At the plantation, Teenie, the cook, tells her to remember so that her past and the family ripped from her will not be gone. The most surprising source of friendship, though, comes from Polly. Polly is an indentured servant who joins the plantation at the same time as Amari. At first the girls dislike and distrust each other, but they gradually learn to look past their prejudices. When an unimaginable act of cruelty throws them together with a chance for escape, they must depend on each other to survive.
I though I knew something of this time in history, but I still learned much from reading this book. I thought most slaves fled North to find freedom, but some fled south to the Spanish controlled territory in what is now Florida. That is where Amari and Polly turn. Will they discover that Fort Mose is real or just a dream of old men? Even if it is real, will they be able to reach it without capture or death?
In this country we are still dealing with the ramifications from slavery, but slavery is not just an issue confined to the past. Slavery still exists across the world today, including here in this country. If you want to learn more about slavery from our past and how it affects today, visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. Visit the CNN Freedom Project to learn more about modern slavery and what you can do to help.
Spring break brings long car rides, sunny afternoons on beach, or just lazy days at home. What better way to entertain yourself than with a good book. In addition to reading all your research papers, I plan on taking part in the book-a-day challenge started by some of my teacher friends on Twitter. I have my Kindle loaded and a stack of books ready to take with me. Even if you don’t read a book a day, take time to read something good every day. If you’re not sure what your next great read will be, check out some of these suggestions from your classmates!
The Hunger Games movie comes out the first weekend of break. I may not get to watch it until the end of spring break, but you should definitely find out what all the fuss is about. Will the movie bring Katniss and Gale and Peeta to life? Let these students convince you that the book is worth reading first:
If you can’t get enough real-life drama, these books can supply it.
- Gretchen S recommends November Blues by Sharon Draper.
- Kaitlin D recommends 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
- Sydney S recommends King of the Screw Ups.
- Zach T and Chris F will tell you that Small Steps reveals the story of Armpit; Zach H read Holes by Louis Sachar, which introduces Armpit at Camp Green Lake.
- Adam S recommends Battle Dress by Amy Efaw. The Beast at West Point is pretty tough.
- Allie B recommends Time to Let Go by Lurlene McDaniel.
- Averie M recommends Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson.
- Kristina M and Ashley M loved Identical by Ellen Hopkins. I was surprised by the twist at the end.
- Mikayla A read So B. It, a Young Hoosier Book Award winner from several years ago, by Sarah Weeks
- Cathryn C read Fat Cat by Robin Brande.
- Cheyenne M read Boy 2 Girl by Terence Blacker.
- Hannah E liked Pieces of Georgia by Jennifer Bryant.
- Jacob T read Fat Kid Rules the World by KL Going. I just heard it’s going to be made into a movie.
- Kelsey C read A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks.
- Kristin N read One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones.
- Shelbi W read The Clique by Lisi Harrison.
- Star A read Things Change by Patrick Jones.
- Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my favorite writers. I’m glad some of you enjoy her books, too. Jake H read Twisted. Jasmin J recommends Wintergirls. Brianna C read Speak.
- Seirra M read The Outside of a Horse by Ginny Rorby.
- Chayce H enjoyed Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen, another Young Hoosier nominee this year.
- Heather M read Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret, a Young Hoosier nominee.
Patricia McCormick will visit our class after spring break.
Gae Polisner was an author who visited with 5th period. These students loved her book, The Pull of Gravity.
Sarah Darer Littman visited second period on Tuesday. If you haven’t read Want to Go Private, check out what these students had to say about it. You just might decide you want to read it, too.
If sports is more your thing, you might like these good reads:
If you’re tired of vampires, you might check out some of these fantasy and science fiction novels that include anything from angels to dragons.
- Jeremy A recommends Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.
- Brett R recommends the rest of the series, starting with Eragon.
- Autumn T, Trish S, and Shelbie M recommend Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.
- Brady B recommends His Dark Materials, a trilogy by Phillip Pullman.
- Chantz M recommends I Am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore.
- If you want more of Suzanne Collins, check out what Christian R says about Gregor the Overlander.
- Rick Riordan explores Egyptian mythology in the Kane Chronicles. Check out what Owen L and Nic P have to say.
- Daymond C recommends the last Harry Potter book.
- Ashely S has too many books to choose just one, but you might like all of the ones she mentions.
- Katie D recommends The Unseen and The Unseen 2.
- Tyler B says Dead Space is sure to scare you.
- If it doesn’t, the world of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner trilogy will. Dylan C read The Maze Runner, and Nicholas T finished up with The Death Cure.
- Brittany G read Abandon by Meg Cabot, a modern twist on Greek mythology.
- Where there are vampires, there are vampire slayers. Devan D will tell you about First Kill by Heather Brewer.
- If you want to travel Across the Universe (by Beth Revis) check out what Jake R and Jessica T have to say.
- If you want to travel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (by Jules Verne, Paul D can be your guide to this classic.
- If you prefer ghosts, Karlee S read The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon.
Even television shows are stealing ideas from books. If you enjoy
Pretty Little Liars, check out the books series, too.
Olivia H has convinced me to read them. If you enjoyed the movie
Groundhog Day, you might enjoy another girl stuck repeating the same day in
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.
Kyndyl O can tell you all about it.
If you like books with lots of pictures, check these out:
- Peyton S and Jacob M both laughed all the way through a collection of Calvin and Hobbs.
- Breanna W is dying to get you addicted to Japanese manga such as Death Note.
- Dawn B loves the Fruits Basket manga.
- Deatra H loves Smile by Raina Telgemeier.
- Jason C read The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik.
- Dylan L read Amulet .
Are you looking for action and suspense and adventure? Try these suggestions:
- Jesse H recommends The Enemy by Charlie Higson.
- Caleb S read Storm Runners by Roland Smith.
- Jacob C, MaKayla A, and Kameron L read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
- Skylar C read Code Orange by Caroline B Cooney.
- Chris G recommends the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, especially Point Blank.
- Myranda A recommends Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson.
- A secret evil lurks in This Dark Endeavor. Kyle G can tell you about it.
- Skyler B enjoyed Reckless by Lesley Choyce.
Sometimes books can take you to another time and place, or even change history!
- Rusty R will tell you all about 11-22-63 by Stephen King, and how history might have been different. Do you know what happened on that date?
- Cy M recommends Boy at War by Harry Mazer. If you like it, you will want to read the other two books, too, following Adam through World War II.
- Is it history or is it science fiction? Find out from Aaron S who read Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
- Michelle K loved The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell. Don’t let the history get in the way of the paranormal romance in 1800’s Baltimore!
- Dustin M traveled back to the Civil War in Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen.
- Justin M also visited the Civil war by reading Rifles for Waitie by Harold Keith.
- Wonder what life was like in Vietnam? Jeremy G found out in Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers.
- Even animals were recruited in World War I. Learn about War Horse from Toni H.
These books will make you laugh out loud!
- Stephen S has convinced me to read The Evil Librarians of Alcatraz.
- Destiny T read Scat by Carl Hiaasen. It will make you laugh and provide a mystery.
- Jacob S and Dakota M read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
- Who knew misery could be funny? Jake L knows after reading The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snickett.
- Jessica W and Rocio G found out just what can go wrong with love in Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton.
- Kris L enjoyed Lawn Boy and Lawn Boy Returns by Gary Paulsen.
Sometimes the true stories are the best:
- Bri B read A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer.
- Makayla D read Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton.
- Baylee B read Chevy Classics 55-56-57.
Imagine my excitement when I received an email yesterday from a publicist for Macmillan Audio. She had read my review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer. (Scroll down to read what I think about it!) She wanted to let us know that there is an audio book available. She also sent a clip from the audio book to sample. It’s the very beginning and includes scene where Cinder first meets the prince. Click below to listen.
Cinder_webclip
What do you think?
I love Cinderella stories. I have a collection of picture books of different Cinderella stories from around the world. I loved the novelizations by Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted) and Margaret Peterson Haddix (Just Ella). I think I may have just read my all-time favorite Cinderella story when I finished Cinder (Feiwel and Friends 2012) by Marissa Meyer over the weekend. Here is what I love about it:
- Cinder rocks. She is a cyborg and the best mechanic in New Beijing. It’s her mad mechanical skills that bring the prince to her booth. Not only is she a genius mechanic, she is smart and kind. Rather than worrying about a dress for the ball, she is working on repairing her getaway car. However, being a cyborg makes her a social outcast. Most people view cyborgs as less than human and are more than willing to sacrifice one or two where needed. Somehow, Cinder knows her value and fights to be recognized for it even though she is reluctant to tell the prince her true nature. My favorite part about Cinder, though, is the way her body blends technology. I would love to have a warning light that flashed orange any time someone was lying. Despite her cool technology, Cinder is clueless to the secret that hides within her body. It is a secret some would kill her for.
- Stepmother Adri is wicked and so is the older stepsister Pearl). She fully believes that cyborgs are detestable and only keeps Cinder because she needs the income and services Cinder provides. As her legal guardian, Adri has complete control over Cinder and her money. To get rid of Cinder, she “volunteers” her as a test subject for the research to find a cure for the fatal plague sweeping the Earth. Adri doesn’t care that no cyborgs have ever come back alive. Too bad she doesn’t know that Cinder has a secret that protects her.
- Peony (the younger stepsister) is just lovely. She loves Cinder and offers friendship. Why does she have to be the one to get the plague?
- The doctor conducting the plague research is intriguing. For the longest time I wasn’t sure what to make of him. Was he on Cinder’s side? Could he be trusted? After finishing, I think him very brave and smart, but not perfect. I hope we get to know him more in future books.
- Prince Kai is not only gorgeous, he’s funny. I love how he sneaks out in disguise to the market and keeps trying to get Cinder to accept his invitation to the ball. He also has big problems. He brings his android to Cinder to fix as a matter of national security. His father, the emperor, is dying of the plague. The Lunar Queen is coming in person to make her demands to avoid war with Earth. He does not feel ready to lead his people as emperor, but soon he will have no choice. I’m not sure how he would have reacted if Cinder had told him about her cyborg nature earlier, but maybe he’ll have a chance to make it right in future books.
- An incredibly complex and troubled world provides more than just a backdrop for the story. The letumosis plague is our worst nightmares of swine flu or bird flu pandemics multiplied many times over. The Lunar Queen with her magic (or biochemical) powers is more evil and dangerous than any stepmother. It is her threat that looms over the entire Earth and over Cinder and Kai in particular.
The best news of all? Cinder is just the first four books in The Lunar Chronicles. Now all I have to do is wait for the second, Scarlet.
One of the most exciting things I’ve done with my classes this year is to invite wonderful YA authors to visit. Thanks to the technology of Skype, authors are as close as my computer. Today, second period visited with Sarah Darer Littman. Many of them have read (or are on a waiting list to read) Want to Go Private (my review). If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Get to a library or bookstore now.
Which of her other books do you want me to order for our classroom library?
I am so excited that Patricia McCormick is going to speak via Skype with my seventh period class. Over half of them have read and loved Cut. I loved it, too, when I first read it. Since several of my students have been reading other McCormick books after finishing Cut, I wanted to get in on it, too.
First up is Purple Heart (Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins 2009). Private Matt Duffy wakes up in a hospital in the Green Zone in Baghdad. He is recovering from TBI (traumatic brain injury) after a too-close encounter with an RPG. He can’t remember exactly what happened in the alley, but the bits and pieces of memory that surface in his mind hint that something bad happened. Even though he is questioned about the incident, which left a civilian dead, no one seems too intent on pressing for answers. He works hard to regain his strength and his memory so that he can rejoin his unit, but once he is released from the hospital, he’s not sure if he’s really ready. How can he move past what happened in that alley if he can’t even remember what happened?
What I loved about Purple Heart is how McCormick is able to get inside Matt’s head. As I read, I felt both his strength and vulnerability. He pushes himself to get stronger so he can get back to being a soldier with his unit. He wants to be a soldier they can count on. He wants to know the truth even if the truth is painful. Through Matt’s eyes, we can begin to see the complexity of the war in Iraq, where there is not a visible difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Just as the priest who hears confession in the hospital, McCormick shows us Matt’s story without judgement, only compassion.
This story pairs well with the true account of a soldier, Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson, and the Young Hoosier nominee, Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams. What other stories have you read that deal with war, whether the one in Iraq or other wars?
I know some of you are fans of Tessa Gratton and her first book, Blood Magic. I have some good news for you. The cover for the companion novel, Blood Keeper has been revealed! The only bad news is that we have to wait until August 28, 2012 to get our hands on the entire book. Let’s see, that would be only 162 days from now. While you wait, enjoy the cover:
What do you think? What further secrets will be revealed about the history of those who practice blood magic? Will we see more of Nick and Silla? What are you waiting for? Add this one to your want-to-read list now. Have you put it on your GoodReads shelf? I have.
Monday
ACUITY testing. Yes, it counts as a grade. When you are finished testing, you may read.
Homework: Read. Choose five words for Weekly Word Study.
Tuesday
Read first 15 minutes of class. Finish and print research paper and Works Cited page. The research paper should be double spaced and in a boring size 12 font (like Times New Roman). Your Works Cited page should have the title centered and use a hanging indent for the entries. They should be listed in alphabetical order.
Homework: Read. Complete Weekly Word Study.
Wednesday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. Peer conference on your research paper. Use the rubric to evaluate your partner’s paper.
Homework: Read. Complete Weekly Word Study.
Thursday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. Make revisions and corrections to your research paper based on the feedback from your partner. Print out a new copy if you need to and edit using your Editing Checksheet. Turn in your research paper!
Homework: Read. Weekly Word Study due.
Friday
Read first 15 minutes of class. Blogging: Reflect on the book you are currently reading. Pick several of the sentence starters to write a thoughtful blog post about your book. Remember to include the title and author in your post. Support your opinions with specific details.
Homework: Read.
Something strange is going on in the town of Noble’s Green. It is the safest town on earth, but that is because its children are hiding a secret. Some of the children, anyway, have superpowers. Eric and Mollie can fly. Rohan can hear and see and sense things beyond the normal range. Simon can control electricity. Rose can turn invisible. Louisa can walk through solid objects. Clay is super strong and Bud is super smelly. They keep their town safe while following four rules.
Then Daniel moves to town. Even though is is perfectly ordinary, he discovers their secret. But something is wrong. When each superhero turns thirteen, something saps their powers. They are left without both their powers and their memories. What is stealing their powers–a supervillain? Daniel may be the only one who can sift through the clues found in a World War II comic book, old photographs, and a hidden cave to find the answer before it is too late.
I enjoyed reading Matthew Cody’s Powerless (Scholastic 2009), and I can already think of several students who will love it. It brought back memories of summer afternoons and weekends when my brother and I would entertain ourselves by pretending we were superheroes. The story weaves together a tribute to comic books and Sherlock Holmes. Daniel is a fan of the British detective. He shares Holmes’ attention to detail, and the answer to defeating the evil Shroud comes from the details. I just have one question that never got answered. What happened to Johnny Noble? Why is he hanging around but not helping the children?
If you, too, have ever dreamed of having superpowers, you will enjoy Powerless. You might also like Savvy and Scumbled by Ingrid Law or The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester.
Toby has a passion and a big problem. His passion is baseball. He works part time for Mr. D. so he can earn money to buy baseball cards, especially players for his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. He even makes his high school baseball team as a backup catcher. Not too bad for a freshman brainiac who is a year younger than his classmates. The cute girl on the softball team even smiles at him. Now if he could just get through Nurse Wesley’s classes on human sexuality without dying of embarrassment, school would definitely be looking up.
