Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Wonder Wednesday #248 (Breakfast with Books)

Wonder Wednesday - Breakfast with Books #THREE

*We had our third "Breakfast with Books" on Friday, December 14th.

*I hosted Melissa Savage last year for the first time and we had a blast talking all things Lemons.  When I contacted her this year, I found out she and her family had moved.

*Melissa was kind enough to agree to a Skype visit with my book clubbers.

*The readers came up with comments and questions to share with the author.

*We gathered in our classroom before school.  The children brought breakfast "treats", their books, and thoughts about this incredible middle-grade novel.

*Everyone had a wonderful time and enjoyed talking with Melissa about her story, characters, and life as a writer.

*Thank you Melissa Savage for giving us Lemons and we look forward to reading more thought-provoking and heart-warming stories that you write in the future.


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Monday, January 7, 2019

An Inside Look #72 (Author Interview)

Inside Look with Dan Gemeinhart
(Author The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise)

*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to the blog which was called "Season #ONE".  This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.  

*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017.  It was great to get back to Season #TWO.  This season ran throughout the summer.  

*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017/2018.  
*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018.  With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.  

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the FIRST interview of what I'm calling Season #FIVE.

*Thank you to Dan Gemeinhart for being the Seventy-Second author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first Seventy-One interviews…

SEASON #ONE

























SEASON #FOUR

Interview #53 with Preston Norton (Author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe)

Interview #54 with Jonathan Auxier (Author of Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster)

Interview #55 with Sharon Creech (Author of Saving Winslow)

Interview #56 with Stacy McAnulty (Author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl)

Interview #57 with Kelly Yang (Author of Front Desk)

Interview #58 with Jennifer A. Nielsen (Author of Resistance)

Interview 59 with Christina Collins (Author of After Zero)

Interview #60 with Eric Walters (Author of Elephant Secrets)

Interview #61 with Phil Bildner (Author of The Rip and Red Series)

Interview #62 with Erin Soderberg (Author of Milla in Charge)

Interview #63 with Laura Shovan (Author of Take Down)

Interview #64 with Donna Gephart (Author of In Your Shoes)

Interview #65 with Alan Gratz (Author of Grenade)

Interview #66 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Wonderland)

Interview #67 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Just Like Jackie)

Interview #68 with Katherine Marsh (Author of Nowhere Boy)

Interview #69 with Dusti Bowling (Author of 24 Hours in Nowhere)

Interview #70 with Christina Uss (Author of The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle)

Interview #71 with Adam P. Schmitt (Author of Speechless)


*Not to play favorites, but I must say that Dan's novels are some of my favorite middle-grade stories I've read.  I was thrilled to receive an ARC of his latest work of fiction.  To me, it is his best and most emotional story written.  I devoured the story and felt quite a range of emotions.  

*Dan was kind, gracious, and giving with his answers to the questions.  It is an honor to post his responses here on the blog.  

*Here is a link to my review of the book...

*Thank you Dan Gemeinhart for writing this book...
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
by Dan Gemeinhart (January 8, 2019)


How did you come to know Coyote?
Boy, I wish I could give a good answer to that question, but it’s a delightful mystery to me. Sometimes you have to work really hard to “find” your character, to get to know them inside and out - but Coyote was real and alive to me from the first line. Her voice was always ready to start talking, and I never had to decide what she would do or how she would react. I laughed out loud a lot when I was writing this book, surprised by something funny that Coyote “said.” Honestly, having been done with the story for awhile now, I really miss her. If I ever write a sequel (and I’m thinking about it!), it’ll be at least partly just so I can spend more time with this amazing girl!
What do you think is Coyote's most admirable quality?
I think Coyote’s most admirable quality is her empathy. She pays attention to other people, she sees what they want and what they need, and she tries to help them. She truly wants to be a good friend, a good daughter, a good person, and she tries to do that by caring about and helping the people around her.
Is there anything you wish Coyote would have changed or done differently in her story?
Yes! As kind of the flipside of her admirable quality from the previous question, she sometimes cares too much about what other people want and need, especially her dad, and doesn’t fight enough for the things that she needs. She finally figures this out by the end, though, and I was cheering out loud for her when she finally started sticking up for herself.
What do you think Coyote can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?  
I think that, by the end of this story, what Coyote has discovered or achieved is a kind of balance. So, her and her dad are still struggling with the deaths of her mom and two sisters five years ago. That drives all their actions and choices, sometimes in destructive ways. Healing from profound loss and grief like that is so hard. I hope that what struggling kids could see in this story is the balance she finds: that it is okay and important to let yourself be sad and to cry but it can also be okay to deal with your feelings in your own way, that you can care for other hurting people in your life while also caring about yourself, that you can hold on to the past and to important memories while still allowing yourself to move on and keep living.
How did you research Coyote and the circumstances she found himself in?
This whole story came out of a dark daydream I had one night when I was home alone with my middle daughter (I have three daughters, just like Coyote’s family). I thought: what would me and my daughter do if something awful happened to the rest of our family on their way home? How would we hold ourselves and our lives together? How could we move on together, after a loss like that? So, emotionally, I just drilled deep into the daydream until it felt real to me...and, yeah, I did lots of ugly crying just thinking about it. So, all the emotional and familial stuff in the story, even though it’s fiction, came from a very true and authentic place. It was a tough, harrowing story to write in a lot of ways...but so rewarding and fulfilling when it was all done.
Do you and Coyote share any similarities?
She’s a much bolder, better person than I am! :)  We both love our families, though, and we both love books (which play an important part in Coyote’s life and in this story), and we both love traveling, and we both love food (which also plays an important part in the story). I think Coyote and I would make fantastic road trip buddies.
What was the hardest scene to write about coyote?
Oh, the flashbacks. When Coyote remembers her mom and her sisters, and remembers losing them. For the story, I used actual memories and events from my family’s life, and in the rough draft I even used our actual names, so it felt like writing about losing my own wife and daughters. Honestly, I was kind of a wreck.
Who do you think was Coyote's biggest supporter and why?
Tough question! When the story starts, the only person in Coyote’s life is her dad - and he’s a mess. He loves her more than life itself, but he’s too heartbroken and haunted to see what she wants and to be the father that she desperately needs. He doesn’t know it, but he’s incredibly selfish. So...not a big supporter. Along the way, though, she makes some new friends - including a boy her own age, Salvador. They bond, quickly and truly, and I think he definitely becomes her biggest supporter. I absolutely love their friendship.
Why do you think some adults “run” from their grief while young people, such as Coyote, seem to deal with it head on?
Quick answer: because running is easier! It’s almost always easier - or feels easier, anyway - to avoid a problem (or pretend there isn’t one) than to deal with it head-on. Coyote goes along with the denial for years - her transformation in this story is realizing that she’s done running, that she wants to grieve and cry and hurt, because she lost something huge and important and she needs to grieve and cry and hurt. I think young people are truer in a lot of ways, more in line with their own feelings and needs, than adults are.
What do you think Coyote is doing at the present time?  
Oh, that girl. I don’t have a good specific answer to that question, but I do know this: she’s no longer running from a past, she’s journeying toward a future. She’s looking for a home and a life that works, and she’s doing it with her mom and her sisters right there in her heart where they belong. And she’s almost certainly reading a book, and petting her cat Ivan, and thinking about what she wants to eat for lunch. And, right now, she’s whispering in my ear, “Hey! You ready for a sequel yet, man, or what?”
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (1/7/19)



Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to the site...
                

Books I Read this Past Week…


 After the Fire by Will Hill

*Young-Adult Novel (3.5 Stars out of 5 Stars)

The Great Jeff by Tony Abbott

*Middle-Grade Novel (4 Stars out of 5 Stars)




Sadie by Courtney Summers

*Young-Adult Novel (4 Stars out of 5 Stars)

 The Prophet Calls by Melanie Sumrow

 *Middle-Grade Novel (4 Stars out of 5 Stars)

 Friend or Fiction by Abby Cooper

*Middle-Grade Novel (5 Stars out of 5 Stars)

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

 *Middle-Grade Novel (5 Stars out of 5 Stars) 









Sweeping Up The Heart by Kevin Henkes

*Middle-Grade Novel (5 STARS out of 5 Stars)







Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week…



The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskers

*My Novel Published for Adults

Game Changer!  by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp

*My Professional Reading
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Sunday, January 6, 2019

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

How I Heard About It:   After chatting with a representative from Harper Collins during #NCTE18, she handed me a copy of this upcoming novel.  She spoke highly of it.  I had read The Someday Suitcase which I enjoyed so I was excited to read another story by Corey Ann Haydu.  This novel will be out in the world in February of 2019.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Elodee and Naomi are twins living with their parents and recovering from a family "tragedy".

 2.  *When their mother receives a new job, they all see this as a chance to change things for the better.  They leave everything behind and move to "Eventown".  

 3.  *The family is thrilled when they arrive in Eventown and find that everything is absolutely "perfect".  At first Elodee enjoys this "perfectness", but then begins to notice that not everything is as it seems.

 4.  *Each new member of the community goes through a process at the Welcoming Center.  Naomi is the first to finish the "welcoming", but when Elodee begins her turn, it is interrupted and she never finishes.  

5.  *While everyone in Eventown seems to be perfect and has no recollection of their past, Elodee can't seem to forget everything and has many questions and concerns about life in Eventown.  


What I Thought Of It:  Amazing, captivating, intriguing.  Those are three words I could use to begin to describe this story.  As soon as I began, I was drawn into Elodee's world.  Elodee and her family were trying to move on from their past, and the author did a tremendous job of creating a mystery about what they were "running" from.  The ways, traditions, and culture of Eventown were central to the story.  I walked side by side with Elodee as she began to notice some the strange happenings that were going on in her new town.  There were times when I couldn't turn the page fast enough because I wanted to find out what would happen next.  


Who Should Read It:   At 326 pages long, I think this novel would be best suited for readers in grades five and/or six.  The older reader will be able to take in, comprehend, and appreciate all that is truly going on in the town of Eventown.  Of course middle-school readers would be a strong and great audience for his story.  I also think the book could be used as a read aloud in grades four, five, and six.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Sweeping Up The Heart by Kevin Henkes

How I Heard About It:   I picked up an ARC of this upcoming novel due out in March of 2019.  I always includes Henkes picture books in my classroom and it has been exciting to include his novels as well.  
What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Spring break has arrived and Amelia has her heart set on going to Florida with her father.  He on the other hand, has other plans.  Staying home.

 2.  *Since Amelia will be staying put, she has to fill her time some way.  She has a passion for art; especially creating clay figures.  She visits the local art studio where she meets a new boy named Casey.  

 3.  *She isn't sure about forming a friendship with a boy, but decides to give it a shot.  They both have an interest in art and share their creativity with each other.  

 4.  *Amelia is surprised when Casey states that he has seen the "spirit" of her mother who passed away ten years earlier.  

 5.  *Amelia begins a journey in which she tries to put the pieces together of this women who has appeared in her life and what that means for herself, her father, and her life.  


What I Thought Of It:  I was immediately drawn into the story and Amelia's spring break week.  I could just imagine the exchange between Amelia and her father about spring break plans.  All children would want to spend a week in Florida as opposed to staying home.  The scenes where she spent time at the art studio were some of my favorite.  I loved the interactions she had with Casey and his aunt.  While the plot may have centered around Amelia, her father, and a mystery woman; I also think Casey's story about his parents was just as important.  I'm a "puddle" for a genuine friendship between a girl and a boy and Henkes outdid himself.  The writing was beautiful.  The characters were  authentic and well-developed.  The plot pulled a punch in a short amount of pages.  
Who Should Read It:   As I was reading, I kept thinking what a wonderful class read aloud this book would make.  I have added it to my list of possible read alouds for this year.  Individual readers in grades three, four, five, and/or six would be appropriate for the novel.  I also think it makes for a satisfying read for adult readers.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Friend or Fiction by Abby Cooper


How I Heard About It:   I have had the privilege of getting to know Abby over the last several years.  She has made many classroom visits to talk with my students about her novels Sticks and Stones and Bubbles.  During one visit, she left my class with an arc of Bubbles.  We were the first group of students to get to read/listen to that story.  Abby's new novel will hit bookstores in October of 2019.  Abby was kind enough to share an ARC of the book.  I just finished and plan on sharing it with my students during January. 





 What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Jade lives in a small town in Colorado.  Many of the students at her school come and go quickly which makes it difficult to make long-standing friendships.  

 2.  *Jade has tried to establish friendships, but for various reasons they haven't worked out.  She decides to find friendship through her pen and paper.  

 3.  *With encouragement from a teacher, Jade has begun writing in a special notebook.  It is in this notebook that she creates a cast of characters and stories.  Jade enjoys sharing these stories with her father who is dealing with health issues.  

 4.  *A boy in Jade's class, Clue, has his own family health concerns.  He doesn't share this part of his life with Jade.  He spends a lot of time observing Jade writing in her notebook.  

 5.  Clue takes the notebook and brings it to a "magical" body of water.  It is here that he is able to bring Jade's "fictional" character Zoe to life in order to try out a "theory" for both Jade and himself.  


What I Thought Of It:  I remember reading Sticks and Stones and devouring it in a sitting or two.  The same thing happened when I read Bubbles.  It was exciting to learn that Abby was going to be coming out with a third novel.  Abby hand delivered an ARC and I got to reading as soon as I got home.  As soon as I began, I could tell it was going to be a top-notch story.  I sometimes worry that authors won't be able to continue to write stellar stories like their first ones.  That is not the case with Abby.  I actually think this novel might be the best one yet.  I really enjoyed the character of Jade.  She is relatable, real, and authentic.  There were so many wonderful and thought-provoking life lessons woven throughout the story.  Abby included some important and thoughtful supporting characters that rounded out the story.  Two of my favorites were her teacher Ms. Yang and her friend Clue.  I'm looking forward to sharing this story with my fourth grade class after the holiday break.  


Who Should Read It:   Abby's books are perfect for a class read aloud.  Kids love the way she weaves reality and fantasy together.  Of course her novels are also perfect to put in the hands of individual readers.  This particular story would be appropriate for readers in grades three through six. Of course it could also be given to middle-school readers.  I highly recommend it for any and all readers.  It is a strong story with great characters along with a page-turning plot.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!

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