Friend Friday #114 (The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom)...

Hi!  I’m Shannon and I’m read the book called, The Kitchen House written by Kathleen Grissom.

I think this book is intense, intimate and interesting because of the tie it makes to history and a deep story line that captures you from the very beginning.    

My favorite part in the story is the relationship between Lavinia and her “adopted” family and how it ebbs and flows throughout the book!  It made me feel as if I were right there with her experiencing the love and the loss, the ups and the downs, and the joys and sorrows. 

The character that I liked best was Mama because I really felt like she held the family together with her determination and love.  I respected her for her values and worth ethic and her ability to inspire others. 

I think the author wrote this book because she was interested in the history of the use of slaves on farms and plantations in the late 1700’s.  I think she wanted to write a novel that depicted the emotions around the history. 

I would recommend this book to my friends because it’s captivating, emotional and thought provoking. 

Reading to me is a way to unwind and relax.  I love the feeling of being lost in a book and unable to put it down.  I’m almost always disappointed when a book ends because I have immersed myself so deeply in the plot!  

*Shannon is a dear friend.  She and I taught together for many years.  Her family has since moved to Colorado.  It has been so satisfying to share book titles with her, have her read them, and love them as much as I do.  This is a favorite for Shannon and myself.    

 

Trailer Thursday #114 (Halloween Edition)...

Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld (Picture Book)

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete

 by Mick Bogerman (Middle-Grade Novel)

Nightmares (Stay Awake) by Jason Segel and Kristen Miller 

(Middle-Grade Novel)

Nightmares (The Haunted House) 

by Jason Segel and Kristen Miller 

(Middle-Grade Novel)

Nightmares (Strange Dreams) 

by Jason Segel and Kristen Miller 

(Middle-Grade Novel)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Middle-Grade Novel)

Life Lesson #7 - Be Spooky (Halloween)...

"Be Spooky"

*This week's lesson was all about having fun and celebrating Halloween!

*One of my goals is to help my students reach their full potential.  

*Each Thursday I feature a different video with a "life lesson" in it.  

*After viewing the video once or twice, we chat a bit about it as a group.

*I then have the writers record their thoughts in their writer's notebooks.

*They can write their thoughts, reactions, connections, wonderings, learnings, or whatever is on their mind regarding the video.

*Encouragement is also given to reflect on the "message" of the clip.

*After about 5-10 minutes of writing, we listen to a few of the students share what they wrote.

*It is my hope that through these "life lessons", my students can become the best young people they can be.

Life Lessons (2015-2016)...

Lesson #1 - Be Courageous 

Lesson #2 - Be Kind
Lesson #3 - Be Courageous (part two)
Lesson #4 - Be Motivated
Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully
Lesson #6 - Be Inspired  

Picture Wednesday #8 (Home Sweet Home)...

"Home Sweet Home"

*We are celebrating Halloween this week so I thought this would be the perfect photo to use.  

*Each Wednesday we write in our writer's notebooks about a particular image.

*They can record their thoughts, reactions, connections, likes/dislikes, reminders, noticings, or anything else they would like.  

*Some of the writers choose to write a fiction story based on the picture.

*We write between five and ten minutes and then do a quick share at the end.  

*The photos always lead to lots of conversation and the sharing of ideas.  I try to get them to write first and then we can share what we wrote and what we were thinking.

*The writers are really enjoying writing about these photographs. 

Wonder Wednesday #114 (Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley)...

Wonder Wednesday - Class Read Aloud Number One

*One of the biggest decisions I make at the start-up of a school year is what novel will be the first read aloud of the year.

*This is no easy task.  I want to pick the perfect story to hook my listeners into the magic of our read aloud time.

*After reading this novel over the summer, I was certain I would kick off the school year with the magical story of Micah, Grandpa Ephraim, and Circus Mirandus.


*Once we finish the read aloud, my students fill out a reflection sheet.  I want them to record their thoughts about the story.  These reflection sheets are kept and compiled into a "booklet" at the end of the year.

*The booklet makes for a wonderful keep-sake of the stories we shared throughout the school year.

***WARNING:  There are a few spoilers included here!

*Here are a few thoughts that my listeners had...

I thought this book was…

*Good because it was an adventure and there was a secret throughout the book.  

*Great because it talks about a boy who goes out to the circus to save his grandfather.  

*Sad and happy because Micah was going through a lot of emotional stuff, but then at the end he got a miracle.  


I liked it when…

*Micah went to Circus Mirandus because this circus had a lot magic in it.  

*Grandpa Ephraim was feeling better because Micah got to have fun with him.
*Micah was flying with a gorilla balloon because it was an exciting part of the story.  

My favorite character was…

*Jenny because was so nice, sweet, and helpful to Micah.  
*Girdy (Aunt Gertrudis) because when she was young she liked magic and was happy.  

*The Light Bender because he saved Micah from living with the evil aunt.  


My favorite part in the story was…

*When Micah meets the Light Bender because he wanted Grandpa to be cured.   
*When Micah got to live with the Light Bender because it had me happy because Micah would have been very sad living with Aunt Gertrudis.  
*When Micah flew up with the huge gorilla balloon because I could imagine him flying up in the sky.  

It was interesting when…

*Micah fell from the balloon because the strong man caught him during the Light Bender's show.    
*We found out that making Grandpa Ephraim feel better wasn't the miracle because I really thought that was always the miracle.   
*Rosebud called the characters "Ducklings" because it was funny and strange.  

I was frustrated when…

*Micah was thrown out of his house by the aunt because he had to sleep in his tree house.  
*The Aunt kept trying to grab the lace rope because Micah liked it because it was a memory of Grandpa Ephraim.  

*Victoria let Girdy fall of the roof because she should have caught her.  She was so mean!  

I give this book _____ stars!  

5 STARS =  15 Students
4 STARS =  8 Students
3 STARS =  1 Students
2 STARS =  0 Student
1 STAR =  0 Students  

Treat Tuesday #114 (Cookies and Cream Cookies)...

Treat Tuesday - Cookies and Cream Cookies

*Desserts are my downfall and I'm sure you know that if you follow this blog at all.

*I do not cook, but I have been know to bake from time to time.  I even have my very own "secret" cookie recipe.  Yes, it has been posted here from time to time.

*Saw this recipe and knew I had to give it a whirl.  Delicious!

Ingredients...

• 2¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 (4.2 ounce) package Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix (do not make according to package directions - you just need the dry pudding mix)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 15 Oreo cookies, very coarsely chopped

Instructions...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together and then add pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until cookies tops barely have a touch of brown (do not over bake).

Recipe from this Site

Treat Tuesday:  Middle-Grade Novel

Larger-Than-Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall

Treat Tuesday:  Adult Novel

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

Music Monday #7: Thriller by Michael Jackson...

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson

*This was our seventh Monday where we featured a musical selection.

*Each Monday I highlight a piece of music to share with my writers.  

*We begin with showing a video that goes along with the musical selection.

*The class will watch the video between 1-2 times.

*After the second viewing, the writers begin to record their thoughts in the notebooks.

*As they write, I play the music in the background (minus the video).

*My fourth graders can record their thoughts, ideas, connections, likes/dislikes, or reactions to the song.  They can also write about the message of the song.  

*I have my students write between 5-10 minutes.  At the end of our writing time, I see if a few of the writers would like to share what they wrote.  

*I always like to pick this musical selection to share during Halloween week.

*It amazed me how many of my 4th graders already knew the song and artist.

Music Monday Selections (2015-2016)…

Week #1:  What I Am by will.i.am
Week #2:  Proud by Heather Small
Week #3:  Dreamer by Chris Brown
Week #4:  Live Like a Warrior by Matisyahu
Week #5:  Sunshine by Matisyahu
Week #6:  Better When I'm Dancin' by Megan Trainor

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (10/26/15)...

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

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Books I Read this Past Week… 

The Bone Tree by Greg Iles

*My audio book

My Book Review







Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week… 



The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

*My adult novel

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

*My young-adult novel

Milo Speak, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban

*My middle-grade novel

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

*My adult novel

*Listening to this on audio

The Bone Tree by Greg Iles...

How I Heard About It:     My BBC (Boy's Book Club) read Natchez Burning last year.  That was the first book in this trilogy.  We were suppose to read this title over the summer, but I never got to it.  It was a busy summer and this is a BIG novel.  I decided to listen to the story via audio.  It was like 35 hours of listening, but I do have over an hour drive each day.

What It Is About:  It is not easy to describe this story.  There was a lot that happened.  It took off right where the first book ended.  Penn Cage is on the track of the "bad" guys that have caused so many problems.  His father is still on the run from the law and trying to make the best of a really bad situation.  Penn's girlfriend Caitlyn is trying desperately to find the "Bone Tree.  All of these characters are tied to the crimes in the southern United States and to the assassination of President Kennedy.  Many of the secrets from book number one are revealed in this installments, but of course many more are developed which leaves the reader wanting to figure them out.  Being a massive book, there is so much that goes on in this story that it isn't easy to summarize.

What I Thought Of It:  I enjoyed book number one and was curious to see what was going to happen during the second part.  Having not enough time to get to it during the summer, I took the easy way out and listened to the story via audio this fall.  It was hours and hours of story.  The story was a bit slow to begin with, but once it got started things began to really roll along.  Iles is quite the detailed writer so you have to be ready for that.  He sure can weave an intricate story.  I like how the story is fiction with many "real life" events interwoven throughout the story.  I must admit the story got a bit long for me at the end and I was ready to move onto a new audio book.

Who Should Read It:  If you enjoy a detailed mystery type story, then this is the book for you.  Of course you have to have read the first book in this trilogy.  The story is long, but avid readers will be able to handle it with no problem.  Readers of historical events will also find this to be a great read because of all the references to the Kennedy assassination.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi…

How I Heard About It:  I either received an ARC of this or found it while browsing on Net Galley.  The title and cover grabbed my attention.  After reading the "book blurb" I thought it sounded like an intriguing story.  

What It Is About:  Ryden is a teenage father.  He is living with his mother and doesn't know his father.  After dating Meg for short time she became pregnant while fighting a battle with cancer.  All she wanted was to have the baby no matter the consequences.  After giving birth to Hope she loses the battle and passes away.  This leaves Ryden alone with a newborn baby.  Meg's family wants nothing to do with him which makes life all the more difficult.  Ryden is a star soccer player hoping to get a scholarship to college.  Ryden and Hope are living with his mother, he is working at the local grocery store, going to classes, and trying to make the most of his senior year on the soccer team.  He learns that it is quite difficult to manage of all these.  When Meg's sister finds one of three journals that she kept, Ryden feels like she is leaving a message for him.  He is bound and determined to find out what she is trying to tell him.  While trying to figure out his future as a high school father, he begins a "relationship" with Toni who is a co-worker at the grocery store.  He battles whether to tell her the entire truth or keep certain aspects from here.

What I Thought Of It:  This was a great read and I really enjoyed it.  I liked how the "father" was left with the baby instead of the mother.  It gave it a different twist.  Ryden was an awesome character and the author did a wonderful job of representing him in a real way.  He was a great guy, but also a typical teenage guy that didn't necessarily want the responsibility of being a father.  The supporting characters added so much to the overall story.  One of the strongest relationships between characters was with Ryden and Toni.  The mystery of the journals also brought an intriguing mystery to the entire story.  This was an easy read with a great story.

Who Should Read It:  This would be a sure-fire hit with teenage readers.  There are many aspects of the story that young adult readers could relate to.  It is also a fascinating story that will drawn the reader in.  Adult readers that enjoy young adult reads, will find this a pleasing read.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

Friend Friday #113 (Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg)...

Hi!  I’m Makiya and I’m reading the book called Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie written by Julie Sternberg.

I think this book is awesome because I like pickles and I like cookies and both of these were in the story.  

My favorite part in the story is when she writes a letter to her babysitter because I also like to write letters (emails) to people.  

The character that I liked best is Eleanor because she was very smart and clever.  I think it is great when people are smart and it was fun to read how clever she was.  

I think the author wrote this book because she might have been sharing a part of her life when she was a kid.  

I would recommend this book to my friends because it is a really good book and there are two more in the series to read.  

Reading to me is wonderful because I love to read books a lot and read about different people.  


*Makiya is a fourth grader in my class.  She LOVES to read!

*In the beginning of the school year she saw this book on our shelf and picked it as one of her first reads.  As soon as she was done, she began another one in the series.  

*I love when this happens.  It is a sure sign of a great story.  

*To me this is the perfect set of  books for readers in fourth grade.  

Trailer Thursday #113 (Linda Urban Novels)...

Milo Speck, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

The Center of Everything by Linda Urban

Life Lesson #6 (Be Inspired)...

"Be Inspired"

*One of my goals is to help my students reach their full potential.  

*Each Thursday I feature a different video with a "life lesson" in it.  

*After viewing the video once or twice, we chat a bit about it as a group.

*I then have the writers record their thoughts in their writer's notebooks.

*They can write their thoughts, reactions, connections, wonderings, learnings, or whatever is on their mind regarding the video.

*Encouragement is also given to reflect on the "message" of the clip.

*After about 5-10 minutes of writing, we listen to a few of the students share what they wrote.

*It is my hope that through these "life lessons", my students can become the best young people they can be.

Life Lessons (2015-2016)...

Lesson #1 - Be Courageous 

Lesson #2 - Be Kind
Lesson #3 - Be Courageous (part two)
Lesson #4 - Be Motivated
Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully

Wonder Wednesday #113 (Powerful Article)...

 Why kids still need ‘real books’ to read — 

and time in school to enjoy them

*A co-worker of mine sent me this article via email.  

*She said she thought of me when she read it.  

*I was fascinated by the article and what it had to say.  I so agree with everything that was written, stated, and discussed in the text.  

*I've posted the link to the article here and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  

Washington Post Article

Picture Wednesday #7 (Unity Day)...

"Unity Day - Kids Against Bullying"

*Today our school had their first school "spirit" day.

  *We celebrated Unity Day and our push for "Kids Against Bullying."  

*The students and staff were invited to wear ORANGE to show their unity.  Anti-Bullying videos were shown during lunch and all of our students were invited to sign our pledge.    

*For our writer's notebook today I wanted to tie in this celebration with our writing so I shared these three photos.  

*Each Wednesday we write in our writer's notebooks about a particular image.

*They can record their thoughts, reactions, connections, likes/dislikes, reminders, noticings, or anything else they would like.  

*Some of the writers choose to write a fiction story based on the picture.

*We write between five and ten minutes and then do a quick share at the end.  

*The photos always lead to lots of conversation and the sharing of ideas.  I try to get them to write first and then we can share what we wrote and what we were thinking.

*The writers are really enjoying writing about these photographs. 

Treat Tuesday #113 (Porcupine Meatballs)...

Treat Tuesday:  Porcupine Meatballs

*My daughter Kate was home for fall break from the University of Nebraska.

*We had the big Husker/Gopher game this past Saturday.

*After two years of losing to the Gophers, the Huskers pulled out a WIN!

*We had a great weekend with our daughter and enjoyed spoiling her.

*My wife Kris loves to cook and always wants to make the kids favorites when they are home.

*One of the dinners Kate requested was this one.  It is a family favorite.

*I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do.





Ingredients…

1.  One pound hamburger
2.  One onion, chopped
3.  Two slices of bread, crumbled
4.  Two cans tomato soup
5.  Two cans of water
6.  1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
7.  One egg
8.  Salt and pepper

Directions…

-Mix hamburger, rice, onion, egg, bread crumbs and seasonings.

-Shape into small balls.

-Mix the soup and water together and pour over the balls.

-Bake covered at 350 for one hour and 45 minutes or until the rice is done.


Treat Tuesday:  Middle-Grade Novel

Milo Speck, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban








Treat Tuesday:  Young-Adult Novel

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (10/19/15)...

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

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Books I Read this Past Week… 

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

*4 STARS out of 5 Stars!

The Jam Doughnut That Ruined My Life by Mark Lowery

*4 STARS out of 5 Stars!

My Book Review

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

*5 STARS out of 5 Stars!

My Book Review






Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week… 

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

*My adult novel

The Bone Tree by Greg Iles

*My audio book

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

*My young-adult novel

Milo Speak, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban

*My middle-grade novel

Music Monday #6 (Better When I'm Dancin' by Megan Trainor)...

Better When I'm Dancin' by Megan Trainor

*This was our sixth Monday where we featured a musical selection.

*Each Monday I highlight a piece of music to share with my writers.  

*We begin with showing a video that goes along with the musical selection.

*The class will watch the video between 1-2 times.

*After the second viewing, the writers begin to record their thoughts in the notebooks.

*As they write, I play the music in the background (minus the video).

*My fourth graders can record their thoughts, ideas, connections, likes/dislikes, or reactions to the song.  They can also write about the message of the song.  

*I have my students write between 5-10 minutes.  At the end of our writing time, I see if a few of the writers would like to share what they wrote.  

*Based on history, Music Monday becomes one of the most popular days of our writing week!

Music Monday Selections (2015-2016)…

Week #1:  What I Am by will.i.am
Week #2:  Proud by Heather Small
Week #3:  Dreamer by Chris Brown
Week #4:  Live Like a Warrior by Matisyahu
Week #5:  Sunshine by Matisyahu