My Read Aloud List

We all know how important it is for our students to read great literature and we also know how important it is for them to hear it being read, too.

Each year I am in search of new chapter books to read to my students.  I have my favorites but even after several years of reading them, I am ready for a change. 

Last year I had a goal to read to my students for a minimum of 15 minutes each day.  On most days I was successful, but that wasn’t good enough.  This year I am going to put it in my daily schedule.  I have an awkward 20 minutes after lunch before my students go to Specials that would be a perfect spot for read alouds.  I plan to read for 15 minutes and that leaves them 5 minutes to use the restroom and prepare to go to that day's Special. 

I made it through 6 books last year, so with a more consistent reading time I hope to make it through 8 this year.  Here are the books on my list.

What do you think about my book list?  Are there ones listed that didn’t go over well in your classrooms?  Did any of them go really well?

I will begin with Because of Mr. Terupt, which is not listed in the books above and hope to end the year with Rump - The True Story of Rumplestiltskin.  The Color of My Words will be read during writing workshop

I have class copies of The One and Only Ivan, The Bridge to Terabithia, Because of Winn Dixie, and Bud, Not Buddy.  While I am reading them the students will be able to hold their own copies.  My students and I will be listening to Bud, Not Buddy being read from a CD. 

You can read the overviews about the books below.  (The overviews are from Amazon.)

Because of Mr. Terupt

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
 
Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

Among the Hidden

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke, an illegal third child, has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm in this start to the Shadow Children series from Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Series

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

The Great Unexpected

Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.

Young Naomi Deane is brimming with curiosity and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. She knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. Just like that. A strangely charming Finn boy. And then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy—and soon Naomi and Lizzie find their lives changed forever.

As two worlds are woven together, Creech reveals that hearts can be mended and that there is indeed a gossamer thread that connects us all.

Because of Winn Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, 10-year-old Opal learns 10 things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends among the somewhat unusual residents of her new hometown, Naomi, Florida. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to find her place in the world and let go of some of the sadness left by her mother's abandonment seven years earlier.

With her newly adopted, goofy pooch at her side, Opal explores her bittersweet world and learns to listen to other people's lives. This warm and winning book hosts an unforgettable cast of characters, including a librarian who fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace, an ex-con pet-store clerk who plays sweet music to his animal charges, and the neighborhood "witch," a nearly blind woman who sees with her heart. Opal brings her own unique and wonderful voice to a story of friendship, loneliness, and acceptance. Opal's down-home charm and dead-on honesty will earn her friends and fans far beyond the confines of Naomi, Florida.

The One and Only Ivan

Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller, this stirring and unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.

Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

The Color of My Words

Twelve-year-old Ana Rosa is a blossoming writer growing up in the Dominican Republic, a country where words are feared. Yet there is so much inspiration all around her -- watching her brother search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be part of a community -- that Ana Rosa must write it all down. As she struggles to find her own voice and a way to make it heard, Ana Rosa realizes the power of her words to transform the world around her -- and to transcend the most unthinkable of tragedies.

The Bridge to Terabithia

Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie's house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.

Bud, Not Buddy

In Flint, Michigan at the height of the Great Depression, Bud is on his own with his suitcase full of memories. After being placed and subsequently mistreated, once again in foster care, he has decided that he has had enough of the system and takes his future into his own hands. His late momma may never have told him who his father is, but she left flyers advertising the famous musician, Herman E. Calloway, and Bud sets off on a quest to find him. His journey brings him into contact with the harsh realities and struggles of the time, but Bud refuses to give in. His perseverance and positive attitude when he has no one but himself to believe in will have readers young and old rooting for him, as he seeks out knowledge, love, and a sense of belonging in a world that seems to have abandoned him. A perfect companion for any middle school history class or a stand-alone novel, Bud’s adventure is and will continue to be a classic for generations to come.

I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts on my read aloud list.  What’s on your list for this year?

Until next time,

Hope and Dreams

Students return to my school on Monday, August 26^th and one of many things I do with them the first week of school is help them to develop their hopes and dreams for the school year.

Yesterday, I spent time in my classroom library selecting the books that have characters that are working on making their hopes and dreams come true.

During the first week of school, I am going to read the following five books. 

Brave Irene 
By William Steig 


Despite a raging snowstorm, Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, offers to deliver the duchess' newly finished ball gown . . . With sure writing and well-composed, riveting art, Steig keeps readers with Irene every step of the long way.

 

 

 

More Than Anything Else    By Marie Bradby and Chris K. Soentpiet  

Nine-year-old Booker works with his father and brother at the saltworks but dreams of the day when he'll be able to read.

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Rumphius   By Barbara Cooney  

Alice Rumphius wanted to travel the world when she grew up, and then to live by the sea–just as her grandfather had done. But there is one more thing, he tells her: she must do something to make the world more beautiful. Young Alice does not yet know what that will be.

Tar Beach   By Faith Ringgold  

Inspired by people who have overcome adversity, Faith Ringgold creates picture books for children that celebrate freedom, courage, and peace. In Tar Beach, through her dreams and her ability to fly, Cassie makes things better for her family during the Great Depression. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem.

Uncle Jed'sBarbershop   By Margaree King Mitchell and James Ransome

Sarah Jean's Uncle Jed, the only black barber in the county, overcomes many setbacks, including the Great Depression of the 1930's, as he works to save enough money to open his own barber shop.

 

 

At the end of the week, I will have my students write their hopes and dreams for the school year.  They will also set goals for the first quarter of school.  At the end of each quarter they will write a reflection of that quarter’s goals and write their new goals for the next quarter.

I am always on the lookout for new books!  What books do you share with your students that focus on hopes and dreams?

Until next time!

Must Read Mentor Text - Math Poetry

Hello!

I am linking up with Amanda and Stacia at Collaboration Cuties for their Must Have Mentor Text Linky.

The book I am linking up this week isn’t exactly a book that can be read directly to students, but it does have math poems that are read to the class.  Please forgive me this time, but it really is a book that should be shared!

 

Math Poetry:  Linking Language and Math in a Fresh Way written by Betsy Franco has become a must have resource in my classroom and is now one of my go to books for several math skills.

 

Here is a description from Amazon:

Cat + mouse = scared mouse! That's a "mathematickle," a word game using the conventions of math in a way that's so surprising, poetic, and delightful that this book of 20 activity ideas won a 2009 Teachers' Choice Award. Clear instructions, reproducible handouts, and a table matching lessons to math and language arts standards ease the way into activities that both gifted and ELL students will enjoy. Math topics covered include number sense, estimation, measurement, money, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, inverse operations, geometry, algebra, and graphing.

 

I wish I had remembered to bring my book home or had taken some pictures of the inside, but I forgot.  Click here, and it will take you to Amazon's website where you can get an inside view of the book.

With crystal clear instructions, easy-to-use activities and templates, Math Poetry provides an innovative way to teach both math and writing. Students generally have trouble with math word problems. When they write their own word problems in the form of poems, they learn the vocabulary and concepts. You'll be amazed by their creativity.

Now, it is time to visit Collaboration Cuties to find more must read mentor texts!

On a side note:  Today and tomorrow I am having 20% off sale at my Teacher's Notebook Store.  They are holding their Back-to-School Sale.  They have bundles available that you can purchase at an 80% discount.   I have a math resource in Bundle #23.  This bundle has 20 resources for $20.90 which is a savings of $83.60!

I will be back tomorrow for Monday Made It!

Mentor Text - Inference, Character Traits, and Predictions

I am linking up with Collaboration Cuties today to share a mentor text for Language Arts.

I do love this linky because I am able to find new books to bring my lessons to life.

Today I am sharing Tomás and The Library Lady written by Pat Mora.

 

Here is the book description taken from about.com:

Tomás travels with his family of migrant workers from their winter home in Texas to Iowa for a summer of work picking fruits and vegetables. Tomás loves the stories his grandfather Papá Grande tells. His grandfather encourages him to go to the library for more stories, and with excitement and apprehension, Tomás does so.

Before he even gathers the courage to enter the library, the librarian approaches him and invites him in for a drink of water. He spends the day at the library but is transported to other times and places as he reads some of the books. At the end of the day, the librarian checks out two books on her card for Tomás to take with him. Tomás eagerly shares the stories with his family and continues to visit the library whenever he can. At summer's end when he visits the library with a farewell gift for the librarian, she has a gift for Tomás… a book of his own to take with him.

Throughout the read aloud I have the students turn and talk to make predictions, we make inferences for our anchor chart, and we discuss character traits for Tomás and the librarian.

After the read aloud I have students write postcards to the librarian from the perspective of Tomás.  They are to explain where he is and what he is doing.

I have also used this book as a spring board to begin discussing heroes.  We discuss what the characteristics of a hero are and who can be perceived as a hero from the book.  Then we discuss local heroes and students draw a picture of them and write a short description of them that include their traits and what they have done.

Don’t forget to stop by Collaboration Cuties and learn about other great mentor texts to use in your classroom.

Leah at Learning 4 Keeps is holding a great giveaway stop by her blog to enter to win.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read one of my posts and those who have decided to follow my blog.  I am really excited to see that I have reached 100+ followers on Bloglovin’.  Please stop by later in the week to enter my giveaway.

Until next time…

Mentor Text - Determing Importance, Text Features and Summarizing and Linky - What Will I Do Differently Next Year

Hello All!

Today I am linking up with Collaboration Cuties for their Must Read Mentor Text Linky.  This week’s linky requires mentor text related to any language arts lessons. 

The rule is to select ONE text each week, so I am asking for forgiveness right up front.  The two books I am recommending truly go hand-in-hand.

 

“Forest Explorer: Life-sized Field Guide” and “Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close” are both written by Nic Bishop.  He writes all kinds of awesome nonfiction book for children.  Year after year, I learn something new to add to my lessons through these two books. The photographs are truly remarkable, too!

Here are the two books that I would like to share this week and their book description from Scholastic’s Book Wizard.

Explore the exciting world of the forest, where more than 125 different bugs, worms, and small critters play out the drama of life in miniature. Seven different life-size forest habitats, exploring the leaf-litter to the tree-top canopy through all four seasons, are vividly depicted in enticingly lush photographic scenes. Each scene is followed by "field notes" which identify all animals, relate intriguing facts about survival in each habitat, and share the excitement of discovery. Includes forest exploration hints, essential safety information, and a "picture index" for easy reference.

Explore the fascinating mini-wilds of your own backyard with this dramatic photographic exploration of the natural world. Award-winning photographer and natural scientist Nic Bishop has combined more than 200 detailed, stop-action images of common backyard animals into seven lush, life-size environments that are literally crawling with critters. Young nature detectives will spy more than 100 different spider, snakes, wasps, and beetles busy hiding, prowling, eating — and getting eaten. Inviting informational spreads identify all the animals in an appealing, contagiously enthusiastic text that lets readers in on neat tips and facts. With kid-friendly natural science projects and a stunning pictorial index, this fact-filled, visually exciting book invites both sharp-eyed search-and-find fun and real nature science inquiry. Bugs have never been so much fun!

I use both books as a weeklong unit that focuses on determining importance in nonfiction books, using text features, and summarizing. 

Each book has eight two page spreads with factual information followed by two page spreads of wonderful, brightly colored, life-size photo collages.  (Warning:  My students spend A LOT of time just taking in the pictures.) 

I began my lesson by introducing the books and how they are organized.  We discuss the table of contents and the picture index.  I partner the students up and each set of partners tackle a different section of the book.  They must read the text, identify the most important information, and then present it to the class.  Students use highlighters to mark the important information and then they use a graphic organizer to summarize the text. (I first model what the expectations are with one section of text before sending them to work with a partner.  If not, they tend to highlight the entire text.  Fourth graders have a difficult time identifying the main idea and essential details in a text.)

Here are two pages from “Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close”:

 

I do believe I have a few of the student made flip books and the anchor chart we made in class during this week’s lesson.  I will add them to the post tomorrow if I am able to round them up.

What are some of your favorite mentor texts to use to teach determining importance, text features, and summarizing?

Be sure to stop by Collaboration Cuties to learn about other Must Read Mentor Texts for language arts.  I have added so many books to my “to buy list”.

Next I am linking up with Kim at Finding JOY in 6th Grade.  She is hosting a linky titled "What I Will You Do Differently Next Year?"

Stop by Finding JOY in 6^th Grade to see what changes other bloggers are deciding to make for next year.

Workshop Wednesdays! "Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade!"

Glad you are back!!  This is my second week of linking up with Jessica at Ideas by Jivey for Workshop Wednesdays.  Today the focus is to share your favorite book to read with a small group.

It was EXTREMELY hard deciding on just one book.  Half way through preparing my post I decided to begin again with a different book.

I finally decided on “Hank Zipzer – Help Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade” written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver.  The Guided Reading Level is R and the Lexile Score is 780. 

 

This book has been a favorite of my students since I began using it three years ago.  Not only do we have great conversations sparking from the text but the students moan when I tell them they can’t read ahead.   

Here is an overview of the book.

It’s time for the end of year parent-teacher conference and Hank’s in a panic. He may be failing fourth grade and afraid that his teacher is going to tell his parents, he comes up with a plan. Hank enlists the help of his friends, and even his annoying younger sister in an elaborate scheme to have his parents win an out-of-town trip so they’re gone during the conference days. Of course, the plan backfires. Will Hank have to stay in fourth grade forever?

This is book number 7 in the Hank Zipzer Series.  After reading this book, I can’t keep the other books from the series in my classroom library.  Both the boys and the girls enjoy reading them.  Here is a website dedicated to the Hank Zipzer series and authors.

I would love to add some new books to my small reading group list.  What are some of your favorite books to read with your small reading groups or book clubs?

Don’t forget to stop by Jivey’s blog and learn about other awesome books to use with your small groups! 

Must Read Mentor Texts - "Capital! Washington, D.C. from A to Z"

Happy Sunday!

Today I am linking up with Collaboration Cuties for the Must Read Mentor Texts Linky.  This week, being the 4^th Sunday, means a social studies text.  If you haven't all ready, link up your favorite mentor text!

 

Here is my "must read mentor text" for the week.

 

"Capital! Washington, D.C. from A to Z” is written by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by Frane Lessac.  This book is filled with fascinating facts about historical places and people.  It is written in an informative verse and captures the unique brilliance of the city.  It is filled with very detailed artwork.  My students enjoy taking this book out of my classroom library throughout the year.

In my 4^th grade classroom, half of my social studies curriculum focuses on Washington, D.C.  I use this book at the end of our study of Washington, D.C.  After I read this book to my class, the students work together to create their own version of the book and below you will see some examples of their pages.

What are some of your favorite social studies mentor texts?

Be sure to stop by Collaboration Cuties to learn about other Must Read Mentor Texts for social studies. 

Did you enter my giveaway? Are you interested in winning two activities on personification?  Check out my post from yesterday, leave a comment and have the opportunity to win them.  Tomorrow is the last day to enter.  The winner will be announced at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 29th.