Childrens' books we enjoyed this summer

A friend just gave us Snakes Don't Miss Their Mothers by M.E. Kerr. I haven't had a chance to read it, but Solana couldn't put it down. (Thanks, M!)
Solana also loved The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Dav Pilkey's new book, though I can't say it was my favorite Dav Pilkey oeuvre. I guess it's hard to top Captain Underpants.
We both loved Bella and Bean, a book I saw reviewed in A Year of Reading that had the usual theme of friendship, but also is one of the best picture books I've seen on the craft of writing poetry.
I really enjoyed The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan: a graphic novel about the Dust Bowl (better for grades 4 and up). I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more historical facts and suprised by a fantasy element. However, the story drew me in and at the same time it really captured the feeling of the dust bowl with its illustrations and dialogue. It made me ask a lot of questions about this era. It would be a great accompaniment to a unit on this topic; a good selection for struggling readers or students who are drawn to graphic novels. (published by Candlewick Press which has great titles.)
Lastly, we both loved Ghostopolis, action-packed but not too scary, about a boy's trip to a ghost world where he combats an evil villian and meets his deceased grandfather.

xtra normal for reading conversations

I've been inspired by seeing colleagues using xtra normal for different purposes to think again about ways of using it in the classroom. It would take more time than your average turn and talk, but what about students creating xtranormal movies to reproduce or create conversations about their independent reading? Here's my example on what I'm currently reading... (The characters had a little trouble pronouncing "dystopic" and "Kafka." :)

Teacher modeling with podcasts: reflections

Teacher modeling was a key part of podcasting with fifth and sixth grade students this year. This booktalk, by sixth grade teacher Kim Draganchuk on The Loved Dog by Tamar Gellerow, serves not only as a model of an exemplary booktalk (we created a checklist of what students would need to do to "sell" their book to other students), but is also a great example for students of how adults read nonfiction for specific information. My booktalk on Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, served as a model for fiction. Students were motivated by the idea of their booktalks being done as podcasts, especially when we told them their podcasts would be published on the school web site.

Artisan Cam Rules!

Solana and I tried out Artisan Cam which was recommended in a teacher blog for student book making. She created The Four Penguins with minimal assistance. Lots of fun for elementary age! The characters are a bit limited, but I guess that could be a good thing. She was very interested in writing the blurb for the back page. (This is something her teacher models regularly.)

More fun with photobooth

Solana loves it-- can see the possibilities for creative writing with students...