End of Year Redux (Part 2)

As part of my end of year survey I wanted to know what things went well, and what didn't. I asked for two things that the kids liked, and one thing they might change. Here are some of the results, and some quick thoughts.

What Went Well?
--Using the netbooks/technology was universally liked. We used them on a near daily basis for research, typing, project creation.
--Lots of reading. Most mentioned enjoying our novel study, book clubs, or 20 Book Challenge.
--Projects. Loyalist/Patriot Speeches, Designing a County, Evaluating Explorers.
--Our issue research (CBA). Kids enjoyed researching a topic and then making a presentation that advocated for people to do something.
--Having choices. I let kids sit where they wanted (unless they made poor choices/negative learning choices), choose their presentation format, and read books of their choice. Big hit.
--Memoir/Memory Writing. Kids liked being able to reflect on their time, and write with feeling about it.

Quick thought 1: None of this information is groundbreaking. I expected these to be common themes. We stuck with them because of the enthusiasm kids had for the various projects, and typically worked hard to wrap up in a reasonable timeframe so that we didn't burn out (see the next session for more on this).

Quick thought 2: I need to find a way to leverage my technology time so that it isn't necessarily about using new toys or tools. If I can integrate them earlier on in short projects (not necessarily integrated), then it will shorten some of the time needed for the projects. Part of the project time was spent teaching the tool since many of the kids hadn't used Audacity or Photostory at all (or much) previously.

What Could Be Done Differently?
--Extended deadlines. Deadlines approached and toppled some of my kiddos that work slower.
--More writing. Yep, more writing.
--More projects/technology/presentations.
--More than 20 book challenge/different novel study books

Quick thought 1: The extended deadlines was an expected piece of feedback. I have wrestled with this issue before- how long to go since you have the vast majority of kids that are done and others are not even close? I know I need to do a better job of making modifications to help those kids ensure that projects are done in a timely fashion (and well, with the content understanding).

Quick thought 2: Writing sometimes ends up being the odd item out. I embed writing into everything, but the large scale writing projects are often lost. I need to find a way to tie those in around the same time I do novel study- read and then do some writing projects.

More reflections on the school year later.

2011-12 End of Year Redux (Part 1)

At the end of each school year I gather some information from kids. I want to know the following...
--How many books did you read?
--What are two things you liked from Social Studies/Literacy this year?
--What is one thing you would change in Social Studies/Literacy in the future?
--What were your top 3 books?

I've sat on the surveys for about a week, giving myself this first week away from school and kids. Since I was getting an oil change this morning I figured I should compile their information. Below is some of that data, and some quick thoughts. I'll have more in depth reflection later. This looks at information from my three groups, or "rotations." In particular we will focus on books today...

Books, Books, Books!
First rotation total books read, and average: 794 books, 36/student
Second rotation total books read, and average: 372 books, 23/student
Third rotation total books read, and average: 1408* books, 50*/student
Total books read, and average: 2,574 books, 39/student
*One student is a voracious reader, and read 300 books... total does not include his 300.

Quick thought 1: My second group has students that are pulled. If those students are excluded, the rotation average is close to 30 and is in line with the other groups. The first and third groups have a few students that are voracious readers (80+ books). If you were to find the median it would be close to 25 in each of the first 2 groups, and 35 in the last group.

Quick thought 2: The 20 Book Challenge worked well in motivating kids to read, and read a lot. Reluctant readers were over 20 (by and large), and those who loved to read were pushing themselves to read more and with variety.

Top 15 Books
1. Hunger Games
2. The Lightning Thief
3. Swindle
4. Harry Potter (a few appeared, I lumped them together)
5. The Last Apprentice
6. Mockingjay
7. The Lemonade War
8. Catching Fire
9. The Name of This Book is Secret
10. Rules
11. Maximum Ride
12. Gregor the Overlander
13. 39 Clues
14. The Last Olympian
15. Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

Honorable Mention:
-A Mango Shaped Space
-Popularity Papers #1
-Al Capone Does My Shirts
-Strange Case of Origami Yoda
-How to Steal a Dog
-Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Quick thought 1: The Hunger Games as a whole were a big hit, which is a huge testament to older siblings reading the books as well as the release of the movie. I did very little pushing of the series because of the complex nature of the books. Most get them on some level, some get them on a more complex level (dystopia, control of the state, etc).

Quick thought 2: Kids love reading books in a series, or by the same author. Books by Gordon Korman were all over the feedback, and they were always popular in the classroom. Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini, and Suzanne Collins were also popular authors.

Quick thought 3: Kids want to read more complex books. If someone suggests books they will read them. Book talks, book clubs, and book reviews all contributed to kids finding a variety of books. It also helps to suggest a wide range of books in the 20 Book Challenge, as well as purchasing a good range of books for your classroom. Over 90% of the money I spend goes to my library. Well worth the expense.

Selling Books

One of the things we've been working on are book reviews. Your typical book review for intermediate kids is somewhere between a summary and a piece of garbage. A piece of garbage you say? Yep. They really don't sell the story to kids, and kids aren't really excited about writing them. Beyond that the book review just becomes an exercise in jumping through hoops for the teacher. Call me crazy but I'm not so excited about that.

Instead we have been working on spicing up the book review. We've been working on book reviews like bloggers would write. An example is here. Kids were a bit reluctant to roll into it. They often go back to the standard retelling. Instead I have been prodding them into jumping right into the story... show, don't tell. They go through main parts of the story leaving out the finish. Afterwards they conclude with a paragraph about their expert opinion- why they liked it, and what the author did well (made characters believable, great description, etc... with examples!).

This has been a process. I can't say it has gone well throughout. It is easier to go to the old reliable than to try something new. That being said, they have really been coming along. The quality is improving as kids begin to build suspense into their writing, allowing the reader to feel the same suspense (or action) that is a part of the story. The best part has been seeing kids read them on the back wall where our book reviews are posted. Kids are looking for those books, and they almost never stay on the shelves... no surprise.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

One of the books that has gotten some tread in my classroom is Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise. I picked it up over the summer because it was a 2012 Sasquatch Awards nominee. It is a bit different than you're typical children's book in that it is written in the form of letters between the various characters as they talk about events that happen. It also has some illustrations that fit well with the story and the writing.

The setup is as follows: Ignatius Grumply is a children's author with writer's block. He needs a summer home to set up shop and get his writing done. Enter Anita Sale (yes, "aNEEDa Sale"!). She tries to dissuade him from 43 Old Cemetery Rd, but to no avail. Once there he finds a boy, his cat, and a ghost. He doesn't know about the ghost Olivia C Spence, but eventually comes to gather that she lives... what follows is a fast read that works for good and struggling readers alike. The nuance in the names and actions will get laughs out of the more experienced readers. But it reads easy enough for those who won't necessarily get the nuance.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Good read, not great. Has its place in the intermediate classroom library.

Dead End in Norvelt

Ever have a book recommended to you but you couldn't quite finish it? Have you found yourself reading a book that you feel like you should like because of the author, but just couldn't get into? How about a book that you didn't really have no affinity for, but no real reason to put it down? That sums up Dead End in Norvelt to me.

I enjoyed the previous works of Jack Gantos. Joey Pigza was an interesting character lacking the typical qualities of a hero/protagonist. You could fall in love with his faults, and see things from a different perspective. When Dead End... came out, I was hoping for a similar story. Instead it was closer to Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars, only that it lacked the storyline for 3/4 of the book.

Jack lives in Norvelt. It is a town built by Eleanor Roosevelt, and was built to help people be self-sufficient (small houses, plots of land to farm, etc). The only problem is that the old way died, giving way to industrialization and modernization. One woman is charged with chronically how the original Norvelters live and die: Miss Volker. After getting grounded, Jack is enlisted to help Miss Volker write obituaries for the original Norvelters. Along the way you see Jack grow up, and you learn lessons from the old. But the story doesn't really pick up until halfway, or two-thirds the way through when a Hells Angel dies and people begin to wonder why these original Norvelters are dying.

This wasn't my favorite Gantos book. I felt like the story lacked a real clear plot. It was a biography of sorts, which is not really my genre. I like the payoff that comes through seeing a protagonist struggle and attempt to solve a problem. I also wonder whether a majority of my kids will enjoy it, feeling similar to me in wanting a payoff in the end.

Rating: 3 out of 5. The ending helps make the story, but it seems to take forever to get there.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Jack Gantos recently released Dead End in Norvelt. I've had a few of his books in my classroom, but really hadn't been interested in digging into them. A few weeks back I opted to give Joey Pigza a whirl, wanting to check in on Gantos before reading his more recent work.

The story is about a boy named Joey Pigza who is different than his peers. More specifically, Joey Pigza has ADHD (or ADD, can't remember which) and finds himself getting into trouble. He struggles to control his impulses including swallowing the key to his house (part of a trick he was performing for his classmates). Joey hasn't had the easiest of lives either. His mom and dad left him with his grandma when he was young, with mom returning when he is now in 4th grade. As the story unfolds you watch the struggles of a family trying to keep it together and cope in the midst of difficulties.

There are many layers to this story. The most obvious teaching point is how students who are not "normal" are perceived, and how they perceive themselves. Seeing the world through different shoes could be really impactful with kids. Another layer is how people cope with difficulty. Joey's mom opts to have Joey mix her a drink, as well as giving in to Joey "needing" some candy. Natural questions are: Why does Joey's mom decide to give in to Joey asking for candy? Is that a good thing? What is that doing for Joey in the short-term/long-term? You are left with the feeling that those who struggle are in a lose-lose situation that is difficult to overcome. If nothing else, it provides kids a perspective that they may not have themselves... particularly if they are of a status where struggle is not common.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Better than average and worth reading. Not necessarily a must read, but definitely useful in the classroom.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

My school just had a book fair hosted by the University Bookstore. It was well done, and had many quality books. One of the books I picked up was Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Yep, it is the same Colin Meloy who is the lead singer for the Decemberists. Let me tell you this: it is 500+ pages of wonderful.

The story is about Prue McKeel and her journey to find her brother. You see, her brother Mac was swooped up by crows and taken to a wooden area called the Impassable Wilderness. Those familiar with Portland OR (where the book is set) will recognize this as much like Forest Park. Along the way she runs into a boy in her class named Curtis who follows her into the wilderness, thus beginning a long and weird sequence of events.
In the wilderness they meet a band of talking coyote soldiers, a postman delivering mail to different parts of the "wood" and other assorted talking animals. What Prue doesn't realize is that 1) she is special and connected to the wilderness somehow, and 2) she needs to save her brother before the former ruler of the Wood, the Dowager Governess, feeds Mac to the ivy (yep, I said it was weird!).

While a relatively large book, I think kids will identify with the characters. They will enjoy Prue and her quirkiness, as well as her determination to find her brother. They'll also like how Meloy weaves the animals in the story. The animals bring a different dimension, embodying many of the traits of humans while as maintaining their animal qualities. I'm excited for my kids to read it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Long but well written with threads that ensure the story moves along.  

Bird in a Box

Bird in a Box was another of the books I'd purchased for my Mock Newbery Project. The story was one that I ended up enjoying, but that took me some time to fall into. It is three separate but connected stories. Set in the 1930's, these three African American kids have seen more than most kids should have seen. Their stories are set against the backdrop of the famous boxer Joe Louis having his fights broadcast to radios across the country.

The three stories are engaging in their own right. Each chapter is a point in time, with a section for each child. Where I caught myself looking back into the book was in differentiating Willie from Otis. One has fled his abusive father, while the other had his parents pass away in a car accident. They become tied together through the orphanage they are living in. Following me? I know a few of my kids will be lost in the stories of each kid, later getting confused as they try to connect events to each character.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. You could feel the pain of each character, but also the hope that they held close to their hearts. I wonder if the story would have felt more cohesive if it expanded more on one character rather than having all three. All three were well done, but they seemed like vignettes at times. I certainly see this as a Newbery contender. One of my favorites of the summer.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Trouble With May Amelia

Have you ever been reading a book that you were told was really good, but you were only passively interested in? That about sums up my experience with The Trouble With May Amelia by Jennifer Holm. The story is a sequel to Our Only May Amelia which was a Newbery Honor Award recipient in 2000. I found my experience with this story to be similar to my experience with The Penderwicks. I'll digress to that in a second.

The Trouble With May Amelia is one of the Mock Newbery recommended books for 2012. From those that I have seen on goodreads, and via various library blogs, this was to be a fantastic book. The storyline surrounds a girl named May Amelia Jackson who is growing up in Washington state at the turn of the 20th century. Her family is Finnish, and have settled in an unincorporated area on the Nasel River. This area is accessible only by boat, and the living is tough.

May Amelia's family struggles to get by with the work on the farm, and with many children (all 7 are boys except for May!). May Amelia fights for her place in her family, particularly as her father has proclaimed girls to be useless. The real trouble begins when a man comes to town looking for stakeholders in a company that plans to incorporate a town in this otherwise inaccessible area. The plans are to make this the Seattle to the south. It is then that the story really picks up, and you watch the growth of May Amelia and her family.

What I discovered through reading this story is rather simple: I struggle identifying with protagonists that are female. This was the same experience I had with the Penderwicks. I found myself wanting the main characters to stop needing to prove themselves as able or ready. The Penderwick girls were confident, but the story didn't give them enough assertiveness. I wanted them to act a bit more, which perhaps is another similarity in the stories (and might be another issue I have these types of stories). May Amelia proved herself to be more than able, but I wanted her to be more assertive. I stuck with it to see what would happen to May Amelia, and to see if she'd change.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Well written, aside from lack of quotation marks (my kiddos may be annoyed by this). Storyline was good but dragged. Last 60+ pages (last third) were well done.

Theodore Boone... Grisham's Foray Into KidLit

I was never much of a John Grisham fan. In fact, I'm not a huge law person. I like laws, and the order that they can create, but I'm not overwhelmed by their intricacies. It should come as no surprise that I wasn't jumping at the first chance to purchase Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer when it first came out a year or so ago. Seeing it in paperback made for a far more appealing and cost effective purchase.

To be brief: Theodore Boone is the only son of two lawyers, living in a mid-sized city (I think it said 75k people or so- more on that later). He loves the law and wants to be a lawyer. Kids in town ask him for help, and he happens to know about all of those associated with the law in his town. When the first murder in 50+ years happens, everyone is fascinated by the case, Theo included.

The story takes a variety of twists and turns, and doesn't necessarily finish up in the end. Of course it is left open for a second story, which you get the first 3 pages of at the end (Theodore Boone, the Abduction). This first story felt more like an introduction than a full blown story. You learn about Theo, his family, the major case, and the big players in the legal field in town. But you really aren't brought from beginning to end like many stories.

I have 2 other issues with the story: the first is Theo as a character, and the second is the setting. Obviously those are two major issues! Theo is only in middle school (or junior high), yet his legal prowess seems very advanced. I think many of my students would question the plausibility of this fella! His access to legal areas, and his overall knowledge of the legal field were far and away beyond any typical kid. It isn't that all kids need to be normal or average, but you do need to be able to identify with them... he seemed a tad more adult than most. The setting is a gripe for me, but perhaps not for my kiddos. In size, it is like many of the towns/cities surrounding Seattle... except larger (by about 25k). The old time feel of the town simply doesn't jive. To me that is more an issue with getting your facts straight. But... you need to be able to believe the author to believe the story as it progresses, which is why it is an issue.

Rating: 2 of 5. Not a bad first go at children's books for Grisham, but left quite a bit to be desired from the prolific adult writing.

Inside Out and Back Again

I'm slowly working my way through the books on the Mock Newbery 2012 list. Is there an official list? No. But there are different sites, libraries and librarians, that are starting to compile a list of possible contenders. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is on that list. If I were to use one word to describe it, it would be: moving.

This wasn't entirely what I'd expected. I had briefly read a few reviews, and saw it on multiple lists, so purchased it feeling it would likely pan out as a good investment. What I didn't know until it arrived was that it was a story written as poetry. Poetry. Hmm. I'm not a real big poet, feeling like a fish out of water or a bull in a chinashop. I fear what I perceive to be the flow and rhythm. I fear not understanding the message the author is implying.

I dove into this head first, at least after the first few pages where I waded in cautiously. In conquering the above fears I found the story moving and powerful. It is the story of a girl living it Vietnam in a time of internal strife. Her father is gone missing, part of the war effort. Her family, struggling to survive, eventually leaves on a boat to Guam. From there they leave as refugees to the United States, Alabama to be exact. It is at that point that I truly felt Ha's (the girl) struggle. She is smart, kind, and strong, but mocked as a stranger in a new place. The struggle to fit in pulls at the heartstrings, and her interactions in the school brought me to my own classroom. I wondered about the ELL students in my classroom, and the struggles that they must experience (even on a much different level). The story made me wonder about my own practice and how I can develop into a champion for my ELL students.

Rating: 4.5 of 5. I struggled with it in the beginning but the middle to end were magnificent. Certainly a contender for the Newbery Award in 2012.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Sometimes you've got to read the books that you've got. When I started two, almost three, years ago I inherited a decent sized classroom library. One problem with that: they were relatively dated. By dated I mean 10+ years from publication date in most cases, and that is being generous. Therein is the challenge for the teacher. How do you make sure that you have new books that kids see in bookstores like Barnes and Noble (believe it or not they still actually go there, I've seen them!) as well as old books?

Part of that challenge is alleviated by publishers sprucing up books with new covers. New covers make timeless books look relevant to kids today. Out with the smaller, thicker, tiny font books (mass market books as they are called by booksellers). In with the slightly larger, more space between lines/font, and shiny cover. That is what led me to Hatchet.

I have about 10 copies of Hatchet at school. I opted not to use it for novel study/literature circle because of the size of the book, and the size of the print. It had also been some time since I'd read it myself (although I am not 100% sure I read it as I am confusing it with Call of the Wild). After reading it, I think I'll use it. The story of Brian surviving in wilderness for almost 2 months is moving. I think kids will see the story of growth, and conquering fear in an empowering manner. How can I do that? or I can be just like Brian, taking control of my anger. Perhaps it is far-fetched, but I do see where kids will at the very least be able to identify with the themes in the story. Now I pick up a few more with the fancy cover... hmmm.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. I prefer books with more dialogue but the story was very good, and you wanted to know what would come of Brian as he struggled to survive in the wilderness.

Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt

Okay for Now... one word: fabulous! While it is at the upper end of reading for kiddos in my grade level, it is a great addition to my library. Why is that? The story was incredibly realistic. As a reader, you could empathize with the struggles of the main character (Doug Swieteck). The problems were incredibly realistic, yet the storyline was not nearly as predictable as others I've read.

The long and short of it: Doug is a character first seen on the fringes of the story The Wednesday Wars. His father has lost his job so the family is moving out of Long Island (NY) to a mill town further north. There are a myriad of issues for Doug to overcome. His father is negative, almost to the point of being abusive (certainly a bully). His older brother of two years is a bully who runs with a bad crowd. His oldest brother is in Vietnam and set to come home soon, but not the same. All of this is added onto the fact that Doug can't read yet is heading into 8th grade.

This story shows many things. You see the growth of characters. You see characters change (for the better). You also watch the goings-on in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and your reputation precedes you. Best book of the summer by far.

Rating: 5 out of 5... definitely on the short list of the Newbery Award in 2012.

Juniper Berry by Kozlowksy

Recently I ordered a handful of books that bloggers have noted as possible Newbery candidates for 2012. Typically I don't order hardcover books. I find the price to be a bit much, and the size/heft of paperback books to be preferable. But since many of the Newbery books are new releases I found myself in the position of *needing* to order them in hardcover. Alas I digress (as an aside, my goodreads list is here).

That brings me to Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky. I'd seen it prior to doing my Mock Newbery research, faced out in a Barnes and Noble and later in Third Place Books. The basic premise is that sometimes wishing for things can lead us down a path to being someone we don't want to be- whether consciously or not. It is a classic tale of temptation and using will willpower to avoid "darkness."

Juniper Berry's family should be a fairy tale. Her parents are movie stars. She lives in a large house with seemingly endless methods of amusing herself. But something is awry. Juniper's parents grow increasingly dark and angry. Her fairy tale is disintegrating. One day, in the rain (oh the symbolism!), she meets a boy named Giles. His life has a familiar ring to Juniper's, and they find that their parents are connected by this twisted old tree in the woods. What follows is Juniper and Giles trying to resist the temptation of having the dreams made a reality. They'll also try to reclaim the life that they had once before. I enjoyed it... it wasn't my favorite. Juniper lacks depth as a character, and the storyline is familiar. But it was well written, and there are enough twists in the story to keep you reading.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The Wednesday Wars

I was very impressed with Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars. In fact, I'd say it was fantastic. I wouldn't expect much less since it was a Newbery Honor book in 2008 (as a sidenote, I'd never heard of the winning book Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village until today). This story was vastly different than what I expected, which is to say that I really didn't read the book jacket very carefully!

The story is centered around a sixth grade boy named Holling Hoodhood (nope, it isn't a misspelling:). We watch him over the course of his school year, particularly focused on Wednesdays. Why Wednesday? That is the day when half of his class goes to Catholic school at 1:45, and the other half rolls out to synagogue shortly thereafter. His teacher, which Holling thinks is out to kill him, starts off by having him do menial tasks around the classroom: clean erasers, clean out the put cages (rats mind you!), etc. Later she has him read Shakespeare, which he really dislikes because of the old world writing that is difficult for an adult, let alone a 6th grader, to understand.

What makes the story captivating is the backdrop. This is during the late 60's when the Vietnam war is happening. This touches many in the story, from the teacher (Mrs. Baker) to others in the school community. Walter Cronkite is being watched at night, and there is a bit of tension that the reader can feel as the story winds onward. Lastly, you have the family with a strong willed father (determined to be the businessman of the year), the mom who is going along with the will of Holling's father, and Holling's sister who listens to the Beatles and runs away to find herself. All the while you follow Holling as he struggles to find himself and grow up in middle school. The growing up plays back into Mrs. Baker's assignments to Holling of reading Shakespeare. Overall, well done.

Rating: 5 out of 5. Growing up is a theme in many stories, but it is done masterfully in this story. It made me really excited to read Okay for Now, a follow-up of sorts to the Wednesday Wars (but with one of the side characters as the main character... it is high on the Mock Newbery lists I've read thus far).

School of Fear

I picked up School of Fear around the holiday break (way back when it was 2010!). At the same time I had 1-2 kids who were already reading the book since they'd purchased it, or received it as a gift. The early reviews from kids were that it was awesome. As a few other kids read it I noticed a struggle to finish it, particularly as kids hit the midway point. That isn't a good sign, but it still remained on my to-be-read list.

There is a fairly basic premise to the story. Four kids have very different phobias. The fears range from avoidance of water to believing bugs are everywhere (so you bring repellent with you to spray everything!). All of the kids are brought together, through their own doing or that or their parents, at the School of Fear. It is an odd place with an odd teacher. The teacher's motto: a beauty contestant is always prepared. She has an odd way of helping them overcome their fears... until she dies unexpectedly. That is where I'll leave the summary, so as not to reveal the ending.

I was less than impressed with the story. I found the 4 kids to be funny at the start of the story, but their humor wore off somewhere around the middle (which jived with what I was seeing in my classroom). It picked up again in the last 1/3 or 1/4 of the story, but it wasn't enough to save the lull in the middle that was filled with dialogue/arguing amongst the kids. There is a second story out in hardcover. I opted to wait until it is out in paperback, saving my money for something a little more substantial.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Better than average because of the humorous phobias. But missing some of the substance in the storyline that I'd seen already this summer.

Revenge of the Witch (Last Apprentice Series book 1)

I was pretty excited to read the Revenge of the Witch. This was a continuation of reading books I recommended to kids (but didn't have time to read myself during the school year). Early in the year I'd gotten the Ranger's Apprentice books for the kids, and they were a huge hit. As I continued my search for different series that kids would like, I eventually picked up the IQ books by Roland Smith and the Septimus Heap series. But I'd been drawn to this series, yet hesitant to pick it up since it was in the YA section. Getting it after Spring Break, it turned out to be a nice addition to my library.

I really enjoyed Revenge of the Witch. Joseph Delaney seemed to write it with the intent of keeping the integrity of old English lore in tact- those of ghosts, boggarts, and witches. The witches, ghosts and all are warded off from those in the county by a man named the Spook. The Spook is in need of a protege, an apprentice, which is where we begin to learn about our new apprentice, Tom Ward. He is the 7th son of a 7th son, which makes him special. In particular, he can see, hear, and sense things that others cannot. His parents need to find a job for him, and agree to have him as the Spook's new apprentice.

Tom is not necessarily comfortable in his new work. His first test scares him mightily. The Spook and the Apprentice aren't necessarily welcomed with open arms either, and can you blame the people for that? They deal with witches and ghosts! The story has a scary element to it that made me pause for a second. But the story certainly doesn't have the blood or violence of some other stories, more the intimation of potential danger that can put you on edge. Like the Lightning Thief in some ways, I was intrigued by the old lore embedded in this story, and the realism that Delaney is able to weave throughout this story. I could see many of my former students behaving similarly and thinking the same thoughts as Tom. Overall, very pleased with it and excited to read the next books in the series (thankfully I brought the first 4 books home!).

Rating: 4 of 5

Mockingbird by Erskine

I am a bit of a book fanatic. In my spare time I cruise over to bookstores. I often say I'm just browsing, but I will typically walk away with 5-10 books to bring back to my classroom. Part of that is because I have a running list of books I want to pick up. I've scoured Newbery lists, Young Readers Choice, Global Reading Challenge, etc looking for new books to get. Sometimes I have that list physically, but more often not.

Mockingbird has been on my list for about a year now. It was out in hardcover (fun fact: I really dislike hardcover books- size, weight, cost!) and I was to get it from the library. Yeah, that didn't happen. Instead I waited until it was in paper to get it. When that happened, I immediately purchased it. Time was short, so I did what I always do: pushed it towards some of my kids allowing them to be the litmus test. The early reviews from them were very positive... so it ended up on my summer reading list.

The story is about a girl with Asperger's. Her family has just been befallen by a second tragedy. First was the passing of her mother due to cancer, and the second is the passing of her brother after a school shooting. Her trouble has less to do with his death, and more to do with the emotion that everyone says she is supposed to have. Being on the autism spectrum, she struggles when things aren't black and white.

Over the course of this story you get a small glimpse into what might be happening for someone with this disability. Processing things that take nuance and finesse are incredibly difficult, and making friends is hard. Couple those with the tragedy those around you are dealing with (and you too, but in a different way) and you have a mountain to climb. While the subject matter is touchy, heart wrenching in fact, the power of seeing our main character (Caitlin) work to overcome these many struggles was incredible. I'm really excited to have other kids read it.

Rating: 5 out of 5. It didn't win the National Book Award for nothing I guess.

Horton Halfpott

I really enjoyed Tom Angleberger's first book, the Strange Case of Origami Yoda. As I was walking through the bookstore the other day I saw Horton Halfpott, his second release. Since I was so excited about his first book I had to give this one a read.

A few words... If you don't like old English, this book is not for you. If you are not really into irony and sarcasm, this book probably isn't for you. If you don't like books with more than 4-5 points of view, this book probably isn't for you. Then who is this for? Well good question.

The story is about a servant named Horton Halfpott who works at M'Lady Luggertuck's mansion. She treats the staff poorly until her corset is loosened (no joke!). At that point all goes awry. Luggertuck's nephew wants to come stay at the mansion to woo a neighbor girl. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately (or fortunately for the story) Luggertuck's son devises a plan to steal the "lump," the source of the Luggertuck fortune, and convince the girl to marry him instead of the nephew. Ah, but the servants and Horton need to save the day. Horton, the noblest and quietest of the servants, becomes our main protagonist. He is certainly a likable character, far more than the Luggertucks. That is where I'll leave it so as not to give away any of the storyline.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Not overly predictable, but certainly not of the same high standard that Origami Yoda set.

Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I just finished up Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This is the first book in the Shadow Children series. Haddix's other series, the Missing, was a huge hit in my classroom this year so I wanted to give this series a go. I found it to be interesting, dark, and potentially a bit over some of my kids' heads with the content.

What's it about? Luke is the third child in his family. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the country is in totalitarian post-crisis state. In years prior, famine had spread throughout the country causing the rise a military dictator. He instituted population laws, stating that families could only have two children. The third child, if found, could be taken away and the family would be in significant trouble. Luke is a shadow child- he is destined to never see the outside world.

Luke struggles with this, angry for much of the book, until he realizes that there are other third children. One lives nearby, and he sneaks out to meet her. She introduces Luke to things he has never seen- computers, junk food, etc (all because the government has banned many of these things). She dreams of being free which inspires Luke. But this is a tricky, tricky matter putting Luke's (and Jen's) family in danger.

Long story short: I had this in the classroom this year after mid-year. The kids who liked Found and Sent enjoyed this book. Some put the book down, which I believe was connected to the content. The book deals with a dystopian landscape, not unlike that in the Hunger Games. Overpopulation and famine are issues. Issues of food quality and government restriction exist as well. While they are questions raised today, I wonder whether some of my kids will have the schema to really put the puzzle pieces together (and the stones throw from realism in the story).

Rating: Three out of five stars (I know, the rating is new... but I want to get in the habit of doing this since I will ask my kids to do this in the fall).

Next up: The Maze Runner by James Dashner