Final Blog

Reading Log for 30 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)

Genre / Titles you read

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 reflection required on blog)    

      1) My Life in Dog Years




 II.      Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      What My Mother Doesn’t Know (required for discussion)

2)      Out of the Dust

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)        

1)      Babe the Gallant Pig (required for discussion)

2)      The Hunger Games

3)      Catching Fire

4)      Mockingjay

5)      The Giver

6)      Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      Al Capone Does My Shirts (required for discussion)

2)      Sarah, Plain and Tall

3)      Bud, Not Buddy

4)      The Book Thief

5)      Pink and Say

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         

     1)  The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

     2)  The Jack Tales

     3)  Shooter

     5)  M.C. Higgins the Great

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      Laugh Until you Cry  (required for discussion)

2)      Holes

3)      Monster

4)      Wringer

5)      Walk Two Moons

    VII.      Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

1)      Knots on a Counting Rope (required for discussion)

2)      The Invention of Hugo Cabret

3)      The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

4)      Bark George

5)      When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry…

6)      Duck On A Bike

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement was four total posts, in four different categories)

___1_ Social Studies

___1_ Science (EXTRA CREDIT)

____ Math

___1_ Music

___1_ Art

__1__ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

___1_ Other (Technology)

Field Experience:

I really don’t know where to begin.  My field experience was with my SLMS.  She is a wonderful librarian!  Actually, she is also one of my best friends.  I really enjoyed working with her.  She helped me prepare a book talk to give to her Journalism students.  I also was able to observe her as she worked with her Journalism students to complete the school yearbook for the year.  I have really enjoyed this class.  I believe one of the most beneficial things I have learned is how to incorporate trade books into the high school classroom.  I have learned so much about different types of literature as well.  I think 2 of my favorites though were the poetry unit and the realistic fiction unit.  I really made a personal connection with these.  

My Life in Dog Years

Paulsen, G. (1998).  My life in dog years.  New York:  Yearling.

How many of you are dog lovers?  If you're not, don't worry.  You will still enjoy this book.  This book is the story of Gary Paulsen's life through the dogs he has owned.  Each dog corresponds to a different part of his life.  For example, Caesar the Great Dane came into his life after he was married and was living in a very small house.  Quincy represents his interest in the Iditarod.  The settings vary with each dog because how the dog was acquired and what Paulsen gains from this dog directly relate to the setting.

I have owned many dogs, and each have held a special memory for me.  I can relate so much to Paulsen's description of each dog and the role it played in his life.  Each chapter is a different memoir about a dog.  However, through these memoirs the reader learns a lot about Paulsen as a man and his life.  Each memoir contains vocabulary that is connected to that dog.  For example, "gripping" is mentioned and defined in the chapter on Josh because this is a specialized term for this breed of dog.

Big Question:  What pet has meant a lot to you and why?

Sarah, Plain and Tall

MacLachlan, P.  (1985).  Sarah, plain and tall.  New York:  Harper Collins.

How would you like to order a new Mom through the mail?  Anna, Caleb and their Papa do just that.    After losing their wife and mother, Papa decides to order a bride through the mail.  After all, one of the neighbors did it.  What if they don't like her?  What if she doesn't like them?  What if she can't sing?  It's always a good idea to try out something new before you decide though.  This story is set in the 19th century in the Midwest.  It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie.  Great book dealing with relationships, family, and giving new things a chance!!

Monster

Myers, W. D.  (1999).  Monster.  New York:  Harper Collins.

I really can't remember how I heard of this book, but I do know why it appealed to me.  My husband is a youth worker in a juvenile boot camp.  While this boot camp cannot have murderers, I get to hear a lot of stories from my husband about why the kids ended up at the boot camp.  Some always say "I didn't do it."  Others admit their guilt immediately.  I immediately felt a connection with this book.  When I saw this story was told through journals and a movie script, I also welcomed the change from the normal novel.

Kids really don't realize how making the wrong decision can lead to such dramatic consequences.  Myers protagonist, Steve Harmon, is on trial for murder.  Through Harmon's first person point of view, the reader experiences what sitting in a court room is like as well as what sitting in a cell is like.  In order to pass time during the trial, Harmon decides to turn his story into a movie script.  He has enjoyed making movies for a while.  The journals appear when Harmon is in his cell in the prison.  Through them, the reader gets a description of life behind bars.  "They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can't kill yourself no matter how bad it is.  I guess making you live is part of the punishment."  This passage is one I marked with our Active Reading symbols.  I marked it with Wow!  This really made me think.  Is that why they take away so much?  Then I thought about the boot camp where my husband works.  They do strip the kids of pretty much everything, including their hair.  They all have to get their heads burred.  For a lot of them, this comes as a shock.  They wear the same clothes as everyone else also.  This takes away from any that belong to gangs.  Everyone is on an equal field.  Shoelaces and belts can also be used as weapons against others.

This book would be great for a debate among class members.  Any kid who has experienced making the wrong choice or being around the wrong people can relate.  Those who have been falsely accused can also relate.  Myers leaves the reader with a lot of unanswered questions.  There are a lot of social issues that could make for a great conversation tool:  Prison system, moral decisions, peer pressure, justice system, choosing friends wisely.

Big Question:  Have you ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time and was accused of doing something you didn't do?  How did you feel?

Out of the Dust

Hesse, K. (1997).  Out of the dust.  New York:  Scholastic.


I chose this collection of poetry because I always loved hearing my grandfather's stories about growing up during this time.  Even though he didn't leave in Oklahoma, areas across the US were affected by the Dust Bowl.  Hesse's collection of poetry combines to create a novel about the Dust Bowl and the way of life from that time period.  Told from the first person account of Billie Jo, the reader follows Billie Jo and her difficult life through blank verse poetry.  Billie Jo has written the poetry herself as a way to let her emotions out.  The poems read like a journal.  Each poem is dated with the month and year, giving the reader a better understanding of the length of the Dust Bowl.


Hesse uses the poems to aid the reader in understanding the difficulties the people face.  For example, in the poem titled "Breaking Drought", Hesse begins the poem with longer lines and ends with a one-word line.  The subject is the rain.  The longer lines give the poem a sense of monotony.  It was the same conditions over and over again.  "After seventy days / of wind and sun, / of wind and clouds, / of wind and sand, / after seventy days, / of wind and dust, / a little / rain / came."  The repetition of "wind" shows the reader that wind was present nearly every day.  Because "rain" is on one line by itself, Hesse emphasizes that small amount of rain they received.  


Hesse uses elements such as onomatopoeia to enhance descriptions of the dust.  An example is "the dust hissed against the windows".  Dust was also described with a simile, "...the dust turned toward the house, / like a fired locomotive".  With this use of onomatopoeia and simile, Hesse was also using sense imagery to appeal to the reader's sense of hearing.


Big Question:  How would you feel if you were no longer able to to do something you loved, like Billie Jo and playing the piano?

The Jack Tales

Chase, R. (1943).  The Jack tales.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin.

The Jack Tales are considered part of the group of literature known as traditional literature.  According to our text, traditional literature is rooted in a deep oral tradition.  Traditional literature has usually been passed down from one generation to the next through oral storytelling.  This describes The Jack Tales.  These tales are a compilation of tales rooted in the Appalachian culture.  


I remember having some of these tales read to me when I was in grade school.  After that, I never had an opportunity to read them again until now.  As a young child, I always thought they were just a good, funny story.  They are that...and so much more.  They contain your simple, short progressive plots.  They all have you standard beginning with some deviation of "Once upon a time" like "This here's a tale...".  Since they are from Appalachia, they tend to start off with a little more emphasis on dialect.  The dialect in these stories can only be described as rich.  To get the full idea, you really need to read these stories out loud and pronounce the words as they are written.  I found that so difficult!!!!  I caught myself on numerous occasions correcting the pronunciation as I read.  I would have to re-read parts if I did that.  It just didn't sound right.


The main character, Jack, is obviously a good character who encounters an evil character(s) in some fashion.  For example, in "Jack and the Robbers", Jack and a few friends he picks up along the way encounter a band of robbers.  Jack and his friends trick the robbers and run them out of the country.  How you might ask?  That is what you need to read and find out!  The tales also usually end with the narrator mentioning that the last he knew of Jack he was back home doing something else.  The settings for the tales are not that descriptive.  The themes usually tend to be the typical the good win over the bad or the weak overcome the stronger.


Big Question:  What stories have you heard in your family like these?

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

dePaola, T.  (1988).  The legend of the Indian Paintbrush.  New York:  Scholastic.

"No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with the other boys who were always riding, running, shooting their bows, and wrestling to prove their strength" (p. 1).  How many of us can relate to Little Gopher?  I sure can!  Many students go through school being the one looked over for games because of their size or lack of strength or speed.  I was always one of those.  Many students wonder what their special skill is.  


In this multicultural children's picture book, we see the world as Little Gopher sees it.  After being left out for so long, he is told he has a special gift - artistic talent.  He has to use that talent that he has been given to tell the story of his people.  Intertwined with the Native American way of life is also traditional literature - the legend.  Native Americans, as part of their culture, often have stories that explain the origin of some element in the natural world.  Combining the the two types of literature into one. dePaola creates a powerful story that warms the heart.  Little Gopher discovers his talents and realizes the shaman in right.  Everyone has a purpose.  Not everyone is meant to be a warrior.  Through Little Gopher, the legend of the Indian Paintbrush is told.  The Indian Paintbrush is a wildflower that is commonly found out west.


The book includes many aspects of the Native American culture.  We read about the ritual of becoming a man and guiding visions.  We also read about how Native Americans create their stories for others to see or hear.  This way, the stories are passed from one generation to the next.  The book has a progressive plot that follows Little Gopher as a young child until he becomes a man.  The colors used by dePaola compliment the book exceptionally well.  Most of the pages contain more neutral shades with darker reds, blues, browns, etc.  Because Little Gopher wants to paint the sunset so badly, the only pages that have the brighter colors are the ones that deal with the sunset.  All of his paintings looked "dull and dark" (p. 20).... until he found what he was looking for.


Text to Self:  See first paragraph


Big Question:  What has made you feel like you weren't as good as someone else?