July 2016 – Unleashing Readers

Author Guest Post!: “Jackie Robinson Overcomes” by Geoff Griffen, Author of Brooklyn Bat Boy

July 31, 2016 by Ricki

“Jackie Robinson Overcomes”

When Jackie Robinson took the field as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, he not only changed baseball, he changed American history. We justly remember him as a civil rights pioneer who integrated Major League Baseball, but his remarkable story also touches on a number of topics middle grade readers will find interesting, timely and relevant to their own lives.

As a former sportswriter who now teaches at the elementary school level, I wanted to find a way to communicate what can be positive about sports to middle grade readers. The answer was obvious – the Jackie Robinson story. As I researched my book, Brooklyn Bat Boy, historical fiction about Robinson’s 1947 season told through the eyes of the Dodgers 12-year-old bat boy, I was reminded of how important Robinson’s legacy is in a variety of ways.

In developing curriculum to go with the book, I tried to focus on how the Jackie Robinson story is interesting to middle grade students because it has a hero, good triumphs over evil, there is a day of celebration, his story has relevance to things still happening today and the story can be used to teach about bullying, friendship and teamwork. Best of all – it’s got baseball!

A Hero To Root For

Kids love heroes and Jackie Robinson is a classic example of what it means to be a hero. He faced an incredibly difficult situation and through courage and determination emerged victorious while also helping to make the world a better place. His story is historically important on a number of levels.

He changed an American institution in 1947, years before the Civil Rights milestones of the 1950s and 60s. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said of Robinson, “He was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides.”

When releasing his documentary Jackie Robinson, in the spring of 2016, filmmaker Ken Burns said of Robinson, “I would argue that he is the most important person in the history of American sports and he is one of the greatest Americans who’s ever lived – period.”

Good wins! Good wins!

The Jackie Robinson story is one of integration overcoming segregation, diversity overcoming racism, acceptance overcoming bias, one season of change overcoming decades of stubbornness, one man’s determination overcoming a chorus of doubters. It was a time when America made a positive change for the better. In short, it’s a feel-good story where kids will find themselves rooting for Jackie Robinson.

April 15

Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day every year on April 15. Every player on every team wears a jersey with the number “42” – the number Robinson wore with the Dodgers. It’s also the only day to see anyone in a “42” jersey because the number has been retired for all teams in MLB, something that has never been done for any other player.

It’s always fun for students to be able to build towards a special day that relates to what they are studying, and Jackie Robinson Day makes for a fun goal date. It’s also a great day to schedule a special activities or events.

From 1947 to 2016

While things have improved significantly in American race relations since 1947, any glance at the news of today will show that there is still plenty of work to be done, and there are still lessons to be learned from the Jackie Robinson story as we move forward. Elementary school students will vary in their ability to understand today’s events or their own attitudes about diversity, but learning about someone who dealt with these issues before can give them a way into understanding their own feelings and views.

Bullies, Buddies and Teammates

Any definition of bullying can be applied to what Jackie Robinson went through. In 1947, he withstood racial epithets, death threats and pitchers throwing at him, yet still found a way to show courage and earn respect without resorting to violence. While middle grade readers might not understand how his actions set a template for non-violent resistance in the Civil Rights Movement in coming decades, they will definitely be able to understand how fans, opposing players and even teammates who initially opposed Robinson came to cheer him. Many things that he went through can create great discussion moments in the classroom about bullying, the effects bullying has on other people, ways to help stop bullying, what it means to be a friend and what it means to work as a team.

By the Way, There’s Baseball

Did I mention baseball? It’s more enjoyable to study any subject when you add baseball to the mix.

Jackie Robinson is not only a pivotal figure in American history, he is also a hero whose story can still have relevance and meaning for children today.

About the Author:

Geoff Griffin has worked as a teacher, lawyer, journalist and editor. He has over 20 years of experience writing for a variety of newspapers and magazines. He has had a number of essays published in anthologies and is co-host of the award-winning Travel Brigade Radio Show and Podcast. Brooklyn Bat Boy is Griffin’s first work of fiction.

Brooklyn Bat Boy

About the Book:

Bobby Kelly is a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who loves playing stickball in the street with his friends and cheering for the Dodgers. Bobby’s dream of being part of the Dodgers comes true in 1947 when he lands the job of bat boy for the team. There’s just one thing Bobby’s not sure about. The Dodgers are planning to do something that has never been done before. An African-American named Jackie Robinson will be playing for Brooklyn. Bobby isn’t sure how to feel about it, especially since members of his family and kids in his neighborhood don’t like the idea. In order to truly become part of the Dodgers, Bobby will have to learn to accept Robinson as a member of the team and learn from his example. This fictional story looks at an important point in baseball history from a young person’s perspective and highlights the time period, including using popular slang from the East Coast in the 1940s.

Thank you, Geoff, for this post! We love baseball and had so much fun reading it!

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Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke

July 29, 2016 by Kellee

Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures
Author and Illustrator: Deborah Zemke
Published March 8th, 2016 by Dial Books

Summary: Bea Garcia is an artist. She draws anywhere and everywhere—but mostly in her own notebook. When Bea’s first and only best friend Yvonne moves to Australia, not even drawing makes Bea feel better. And things only get worse when a loud, rambunctious boy moves in next door. He’s nothing at all like Yvonne! But with a little imagination and a whole lot of doodles, Bea Garcia might just make a new friend.

This first book in a brand-new chapter book series is a must-read for doodlers everywhere.

Review: I am loving learning more about early middle grade books, and Bea Garcia is going to be a protagonist that will be welcomed in this group of books. Bea will join forces with so many strong girls that 4th through 6th graders can read about. What I love about Bea’s story is that it is one that so many readers will relate to. She deals with losing a best friend and a bully moving into her classroom and neighborhood. She also has a supportive and real family that will reflect many families out there. Also, I loved Deborah Zemke’s illustrations throughout. They really brought Bea’s personality, dreams, and thoughts.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Bea’s story will be one that can be used to start so many discussions while being read aloud. It is a perfect story to discuss different types of people, bullying, friendship, school, etc. Also, I think it would be interesting to discuss the addition of illustrations and even voice with students. One idea would be to read aloud part of the story without showing the illustrations and discuss how the illustrations help the story and how Bea’s voice is crafted.

Discussion Questions: Bea uses drawing to think through her emotions. What do you use to help think through your emotions?; What would have been a different way that Bea could have dealt with Bert?; Is there a time that you lost a best friend? How did you deal with it?; How would Bea’s story have been different without illustrations?

Flagged Passages: “We played together at recess and after school, on weekends and vacations, running back and forth in the backyards from my house to her house.

One winter day, we rolled a snowball from her yard to mine and back a hundred times until it was the biggest snowball in the world. Then we turned the snowball into a giant Snow Kitty.

I don’t think Sophie liked Snow Kitty.

When it was warm, we played in the crabapple tree that was just the right size for us to climb.

It was a magic tree.” (p. 20-21)

Read This If You Loved: Amelia’s Notebook series by Marissa Moss, Popularity Papers series by Amy Ignatow, Mackenzie Blue series by Tina Wells, Middle School series by Jenni L. Holm

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Deborah for providing the book for review!**

The Dino Files: A Mysterious Egg by Stacy McAnulty

August 18, 2016July 28, 2016 by Ricki

The Dino Files #1: A Mysterious Egg
Author: Stacy McAnulty
Illustrator: Mike Boldt
Published: January 19, 2016 by Random House Kids

Summary: What if a fossil in your backyard . . . came to life?!

Frank’s grandma is a famous paleontologist (that’s a dinosaur scientist). But she’s also an adult who makes up rules. Rules like: no digging for dinosaur bones when you have a sunburn. That means Frank is stuck playing inside with his annoying cousin, Samantha. But then Grandma finds a fossil of an egg! And when Frank and Sam sneak into the dino lab late at night, they find something even more amazing. . . .

The hilarious Dino Files chapter book series follows a nine-year-old dinosaur expert, his paleontologist grandparents, a cat named Saurus, and fossils that might not be so extinct!

About the Author: Stacy McAnulty is the author of several children’s books including Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach; The Dino Files series, illustrated by Mike Boldt; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. Stacy grew up outside of Albany, New York and received my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University at Buffalo. A career opportunity brought her to central North Carolina in 1998. She currently lives in Kernersville, NC with her husband, their three children and two dogs.

Also, Stacy offers FREE Skype interviews and signed bookmarks to any class reading The Dino Files!

Ricki’s Review: This is a hilariously fun series that is sure to be a hit in classrooms. I see it working best in grades 1-4. As a child, I was disappointed when my chapter books no longer had pictures, and this book is a great transitional book because it has the best of both worlds—a great story and pictures to go along with it! Frank reminds me of many kids. He is frustrated by all of the rules set out for him, and he just wants to have fun. He manages to sneak around a bit and something awesome happens with that dinosaur egg (I’ll let you guess)! I also want to put in a plug for the fact that Frank is a cat lover. My son loves cats, and I hate how books/shows always feature males as dog lovers and females as cat lovers. I loved Saurus the cat!

Kellee’s Review: I plowed through this and the sequel because I loved the premise and the characters so much! I love that Frank and Sam represent such different types of kids within each of them and between each of them; I think so many readers will relate to their personalities. I also really liked how dinosaurs are introduced throughout the book without making the book didactical in any way. Instead it is educational and funny! This series is a wonderful introduction to early chapter books also because it is very engaging and will appeal to all kinds of readers.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This book is a great jump start to researching about dinosaurs! I know a lot of early elementary schools have a big dinosaur unit, and I think this book would appeal to readers of all ages. The book might also work well for a fossil unit, too! It would be interesting to investigate whether it would be possible to hatch a fossilized dino egg. Then, the class could have a discussion about whether this book might be considered realistic fiction or fantasy. Further activities and information is available at: www.thedinofiles.com.

Discussion Questions: What good choices does Frank make? What bad choices does he make? What are the outcomes of his choices?; What words would you use to describe Frank? How is he different or similar to you?; What rules is Frank forced to follow? Do you think these rules are fair?; How do the illustrations enhance your reading experience?

Flagged Passage: “I need to be at that dig site! Instead, I’m stuck inside the museum with PopPop. The good thing is I got my own name tag. Finally.”

Read This If You Loved: Dinosaur Cove by Rex Stone; Dinosaur Trouble by Dick King Smith; Dinosaur Pox by Jeremy Strong

Recommended For:

Check Out the Other Books in the Series!:

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**Thank you to Stacy for providing copies for review!!**

Blog Tour with Reviews and Giveaway!: Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari

July 27, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Coyote Moon
Author: Maria Gianferrari
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
Published July 19th, 2016 by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: A howl in the night.
A watchful eye in the darkness.
A flutter of movement among the trees.
Coyotes.

In the dark of the night, a mother coyote stalks prey to feed her hungry pups. Her hunt takes her through a suburban town, where she encounters a mouse, a rabbit, a flock of angry geese, and finally an unsuspecting turkey on the library lawn

POUNCE!

Perhaps Coyote’s family won’t go hungry today.

About the Author: Maria writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. Maria’s debut picture book, Penny & Jelly: The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder, was released in July 2015 (HMH Books for Young Readers); a companion book, Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, was released in mid-June. Her debut nonfiction book, Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, will be published by Roaring Brook Press in July and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. In October, Aladdin Books for Young Readers will publish another fiction title, Officer Katz & Houndini: A Tale of Two Tails, illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou. Maria has five additional books forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press, Boyds Mills Press and GP Putnam’s Sons. To learn more about Maria, visit her at mariagianferrari.com on Facebook or Instagram.

Kellee’s Review: I love how this piece of narrative nonfiction is told. Although it is in third person (for most of the book), it gets the reader into the head of the coyote. It takes the reader on her nightly hunt for survival, and the suspense of the hunt is palpable. In addition to the fantastic way the story is told, the realistic and beautiful illustrations bring everything to life.

Ricki’s Review: The beautiful cover of this book reflects the mysterious, dark illustrations that will surely lure readers. I loved how the book is written in the narrative nonfiction style. I was learning about coyotes but enjoying this information through a captivating story. This is a book that will most certainly appeal to students. I can imagine a group of kids, listening to this book with wide eyes. I think it will inspire them to want to know even more about this majestic creature.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: There are a few different ways that this text could be considered in the classroom. First, it is an interesting text to discuss point of view choices specifically because this book is told in third AND Second point of view. Also, this book could be the jumping off point for a student who wants to learn more about coyotes. Finally, Coyote Moon would be a perfect writing mentor text. Students could research their own animal then tell their animal’s story in a very detailed and similar way or with a different point of view choice.

Discussion Questions: How do the young coyotes survive while their mother is away?; What are some survival techniques that the prey use to escape from the coyote’s grasp?; What writing choices did the author make to help the reader become more involved in the story?; What point of view is the text in?; Is this text nonfiction or fiction?;

Flagged Passages:

Coyote Moon Spread — From http://us.macmillan.com/coyotemoon-1/mariagianferrari

Read This If You Loved: Frozen Wild: How Animals Survive in the Coldest Places on Earth by Jim Arnosky, Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber, When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson, Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins,

Recommended For:

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t miss out on the other stops on the COYOTE MOON blog tour!

FRI 7/15:                   Pragmatic Mom
MON 7/18:                 Nonfiction Detectives
TUES 7/19:                Debtastic Reads
WED 7/20:                 Kid Lit Frenzy
THURS 7/21:              Librarian’s Quest
FRI 7/22:                   Kidlit411
MON 7/25:                 The Reading Zone
TUES 7/26:                Bartography
WED 7/27:                 Unleashing Readers

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**Thank you to Maria for providing copies for review!
And thank you to Roaring Book Press for providing a copy for giveaway!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Things Books Have Made Us Want To Learn More About

August 4, 2016July 26, 2016 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Ten Things Books Have Made Us Want To Learn More About

These books sent us on a researching rampage!

Ricki

1. Immigration

Inspired after reading The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu

After reading this book, I realized how much I didn’t know about undocumented immigrants and their struggles. Since then, I’ve read a few other books and scoured the internet to read more about policy.

2. Lesser Known Stories from WWII

Inspired by Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys and Hidden Like Anne Frank by Marcel Prins and Peter Steehuis

These two books made me aware that there are common war stories, and I have begun to actively seek out other stories that may have been just as common but not popularized in literature.

3. Disability’s Portrayal in Society and Literature

Inspired by: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

While I read this book several years ago (when it came out), I still think that it was the turning point that I began to research disability more often. It opened my eyes to a world I was not aware enough of, and for that, I am very grateful.

4. Cultural Literacy (and why I don’t advocate for this theory)

Inspired by: Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

I respect the passion and the position that Hirsch has, but after reading this book, I decided it was not a philosophy for me (see the post linked above for more about this). I like how he made me think critically and research this topic further. It was interesting to learn more about why scholars support it.

5. Better Ways to Teach for Social Action

Inspired by: Black Ants and Buddhists by Mary Cowhey

In her book, Cowhey critiques the typical ways that teachers think they are moving their students toward social action. She says it is not enough to do a recycling program. At first, I thought this was critical (and I still feel that a recycling program is helpful!). Then, I began to consider—How can we do more than this?

Kellee

I focused on nonfiction texts that I had read that caused me to jump on Google as soon as I was done reading them (or even while reading them!).

1. The Mary Celeste

Inspired by Unsolved Mysteries in History: The Mary Celeste by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

I am overall fascinated with unsolved mysteries. I am a person that likes to get answers, so an unsolved mystery is so baffling to me that I must go learn everything about it. And in addition, this is a mystery from history that is still not solved. Although there are four books in the series (Salem, Roanoke, and the Wolf Girls), this was the one that really got me reading. If you don’t know about the Mary Celeste mystery, grab this book and then get Googling!

2. Synesthesia

Inspired by The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock and The Girl Who Heard Colors by Marie Harris

I am a fan of Kandinsky’s work, but I had not known where his style or change in art movement came from, so I was very interested in learning about it; however, I didn’t know that synesthesia would be the answer! What a fascinating neurological phenomenon! After sharing how interested I was in it, a friend recommended Harris’s book, and I love how she shows the reader about the phenomena.

3. Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Inspired by Plastics Ahoy! by Patricia Newman

I try to live a Green lifestyle, and environmental issues is one of my top three issues when I am looking at politics, but I had not realized how bad the pollution had gotten. This book put that in perspective, and I found myself looking to talk to everyone about this.

4. The Family Romanov

Inspired by The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming

I remember when the movie “Anastasia” came out, I became a bit obsessed with the story of the missing princess, so when Fleming wrote The Family Romanov, I knew I was going to have to read it. First, I must say that “Anastasia” was way off of the true story (I rewatched it after reading the book), but there are still mysteries and horrors revolving the Romanov family. During and after reading, I found myself reading more information about events mentioned in Fleming’s book and looking for photographs of places, people, and events.

5. Civil Rights Movement

Inspired by many amazing books about the Civil Rights Movement

Reading about this tumultuous and important time in history helps me understand the story, history, and plight of my fellow Americans. I am always interested in learning more about this part of history because I believe it will help us in our modern situations.

What have you inspired to learn more about?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/25/16

July 25, 2016 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Books Set Outside the United States

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo

Thursday: My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Journey Trilogy by Aaron Backer

GIVEAWAY open until Thursday!!

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Teaching Was a Lot More Than Following a Lesson Plan” by P. E. Yudkoff, Author of Packing Evil

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I have had a reading-tastic two weeks! One of the things I love the most about vacations are the amount of reading time I get!

On the plane to DC, I was able to read these three chapter books, and I am looking forward to reviewing them this week 🙂

Once I was in DC, while Jim was at his conference, I went to Kramerbooks & Afterwords which is not only a very lovely independent book store, but it is a bar and restaurant as well. While there, I chatted with patrons and workers and read the above picture books. All ones that I had been looking forward to reading for a while. All of them were so good!

I loved to finally read the sequels of Red and The Day the Crayons Quit. They were both very different than the first ones. Almost more fun than philosophical, but both are definitely 5 star reads.

The Book with no Pictures and This is not a Picture Book would be perfect read aloud and discussion companions.

Both Flora and the Peacocks and The Night Gardener are so visually beautiful! While Thunder Boy, Jr. is so thought provoking.

Adam Rubin is quickly becoming a favorite silly picture book author, and Robo-Sauce and Secret Pizza Party are just as much fun as Dragons Love Tacos. Super Jumbo is another fun one to add to the list! All three have good messages also.

Finally, I had the guts to pick up The Thank You Book. The final Elephant & Piggie book. I am so sad that E&P are over. They are perfect picture books, and the finale was the perfect final book for them.

I also was able to read these 4 books while there. These were four very different books, but all good in their own right:

Jo Knowles’s Still a Work in Progress is a perfect addition to middle grade realistic fiction! I will definitely be reviewing this one further for you all.

Both Where are You Going Baby Lincoln? may be my favorite Deckawoo Drive books. Baby Lincoln has been a secondary character who hasn’t yet been able to share her voice; however, DiCamillo changes that with this book when she finally stands up to Eugenia and goes on a journey. A Necessary Journey.

Juana & Lucas is a early chapter book that takes place in Columbia and is a wonderful diverse addition.

Emma G Loves Boyz is going to be loved in my classroom library. It is a book written for my boy-obsessed middle school girls.

On the plane from DC to Orlando then the 10 hour drive to Baton Rouge (to visit my parents), I finished these four books. Wow. I don’t know if I could find four different books to read in less than 24 hours:

Lucy & Andy Neanderthal is an interesting new graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown, the author of Jedi Academy. It is a mix of humorous Neanderthal adventures with scientific facts about Neanderthals.

Risking Exposure is one that I cannot wait to review and share more about. It is an interesting and different look at Hitler Youth.

The Pirate Pig is another fun early chapter book with a, as the title suggests, a pirate pig. Julie, the pig, can find treasure and is in danger of being kidnapped by those that want to take advantage of her.

Through the Woods is a weirdly, creepy, odd yet beautiful horror, short story graphic novel anthology. Fans of Scary Stories will enjoy these.

While we were in Baton Rouge, we couldn’t bring all of Trent’s books (and for some reason he has not wanted to read the ones he did decide to bring), so thankfully iPads have some really great book apps. Trent loves The Monster at the End of this Book and Another Monster at the End of This Book apps (they are interactive and Grover/Grover & Elmo read to you) and the Disney book apes (Storytime & Story Central).

In Baton Rouge, I had a lot less time to read as we were quite busy and Trent was clinging to me like a marsupial (that is what I get for going away fro 5 days), so I only finished The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days is our faculty book club’s second summer selection, and it is a perfect summer read! I love the message of good winning in the end! This book will be a great read for middle schoolers, especially those trying to fit in or deciding how to proceed as a teenager.

Ricki

My husband is preparing the house for the new baby this week (bolting furniture, painting, etc.). So I am whisking the toddler away with relatives and won’t have internet access this Sunday or Monday. I hope to have some good updates for you!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I brought a huge bag of books with me to Baton Rouge to read, and since I didn’t get to any of them, I am going to choose one from there.

I did start Be Light Like a Bird which is a book of grief. I hope it gets happier or at least has some closure because it is super sad and a mess right now.

Ricki

On a positive note, Henry and I have reached Chapter Six of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I am in utter disbelief that he is allowing me to read a chapter book to him each night and am crossing my fingers that we can make it until the end! I’d appreciate any suggestions of similar chapter books (a couple of pictures here and there and consistently short, 4-5 page chapters). I would love to keep the chapter book trend going after we finish this one! I am hoping for a book that isn’t an early/easy reader but is similar to The Tale of Despereaux.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Things Books Have Made Us Want To Learn More About

Wednesday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!: Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari

Thursday: The Dino Files: A Mysterious Egg by Stacy McAnulty

Friday: Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

So, what are you reading?

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

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Author Guest Post!: “Teaching Was a Lot More Than Following a Lesson Plan” by P. E. Yudkoff, Author of Packing Evil

July 24, 2016 by Ricki

“Teaching Was a Lot More Than Following a Lesson Plan”

My experience as a teacher only spans forty-five minutes. In the spring of my senior year of high school at the end of a long, lazy lunch period I heard my named called in that firm voice of Mr. Hutchins that made everything he said sound like a command. He asked if I were free during the next period “to help him out.” As I said, everything he ever said to me sounded like an order, and this time was no different. So, I was free regardless of the fact I was going to meet up with friends.

The help I was to render was to take charge of a 7th grade English class. The teacher had been called away for reasons that were never disclosed to me, and I was instructed to follow the day’s lesson plan and keep the students in their seats. From the tone of Mr. Hutchins’ voice I gathered that keeping my charges in their seats was of paramount importance. “Just follow the lesson plan. Have them read the story, then go through the discussion points. And take attendance.” He handed me a folder. Inside, a dozen mimeographed sheets (in fast fading blue ink), and one typed page with ten or so questions.

Introductions were simple. I told the class who I was. They each told me their name.

Taking attendance was easy. I passed around a sheet of paper for them to sign.

Then it all went downhill.

I handed out the mimeographed story about a boy rushing through his chores so he could go to the county fair. Somewhere along the way he didn’t latch a gate and a cow (or maybe it was a goat) wandered out and devoured the neighbor’s garden. His time at the fair is ruined by a run-in with a bully, but fortune smiles on the boy when he learns that none other than the bully is blamed for the unlatched gate. Of course, the boy takes responsibility for the roaming cow and transforms the bully into a friend.

I asked the class to read the story. Within seconds one kid calls out he’s already read it, half the class groans and ask why they have to read anything since their “real” teacher isn’t there, and the other half is silent, either staring out the window or at the floor.

I wouldn’t call the next forty minutes a nightmare. Tiring, exasperating, difficult, chaotic all come to mind now. Even so, I did give it the old high school try and blundered on with the lesson plan. (I must admit I quickly gave up on keeping them in their seats. Two boys ended up perching on the heating registers.)

It quickly became apparent that the interest level, reading skill level, conversational skill level, and wakefulness level were as varied as the number of kids in the class. Nothing I could do or say could keep the entire class focused on the lesson plan. The only one who was learning anything related to English class was me: I now fully grasped the meaning of the idiom herding cats.

Despairing how I was going to get through the entire period, and nervous that Mr. Hutchins might pop in, I finally caught a break when one boy loudly called out that the protagonist was an idiot for letting the bully off the hook. I asked if anyone else agreed. They all answered in the affirmative. Even the silent ones! This was a straw I had to grasp. Remembering a long ago assignment (I think it was 6th grade with Mr. Cain.), I proposed we write a different ending to the story. To my surprise they liked this idea and after some discussion it was resolved that we would reverse much of the story. I wrote a sentence on the chalk board and invited a boy up to rewrite it, changing verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs as he saw fit.

Of course, the class was noisy, and a bit disorderly, as students took turns rewriting sentences with the help of their classmates. But they were engaged. I think we got through four or five sentences. I did have one moment of actual teaching when I pulled off the shelf a Roget’s Thesaurus and instructed the boys how to navigate it to find antonyms.

After class I returned the folder with the attendance sheet to Mr. Hutchins. He thanked me. I should have thanked him. Even though I had already been a student for more than a dozen years, I learned that day that teaching was a lot more than following a lesson plan.

About the Author: P. E. Yudkoff is the author of The Kylxon Chronicles. When he is not writing he is often tinkering with animation or creating designs for 3D printing. Away from the computer Yudkoff enjoys a good hands-on building project or a leisurely walk with the family dog, Josie. Visit his website at: peyudkoff.com

Packing Evil

About the Book: Thirteen-year-old Pack’s world is turned upside down when he discovers an old pair of shoes that magically makes him very smart. But Pack begins to suspect there’s more to the shoes than increased brainpower. Soon, voices pop into his head offering all kinds of advice. Some of it helpful and some of it very dangerous, but none explaining what they’re doing in his head. When a neighbor mysteriously disappears, suspecting foul play Pack and his best friend, Sydney, start to investigate. Pack’s new skills and power come in handy, but soon the magic reveals a vile side. Sydney fears the changes she sees in her friend as he strays down a villainous path. But Sydney’s a tough girl, and she’s not giving up her best buddy to a ratty pair of weird, old shoes without a fight!

Giveaway for Packing Evil!: http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2016/07/packing-evil-book-one-in-the-kylxon-chronicles-book-giveaway.html/

Book Trailer:

Thank you, P. E., for this post! We had a lot of fun reading about your teaching experience!

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