It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?!

This week I started my new reading challenge. When I went to the library, I found this awesome collection of classic Disney books so I am going to be working through that for the next couple weeks.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

In Snow White, does the Queen say “Mirror, Mirror” or “Magic Mirror”? If you said “Mirror, Mirror”, you must referring to the 1937 movie. The book however says, “Magic Mirror”. I know, I was surprised too. This book is a classic and I think it is great for the classroom because it is the very first Disney princess, who doesn’t love it?

Pinocchio

This story is different than Snow White because it has a message other than True Love. As you all probably know, Pinocchio cannot lie because if he does his nose will grow longer and longer. This is a great message to not lie or else you will get caught. That’s what my parents always told me Pinocchio was about.

The Adventures of Mr. Toad

This is a Disney story I’ve never heard of but it was very funny! I really liked that the story has so much depth. This story would be pretty good to read as a group project because there are so many different layers to it.

Bambi

Bambi is a cute little story that would be great for any class scenario. If I were to use this in my classroom, I would focus on the characters because there are so many of them and they have unique personalities that connect to the story.

The Flying Car

This story was different because of the illustrations. Unlike the last four, these are pretty realistic. The details in the face and outfits make this story stand out. The story about the professor and Charlie opens up the Disney world to kid other than just fairytales.

Middle Level

Right now I am working on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I can say this book has been hilarious so far and I should be done by next Monday!

Until next time,

-Rachel

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Reading Challenge Check-In

 

Image by christyane QUAN-KESSLER

A couple weeks ago, I set a reading challenge to read 5 picture books and 2 middle level books a week. This challenge is going okay. I have been able to meet the goal every week since I have set it so I suppose that is a good thing! The problem is, I am not reading the middle level books that I want to teach. These two books a week are pretty small books and are things my students would read but I would not teach. Another challenge that I have faced is this readings take me more than four hours to do so throughout the week, I have read for about 7/8 hours. This is not a bad thing but I found this to start to interfere with my other classes and their readings. So based on these reason, I want to change my reading goal.

 

I’ve thought about this for a little while about how I would want to change it but incorporate it in both elementary and middle grades. I decided to keep my 5 picture books a week because those are not very time consuming and I am finding a huge variety of books! The problem stands with the middle level books. I decided to choose one “big” book to read over 2 weeks. So my plan is to read a different books every two weeks. Since I will not finish it by the Monday post, I am going to have my middle level section be a check-in section about what has happened and my thoughts of the book so far. At the end of two weeks, I will talk about my final thoughts of the book and my plans on using the book in the classroom. These can include project ideas I want my students to do, or if we are going to read the book together, or if I am going to read it to them completely. I think this will equal my 4 hours a week if I span the middle level book across two weeks.

Until next time,

-Rachel

Its Monday! What Are You Reading?!

This week, I continued my reading challenge. However, these ones I read online so I will include pictures of each individual book.  *All images used are from GoodReads*

Elementary: Dr. Seuss Week!

Since these books are so popular, I am just going to give my opinions on them; no description!

The Cat in The Hat

Going back and reading this book makes me realize why I love Dr. Seuss. The rhyme pattern makes it a quick read and a fun one. I alway think that reading Dr. Seuss book aloud really makes them sound the best. 9/10

Green Eggs and Ham

The classic message of “Don’t knock it, till you try it”. The crazy green eggs and ham make for a great story and maybe a chance to have your class try them out for themselves! 10/10

 

 

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go! is great because the pep talk type of story. “With your heads full of brains and shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to do down some not so good street.”, I think this would be a great motivational book for any age! 10/10

Horton Hears a Who!

Horton is one of the most memorable character of all Dr. Seuss books and it is easy to see why. The sweet Horton and his mission makes for a great story that will touch everyone’s hearts. 10/10

 

 

The Lorax

Again, the Lorax is one of the most memorable character of the Seuss books. The Lorax tackles a lot of issues from Friendship to Saving Nature, it is great for all ages. 9/10

Middle Level:

Can You Get an F in Lunch? by Nancy Krulik

This book is the first in the series and it was definitely interesting to say the least. The story was not very interesting to me, it was basically about a young girl that goes into middle school for the first time and her struggles. I think this would be a good book for someone who has not gone into middle school before but anyone after would probably think about the same as me. 3/10

 

Frindle by Andrew Clements

My first impression of Frindle was that this was the name of the main character but I was wrong! Frindle is a prank made by Nick Allen where he called a pen the Frindle. The story then follows Nick and his struggle because everyone wants the Frindle! This book was pretty fun to read. It was quick and fun! 8/10

Until Next Time,

-Rachel

It’s Monday! (Kind of) What Are You Reading?!

This week I continued with my reading challenge.

Elementary:

Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli

This book was a pretty cute story about a young girl that just wants ONE MORE! This book was a very simple read and could be used for almost any age. I would give it 6/10 because the story is very simple.

The Great Aaa-ooo by Jonny Lambert

This book is a mystery on who did the great aaa-ooo. The characters of the story are animals not humans so it gives a different perspective from the other books I read today. Overall, the illustrations were pretty basic and not very exciting so for that I would give a 5/10.

The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills

This book was a little too sad for my taste but it has a great message. The story is about Minna who get a coat made of scrape cloth from The Quilting Mothers. Minna is bullied at school because of the coat but Minna does something very heartwarming that you need to read it to get the full affect! 8/10

David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon

In this book, David gets in trouble but the reason why or how he got in trouble make the book worth the read. It was a fun, lighthearted read that I would recommend to any teacher for any grade! 9/10

No! No! No! by Anne Rockwell

This book follows a young boy that goes though a lot of bad things during the day. However, at the end of it all, mother always has a solution to every bad thing that happened. I thought this was very cute and quick to read. 7/10

Middle Level:

There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar

This book follows Bradley who does not get along with his classmate but does get along with Carla, the school counselor. The school then decides to let Carla go and the story shows Bradley’s struggles without Carla. This book was pretty interesting, the title is a little misleading but overall it was okay. 5/10

The Islander by Cynthia Rylant

This story follows David who lives with his Grandpa on an island. David meets a mermaid and a sea otter. The sea otter give him a key and David goes on exploring the mysteries of the island and his grandfather. This book was okay as well, I would not use this book to teach in class because it was something I did not find incredibly interesting. 5/10

 

Until next time,

-Rachel

Book Beginnings on Fridays

From There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar

“Bradley Chalkers sat at his desk in the back of the room– last seat, last row. No one sat at the desk next to him or at the one in from of him. He was an island.”

My first impression is that this is going to be about something sad. A kid isolated from the rest of the class is something I see as sad. Since Bradley is the first character introduced, it is safe to say that he is going to be the protagonist in this story. Based off the cover, I picture a middle school aged boy in a classroom with not many students.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?!

This week I continued with my reading challenge.

Elementary:

I’m Not Cute by Jonathan Allen

This book was a joy to read. I think it perfectly captures the mind set of kids. I know some kids that absolutely hate being called cute and this is just the mindset of baby owl. The ending is so accurate as well. I would give this about a 7/10 because it was a good book but there was nothing very exciting about it.

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta

This book was different from anything else I’ve read. This book has such dark illustrations and cover that I thought it was a scary book. I was corrected and surprised. The book follows a little boy who is on a mission at nighttime but gets stopped by his mother and is forced to go to bed. This would be a perfect bedtime story but not so much in the classroom. For this reason, I would give it a 6/10.

If You’re a Monster and You Know It by Ed Emberley and Rebecca Emberley

This book would be perfect for an interactive activity for younger students. The entire book is the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” song but replaced with monsters. I would probably never use this book for any sit and read story because there is no real story line to follow. For this reason, I would give it a 4/10 because the uses are limited in my opinion.

Grumblebunny by Bob Hartman

This was my favorite picture book this week because it was so funny. Grumblebunny is about a family of bunnies where three of the bunnies are happy and joyful but one is grumpy and likes to sleep. Well, the bunnies find themselves in a situation and Grumblebunny is the only one who sees the trouble. I would recommend this as a read because it really shows that there is not always good in everything. 9/10

Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks

I picked this book because I thought it would be scary so I would have a pick for Halloween. Well, I was wrong. This sweet spider just wanted to have a family and this book shows the steps he goes through in order to become part of the family. I thought it was very sweet and had a funny ending. 8/10.

Middle Level:

The BFG by Roald Dahl

This book was very quick and easy to read. I would recommend this book as a classroom book. If you haven’t already, check out my Thursday Quotables post for a little more in about the book! 8/10.

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

This is a classic book and one I’ve seen used in many classrooms. This is one that I plan to use in my own classroom because it is great for discussions and projects. Plus, we can watch a movie at the end and compare the two! 9/10.

Thursday Quotables

This week, I have been making my way through The BFG by Roald Dahl. Here are some quotes I liked the most. I based my picks off if they were cool to be and if they can be used in life.

“Two rights don’t equal a left.”

“Words,” he said, “is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life.”

“Meanings is not important, said the BFG. I cannot be right all the time. Quite often I is left instead of right.”

“Let your love out.”

“Human beans is the only animals that is killing their own kind.”

Dreams are full of mystery and magic… Do not try to understand them.”

These are just a couple of my favorite quotes from The BFG. If anyone else has read it, please share your thoughts!

Until next time,

-Rachel

 

 

Its Monday! What Are You Reading?!

This week was the beginning of our reading challenges and oh boy, was this week a challenge. For this post, I wanted to split it into two sections, one for the elementary books I read and one for the middle school books I read.

Elementary:

Olivia by Ian Falconer

For me, it was necessary to start with a classic. Olivia is a cute little story that is a joy to read and look at. The story is pretty general to any picture book and there is not a lot of detail to go into because it is such a popular book. I would give it a 7/10 because the story is not very exciting to me.

Bedhead by Margie Palatini

I loved this book! It is hilarious and has so many different things that the reader is able to do with the characters. The story is about a little kid that wakes up with crazy, wild bedhead. At this point, everyone of his family members tries to help him get it under control before he goes to school. I would give this book a 9/10 because it is so funny and the illustrations in it follow right along with the comical theme.

My Closet Threw a Party by Robyn Parnell

This book was pretty good. It is a story about a little girl who’s closet had a party (or her room is just a mess) and tells about each piece of clothing’s experience at the party. The thing I like most about this book is that it is written in a poem format. The rhyme pattern is great and introduces kids to poetry at an early age. For this, I would have to give it an 8/10.

Where’s My Mummy by Carolyn Crimi

Of course since it is October we have to include a Halloween book! Where’s My Mummy is about a little mummy who wants to play hide and seek with his mom/mummy and ends up getting loss. While looking for his mom, he runs into multiple people who are going though their nightly routine. In the end, the little mummy finds mama mummy and they go through their nightly routine and head to bed. This book was adorable to read and the story was perfect for October. 8/10.

Who Broke the Teapot by Bill Salvin

This story is about a mother who is very, VERY upset that her teapot is broken. She goes through everyone and asks WHO BROKE THE TEAPOT?! In the end, we find out who broke the teapot and let’s just say, mother’s are not always right….but they are most of the time. 8/10.

Middle School:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Oh my goodness, this book blew me away. This was a book that had so much hype in it for good reason. The book is about August who had a physical difference and is going to school for the first time. I will just say this, kids are not always nice and this books shows that perfectly. Something interesting is we do not just get August’s point of view but everyone who has connection to him. This story made me cry, smile, and laugh, sometimes at the same time! I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone, especially future teachers. 10/10.

Double Fudge by Judy Blume

On a little lighter note, I also read Double Fudge. Double Fudge is about a boy named Fudge, great name I know. Something I did not know was that it was the 5th book in a series, oops. This book is told through the point of view of Peter, his older brother. In this book, Fudge is obsessed with money and goes though different things and soon learns that money is not the key to happiness. This book was okay, if I was younger I think I would have enjoyed it more. 6/10

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

-Rachel