tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17533362369900690802024-03-05T00:49:33.292-05:00This Shelf Reserved for...whatever seems important at the time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-73635259074453106962013-08-26T19:33:00.001-04:002013-08-26T19:33:51.387-04:00Disabled, not Weak<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCjj1-Hdy0Ck-4ozlIYl24q1kKAJ7wziP2qPKgZYdFlX8PSv1lwytCe285ZHYPOLTRBcVkhyphenhyphen2P5Tf9zhIHog1pZ8hpaMSQ7XlxeJVICpHmgDMR-jIo3avaTT_5fzOGU1z_cRU1Cq8NIA/s1600/Photo+Aug+06,+9+00+02+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCjj1-Hdy0Ck-4ozlIYl24q1kKAJ7wziP2qPKgZYdFlX8PSv1lwytCe285ZHYPOLTRBcVkhyphenhyphen2P5Tf9zhIHog1pZ8hpaMSQ7XlxeJVICpHmgDMR-jIo3avaTT_5fzOGU1z_cRU1Cq8NIA/s400/Photo+Aug+06,+9+00+02+PM.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvms/9600974527/ </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">Middle
school students can be pretty self-absorbed, but my students have also
astonished me with the depths of their compassion for others. It can be
pretty daunting for a 12-year old to start up a conversation with
someone with an obvious disability, but reading fiction written in the voice of the disabled helps build
understanding. For a while, I've noticed a trend in YA and middle
school fiction, main characters with a disability who are strong either
in spite of their physical or mental challenges
or because of the daily challenges they master.<br />
<br />
Last year, our 8th grade reading teacher read <i>Wonder</i> by R.J. Palacio to
all 220 of her students. It took weeks; she only sees them every other
day and she kept their D.E.A.R. time for self-selected reading. August's
wish that people would just treat him like
a regular kid and the tale of his first year in public school mesmerized
the teenagers, and they protested loudly if there was not time to read
each day. <br />
<br />
Selective mutism, a disorder in which a child who is physically capable
of speech is unable to talk in some situations or circumstances, has
shown up in several novels I read this summer for <a href="http://bookbootcamp.blogspot.com/2013/08/awards-for-great-mysteries.html" target="_blank">Book Boot Camp</a>. In <i>
The <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10424929-the-silence-of-murder" target="_blank">Silence of Murder</a></i>, by </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">Dandi Daley Mackall, 18-year old Jeremy, who
has not spoken for nine years, is accused of killing the town's high
school baseball coach. Since he will not speak in his own defense, his
loyal and loving sister, Hope, must find a way to prove his innocence. Selective mutism is also seen in main characters in<i> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16142129-listening-for-lucca" target="_blank">Listening for Lucca</a></i>, </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="st">by Suzanne LaFleur, and </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15793231-if-you-find-me" target="_blank"><i>If You Find Me</i></a>, by Emily Murdoch.<br />
<br />An unusual book on this list is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15985355-viral-nation" target="_blank"><i>Viral Nation</i></a> by Shaunta Grimes. It is a dystopian novel
told in the voice of Clover, who is brilliant and autistic. It is a typical apocalyptic YA novel; a virus wipes out most of the world, a vaccine is
found to save the remnant who have not already
succumbed to the deadly disease, and an authoritarian government/private
company runs society. The twist is that the vaccine came from exactly
two years in the future, and the government keeps the homicide rate down
to zero by executing anyone whose two-years-older
future self commits murder. Another twist is that the only people who
can travel to the future are those who are autistic. I don't think I've
ever read a dystopian science fiction novel with an autistic main
character who travels to the future. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">Our state book award nominees included <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8354134-the-running-dream" target="_blank"><i>The Running Dream</i></a>, by Wendelin Van Draanen, one of my
favorite books this year. Jessica is a track star at her high school,
and she loves to run. When a bus accident necessitates the amputation
of her leg below the knee, Jessica believes her
dream is over. Her perseverance, the kindness of a new friend, a
relationship with a girl with cerebral palsy, and a very understanding
prosthetic designer help her find her way back after the accident. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">In <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16043238-gadget-girl" target="_blank"><i>Gadget Girl</i>: <i>The Art of Being Invisible</i></a>, fourteen-year-old Aiko Cassidy travels with her scupltor mom to Paris for a major exhibition. Aiko has learned how to compensate for her mild cerebral palsy, but she'd just as soon be unnoticed. She creates and prints a Manga comic, but shares it anonymously with her classmates. Her dream is to be a Manga comic artist, and to one day meet her father, an indigo farmer in Japan. What I loved about the novel is the romance between Aiko and a young French waiter she meets in Paris. It was a component that is often missing in books about teens with disabilities. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;"> My final book on this list is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15797693-paperboy" target="_blank"><i>Paperboy</i></a> by
Vince Vawter. The main character is a 12-year old living in Memphis in
1959. The book opens with this attention getting line: "I'm typing
about the stabbing for a good reason. I can't
talk. Without stuttering." The boy stutters so severely that he thinks
about everything before he says it. He plans how to avoid words that
are impossible for him, how to include "Gentle Air," as sort of hissing
between words that makes it easier for him
to speak, and sometimes he just doesn't say anything, because he knows
that the words will not be there for him. During the summer, he is
covering his best friend's paper route and although he enjoys delivering
the paper, he dreads the conversations that
are required for collecting the subscribers' money. Through him, we
meet Mrs. Worthington, whose pretty smile frequently smells like
whiskey, and Mr. Spiro, a merchant marine who collects and reads
literature, and has the sensitivity and takes the time to
get past the boy's disability and become a friend. His most loyal
listener is his family's housekeeper, whom he calls, Mam. It was not
until the last chapter that I learned what the paperboy's name was. It
is too hard for him to say, and he does everything
he can to avoid having to pronounce it out loud. This is a moving
story, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, that made me think about those
students in my school that stutter, whose words fail them when they try
to make their voices heard, and whose audience frequently
tries to guess what they are going to say so that the painful episode
will be over. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><span dir="ltr" style="font-size: 10pt;">I put these titles and more into a poster to share with teachers and students at school. If you are interested in more titles that fit this trend, there's a list at GoodReads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6337.Children_s_Fiction_with_Positive_Images_of_Disability#top" target="_blank">Children's Fiction with Positive Images of Disability</a>. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-7104273535463215862013-07-19T12:53:00.000-04:002013-07-19T12:53:49.289-04:0050 States of Middle Grade LitIt's all Tamara's fault. It usually is.<br />
<br />
After <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/blog/the-united-states-of-ya/" target="_blank">this post from Epic Reads</a> in October of last year, <a href="http://e-literatelibrarian.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-loved-this-post-and-poster-epic-reads.html" target="_blank">my colleague and fellow-trouble maker issued a challenge</a> - create a USA map of <i>middle grade</i> titles with settings in all 50 states. No problem, right? She created a Google spreadsheet and asked her followers to fill it with middle grade titles for each state. Then I told her I'd try to figure out how to get the map created. It has only taken me eight months. I was having trouble figuring out clipping masks in Photoshop Elements. After a great Photoshop class this week provided free of charge by the South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Career and Technology Education, I finally learned how! <br />
<br />
I tried to stick with books that are definitely middle grade, although a few YA titles have slipped in. If I had the option of including a new title over an old one, I usually chose the new one except for <i>The Outsiders</i> and <i>Something Upstairs</i>, which are personal favorites. A complete list of the titles I used is below the map. I'm thinking I could use this as a bulletin board, and have students add other titles to each state. How many states have you read? Can you make it all the way across the USA in middle grade books?<br />
<br />
Since their United States of YA post, <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/forum/read.php?44,1086" target="_blank">Epic Reads has been gathering titles for PLANET YA</a>. I wonder if a world map of YA will be forthcoming. I think I need to keep practicing!<br />
<br />
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/154762504/50-States-of-Middle-Grade-Lit" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View 50 States of Middle Grade Lit on Scribd">50 States of Middle Grade Lit</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/monique_german_1" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Monique German's profile on Scribd">Monique German</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="1.33234859675037" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_12650" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/154762504/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-12scr6ggwn7rjvy3muk8&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Elephant","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 115%;">50
States of Middle Grade Lit</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Alabama – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Alaska – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Touching Spirit Bear </i>by Ben Mikaelsen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Arizona - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weedflower </i>by Cynthia Kadohata</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Arkansas - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fire
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">California – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Crazy Summer </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Rita Williams-Garcia</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Colorado – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The White Gates </i>by Bonnie Ramthun</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Connecticut – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Because of Mr. Terupt </i>by Rob Buyea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Delaware – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable
Girls</i> by Julie Schumacher</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Florida – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chomp </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Carl Hiaasen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Georgia – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kira-kira</i> by Cynthia Kadohata</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Hawaii – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night of the Howling Dogs </i>by Graham
Salisbury</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Idaho – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sledding Hill</i> by Chris Crutcher</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Illinois – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On the Day I Died</i> by Candace Fleming</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Indiana – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Viola in Reel Life</i> by Adriana Trigiani</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Iowa – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Linden Tree </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Ellie Mathews</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Kentucky – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lena</i> by Jacqueline Woodson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Louisiana – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ruined</i> by Paula Morris</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Maine – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Water Castle </i>by Megan Frazer
Blakemore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Maryland – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Journey Back </i>by Priscilla Cummings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Massachusetts – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Million-Dollar Throw</i> by Mike Lupica</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Minnesota – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summer of the Wolves</i> by Polly
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Nebraska – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Nevada – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Northward to the Moon </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Polly Horvath</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">New Hampshire – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love and Leftovers </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Sarah Tregay</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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Lauren Tarshis</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">South Carolina – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beautiful Creatures</i> by Kami Garcia &
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Tennessee – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paperboy</i> by Vince Vawter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Texas – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Illegal</i> by Bettina Restrepo</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Utah – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missing in Action</i> by Dean Hughes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Vermont – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. </i>by Kate
Messner</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Virginia – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jefferson’s Sons</i> by Kimberly Brubaker
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Washington – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The One and Only Ivan</i> by Katherine
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">West Virginia – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Close to Famous</i> by Joan Bauer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Wisconsin – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Came Home</i> by Amy Timberlake</span></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-37718094923667535012013-07-12T11:05:00.000-04:002013-07-12T11:05:14.625-04:002014 Newbery PredictionsLast year I put together a poster for my teachers that included the novels that online reviewers were calling "possibles" for the 2013 Newbery. I hung a copy over the couch in the reading area, and when the Newbery Awards were announced several students rushed to check it out. The winner, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11594337-the-one-and-only-ivan" target="_blank">The One and Only Ivan</a> was on the poster, so were two of the three honorees. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvms/7741318704/in/set-72157630945142048" target="_blank">You can see the poster here.</a><br />
Like many, I was disappointed that <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder?ac=1" target="_blank">Wonder</a> was not on the list of honorees, but I loved The One and Only Ivan, so I got over it. <br />
<br />
Here is this year's 2014 Newbery Prediction poster:<br />
<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/412249444621221889/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-412249444621221889;626328886" width="650" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script><br />
I've used <a href="http://www.thinglink.com/" target="_blank">ThingLink</a> to link each book cover to the Goodreads site for the title. If you hover your mouse over the poster, you will also see links to my sources for the list. <br />
<br />
If you like it, you can <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvms/9267433351" target="_blank">download the poster from Flickr</a>.<br />
<br />
Check out these sites for 2014 Newbery Predictions:<br />
<br />
Goodreads Group: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/16663-mock-newbery-2014" target="_blank">Mock Newbery 2014 Discussion</a><br />
SLJ - <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/03/15/newberycaldecott-2014-the-spring-prediction-edition/" target="_blank">Newbery/Caldecott 2014: The Spring Prediction Edition</a><br />
SLJ - <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/06/17/newberycaldecott-2014-the-summer-prediction-edition/" target="_blank">Newbery/Caldecott 2014: The Summer Prediction Edition</a><br />
ALSC - <a href="http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2013/06/notable-childrens-books-nominees-summer-2013/" target="_blank">Notable Children's Books Nominees</a><br />
<br />
I'm hoping to get a group of students involved in a Mock 2014 Newbery Award project, complete with award viewing via the ALA Mid-Winter Meeting in January 2014. These are the sites I'll be following to as the "possibles" are discussed. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal" target="_blank">SLJ - Heavy Medal - A Mock Newbery Blog</a> - follow this blog from September to January for discussions about "all things Newbery."<br />
<a href="http://abouttomock.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">For Those About to Mock - A Mock Newbery Blog</a><br />
<br />
The fact that a book appears on any of the above lists does not mean that it is even being considered by the committee, but this many teachers and librarians discussing the best in new literature for children provide great titles, even if they are not award winners. <br />
<br />
What 2013 titles would you add to this poster? Which ones have you read that you would not include?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-59517692038973157352013-06-26T17:52:00.002-04:002013-06-26T17:55:13.119-04:00Thank you TASL!As mentioned in <a href="http://thisshelfreserved.blogspot.com/2013/06/tennessee-association-of-school.html" target="_blank">my previous post</a>, The Librarians in the Middle went to Tennessee last week to participate in the Tennessee Association of School Librarians 2013 Summer Co-op. Tamara, Kristen, and I were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of the professionals who were in attendance, and were blessed with smooth sailing (well, driving) the entire week.<br />
<br />
Karen Haggard, the brave soul in charge of putting this show together, did a great job of arranging venues, ordering lunches, coordinating for technology, scheduling presentations, and making sure that the three of us were comfortable in all of our travels. The mark of a good organizer is that she makes it look easy, but I know that these two days of professional development represented many hours of planning and preparation from Karen and those who helped her in each city. The librarians at each of the two school venues were gracious and concerned that all session presenters had everything they needed.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooinQeFjGnDL0W2ZysEfu2meUYO-YgqsTVeUvjZGftmT8mVSuDv2W-l2II_Yt0zrBvIEPcZqNoQz9l9btlEhlWEvNV91MQPkvKNM8Uazp9M7eH6Hwh3JEPPnjA05YyMo5iE04q6MAI_M/s1600/TASL+Map.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooinQeFjGnDL0W2ZysEfu2meUYO-YgqsTVeUvjZGftmT8mVSuDv2W-l2II_Yt0zrBvIEPcZqNoQz9l9btlEhlWEvNV91MQPkvKNM8Uazp9M7eH6Hwh3JEPPnjA05YyMo5iE04q6MAI_M/s400/TASL+Map.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There and back again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few random thoughts:<br />
<br />
I drove over 1,000 miles across the great state of Tennessee and back again. The Google Map looks like a giant loop with a little tail into and out of western Tennessee. Our starting point was the dot near Greenville, SC.<br />
<br />
All parts of Tennessee are beautiful - the flat farmlands west of Nashville, the river basin in Chattanooga, and the mountains around Gatlinburg. <br />
<br />
Thank goodness for Kristen's phone because my GPS did not understand Nashville, at all!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3GNP8SuvTfHtsW0oYeNUVnpWFJJXmJDdye-SVCbEWCuHtew4cMysqO4TfyVkOeclkrsG6SLzpRWunmQMJxobBuBIoFTpjfqot2Cj6b2cRuoEBS4-y83xX1uWlp_XD2PqbQwIaa7UuxQ/s1600/Clean+sheets.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3GNP8SuvTfHtsW0oYeNUVnpWFJJXmJDdye-SVCbEWCuHtew4cMysqO4TfyVkOeclkrsG6SLzpRWunmQMJxobBuBIoFTpjfqot2Cj6b2cRuoEBS4-y83xX1uWlp_XD2PqbQwIaa7UuxQ/s200/Clean+sheets.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean sheets! Every night!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We stayed at four Hampton Inns, all of which had these sticky notes stuck to the bed headboards:<br />
We were very glad that we rated clean sheets every night.<br />
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I was able to attend one session in Medina when I was not presenting. It was on library programs, presented by Susan Harris, and left me with several ideas of activities that I want to try next year. Susan said it was her first presentation. I think she needs to plan to do more, it was great!<br />
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Karen put together the coolest gift bags for us as we were leaving. I love bags full of goodies, and all of these came from businesses located in Tennessee. Davidson Titles donated some nonfiction books and the bag, which has a great quote from Erasmus on it, "When I get a little money, I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food and clothes." <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76x7lNs7VpMVIooTxrpO7DLY6lzR866A3rAh_LwokC62WXKM9L40R2BfMDhqwXSOHqZiT13mqBeukMDZJ_sTdOannUBF2wBVP6Cd_HoLU0m47Dw0LTcXgToVtMAYp6URxmW3gLcaE6XU/s1600/Goodybag.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76x7lNs7VpMVIooTxrpO7DLY6lzR866A3rAh_LwokC62WXKM9L40R2BfMDhqwXSOHqZiT13mqBeukMDZJ_sTdOannUBF2wBVP6Cd_HoLU0m47Dw0LTcXgToVtMAYp6URxmW3gLcaE6XU/s320/Goodybag.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goody bags!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Did you know that the first Coca-Cola bottling plant was in Tennessee? Me, neither! <a href="http://www.opry.com/about/Timeline_1940.html" target="_blank">Martha White Flour became a sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry in 1948</a>, and I've been cooking with that flour for over 35 years. <a href="http://www.littledebbie.com/www/docs/5/who-we-are" target="_blank">Little Debbie Cakes</a>! Pringles! <a href="http://moonpie.com/about" target="_blank"> Moon Pies!</a> (I know, they are not in the photo. The Moon Pies did not make it all the way back to South Carolina. I ate them in Tennessee.) According to Karen, Moon Pie began because "Tennesseans wanted something big, round, filled with marshmallow, and covered with chocolate, and it needs to be as big as the moon!" Who wouldn't want that!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1BzX9ped6e3NNkFx9DVzokOwQv_2WiYi6YllbEpjiBiFFlD-TAUvzJ43pXOybk2TGXZ3XIOCX8OyI-DRaoROGwnLxr1g9J1NAYRJ2wNr_B6lxJlBVnH-8DzZVZicR6HkYW4Ovd9cXQE/s1600/Remembrances.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1BzX9ped6e3NNkFx9DVzokOwQv_2WiYi6YllbEpjiBiFFlD-TAUvzJ43pXOybk2TGXZ3XIOCX8OyI-DRaoROGwnLxr1g9J1NAYRJ2wNr_B6lxJlBVnH-8DzZVZicR6HkYW4Ovd9cXQE/s320/Remembrances.jpeg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember TASL 2013 Summer Co-Op!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As we were leaving, Karen made sure that I had a pen that looked like an ear of corn and a Mason jar mug as a remembrance of my trip to the 2013 TASL Co-op. In the jar was a business card with a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson that really speaks to me as a teacher and librarian. "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." <br />
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I hope that our presence at the Co-op planted some seeds. I have some newbie Tennessee Twitter followers that I hope were influenced by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148228964/What%E2%80%99s-a-PLN-and-Why-Do-I-Want-One" target="_blank">the session about the power of PLN'</a>s. I think we could have discussed <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148225195/Sacred-Cows-%E2%80%93-It%E2%80%99s-What%E2%80%99s-for-Dinner" target="_blank">Sacred Cows</a> for hours, laugh at ourselves, and still come away thoughtfully provoked. The keynote on <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/coxtl/care-and-feeding-of-adminstrators-embedded" target="_blank">The Care and Feeding of Administrators </a>was fun to plan, but was intended to give everyone some food for thought. <br />
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This was a fun trip. It was an honor to be invited, and I look forward to learning more from the librarians in Tennessee whom I met and who are now part of my PLN on Twitter. It was a great start to summer professional development. Now it's time to hit that TBR stack beside my bed! <a href="http://www.heisereads.com/2013/06/launching-new-improved-summerthrowdown.html" target="_blank">#summerthrowdown</a> starts July 1!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-22177381416779771072013-06-17T17:50:00.000-04:002013-06-17T17:50:03.507-04:00Tennessee Association of School Librarians Co-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_yDtG3A5W3MrzpfvMGMVUlEBWkikfdf1MPY5u1gPsjFkZUR9KHn0l7HNFfZsEhOqczLYrfwe3IRL-fT_caZzQQ4-z7ZulyFPRl4uNp6dXlFkblxMQHGikK1hlOax7UR-6lBHnP4Cy5Y/s1600/tasl+co-op.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
I am so excited to be heading to Tennessee this week with Tamara and Kristen for the <a href="http://www.tasltn.org/education" target="_blank">Tennessee Association of School Librarians Co-op!</a> Karen, the TASL professional development chair, has been so gracious via email and I am looking forward to meeting her and networking with librarians during two days, one in Gatlinburg and the other in Medina. As Karen explained, Tennessee is a long state, and they repeat their summer professional development so participants can choose the more convenient site.<br />
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I'll be presenting two solo sessions. "The first, What's a PLN, and Why Do I Want One?" I first shared at SCASL in March. My personal learning network is responsible for saving my sanity, expanding my practice, and helping me to at least <i><b>find </b></i>the learning curve. In one year, a great network of library professionals on Twitter, in the blogosphere, and via our state professional organization have helped revive my practice, and have made me a more effective librarian, as well as a much nicer person to be around. <br />
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The presentation is below.<br />
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148228964/What%E2%80%99s-a-PLN-and-Why-Do-I-Want-One" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View What’s a PLN and Why Do I Want One on Scribd">What’s a PLN and Why Do I Want One</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="450" id="doc_39682" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/148228964/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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The other session I am presenting is "Sacred Cows - It's What's for Dinner!" Inspired by many posts in the last year by librarians I admire who are questioning the practices that have led to our shushing stereotype, I'll reflect on our policies, procedures, and practices to determine whether they support our learning community goals, or just keep us in control of the herd. This was a fun session to create, and my partner-in-crime Tamara helped by putting together a <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sacred-cows-in-the-library" target="_blank">Scoop-it topic</a>.<br />
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<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148225195/Sacred-Cows-%E2%80%93-It%E2%80%99s-What%E2%80%99s-for-Dinner" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Sacred Cows – It’s What’s for Dinner! on Scribd">Sacred Cows – It’s What’s for Dinner!</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="450" id="doc_99016" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/148225195/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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Tamara, Kristen and I will also be presenting together at the general session. The topic is, "The Care and Feeding of Administrators." We will post that presentation at a later date. <br />
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I'm looking forward to a wonderful week of travel, presenting, and meeting new members of our PLN. When I get back, it will be time to start reading the books for our first <a href="http://bookbootcamp.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-few-of-my-favorite-graphic-novels.html" target="_blank">Book Boot Camp</a> chat! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-12740853744605880382013-06-13T17:11:00.001-04:002013-06-13T17:11:39.987-04:00I'm "Yapp"ing about #BookBootCamp<br />
The seven South Carolina librarians who are putting together <a href="http://bookbootcamp.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-boot-camp-2013-2014.html" target="_blank">Middle Grade Book Boot Camp</a> are gathering titles and getting our wiki together. While doing that, I found an app via <a href="http://librariansonthefly.blogspot.com/2013/04/yapp-app-yourself.html" target="_blank">Librarians on the Fly</a> that can keep all of our participants informed about the schedule, and provide a news feed via a Twitter hashtag. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0Is5Ckwqy6aiRc4aGL25KIOjSnOLtaAwXpuIwDu6JxZb3FLvdqfBvvU3wT0gqeiDEu9j1Bddy81E3L0wcCY4qBch_oRgUImUvxxMI_d2TAZhxGF10LR0xtmyYXgdLJTv7PB33RDfo1Y/s1600/yapp_logo_color.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0Is5Ckwqy6aiRc4aGL25KIOjSnOLtaAwXpuIwDu6JxZb3FLvdqfBvvU3wT0gqeiDEu9j1Bddy81E3L0wcCY4qBch_oRgUImUvxxMI_d2TAZhxGF10LR0xtmyYXgdLJTv7PB33RDfo1Y/s200/yapp_logo_color.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://blog.yapp.us/about" target="_blank">Yapp</a> is a free
online tool that allows you to create your own mobile app for important
events that you want to share. The design pages are easy to navigate. Choose from several themes based on the type of activity you are promoting. The app
includes a homepage, invitation page, a page to include a schedule, a
newsfeed for following a hashtag, and a gallery for photos that you want
to share with the Yapp followers. You can add extra pages to your app if you need them. After you finish designing your app,
you publish it and share it via a link or QR code.<br />
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This is great! We have a year's worth of Twitter chats coming
up, and we wanted to share the dates, the genres, the host for each chat, and the
address for the <a href="http://bookbootcamp.wikispaces.com/home" target="_blank">wiki</a> where the book lists are. The newsfeed via our
hashtag #bookbootcamp means that I don't miss any pertinent tweets. <br />
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These are screenshots from my phone. I downloaded the Yapp viewer, called Yappbox and entered the code of our Book Boot Camp Yapp. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhappMwX1hMNRdXRcIzOli3NH2H35WpmQzSwpaZb6gBvkWJH8Xi282qYhefTLuIASCIFw1FYtQR_C-zql2rAfWel-FxLB2_0nIkApR8Y__HoBINYyHCCmAQ6qbB-nfQg9iKbUpWoTGIxtg/s1600/photo%25285%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhappMwX1hMNRdXRcIzOli3NH2H35WpmQzSwpaZb6gBvkWJH8Xi282qYhefTLuIASCIFw1FYtQR_C-zql2rAfWel-FxLB2_0nIkApR8Y__HoBINYyHCCmAQ6qbB-nfQg9iKbUpWoTGIxtg/s320/photo%25285%2529.PNG" width="212" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY97TXKYHEEEwU6ux8j914Zdmkz_iaEb63kGfT6-J3ZvBBG-zZUa8D9GfaTPAikfJctVZ7dDqUzE9485-q0_lu9EwGrTKoku7CEgRhT-ASHwVHJqYBykFGN_qQFmzZDKIFbbzaJpbLV-E/s1600/photo%25284%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY97TXKYHEEEwU6ux8j914Zdmkz_iaEb63kGfT6-J3ZvBBG-zZUa8D9GfaTPAikfJctVZ7dDqUzE9485-q0_lu9EwGrTKoku7CEgRhT-ASHwVHJqYBykFGN_qQFmzZDKIFbbzaJpbLV-E/s320/photo%25284%2529.PNG" width="212" /></a></div>
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The schedule page has all of the dates for our chats. If you click on the arrows pointing right you will see more details,
including who is hosting the chat that month, their blog site, and a
link to the wiki with a suggested reading list. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hR6EAtHfkGiF7ZtBrkOr2_Y9loXyGsr5EIEvHLRX4uOlGQEUHqbBw-3X08kDgePPnjOk5ZhdM707Wq1iNS7bNupQYyA449ff1-YgQT8O9cK-sI6MxVIOV0FTRm6RnzS__t0RtAbq_SA/s1600/photo%25283%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hR6EAtHfkGiF7ZtBrkOr2_Y9loXyGsr5EIEvHLRX4uOlGQEUHqbBw-3X08kDgePPnjOk5ZhdM707Wq1iNS7bNupQYyA449ff1-YgQT8O9cK-sI6MxVIOV0FTRm6RnzS__t0RtAbq_SA/s320/photo%25283%2529.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>
The News Feed follows your choice of Twitter hashtag. Most of our posts to the #bookbootcamp have been suggestions to each other of books we might want to add to our genre list, or to share a great title or list with other middle school librarians. <br />
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If you need to edit your Yapp after you create it, that's easily done on the website. When you publish it your followers get a prompt to update to the latest version. <br />
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If you want to follow our Middle Grade Book Boot camp via a Yapp, you can click on this link: <br />
<div class="link selectable">
<a href="http://my.yapp.us/RTMQDS" target="_blank">http://my.yapp.us/</a><span class="token"><a href="http://my.yapp.us/RTMQDS" target="_blank">RTMQDS</a> or you can download the Yappbox app on your smartphone and enter the code: RTMQDS </span></div>
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Of course, the app lends itself really well for major events like weddings, graduations, and family reunions, but I think it would be great to use it for promoting events in the library. What about a Yapp for your library events this year? What would you include? <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCH4u92DRkHdgvVJI3U10altoDaW0SRn04YhUrnsxrzfSGu2PtmUP7MdjL8Pauw3WdAV4gWI5jBauxS4pcwiKupK8RARYkxIK7wrU22KmTij-THBQb_ttY1-5jt2VeAyAtjHLGwwqWiU/s1600/photo(6).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-48458575064164030402013-04-17T20:48:00.000-04:002013-04-17T20:48:44.318-04:00The 2013 Shelf Challenge<br />
<a href="http://slmshelfchallenge.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="School Library Month Shelf Challenge" height="125" src="http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u460/mwinne2/SLMSC13.jpg" width="125" /></a><br />
It was half way through April before I picked up the <a href="http://slmshelfchallenge.blogspot.com/2013/03/about-2013-shelf-challenge.html" target="_blank">2013 Shelf Challenge</a>, issued by <a href="http://www.busylibrarian.com/" target="_blank">The Busy Librarian</a>. I had a block of time free up from a cancellation in the library schedule and I love a challenge! It makes sense to me. These are the books my students browse every day, shouldn't I know what is on the shelf, too?<br />
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The idea is simple. Pick a section in your library and read the dust jackets and summaries from every book in the section throughout the month of April. (If a picture book section, read the whole book.) I chose to read the section of fiction where the S authors live, simply because it was suggested in reason number 4. Those shelves face away from the teaching area of the library, and I noticed they were crowded. I also couldn't remember adding any new books there recently except Gary D. Schmidt, Maggie Steifvater, and Rebecca Stead, so I wanted to see how old it was looking.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyBa0PB7GH5JAP0YkGYETQMCy6LPyoWR7AX05-Zbjjwi7DzDFQrnZe7zizlXMhWXi0_Lkrdn5_wH9uZD8htV9du0Qe9HaJNj9dLrzYdRwEWsCdrxSRf9FX0W9jP7TjlppKJVXebArNyI/s1600/DSCN1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyBa0PB7GH5JAP0YkGYETQMCy6LPyoWR7AX05-Zbjjwi7DzDFQrnZe7zizlXMhWXi0_Lkrdn5_wH9uZD8htV9du0Qe9HaJNj9dLrzYdRwEWsCdrxSRf9FX0W9jP7TjlppKJVXebArNyI/s200/DSCN1196.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Book Who Lost It's Cover Image</i>?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first book I picked up was <i>The Boy Who Lost His Face</i>, 1989 humor by Louis Sachar. This book belongs at <a href="http://awfullibrarybooks.net/" target="_blank">Awful Library Books</a>, not on my shelves. There are water stains on it. Who put it on the shelf with water stains? Is it any wonder that no one has checked it out since before 2007? I wanted to wash my hands after I picked it up!<br />
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I pulled a circulation report and found I had 40 books in the S authors that had not circulated since 2007 when we switched to Follett Destiny. I took a deep breath and began the challenge again, in earnest. I have allowed myself the option of skipping reading the summary of books I decide to weed, but so far have read them anyway. I'm glad I read <a href="http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2013/04/weeding-sad-sad-story.html" target="_blank">Mrs. Yingling's post about the agony of weeding</a>. I know there is someone else out there making hard decisions about which of a beloved author's (Zilpha Keatley Snyder!) titles to keep. <br />
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This is going to take more than a day, but I have the rest of April. I'll let you know how I'm progressing. Why don't you take the challenge? You can join up <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dF9PeXRqdERYV3c0UDVyRE03OTlieUE6MQ" target="_blank">here</a>: Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-35997071735061034952013-03-29T16:28:00.004-04:002013-03-29T16:28:52.978-04:00Spring Reading Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_DkBG0gjSMROw2LPiRckjHqn8aTZMDhyVaT2wrk1gSPyxT15Ajq65vV1rbzOCH_4nBeYsUA3jOLjTSjmdx3b3Trf_fXKsVPe4HNKb-48YlndZL0t51BjGdl-uHIFJNuRQTA5t4EQ6Jw/s1600/Spring+Reading+Challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_DkBG0gjSMROw2LPiRckjHqn8aTZMDhyVaT2wrk1gSPyxT15Ajq65vV1rbzOCH_4nBeYsUA3jOLjTSjmdx3b3Trf_fXKsVPe4HNKb-48YlndZL0t51BjGdl-uHIFJNuRQTA5t4EQ6Jw/s400/Spring+Reading+Challenge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This spring, I wanted to do a school-wide book promotion that could include everyone, avid and reluctant readers. I found inspiration from this<a href="http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=831" target="_blank"> blog post by Might Librarian Tiff</a>. She chose ten categories and left a lot of room for free choice within those categories, such as read a book with green on the cover, or read a book written in 2012-13. I was also inspired by <a href="http://e-literatelibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/faculty-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank">this post by my friend the Eliterate Librarian</a>, who created a reading challenge for her faculty based on <a href="http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2013-hub-reading-challenge/" target="_blank">The Hub's 2013 Reading Challenge</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I loved Tiff's beautiful header, and she is glad to share what she creates, but I wanted to try creating my own. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvms/8601504804/in/photostream" target="_blank">You can see the results.</a> I think it's pretty. I used Photoshop Elements and learned how to insert a shape and how to make a gradient line. That's two new things! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To get the faculty involved, I printed signs that said Mrs. or Mr. NAME is reading..... I used the pretty header and laminated them. I gave all of our school staff members, including administration, teachers, and office staff, a copy of the reading challenge and the sign and asked them to participate by putting the sign outside of their door and using a dry erase marker to write the title of the book they are currently reading. I also asked them to post their reading challenge to let their students in on their progress by adding titles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was great to see the teacher signs appear in the hall and to have students coming to the library to pick up a Reading Challenge Sheet. It has been especially fun to have them come in and ask for a book in a specific category. To save a little browsing time, I set up a table with nothing but books published in 2012-2013, and "crowd-sourced" a list of books made into movies by sticking up piece of poster paper with a marker so students could add titles. I'll make something pretty out that later. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday was our last day before Spring Break, and several students and teachers came in looking for books for the challenge to read over the holidays. The best thing of all is that our students in LD/Resource are participating with their teacher. They are excited about reading, and I'm excited that they are excited. A</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">wesome!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not sure what kind of celebration we will have, but I know it will be just before school gets out, held during the day (so students can miss class), and will involve food and door prizes. That's all you need to keep a middle schooler happy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's my Spring Reading Challenge. I kept some of Tiff's categories, but added some of my own. I need to get that blog onto my website at school pretty soon....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/133028757/Spring-Reading-Challenge" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Spring Reading Challenge on Scribd">Spring Reading Challenge</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/monique_german_1" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Monique German's profile on Scribd">Monique German</a></span></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772922022279349" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_78847" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/133028757/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-1otra5y4ki67h1i8wxfv" width="400"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-81302220815103374952013-01-21T11:54:00.000-05:002013-03-04T21:34:49.011-05:00Sob Stories<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfKLHbrj8EbnqIuuXnRUhry_LUuvoiNU_fMpWI2OxWd0YYEvuflkyOy_DNmJe0v0atnyjdJOgckqMCSQ7dUwIHAxR6mB14p6tkooIM4nkCglc_mWmEMON660HBlHdYIs5rHIpwdJtU8A/s1600/Sob+stories+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfKLHbrj8EbnqIuuXnRUhry_LUuvoiNU_fMpWI2OxWd0YYEvuflkyOy_DNmJe0v0atnyjdJOgckqMCSQ7dUwIHAxR6mB14p6tkooIM4nkCglc_mWmEMON660HBlHdYIs5rHIpwdJtU8A/s320/Sob+stories+display.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image adapted from You Cry Alone by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwendalcentrifugue/6915871167/" target="_blank">gwenboul via Flickr</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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What is it about a heart rending story that draws middle
school girls?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some of my students,
handing them that first Lurlene McDaniel book leads to a three-year trawl
through the<b> abyss of anguish</b>, the <b>depths of despair</b>, the <b>mire of melancholy</b>,
the….you get the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
challenge for me because this genre is one that I avoid reading whenever
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell me that a book made you
cry and it immediately drops to the bottom of my “must read” list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that I am not an empathetic person, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just prefer to read about action and
adventures, especially fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is probably why I have
a lot of success with boys who are reluctant readers, and not as much with the
girls who are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, I have
enjoyed and recommended new titles such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonder</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Out of My Mind</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">See You at Harry’s</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One
for the Murphys</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’m getting
more sentimental as I get older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I am creating a list of “sob stories” for my girls who
are addicted to this emotionally manipulative genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below are titles that I have in my library that
are suitable for middle grade (6th - 8th) students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Some have been around a very long time, but are still popular.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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Any title by Lurlene McDaniel</div>
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</div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Defiance</i>, Valerie Hobbs</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Each Little Bird that Sings</i>, Deborah Wiles</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Edward’s Eyes</i>, Patricia MacLachlan</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Everything is Fine</i>, Ann Dee Ellis</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Hard Hit</i>, Ann Turner</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>I Heart You, You Haunt Me</i>, Lisa Schroeder</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>In a Heartbea</i>t, Loretta Ellsworth</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Jumping the Scratch</i>, by Sarah Weeks<i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Life on the Refrigerator Door</i>, Alice Kuipers</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Mockingbird</i> (mok’ing-bûrd)</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Olive’s Ocean</i>, Kevin Henkes</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>One for the Murphys</i>, Lynda Mullay Hunt</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Out of My Mind</i>, Sharon Draper</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Phoenix Rising</i>, Karen Hesse</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Pieces of Georgia</i>, Jennifer Bryant</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>See You at Harry’s</i>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johanna Knowles</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Silhouetted by the Blue</i>, Traci L. Jones</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>So B It</i>, by Sarah Weeks<i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Swear to Howdy</i>, Wendelin Van Draanen</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Tears of a Tiger</i>, Sharon Draper</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Tending to Grace</i>, Kimberly Newton Fusco</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>The Truth About Forever</i>, Sarah Dessen</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Thirteen Reasons Why,</i> Jay Asher</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Wenny Has Wings</i>, Janet Lee Carey</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Wonder</i>, R. J. Palacio</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I’m sure I am missing some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
would you add to the list?
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Addition to this post: I set up the above display with tissue boxes. The books flew off the shelf! Kristen says add <i>Ways to Live Forever</i> to the list!<br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-8812114043397458162012-11-06T16:47:00.001-05:002012-11-06T16:47:17.397-05:00Thank you, Mr. Chew!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The first of a three part-movie series based on <i>The Hobbit,</i> will be released on Friday,
December 14.<span> </span>The movie is brought to us
by the same creative team that produced <i>The
Lord of the Rings</i>, and I am looking forward to a wonderful movie
experience, but I am also feeling a little anxious. I have seen some movies
that just did not do justice to the novels they were based on, and <i>The Hobbit </i>is my all-time favorite
novel. <span> </span><span> </span>I have probably read it 20 times since I was
in the seventh grade.<span> </span>In seventh grade,
my English teacher read it out loud to me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29Ha3I-w7T46QVu0q3fgG5dJeOiF5nCVuqTiqV9lrQdRa0wNPSpNYl6BdNUhSipyT-AKwoJpdhmnJureLzmX_cbplDv9Ua7gr3iyMOQ9xE4MRZ-BQVRv8mu5J7MaygJzbWYaEcNM7HCA/s1600/The+Hobbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29Ha3I-w7T46QVu0q3fgG5dJeOiF5nCVuqTiqV9lrQdRa0wNPSpNYl6BdNUhSipyT-AKwoJpdhmnJureLzmX_cbplDv9Ua7gr3iyMOQ9xE4MRZ-BQVRv8mu5J7MaygJzbWYaEcNM7HCA/s320/The+Hobbit.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my SECOND copy. I read the covers off of the first one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I was an Air Force brat in Nellingen, Germany in 1971 during
the last semester of 7<sup>th</sup> grade.<span>
</span>We had a long commute to Stuttgart Junior High School each day, and I
don’t have fond memories of my classes.<span>
</span>In fact, I don’t remember any of the classes at all, except for Mr.
Chew’s English class.<span> </span>I remember Mr.
Chew as being very tall, with dark hair and big, bushy eyebrows. <span></span>I don’t remember whether he was a good English
teacher, but I do remember his voice:<span> </span>a
deep, <i>basso profundo</i> that he could
modulate to fit the setting, mood, and characters of the books he read aloud to
us.<span> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I loved Fridays.<span> </span>We
would start class with a spelling test, and then Mr. Chew would read to us for
the rest of the period.<span> </span>He poured
character into his reading, with dramatic rises of pitch and deep, quiet
whispers of dread.<span> </span>It gave me the
shivers. When <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>
movie series was released, I was astonished to hear Gollum speak <i>in the voice of Mr. Chew!</i><span> </span>He captured the light-hearted early start of
the book, and gradually shifted the mood of his readings to fit the change in
tone in the book, as the hobbit and his dwarvish companions came closer to the
final, desperate battle for the Lonely Mountain.<span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Do you read to your students?<span> </span>Forty-two years later, when I read <i>The Hobbit</i>, I still hear the voice of a
man whom I only knew for one semester.<span> </span>I
hear the echoes of his love of fantasy and science fiction whenever I pick up
the latest Rick Riordan book, and I know that his dedication to reading left an
indelible impression on a twelve year old girl.<span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In Mr. Chew’s honor, I’m inviting my students to come listen
to me read <i>The Hobbit </i>during sixth
grade lunches this week, and have planned a book club meeting for the day
before the movie is released.<span> </span>I hope I
am able to communicate how much I love this story, and maybe encourage some new
fans.<span> </span><span> </span>If anyone out there knows a former English
teacher named Mr. Chew, tell him “Thank you,” for me!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-13282523274979838142012-08-17T07:40:00.001-04:002012-08-17T07:40:15.246-04:00Five Reasons I Am Ready for School to Start
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdycXVxNfSDddOnseyKrZqlWoiS3BWYHxcQLhnQLcQRG_X0RpcJIjr1bDDkEQgYITIpqbb_5bOUyn_2aCXyupYH6VCWEDv355O1TjlmrTDXNsUpEzOGN-u6IDrvtioSWyUgV44FRJxIm0/s1600/wall+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdycXVxNfSDddOnseyKrZqlWoiS3BWYHxcQLhnQLcQRG_X0RpcJIjr1bDDkEQgYITIpqbb_5bOUyn_2aCXyupYH6VCWEDv355O1TjlmrTDXNsUpEzOGN-u6IDrvtioSWyUgV44FRJxIm0/s1600/wall+quilt.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">5. Relaxing, renewing summer – This summer was
spent reading, relaxing, and traveling with my favorite people; my husband, my
children, and my mom. I took on no major
household projects like painting or redecorating. I stretched my body in the garden weeding and
harvesting, and I stretched my mind with reading. I made a quilt, talked my mom into quilting
it, and hung it on the library wall<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;">.</span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span>4.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>Reading, reading, reading -<span> </span>I won’t go into the exact numbers, but due to
several incentives, mentioned <a href="http://thisshelfreserved.blogspot.com/2012/07/summer-reading-part-one.html" target="_blank">in this post<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span></span></span></span></a>,
I have read more middle grade and young adult literature titles this summer
than in the entire previous calendar year.<span>
</span>I have a list of must-reads for my students and teachers, and thanks to <a href="http://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>,
I have some titles to watch out for that I can promote before I even buy them!
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span>3.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>Inspiring staff development –<span> </span>My summer had barely started before I attended
the two-day Upstate Technology Conference, where I networked with other
librarians and gathered great information about new educational technologies,
Web 2.0 tools, and current trends.<span> </span>During
three days of Mentor training I learned so much about how to talk to people in
ways that are non-threatening, and how to offer help without offering unwanted
advice.<span> </span>Although I don’t have a new teacher assigned to me this year, I know that the training I received will help me
build relationships with the new teachers in our building.<span> </span>A full-day SMARTNotebook 11 training reminded
me of the versatility of the interactive whiteboards we have in our district,
and I am excited about sharing the new features with our staff.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span>2.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>My PLN – This was the summer of the PLN, a time
when I really understood how important it is to never stop learning, to reach
way beyond my own knowledge, and to tap into others’ energy, creativity, and
inspiration.<span> </span>Starting with the other two
middle school librarians in my district, and expanding to other states and
other countries, I have been able to remind myself of why I became a librarian,
and to begin to let go of excuses that kept me from being an effective one.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span>1.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>THE STUDENTS! – It’s still all about them.<span> </span>The year I don’t look forward to seeing my
students at the beginning of the school year is the year I should retire.<span> </span>No, actually, I should retire BEFORE it gets
to that point.<span> </span>Middle school students
are so diverse in their interests, maturity levels, and personalities that it
is almost impossible to make a blanket statement about them.<span> </span>Whatever they are, middle school students
appeal to my heart in ways that elementary and high school students do not. I
like their sense of humor, their unpredictability, and their sassiness.<span> </span>I know everyone does not feel that way, and I
believe that only people who like middle school students should teach middle
school students.<span> </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">What about you?<span> </span>What
is the best part of starting a new school year, and what prepares you during
the summer to get off to a great start?</span></div>
<div style="mso-element: comment-list;">
<hr align="left" class="msocomoff" size="1" width="33%" />
<div style="mso-element: comment;">
<div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1">
<span style="mso-comment-author: germanm;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1753336236990069080" name="_msocom_1"></a></span></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-38448557090324508042012-07-24T06:30:00.000-04:002012-07-24T06:30:03.051-04:00Looking back...and smiling!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been collecting data on the number of warm bodies that come through my middle school library, and how often I serve them, for the last six years. At the end of 2010-2011, I noticed an ugly trend. The numbers were dropping, all of them. Classes served, walk-ins per day, circulations per student, everything had been dropping slowly since 2009. What was I doing wrong?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I showed the numbers to my principal at the beginning of 2011-2012, and we decided it was due to several factors.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Our teachers had replaced our defunct reading assessment software for self-selected reading with a "book share" or one-pager (see <a href="http://kellygallagher.org/index.html" target="_blank">Kelly Gallagher's</a> book, <i>Readicide</i>), something I applauded and supported, but which made the need to find a library book with a test on it unnecessary. (Decreasing circulation)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. The number of circulation classes had increased to the point that it was not possible to get research classes into the library as often as necessary, so teachers were taking their classes to the computer lab and skipping the library. (Decreasing the number of research classes)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. The loss of my library assistant resulted in teachers trying to make my life easier by decreasing the number of passes they allowed to students who needed to come to the library independently. I also had to close the library if I needed to help a teacher in the classroom. (Decreasing the number of walk-ins per day)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I spent the year advertising books with displays, posters, and book talks. I worked with my ELA teachers to encourage them to send students on a pass for circulation more frequently, leaving space for research classes in all content areas. I attended team meetings and actively encouraged all of our teachers to send the students to the library independently. Students were excited to hear that the number of books they could check out would not be limited, leading avid readers to get great stacks of books. I trained student helpers to run the circulation desk, freeing me to be engaged with students looking for books and conducting research. I built my PLN, decreasing the isolation I had experienced, increasing my knowledge, and improving my attitude.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHbvKbwUW2YT03OdL9KV2pYq5A4xhiXSgFr8IBkbg4jIf2Iwzv9cXm2g52nw2iyt4IKFhMtXEyNU9BrMOHnpX8wsyK_p7v0C9yZM5rDzc06IvxmgzwZuFWDvl8lMgndTj4gHruJCUbxY/s1600/LMC+Stats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHbvKbwUW2YT03OdL9KV2pYq5A4xhiXSgFr8IBkbg4jIf2Iwzv9cXm2g52nw2iyt4IKFhMtXEyNU9BrMOHnpX8wsyK_p7v0C9yZM5rDzc06IvxmgzwZuFWDvl8lMgndTj4gHruJCUbxY/s400/LMC+Stats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I finished putting my year end data into the spread sheet last week. I checked the numbers once. Then I checked them again. Then I made this pretty infographic using <a href="http://easel.ly/">easel.ly</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can you see why I'm smiling?</div><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1753336236990069080.post-27966668301088400202012-07-18T16:47:00.000-04:002012-07-18T16:50:31.345-04:00Summer Reading - Part One<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Late in May, I always challenge my middle school students to
keep reading during the summer. I
usually use the obvious but understandable “use it or lose it” allegory. It goes like this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Me:
What happens to an athlete if, at the end of the season, he or she goes
home and crashes on the couch for three months?
How will their body respond when they are ready to start practicing and
playing again?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Students: They’ll be fat. They’ll be slow. They will lose strength, speed, flexibility,
skills, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Me:
What do you think happens if you go home for the summer, sit on the
couch, and don’t read? What do you think
happens to your reading skills? </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Okay – it may be a
little overused, but when I tie it to a contest, ask students to send me photos
of themselves reading in unusual places this summer, and add a goal of reaching
a combined million pages with the other two middle schools in our district, I
usually get pretty good results. Students and faculty members at our school
were asked to keep a reading log this summer, recording titles and numbers of
pages read. I encouraged my students to set a reading goal
as well, and to post that goal on Edmodo and let us know how they were doing
during the summer. I pledged to read 100
books this summer, from June 1 – August 31.
While there were some scoffers, a few students announced their intent to
either keep up with me, or surpass my goal.
I really hope they do!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In May, a friend sent me<a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/2012/05/4th_annual_book-a-day.html" target="_blank"> this post</a> from Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer, challenging her readers to participate in
summer reading by pledging to read a book a day. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Excellent</span>!</i> I’m in! I checked to be sure I could still remember
my Twitter account password, since I had not made a post since July of 2011,
and began posting my reading to #bookaday, Goodreads, and my reading log.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Then another friend sent me a post from Sherry
Heise, from Heise Reads and Recommends, launching the <a href="http://heisereads.blogspot.com/2012/06/are-you-joining-us-for-summerthrowdown.html" target="_blank">2012 Summer Throw Down</a>, a
friendly competition to see who could average the most books read during the
first round, June 18 – July 17, librarians or teachers. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdPo0hW2TGUwPlli_3xBAeEC0GBRXFj7MKfMJYayrRKl69oAuSbihYbGaHKYa5ft_7Q-xKNDr6Cw0hES_0GFNjm9XJntqOSh7yaceialnstRedAb3pgSZEFwgNwQggplEkP572TL2PcE/s1600/second+stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdPo0hW2TGUwPlli_3xBAeEC0GBRXFj7MKfMJYayrRKl69oAuSbihYbGaHKYa5ft_7Q-xKNDr6Cw0hES_0GFNjm9XJntqOSh7yaceialnstRedAb3pgSZEFwgNwQggplEkP572TL2PcE/s320/second+stack.jpg" title="Ready for STD, Part Two" width="220" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">While not a competitive person, the opportunity to expand my
Twitterverse and add a Twibbon to my blog inspired me to sign on. The result of both of these challenges is
that I have found an enormous
community of readers, reviewers, authors and book lovers by following
#summerthrowdown and #bookaday. Another gift from an increased reading diet has been the
resurrected Twitter account, which has provided SO MUCH MORE than a community of
bibliophiles, but that is for another post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Part Two of the 2012 Summer Throw Down starts on Sunday, July 22. If you are a teacher or librarian, why not join us for an incentive to end your summer with a head full of books and a heart ready to recommend them? Check in at <a href="http://heisereads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heise Reads and Recommends</a> to find out how to participate.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08616400933013634162noreply@blogger.com1