Sunday, October 26, 2014

Because of Mr. Terupt, Rob Buyea. What a gem of a taIe I stumbled upon while visiting Amazon. Seven very different fifth graders face their new teacher, Mr. Terupt, feeling they will manipulate and walk over his inexperience and naivety. Throughout the book, the short chapters jump from student to student revealing each personal story that many will be able to relate to. They clash, they collide and they mistreat one another and only Mr. Terupt seems to see the goodness in each one. A tragic day awaits them when misbehavior gets the better of them and their beloved teacher pays the price. As teachers, we will nod our heads, seeing the actions of what we know to be true in growing minds. I started the book, planning to read a few pages and found myself not able to put it down. As a tribute to teachers, this story is sweet and sad, making for one memorable story.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Kathy Appelt. Bingo and J'miah, the newest raccoon Sugar Man Swamp Scouts, are out to find the Sugar Man to save their homeland from impending doom - hogs. Chap, a young boy, is out to do the same thing because Jaeger Stitch has sights on turning the swamp into the Alligator World Wrestling Arena and Theme Park. Although they don't know it, the raccoons and Chap are on the same mission - to save the swamp. Chap has no chance against Stitch and his money wallet and Bingo and J'miah are desperately trying to stay ahead of the loud and getting louder rumbling. This sweet story was a National Book Award Finalist. Many characters, human and animal, and story lines may be confusing for some readers. Chapters are very short, sometimes a half a page, and they alternate between story lines. The author brings it all together with a satisfying, sweet ending. This might be easier to share as a read aloud and keeping track of the different characters as a reference.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Word After Word After Word, Patricia MacLachlan. This delightful, quick little read is perfect to share with students to show them the delight one can take with words and writing. Ms. Mirabel, an author in residence, inspires the students to believe in themselves as writers and that writing helps us figure out what we are thinking. Even Mrs. Cash, the stodgy, traditional writing teacher finds her voice.