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Showing posts from November, 2014

It's Monday November 24th

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It's Monday - and that means it's time for a reading update. Lots of picture books this week, as I tried to finish reading the books on my Mock Caldecott list. I still have a few to go (Three Bears in a Boat and Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas) SO cute! My fifth graders adore this sweet little creatures. Love the illustrations, and I'm enjoying listening to my students notice as the teacher's depiction changes. This is a big favorite in the room at the moment. I love how the kids notice what the dog sees... but I haven't heard anyone notice the ending image discrepancies yet. Elliot is adorable! I love this one, and there are a bunch of kids who have this on their favorites list. Beautiful images and a powerful message. I have a few dancers in my room, and they seemed quite drawn to this one. While the novel is still my favorite (and the audiobook is also amazing), this graphic novel adaptation of the first half of the book was wonderf

Stratford Zoo Presents: Macbeth - a graphic novel review

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There is no shortage of amazing graphic novels in the world these days... but this one is now on the top of my 2014 list.  The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth by Ian Lendler (Goodreads Author), Zack Giallongo (Illustrations) Paperback, 80 pages Published September 30th 2014 by First Second ISBN 1596439157 (ISBN13: 9781596439153) Goodreads Summary: The Stratford Zoo looks like a normal zoo... until the gates shut at night. That's when the animals come out of their cages to stage elaborate performances of Shakespeare's greatest works. They might not be the most accomplished thespians, but they've got what counts: heart. Also fangs, feathers, scales, and tails, in The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth. My Thoughts: This may be my favorite graphic novel so far this year. Yes, I've always been a huge Shakespeare fan, but it's more than that. It's the combination of art and words and the fact that it is an effortlessly

Little Kindnesses - Slice of Life

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It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't been blogging very frequently for ... well... too long. I'd like to take a moment to reconfirm my dedication to words. To taking the time to notice the little things and write them down. To living a writer's life and cultivating my writer's eye. I took a deep breath this evening and revisited my day, looking for something that should be committed to writing. Okay, so time for my return to slicing.  Today I was sitting at my desk, gathering up my things before I had to run down to lunch duty. Fifth graders were filing out. I'd love to say they were leaving quietly, but that's just not how we roll. A few were checking out books from the Lair Library. Just as the last echoes of the final voice began to die out in the hall, I saw a head peek back into the room. "Mrs. Selke, can I show you something?" "Of course! Come on in." She had a little slip of paper in her hand. Biting her low

It's Monday November 10th

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Don't forget to visit our lovely hosts - Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to get more book ideas for YOUR pile! Mostly a Picture Book Stack this week! Some I grabbed for my Mock Caldecott but I have already read - like Julia's House and Noisy Paint Box. Some were new but for the Mock Caldecott (Quest, Kid Sheriff, and Extraordinary Jane). Clink and One Big Pair of Underwear were suggestions based on other people's blogs last week! All were excellent! I'm working on a Mock Caldecott list for my 5th graders. I am trying to choose about 20. Some are from other Mock lists I've found, and some are on the list because I liked them and already have a copy. I have 18 so far. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4878838-maria?shelf=mock-caldecott-2014 Other Books This Week: Some awesome stories and some just okay (as is normal in an anthology). Some are great for Notice and Note strategies! I've been reading this one w

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan biography - NFPB 2014 Review

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Searching for a way to ignite the minds of young scientists and explorers? I have just the book for you... Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson Hardcover, 40 pages Published October 14th 2014 by Roaring Brook Press ISBN 1596439602 (ISBN13: 9781596439603) Goodreads Summary : For every child who has ever looked up at the stars and asked, "What are they?" comes the story of a curious boy who never stopped wondering: Carl Sagan. When Carl Sagan was a young boy he went to the 1939 World's Fair and his life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe and seeking to understand it better. Star Stuff follows Carl from his days star gazing from the bedroom window of his Brooklyn apartment, through his love of speculative science fiction novels, to his work as an internationally renowned scientist who worked on the Voyager missions exploring the farthest reaches of space. This book i

It's Monday November 3rd

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Okay, seriously this time... it's time to get more consistent with the blogging again. I apologize to those who have come to visit my posts and not gotten a return visit from me. I am back on the horse and planning to do better. Visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers for more great It's Monday posts... and check out the #IMWAYR tag on Twitter! Graphic Novels:  Not completely sold on this one. While the story was interesting, it felt a little busy. I did like learning new Spanish phrases, but all the asterisks to tell me the meanings got in the way of the story sometimes. Interested to see what kids think.                                                                                                                                               This one is AMAZING! So incredibly funny. A fabulous adaptation of Macbeth that I think will also appeal to kids who don't know the original.  Picture Books: Lovely tale with beautiful illustrations.