FUZZY MUD by Louis Sachar

Sachar, Louis. 2015. FUZZY MUD. New York: Delecorte Books for Young Readers. 

Tamara is a fifth grader who does the right thing no matter what. Teachers love her! Marshall is her seventh grade friend and neighbor that she walks home with because she is not allowed to walk home by herself. Chad is the new kid that has decided to bully Marshall, and no one knows why.

One day, Chad tells Marshall they are going to fight after school, so Marshall decides to take a shortcut home to avoid him. Tamara knows something isn't right, but she reluctantly follows. They get lost and come across some strange looking mud that appears fuzzy. Things get worse than they could ever imagine!

Review

Louis Sachar does an amazing job combining science, government, and suspense in his latest book. Sachar is great at scaring children and creating suspense. The characters in this book are fabulous. Sachar introduces each of them and builds them up so that the reader understands their actions. I would have liked to have had more story about Chad to understand him more throughout the book. Sachar does a wonderful job of running three story lines parallel to each other, then having them meet together at the end. 

This is a wonderful book full of friendship and acceptance. It will be a great read for young readers and middle grade readers that like scary books and suspenseful books. 

Happy Valentine's Day

What a fun week in the library! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. The library is very festive, with shiny hearts hanging from every corner. The students have had fun this week being a part of the decorating. The fifth graders were given the chance to write their favorite books or book series on my "We <3 Books" bulletin board. It has been interesting reading everyone's favorite. I was surprised that I didn't have many duplicates of books. I love that the students at my school are individuals and they know what they like to read.

I forgot to take a picture, but outside the library I have a large tree. I call it my tree of kindness, and the first graders have been adding their acts of kindness to the tree. We read BEAR GETS SICK by Karma Wilson. We made text-to-self connections and compared how the animals helped Bear to how people have helped us. They also learned the meaning of the word 'compassion'. 

These books about BEAR are some of my favorite picture books. 

My second graders listened to the story THE VALENTINES BEARS by Eve Bunting. They made text-to-text connections and noticed that the illustrator of this story, Jan Brett, is also an author of a book they had read in the past. This was actually not the lesson that I had intended, but I went with it when the students noticed and recognized her name. So, we talked about the illustrations and how they were similar to her illustrations in THE MITTEN. I love it when the students guide the lesson. 

Fourth grade and fifth grade are both learning steps to research and how to correctly cite their sources. I am over the top excited that next week I will be collaborating with the fourth grade ELA teacher! Fourth grade will be coming to the library next week to do research over Texas Battles, and together with the ELA teacher, I will be helping the students conduct their research. I hope that by doing this, more teachers will jump on board and allow me to collaborate with them more often. Stay tuned for my post next week to see how it goes! 

CIRCUS MIRANDUS by Cassie Beasley

Micah Tuttle, 10 years old, lives with his Grandpa Ephraim. Micah loves to hear his grandpa's stories of a magical circus, Circus Mirandus. Unfortunately, Grandpa Ephraim is sick and dying. Great-aunt Gertrudis has moved in to take care of Grandpa. Micah hoped she would be as fun as Grandpa Ephraim, but Great-aunt Gertrudis does not approve of the magical stories and forbids Micah to go into Grandpa's room. She doesn't want Micah to annoy a dying man, and she doesn't want Grandpa telling silly stories to a child. 

Micah and Grandpa sneak around Great-aunt Gertrudis to see each other and Grandpa continues to tell his stories about Circus Mirandus and the LightBender. Micah seeks out the magical circus and takes along his skeptical best friend, Jenny. Micah believes the LightBender can heal his grandfather and prolong his life. 

Beasley, Cassie. 2015. CIRCUS MIRANDUS. Dial Books.  

Review

I found myself very intrigued by the characters, especially Micah and his grandfather. Their relationship is fantastic and you fall in love with them immediately. Aunt Gertrudis is a very cruel character, such as the stepmother in Cinderella. She is over the top cruel and abusive to Micah, but the author portrays her very well. The reader will definitely be angry with her on many levels. I am still undecided about Jenny. I could almost do without her in the story. She is very skeptical and refuses to believe in magic. Her scientific reasoning for every magical event is borderline obnoxious. 

This is a wonderful fantasy book and will have young readers clinging to the pages until the very end.  Circus Mirandus is a place that kids and adults will want to explore. 

2016 Texas BlueBonnet Nominee

It's Already February!

I cannot believe that we are already into February! What is happening to this school year? I have taken all the snowflakes down and replaced them with hearts all throughout the library. I just love the way the library looks when it is decorated for the season.

What's Happening This Week

Second graders are learning about biographies and have been assigned a Biography Report and Project. Last week, I read each class biographies and we learned where to find biographies. We also talked about how they are organized in the library compared to other books. This week, we talked about the different features in many biographies, such as table of contents, timelines, and index. By now, every 2nd grader has chosen their person they will research. 

Fourth graders reviewed the difference between biography and autobiography, and I introduced them to one of my favorite autobiographies, BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson. You can see my review of this book on my blog. 

Fifth graders were taught the importance of siting our sources with images we use in projects. We also talked about copyright policies, then reviewed steps to adding images to our book trailers. I am hoping that someone from Hillside wins the Book Bytes Contest!

Third grade classes had some deep discussion about the book, THE OTHER SIDE by Jacqueline Woodson. We discussed concepts in poetry, specifically how the poet uses objects to represent something much larger.   In this picture book, which is written in free verse, Jacqueline Woodson uses the fence as a main object in her poem. The fence represents something much larger. If you haven't read this book, you absolutely must! THE OTHER SIDE will lead to a rich discussion with your students, and it is one of the most uplifting books dealing with the subject of segregation. 

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2001. THE OTHER SIDE. illustrated by E.B. Lewis. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

Making Connections

My first graders have been enamored with learning about the different awards that books are given. In January, I taught them about the Caldecott award. I showed them some of the past winners, and read them 2015 winner, THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE by Dan Santat.

After I showed them some of the past winners, they noticed that some of the books also had an award that looked like a black triangle. I made them wait in anticipation for that one. :) So, finally, this week, I talked to them about the Coretta Scott King award. Unfortunately, I don't have TROMBONE SHORTY by Troy Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier, which won the Corretta Scott King award for illustrator, in my library yet. I haven't been able to place my spring book order. (story for another blog post). But, I did have an honor book, and fittingly, this book is also a Caldecott honor book for 2016. 

The students were so excited! I pulled this book out of the box, brand new!! I had not even finished processing the book yet. After I read the book, the students and I paused to really look at the last page. I was proud that one of the first graders made the connection to the recent tornado that went through our city. He said that this book reminded him of how people in Garland helped the people that lost their homes in the tornado. 

Da Le Peña, Matt. 2015. LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET. illustrated by Christian Robinson. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson, Jacqueline.  2014. BROWN GIRL DREAMING. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books. ISBN 9780399252518


Brown Girl Dreaming is a collection of free verse poems written by the African American poet, Jacqueline Woodson. The poems are memoirs of her life as she grew up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, in both the North and the South. Each poem fits together to give the reader a glance into Woodson's childhood as she tries to find where she fits in. As a child, she spent half of her years in the North where she was teased for being a Jehovah's Witness, meaning she followed rules many of her friends didn't understand. The other half of each year was spent in the South with her grandparents, where she was teased for her funny way of speaking. Woodson was compared by teachers to her highly intelligent sister, but Woodson had trouble reading. Through the poems, the reader sees Woodson grow and become more aware of the Civil Rights Movement. She also finds support through her family and realizes her love of stories and writing.

This book, written in free verse poetry, will appeal to many ages of readers. Children, especially middle grades, will enjoy reading the story of Jacqueline and will be able to relate to her experiences. Adults, as well, will relate to the experiences in the elegant poems, and will appreciate the situation and time. Each poem stirs up emotions in the reader, and are beautifully written. Full of imagery, the reader is able to 'step' into Jacqueline's life. This true life memoir has the ability to encourage children and young adults of any race who are struggling with school, be it academics or socially.

Spotlight Poem

on paper

The first time I write my full name

Jacqueline Amanda Woodson

without anybody's help
on a clean white page in my composition notebook,
    I know

if I wanted to

I could write anything. 

Letter's becoming words, words gathering meaning, 
    becoming
thoughts outside my head

becoming sentences

written by

                      Jacqueline Amanda Woodson

Excerpt from BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson

The above poem is one of my favorites from the book because it shows the passion that Jacqueline has for writing.  There is also a poem titled "Composition Notebook" in which Woodson describes with beautiful imagery the way her first composition notebook smells, feels, and looks. "Hard not to smile as I held it, felt the breeze as I fanned the pages" (Woodson 2014, p. 154). The poets use of imagery allows the reader to experience in their minds the things that Jacqueline experienced growing up. 

The first pages of the book includes a family tree of the Woodson family and the Irby family.  The Irby family is Jacqueline's mom's side of the family, and the grandparents that she visited each summer in Greenville, South Carolina. In the conclusion of the book are actual photographs of Jacqueline's family. I found myself wanting to know more about each character at the end of the book. 

Activities for the Classroom

There are many teaching ideas and ways to share this book with your students, particularly grades 4 - 8.  During a unit over the Civil Rights Movement, this book would be a great extension. The first poem in the book, titled "February 12, 1963", has references to sit ins and marching for freedom. Begin your lesson or unit with this poem, along with some top news stories from 1963. 

Throughout the book, Jacqueline Woodson speaks of her composition notebook. This notebook is a significant object throughout the book and Woodson's childhood. Allow students to discuss a significant object in their life, and how this object impacts their life and says about themselves. 

Follow up with some of Jacqueline Woodson's pictures books that are set in the 1960s and compare them to Woodson's memoir, BROWN GIRL DREAMING.  Following is a list of Woodson's picture books that would tie in wonderfully with this book.

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2001. THE OTHER SIDE. illustrated by E.B. Lewis. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile. ISBN 9780399231162

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2013. THIS IS THE ROPE. illustrated by James Ransome. New York, NY: Nancy Paulen Books. ISBN 9780399239861

Awards for BROWN GIRL DREAMING

National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2014
Newbery Honor, 2015
Sibert Honor, 2015
Coretta Scott King Award for Author, 2015

Kinder Learns Nonfiction

This past week, our kindergartners learned about nonfiction here in the library. We looked at books about penguins, some fiction and some nonfiction. They had been reading the book TACKY THE PENGUIN in the classroom. It is one of my favorite picture books for the month of January.

 

Lester, Helen. TACKY THE PENGUIN. illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. 2010. Scholastic, Inc. 

In the library, I introduced nonfiction by reading PENGUINS, PENGUINS, EVERYWHERE by Bob Barner. We discussed the difference between the fiction character, Tacky, and the real penguins. I then had them draw and write about something they learned about penguins. 

Barner, Bob. PENGUINS, PENGUINS, EVERYWHERE. 2007. Chronicle Books. 

 

Bluebonnet Voting Time

The votes are in!! Students that read 5 or more of the Bluebonnet nominees were invited to a lunch in the library on Thursday. We had blue table cloths, blue kool-aid, and blue cookies. Then the students were able to place their votes for favorite Bluebonnet book. These votes count for the winner of the Texas Bluebonnet award for 2015-2016. 

The winner for Hillside is.....

We are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the Texas winner for the Bluebonnet award!