Shannon Caesar's Reading Blog: January 2017

Monday, January 30, 2017

Gabi, A Girl In Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: A girl in pieces. TX: Cinco Puntos. Gabi is a senior in high school and has all the typical high school drama plus more. She comes from a Mexican American family and she is irritated when people question her heritage because her skin is too white. Her father is a drug addict and her young brother gets in trouble. Her best friend Cindy has been date raped and is pregnant. Her other best friend Sebastian has announced that he is gay. Gabi has body issues always thinking she is too fat, but she loves to eat as much as she loves poetry. She finally gets her first kiss and her first boyfriend. This is a wonderful, funny, and touching story about a very talented girl who has a bright future at Berkeley being a poet. When talking about Young Adult books being a mirror to a reader's life, this could mirror many young adults. I loved the poetry in the book and I'm not a big fan of poetry. I love that it is a multicultural story. I had fun reading the little parts of Spanish and the talk of Spanish foods made me hungry. This is a book that I would pass out by the handfuls in a high school!

Teacher's Guide:

http://www.cincopuntos.com/files/gabi_a-girl-in-pieces_teachers_guide.pdf

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. NY: Pantheon. In this graphic novel, we learn about Marjane's childhood as she grew up in Iran during the 1970's and 80's. I felt a connection to Marj as I read her memoir since we were the same age and I had a friend in middle school who had left Iran and had come to Texas in the 1980's. I was amazed at Marj's bravery as she tells the story of her friends and family having to go through imprisonment, the loss of their homes, and the fear of being bombed. She was so eager to learn more about the history of her country and understand her parent's political involvement that she read and read. Her family refused to let the government change their lifestyle, so they hung dark curtains and continued to have parties. I was so scared when Marj was alone buying tapes and got stopped. It is hard to think that normal teenage activities like buying tapes, wearing tennis shoes and jeans, expressing your opinion, could get you imprisoned or killed. The end, when her parents send her to Vienna by herself, was sad but the best thing that could have happened to her. This is a great multicultural book to add to a reading list!

Classroom Resources:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/gaining-background-graphic-novel-1063.html

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Ghosts

Telgemeier, R. (2016) Ghosts. NY: Scholastic. This graphic novel is about two sisters, Catrina and Maya, who have moved to Bahia de la Luna. Their family hope that this city by the sea will help Maya's cystic fibrosis. They soon discover that their neighbor does ghost tours. Catrina, even though she is the older sister, seems scared of ghost, but Maya is very excited about the possibility and even creates an ofrenda for their late grandmother. During an expedition to see ghosts, Maya becomes very sick and has to be hospitalized an has a breathing tube put in. I like the information about cystic fibrosis and Dia De Los Muertos that the author includes in the story. I loved reading about the Mexican American culture. Readers of Telgemeier's Smile and Sister will enjoy reading about these two sisters and how they manage to deal with a scary disease, sisterhood, and a move to a ghost town.

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXQ8NAMoU5Q

Teaching Guide:
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/ghosts-teaching-guide/

It's Perfectly Normal

Harris, R. (2009). It's Perfectly Normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press. This non-fiction book is wonderfully organized with a table of contents and an index to help readers find just what they want. This book could be read by parents, children 10 and older, or parents with their children to talk about sex, puberty, and sexual healthy. At this age, research shows adolescents are asking, "Am I normal?" and this book answers this question. I know when I was this age I was too embarrassed to ask certain questions, and this book has answers to everything! The illustrations are very informative and there are funny cartoons with a bird and a bee to lighten the serious information given. The topics include how your body changes during puberty, birth control, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, babies, masturbation, intimacy, and reporting sexual abuse. I like that the book shows bodies of all sizes and shapes. Kids think, "Cool!", "Gross!" "Really?!", Parents will be thrilled they don't have to come up with all the answers. This is a great book for both boys and girls in young adulthood.

Frequently Banned:

http://www.npr.org/2014/09/21/350366435/it-may-be-perfectly-normal-but-its-also-frequently-banned

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper. Steve is in jail and he is on trial for murder. The prosecutor called him a monster because he is accused of being the look-out while his friends robbed a drugstore and the owner was killed. The book is written in a very unique movie format because sixteen year old Steve is a film student. It is a thought provoking book because it shows that a boy from a family with hopes that their son will play football and go to Morehouse College, could instead spend the rest of his life in prison. The decisions a young person makes about the people they associate with is very important. I was so relieved that Steve was found not guilty and would not have to stay in jail where he would have to be constantly afraid of being hurt or raped. Young adults reading this may need help from a teacher or a librarian to help scaffold the themes.

Lesson Plans:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/walter-dean-myers-author-20670.html

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Annie On My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG. Annie and Liza quickly become friends after meeting at a museum. Liza goes to a private school. She wants to go to MIT to become an architect. Liza goes to public school, plans on going to Berkeley, and is a wonderful singer. Their friendship grows into love and Liza for the first time is thinking that she might be gay. While house-sitting for two teachers, Liza and Annie are caught in a compromising situation. This puts Liza's future and the future of her favorite teachers in jeopardy because of the narrow mindedness of the leaders at her school. I found myself wanting Liza and Annie to tell their parents the truth about their sexual orientation. This is a good story about first love. Young adults may read autobiographically and it may help them navigate issues they face.

Discussion Guide:

https://davidbruceblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/garden-annie-pdf.pdf

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Textbook Reflections Chapters 1-5, LSSL 5385

Chapter 1-Why Do We Share Books?

I've always believed in the power of sharing a book. A mom reading to a child and a teacher to her students. I am thrilled to be learning about sharing books from a librarian's point of view. I could have easily guessed the first reason why we share books is because it is fun. There is nothing better than sharing your favorite book with a child or a friend. I could read Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch a million times and still think it is fun! When a librarian thinks it is fun, students will want to read and come back to the library for more. Then second reason is it helps children acquire language. The more books children read and listen to, the more words they are exposed to. That is why as a future librarian at a Title 1 school with many ELL students it will be my job to make sure that students are bathed in the English language with books. The next reason is books help develop children develop empathy. Students learn lessons in books and become kinder people. Every year, I read Don't Laugh At Me! Another reason we share books is to develop lifelong readers. I can help do this by getting children hooked on series and serial reading. I know personally, I was hooked on Little House on the Prairie, Nancy Drew, Beverly Cleary, and Judy Blume. I can acknowledge that students will find delight in books. Also, books can help students see themselves and they can have vicarious experience. Furthermore, books can help develop imagination. As we encourage our students with science and engineering, we need students to think, "What if..." I have been teaching in a program called the New Arrival Center in which all my students are new to the United States and are beginner English language learners. I have students from all around the world. It is important for children to read books that transmit culture. As a librarian, I will make sure that my collection has award winner multicultural books and we will celebrate all year, not just during one month. I am looking forward to spreading my love of reading and sharing books with not just my one class as a classroom teacher, but a whole school of children!

Chapter 2- Divisions of Young People's Literature

There are a four categories of literature-one more that I thought! The first category is children from ages 0-8 years old. This includes wordless, picture, easy readers, chapter books, early chapter books, and books like Ramona Quimby. The next division is Middle Readers, ages 8-12. The books in this age group include Roller Girl and George. This is the confusing part. One can't confuse these Middle Readers with Middle School. Middle School is ages 11-13. Students in Middle School are old enough to read Drama which includes romance and Lily and Dunkin which deals with transgender issues.The problem is middle school students often want to read books that have subject matter that is too advanced for them. This leads them having a hard time finding a book to read when they visit the library. The third category is Young Adult, ages 13-18. For a librarian to see if the book belongs in a high school library, she needs to look at the subject matter. For example, Grasshopper Jungle has inappropriate language and Firsts has sexual content so both books would need to be placed in a high school library. The last category if New Adult, ages 18-30. This division was first started in 2009 with a writing contest. These New Adult books after deal with college experiences or first relationships. Two good examples of New Adult books are Sweet Home and November 9. It is good to know these divisions of young people's literature so you can help direct readers to the best book for them.

Chapter 3- Genres & Formats

There are two main genres: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction is divided into "Realism" and "Fantasy." Under "Realism," you will find Realistic Modern and Historical. There are many divisions under Fantasy. Under "Traditional Fantasy," there are Fairy tales, Myths, Legends, Fables, and Folk tales. Under "Modern Fantasy," there is Hard Science Fiction, Hard Science Fiction, Low Fantasy (talking animals, fairies), High Fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones). Non-fiction is information. Informational's first category is biography, autobiography, and memoir. Informational's second category is narrative fiction. The third category is expository nonfiction like Tornadoes by Seymour Simon.

It is important for us to teach our students that genre is not the same as categories or formats. Formats are poetry, drama, novels, chapter books, short stories, picture books, graphic novels.

For example, Drowned City is a narrative nonfiction in a graphic novel format. Meet the Dullards is a low fantasy in a picture book format. It is a low fantasy because of the dog doing human things. Slasher Girls and Monster Boys is low fantasy in a short story format. Ender's Game is soft science fiction in novel format. The reason it is soft science fiction is because the importance the character has in the story.

It is important to think about whether or not you as a librarian what to genrify your library. A pro is that some people report an increase in circulation. A definite con is that you are categorizing people as well as books. If you put a book on the "Chick Lit" shelf, will a boy want to read it?

Chapter 4-What Is YA Literature?

Young adult literature has a young protagonist. It has an adolescent's point of view and there is a major change in the main character's life. The protagonist is very independent. You will also see contemporary issues. The main character will have to face the consequences of his or her actions. In young adult literature, there will be a short time period, brief setting, few characters will develop.

Chapter 5-How Do Adolescents Develop?

It is important to know how adolescents develop so we as librarians know how to match books to readers. We need to think of how they develop in these ways: intellectually, morally, developmentally, and physically.

Adolescents are changing physically. They are going through puberty and they are thinking "Am I normal?" During this big time of physical change, look for books that help them see that they will survive.

Adolescents are also changing intellectually. Piaget says at this time they are able to change from "concrete" to "abstract" thinking. It is now thought that this happens around the age of 14 years of age. It is important to provide students scaffolding so they can understand abstract material in books. "Themes" can be an abstract concept for this age group.

Havighurst discusses the developmental stages from childhood to adolescence. Adolescents have a different relationship with their peers, the opposite sex, and their parents. They want to work for money and are interested in what job they want to have when they grow up. They are developing morals and are adapting to their changing physical bodies.

Kohlberg's Theory discusses morals for adolescents. There are three stages: Pre-conventional, Conventional, and Post-conventional. The Pre-conventional stage has to do with reward and punishment. The Conventional stage is when you follow rules. The Post Conventional stage is when you recognize laws but you understand that life is more important, which is civil disobedience.

A librarian can help students by looking for books at higher level.

Maslow put needs in a hierarchy chart. From top to bottom: physiological (food, shelter), safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization. Schools help with the physiological by having free breakfast/lunch programs. Librarians can help with safety by making sure that there is not bullying, can show belonging by showing interest in each student and calling students by name, show esteem by demonstrating respect and asking for opinions, and self actualization by making sure all students feel they can be anything they want to be. There should be books that reflect this.

There is a Birthday Cake diagram that shows development as readers. There is reading for "unconscious delight". This is serial reading, like Junie B. Jones, 1 author, or mysteries. The next layer is "Reading Autobiographically." This is reading about people like me, which is considered like a mirror. If you are from a single parent home, reading Dear Mr. Henshaw. It is important that librarians make sure they have books that reflect their student's lives in their collection.

"Vicarious Reading" is like a window because you read about a life that is very different from yours. If you are from a city, you read about living on a farm. The next layer is "Philosophical Speculation" which can be nonfiction or a book like The Giver. The top layer of the cake is "Aesthetic Experience." This can make you realize the beauty or make you cry when a character dies. When you experience the layers of the birthday cake, you will become a lifelong reader.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. NY: Little Brown. Junior lives on an Indian reservation. He was born with water on the brain and his life didn't get any easier from there. On the reservation, there is alcoholism, violence, and death. No one expects Junior to go to college or have a good job, even though he is very smart. Then, one day he decides to leave the reservation and go to an all white school. He is considered a traitor, especially by his best friend Rowdy. Junior loves basketball and becomes a star on the team. The game of basketball becomes a metaphor for life. I love that when a series of horrible things happen in his life, he doesn't get beaten down instead he makes a list of things he is grateful for. It reminded me of Oprah's Gratitude Journal. Who would've though a "Part-Time Indian" would have the key to a happy life? What made me reflect as a teacher is that he is successful at his new school because people expect more from him. We all need to have high expectations for all our students. This young adult novel shows a strong protagonist that readers will be rooting for as they read. The humor that Junior puts into the cartoons that he draws make this a well-rounded book that all will enjoy reading. This multicultural book is an award winner that will keep readers thinking after they put it down.

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQMyOkvbu7A

Lesson Plans:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/sherman-alexie-born-1966-20724.html

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Still Life With Tornado

King, A.S. (2016). Still life with tornado. NY: Dutton Books. Sarah is not going to school after the art club wrecks her art work. She has always loved art, but she can't draw anymore. She is told that she could be expelled if she does not return to school. Sarah won't tell anyone what happened to the headpiece that she made for the art show or that she saw a student kissing the art teacher. Meanwhile, her parents do not communicate and she is having flashbacks to a trip to Mexico that was so bad it caused her brother Bruce to leave home six years ago and never return. Sarah is having a mental episode because she is seeing herself as a ten, twenty-three, and forty year old Sarah. She has been following a homeless man named Earl, eating out of trash cans, and changed her name to Umbrella. When Sarah gets to her breaking point, she calls her brother, and he comes to visit. He tells her of the physical and emotional abuse that their dad caused him and their mother. Finally, Sarah's mom decides to get a divorce so healing can start to take place. I found this book confusing. I thought that Sarah was having multiple personalities, but I couldn't understand why other people could see them. This is an award winning book, but it is not one that I would recommend. It seemed to me that Sarah should have been hospitalized if this was happening to her. I think society has to be very careful when talking about mental illness, plus it was just too hard to follow. Students dealing with dysfunctional and/or abusive families might find comfort when reading about themselves in a book like this.

A.S. King's Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNy_HZiCPIc

Everything Everything

Yoon, N. (2015). Everything everything. NY: Delacorte Press. Madeline is trapped in her house because she is allergic to the outside. Everything changes when Olly moves in next door. She convinces her nurse to let Olly come over and that leads to Madeline realizing that she is not going to settle for this kind of life anymore. Madeline and Olly run away to Hawaii. When readers will think they have the end figured out, there is a huge twist to the story. Madeline was never sick! I was so caught up in this love story. Then I was more that furious with Madeline's mother when I realized that Madeline's illness was all a lie! Readers will not want to put this book down! Madeline is a strong character that we root for throughout the book. Readers may connect with having an illness or Olly's dysfunctional family. This is a book that will make you feel sadness, happiness, and anger. This book is on the Best Fiction for Young Adults list and it's a must read!

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnfLcocbz3s

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin. This book about Melinda is divided into the grading periods of the school year. What happens to Melinda actually happens at an end of the summer party. She is raped by a popular boy at the party, calls the police, gets scared, leaves before the police get there, and tells no one what happened. Melinda's friends and everyone at school treat her like the enemy because she called the police. Her parents don't know what is going on, but they see her dropping grades. She does enjoy going to art where she is supposed to make a tree. Melinda's parents and the school don't know what to do with her. She hides in a closet at school and decorates it to make it her own. At the end of the story, Melinda discovers that this boy might have done this to other girls and she is willing to tell the truth. Readers will feel uncomfortable and want to help Melinda. This is a good book to discuss sexual assault with young adults.

Lesson Plans:

http://madwomanintheforest.com/pdfs/speak-out.pdf

If you like Speak, try these books:

http://www.librarypoint.org/bm_speak

Lily and Dunkin

Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. NY: Delecorte. Lily's name at birth was Timothy. Now that Lily is going into the eighth grade she wants to be brave and dress like a girl and use her girl name. Her mother and sister accept this, but she has to get her father to. Dunkin, the new kid, is bipolar. Dunkin wants to be Lily's friend, but the guys on the basketball team wouldn't approve. This story has two major topics that young adults are facing: transgender and mental illness. I liked both characters very much. Lily is so brave to be her real self despite the risks. I related to Dunkin's story, because my own son has emotional problems. I think that the book will make young adults more thoughtful of people who are transgender and the difficulties they face. For my son, and everyone who faces mental illness, I hope people will be more understanding the hardship of having to deal with being bipolar. Books like this should evoke empathy. Readers will like that both characters get the medical treatment they need to make them happy. Friendship can be the best medicine.

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDtalThIRE

Teaching Ideas:

https://www.perma-bound.com/static/teaching-materials/downloads/prh/Lily-and-Dunkin-EG.pdf

Saint Anything

Dessen, S. (2015). Saint anything. NY: Speak. Sydney's world has turned upside down when her older brother, the golden child, has been put in prison for drunk driving and is responsible for putting a boy in a wheel chair. Sydney feels that her family does not see her and she switches to a new school to help save the family money. At a pizza restaurant, she meets and becomes best friends with Layla. Layla's family welcomes her into their home and she is attracted to Layla's brother Mac who is supposed to be off limits to Layla's friends. Sydney has to deal with her feelings of guilt over her brother's accident, avoiding the family friend who gives her the creeps, and her growing feeling for Mac. Readers will like this story of family, friendship, and love. I like the way the author incorporates humor by having Sydney be the pizza whisperer. She can guess who orders the pizza that she and Mac deliver together. I kept wanting to scream at Sydney's parents to wake up and help Sydney. This book from the Best Fiction for Young Adult list teaches many lessons for the young adult.

7 Reasons to Read Saint Anything: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/7-reasons-sarah-dessens-saint-anything-is-a-must-read/

Eleanor & Park

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor and park. NY: St. Martin's Griffin. In this Printz Honor book, Eleanor comes from an abusive home and the kids at school make fun of her red hair and secondhand clothes. Park is from a nice, middle class family and befriends Eleanor on the bus by sharing his comics and music. They end up falling in love. Readers will be rooting for their friendship and love story. It is wonderful to see Eleanor getting to have some normalcy in her life when she visits Park's family. When things go bad with Eleanor's stepdad, the reader will be crying along with Eleanor and Park. As soon as I finished reading this book, I wanted to read it again.

Reading Group Questions:

http://us.macmillan.com/static/eleanorandpark/pdfs/Eleanor%20%26%20Park%20Reading%20Group%20Questions.pdf

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IicYOZyKqxw

Inspector Flytrap

Angleberger, T. (2016). Inspector flytrap. NY: Abrams. The flytrap is a funny main character who always wants respect given as he insists on being called "Inspector" Flytrap. He solves mysteries with his associate Nina the Goat. Thankfully, Nina the Goat is there to push him from client to client on a skateboard since flytraps don't have legs. This book has three"Big Deal" mysteries to solve. They discover that there is no mystery substance on a famous painting, it is just a booger. Then, Inspector Flytrap has to find out why there is a stinky shoe damaging a bakery business. Finally, he risks his life to save a runaway rose. Elementary students will love the illustrations by Cece Bell. Boys will love the "booger" and "earwax" humor. It is a great combination of story, slapstick humor, and graphic novel.

Kids will be excited to know that this is the first book in a series of "Inspector Flytrap" books. Here is a link to information about Tom Angleberger with more books that they may enjoy reading http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/tom-angleberger.

The next book in the series:

Facebook and Twitter

I viewed several school libraries on Facebook. One school made posts about grants they received. The library received die cuts, microphones, plush book characters, and chairs. There was a great picture of kindergartners using their new donations of BeeBots in a sequencing activity. There were "likes", but not comments. Another school, wanted to win a contest to have Jan Brett come and visit their school. I saw a couple of schools advertise their upcoming book fair. One school posted the 10 books that could win the 2017 Newbery Medal. This would be a great post because it would get the students and teachers motivated to read these books. Another, school showed pictures of a book art workshop. That post did receive comments because others would like to try the same activity. Advantages of using Facebook to promote the library is that the community knows what fun activities like the book fairs, book parades, book awards, and contests. Companies that donate to the library would like to see their companies recognized for their contributions to schools. The disadvantages would be that a parent might not want their child's picture on Facebook and you could have a negative comment. When I searched, it looked like some librarians have their school and personal account mixed and this is not appropriate.

Twitter would be a more useful way to communicate. I had the pleasure of reading some of the posts of leaders in the educational arena. Linda Braun's post was about the YALSA. I learned about the guidelines of creating a teen space in a library. I love that it is encouraged for teens to give input, there is music and games, electronic resources, accessibility for students with disabilities, and allowing food and drink.I know my college aged son loves to go to the library with coffee and work math problems on a dry erase board. He wants a comfortable place to read and study. Tony Vincent's post had a great app called Office Lens. Office Lens is used to take pictures of slides during conferences. I can't wait to try that during my next staff development class! Buffy Hamlton had an amazing post that showed how the cover for "The Sun Is Also A Star" was made using string art https://youtu.be/hk32xz7mRJY . The Daring Librarian has a great post for Black History Month. This link blog.flocabulary.com/black-history-month/ … has great information for teachers so they can create lessons and show videos to their students. Jim Lerman has many technology tips. I liked his digital storytelling wheel with apps @lyseo http://sco.lt/82uyyv . These apps would help students with higher order thinking. Kathy Schrock's posts show that she is interested in sketchnoting. There is wonderful podcast of Mike Rhode demonstrating how to do sketchnoting. For the word loyalty, he draws a dog and tells about it and then for deception is draws the missing ball game that is played a the park (I better remember it from the game show Price is Right). http://rohdesign.com/weblog/2015/8/26/the-sketchnote-podcast-season-1.html

My school district is Cypress Fairbanks ISD in Houston, Texas. CFISD has a website with links to each school library. Our school library has reading lists, ebooks, on-line resouirces, research tips, lists of award winning books, and a link to public libraries. Our school does not use Facebook or Twitter to promote the library.