It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week.
Loved reading aloud this title on Friday as I had a little walking skeleton dressed for the occasion!
Our #classroombookaday titles focussed on story telling and becoming writers. So glad I chose to share these titles so early in the year. Some highlights from our learning included:
- The middle is where all of the good stuff happens.
- Tell more!
- Write the stories around you.
- Illustrations also tell stories. Pictures have important details.
- Everyone loves to share stories!
After reading Ralph Tells a Story we were inspired to make a list of story ideas in our writer’s notebooks. I can’t wait to read about overflowing bathtubs, funny families and big and little adventures!
Classroom Highlights
In this recent post Dear Blog Readers, I explained how I will be sharing more of what is happening in our classroom each week. Some highlights:
On Wednesday and Thursday evening we hosted Goal Setting Conferences with parents and students. It was really lovely to meet families (including older and little siblings) and participate in meaningful conversations about learning, happiness and engagement. I loved this drawing left behind by one little brother. It reminded me to listen with big ears!
Kindergarten students have so much to share. I love to pop in to the K classrooms on my prep to see what is happening. One little author/illustrator read me her animal book. 🙂
One of my students wants to be a poet. She shared her notebook with me this week. During Choices time one afternoon, she was working on her writing. She turned to a new page and exclaimed, “I love when a blank page turns into a story.” Her supportive Mom had taken her to the public library this week and helped her to sign out some poetry titles!
We have been writing to the people in our school community. I love this letter to our school engineer:
“Parm Thank you for everything. Our light is broken Parm. Can you fix it please and pretty?”
Here are our wipe off math mats patiently waiting for us to return from music and recess so we can continue practicing decomposing numbers to add.
Little mathematicians at work! Overheard: “Let’s try that one again. I think we’ve almost got it.” Math is social! When we work together our learning multiplies.
Students are now taking the lead solving math riddles. This student is crossing out numbers on the 100s chart that have been eliminated by specific clues. Her classmates are so attentive!
After choral counting, we notice so many patterns! My job? To record all of the thinking that is shared.
Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. It’s the best way to discover what to read next.
Books I enjoyed:
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back up Again by Dan Santat
Kind of impossible to talk about this book without giving anything away. I will just say this. I read a LOT of picture books. I often find books that touch an emotional nerve or inspire a sense of awe or make me laugh out loud. I am amazed at the calibre of titles that continue to be published. But I don’t often find myself completely surprised. This book surprised me. The ending caught me off guard and I loved it!
La La La: A Story of Hope written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Jaime Kim
Well, wow. This book – with only these three little repeated utterances: La, La, La and some more than expected and then some illustrations – pulls off an experience that is pretty incredible. I read a bit of criticism in the reviews about this being a challenging title to share as a read aloud. I think in a room with an adult who knows his/her readers and where there is space for wondering and talk, this book would be amazing. I need to get my own copy and prove it very soon.
The Wish Tree written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Chris Turnham
In search of a wish tree . . . There is much here about unwavering belief, hope and kindness. A magical experience.
Hooray for Books! by Brian Won
I am not quite sure what could be better than a book about book love. Such a celebration!
Imagine by John Lennon with illustrations by Jean Jullien
A gorgeous picture book of the famous song by John Lennon. I will be sharing this as November 11th approaches. An important book to inspire conversations about peace.
Animal Camouflage: Search and Find by Sarah Dennis and Sam Hutchinson
Can’t wait to put this title out for some of our Soft Start mornings. I know students will pour over it as they learn about continents and various animals. Just beautiful.
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke
I was so excited to finally have the chance to read this book and I couldn’t put it down. It was full of surprises and the ending just about knocked me over. I now feel like my students who read Mighty Jack last year and then whined all year about the second in the series not yet being published. Consider this my first whine: WHEN is Book 3 coming?
Zinnia and the Bees by Danielle Davis
Wonderfully quirky, gentle and true. The unbelievable becomes believable in this middle grade novel about a girl who literally has a bee hive in her hair. Not a bee hive hair style. A hive of bees who take up residence. Really. She also has a missing brother. A there, but not really, mother. A boy named Birch waiting to be her friend. And . . . those bees. Loved this book!
Reading Progress updates:
2017 Chapter Book Challenge: 52/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 231/365 books read
Progress on challenge: 49 books behind schedule. Under 50 this week!
#MustReadin2017: 24/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 29/50 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 33/50 books read
Up next? I have a lot of transitional chapter books on the go as I get ready to book talk more titles for my classroom!
There's a Book for That 
Loved the books you wrote about this week. Which one? All. I have read two and agree about After the Fall and Mighty Jack and the Goblin King. I got that one early and had it waiting for the kids that complained after Mighty Jack 1. It made us all run back to read his earlier series too. A group of us are hoping to have it next September to read together. I really liked the looks of Zinnia as well as The Wish Tree too. Thanks for the post!
Ben Hatke was probably the most popular author/illustrator in my room last year. Well, maybe Aaron Becker. Both of them right up there! Zinnia is fantastic!
I love Ralph Tells a Story. I read it to a class of first graders a few weeks ago. After the Fall is fantastic! I am eagerly awaiting my own copy. I have students already asking for the third Mighty Jack. I hate telling them that they have quite a while to wait!
Mighty Jack has a cult like following in my room! My students from last year will go crazy when I bring this book into the school this week. Ralph Tells a Story is one of my absolute favourites to inspire young writers!
Great list this week. I’m looking forward to reading Mighty Jack and Zinnia and the Bees. I hadn’t realized that Mighty Jack was a book 2. I need to find book 1!
Reading both Mighty Jack titles back to back will be a lot of fun! Do pick up Zinnia – really loved this one.
We love this line from one of your writers, “I love when a blank page turns into a story.” So powerful. Can’t wait to read Imagine!
Isn’t that wonderful? This girl carries around her book and loves to write. So inspired by her!
I love taking a peek inside your classroom each week! It’s wonderful to see such enthusiasm in young learners. I really enjoyed Zinnia and the Bees. I thought it was very creative to use the “beehive hairdo” as a vehicle to tell a story. Have a terrific week!
Agreed about Zinnia! I had to learn how to do the beehive hair for my daughter’s musical theatre dance number. Oh my! Takes time!
I can’t wait to read After The Fall and Imagine! Others, too, of course. I just bought La La La for the grand girls for this past weekend with them. They loved it, and we talked on and on about what the little girl was experiencing. It can be a read aloud, but both girls also took the book and looked again by themselves during the day. Thanks, Carrie. Have a wonderful week!
Linda – love hearing about your granddaughters experience with La La La – thanks for sharing this.
Bone by Bone looks like one I need to check out. My daughter and I just finished the 1st Mighty Jack book and we cannot wait to check out the 2nd!
Bone by Bone is INCREDIBLE!!!
After the Fall is truly special!
It really is!
I’m annoyed that our library doesn’t have a copy of After the Fall. Everytime I read a review I check to see if it is on order yet.
I agree with you completely about Mighty Jack. I’m so excited about Lily and can hardly wait to see where Hatke will take us next!
I have my own copy. Maybe you should come for a visit . . .
I think this is a good idea!
I agree that After the Fall is awe-inspiring. Love Dan Santat so much!
Me too! 🙂
LOVE After the Fall and La La La. Can’t wait to read both of them. Often!
I’ve been trying to find Zinnia and the Bees. Our libraries don’t have it yet 😦
And YES to your Goblin King “whine”! Me too!!
The Goblin King whine! We should make a club.
Thank you for sharing your classroom life with us. I’m always inspired.
Thank you Rosemary!
Love seeing what you are doing in your classroom. It always makes me want to hang out in your classroom!
After the Fall and La La La are such special books! And I love Mighty Jack 🙂
Thank you for sharing the others with me!
Happy reading this week 🙂
Thanks Kellee! I would love to have you come and hang out with us. Too bad we are so far apart!
I was also rather surprised with After the Fall – in the very best way. Thanks for sharing so much of your class with us. As always, it looks like a wonderful place to be.
It is! I am absolutely adoring this class this year! Such a wonderful community of learners.
We still don’t have La La La and After the Fall in our public libraries here. Hopefully, soon! 🙂
They are pretty wonderful! Enjoy when you get to read them!
Gosh, Carrie. Sometimes, I just don’t think you are real. You are such a gift.
Wow. Well. I am most certainly real. It is a joy to celebrate all of the highlights. This is such a fun group of kids and they are teaching me so much!
I so love seeing your class at work! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Annette!