Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Friday, February 28, 2014

Friend Friday #32...

Hi!  I’m Salma and I'm reading the book called The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal and written by Erin Soderberg. 

I think this book is wonderful because they have to try and hide their magic.  

My favorite part of the story is when they go to the Town Square for the contest because they run out of gum and Penelope saves the day.  

The character that I liked best is Finn because he makes the story so interesting. 


I think the author wrote this book because she wanted to entertain us with a great story.  

I would recommend this book to my friends because it is awesome and I know they would love it.  

Reading to me is fun because I really love to read!  


*This post is in honor of our author visit today with Erin Soderberg.
*We read this book as part of my "Breakfast with Books" book club.
*We were suppose to meet with her last Friday, but of course "mother nature" interfeared.  
*Salma is an avid reader in my class and loves to read the book club book selections.
*Thanks for posting today Salma!  This title was a hit in our classroom.  

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Lesson Thursday #20...


Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lesson".

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.


Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)...
Lesson #1 - Be Brave
Lesson #2 - Be Kind
Lesson #3 - Be Courageous
Lesson #4 - Be Motivated
Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully
Lesson #6 - Be Inspired
Lesson #7 - Be Spooky
Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)
Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader
Lesson #11 - Be Power
Lesson #12 - Be a Team
Lesson #13 - Be Merry 
Lesson #14- Be Giving 
Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)
Lesson #16 - Be Positive
Lesson #17 - I Can Do This
Lesson #18 - Be a Friend
Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)



Lesson #20 - Be Courageous

Trailer Thursday #32...

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
(Middle-Grade Novel)
*An excellent first book in an even better series.  Such a fun read...


Sharp by David Fitzpatrick
(Adult Novel)
*A truly incredible memoir about a man's journey through mental illness.  Quite a page turner...


Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson 
(Picture Book)
*A student read this to the class last week and I just loved the story.  The class was spell-bound...


Looking for Alaska by John Green  
(Young Adult Novel)
*I posted this title last Thursday also, but I'm still reading it and loving it.
*Check out the trailers from last week to see some book trailers about the novel.
*I thought this video clip was different, fun, and interesting.  Be sure to check out this novel...





Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Wonder Wednesday #32...


Wonder Wednesday - The Wonder of a Wave and Hello

*I recently saw both of these videos and thought they were truly wonders that everyone should practice.

*One of the best things about working with children is providing them with life skills that will help them to become better people.


The Wonder of a Wave


The Wonder of Hello

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Treat Tuesday #32...

Treat Tuesday - Crock Pot Lasagna

*For two working parents, crock pots are great for dinners.

*One of my favorite foods is lasagna.

*Try out this easy way to make a really good lasagna.  Enjoy...

 Ingredients...
1 pound Ground Beef
Lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


Directions...
Brown ground beef and drain.
Spoon 1 C. spaghetti sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot.
Mix remaining sauce with beef.
Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot.
Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles.
Spread 3/4 C. cottage cheese over meat.
Sprinkle 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese.
Add another layer of uncooked noodles, 1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese.
Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
If cooked much longer, it gets a bit well done.



Treat Tuesday - Middle Grade Book

The Name of this Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch


*The first book is a terrific series with lots of surprises, suspense, and silliness!







Treat Tuesday - Adult Novel   


Sharp by David Fitzpatrick


*A fascinating memoir about a man's life with mental illness.  
 

Monday, February 24, 2014

Music Monday #20...

"The World's Greatest" by R. Kelly

*This is one of my favorite songs.  
*I love the message, the lyrics, and the music of this song.
*This piece also points out many great examples of "metaphors."
*As I watched the writers view the video, I could tell they were enjoying the music.
*Mondays are always such a joy and the writing that comes from these pieces is quite powerful.


Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am
Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small
Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams
Week Number Nineteen:  Everything Will Change by Gavin DeGraw

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2/24/14)...



Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...
                
                 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/


*A busy week and a weekend away so I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked! 


Books I Read this Past Week…




Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...


Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxleee

*Taking this story nice and slow and enjoying the beautiful writing.










Looking for Alaska by John Green

*My current young adult book.  The Fault in our Stars is one of my favorite books.









Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

*Our new BBC (Boy's Book Club) selection.


Sunday, February 23, 2014

Surprise Sunday #7...


My Nerdy Book Club Post





*I had the honor of posting for the fourth time on the Nerdy Book Club blog.

*These four experiences have truly been incredible for me and a validation for my passion of books, authors, and reading.

*Here is the post that appeared on the The Nerdy Book Club this past Friday.


Taking the Book to the Next Level

When looking back over my teaching career of twenty-three years, I am most proud of the read aloud books and book club selections I have shared with the countless students who have passed through my classroom.   It wasn’t until last year, however, when my world opened up and I realized I could take the “book” to the next level.

Sitting here a year later I can’t remember exactly how the idea of Skyping with authors came to me, but know it had to do with Twitter, The Nerdy Book Club, and all the wonderful educators I came in contact with.  Reading a great piece of literature to my students, or with my students, having a great discussion about that book, and sharing our thoughts, reactions, and feelings had always seemed enough.  It wasn’t until my class began Skyping with authors that I realized how much more powerful and alive a book can become.

A smile comes to my face when I think about the first Skype session my fourth grade class had last year.  After spending quite a bit of time on Twitter and learning how many teachers in the world were connecting with authors and illustrators, I gathered the courage to ask the first author.  Lucky for me, Kim Baker the author of Pickle, accepted my invitation and the groundwork was set in motion.  As soon as I shared with my readers that we would be chatting with Kim regarding her novel Pickle, the excitement was contagious.  The students got busy reading and sharing the book so as many of us could read it as possible.  The day we Skyped with her was electric .  What I didn’t anticipate was how many children who didn’t read the book before the Skype, wanted to read it after we were face to face with Kim Baker.

What followed this personal interaction was truly magical.  The class Skyped with Jacqueline Resnick about her book titled The Daring Escape for the Misfit Menagerie.  This was a book I choose for my “Breakfast with Books” book club.  We invited Jacqueline to join our “book club” while chatting over “breakfast treats.”   It felt like she was in the room with us.  The fun part of this Skype was that it was Jacqueline’s first Skype visit with a class.  We were novices together.

We were also able to Skype with Jody Feldman who is the author of the Gollywhopper Games and Dan Gutman after we read the first book in his Genius Files series.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think my students would be able to talk with Dan face to face (well via computer) and have such a personal interaction about his book.

The 2013-2014 school year brought a renewed sense of excitement about upcoming read aloud books I would share with my new class along with book club novels that would be announced over the next nine months.  I must say this has been an exciting year for both my student readers and myself.
We kicked off the year with a chat with Suzanne Selfors the author of The Sasquatch Escape.  This visit was pure fun.  The next visit was with Chris Grabenstein as we talked about his incredible new book The Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.  He stated he was excited to talk with us because we were the first class he was getting feedback from on the new novel.  As with all successes, there are usually some setbacks.  I choose the novel Flora & Ulysses as a book club book last fall.  This was before it won the Newbery Award.  I tried contacting Kate DiCamillo, but she was in the middle of her book tour and didn’t have time at that point to Skype.  The sweet part was how understanding my students were about this.  We were THIRLLED when it won the award!

The biggest coup was being able to talk with Sharon Creech about her newest novel The Boy on the Porch.  Being a huge fan of her books, I couldn’t quite believe that we were chatting with her and my students were able to ask questions of this award-winning author.  She was everything you would hope she was.  This is a day I will never forget.

The class has also connected with Jacqueline Resnick twice.  The first time was after I read the class The Daring Escape of the Misfit Menagerie .  She then Skyped again with the book club after we read the sequel called The Valiant Quest of the Misfit Menagerie.  It is amazing how after three conversations you begin to get to know an author.  I truly value the time and gifts that Jacqueline has given to my students and myself over the last couple of years.

Where do you go from Skype visits?  How do you take it to an even further level?   I guess having the author join your class in person is one sure fire way!   After reading The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal, I knew I wanted to use this book for “Breakfast with Books.”  While on Twitter, I was surprised to find out that Erin Soderberg lives right here in the Twin Cities where I teach.  We connected via Twitter and believe it or not, she will be joining our fifth ”Breakfast with Books” on Friday, February 21st.  I’m overjoyed and excited about the opportunity.  The readers have copies of the book, Erin has sent bookmarks, and we are ready to discuss “The Quirks” with her.   What a way to celebrate I Love to Read month!

It just occurred to me that the day we meet Erin Soderberg in my classroom is the same day that this post will go live on The Nerdy Book Club.  Talk about a full-circle experience.   Never in my wildest dreams did I think my students would be having these experiences, but they have brought more joy than I can even describe.  Taking the book to the next level has done more for me personally and professionally than I thought possible.

As Mikey would say, “Try it, you’ll like it!”

Friday, February 21, 2014

Friend Friday #31...

Hi!  I’m Meghan and I'm reading the book called I, Funny and written by James Patterson.

I think this book is awesome because the kid is in a wheelchair but accomplishes many things. 

My favorite part of the story is when the boy wins the competition because it is an interesting part of the story. 

The character that I liked best is Jamie because he is a great character and fun to read about.  




I think the author wrote this book because he wanted to entertain his readers with a fun and awesome book.  

I would recommend this book to my friends because it is very funny and I know the readers in my class would like it just as much as I did.  

Reading to me is awesome because I love reading and it is one of my favorite things to do.  


*Meghan is one of my most avid readers.
*She reads any and every chance she gets.
*It has been amazing to watch her read this year and complete so many wonderful books.  
*Another great thing about Meghan as a reader is she reads from a variety of genres and doesn't limit herself.  




Thursday, February 20, 2014

Thursday Lesson #19...

 
Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lesson".

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.


Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)


Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)...
Lesson #1 - Be Brave
Lesson #2 - Be Kind
Lesson #3 - Be Courageous
Lesson #4 - Be Motivated
Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully
Lesson #6 - Be Inspired
Lesson #7 - Be Spooky
Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)
Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader
Lesson #11 - Be Power
Lesson #12 - Be a Team
Lesson #13 - Be Merry 
Lesson #14- Be Giving 
Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)
Lesson #16 - Be Positive
Lesson #17 - I Can Do This
Lesson #18 - Be a Friend


Lesson #18 - Be A Friend (Last Week's Video and Lesson)


Trailer Thursday #31...


A Million Little Pieces by James Frey



The Underneath by Kathi Appelt


Goodnight IPad by Ann Droyd



Looking for Alaska by John Green

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The Quirks in Circus Quirkus by Erin Soderberg...

How I Heard About It:  My school librarian gave me a copy of The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg.  After I read it, I knew I wanted it to be a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection.  What was even more exciting was that the author was going to join the book club discussion in person because we are both from the Twin Cities.  Before the book club I wanted to read the sequel.  I bought myself a copy and got busy reading!  

What It Is About:  This second book continues right where the first one left off.  Molly and Penelope are twins and attending fourth grade.  They come from a unique family.  Each member of the family has a special "quirk" or magical power.  The school has announced that a special circus will be coming to town and they would like one grade level to perform in the circus with the professional performers.  The students are beyond excited.  They begin practicing right away.  Meanwhile at the Quirk home, things are never dull.  The mother wants to get away for a weekend, the brother keeps disappearing, and the grandparents are "wild" as ever.  Molly and Penelope find out that the neighbor lady is spying on them and has notified the "press" that something is going on with this family.  Mrs. Deville is one of the most noisy neighbors of all time and the girls don't want her finding out about the family secrets, especially the little monster that Penelope is keeping in her room.  All action leads to an exciting conclusion with the circus being performed both in the Quirk's backyard and at school. 


What I Thought Of It:  I enjoyed the first book so much that I choose it for a book club novel.  I was pleasantly surprised how wonderful the second book in the series turned out to be.  As much as I enjoyed the first novel, I think I loved this second book even more.  The characters were so fun to read about and the story was quite engrossing.  With the focus of the neighbor lady Mrs. Deville, there was even more excitement and suspense.  The plot moved along quickly and kept me engaged throughout the entire story.     

Who Should Read It:  This is the perfect book for third, fourth, and fifth graders.  The story could be read alone or would make for a terrific read aloud.  Both novels are not extremely long and the illustrations that are scattered throughout the book, make for a fun book to read and look at.  I think the story line will appeal to many readers and they will come to "love" the Quirk family.  I know my readers are very excited about this series and meeting the author in a couple of days.  Happy Reading!

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars


Wonder Wednesday #31...

Wonder Wednesday - Picture Book March Madness

*We are currently in the midst of the first annual "Picture Book March Madness".

*This is the fourth week my students are reading from a set of eight picture books.  There have been a total of 32 picture books.

*Once all the picture books have been read, we will start our voting to set up the March Madness Bracket.

*It has been an exciting four weeks and I know will get even more fun as the readers see the brackets and begin their voting to make our way to the final award-winning picture book of 2014.

*As I captured some images of my students reading from these books, it was heart-warming to see how much they are enjoying this endeavor...











Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Treat Tuesday #31...

Treat Tuesday - Apple Cinnamon Bread

*This recipe comes from allrecipes.com

*My family and I found this to be quite a tasty breakfast treat.

*It makes the perfect morning "prep" time snack.

*Give it a try and enjoy...




Ingredients...

*1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*2/3 cup white sugar
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*2 eggs
*1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
*1/2 cup milk
*1 apple, peeled and chopped


Directions...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cinnamon-white-cake/photo-gallery.aspx


Treat Tuesday - Middle Grade Novel



Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve

*A wonderful fantasy of a story that all children will enjoy!








Treat Tuesday - Adult Novel



A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

*Despite the controversy of whether this is a memoir or part-fiction, it makes for a tremendous read.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Music Monday #19...

"Everything Will Change" by Gavin DeGraw

*I have tried to incorporate as much of the Sochi Winter Olympics in the classroom.
*When I found this piece of music, I knew I wanted to share it with my writers.
*To me the lyrics and the images are quite powerful.
*We enjoyed watching the video, discussing the Olympics, and of course writing in our notebooks.
*Mondays are such an exciting time during our writer's workshop!  

Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am
Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small
Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2/17/14)...



Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...
                
                 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/




Books I Read this Past Week…


Wanderville by Wendy McClure

*4 STARS out of 5 Stars!









The Quirks in Circus Quirkus by Erin Soderberg

*5 STARS out of 5 Stars!








The Book Thief
 by Markus Zusak

*This is my BBC current selection (Boy's Book Club)

*3 STARS out of 5 Stars!  

 





Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...


Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxleee

*Taking this story nice and slow and enjoying the beautiful writing.










Looking for Alaska by John Green

*My current young adult book.  The Fault in our Stars is one of my favorite books.






Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Book Thief by Mark Zusak...

How I Heard About It:  I have known about this book for quite some time.  Many of my reading friends have read it and raved about it.  Once the movie came out, I heard even more great things about this novel.  One of my buddies in the BBC (Boy's Book Club) picked this title for our current selection.  I finally made the time to read this book that so many people had read and talked about.  

What It Is About:  I probably don't have to give a summary because I know so many readers have already spent time with this novel.  Liesel is torn from her mother and brother and ends up with a foster family.  She spends the next few years living with Rosa and Hans Hubermann during the Nazi Germany years.  Before she went to live with them, she stole her first book and brought it with her as she began her new life on Himmel Street.  Once on Himmel Street she becomes close friends with Rudy and grows to love Max, who is a young Jewish man that the Hubermann's are hiding in their basement.  Throughout these years, Liesel learns to read from "papa" and becomes obsessed with books, words, and stories.  She will end up stealing many books during the course of the story.  Liesel will also have to deal with many tragedies and difficulties with her new family and friends because of the Nazi Army and of course Hitler.  

What I Thought Of It:  To be honest, I didn't bond with this story.  I found it difficult to understand, follow, and enjoy.  The beginning was confusing and hard to follow.  Once I got into the rhythm of the writing, then things flowed a bit better for me.  As I stated on Twitter, "I don't think I'm smart enough to understand this book."  It wasn't a difficult read, but I never became attached to the characters and plot as I know so many readers have.  There were parts that I enjoyed and found myself "taken away" within the story, but overall I think I was just reading it because I had to for book club.  I do think the writing was excellent and well done, but just wasn't a story for me.  This being said, I know I'm in the minority of readers.  That is actually one of the great things about reading and books.  Each person is drawn to different types of stories and finds enjoyment in a variety of books.  

Who Should Read It:  If there is anyone left out there in the reading world that hasn't read this book yet, then I think they should.  I'm glad I read it, but it is too bad I didn't enjoy it more.  I know the novel is geared toward young adult readers, but to me it was definitely an adult book.  The other members of my book club enjoyed it so I'm glad we all read it and will be "discussing" it soon at our next book club.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars