Chomp

Title:   Chomp

Author:  Carl Hiaasen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age:  Ages 10 and up

Grade Level Equivalent:  5.3

Lexile Measure:  800

Guided Reading Level:  W

DRA:  60

Summary:  Set in the Florida Everglades, Wahoo's father Mickey is an animal wrangler, hired by movies and TV shows to supply and train animals. In this offbeat story, the reader follows the father and son as they work with a TV show billed as the adventures of a survivalist, while really the host is a blowhard who knows little to nothing about living in the wild. There are several twists and turns in the story that keep the reader's interest, with lots of action involved.

Review:  This story has a lot of Hiaasen's quirky characters and plot lines, keeping the reader's interest and attention. The characters are interesting and the story line generally holds together well, with a few tangents.

With its animal and survivalist themes, it will have strong appeal with all readers, but I think would be especially good for boys, particularly reluctant readers of texts other than tried and true action series.

Inside Out & Back Again

Title:   Inside Out & Back Again

Author:  Thanhha Lal

Genre:  Verse Novel, Historical Fiction

Age Level:  Ages 8 and up

Grade Level Equivalent:  5.3

Lexile Measure:  800

Guided Reading Level:  W

DRA:  60

Summary:  Ha and her family live in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Her father has been missing for many years, most likely taken by soldiers from the North. Their mother makes the difficult decision to leave everything they know and come to America, and their escape is made just before the fall of Saigon.

Vietnamese refugee families required a sponsor, and their sponsor is from Alabama. The story follows Ha's struggles to learn English, assimilate with a new and confusing culture, deal with bullies, and make new friends.

Review: The beautiful language of this book lends itself to the gauzy, memoir feel of the writing. It is based on the author's real life experiences, and that comes through in the poignant descriptions of the difficulty of learning English and making friends at a new school.

As it is written in verse, it is a relatively quick read, and Ha's experiences make it a high interest level. While it is set during the period of the Vietnam War, it is very much in the background with minor references.

Paper Things

Title:   Paper Things

Author:  Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 10 and up

Grade Level:  Fifth Grade and up

Lexile Measure:  830






Summary:  Ari Hazard's mother died four years ago, and Ari and her brother Gage have been living with their guardian Janna ever since. Gage and Janna have a falling out, and he leaves, taking Ari with him. Gage had lied about having gotten an apartment, and Ari and Gage become homeless, sleeping on friends' floors and couches, sneaking into shelters, and even sleeping in a car. Ari struggles to keep their living arrangements a secret, while working hard to maintain her grades and to apply to a prestigious middle school.

Review:  I appreciated that Jacobson tackled a subject that is often not discussed in middle school literature, and she approached the idea of being homeless with sensitivity and realism. As an 11-year old, Ari faces challenges that no one should have to deal with, much less a fifth grader. The struggles to have clean clothes for school, getting homework completed, and hiding her situation from friends are realistic and well-told.

I found the rest of the story less compelling; the relationships Ari has with her friends, Janna, and Gage are more unrealistic and the writing often feels that it is just touching the surface and not delving deeper. The characters' personalities often conflict with their actions in ways that are perplexing to the reader.

Overall, I think this is an interesting read that students would enjoy. The unusual and important subject matter would hold the attention of readers while giving them a glimpse into a world that most students know little about.

And so it begins....

I am a teacher. This means different things to different people, and has meant many things to me, depending on the situation I'm in at the time. I didn't start out to be one (the original plan was musician), but life and circumstances sometimes help you find your way better than all the best laid plans.

And then came a move and children, and I put teaching on hold for a while. I supervised student teachers and taught graduate school while my children were small; when they were both in school full time, I decided it was my turn as well.

But teaching had changed - schools were facing budget crunches, and jobs were scarce. I was fortunate to find full time work, doing leave replacements for 5 years. While I loved the schools and students where I worked, I desperately needed a home. It's exhausting and demoralizing to be told every year that there is no position for you; a couple months later the temporary reprieve would come, and save my position for one more year, but it was only ever temporary. I yearned for a home, a place where I could reflect on the previous year's work, nuancing and adding to the lessons and units that had been created and taught that year.

After many (many...) resumes and interviews, I now have a home to call my own. I'm so excited for the future, and the ability to be the kind of teacher that I've missed being - thoughtful, reflective, joyful, and effective. I hope this blog will reflect that journey.