In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

Title: In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

Author: Joseph Marshall III

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: 9-12

Grade Level: 4-8

Lexile Measure: 620

Guided Reading Level: W

Summary: Jimmy McLean is Lakota, but he doesn't look like the other Lakota students at his school. He has light skin and is often teased. His grandfather decides to take him on a journey to discover his roots, by following in the footsteps of Crazy Horse.

Review: This book is a great teaching tool to learn about the life of Crazy Horse, as well as seeing history from the point of view of Native Americans. The author uses the journey of Jimmy and his grandfather to teach this information. The factual and background information is fabulous, and is well supported by the inclusion of the map and glossary, but the story itself sometimes feels strained, as if it is simply a vehicle to provide the information and isn't fully fleshed out. This would be a great book to help support or expand a social studies unit, providing background information that wouldn't be in  a textbook.

Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You'd Had by Tracy Johnston Zager

The math specialist at my school recommended this book, which I immediately took out of our school library. And then it sat on my shelf and gathered dust while I actually had to teach math to my 4th graders. Now that the summer is in full force, I had the chance to dust it off and give it the time it deserves.

I read a lot of professional books (mostly in the summer!), and they vary quite a bit in categories such as readability, writing style, and most of all - usefulness. This one was great. It was organized clearly and well, and was easy to follow. The writing was clean and interesting, incorporating research, classroom examples (with lots of actual dialogue between students and teachers), and the author's own thoughts. This was time well spent.

I particularly appreciated the emphasis on proof - teaching students the importance of precision in their language, collaboration, and requiring rigorous thought. I think that often, as elementary teachers, we scaffold work too much for our students, in the misguided belief that it will help their self-esteem by allowing them greater success. This book emphasizes the importance of confusion, questioning, noticing, and wondering. I have already been doing a tiny fraction of what is presented in the book, but I always end up feeling guilty, as if I'm not doing the "real math" of the curriculum and just having fun. Turns out, this is what we should be spending more of our time on, not less. Our students need to understand that math is not fast computation. It's thinking, questioning, collaborating, making claims, and proving them. It's finding the joy and beauty in math, not just in the classroom, but in our world, and I can't wait to get started!

George's Secret Key to the Universe

Title:   George's Secret Key to the Universe

Author:  Lucy & Stephen Hawking

Genre:  Science Fiction

Age:  8-12

Grade Level Equivalent:  3-7

Lexile Measure:  850

Summary:  A young boy, George, is stymied by his parents' lifestyle; they don't have a car, use candles instead of electricity, and generally eschew modern technology. They are firmly against science, as they believe it has led to the destruction of the planet. George unexpectedly meets his new neighbor, a physicist with a super computer that can actually take you into outer space. While embracing his newfound knowledge, George learns the hard way that science is fascinating, important, and not something to be taken lightly.

Review:  This book was co-authored by Lucy and Stephen Hawking, so as one would expect, it contains large amounts of scientific facts and material. The story is engaging, although somewhat stilted by attempting to include such a volume of factual information while weaving it into the plot. It does gain momentum as the book continues, and the story line keeps the reader interested.

I think this book would be appealing for any child, but particularly for those who are interested in space. The text contains a lot of ancillary material at the end with questions and answers from the authors, discussion questions, and strategies to take the book further in your classroom.

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.