This week I am discussing three books I
have read that aren't exactly my topic, but my topic lead me to these books. It
was nice to change from adult nonfiction/ teaching materials to some "real"
reading occasionally. It helped me get through the six weeks, because I am
telling you, those teaching books can get pretty dry.
The View for Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg (upper elementary)
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I
love Konigsburg. The first book I read by her was Silent to the Bone. Dang. I
was hooked. Then I read The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World. I seriously
wondered how I could have missed her all my life. I have a friend who retired
from teaching middle school, and she was always trying to get me to read A View
from Saturday, but I never picked it up. Fate finally interfered last week. I
read a lesson plan in The Book Whisperer, remembered how much my
friend liked the book, and then found the book at a used book sale for 25
cents. Some times you simply have to answer to the gods, and this was one of
those times. I really liked the book - not as much as Bone or Mysterious Edge,
but it was worth reading!
Drowned City by Don Brown (middle school)
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Great graphic novel! I have Brown's graphic novel The
Great American Dust Bowl, and I really respect the powerful merging of the text
and the images. Drowned City did not disappoint me. I visited New Orleans for
the first time in April of 2005. I fell in love with the city that gave us
Louie Armstrong and shrimp Po' Boys. Then in August of that same year I stared
at the television as I watched a city I couldn't wait to get back to wash into
horror and desperation. My heart broke for the people who had to live through Hurricane
Katrina. Most of my students only know the stories of Katrina from news clips
or anniversary stories. Drowned City provides an excellent opportunity to bring
them closer to the tragedy that the people of New Orleans faced and are still,
ten years later, trying to recover from.
Little Bird's Bad Words by
Jacob Grant (primary or pre-school)
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Little Bird has learned a new word - a word that does not
impress the adults in his life. The images of this children's picture book are
clean and entertaining. The funny way the author lets us know Little Bird hassaid an inappropriate word without actually saying the word made me laugh.Little Bird must learn not to use words that others find offensive - but as any
elementary school teacher can tell you - the lesson must be repeated as Worm
picks up the word and starts to use it.
Next week: book club! I will share a selection from The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.
Hey Mrs. Keogh! This is Dawson. I really enjoyed reading your blog. Every week we write blogs, I always read yours to get good ideas about format. Drowned City seemed like an interesting book. I haven’t really learned that much about Hurricane Katrina. I have just heard stories about it from different people who experienced it and just that it was obviously a devastating storm. I feel like if I read this book, I’d get a better idea of the tragedy because I’ve never really looked into it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dawson. I really did like Drownded City. I am not a big fan of graphic novels normally, but this book is well done I couldn't help it. I have enjoyed your blog this term - most of all I have enjoyed watching you grow into books you would not normally have read.
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