2nd Graders Discuss a Disastrous Dip in Applesauce

Hello Readers!

This week 2nd graders are discussing Never Swim in Applesauce by Katherine Applegate. This is the fourth book in the Roscoe Riley Rules series, and it is another face-paced, funny read. Roscoe Riley is an "accidental rule breaker," and he keeps the reader wondering what he will do next. Parents will find themselves smiling and nodding in recognition of the fixes Roscoe find himself in. The chapters are short while being both entertaining and thought-provoking.

In this book, Roscoe's class is going on a field trip to the apple orchard! Roscoe wants to be on his best behavior for the class trip, but no matter how hard he tries, he still ends up in a very sticky situation.

To preview discussion questions, link to activities and other books in this series, please visit the Grade 2 page.

Happy reading!

Book Club Readers Voted and The Results Are In!

Hello Readers!

The 2016-17 WILD(er) About Reading Book Clubs have officially begun. At our first meeting, students met in grade-level groups to rank order their favorite books from a selection of newly published texts with a dash of classic favorites.

What did they choose?

The titles are listed below, in alphabetical order by author's last name. It is going to be a great year of reading and discussing excellent books! Be sure to check back throughout the school year to join us in discussions and to explore links related to the books and authors we read.

Happy reading!

2nd Graders

Never Swim in Applesauce (Roscoe Riley Rules #4) by Katherine Applegate

Lola Levine Is Not Mean by Monica Brown

Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln by Kate DiCamillo

Robots Rule the School (The DATA Set #4) by Ada Hopper

The Reading Race (Ready, Freddy! #27) by Abby Klein

My Pet Human by Yasmine Surovec

The Class Election from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler

3rd Graders

Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary

Fox Investigates: A Whiff of Mystery by Adam Frost

A New Class (Star Wars Jedi Academy #4) by Jarrett K. Krosoczka

The Big Move (Commander in Cheese #1) by Lindsey Leavitt

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls,  School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look

Danger in Ancient Rome (Ranger in Time #2) by Kate Messner

The Election Day Disaster (Capital Mysteries #10) by Ron Roy

4th Graders

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Who Is Malala Yousafzai? by Dinah Brown

The Imagination Box by Martyn Ford

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

The Kid Who Ran for President by Dan Gutman

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks

5th Graders

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Duma

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin

The Kid Who Ran for President by Dan Gutman

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Summer Vacation May Be Over, But Our Next Journey Is Just Beginning!

Hello Readers!

Welcome to the start of the 2016-17 school year! I am so excited to kick off another year of sharing books with our book club members and readers around the world. This year we have a great selection of newly published books, a few stories by tried-and-true phenomenal authors, and some titles that are relevant to current issues in our world. I can't wait to dig in and discuss these books with you. The video slideshow below gives you a sneak peak of some of the books we'll be reading. Which one(s) do you predict will be your favorite(s)? Let me know in the comments section below.

  

I will be at the Wilder Elementary Open House from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2016, to share information about how WILD(er) About Reading Book Club works, the books we'll be reading, and helping kids make origami bookmarks! Come say hello to me at the AM Enrichment tables. Tell me what you've been reading this summer or what you're looking forward to reading this year. The flyer that will be distributed can be downloaded here if you are not able to attend the Open House.

For those students who will be joining the WILD(er) About Reading Enrichment Book Clubs this school year (Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary students in grades 2-5), please be sure to visit the Wilder PTSA Enrichment web site and register between September 7 and 13, 2016.

Do you have any book suggestions for the 2016-17 school year? What are you looking forward to reading this year? List your ideas in the comments section below.

Happy reading!

Part 4 - Summer Reading Recommendations - Poetry, Rhymes, and Stories in Verse

Hello Readers!
 
It is the fourth and final installment of summer reading recommendations, and this week I am featuring Poetry, Rhyming Books, and Stories Told in Verse. Many of us hear the word poetry and automatically conjure memories (possibly unpleasant) of reading Shakespeare or Yeats in high school. However, today, poetry and stories told through rhyme or verse hold plenty of value, entertainment, and pleasure for readers. Here are a few reasons I recommend poetry to kids:

1. Poems can be funny. The ultimate goal is to enjoy what we read, and often, poetry books written for kids are humorous (and therefore enjoyable). Sometimes they are full of jokes, situations that make you laugh out loud, or characters who make you smile.  Think Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelustsky, Brod Bagert, and Brian Cleary.
2. Poems are short and quick to read. How appealing does that sound to kids? Often, a poem can be read in under a minute. In a 5-minute screen break, kids can read a handful of poems from a collection. Waiting to be seen at the doctor's office or dentist? Pull out a poetry book and read a few to pass the time. Chapter books written in verse are quick reads, too. A sense of accomplishment comes along with reading several chapters of a story told in verse in one sitting. Think Judith Viorst, Marilyn Singer, and Douglas Florian.
3. Poems make us think. Often poems help us think about a person or a situation in a new way, perhaps a way that we've never thought of something before. In addition, poems can improve our vocabulary with the specific and descriptive words chosen to convey ideas. Think Sharon Creech, Caroline Starr Rose, and Kwame Alexander.

What is a "story told in verse?" Simply put, it is a story (usually a chapter book) that has been told through free-verse (non-rhyming) poems instead of the typical narrative style of writing we encounter in a novel.  Stories told in verse tend to be quick reads compared to their narrative chapter book counterparts, and that can be very motivating for kids (and parents). Check out the blog "What Do We Do All Day?" for even more inspiring chapter books written in verse.

As usual, the recommendations are organized into two sections:

• Poetry, Rhyming Books and Stories Told in Verse for Younger Readers - geared toward readers in grades K-3 depending on interest and comprehension level.
• Poetry and Stories Told in Verse for Intermediate to Middle Grade Readers - geared toward readers in grade 3-8 depending on interest and comprehension level.

Be sure to check out my previous posts, Part 1 - Fabulous Fiction, Part 2 - Incredible Informational Text, and Part 3 - Pleasing Picture Books, for more summer reading recommendations. What do you plan to read this summer? Have you read any of the books on the recommendations lists? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy reading!

Here comes summer, a time to be free.

Lazy days without homework,

and FILLED

with friends playing,

sunshine soaking,

lemonade sipping,

pool swimming,

lunchtime picnicking

kids running,

fireflies flashing,

watermelon slicing,

ice cream licking,

bicycle riding,

and, of course, 

book reading.

Here comes summer, a time to be me.

Part 3 - Summer Reading Recommendations - 25 Pleasing Picture Books

Hello Readers!

This week I am offering up a helping of 25 picture books that are perfect for young, intermediate, and middle grade readers. These books run the gamut from heartwarming and funny to thought-provoking and informative. And all of the books on the list contain beautiful, inspiring illustrations that enrich (or completely tell) the story. I encourage you to explore the list of picture book recommendations and choose a few books to share with your child this summer. The recommendations are organized into two sections:

• Picture Books for Younger Readers - geared toward readers in grades K-3 depending on interest and comprehension level.
• Picture Books for Intermediate to Middle Grade Readers - geared toward readers in grade 3-8 depending on interest and comprehension level.

For many children, exposure to picture books ends as soon as they begin reading chapter books. However, picture books hold a value for all readers regardless of age or reading ability. Author of the blog Literacy, Families, and Learning, Trevor Cairney, published a post entitled, "Why Older Readers Should Read Picture Books" in which he addresses and aims to dispel the following four myths:

• Myth 1 - Picture books are easier than chapter books.
• Myth 2 - Illustrations make it easy for children to read and reduce the demands on the reader.
• Myth 3 - Getting children reading longer texts earlier will maximize their reading growth.
• Myth 4 - Picture books are just for children.

Be sure to check out my previous posts, Part 1 - Fabulous Fiction and Part 2 - Incredible Informational Text, for more summer reading recommendations. Next week, I'll have recommendations for great summer Poetry reads.

Happy reading!

Part 2 - Summer Reading Recommendations - Incredible Informational Text

Hello Readers!

Happy summer break to those of you who have already gotten out of school for the year! Some of us still have another month to go. Either way, you can definitely dive into this list of recommendations for Informational Text to read in the near future. These books tell the stories of amazing people, places, animals, inventions, recipes, events, languages, phenomena, ... phew! They are full of engaging illustrations, interesting facts, and all-around amazing ideas addressing a wide range of topics and interests.

Are you ready to look for some informational text to read? If so, click here. This list of Informational Text Recommendations is organized into two categories, with 15 books in each category:

• Informational Books for Young to Intermediate Readers - geared toward students in grades K-5 depending on interest and comprehension level
• Informational Books for Intermediate to Middle Grade Readers - geared toward students in grades 3-8 depending on interest and comprehension level

Just because summer is fast approaching, it doesn't mean that learning has to stop. Reading informational text is one of the most exciting and enjoyable ways to learn. Kids love to sit with a parent and share a book together, and using informational text can essentially feel like learning in disguise. Visit your local library or bookstore to grab one (or all) of these books, and enrich your minds today!

Did you miss Part 1 - Fabulous Fiction Summer Reading Recommendations? No worries; click here. Check back next week when I'll be featuring Picture Books, and finally, Poetry. Happy reading!

Part 1 - Summer Reading Recommendations - Phenomenal Fiction

Hello Readers!

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is upon us and the summer break is fast approaching. How many of you have begun to start making a summer reading list? If you are looking for some ideas, I have a list of suggestions for you here.

To begin, I am sharing fiction titles that fit into one of these categories (all three categories are in the same document):

• Early Chapter Books - geared toward students in grades 1-4 depending on interest and comprehension level
• Intermediate Chapter Books - geared toward students in grades 3-6 depending on interest and comprehension level
• Middle Grade Chapter Books - geared toward students in grades 5-8 depending on interest and comprehension level

As always, a book can be enjoyed a variety of ways such as a child reading independently, an adult and a child taking turns reading different parts of a book to each other, or an adult reading aloud to a child. The key is to enjoy the story and talk about what is happening to ensure and enrich understanding of the text.

Next week, I will share a list of Informational Texts as well as Picture Books to add to our Summer Reading repertoire. Until then, have fun perusing these fiction suggestions and getting a start on your summer reading list.

Do you have any recommendations for me to put on my summer reading list? Let me know.

Happy reading!