Okay for Now

Dear Reader,

If you read no other book I ever suggest, please read this book!  I started this book about a week ago, but never really sat down for any length of time with it until yesterday.  But once I started yesterday, I just could not stop.  Like riding a roller coaster, I found myself laughing out loud, turning the page and then sobbing.  I was exhausted after reading Okay for Now.  It's one of those stories that stays with you long after you've finished.   

When Doug Swieteck moves with his family to Upstate New York, they don't leave all their problems behind.  Doug's father is abusive and drinks too much.  His oldest brother is serving in Vietnam, and his other brother is prone to mischief and has been accused of burglery.  Trying to find his way in his new school and town is difficult to say the least. 

But Doug finds escape when he visits the local library and sees the plates of John James Audubon's Birds of America.  Each plate speaks to Doug, and he relates each to people in his life.  Set during the late 60's, the excitement of the moon landing, the uncertainty of the Vietnam War, and the thrill of baseball create a lush background for the characters who, through Mr. Schmidt amazing prose, look to the future and become better than they were.

I read this book because one of my students read it at the end of the year and told me numerous times how good it was.  And I'm sure my kids would love it.  Having said that, I don't think I will share it with my kids.  First of all, I couldn't get through it without crying like the wuss I am.  More than that though, I'm not sure 5th graders have enough prior knowledge to appreciate more than the basic story line.  I do plan on using parts of Okay for Now when I teach voice, "I'm not lying!" 

Excerpt: 

"I should tell you that I was revealing this terrible secret to Lil while Miss Cowper was trying to teach us the Wonders of the Adverb and that when she asked if Lil and I had anything we'd like to share with the whole class, we stopped, quickly understanding was watching us angrily and would beat us mercilessly if we did not cease immediately.  And I'm giving you that last sentence just to show that you can too talk and learn at the same time." (p. 190)

Is that great for teaching voice, or what?!  I read it, and then read it out loud, and giggled like my 3 year old niece!  

What I think I will do with this book is offer it to the 8th graders for a book club selection.  Of course, we don't have an 8th grade book club.  Yet.  I will just have to start one just so I can share this book with students who will love it as much as I do!

Read it!

Teaching Voice - Link Up!

I'm linking up with Lifelong Learning to share some of my favorite books to teach my little writers how to find their voice in their own writing.  I have two favorite picture books that I share with my students near the beginning of the year.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with this book, but if you have never read Math Curse by Jon Scieska - you MUST!  When the main character's math teacher, Mrs. Fibonacci (cool name!), says everything can be thought of as a math problem, suddenly everything - from dressing in the morning to lunch at school - becomes a major problem!  I love reading this aloud to my students with increasing panic in my voice.  It is obvious that the Curse causes more and more stress on the little girl as the day progresses, and the panic she feels comes through quite clearly.  I like to share this on the first day of school so my kids will "know what they can expect!" *insert evil laugh here*

This second book I also use near the beginning of the year.  Encounter by Jane Yolen tells of Christopher Columbus' initial meeting with the Taino Indians.  The twist is this story is told entirely by a young Taino boy.  In it, he describes the strange men "who are not men" and their canoes.  He is terrified of the strangers and describes their meeting in a far different way than most people imagine it.  I share this story with my 5th graders after we have read all about Columbus' great adventure and finding a whole new world!  My students are amazed to have their vision of a national hero altered so drastically and so quickly.  We have great discussions about right and wrong, fact and fiction, and point of view.  I love this lesson, and every year, I get choked up when I read Encounter to my class.  (I can't help it; I'm a total sap!)

I could list tons of books that have great voice.  I often point it out as we read aloud or as I'm reading to them.  I recently finished two books (In Between by Jenny Jones and Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt - stay tuned for reviews of both) that aren't necessarily appropriate or interesting for 5th graders, but I can't wait to share parts of the stories with them to illustrate finding your voice. 

So what are some of your favorite books to teach voice?  I can't wait to see what others use and get new ideas!

Clown

 

Clown

illustrated by Quentin Blake

September 1998

This weekend I had a garage sale, and my sister sent a ton of my nieces' forgotten toys and books to sell.  After selling almost all of their old dolls, stuffed animals and most of the books she sent, I was ready to close it up and send everything else to the Goodwill.  That's when I found this gem in the leftover book pile!  I'm soooo stinkin' glad it didn't sell because I {LOVE} it!

Clown is a delightful wordless story about a toy clown who is thrown away with a bunch of other toys.  Determined to save himself and his friends, the clown travels through a city looking for a child willing to help him rescue the other toys.  Despite a series of mishaps,  he and the discarded toys find love with a new family.  Illustrated by Quentin Blake, my students will instantly recognize the artist from his illustrations of Roald Dahl books (always a *huge* favorite in 5th grade!).

Ever since I saw a post using wordless picture books as reading centers, I have been on the hunt for great wordless books.  (Sorry ~ I can't find the post and have deleted the download from the post that led to my fascination!  If you know it, let me know.)  

Anyway... the creative soul from whom I  'borrowed' this idea wrote three writing prompts for each book and differentiated them by color coding them for below level, on level, and above level.  I loved them so much, I made a set of my own for the books I found at my local library.

As soon as I found this book hiding in the stack in my garage, I knew I had to create a set of prompts for Clown, too.  Click the preview to get the preview set for free at my TPT store:

Or click here to get the full version with activity cards for seven wordless books, including my new favorite, Clown.

Buy it at Barnes & Noble

Enemy Pie

Enemy Pie 

Derek Munson

Tara Calahan King (Illustrator)

September, 2000

Summer is the perfect time to relax and hang out in your treehouse!!  Until Jeremy Ross moves in.  Jeremy Ross is not a good friend - always bragging and making fun.  Luckily Dad know just the remedy: ENEMY PIE.  An old family recipe that's been handed down for generations, it is sure to get rid of Jeremy Ross - somehow.  The funniest part of the story is the narrator guessing what exactly might happen to his number one enemy when he eats the pie.

In a funny, but sweet, story, Derek Munson explores the theme of friendship.  This beautifully illustrated picture book is a great tale of the trials and tribulations of making and keeping new friends.  Teacher Bonus: there are tons of lesson plans online to teach the themes.  My favorite is from UEN and can be found here.  This would also be a great beginning of the year activity and could be tied into character education and six traits writing.

Buy it now at Barnes and Noble