Happy #SharpSchu Book Club Day!

I am very excited about tonight’s #SharpSchu Twitter book club. If you have a few minutes tonight please join Mr. Schu and me as we chat about Another Brother, hello!,hello!, and Giants Beware!.

*8:00-8:15 EDT: We will discuss Giants Beware!

*8:15-8:30 EDT: Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre will answer your questions.

*8:30-8:45 EDT: We will discuss hello! hello! and Another Brother.

*8:45-9:00 EDT: Matthew Cordell will answer your questions.

 

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/20/2013

Miles Last Week: 22

Total Miles: 385

Books Last Week: 30

Total Books: 397

Be sure to visit Mentor Texts to learn more about It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
By: Kate DiCamillo

Crankee Doodle

By: Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell

Paul Thurlby’s Wildlife

By: Paul Thurlby

The Real Boy

By: Anne Ursu

 

 

Newbery Challenge: The Midwife’s Apprentice

For the 74th time I get to say to my pal Mr. Schu, “Happy Newbery Day!” Crazy to think that we are talking about Newbery books that were published when Johnny and I were in high school.

Check out Mr. Schu’s video: Watch.Connect.Read.

 

Building Our To-Read Lists: Book Speed Dating

My fourth graders are spending some time these last few weeks of school building their to-read lists. I’m hoping that when they leave me in early June that they have lots of strategies to build their to-read lists, and a pile of books that they can read during the summer.

I have heard about book speed dating from multiple people on Twitter the last two years. I’m sure that I do it a little differently than other people. As long as kids are getting the opportunity to preview and talk about lots of different titles, book speed dating serves its purpose.

How we roll:

1. I place a giant stack of books at each table group.

When selecting books for book speed dating I try to find titles that:

• Are in a series that not many students know about

• New titles

• Books that I am surprised not many students have found during the year

• Favorite authors that my kids are not reading (Blume, Dahl, Cleary, etc.)

• Lots and lots of nonfiction

• Old favorites-books that kids loved at the start of the year

• Old read alouds-I love including the books that my students teachers read aloud to them in third grade

2. Tell students my reasons for selecting the books (above)

 

3. Explain purpose of book speed dating

• Add to our to read list
• Explore books that we might not usually explore
• Revisit old friends

4. Set the timer

5. Rotate

After the time goes off students rotate to the next station.

6. Share

After students have visited each station, I give students an opportunity to share with one book that they enjoyed previewing.

 

nErD Camp Battle Creek

On July 11th the first annual Nerd Camp will take place in Battle Creek, Michigan. Book lovers from all over the country will join forces to share, learn, and grow together.

I could not be more excited. I’ll be sharing more about Nerd Camp on the Nerdy Book Club blog at the end of May. My mind still needs time to process the the potential that this event holds.

Today, I am super excited to reveal the official Nerd Camp logo. The logo was designed by illustrator John Green. You are probably familiar with John’s work illustrating Teen Boat!

I only gave John three pieces of information before he disigned this AMAZING logo.

1. Our event is called nErD Camp

2. Battle Creek is the cereal city

3. I showed him the offical Ed Camp logo

Somehow John was able to take that information and create this fantastic nErD Camp logo.

Thank you, Mr. Green!

We would love to have you join us for nErD Camp this summer. It is going to be a rocking good time.

Registration
Website
Follow @nErDcampBC on Twitter

 

10 Minute Review: Mustache Baby

In an effort to celebrate more books on my blog without taking up too much of my time, I am launching a “10 Minute Review” feature. I will only give myself 10 minutes to write the review. The clock starts when I sit down at my computer, when 10 minutes is up, I have to finish that sentence and click publish.

Ready.

Set.

Go.

Mustache Baby

By: Bridget Heos

Illustrated By: Joy Ang

A couple of weeks ago my children and I cuddled up on the sofa and read Mustache Baby. The book became an instant bedtime hit. We laugh our way through Mustache Baby each and every time we read Bridget’s book.

I think that one of the reasons that I love this book so much is that my kids (6,4, and 3) were able to instantly relate to “good-guy mustache” and “bad-guy mustache”. Lord knows we have plenty of good-guy and bad-guy mustache days at our house.

My absolute favorite part of this book is the last page. I haven’t found a page turn that I enjoy as much as the last page turn in this book since Me..Jane.

I hope the young readers in your life enjoy Mustache Baby as much as the Sharp kids.

Happy reading!

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/13/2013

Be sure to visit Mentor Texts to learn more about It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Counting By 7s

By: Holly Goldberg Sloan

Penguin and Pinecone

By: Salina Yoon

That is Not a Good Idea

By: Mo Willems

Flora & Ulysses

By: Kate DiCamillo

For the first time all year I find myself a few miles behind pace in my quest to reach 1006 miles. To be honest, I am just holding on for dear life. I’m tired. Hoping that I can just make it to summer without falling too far behind.

Miles Last Week: 10

Total Miles: 363

Books Last Week: 11

Total Books: 367