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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.

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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:

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

3. Explain purpose of book speed dating

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

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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

Happy Mother’s Day!: My Mom is the Best Circus

I’d like to start by wishing every mother out there a Happy Mother’s Day. I am blessed to have been raised by my awesome lunch lady mom. I have no idea how she put up with my picky eating, my messy room, or my obsession with ESPN. She is a saint.

They say that lightening doesn’t ever strike twice in the same place, but I was struck with mom awesomeness twice. After growing up with an amazing mom, I am now married to a perfect mom. My children are so lucky to have a mom that loves them for who they are, and a woman who takes such great care of them. My wife is the bomb.

I think of my wife every time I read Luciana Navarro Powell’s My Mom is the Best Circus. Sometimes I even start to think that my wife looks a little bit like the mother in this beautiful board book. On a day that it is all about the moms in our lives, I think this book is a perfect book to celebrate.

My favorite pages in My Moms is the Best Circus is the two page spread that shows the mother being both a magician and a clown. One thing that I love so much about my wife and my mother is that they know how to give their kids whatever it is they need in each specific situation.

If you are looking for a great book to read and reread, I recommend that you check out My Mom is the Best Circus. It is a book that is worth celebrating all year-long (just like the moms in our lives).

I received this book from Random House in exchange for an honest review.

The Newbery Challenge: Walk Two Moons

It feels very good to be back from Screen Free Week. It was very odd not watching a Mr. Schu Newbery video last Saturday.

The next time we have a Saturday without a Newbery Challenge video will be the week after we run our Ivan video. Crazy to think that the Newbery Challenge will be over before we know it. I’ve had so much fun reading, learning, and growing with all the participants.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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

I’d like to start by wishing every mother out there a Happy Mother’s Day. I am blessed to have been raised by my awesome lunch lady mom. I have no idea how she put up with my picky eating, my messy room, or my obsession with ESPN. She is a saint.

My favorite pages in My Moms is the Best Circus is the two page spread that shows the mother being both a magician and a clown. One thing that I love so much about my wife and my mother is that they know how to give their kids whatever it is they need in each specific situation.

If you are looking for a great book to read and reread, I recommend that you check out My Mom is the Best Circus. It is a book that is worth celebrating all year-long (just like the moms in our lives).

I received this book from Random House in exchange for an honest review.

It feels very good to be back from Screen Free Week. It was very odd not watching a Mr. Schu Newbery video last Saturday.

The next time we have a Saturday without a Newbery Challenge video will be the week after we run our Ivan video. Crazy to think that the Newbery Challenge will be over before we know it. I’ve had so much fun reading, learning, and growing with all the participants.

Big thanks to Shana Corey for filming this video.