Nonfiction Monday: Fifty Cents and a Dream

Fifty Cents and a Dream
written by Jabari Asim; illustrated by Bryan Collier
2012 (Little, Brown and Company)
Source: Mebane Public Library

Check out Nonfiction Monday at Perogies and Gyoza

Having to walk his master's daughter to school was extra cruelty for a young Booker T. Washington. He carried her books and longed to learn how to read them. Unfortunately, it was against the law for a slave to receive any instruction in reading. He could only watch through the classroom window and dream about learning to read. Booker's family moved to West Virginia after the Civil War and he worked in a coal mine. His mother surprised him with a spelling book that was his gateway to learning about letters and beginning to read. Booker worked and went to class to learn more. When he was a teenager, he heard about a school called Hampton Institute which was hundreds of miles away. Distance didn't matter to him when it came to fulfilling his dream and the dream of others who would never have the same opportunity. With little money in his pocket, Booker headed west through the mountains of Virginia to reach the boarding school. His money was gone by the time he reached Richmond, and he was still 82 miles away from Hampton. Instead of giving up, Booker found work and saved until he had enough to travel to school. He finally arrived at Hampton with only fifty cents in his pocket, but his dream was on its way to being fulfilled.

Fifty Cents and a Dream reveals the struggles of young Booker T. Washington and his dream of receiving an education. It's a great example of perseverance and the power of education. The story is gripping and the illustrations are amazing watercolor collages. I appreciate the author's note which touches on some of the complexities that surround Washington's legacy. Readers of all ages will be able to understand his struggles and his inability to give up on his dream. This book would be an excellent addition to your biography collection.

New Math Resource: Greg Tang Math

Math man Greg Tang has launched a new website where he has released all of his teaching materials. I checked out the site (http://new.gregtangmath.com/) and there is a lot of stuff that will be helpful for math instruction. With summer coming up, this would be a good site to recommend to parents who are looking for ways to combat summer atrophy. Greg's books and games are just part of what is available. Go take a look!

STEM Friday: From Milk to Ice Cream

From Milk to Ice Cream
written by Stacy Taus-Bolstad
2013 (Lerner Books)
Source: Orange County Public Library

Check out STEM Friday for more math and science links

Lerner Books has published a terrific series of books called Start to Finish. In each book, primary age readers are guided through a process that leads to the production of an item that is familiar to them. Some of the titles include From Wheat to Bread, From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate, and From Maple Tree to Syrup. When I read such books, I usually focus on teaching lessons on sequence and procedural text. Those are great topics, but I have left out another area that these short nonfiction texts could be used to address. My second grade class is currently studying economics and this series of books would be ideal for starting discussions about economic terms like goods, consumers, and producers. The start of this book begins with the milking of the cows. So I would ask my class, what does it cost to pay for the milk that goes into ice cream? Cows have to be fed, machinery has to be purchased, and so forth. My big idea would be for students to understand that there are a lot of costs that go into the items that we purchase. Another area for study is pasteurization. Why does the milk have to be heated? What happens if it is not heated? A third possible use of From Milk to Ice Cream would be to investigate permutations which is combinations of things. In the book, photographs are shown of flavors being added to the ice cream mix. What if you served strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and cookie dough ice cream in two scoop cones? How many different combinations could you serve?

I like the text of this book because a child who is reading on a Level H or I (can you tell I'm in the middle of doing end of year reading assessments?) can handle the decoding and get a good dose of nonfiction. Trying to find solid nonfiction for these readers is not always easy, so the Start to Finish  series would be a good purchase for your classroom or school library.

There Will Be Blood

Photo by My Disney Adventures


In my second grade class, we are studying fairy tales this week. We have discussed the usual characteristics that come up during the reading of fairy tales. There is royalty, use of the number 3, magic, themes like good vs. evil, and so forth. My students came up with a different quality today: blood. We discovered there is quite a bit of blood in the stories that we are reading. In Rapunzel, the prince falls from the tower and gouges his eyes on thorns. I have a Cinderella version where one of the stepsisters cuts off her big toe to make the slipper fit. Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger and blood flows. This isn't a new discovery on our part. There have been/are network television shows about the dark side of fairy tales, but I thought it was interesting that my students would pick up on this from our reading. And they are intrigued and not grossed out by this. So with each successive fairy tale that we read this week, we will not only looking for examples of true love, but also the amount of blood.

Nonfiction Monday: Seymour Simon's Extreme Earth Records

Seymour Simon's Extreme Earth Records
written by Seymour Simon
2012 (Chronicle Books)
Source: Mebane Public Library

Check out Nonfiction Monday at Instantly Interruptible

Vostok Research Station - Antarctica (coldest place on Earth)

During this time you suffer from pounding headaches, painful earaches, and constant nosebleeds. Your eyes twitch and you vomit-a lot. You find yourself short of breath and feel as if you're suffocating due to the lack of oxygen. You can't sleep because of all your discomforts. 

This is the opening to Seymour Simon's description of life at the coldest place on Earth. It is indeed extreme living and Simon breaks it down so we can understand why scientists are there in the first place. Therein lies why you need to find this book. First, humans are interested in extremes. For the most part, we live a life of normal and deal with the mostly mundane. Jeff Barger Is Making His Lunch for the 160th Time This Year is not a book any of us want to read. We like to read about lives that are different and places that are different. Second, the king of children's science books (the flap says dean, but I think he is royalty) tells you why these places are important and cool. He makes it understandable, but also doesn't talk down to readers. His writing is conversational and you are on equal terms with him in the conversation. One of the messages I get when I read this book is that no matter the extreme, it isn't enough for humans not to be curious about it and want to explore. Why do people live on Tristan da Cunha, an island so remote that you may have to wait a year to receive the package that you ordered? What kind of life can thrive in a place that gets less than 10 inches of rain a year? These are curiosities that drive our thinking. Another great focus of this book is the connection between some of these extreme places and worlds beyond our planet. For example, studying the Atacama Desert in Chile may yield answers to some of our questions about life on Mars. Also included are sections on the most extreme earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic eruptions in history.

Extreme Earth Records could be used as an example of informational text writing. You could take one piece and read through it to compare to a fictional narrative. If your science class is studying biomes, this would be an excellent resource to share. I also think it would be interesting to ask a student or small group to take one section and ask them to make a chart listing what could live in this area and what could not. They would have to explain why each living thing was on the chart. Learners are interested in extremes, and this book will take them to places they might not have imagined existed.

Other reviews:
The Nonfiction Detectives

Poetry Friday: Ode to My Mom

Check out Poetry Friday at Anastasia Suen's Poetry Blog

Today is Muffins for Mom in my classroom. My students have written poems for their mothers to read. I have included one of my student's poems in honor of Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to my wife Traci, my mom Marge, and my mother-in-law Marilyn. I love you all. 

Ode to My Mom

You teach me

You never forget me

You check my homework

You're nice to me

Playing games is nice too

Taking us to places is fun

Dinner is always great when you make it

Washing my cuts is a big help. 

When I ask something you answer

You're the BEST!!!

Nonfiction Monday: Mary Walker Wears the Pants

Mary Walker Wears the Pants
written by Cheryl Harness; illustrated by Carlo Molinari
2013 (Albert Whitman)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

Check out Nonfiction Monday at Booktalking

The custom for dress in the 1800s was for women to wear skirts and men wore pants. A woman that wore pants was considered scandalous and improper. Dr. Mary Walker did not care one bit. She wore pants because it allowed her to do her work more efficiently. Being one of the very first female physicians, she was used to causing a stir and was not about to back down. Dr. Walker wanted to help in the Northern war effort from the beginning but was refused a position as a surgeon so she worked as an unpaid volunteer in field hospitals. She was finally accepted in late 1863. Mary created her own officer's coat and trousers and carried pistols for protection. She went behind enemy lines several times to care for wounded soldiers and ended up in a prisoner of war camp for four months in 1864. Following her release from the camp, Mary continued serving by caring for female prisoners and war orphans until the end of the war. She received a Medal of Honor in 1866 for her war service and spent the rest of her life working for dress reform and women's rights.

Mary Walker Wears the Pants is a picture book biography that sheds light on 19th century culture in the United States and on the women's movement. Dr. Walker is an interesting historical figure who could be part of a unit on women's rights. This book would make for a good pairing with 2012 biography Heart on Fire which was about Susan B. Anthony.

Poetry Friday: A Rhyming Poem

Check out the Poetry Friday Roundup at Growing Wild

Wayne Leonard is a teacher at my school. He is also a talented actor, director, musician, and all-around great guy. One of our classes presented a poetry challenge to him and he responded with this video:

STEM Friday: On Beyond Bugs! (iPad app)

On Beyond Bugs!
2013 (Oceanhouse Media)
Source: App provided by the publisher

Check out STEM Friday for more links

The Cat in the Hat is here to lay some rhyming bug knowledge on preschoolers and K-2 students. He finds Dick and Sally having a picnic which is the perfect opportunity for a lesson on insects. The Cat starts off with general information about insect bodies. Readers can touch on each one and learn their names. We get to see text features like labels and diagrams in learning about the three body parts of insects. Other topics protection devices like camouflage and coloring are explored. One of the coolest pieces of information deals with the spittlebug which spits bubbles to cover itself from hungry predators. This is a different definition of "spitting image". Dick and Sally learn about other fascinating creatures such as the honeybee and the ant. A groovy waggle dance from a honeybee is a highlight of this app. The story concludes with more information about insects like fireflies and butterflies.

On Beyond Bugs! is an engaging app for youngsters who do not read or are just beginning to learn. Older readers probably already have the knowledge that is presented in the app and would not be as intrigued. This app is a great introduction to the world of insects. There are not a ton of bells and whistles which I think is actually a good thing. That allows readers to focus on the information and not so much on playing. Any opportunity that you have to provide a preschooler with nonfiction is great. On Beyond Bugs! is a chance to build background knowledge that will be needed later.

Nonfiction Monday: Knit Your Bit

Knit Your Bit:A World War I Story
written by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by Steven Guarnaccia
2013 (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Source: Orange County Public Library

Check out Nonfiction Monday at Stacking Books

Mikey wants to do something big to help the soldiers, including his father, that are serving in Europe during World War I. His mother is going to teach Mikey's sister Ellie how to knit. Soldiers needs sweaters, hats, and socks to help them combat the cold European winter. Mikey is asked to join, but he refuses this "girls' work." Later on, his teacher posts a notice about a knitting bee in Central Park. After being challenged by a girl in his class, Mikey decides to create the Boys' Knitting Brigade and compete in the knitting bee. The boys take lessons from Mikey's mom, but find out that knitting is no joke. They perform valiantly in the bee and take away a valuable lesson about giving your best to help others.

My colleagues and I have been talking about teaching character traits and how our students want to say everyone is determined and shows tenacity. I was delighted to read Knit Your Bit because it would be good for teaching students about sacrifice as a character trait. It's one thing that I'm afraid my generation lacks at this time. Families during WWI and WWII gave up many things to contribute to the greater good. Knit Your Bit illustrates how citizens rolled up their sleeves to help their country. This would be a great trait to teach our students.

Other reviews:
The Children's War
BooksandBassets
Ms.Yingling Reads

STEM Friday: First Big Book of Space

First Big Book of Space
written by Catherine D. Hughes; illustrated by David A. Aguilar
2012 (National Geographic Little Kids)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

Check out STEM Friday for more links.

If you are connected to a second or third grader who is interested in space, this is the book for you. What you get is a combination of spectacular photographs from National Geographic, easy to read text that covers a wide variety of solar system topics, and text features like diagrams (look for the phases of the moon in Chapter One), inserts, and labels that will the information craving brain of a seven or eight year old. Chapter One explores what is described by the author as the familiar: the sun, Earth, moon, and meteors. In Chapter Two, our seven planetary neighbors in the solar system are featured. Chapter Three brings in other parts of the neighborhood: asteroids, dwarf planets (hello Pluto!), and comets. Traveling further away from our home planet, bigger topics are covered in Chapter 4 like the whole universe, stars, constellations, galaxies, nebulae, and black holes. The final chapter is about exploration. Spaceships, telescopes, and space stations are introduced. Throughout the book, you have terrific features like fact boxes which give a summary of a body's size and location. In addition to the main text are pop-up facts which provide more data which is always a big hit with an informational text.

First Big Book of Space will be a popular addition to your classroom or school library. There are probably plenty of informational text fans in your population and this book delivers with crazy good photographs and text that is accessible for young readers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Check out It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at Teach Mentor Texts

Last Week

Another shameless plug for my debut book that is coming out in the fall. I had the cover release party last Monday. If you teach math in grades 3-8, you will like this book. It's still really weird to see that name at the bottom of the cover.

Wow, wow, wow. You won't be forgetting Ruby Pepperdine any time soon. She is deeply troubled by her not listening at a crucial time with her beloved grandmother. Now she is worried that she has permanently messed up her life, and no one is noticing. I am amazed in the same way that I was when I read When You Reach Me.  How do these authors pull all of this together and shift so effortlessly between settings? I also don't mind admitting that there was a part where my eyes might have watered a little. Probably the pollen.

The Tell-Tale Start was a fun read. It's a clever story and the boys are likable characters. I especially enjoyed the interaction in the after-world between their namesake and Shakespeare.  I think 5th graders and higher will enjoy the adventures of these identical twins. The literary references will send readers scrambling for Google or the search engine of their choice.

Castle is a cool nonfiction early reader. It will appeal to dragon lovers and those interested in learning about soldiers. I think it would also be a good book for older struggling readers who need to add nonfiction to their reading diet.

The Three Bears ABC is an inventive use of the alphabet book. I haven't read an alphabet book based on a story, but this makes a lot of sense. You can use this to teach prediction and alliteration.









Next Week

It's the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address. If you teach US History or are a history lover like myself, you owe it to yourself to find this book. The artwork is amazing.