Book-A-Day

I love it that I am making the time to read for myself this summer. I am always reading for Book Groups and for work as well as for my kiddos at school. 

Book-A-Day (Based on Donalyn Miller's program) is forcing me to be mindful, read and record my reading so that I can both model for my students as well as read what I want to read.

As I was listening to a really interesting book on King Tut I became really intrigued with a time period I have never known much about beyond cursory knowledge. Since then I have checked out multiple books on Ancient Egypt as well as books on Historical Timelines. Cool stuff, guys!

I fell for Eleanor & Park while wondering what all the buzz was about. Who knew?!

Common Core Math has me boning up more than my skills....I am creating, pondering, persevering and making meaning of fractions, factors, and fractals - - just kidding about the fractals but it was too good to pass up all that alliteration! Nonetheless I Fraction Frenzy has me reading all sorts of fun books for kids. What a cool thing to have literature to match a math skill. Wish I had that when I was a kid.

Keeping with my all-things-Egyptian-summer...I am reveling in the 109+ degree temperatures and have finally tried an Elizabeth Peters book. Her classic Amelia Peabody book (#1), The Crocodile on the Sandbank, was witty and delightful. I can see more of those classic books in my future. 

I am still pondering MY one amazing thing but I do know that the book, by Chitra Divakaruni was AMAZING. I L.O.V.E. her as an author and I have ever since I read Arranged Marriage back in 1995. Whoa, can I truly remember that?!?! You bet! Her writing was incredible then and it has sweetened with time. I loved how I stretched with her first book. It truly was a thrill for me to read her again. I also got to hear her at the Tucson Festival of the Book this past March. Again, Amazing!

I am not chronicling all of my books here until the end of summer, but I am diligently keeping records to show my kiddos. I even signed up for the summer reading program for adults as I encouraged my students to do. That accountability factor will help us all. In the meantime, I am on a real roll with some great books. Yep, I do love summer! 

Summer Days -- Breakfast with Miss Tinsley

I love summer! 

Summer days are terrific; 

especially when I can start them with this little cutie.

Her daddy is off at Scout Camp this week so I am the lucky one to have breakfast with her each morning this week while her mommy is at work. 

In the mean time I have also....

** explored the Valley of the Kings and figured out who killed King Tut

** been to two weddings

** checked out 30 books from the library

** worked on Math Curriculum - lots!- with my colleagues

** eaten my share of sugar ...oh well

** sat through days of classes (I am NOT used to sitting so much!)

** discovered Marco Polo

** made a list of things to do this summer

** read a book every day! 

AND

** I have effectively ignored housework!

VICTORY!

Now I will repent and go clean a closet!

Book A Day Challenge - It's On!

The 5th Annual Book-a-Day Challenge is underway and I am ready!!

As a matter of fact I am on a roll!

Summer is my go-to time for delicious reading, library trips, haunting my favorite bookstores and sorting through my TBR stacks. I LOVE it!

Now I can tally my reading and report back to my students that I read a Book-A-Day!

You can too.

Check out the challenge at The Nerdy Book Club and dip your feet in, if you dare~!

Sunday Salon - The Norovirus, Report Cards and a Glee Marathon

The Attack of the Norovirus, Report cards and a Glee Marathon!

These little guys invaded our casa this week...first baby Tinsley, then her momma, then her daddy and then Rich and finally....on Saturday - MOI!!

I felt blessed that I didn't have to miss any school.

This virus was awful and our poor little baby is still not her typical happy/joyful self. No-fun, Mr. Norovirus. We are tired of you visiting and officially demand that you leave.   

Report cards are the focus of the day...since I spent my day in bed yesterday. 

Since we are all a bit punk and under the weather J and I decided that a Glee marathon was in order!

On the book front....

1. We finished Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan with one of my reading groups! They LOVED it. Tomorrow we start the movie at our lunch time for the next 4 days. They are so excited.

2. We are in the middle of reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor with my regular class of students. Again, this is a home-run book for them. We went on "blind walks" as one of the main characters becomes blinded due to a boat accident. Both boys and girls are loving this book and the dialect from the Caribbean. We have calypso music on during reading time now.

3. Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson was one of my book group reads. Unfortunately I was in a house of illness when book group night arrived, so I stayed home to nurse the sickies and kept from becoming Typhoid Mary to my friends. Too bad, discussing the characters in that book would have been fun.

4. Six Years by Harlan Coben. There is one author that I can always trust for an exciting read. I discovered Harlan Coben when I was working as a manager at a bookstore. His book, Tell No One, was a riveting read for our staff and we all literally passed one copy from one to another. It was a page turner. When we emailed Mr. Coben he responded immediately. We became fast friends and big supporters. Since then his books have become my gotta reads when a new one appears. I love him for how he keeps the dialogue real, the tensions high and the reader involved. It's just plain exciting. I also love to hear him speak about other authors. He has such respect for his profession and he is well read and willing to share the great works of others. He is a walking book reviewer and commercial!

Summer is fast approaching.....4 more days with students to be exact!! 

Until then there are writing folders to finish up and a classroom to take down. Ah, yes....the madness continues for a few more days and then.....take a breath...a rest!

Still teaching...for 6 more days....

What the heck...while other teachers are taking their stuff down we are putting things up!!

The Trouble With Tuck by Theodore Taylor
Literature Study


My 4th graders loved it!!
Now we're on the The Cay by the same author...I will admit that we are not making a bulletin board though.

For my Walk to Read kids we have...



Greek mythology and Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief!

Report cards are due Sunday night and classrooms should be getting packed up and stored away but we still have a great book to work on...
These kids do NOT want it to end!

This is such a small photo that doesn't show the busyness of the classroom but it DOES explain why I am still not done with my book-group-book yet for this month!!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!!

Happy Mother's Day

I 

Hang up the cape today and enjoy yourself!!

Saturday snapshot!!

Watermelons mean summer is coming!

I love it that Tinsley has her first taste!!