Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hilarious

Today I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up a book to write about for my book review. I ended up picking up “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” because I saw it was a New York Times Bestseller. I really had no background information on it, but thought it might be a good book from is its rather large display at the store. I began reading it tonight, and I could hardly put it down, because I was laughing to myself so much. The book is a collection of “journal entries” from a middle school boy about his life and school. I am really excited to continue reading it later this week. Have you read the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series? If so, did you like it?

I decided to do a little research on the author after I began reading. I came across an interview with the author, Jeff Kinney, on the Scholastic website. He claims that he originally wrote the book for adults, and was very surprised when it because so popular among 10-12 year old children. I think that even though this is popular among children, that adults can still get a kick out of the jokes and middle school references throughout the book. The book is a combination of some of his middle school memories and other events he has witnessed, although none of the characters are based on real people. What I really like about this book are the comic illustrations that accompany the text. Also, I love how real most of the events are in the book, things that would definitely happen in middle school, when everyone is going through their “awkward stage.”

This book is a quick read, so I definitely recommend reading it for some humor if you get a chance. For more of the interview go to this website: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751433

How to choose a good childrens book

Today there are so many different authors and titles to choose from when looking at children’s books. There are actually many factors that can decide what is a “good” and a “bad” children’s book, according to the article I read on “The Crafty Writer” website.

First, you must “beware of marketing.” Not all good books have flashy covers that yell “read me” at you. Thus, you should not pick up the first book you see and buy it. You may have to search shelves to find a good book that will suit you. How long will you spend looking for a book in the store? Personally, I lose patience when going through book shelves for too long, so I am sometimes guilty at buying the book based on an appealing cover.

Next, you need to look for a good story. There needs to be a well constructed plot, with a set beginning, middle, and end. Also, consider if the characters are realistic and believable in terms of their personalities etc. Lastly, did the author step outside of the box in terms of the story line?

When skimming books in the store, it is important to look for good quality writing. Some authors think that their writing doesn’t have to be top notch when writing for young children who won’t pay as much attention to that aspect. In addition, quality illustrations are important in children’s books. Illustrations compliment the text and bring life to the story. However, too much detail in the pictures can distract the child reading and take away from the text.

Lastly, awards on the books are a good guide to choosing quality books. There are many different awards, so familiarizing yourself with them can help you choose the best book for you. Are you familiar with what each of the awards mean, that are given to books?

For more guideline and things to looks for when choosing a children’s book check out this article: http://www.thecraftywriter.com/2007/08/15/what-makes-a-good-childrens-book/

A 23 hour and 40 minute day

Since I purchased a kindle the amount of books I devour is slightly embarrassing, with easy access to books I cannot help but buy and read and repeat. When I mention, or recommend a good book I have just finished, the comment I always get from all different people is that they have no time to read and that they can never read a book during the school year and they never do.

I think this is becoming an increasing problem in our society, not so much us at a college level, even though reading is still good for us, but it is crucial for elementary students and younger generations to read, and they are not reading enough. Their mind is still developing and easily impressionable, now is the time for them to learn as much as possible. What and how kids learn when they are young will effect them 30 years down the road. As an example, that is why it is easier for children before the age of 12 to learn a second language, after that age, it is impossible to fully master the language.

Is this the excuse for all the kids, now that video games, computers, and other gadgets replace reading, that there simply is not enough time? I think there really is something to the “20 minutes a day” thing we were taught back in elementary. There are 24 hours in a day. Are we truly too busy to get all our work done in 23 hours and 40 minutes? Studies have shown a wealth of proof that putting away our game boys and iphone with its million apps will benefit us in short term and long term ways. Reading is shown to reduce stress, helpful in a country where coronary disease is one of the leading causes of death, increased social skills, improved and better lasting memory (in old age), and improved writing and analytical skills. These are just some of the findings from a wealth of research done. It will be our job to encourage our students to incorporate reading into their daily schedules. In an interview, Bill Gates said, “It is pretty unlikely that people will become knowledgeable without being excellent readers…” Coming from a multi-billionaire I will take his advice that there truly is something to the act of reading.

Goodreads.com: Such a good website

About a year ago, one of my friends showed me a website called Goodreads.com. This website is devoted to reading and sharing your favorite books with others. The website allows you to share your book recommendations with your friends and also gives you recommendations based off of the books you have in your own personal My Books library. This website allows you to rate books, add books to your virtual book shelf, explore quotes from different literature, and even set book goals for yourself such as trying to read a certain number of books in a year.

I really like this website because it is almost like facebook for books. You can update your book status by saying what book your currently reading or what book you just read or books you want to read in the future. Each book you find on the website allows you to rate it, give comments, or mark it as read, reading, or want to read. I really like this aspect of the website because it allows me to find books that I want to read and put them all in one place so I can go back and look at them later I think that websites like Goodreads are really great websites to get students involved in an online book reading community. They will be able to see that reading and loving literature is a popular hobby and they can share their own thoughts about books with others. A website like this can also help give students book recommendations when they are deciding what to read next. I really love this website and I think it's a great website for any literature lover to try out.

Here is the link to the website: http://www.goodreads.com/

"Storyselling" Clifford

After reading Daniel Hade’s article, “Storyselling: Are Publishers Changing the Way Children Read?”, I noticed how true “storyselling” is. The article gave examples of many books that underwent “storyselling”, but Clifford stuck out to me the most. This is because a few years ago my younger sister was obsessed with Clifford. She had many of the books, television episodes, and movies. However, along with these she had a Clifford bed set with a comforter, sheets, and pillows. She had many Clifford stuffed animals, puzzles, and she even had a backpack. I’m sure there were many more Clifford products she had but there are way too many to count!

I think the idea that Clifford became a brand rather than a piece of literature is what the entire article is trying to get at. Whether some people approve of this or not, I actually think this “storyselling” can get kids, teens, and adults more interested in reading. I think if a child gets too attached to one “brand”, like my little sister, it may not necessarily be the best thing because eventually they will outgrow their Clifford phase and then have a bunch of Clifford products laying around. However, she was reading and if all the other products enticed her to read more, then that is good enough for me.

5 Components of Reading: Practice Makes Perfect!

There are five essential skills that children need to be taught in order to become successful readers.

1. First children need to recognize and use individual sounds to create words. Just like our elementary teachers used to say "Sound it out".

2. Children need to understand the relationships between letters and spoken sounds. After being able recognize letters and sounds, children can decode new words.

3. Reading fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. After practice with this, children begin to understand what is written.

4. Vocabulary development is where the child learns the meaning and the correct pronunciation of words. Practicing this step over and over again will expand their knowledge of written words. This step will also help children learn what words mean and when to use them.

5. Reading comprehension strategies allow children to understand, remember and discuss what is read.

Children who practice these 5 reading components can improve their reading and become active readers. National Children's Literacy Website

Black Friday, the First Snowfall, and Holiday Spirit: The Shopping Guide

If today's monster snowfall didn't put you in the mood for the holiday season, I'm not sure what can. One of my favorite things about this time of year is buying presents for the people I'm close to--I find it so fun to get something really meaningful and special for someone I love. This year, one of those gifts will be for my 9-month-old goddaughter and I know it's going to be books. But some of the things I've read about Black Friday and the growing consumerism in this country got me thinking about just where I want those books to come from.

Seeing videos of a woman pepper-spraying people at a L.A. Walmart to get an X-Box and hearing about the millions of dollars Target grossed in just 24 hours honestly sickens me. I just don't see how these things have become more important than the holiday itself and simple time spent with family. We support these enormous international corporations and never think to look at smaller, more community-oriented stores that put the emphasis on meaning and joy instead of spend, spend, spend. Now I don't think we should refrain from buying gifts entirely or even boycott big-box stores; however, I do think we need to be more aware about where we're spending our money and what we're supporting with our holiday shopping.

Books are such a wonderful gift, especially if you have children on your holiday shopping list. Instead of promoting traditional gender roles with racecars and makeup, you can give a child the joy of literature and promote literacy development with a gift they can come back to over and over. But I urge you to consider where those books are coming from--and what you're implicitly supporting when you buy them. Is it about competitive shopping, consumerism, and status? Or is it about finding a meaningful gift for someone you love, and supporting the local community while you're at it?

If you're interested, you should check out some of these websites and local businesses:
http://www.indiebound.org/
Schuler's Books
Everybody Reads

A new way to experience reading

A graphic novel? It was something I never really considered. Cartoons in the Sunday paper never kept me entertained and when I think about graphic novels I only ever thought about Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and the Peanuts and these are not things necessary to learn in a classroom. I thought graphic novels meant entertainment, not education. Then when we had to read “Maus,” my theory was proved wrong. This graphic novel was just as efficient as getting the point across as any book without pictures. If anything, certain things carried more meaning, reinforced with pictures, where readers could observe facial expressions, and the setting. Although graphic novels are not my thing, I realized how important it is to experience all types of readings. We need to be a resource where our students can trust us to find them good literature for all different interests. For those students who might be frightened of those books with long grueling chapters and little artwork, graphic novels might be just what they need, and we need to be able to suggest educational graphic novels to them. Reading is reading and we need to experience all the types of books. I loved being able to experience a story in a new way. I love WWII books and biographies and autobiographies from that time, but “Maus” created a whole new perspective and experience. As the reviews say, it truly was a different story that stood out from the rest. I learned a lot more about WWII, many things I did not know before. This graphic novel, and I am sure many others, would be useful in a classroom setting we just need to explore more of our literature options.

Justin Bieber Promotes Literacy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw5HBZ9MLmM

Above is a link to a 2 minute video clip of Justin Bieber on the Today Show. While he only speaks about reading for a brief while, he is on the show to promote literacy nonetheless.

When you think about it, Bieber has approximately 8.5 gazillon fans... and if he shows a strong interest in reading, maybe, just maybe, some of his fans will too. He probably has the power to persuade many, many people that reading is great! That is quite the power to have.

Who knows if Bieber really likes to read, but if you put his face next to a library card on a billboard, think about how many people (okay, how many tween girls) will be intrigued and possibly get their own library card. I think celebrities should do things like this, like hold events about reading, more often. Many people listen to what they have to say, and look up to them as role models. Maybe if Bieber is caught by the paparazzi reading the Hunger Games, his fans will go buy the book and read it. After all, what Justin does has to be cool, right??

Oprah's Wisdom

http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Getting-Children-to-Read

Above is a link to a very short article (well more like a list) on how to get your child to read. The suggestions all made sense (go to the library, set a good example, designate a reading spot for your child) but they weren't anything I did not already know. I am not saying that I know everything, but these suggestions seemed a little bland, and very common sense-y. In my classes we've talked about getting children to read by choosing books that cater to their interests, which is also something that seems very, well, obvious. A useful hint, but not too creative.

After the article there is a comment from an actual teacher with a few suggestions as well - including motivating children to read through activities while they read. This to me is a useful suggestion. Most children have short attention spans and need to actually DO things. So I think the integration of reading and active learning is a great way to promote a love of literacy!

As a teacher, I hope I can make activities like the one described in the comment. I think it is important for us to use our resources, and fellow teachers to help kids find a love for reading. Even though sometimes it may seem difficult to do!

Reluctant Readers

This past summer I did a lot of babysitting for many different families with kids ages 3-10. I found it interesting that when I babysat the family with 2 girls ages 7 and 10, that they had no interest in reading while I was there (or before bedtime) , they only wanted to watch TV or play on the Wi. However, when I baby sat the 3 and 4 year olds, we would spend about an hour, sometimes more, reading books (mostly me reading to them). I was a little disappointed that the older children had no interest in reading, because it is such an important skill to learn and work at as you grow older. The older children thought of reading as a chore and that they would only read when they had to. Do you find reading to be a chore when it is assigned from a professor? I began to think what are some ways that parents can encourage their children to continue to read in late elementary school and middle school?

I found an article that discusses “reluctant readers” and how you can help these readers learn to like reading more. First, you should find the root cause of why the child lost interest. This could be because they don’t comprehend what they read, or they struggle with reading the words, or they don’t like the topic of the books they usually have to read. Next you can make a plan of action. If the child has difficulty reading, a special reading service may be the best choice for them. If the child doesn’t always comprehend what they read, they may just need a parent, teacher, or older sibling to read alongside of them for when questions arise. If the child isn’t interested in the books given to them in school to read, perhaps parents could encourage them to find books about topics that interest them to read before bed, or in the summer. That way the child is reading on their own, and learning about topics that interest them. Personally, I think it would be a great idea if teachers in elementary school gave student more freedom in choosing books, for book reports, projects etc. This will allow children to be more excited about reading and learning things. Do you think this would be a good strategy to encourage reading in late elementary school? How else could you encourage children to read more?

Article: http://www.k12reader.com/strategies-to-help-engage-reluctant-readers-in-reading/

Same O' Same O'

Alright we all have read a 100 holocaust stories and no matter what I feel like each one is the exact same. Don't get me wrong, I am very interest is WWII and enjoy learning about it, but would love to see a new side of the stories told. Maus was the same as every story I have heard before so it was disappointing to read since I already knew what every twist and turn was going to be.

The book did make me think back to grade school when during the Holocaust unit we were asked to make a visual of what encompassed our feelings. Many students did collages and paintings to express their emotions. I loved these projects where we were allowed to be creative and I took this to an extreme. I made a mini Jewish Ghetto complete with clay figurines and cardboard painted to look like town homes. My father and I worked so hard painting everything trying to get it as realistic as possible.

The book Maus made me think of this school project because of the connection with fathers. Since the project was done by my father and I, I ended up drawing a more personal connection to the story. So even thought I greatly disliked Maus, it still brought up a great memory of mine making the drab story more easy to get through.

Maus

Before TE 348, I had heard a lot about Art Spiegleman and Maus from many of my previous courses, and although I knew the story and the medium it was portrayed in, I was relatively unprepared for how much I would really enjoy it. Vladek's story is one that many people of my generation have heard, but Spiegleman's telling of the story through comics is really what sets the tale apart and made it such a success. I recall at one point in the story, Mala, Vladek's wife, expresses how important the story will be, saying "people who don’t usually read such stories will be interested, " in reference Spiegleman's comic book audience. Spiegleman's presentation of the story in a comic book format makes it relatable and enjoyable for younger readers or readers who may not be as inclined to read a novel written in prose. I feel that in order to express the depth and multifacted aspects of characters could not be told in a way other than comic format. By expressing Maus through a visual format, Spiegleman gives audience members an opportunity to connect with his father's story by presenting emotions visually to readers.

As a future special education teacher, many of my students may have reading difficulties or even a dislike for reading by the time they reach my classroom. The comic format of Maus may serve as a reading aid for many students who may be uninterested or may have difficulty reading a novel written in prose.
I feel that Maus would be a great addition to a literature or history lesson in middle school or highschool, and it is a book I plan on incorporating into my own classroom if it is applicable and appropriate for the age group.

Holocaust Units: What Age?

So like many other students, in school several teachers did units on the Holocaust. After reading Maus, I started thinking about the first time I learned about WW2 and the Holocaust. I believe it was in 7th grade. We learned about it in my 7th grade History class for the majority of the year. But then in my 8th grade English class we read and discussed The Diary of Anne Frank. However, at 12/13 years old is that a good age to be able to grasp the severity?

I think that it is a very appropriate age. I do remember some kids making jokes about Anne Frank's diary and how upset the teacher got, which showed that kids are immature. But then again, maybe a serious unit such as Anne Frank can develop kids understanding and make them somewhat mature? An assignment that usually followed though was a diary assignment. It made us connect with Anne but I always found it difficult to write because my entries seemed shallow compared to her struggles.

All and all, I think 13 is the perfect age for Holocaust units and I believe they should be done in both History and English classes to show the significance of the events.

Graphic Novels in the Classroom

I am really happy that we got to read the graphic novel “MAUS” in this class. This was the first graphic novel I have ever read, and it made me wonder why I had never read any in middle school or high school. Thus, I decided to do some research to see the benefits of teaching graphic novels and why/why not they are taught in the classroom.

The article I found stated that teaching graphic novels to students is important because it can help to develop a child’s “complex reading skills.” Graphic novels, which have minimal text and many pictures, force the child to make inferences from what they see and how it relates to the story being told. However, the article urges teachers to familiarize themselves with graphic novels before teaching them to students. This will help teachers to understand the skills needed to read and comprehend the story. Did you read graphic novels in middle/high school? If so, how do they compare to typical novels in your opinion?

The unique aspect about graphic novels (vs. comics) is that they still have a beginning, middle, and end, main character, and a plot/climax. The major difference between a typical novel and a graphic novel is that a graphic novel tells the story visually and textually. Each illustration enhances the understanding of the text for the reader. Do you prefer to read a story through pictures and text or just straightforward text? I liked interpreting the pictures throughout the story, for me it gave the text more meaning and helped me to visualize and understand what was happening in the story. Overall, I really liked reading “MAUS,” and I definitely plan on reading more graphic novels.

Full article: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031