Literacy Now

July’s Member of the Month is International Reading Association (IRA) member Sharon Pepukayi, the assistant superintendent of the Appoquinimink School District in Delaware. She joined IRA in 2008 and has used IRA resources to move from a classroom teacher to leadership positions in education. In this interview, Pepukayi shares her thoughts on the challenges of educators, both in the classrooms and in the administration offices.

When did you know you wanted to become an educator?

My mom was a teacher so even since being in school myself I knew I wanted to be an educator. I use to help her grade papers.

How did you begin your career, and what led you to your current position?

I began teaching in the fall of 1992 as a 5th grade teacher. I stayed in the classroom for 12 years and then become an asst. principal in 2004. I stayed in the same district and became a principal and then moved into the assistant superintendent role on July 2010. Being a part of the community since 2004 afforded me the opportunity to build relationships with stakeholders which led me to want to apply for that next level.

You recently attended the seminar with educator and author Stephen G. Peters. How did this seminar help you?

It validated what I always believed and that was how crucial it is in building relationships with students. He authored the book Do You Know Enough About Me To Teach Me. Teachers have such an impact on students learning and school success and building those relationships makes it so much easier to get the content across.

What types of professional development would you recommend to other educators?

Anything revolving around building relationships with students and the Common Core!

Has your outlook on literacy education changed since you became an assistant superintendent? If so, how?

Yes. For 18 years I had only been looking through the elementary lens—teacher and building administrator. As assistant superintendent, I have the opportunity to see all levels Pre-K to adult education. Literacy education spans every level and all content areas. I see at the upper levels the need for detailed and individualized literacy instruction but having the challenge of finding time to do this in the age of accountability. I know there is an ongoing debate of Sustained Silent Reading at the secondary levels—I can see both sides of the argument. I use to think it was just an elementary teacher's job but now see it as an entire district's responsibility—especially when the dropout rates are rising.

What are the major challenges for school administrators at this time?

Growing as leaders, prioritization, and accountability.

Sheila Murray Bethel said "Leadership is not something that you learn once and for all. It is an ever-evolving pattern of skills, talents, and ideas that grow and change as you do."

One major challenge a school administrator has is to juggle many things all the while growing and changing into greatness themselves. A second challenge is to juggle and prioritize the unfunded mandates and various initiatives. Third but not the end is accountability that has can't be ignored while leading staff members to teach the whole child.

How did they differ from past challenges?

There wasn't really much about school administrators as leaders—they were seen more as managers—but now it is everywhere that school leaders are second to teachers in moving schools toward greatness. Past challenges were more managerial issues and classroom management and

How do you see the environment changing in the future?

The environment has already changed to accountability and high-stakes testing, and I am afraid that there will be a population of students that are academically sound however won't have other life skills to be successful.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

There was student who attended my school when I was the administrator and often would make bad choices. We worked very hard with him and his family. He graduated this past May, and when he walked across the stage to shake my hand he asked me if he could give me a hug. Being able to see the students who were once in my elementary school become responsible adults and walk across the stage for graduation is an awesome feeling.

What do you like to do when you're not wearing your educator hat?

Reading books on leadership and traveling.

What's the most valuable advice you can give to someone entering the education field?

Know that it is, in my opinion, one of the hardest jobs to do but also the most rewarding. You have to be in it for the right reasons—have the passion, dedication, and purpose to make a difference—not in isolation but collaboratively with others.

 

My father is a great storyteller. When I was little, my brothers and I were completely spellbound by his tales of how he survived his childhood in his rural Chinese village. He would begin with, “When I was your age…” and immediately transport us to World War II China, when loud planes flew overhead and Japanese soldiers marched into their village in the mornings and stayed all day, eating their chickens and their rice and then marching away when nightfall came. My little boy dad and his baby brother and mom and grandma would then make their way home with the other villagers from the mountains where they had hidden in caves. Every day it was the same. Every night they would return home. And it was all a great adventure.

Then there’s the story of how my dad survived the floods that came into his village every year. He and his brother would take down the doors of their house and paddle around using their hands as oars.

“What about GninGnin and LoBak?” I asked, when I was old enough to feel a sense of alarm for my grandma and great-grandma.

“Oh, they were busy saving the chickens and the rice,” my dad said, as though he were only eight again, and happily recalling only the thrill and none of the danger.

p: tak.wing via photopin cc

It was fun for me to imagine feathers flying and rice getting out of hand while my dad was having the time of his life. Oh, how I loved this story! To me, it was much less frightening than hiding from soldiers carrying bayonets and rifles. But now that I think about it, being forced to save your food supply (over your children) when the river is surging and you’ve never had a swimming lesson was probably not an improvement over a dry cave.

My dad’s storytelling skills also include history dates and the lives of historical Chinese figures that loom large in the Chinese imagination. He can tell you about Sun Tzu, who wrote THE ART OF WAR, as though he were a commander trained by the general himself. Get him started on Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China (221 B.C.), who began the construction of the Great Wall and built an army of terra cotta soldiers to guard his tomb, and you’d think that my dad was a laborer forced to work on both of those grueling projects and is still bitter after more than 2,000 years.

Fed on a steady diet of stories like these, with each one getting more fantastical, and sometimes more hysterical, with each retelling, it’s no wonder I grew up to be a storyteller myself.

But unlike my dad, I didn’t have an exciting childhood. I also didn’t receive a Chinese education. I went to Princeton, which is rigorous enough by modern standards, but it is my dad, a high school graduate, who carries the hallmark of a much more powerful academic education. He was schooled in the backwaters three hours west of Guangzhou, in the small provincial capital of Toisan, where the only roads were made by oxen and owner walking repeatedly over the same path, and where he memorized classical Chinese texts by heart, and still has them memorized to this day. Useless rote memorization? Hardly. He can cite poetic references and drop interesting Chinese idioms into conversations faster than I can hit Google. He had also learned his history dates for thousands of years and hundreds of famous battles better than…ahem…I had learned mine.

If I had followed the advice “write what you know,” I would have written nothing. I don’t know that much. The Chinese would say, “Zhi xue pi mou”—“you’ve learned only skin and fur,” meaning you’ve scratched only the surface. It’s true. Even if I could get all my history dates straight for the 200 years of U.S. history, what is that compared to the more than 4,000 years of Chinese history, to say nothing of the Chinese prehistoric culture that dates back to 10,000 B.C.? And the Western equivalent of reciting ancient Chinese poetry? Well, I could start by memorizing hundreds of lines from the Greek and Roman classics.

So I write what I’m interested in. It’s a more compelling reason to write anyway. It means seeing with the eyes of a child. It means I’m still crawling around inside my dad’s stories, but I’m crawling into new ones too. Everything delights and surprises. I follow my curiosity. I take detours. I wander down one path and find myself on another. I never know what will interest me when I was simply interested in something else. Find a stick, and it could be a doll. Find two sticks, and it could be fire. Doing research is like that. Sparks of ideas fly all over the place. The entire process is a fire hazard. Find a spark, fan the flame with more research, and—poof!—it’s a raging inferno before you know it, and you’re completely consumed by it.

I was researching Chinese death superstitions, customs, and funerals for my book, ALVIN HO: ALLERGIC TO DEAD BODIES, when I came across Wu Daozi, China’s most famous painter, who was so great, they said, “He never died, he merely walked into his last painting and disappeared.” When I read that, I knew immediately that I wanted to write about him. WHO was this guy? WHAT did he do? HOW did he live? WHERE did he paint? WHY should we care?

My research took to me to the writings of artists and poets in T’ang Dynasty China, who knew that they were watching this amazing artist single-handedly change the course and development of art right before their eyes. It was the first time that people saw lines on flat surfaces pop out and resemble real life. Large crowds gathered to watch him work. It was extraordinary. We call it three-dimensional painting, they called it Divine.

Much was written about him then—he was an 8th-century media darling. But none of his paintings, most of which were frescoes on monastery walls, survived. All that is left of his work are a few stone engravings somewhere in China. Did I need to see them? Could I find them on the Internet? Yes, I did need to see them and, yes, I found some images on the Internet.

Luckily for me, I’d already been to the city of Xi’an, the former T’ang Dynasty capital, where Wu Daozi worked and where he had first been commissioned to give art lessons to a young prince. Eventually, the emperor gave Wu the highest commission of all—to paint an entire palace wall.

When I was in Xi’an in August 2001, I knew nothing of Wu Daozi, but what I saw and experienced there, I was able to use in my book about him. There were hordes of beggar children in the streets of the old city. A more modern city had grown up around the ancient capital, but the old city, with its Muslim quarter and calligraphy district and tea-drinking street, was still intact and completely surrounded by its impenetrable fortress wall. These children encircled my family and me the first night we stepped outside of our hotel to walk to dinner, and began clamoring for money, many of them thrusting their hands in our faces.

My mom immediately took out an American dollar bill and gave it to one of the children. Suddenly, children swarmed like ants to dropped candy, darkening the square that we were trying to cross, and making it nearly impossible for us to make any progress toward the restaurant that we saw across the way. When we finally got to our destination, the children plastered themselves against the windows to watch us eat. We ate, but all we tasted that night was guilt.

p: kanegen via photopin cc

I imagined that Wu Daozi had also been surrounded by beggar children, who perhaps forgot their hunger for a moment when he transported them with his art. In an earlier version of my manuscript for BRUSH OF THE GODS, I had the children plucking food from his paintings and eating it. Nourished by art and survival by the power of the imagination, right? But nowhere is it mentioned that Wu painted food. Chinese art at the time didn’t concern itself with quotidian needs like eating, nor did it include unsavory elements like poverty. So the food was cut (to accurately reflect historical content), but the children stayed (to accurately reflect historical context).

Last year, with BRUSH OF THE GODS already done, I went to China to research two other books. One of my stops was Qufu, the birth and burial place of Confucius, the 6th century B.C. philosopher whose teachings permeate Asian society and thought, much in the same way that Christianity has influenced the Western world. On the expansive grounds of the large Confucius Temple located next to the Confucius Family compound, I walked into a quiet, dusty building in the back, out of sight and off the beaten path of the throngs of tourists. And there—surprise, surprise—Wu Daozi was waiting for me. Hanging behind old glass, there was his most famous stone etching—a life-size portrait of Confucius. His robes moved. His head turned. The tassel on his hat swung with his gait. Indeed, he was about to step out of the stone! I nearly fell over in shock, but first I had to jump out of his way!

p: Charity Chen

I’ve gone to China three times now looking for stories. I’ve been to Concord, Massachusetts, which is hard to spell, countless times, also looking for stories. I hope that I’ll travel to many more places looking for stories and unearthing interesting stuff that I don’t now know. What do I hope to find? Well, I never know. And I hope I never do.

Lenore Look is the award-winning author of numerous children’s books including the popular Alvin Ho series and the Ruby Lu series. Her books have been translated into many languages. She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, and blogs at A GLOBBY BLOOGY.



Bringing History to Life: Introducing Teens to History through YA Literature

Digging for Details that Make Historical Fiction Delicious

Samuel Clemens once said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." Of course Mark Twain plagiarized this quote from him and took vast credit but the point still remains: big data about education consumes us these days and it’s getting out of hand. In fact, it’s gotten so nutty that we not only have tremendous amounts of statistical analysis but we also have meta-analysis, where statistics are provided to give us new statistics about competing and corroborating streams of statistics so that we can remain properly—and statistically—well-informed for future statistical analysis.

So how does a reading/literacy person make sense of all this kooky math? I mean, every time I see statistics about schools posted by some sort of fancy survey group, indubitably populated with PhD types (who love to use words like indubitably), instead of providing answers, their data seems to prompt at least three new questions from me for each new stat I ingest.

p: a2gemma via cc

And so, in keeping with the spirit of the times, I am going to provide a few examples that mean nothing individually, but collectively…well, they don’t really mean all that much either.

Example A: Here’s some data that says 99.5% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies.

Question 1: Who are the .5% and how come they don’t owe the rest of us some cash?

Question 2: Have I ever seen a district administrator of high rank pony up for nary a colored Sharpie out of their own wallet?

Question 3: In the print age we bought our students paper and pens. Does this mean in the digital age we’re gonna have to pay for iPads?

Example B: Here’s some data which estimates that “by the year 2020, there will be 123 million high-paying, high-skill jobs in the United States but only 50 million Americans will be qualified to fill these positions.”

Question 1: Is this 83 million American student shortfall something we directly blame our current crop of educators for, or are we gonna have to wait until 2020 to actually do the official finger pointing?

Question 2: Is being a teacher considered a “high-paying, high-skilled job,” a “high-skilled job,” or “a job you good-for-nuttins” are lucky to even have?

Question 3: Is it comically tragic or tragically comic that Question 2 is so on point?

Example C: Here’s a piece of journalism that says that 90% of Americans said schools should take a role in combating obesity.

Question 1: Does this shirt make me look fat?

Question 2: Shouldn’t schools stay away from conversations about personal liberties and instead focus on the things we want them to teach like religion, sex and guns?

Question 3: Is Common Core gonna test this?

Example D: Shockingly, these stats point out that over 3 million students drop out of American schools each year.

Question 1: Do they all run for Congress or just the first coupla hundred?

Question 2: If John had a nickel for every kid that dropped out and Mary was selling lemonade at two dollars per glass, how many brownies could Cindy afford if a train was travelling southeast at 15 knots per metric hour?

Question 3: Wouldn’t an optimist look forward to the fact that 20 years from now there will be 3 million new self-help books authored by self-made millionaires who didn’t need no stinkin’ school (And either does you!)?

Example E: According to this piece of data, both 9- and 13-year-olds scored higher in reading and mathematics in 2012 than students their age in the early 1970s. Seventeen-year-olds, however, did not show similar gains.

Question 1: Isn’t this just more proof of why we need to lower the national drinking age to 9?

Question 2: Isn’t this an unfair comparison, because in the early 1970s the United States was caught in a quagmire of a war most of its people didn’t even support or know why we’d got into in the first place while in 2012 the… Oh. Um. Yeah. Right.

Question 3: Can’t we just combine reading and math into one new category called “readamatics,” add both score totals together and then give ourselves extra credit for doubling our academic ratings in less than an hour?

Here are a few other gems:

• “Democracy is an abuse of statistics.” (Jorge Luis Borges)
• “He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp posts—for support rather than for illumination.” (Andrew Lang)
• “If your experiment needs a statistician, you need a better experiment.” (Ernest Rutherford)
• “A recent survey of North American males found 42% were overweight, 34% were critically obese and 8% ate the survey.” (Banksy)

And finally, please remember the words of Gregg Easterbrook who said, “Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything.”

Alan Lawrence Sitomer was California's Teacher of the Year in 2007. He is also the author of multiple works for young readers, including Nerd Girls, the Hoopster trilogy, THE SECRET STORY OF SONIA RODRIGUEZ, CINDER-SMELLA, and THE ALAN SITOMER BOOKJAM. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. In addition to being an inner-city high school English teacher and former professor in the Graduate School of Education at Loyola Marymount University, Alan is a nationally renowned speaker specializing in engaging reluctant readers who received the 2004 award for Classroom Excellence from the Southern California Teachers of English, the 2003 Teacher of the Year honor from California Literacy, the 2007 Educator of the Year award by Loyola Marymount University and the 2008 Innovative Educator of the Year from The Insight Education Group. A Fun Look at Our Serious Work appears quarterly on the Engage blog.

America celebrated July 4th with firecrackers and tributes to soldiers serving our country and commemorations to the legacy of the United States. As authors research for those bits of unexplored pieces of American history or add a fresh approach to familiar facts from previous eras, the Children’s Literature and Reading SIG of IRA presents a list of books for young readers that provides background and insight into the development of our country and its relationship with global neighbors throughout the world.

ReadWriteThink offers a plethora of American History Lessons that connect with literature ideas including “Fighting Injustice by Studying Lessons of the Past” to “Traveling the Road to Freedom through Research and Historical Fiction.”

Teachers might also enjoy using Museum Box, which was featured in an Engage blog post on September 26, 2012.

Educators will also find useful connections with the Notable Books for the Social Studies annual lists. The current 2013 list is available in the May/June issue of Social Education, and previous years’ lists are available at the Children’s Book Council website.

In addition, more award-winning social studies books are located at the CL/R website that sponsors The Notable Books for a Global Society Award.

 

GRADES K-2

 

Angleberger, Tom. (2013). Crankee Doodle. Illus. by Cece Bell. New York: Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books.

Most youngsters have enthusiastically belted out the words to the song "Yankee Doodle" only to pause in confusion as to the meaning of its lyrics. This hilarious story tells the story—or one of several possibilities—behind the song. As a pony tries to persuade his lethargic and reluctant owner to head into town, the cranky man comes up with several reasons for staying home. After all, he hates shopping and has no need to buy anything else. In fact, he swiftly rejects every suggestion the pony offers for going to town. After hurting the steed’s feelings, the grouchy man apologizes, and the last gouache illustration shows the two of them, loaded down with their purchases, having a blast now that they’ve finally gone to town. The very last page provides a historical note on the lyrics and what it could possibly mean to call a feather stuck to a hat by the name “macaroni.” Readers will hoot as they read this book, guaranteeing a surge in popularity for the song. Hilarious from beginning to end, this book is a perfect choice for any history class. Also check out author Tom Angleberger piece "A Book for Every Reader" on the Engage blog.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Brown, Don. (2013). Henry and the cannons; an extraordinary true story of the American Revolution. New York: Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan.

In the winter of 1775, the British occupied the city of Boston at the onset of the War for Independence. General George Washington was in charge of the newly formed American troops when a young bookseller named Henry Knox persuaded Washington to let him travel to Fort Ticonderoga, a wintery 300 miles away on the New York side of Lake Champlain, to bring 59 cannons back to Massachusetts. The cannons would provide the Americans the artillery needed to take the city of Boston away from the occupying British. Washington agreed, as Henry displayed his knowledge of military history and affairs, and so the arduous journey began. Henry devised a way of transporting the tons and tons of metal cannons using ropes and sleds, chains and boats to slowly move the artillery toward Boston. Crashing through the ice on one occasion did not deter the heroic efforts of Henry Knox and his men. When they reached Boston and delivered the cannons to Washington, the General quickly sent the British fleeing the city. Using quotes, primary source material, brief text and soft watercolor illustrations, this is a well-done introduction to one of those little-known stories of heroism during this early period of American history. Learn more about this author and his entire list of fiction and nonfiction books based on incidents from American history at his website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Cotten, Cynthia. (2013). The book boat’s in. Illus. by Frane Lessac. New York: Holiday House.

Teachers looking for books to celebrate literacy and the love of reading will want to add this book to their list. Set on the Erie Canal in rural 1835, young Jesse King loves to read and has read all the books on the shelf at his school that his teacher Miss Howard has managed to accumulate. When Jesse goes to town with his father one day, he notices that Mr. Edwards’ book boat is docked. Mr. Edwards travels up and down the Erie Canal renting and selling books to interested buyers and readers. Jesse spots his favorite book, The Swiss Family Robinson, in a red cover. His pa can’t afford to buy the book and suggests to Jesse that maybe he can do odd jobs and earn the money for the book on his next visit. Jesse agrees to this and offers to chop wood, work at the store, at a stable, sweeps for his neighbors until he has the money saved. When Mr. Edwards returns on the book boat, the red book is gone. Jesse is so disappointed until Mr. Edwards comes up with a suggestion. He has another copy of the book, not as fresh and nice as the red copy, but a bit worn and used-looking though still in decent condition. Jessie is thrilled not only to accept the suggestion but also to learn that it doesn’t cost as much as the red copy. Lessac’s folk-style primitive art illustrations enhance this era and the dialogue sets the scene for this time in early American history. Click here for a Q & A with the author for more background information about this real-life book boat or check out these teaching ideas at the author’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Pinborough, Jan. (2013). Miss Moore thought otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore created libraries for children. Illus. by Debby Atwell. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Young readers will surely be dismayed to learn that libraries were once places where children were not welcome; in fact, there were many libraries that didn't allow them to touch or even check out the books that rested on the library shelves. This inspiring title about independent-minded and determined Annie Carroll Moore, raised in Limerick, Maine, describes how she worked to make libraries places that welcomed children. The only daughter in a large family of boys, Annie refused to follow 19th century expectations for women. Instead, she studied law before moving to New York City to become a librarian. She reveled in the sights, sounds, and freedom of the burgeoning city and its streets filled with passersby. Not only did she update her own children's library collection, but when the New York Public Library was built, Moore took care to include features such as inviting window seats, new children's books, read alouds and visits from authors and famous individuals, including royalty, all intended to attract children. Hard-working librarians and those who are librarians at heart will relish this inspiring, loving tribute to a woman who "thought otherwise" (unpaged) about a lot of matters and often challenged the status quo. The acrylic illustrations have a folkloric quality to them, and the back matter includes brief notes about other librarians who helped create libraries for children.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Tuck, Pamela M. (2013). As fast as words could fly. Illus. by Eric Velasquez. New York: Lee and Low Books.

Based on the life of the author’s father, Pamela Tuck relives a moment in the civil rights movement of the 1960s in Greenville, North Carolina. Young Mason Steele is a good writer and when his activist father needs help writing letters to civil rights leaders or people who have discriminated against Negroes, he dictates letters that Mason puts into words and letters. At one point the local civil rights organization finds a way to get Mason a real typewriter to help with his father’s letters. One day, his father calls Mason and his two brothers into the kitchen and tells them they will be going to the all-white high school that is much closer than their segregated school. The boys are very nervous about this new turn in their lives especially when the school bus drives right on by them the first two days of school. When they finally get picked up they are made to sit in the back of the bus. Though Mason excels at school especially in typing class, it is a very strained and difficult school atmosphere for Mason and the other black students. Mason is able to get a job in the library typing cards for the school librarian that adds more experience to his typing skills. When his typing teacher, Mrs. Roberts, announces a tournament Mason is selected as the candidate to represent the school. At the contest, he has to choose between an electric and a manual typewriter for the tournament. He chooses the manual typewriter and when the contest begins, his fingers fly across the keyboard to win the tournament. No one cheers or applauds. No one congratulates Mason. Later, when his principal, Mr. Bullock, asked him why he chose the manual typewriter, Mason replied, “Cause it reminds me of where I come from, sir.” (p. 31) The book concludes with detailed notes from the author about her father’s experience and describes the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Read more about the background of this story at the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 3-5

 

Castrovilla, Selene. (2013). Revolutionary friends; General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. Illus. by Drazen Kozjan. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek/ Boyds Mills Press.
                                                                                                                                   
Using primary documents and direct quotes from the featured historical figures, author Selene Castrovilla has presented the background for the Marquis de Lafayette’s arrival in America to meet and help General George Washington in the War for Independence in 1777. Lafayette is just nineteen years old when defies his own king’s orders and leaves France to sail to America to fight for freedom and the patriotic cause. Washington is reluctant to accept this offer of assistance from the eager young nobleman but when Lafayette proves himself to be an excellent soldier at the Battle of Brandywine, Washington recognizes the young man’s abilities and sincerity to be part of the cause. The two men become good friends and when Lafayette is wounded in the leg, Washington tells the doctor to treat him as he would his own son. This excellent account of these two men is told with historical accuracy and detail, yet is a wordy picture book for younger readers. Three more additional pages at the end of the book continue giving additional background information including a glossary of the French words with definitions that are sprinkled through the book, places to visit, and a bibliography. Kozjan’s pen and ink illustrations are appealing and include parchment-style scrolled letters throughout the book that are taken from Lafayette’s letters and diaries.  A detailed standards-based teacher’s guide is available at the author’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Giff, Patricia Reilly. (2013). Gingersnap. New York: Wendy Lamb Books/ Random House.
                                                                                                                                   
Set in upstate New York during World War II, eleven-year old Jayna lives with her older brother, Rob. Their parents were killed in an automobile accident years ago and Rob has taken care of Jayna since that time. Rob is a cook in the Navy and when he is called into the war to serve as a cook on a submarine, Rob makes arrangements for Jayna to stay in the apartment under the watchful eye of Celine, their landlord. Jayna is not happy with this arrangement and when she receives word that Rob’s submarine was attacked and he is MIA, Jayne decides to look for family, possibly her grandmother, in Brooklyn. Inside a blue cookbook that Rob left behind is a photo with an inscription and an address in Brooklyn. When a ghostly presence encourages Jayna to find the person in the photo, she packs up a few belongings, including her pet turtle named Theresa, and takes the bus to New York City. She has convinced herself that the ghost she is sensing is her mother guiding her to New York. When she arrives and eventually finds the bakery in the photo that she has nicknamed Gingersnap and a woman named Elise, Jayna discovers friends and family that help her through this time of war and uncertainty. A book about war and deployment, separated families, the concern and not knowing about loved ones are certainly topics for today as well as yesterday. Teachers will find a quick booktalk for this book at Jenny Sawyer’s “Pick of the Week” on YouTube.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Gigliotti, Jim. (2013). I am Roberto Clemente. New York: Scholastic.
                                                                                                                                   
Baseball has long been an important part of American history, and has been noted for its part in the breaking of the barrier between races. This brief biography celebrates the heralded Roberto Clemente who faced much prejudice when he moved from Puerto Rico to play his favorite sport. At first, newspapers even made fun of his accent and the way he spoke when they wrote articles about him. Although Clemente is best known for his feats on the baseball field as he led the Pittsburg Pirates to the World Series title twice, he is also known for his humanitarian acts. The first Latin American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Clemente gave generously of his time and money to various causes. His unexpected death in a plane crash while en route to Nicaragua with needed supplies even caused the governor of Puerto Rico to cancel his planned inauguration ceremonies. Elementary students will enjoy the details about his upbringing and his passion for baseball as well as his total dedication to his sport, his devotion to his family, and his compassion for anyone in need. This brief biography provides insight into Clemente’s personality and the challenges he faced throughout his life ball. To read his story is to be inspired by his heroism both on and off the baseball field.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Norwich, Grace. (2013). I am Harriet Tubman. Illus. by New York: Scholastic.

Harriet Tubman may have been diminutive in size, but there was certainly nothing small about her courage or her actions. This exciting biography of the woman who not only made her way to freedom but returned time and again to help others escape is filled with anecdotes that attest to her bravery. After an introduction that provides a glimpse into the life of Harriet Tubman, born a slave with many strikes against her, the book traces her early years and the harsh treatment she endured before trying to escape to freedom. The writer makes readers feel as though they are right alongside this fearless woman, somehow finding the courage to venture south again and again as she led others, many of them her relatives, to a better life. Young readers will feel dismayed and disheartened to learn that she was never compensated for the work she performed for the Union Army during the Civil War. While many readers will be familiar with her travels on the Underground Railroad, few will realize that she led an army, served as a spy, and advocated for better treatment of the elderly as well as being involved in the civil rights and women's suffrage movements. Like the other titles in the "I Am..." series, this one provides interesting biographical details missing from many history texts and lists websites that allow readers to trace Harriet's footsteps on the path to freedom.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Parry, Roseanne. (2013). Written in stone. New York: Random House.

As the story opens in 1999, the old Makah Indian woman named Pearl recalls her childhood and the tragedies that sent her life in an unplanned direction. Living on the coast of the Pacific Northwest, it was the flu pandemic of 1918 that took her mother and sister when Pearl was five years old. She and her father survived through his whaling trade. A whale hunt ended his life when Pearl was thirteen, so she went to live with members of the tribe and her extended family. Difficult times were ahead for the Native Americans as modern technology harvested the whales with steam-powered harpoon cannons leaving little for the canoe whalers of the Makah. One day a New Yorker arrives at the tribe and wants to purchase Native artifacts and artwork. Pearl is immediately suspicious of this man and discovers that his real agenda is to obtain the mineral rights of their rich oil deposits on Native land. Pearl struggles without her family for guidance and turns to her Aunt Susi who has adopted some of the ways of the new century like driving a car and working at the post office. The author taught school on the Quinault Indian reservation and developed a sincere appreciation of the customs, traditions, and art of the natives of the northwest. A coming of age novel set against an actual historical event will bring this part of the country to readers not familiar with this group of Native Americans. From the author’s website, she links readers to her Pinterest board that extends many of the concepts in her new book.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Selbert, Kathryn. (2013). War dogs: Churchill and Rufus. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

While young readers will require background material on WWII and Winston Churchill before reading this book, they are sure to be interested in the strong bond between the British Prime Minister and his beloved miniature poodle, Rufus. Since the back matter offers a photograph and information about the two, they may be fascinated to learn more about the dog who sat in Churchill's speech at the House of Commons and kept his master's spirits up during the long war with Germany. The book almost reads like a memoir, told in fits and starts, accompanied by quotations from Churchill on note cards held in place with pushpins. The back matter explaining the origin of Churchill's nickname and reputation for doggedness may aid in explaining the book's title, content, and final lines. Depicting the nation and London during idyllic times of peace and during its darkest days after the Germans had destroyed much of the city, the acrylic and collage illustrations are eye-catching. Through it all, Rufus remained loyally by his master's side.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Stringer, Lauren. (2013). When Stravinsky met Nijinsky: Two artists, their ballet, and one extraordinary riot. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Children.

A century after the groundbreaking ballet, The Rite of Spring, debuted in Paris, this picture book describes the creative partnership between composer Igor Stravinsky and dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Daringly, these talented artists collaborated on a ballet whose score changed music and dance forever. They drew upon Russian folk songs and dances to compose music that the musicians could play by "drumming their feet and beating their drums/ to rollicking chords and rhythms offbeat" (unpaged). It's hard to imagine how divided the audience for that first performance was, enough to prompt both boos and bravos and a riot that began in the performance hall’s aisles and then continued into the city streets. The engaging text is filled with delicious phrases as Stravinsky imagines "night drums that rumble and fires that blaze" (unpaged) or how Nijinsky's "torso trumpeted a melody" (unpaged). The color-splashed acrylic illustrations are striking in their depiction of these creative, kindred spirits willing to take risks as well as the performers and musicians who stuck by them. Back matter includes information about the artistic tributes hidden within the illustrations and details about the ballet's creators, the ballet itself, and photographs.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Tarshis, Lauren. (2013). The battle of Gettysburg, 1863. Illus. by Scott Dawson. New York: Scholastic.

Book #7 in the “I Survived” series written by Tarshis, this volume provides a clear look at the Civil War through story and fact. Thomas and his little sister Birdie, former slaves, are trying to make their way north to find freedom and a new life. Thomas and Birdie come upon Henry Green, a wounded Union soldier captured by the Confederates. They help Henry escape by throwing a live skunk at the Rebs. As they make their way back to Henry’s unit, the Yankee soldiers take in Thomas and Birdie. The troops move toward Gettysburg where Thomas finds himself in the thick of the war and the Battle of Gettysburg itself. When the war is over, the brother and sister reunite with their cousin Clem and make their way to Vermont, to the parents of Henry Green, the Union soldier they helped. The author describes camp life and military battles with language appropriate for intermediate readers of American history. She ends the book with Q & A about the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and an annotated bibliography/reading list. The Scholastic website offers a guide to the “I Survived” series that include CCSS connections in addition to the resources found at the author’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 5-8

 

Freedman, Russell. (2013). Becoming Ben Franklin: How a candle-maker’s son helped light the flame of liberty. New York: Holiday House.

With his inimitable prose and attention to details sure to intrigue young readers, the author uses nine chapters to describe the life and times of Benjamin Franklin. Having left an apprenticeship with his brother and been lured to London with the promise of financial support from the governor of Pennsylvania—a promise that wasn’t kept—the teenage Franklin had every right to become bitter. Instead, as he would the rest of his life, he made the best of his situation and his gift with words. Upon his return to Philadelphia, he made his fortune by publishing Poor Richard’s Almanack, filled with clever sayings and weather forecasts. Young readers will thrill at Franklin’s rag-to-riches story, filled as it is with humor, determination, original thinking, and risk-taking. Naysayers who doubt the power of the printed and spoken word will find evidence to the contrary in this volume. The inclusion of illustrations and documents from the time period embellish an already-fascinating true tale about one of the nation’s founders.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Frost, Helen. (2013). Salt; a story of friendship in time of war. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan.

From master novel in verse author, Helen Frost, her new novel delves into the friendship of two twelve-year old boys in 1812 Indiana Territory. Anikwa is Native American of the Miami tribe and James Gray is a white settler and the son of a trader. The two boys alternate the poetic narration as the War of 1812 approaches and the Native Americans plan to join with the British forces to fight against the newly organized Americans. The boys’ friendship is strained as the two sides line up against each other. James’ family is dependent on both factions as a trader and supplier of local settlers but trade goods with the local tribes, especially the precious commodity of salt. Entwined between the two boys’ thoughts and fears about the coming war are poems about salt, the necessary substance on which both the Miami and the settlers have come to depend. In Frost’s unique style her poems take meaningful shape within the story line. Anikwa’s story unfolds through verses in the shape of patterns based on Miami ribbon work while James’ story is told in a more linear style fashioned after the stars and stripes of the American flag. This sensitive and beautifully written story about cross-cultural similarities and differences is an outstanding contribution to this period of history. The author’s website offers more information on the book including a link to the Online Myaamia Dictionary which offers pronunciation help with the Native American words.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Hughes, Shirley. (2013). Hero on a bicycle. Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Picture book author Shirley Hughes as ventured into her first novel for middle grade readers. Set in 1944 against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Florence, Italy, teenage brother and older sister Paolo and Costanza Crivelli want to do something to assist the resistance movement. Their father is away working with the Partisans and their English-born mother is under suspicion by occupying German forces. Violating curfew, Paolo often sneaks out at night to ride through the streets of Florence to seek out adventure as well as information, always careful to avoid the soldiers guarding the city. He dreams of ways to become a hero as so many aspects of war surround him. He soon discovers that his mother is aiding the Partisans by hiding Allied POWs in their cellar. As the suspense mounts and the small family group is unsure whom to trust, the realities of war are exposed. The narration moves from one family member to the other so readers discover how each character feels and reacts to the clandestine operations they find themselves a part. This excellent presentation of World War II and the efforts of people involved in resistance is an exciting addition to the list of books during this period of world history.  The author has created a wonderful website devoted to the background of this story that include photos, video, sketches and detailed information.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. (2013). Peace warriors. New York: Scholastic.  

Recognizing that there are connections among many of the individuals typically associated with various movements for change gave rise to the Profiles series that tells the stories of several men and women. By reading multiple, related stories, readers can see how one man or woman can influence another and then he/she, in turn, influences someone else. All of this can lead to worldwide change. While some of the names in this book will be familiar, for instance, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., others such as Dorothy Day and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf may not be as well-known although their lives and contributions are just as important as the more-famous figures. The six biographies in this book describe the childhood, family life, major accomplishments, and the ways in which the subjects’ lives influenced each other. For example, Noble Peace Prize-winner Sirleaf, president of Liberia, was the first woman to be elected as president of an African country. Her concern about the rights of women and the impoverished helped her win the election. Pacifist Dorothy Day spent her entire life working for equality for everyone and was particularly concerned about the plight of the homeless and unemployed. Accompanied by black and white photographs, the stories offer glimpses into the global contributions of these six inspiring and dedicated men and women who used their words and deeds as warriors for peace, surely a cause worth supporting.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Timberlake, Amy. (2013). One came home. New York: Alfred A. Knopf/Random House. 

Georgie Burkhardt’s life in 1871, in Placid, Wisconsin, is very busy as she helps her Ma and Grandfather in their general store. Georgie is well known for her crack shooting ability with a rifle and also for her outspoken tongue. Her older sister Agatha hopes to go to college one day but that is a formidable dream in this time and place. When Agatha runs off one night without telling anyone and joins the group of pigeoners who are following the nesting migration of passenger pigeons, Georgie and her family and the suitors Agatha left behind are shocked when a dead body is found and identified as Agatha. Georgie refuses to accept that Agatha is dead. The body had been left outside in the elements and so was not easy to identify, only the dress and hair seemed to be Agatha’s. Georgie sets off on a rather uncontrollable mule to find out what happened. Billy McCabe, one of Amanda’s former boyfriends, soon joins her. Georgie’s fresh and straightforward dialogue adds the comic relief to this story of history and mystery. As Georgie and Billy journey together they encounter a counterfeit scheme, wild animals and the actual path and information about the passenger pigeon nesting and movement. Set against actual events in early Wisconsin, Georgie’s adventure is honest as well as exciting. Visit the author’s website for a detailed and downloadable teacher’s guide.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 9-12

 

Larson, Kirby. (2013). Hattie ever after. New York: Delacorte Press/ Random House.

The sequel to Newbery Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky (2006), Larson’s new book continues Hattie’s story in 1919 as she leaves the Montana homestead to travel to San Francisco. Kirby Larson’s research into the politics and fashions of the time set the tone as Hattie tries to become a newspaper reporter, a job that traditionally has not been for women. Hattie is willing to work her way up to reporter and that includes cleaning the offices at the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper office which leads to becoming a researcher and a stringer before getting to actual reporting. She is on the search for a big story that will establish her career. With nods to the fame of Nellie Bly and Ida Tarbell, Hattie has her mind made up. She also wants to find out more about her deceased and mysterious Uncle Chester. Though she still questions whether she made the right decision to come to San Francisco and especially her decision to postpone thinking about Charlie Hawley’s marriage proposal and moving to Seattle to settle down with him, she is determined to have a career in journalism. Hattie experiences both the ups and downs of big city life and her small-town adjustments and interpretations of urban life as she is swindled by a con artist and jostled by the crowds of people. On the other hand, opportunities wait especially when she is trapped on an elevator with President Woodrow Wilson. For fans of the first Hattie adventure, readers will enjoy reading about Hattie’s next steps. Also read "Digging for Details that Make Historical Fiction Delicious" by author Kirby Larson on the Engage blog.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.

 

My class and I talk a lot. We ask questions, and we answer them. We share stories with one another. We listen, contribute, and learn.

p: Kathy Cassidy via cc

For my students this is just a way to interact with one another, but as their teacher I’ve set up these opportunities specifically to help them improve their oral language skills. This past year we’ve taken all this talking and listening a step further by using video conferencing tools such as Skype, Google+ Hangouts, and FaceTime in our classroom.

When I speak of video conferencing, I am referring to the use of the webcam on a computer to bring others into our classroom via the Internet. Some computers have built-in cameras, while others require you to attach a camera to your computer. But in either case, when you start learning through video conferencing you open your students up to new and exciting authentic oral language opportunities.

According to my British Columbia prescribed curriculum I must provide opportunities for my students to show that they are able to:

• interact with others for the purposes of exchanging ideas on a topic
• ask questions for clarification and understanding to demonstrate comprehension
• take turns as speaker and listener when interacting with others
• organize thinking by following a simple framework when presenting ideas and information

The First Grade Common Core State Standards pertaining to listening and speaking are as follows:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1a Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1b Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1c Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.

Video conferencing allows me to do everything mentioned above and more.

Video conferencing allows my students to share ideas with other students in different parts of the world. During our study with CHARLOTTE’S WEB, my students were able to discuss their favourite parts of the story with a class in Toledo, Ohio. Ideas were shared back and forth and students could agree or disagree with what was being said.

While working on a collaborative project focusing on sharing our school yard with other classes around North America, we had many questions about the school yards we were seeing around the world. One school yard in particular, from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico was very intriguing to my students because it was so different than ours. By utilizing Skype we were able to ask and get answers to our questions from the children in Mexico. It was authentic and developmentally appropriate learning that promoted oral language skills.

Video conferencing also allowed my students to use their speaking skills to teach other children about Hanukkah. They shared information and answered questions. Their communication had to be clear in order to properly teach others about Hanukkah. My students have used video conferencing to talk about amphibians, community, peace, and favourite books. These are all examples of authentic oral language learning through video conferencing.

My students have also used video conferencing tools to read with adults from other parts of the world. In my classroom, twice a week we have community read, where I invite families in to read with their child. Often there are children without family members to read to. With a prearranged video conference my students read over a computer to another adult. This reading via video conference helps my students improve their oral reading fluency, and forces them to read with a clear voice at an acceptable pace.

My class has used video conferencing tools to bring experts in a field into our classroom, such as the time they talked with an app developer at Duck Duck Moose. The Duck Duck Moose developers taught my students how they make their iPad apps and then asked my students what they wanted to see added to the apps their company produces. My students, in clear voices, shared their wishes, and were equally excited to share what they had done with the app they were using. Again, the audience was real, the task engaging, and the oral language skills developed.

But how do you make this all work? To begin, you need to find someone to video conference with. I am fortunate to be very active on Twitter and so I can always find someone from my personal learning network to Skype with. But if Twitter isn’t in your comfort zone, start with someone you already know – perhaps your mother, principal, or the teacher next door. Make sure that you download Skype (or one of the other video conferencing tools) and that it works with your school district’s Internet access. (Some schools block access to one tool, but leave another one open.) This is something that you’ll need to check with the technology people in your building.

Once you have confirmed that the selected video conferencing tool will work in your classroom, do a practice run with the person you are connecting with. It’s not uncommon to have issues (that is the reality of using technology in a classroom), but knowing what issues may arise before you have your class with you will help you better deal with the issues if they occur once your students are present.

In terms of setting up the computer, it’s great if you can project what’s on the computer screen onto a bigger screen so all students can see it. Audio speakers help, too, if your projection device doesn’t include sound. I am fortunate to have Apple TV in my classroom so I can often Skype wirelessly. However, many times I need to hook up my computer (or iPad) directly to a projection device to allow it to work. When I can video conference wirelessly I have to face my students so they are clearly projected onto our friend’s computer. When I have to connect the computer to the projection device, then the class we are connecting with sees the backs of our heads, unless we turn around.

When I want one student to ask or answer a question on behalf of the entire class, I have them come up to the computer and ask their question in the camera. This allows for those on the other side of the call to clearly see and hear my students.

We typically run our video conferences in a similar manner. Each class takes turns sharing on the topic of the call. For example, when we were studying peace with a class in Northern British Columbia, we took turns sharing what peace meant to us. We would respond to their comment before providing them with information. This went back and forth until enough children had a turn to speak and share.

We almost always end our calls with curiousity questions about each other. In the case of the class in Northern British Columbia, we were curious if they had snow (which they did and we didn’t) and what time it was (they were one hour ahead of us even though we live in the same province).

Something to be aware of when video conferencing is that it is hard for young learners to listen for very long. In my grade one classroom, 15 minutes seems to be the norm, although sometimes we can last longer. My students know that if they are having trouble paying attention they are free to get up and move to another part of the classroom and do a quiet activity such as reading or writing. This helps my students learn the skill of self-regulation and for many sitting and being quiet for extended periods of time is something that is more difficult for them.

Interested in seeing how this might work in your classroom? Please check out this news video clip where Angie Harrison, a kindergarten teacher in Ontario, Canada is Skyping with my grade one class in British Columbia, Canada.

If you've haven't given video conferencing a go, think about trying it out in the upcoming year!

Karen Lirenman (@klirenman) is a grade one teacher in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. She has been teaching for 20 years and discovered Twitter for educational purposes in July 2011. Her interests include utilizing technology, improving her teaching, and sharing with others. Karen spent the 2009 school year teaching in Melbourne, Australia. She loves to travel and is a five-time Ironman finisher. Karen's professional blog can be found at LearningandSharingwithMsL.blogspot.com.



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