Literacy Now

When I set out to write the Lunch Lady series of graphic novels, I had one simple goal in mind—to draw cartoons of a lunch lady fighting off robots with fish sticks. I wasn’t expecting to celebrate school lunch employees nationwide or to help awaken a generation of dormant readers. But while my original goals weren’t altruistic, I have come to embrace the responsibilities that the series has bestowed upon me.

First, and the most obvious, would be the “lunch ladies” that I am championing. The series itself was inspired by a chance encounter I had with Jeanne Cariglia, the woman who ran the cafeteria at my old elementary school. It was 2001 and I had returned to Gates Lane School in Worcester, Massachusetts, to talk to the students about my first published book, GOOD NIGHT, MONKEY BOY. While setting up my slide projector in the cafetorium, I noticed Jeanne was still working at the school and I struck up a conversation with her. When she told me about her grandchildren, I was bowled over. She had a family?! She didn’t live in the kitchen with the spatulas?! Even at 23, I had never thought about what would happen after the last lunch of the day was served. I set out to write a book that would detail the secret lives of school lunch employees, and the Lunch Lady series was born.

From left: Jeanne, Betty, and Jarrett

The series was launched in 2009 with LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE and LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS. I celebrated at the Worcester Public Library and had a packed house, with Jeanne and her old cafeteria cohort Betty front and center. I acknowledged their presence and presented them with framed drawings of the characters, along with autographed books. The crowd gave the women a thunderous round of applause. Both Jeanne and Betty loved the evening, relishing in the attention, and even autographed some books themselves.

In the time since the Lunch Lady graphic novels were first published, I've crisscrossed the country visiting schools to give lectures on writing and creativity. And with every school I visit, I learn about the school’s lunch staff and often stop by the cafeteria to shake hands with the women and men who work so hard to feed our nation’s school children. I love having the opportunity to hear how the series has shifted the way kids interact with their school’s lunch staff. Is there really a crime-fighting operation going on behind that sneeze guard?

In late 2011, I received some terrible news. Jeanne Cariglia had passed away. I attended her wake and could not believe what I saw there. Next to her casket were her childhood portrait and the drawing I had given her at the library two years prior. I spoke with her widower and his eyes widened as he told me about how much that gesture had meant to his wife. Jeanne was so proud of having been the inspiration for the series. She was even signing books for the nurses while in hospice.

I still have a difficult time wrapping my mind around that experience. That drawing I gave her—it took me maybe 15 minutes to make, but it meant a great deal to somebody. It, of course, went so much deeper than the time spent; it was the thought and validation that the drawing represented.

These experiences led me to dream up School Lunch Superhero Day, a day in which kids across the country could spread similar joy to their school lunch staff. When considering a possible date for this to take place, I glanced at a bulletin board I keep in my studio. It’s filled with mementos from the Lunch Lady books, including Jeanne’s mass card. I noticed her birthday—May 3rd. It seemed so perfect to me. What school employee wouldn’t want a little boost at the end of the year?

Along with Random House Children’s Books and the School Nutrition Association, I’ve created this dedicated website where educators and parents can download resources to celebrate on May 3rd.

But just as I want to encourage good citizenship in students, I also want to inspire their creativity. Through social media, I have already heard from so many schools that are celebrating in unique ways. One school is hosting the lunch staff on their morning news program, another is surprising their school lunch employees with balloons and flowers, and yet another will be lining the school’s hallways with drawings that the children make. The possibilities are endless!

Being that this is a guest blog for the International Reading Association, I did want to take a moment to touch upon the other group that I have embraced with the Lunch Lady series—the reluctant, or dormant, reader. I hear from so many educators and parents who share that their children are reading books for the first time because of my yellow-toned books and I am so humbled by their sentiments. Had comics been a validated reading format when I was a child, I can’t even begin to imagine how much more confident a reader I would have been. When I was a kid, I read every CALVIN & HOBBES treasury, I cut out and scrapbooked the GARFIELD comic strips from the newspaper daily and, if I couldn’t get a ride to the comic book store, I would walk a mile and a half to get there. I would walk three miles to read!

I won’t be abandoning this group when I wrap up the Lunch Lady series later this year. (If you haven’t heard, the tenth Lunch Lady book will be the last, at least for some time.) Also in May, my first chapter book will publish. While PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED is a much longer and more prose-heavy book, it is very heavily illustrated. In 2014, I will see the publication of my next picture book, PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLYFISH. I also have some wonderful top-secret plans in the works, and some of them involve comics.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my books in your schools. I am, and forever will be, grateful for the hard-working educators who put my books into the hands of young readers. I look forward to seeing what kind of fun activities you might come up with for School Lunch Superhero Day. When reading and food join forces, nothing but good can come from it! And when our children’s imaginations are inspired as they develop a love of reading it is an awe-inspiring thing!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has been passionate about storytelling through words and pictures since he was a kid. His Lunch Lady series has twice won a Children's Choice Book Award and was nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award. In the summer of 2013, Jarrett will have his chapter book debut with the publication of PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED. His Punk Farm and Lunch Lady series are both currently in development as feature films. Jarrett is happily living out his childhood dream in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he resides with his wife and daughters and their pug, Ralph Macchio.



Graphic Novels Reviewed, Part 2

5 Questions With... Dave Roman (ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: ZERO GRAVITY)

Being a teacher means embracing constant change. Yet all too often, teachers are told when, how and why to change. In this monthly column, Mrs. Mimi takes on creating change for herself by rethinking old practices and redefining teaching on her own terms.

p: Auremar/Shutterstock.com

If you have ever met me, talked to me or read any of my writing, you probably know that I think all topics (no matter what they are) can be related back to school, education, and the art of teaching. In my mind, schools, students, and teachers are at the center of the universe and, therefore, always on my mind.

So, you probably won’t find it surprising that today, while waiting in the doctor’s office for an appointment, I was thinking about and drawing parallels to school. (What can I say? I’m a teacher. It’s impossible to shut it off.)

Anyhow, I sat in the waiting room as people filtered in and out in various states of frustration, lateness and oblivion. There were people who were clearly ticked off that they had to be there and had no tolerance for anything other than a prompt appointment and little to no human interaction. There were people who were running fifteen minutes late and clearly had a million other things on their minds. There were people who sauntered in, slamming the door loudly behind them as if they were the only people in the room.

As I watched this juicy social tableau unfold before my eyes, I was thinking about how many of these individuals were almost caricatures when it hit me like a ton of bricks. BAM! I could equate each of these broad character types to a specific type of teacher in a staff meeting.

With the Common Core State Standards looming in our daily realities, there is a lot of change on the horizon and I am sure that you are in more than your fair share of meetings. Am I right or am I left? So let’s think about this—which role do you play, and how does it impact the way in which your colleagues view you and/or the way in which your school is moving forward?

As your school continues to advance and refine its literacy practices, which voice are you going to add to the fray? Are you going to be Frazzled Teacher who has a To-Do List that has spontaneously grown more To-Do Lists? Are you going to be Frustrated Teacher who cannot seem to get past all the impending change? Or are you going to be Oblivious Teacher who feels as if she is the only one who has ten thousand competing demands on her plate?

Personally, I know I can be and have been any of these teachers on any given day.

Will you be one of those teachers, or are you going to pause, take a deep breath, and think about what kind of teacher you want to be and stand in that reality? A little fake-it-until-you-make-it, if you will.

I feel like major change is on the horizon and we do have the potential to seize the moment and make an impact as teachers. There are only so many days left in this school year and, as is the tradition in many schools, these days will be filled with decisions, thoughts about next year and meeting after meeting after meeting.

So let’s collectively take a beat and think about how we want to represent ourselves, how we want to contribute to the conversation, and how we want to be perceived.

Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

How many IRA members do you know who have won a Grammy? Kathleen Operhall, May's Member of the Month, is a woman of many talents. As a University of Michigan University Musical Society Choral Union member, Kathy won a Grammy Award for Best Choral Group (Songs of Innocence and Experience recording with Leonard Slatkin) in 2006 and will perform at Carnegie Hall this month. As well as serving in several leadership positions in Michigan councils, she has won awards for literacy education (Michigan Reading Association Elementary Educator Award, Wayne County Reading Council Elementary Educator Award, Wayne County Excellence in Education Award awarded by Ford Motor Company, and George Washington Carver Outstanding Educator Award). She retired in June 2011 after working as an educational consultant for Houghton Harcourt Publishing Company, a state facilitator for the Michigan Department of Education (under the Reading First Grant), and an elementary teacher and reading specialist for Detroit Public Schools. But she is still active with IRA at the national, state, and local levels. This veteran teacher and arts-lover shares her story with Reading Today Online.

When did you first know you wanted to be a teacher?

My desire to become a member of the chalk and eraser brigade began in the third grade when I was encouraged to create classroom bulletin boards and tutor classmates. I loved having the opportunity to be creative and help others. I liked writing on the chalkboard, too – I think that is what sold me on the profession! I was (and still am) a book-a-holic. I loved to read, and I was one of those youngsters who figured out how to finish a chapter under the covers with a flashlight after “lights out” on a school night and not get caught. My early classroom hideaway was a converted attic bedroom that I shared with my younger sister; my Dad built a huge bookcase that was continually crammed with new chapter books that I had begged Santa for at Christmas. I read those tomes over and over again, amazed at how many new details surfaced during the rereads. I loved learning, and I wanted to be a part of the profession that made all other professions possible! I longed to share my love of reading and learning with others! So, I graduated from my attic classroom to the world of elementary education in Detroit Public Schools, where I spent 33.5 years teaching pretty amazing students!

You also sing, and you're performing at Carnegie Hall later this month! What's the story behind that part of your life?

Music was an integral part of my life growing up. My parents were strong believers in the power of music. I took instrumental music lessons until I started college. Throughout high school, I was enveloped by the power and melodies of music. I sang in the school choirs and took music theory as a senior. I had an exceptional  vocal music teacher who encouraged me to develop musically – from singing in small Madrigal groups and performing as a soloist to composing. When I graduated from high school, I joined local community choruses that sang the classics of Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, and other well known composers. I was part of the Robert Page Summer Festival Chorus and the Archdiocesan Chorus of Detroit choir tours. In the course of 10 years, I was privileged to sing in European venues in Russia, Estonia, Finland, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Singing under the direction of many accomplished conductors helped hone my vocal skills, and I was encouraged to try out for auditioned groups in the area. This led me to the Grammy award winning University Musical Society Choral Union, part of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The UMS Choral Union developed a strong working relationship with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and whenever the orchestra required a large chorus to sing a masterwork, the Choral Union became part of that musical endeavor.

In 2012, the DSO was invited to return to Carnegie Hall for the first time in 17 years, as the first orchestra ever to perform two programs in the groundbreaking Spring for Music Festival. Performing the four symphonies of Charles Ives, the DSO requested a 32 voice choir from the ranks of the Choral Union to accompany them and perform in the 4th symphony. Auditions were held last fall, and I was fortunate enough to become part of the group that will perform on the Carnegie stage on May 10, 2013. Our group is so excited to be a part of this musical experience; we are all on a Carnegie high!

Do you see a connection between music and the arts and reading and writing?

There is a definite connection between literacy and the arts. Language is music. It has a definite beat and it pulses with pitch, loudness, tempo, and rhythm in speech. Writing is an offspring of oral language; what you feel and express by word of mouth, you can convey symbolically. Studies have shown that music and the arts connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain, helping them to work together to create fluent readers and creative writers.

Nursery rhymes, the poetry of Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, and Maya Angelou are pulsed with the beat of alliteration and onomatopes. Ironically, so are the lyrics to songs and raps popular with young people. They help students learn the conventions of English, relating to the sounds they hear everyday on their mp3 players and iPods. What a connection to the word around them! Conversely, there is alliteration in the repetition of notes in a musical composition and onomatopoeia in the clash of cymbals, the blast of the trumpet  and the plucking of strings on a violin or bass. Composers have used the text of poets in their musical compositions. Ralph Vaughan Williams used the poetry of Walt Whitman as the libretto to his Sea Symphony, a powerful worklaced with melodies of sailors and the waters that controlled them. Handel usedscripture passages to convey the message of salvation in his composing of Messiah. Merging two disciplines becomes a powerful tool in helping us remember text through musical line.

Music permeates our life whether we realize it or not. Radios and CDs blare, and cars thump to the beat of the bass at stop lights. Mothers sing to their infants, calming and pacifying them. TV theme songs lure captive audiences to the screen. Emotions surface during movies with melodies that cause us to cringe in fear, weep with sadness, or laugh hysterically. Even 4th of July firework displays are correlated with musical themes from the Broadway stage, the classics, and pop rock.

Sometimes melodious and harmonic, sometimes a clashing cacophony of noise, there is a beat and rhythm to the world around us. From the language we hear and use, to the beat and pulse of everyday life, music and the arts are instrumental in developing strong reading and writing skills. 

What can literacy educators do to motivate kids to want to read?

To motivate children to read, you have to demonstrate your own passion and love for reading. Invite students into the world of literacy.

• Serve as a model for reading. Carry the current book you are involved with into your classroom and make sure your students see that you are an active reader. I would always lay my book on my desk and students never failed to ask me what the book was about. I always took the time to talk about it. They also saw me reading and reacting to text (facial expression, laughter, sometimes tears) at  lunch time.
• Read aloud to your students every single day – no matter how young or old they are. Well read stories and chapter books can stimulates their imaginations and emotions, and transport them into worlds they could never imagine visiting or being a part of.  For challenged readers, you serve as a model for good reading and help overcome the barrier to reading text that might be too difficult for them. Read alouds also help develop good aural skills.
• Find out what your students are interested in. Stock your classroom libraries with books and magazines that reflect these interests.
• Form book study groups. Even young children, with guidance, can form book study groups on the chapter books they are reading in class.
• Offer students choice in their reading material. If students don’t see value in what they are reading, they will be turned off.
• Arouse curiosity in a book by previewing stories with students, activating their prior knowledge, connecting the book to their world and experiences and predicting outcomes.
• Encourage the use of Kindles and Nooks if students have them. We want students to read – to expand their horizons; use technology to encourage this! This is the 21st century and a love of literature is not limited to hard covered novels and story books.

You've been involved in several International Reading Association (IRA) councils and committees. What has IRA membership and involvement brought to your career?

Membership in IRA was extremely valuable to me as an educator. From top-notch, high quality professional development to research and publications that kept me informed and on top of my game as a teacher, IRA never disappointed me! When I was elected IRA State coordinator for Michigan, I had the opportunity to work closely with IRA leadership development associates and board members who were knowledgeable, supportive and filled with passion for literacy. Leadership trainings, sponsored by IRA for state officers, were of the highest caliber. Well planned, chocked full of information, from legislative updates to support for local and state councils, the International Reading Association empowered it members to be a strong voice for literacy! As a retiree, I still maintain my membership in IRA, the Michigan Reading Association and my local council – the Wayne County Reading Council. You may retire from a job, but you never retire from literacy!

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

I had to really think this one over carefully, as there are so many special moments that touched my heart and soul throughout my over 40 years in education. I could list elections to state office, serving on IRA committees, receiving the Elementary Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Reading Association and the Wayne County Reading Association, winning a Grammy award for best performance as a chorus – yes, these honors are proud moments in my life. But, I did not become a teacher to win awards or to be singled out. These were just a by-product of doing what I loved to do best. The proudest moments attributed to a career that I truly loved were the many emails, facebook contacts, letters received and personal contacts with former students who are now adults and parents, who thanked me for caring,  listening to, and loving them. They thanked me for making school a happy place where they are allowed to explore, search and be challenged. Knowing that you have touched and influenced so many lives in a positive way has to the best feeling in the world! These moments are my proudest! No award in the word can compete with the love and appreciation shown by  former students.

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

Teaching is all about “heart.” It’s not easy being an educator today, and your heart takes a beating every day. But teachers are given special gifts of the heart to help mend the bruises inflicted upon it those who truly do not understand what it means to be an educator in the 21st century. You have been given a heart of humility; keep it focused on your students. You have been given a heart filled with generosity; it gives more than the job pays. You have been given a heart filled with joy that makes learning fun and finds delight in teaching, creating and capturing teachable moments. You have been given a heart overflowing with passion that inspires greatness by lighting a fire within, empowering a child to go further than he can ever imagine. You have been given a patient heart that never gives up – always searching for better practices and solutions to help a child learn and grow. You have the HEART to make a difference! I wish you HEART.

 

 

During the annual conference in San Antonio, IRA announced the 2013 winners of the IRA Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards. This prestigious award focuses on promising debut authors; only first and second books by an author are considered. The award has a rich history of selecting authors whom become well-known names (Lois Lowry, Sy Montogomery, and Rebecca Stead, just to name a few), so check out the wonderful books below and watch for these new authors in the future. 

Primary Fiction Winner:
Larson, Deborah Jo. (2012). One Frozen Lake. Illus by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Larsen tells the touching story of a grandfather passing down the tradition of ice fishing with his grandson. Larson’s clever use of numbers and rhymes capture the immediate attention of young readers. As the fishing pair set up their gear inside the ice shack, they spend quality time together sorting tackle, drinking hot chocolate, playing cards, and making friends as they wait for that one big fish to bite. Finally… a bite, but the fish is too small, and grandfather advises his grandson to return him to the deep, dark waters underneath the thick ice. It appears that they are returning home empty-handed, but there is a stronger bond and a great memory of the day they went ice fishing together.

- Amy Vessel, Louisiana Tech University

 

Primary Fiction Honor:
Redmond, E.S. (2012). The Unruly Queen. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Minerva von Vyle is an impossible child! A spoiled rotten young girl left with house staff while the parents are always away, she stirs up a commotion each and every day. She commands and she demands. She refuses and she confuses. Her tantrums and fits make her seem impossible until the fifty-third nanny arrives. This nanny means business; Minerva has finally met her match! As the nanny crowns her the “Unruly Queen,” being bad doesn’t seem so wonderful anymore. We hope there is a sweet child underneath Minerva after all! E.S. Redmond’s use of vivaciously rich vocabulary with such rhythm and rhyme make this read aloud delightful to children of all ages.

- Amy Vessel, Louisiana Tech University

 

Primary Nonfiction Winner:
McReynolds, Linda. (2012). Eight Days Gone. Illus. by Ryan O’Rourke. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Linda McReynolds is …
Rumbling. Blasting.
Seizing fame…
with her first book, Eight Days Gone. Through the use of simplistic, retro art work by Ryan O’Rourke and verse brimming with robust vocabulary, McReynolds leads young readers through the historic event of Apollo 11’s moon landing. With minimal words, she touches on the most memorable moments and key figures from the world’s first space adventure. Eight Days Gone is sure to send children on their own quest to discover the mysteries of the 1968 journey into the “starry darkness.”

- Kellie Kostrubala, Ward Central Elementary, Ward, AR

 

Primary Nonfiction Honor:
Hale, Christy. (2012). Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc.

Stacking blocks, cereal, and toys around them encourages children’s fascination with building things. Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building is an awesome resource connecting children’s imaginative play with that of architects across time and geography. The book links photographs of well-known buildings (on the right pages) with illustrations of basic creations by children (on the left pages.) Written in concrete poetry, the poems’ printed styles match the architectural styles of the buildings. This resourceful book encourages creativity in boys and girls, helping readers of all ages see endless possibilities. The additional information lends itself to further investigation of the architects and their buildings.

- Deb L. Marciano, Valdosta State University

 

Intermediate Fiction Winner:
Verrico, Susan. (2012). Privateer’s Apprentice. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Susan Verrico’s debut novel, Privateer’s Apprentice, is a historical fiction treasure. Set in 1712 in the Carolina Territory, readers will be immediately drawn into the rich story world and become attached to its multi-dimensional characters. Jameson, the 13-year old son of a printer, has been recently orphaned, imprisoned, and sold into indentured servitude to the local baker. Just when he thinks his life could not get much worse, he is kidnapped by pirates and forced to live a life at sea. As Jameson proves his worth and finds his own place within the brigand of pirates, Verrico highlights the depth of humanity in her complex characters and reminds readers that one cannot judge people based on perceptions or first impressions.
- Kara Coffino, University of Minnesota

Intermediate Fiction Honor:
Krumwiede, Lana. (2012). Freakling. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Freakling is often described as a dystopia novel for readers who are not quite ready for The Hunger Games. With twelve year old Taemon as the novel’s central character, Freakling is a perfect fit for readers age ten and up. Lana Krumwiede creates two worlds. In Deliverance, the members all have a power called psi – a form of telekinesis that allows them mentally to move and manipulate objects. This privileged society contrasts sharply with the other world called Powerless Colony. Taemon finds himself between two worlds when he loses one power and has to hide that fact; while he discovers another, he is not sure he wants to share. Freakling is the first of the Psi Trilogy and readers now can be quickly guided to Archon – the second book in the series.

- Michael Ford, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

 

Intermediate Fiction Honor:
Lorenzi, Natalie Dias. (2012). Flying the Dragon. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Natalie Dias Lorenzi’s Flying the Dragon is told from the points of view of the two co-protagonists, Skye (Sorano) and Hiroshi. Although they are first cousins, they meet for the first time when Hiroshi and his family move from Japan to Virginia so their grandfather can receive cancer treatment. American-born Skye knows little about her Japanese heritage and resents having to give up soccer in order to attend a language school on weekends so that she can communicate with her Japanese family. Hiroshi, who struggles to learn English and to fit in with his American classmates, finds great satisfaction in spending time with his beloved grandfather and flying their dragon kite.  Both cousins resent each other and vie for their grandfather’s affections. Is it possible for them to ever find common ground?

- Terrell A. Young, Brigham Young University

 

Intermediate Nonfiction Winner:
Doyle, James. (2012). A Young Scientist’s Guide to Defying Disasters With Skill and Daring. Illus. by Andrew Brozyna. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith.

Interesting facts and survival tips for natural catastrophes, weather phenomena, and dreadful beasts that young scientists might encounter are presented in short chapters. A humorous undertone blends well with riveting details to make brief expository articles students will clamor to read. Between sections, experiments related to the topic are quickly explained. Each experiment could be easily conducted at home or school with everyday materials.

- Lauren Aimonette Liang, University of Utah

 

Young Adult Fiction Winner:
McNamara, Amy. (2012). Lovely, Dark and Deep. New York: Simon and Schuster.

After a tragic car accident leaves her boyfriend dead and her world upside down, Wren retreats to the safety of her father’s home, secluded in the Maine woods. Seeking escape from overwhelming sadness and guilt, Wren isolates herself from everyone and everything, until she meets Cal Owen. Cal has his own issue, increasingly debilitating multiple sclerosis. At first, their connection is based upon their personal experiences with grief and loss. As time goes by, Wren must decide whether to remain imprisoned within her solitude or risk the vulnerability that accompanies building a relationship with Cal. McNamara paints an honest picture of the reality of bereavement through lyrical, poetic prose. Told in first person, one can’t help being drawn into Wren’s world, hopeful she will find a way out of her self-imposed prison, yet terrified if she tries. Beautifully written with well-developed characters and a compelling story, this novel is truly as its title describes: lovely, dark and deep.

- Kelly Killorn, Minnesota State University- Mankato

 

Young Adult Fiction Honor:
Arcos, Carrie. (2012). Out of Reach. New York: Simon Pulse.

How do you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved? Rachel grapples with this question after she receives an anonymous email that her brother, Micah, is in trouble. Lost to the world of drug addiction, Micah has not responded to intervention attempts, and now he is living in the streets of Ocean Beach. Rachel and Tyler, Micah’s friend whom Rachel doesn’t entirely trust, decide to find him and bring him home, but their search yields no results. In the end, Rachel must learn to let go of her brother; but in her search for Micah, she has found a new friend.

- Sue Corbin, Shaker Heights Middle School, Shaker Heights, Ohio

 

Young Adult Fiction Honor:
Kokie, E.M. (2012). Personal Effects. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

The search for a brother forms the heart E.M. Kokie’s realistic fiction novel Personal Effects. Seventeen year old Matt Foster goes on a journey to learn more about his brother TJ recently killed in Iraq. As he copes with grief, Matt grows frustrated by events at school and home. His questions about TJ intensify when he uncovers personal effects returned to the family after TJ’s death. Those clues lead Matt from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin where he finds another family obviously important in his brother’s life. The discovery forces Matt to look closely at his views of war and peace, racial and sexual identity, love and loss. This compelling character and his amazing journey will challenge readers and should provoke conversations about important contemporary issues.

- Michael Ford, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

 

Young Adult Nonfiction Winner:
Levinson, Cynthia. (2012). We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Audrey, James, Wash and Arnetta, alongside thousands of other young people, braved angry pedestrians, fire hoses, attack dogs, and even jail as they changed history marching for their freedom.  Through their experiences, eyewitness accounts, and historical documents, Levinson weaves together the story of the 1963 Children’s March to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Photographs bring faces to the participants and the opposition they encountered while textboxes and timelines help contextualize events surrounding the march. The book concludes with a map of routes taken by the marchers, an afterword with additional information about many of the children featured in the book, and a bibliography of nonfiction books, websites, and other texts for further study.

- Dawan Coombs, Brigham Young University

 

These reviews were submitted by members of the International Reading Association's 2012-13 Children’s and Young Adult Book Award Committee. More reviews of recent, outstanding children’s and young adult literature are published weekly on Reading Today Online by members of the Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG).

 

Over the past several years I have developed a strong interest in the literature relating the findings of recent brain research and its implications for improving student learning. Though the list of effective, “brain-friendly” practices recommended by the research is long and varied, three particular types of strategies stand out to me as unusually engaging and powerful: those involving movement, music, and storytelling. I refer to this collection of strategies as the “3 Game Changers.”

p: Kieran Gillard via photopin cc

As I have worked to incorporate brain-friendly practices into my teaching, I have found that children simply react differently to activities that include elements of movement, music, and storytelling. Even when compared to other research-based, effective practices, the 3 Game Changers offer unparalleled novelty, interest, stimulation, excitement, and joy. As a result, students become emotionally involved in these activities, pay more attention, remember better, and, in short, learn better. Strategies that incorporate movement, music, and storytelling also improve class morale, build self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning, and increase feelings of student “connectedness” to the class and to one another.

My belief in the effectiveness of music, movement, and storytelling is so absolute that I dedicated myself to gathering, adapting, and creating as many strategies and activities as I could that feature these elements. I put over 100 of these ideas into ROCK YOUR STUDENTS’ WORLD, my soon-to-be-released teacher resource book.

Here are two of my favorite ideas for improving student learning in the area of reading, one that incorporates movement and another that involves music.

The first features a specific type of movement that I call “concept-embedded” movement, in which the activity itself features a type of movement that represents, matches, or embodies the meaning of the content students are expected to learn. Thus, when students move around and participate in the activity, they are actually bringing the content to life.

The second capitalizes on the finding shared by Jerry Evanski in his book, CLASSROOM ACTIVATORS, that “music can...be used to ‘entrain’ information into the brain.” By entrain, Evanski means that teachers can set academic content to music to help students learn and memorize information. The best way to do this is through the use of familiar tunes that Amy Schwed and Janice Melichar-Utter, authors of BRAIN-FRIENDLY STUDY STRATEGIES, GRADES 2-8, refer to as “piggyback songs.”

Reading Around the Room

Comprehension often suffers when children read too quickly or fail to follow punctuation signals. To address these issues, my kids and I love to use a variation of a strategy suggested in Sharon Tate’s WORKSHEETS DON’T GROW DENDRITES and Patricia Wolfe’s BRAIN MATTERS.

Students stand in a large circle with a common text in their hands. On the “Go” signal, everyone reads aloud, in unison, from a predetermined starting point. While reading, everyone slowly walks forward. At every comma, students stop walking and pause in their reading for one second before resuming their walking and reading. At every period, exclamation point, or question mark, the kids stop and pause in their reading for two seconds before resuming their walking and reading. (You may need, of course, to add other movements or features should you encounter different types of punctuation.) The fact that the whole class does this together provides both a strong physical and vocal structure and helps children who may struggle following these rules on their own.

During our Reading Workshop’s fall “Reading Aloud Well” unit, this activity is an important part of my effort to help everyone read with fluency, volume, and expression. I try to have my students read around the room for a few minutes at the end of each Reading Workshop period. Even just three minutes per day for a couple weeks makes a huge difference in student reading proficiency.

The Cause and Effect Song

Understanding cause and effect is one of the most important reading comprehension skills children are expected to learn. The two scenarios that lead off the following song should help your students remember that the cause happens before the effect and that the effect cannot happen without the cause. (If you are interested, you can find a video of children performing this song on my YouTube channel.)



My untied shoelace made me trip (cause & effect)
The rainstorm made me go inside (cause & effect)
The cause happens first
The effect happens next
The effect happens beCAUSE of the cause (cause & effect)

If you find these two activities helpful and share my belief in the potential of movement and music to improve student learning, I encourage to ask yourself the same questions that I began to ask myself a few years ago whenever I needed to teach content that my students were likely to find abstract or confusing or that would otherwise require rote memorization. Ask yourself, “Is there a way that I can use or create a type of movement to help my students learn this material? Is there a way I can use music?”

Once you begin thinking along these lines, you are bound to unleash your creativity and come up with powerful lessons that children will remember for a long time.

Steve Reifman is a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA. He has written several books for educators and parents, including CHANGING KIDS’ LIVES ONE QUOTE AT A TIME, EIGHT ESSENTIALS FOR EMPOWERED TEACHING AND LEARNING, K-8, and the soon-to-be-released ROCK YOUR STUDENTS’ WORLD, which features classroom strategies that incorporate movement, music, and storytelling. Steve is also the creator of the award-winning Chase Manning Mystery Series for kids 8-12. For Teaching Tips, articles, and other valuable resources and strategies on teaching the whole child, visit www.stevereifman.com. You can also follow Steve on Twitter (@stevereifman) and subscribe to his “Teaching Kids” YouTube channel.i>

Steve is offering Engage readers a 50% discount on his two new professional development courses on Udemy.com. You can view his available courses here and here. To take advantage of this offer, enroll by May 15th. You don’t need to complete the courses by then; you simply need to enroll.



Learning by Ear

Study: Musical training tones the mind, enhances learning