Saturday, November 30, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Even after a nice, long Thanksgiving break the gigantic stack of books on my bedside table did not seem to get any smaller!  Here's what I'm reading...

I've had The False Prince (the first book in her Ascendance Trilogy) by Jennifer A. Neilson on my stack of books since early last summer.  It was a book that my daughter picked up as a summer reading recommendation.  She never read it, but I've been intrigued, that fractured crown on the cover catches my eye.  I'm always looking for a thrilling new series to recommend to my students and, so far, this one does not disappoint.  Although I'm just starting it, I'm already pulled in by the main character, Sage, and the mystery surrounding his rags to riches transformation under the watchful eye of a mysterious nobleman named Connor.  There is this underlying "life or death" threat that is keeping me on the edge of my seat.


Another first in a popular series, The Stonekeeper  (from the Amulet series) by Kazu Kibuishi has me intrigued because this series appears to be the only reading material that has captured the attention of one of my of my most reluctant boy readers.  I'm trying to read these quickly so that I can have a conversation with him about them!  Will I ever make peace with graphic novels as a genre?






See above.  It is my week of graphic novels.  My 4th grade boys are Bone devotees.  They adore this entire series from Jeff Smith.  I've got to walk the walk so I can talk the talk.  My students are going to make a graphic novel reader of my yet.








 

Professionally, my 4th grade teaching team has been grappling with grammar instruction and where to include it in our packed curricular calendar.  I saw this book, The Common Core Grammar Toolkit by Sean Ruday on a blog recently and ordered it.  I am intrigued by the idea of using mentor texts to teach students about grammar in the context of their own reading, rather than through the use of out-of-context exercises on worksheets.  It seems like it would be better support the transfer of proper grammar to their writing.  I'm always up for a new approach. 


What are you reading this week?


 

2 comments:

  1. I've really wanted to pick up The False Prince, it looks SO intriguing. Amulet is such an imaginative series. I really enjoyed reading it.

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  2. I've read most of The Amulet series. Like you I have a love-hate relationship with graphic novels, but my 11 year old daughter is crazy about them. :)

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