Kids' Comic Revolution

I’m writing up an article about graphic novels right now and have been immersing myself into that world, much to my boys delight. When I was debating as to what to listen to on today’s run, I remembered that Colby Sharp had shared some info about a new site and podcast that revolved around graphic novels. The site is called Kids’ Comic Revolution and is hosted by Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd.

I quickly looked it up and loaded the podcast. Because I was in a hurry I loaded the second episode instead of the first. But what a podcast it was! It began and ended with some of Colby’s students talking about what graphic novels, series, and graphic novelists are their favorites. Then the actual episode was an interview with one of my favorite illustrators, Kazu Kibuishi. So wonderful to hear his insights into his profession and the Amulet series, you really must listen to it. I only wish this had come out when I was teaching this year, I have some kids that are just addicted to Amulet.

Here’s the link to the site: KIDS' COMIC. You can get to the podcast from it. The hosts of the podcasts are also on Twitter and links are on the site for that as well. Great resource!  On my next run, episode 1. 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I’m joining Jen & Kellee (and many other bloggers) in discussing what we are reading this week. Join us! Go to their site and link up your own blog.

Such a fun reading week. I wanted to focus on some professional development books that I needed to finish or reread. I got through just a few but will be finishing more over the next few weeks.

Over this past week I read 19 books. The breakdown is as follows:

12 Picture Books

2 Graphic Novels

2 (almost 3) Professional Development Books

3 Novels

My favorite books were

Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson

Amazing adventure story. Your students who enjoy Hatchet will fall in love with Tom and root for his journey home. There is adventure, archeology, good vs. evil, family dynamics, loss, and more. Highly recommend this one. 

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor

I’ve had this one in my classroom for a while and hadn’t read it. I fell in love with the character of Popeye. What a tough life he has had. What interesting characters fill it up.

Finally, as much as I adore Patricia Polacco I had not read In Our Mothers’ House before. After hearing how a school was removing it due to the fact that there is a lesbian couple in the book, I immediately purchased it. What a wonderful story Polacco has given us.

This week I plan on catching up on some #nerdbery reading. Hope to catch back up, I am majorly behind.

And congrats to Hayden for winning the giveaway for Boy + Bot. 

Happy Reading!
Katherine

Authors as Rock Stars

 My reading camp yesterday buzzed with excitement. Looking around the room I saw children smiling, laughing, whispering to each other. What could cause this type of excitement? A rock star was in our midst.

See, to me, my “rock stars” aren’t really rock stars. Not even celebrities. My rock stars are authors. I still remember walking the exhibit hall with John Schu last year at NCTE. He whispered to me, “That’s Katherine Paterson.” I froze. He wanted to go up and talk to her, and he did, but I couldn’t even move. She is one of my idols. 

I’ve always adored authors, from when I was young. But they were out of reach so I never imagined I would have the opportunity to meet, let alone talk, to one. Luckily for my kids, the world seems to be shrinking. I want my own children and my students to see authors as real people. As people that get to do one of the coolest jobs in the world, but people they can actually approach as well.

I think John Green said it well in his vlog just posted yesterday. He talked about how he wasn’t nervous around Chris Colfer when he was at BEA, but he was around his idol, Jeffrey Eugenides.

And then today I went running. When dressing I was in a grouchy mood, so I put on my SMILE t-shirt, from Rania Telgemeier, who I think is amazing, to inspire me to run. I reached the track and began listening to Katie Davis’s podcast – Brain Burps about Books. It was the 100^th episode and she was interviewing Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, and Walter Dean Myers – the current and former National Ambassadors for Young People’s Literature. While I was listening to Katie and Jon talk about young kids bowing to him when he entered the room, asking what type of car he drove, or asking to try on the medal, I couldn’t help but think that this is the way it should be. That authors are our role models. That kids want to interact with them. And this is what I strive for in my classroom.

Yesterday my reading camp students had the opportunity to Skype with an author, the amazing Ame Dyckman who wrote Boy + Bot. The students were so excited. I have twelve kids gathering at my house on Tuesdays, from ages 7-12. We’ve read Ame’s book several times. The students all created questions for her, we discussed the book, and then it was time. Some of the campers have been in my reading class before but most hadn’t. One child told me he couldn’t believe he was going to meet “a real live author!” Ame came on and she was amazing. She had high energy, was funny, called the kids by name, and answered their questions. It was just 15 minutes long but what a valuable 15 minutes. When the session was over it was time for the kids to leave. I had many of them telling me how much they loved Ame, how they wanted to go home and write, and how they thought they should get blue hair too. J Several said they couldn’t wait to retell the story of Boy + Bot when they got home and tell their parents they met the author. She is now a rock star to them, and as it should be.

I’ve had the chance to meet several authors in the past few years. Some are authors of books for kids, some are authors of books for teachers, and many have become close friends. And while I’m not nervous around all of them, I admire what they have done and many have become my mentors. So while some people look forward to meeting an actor, athlete, or musician – I prefer authors. While saying that, I also think it is wise to remember that the people we look up to are just people. Sometimes it is hard to live up to high expectations. That’s why I love what John Green said at the end of his video, “In our hyper-secular world, worship is still inevitable. But it is vital to remember, that our gods don’t choose us, we choose them.”  I think who we admire says something about us. I choose authors and I hope to help my students do the same.

Today to celebrate my rock stars, and to thank the amazing Ame Dyckman for Skyping with my camp, I am giving away one copy of her book. Please enter below.

Giveaway Rules

1. This giveaway will run from June 13th until 11:59 pm June 15th. (Central time zone)

2. This contest is open to people living in the continental United States.

3. You must be at least 13 years to enter.

4. If you can, please pay it forward. Thanks!

Slice of Life - Summer Exhaustion

Slice of Life is sponsored every Tuesday by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers.

I’m exhausted. Eighteen days into summer and my head is spinning. I remember what summers off from teaching were like before I had kids or even when they were little. Bliss. Endless days of no plans would march ahead of me for two months.

But now, each week we have:

·      Two or more little league practices

·      Three or more little league games nights

·      Five swim team practices

·      One swim meet

·      Friends over for sleepovers

·      Playdates

·      Camps – overnight, golf, basketball, soccer, reading

·      Pool days

And more. I turned to a friend at a baseball game last night and told her weeks like this make me long for the fall, but not really.

I think I always go into summer thinking it will be like the summers of old where I relaxed for weeks on end. But those summers will come again, eventually. And when they do I know I will long for these summers where I leave and return to my house ten or more times a day. Summers where my boys’ laughter and arguments bounce off of the walls of our house. Summers of togetherness. So while I might greet August with exhaustion this year I will still appreciate this summer and know that I only have eight more with Luke and ten more with Liam before they leave for college. That thought alone make me want to hold on to this crazy busy summer with both hands.

Happy Summer. 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I’m joining Jen & Kellee (and many other bloggers) in discussing what we are reading this week. Join us! Go to their site and link up your own blog.

I’ve read a lot of books this week, 26, but mainly graphic novels and picture books. 

One day I decided to read the entire Babymouse series in anticipation of having “Babymouse Day” in my reading camp. I had read a few of the books in the series before, by reading all of them, in order, I fell even more in love with Babymouse.

Two books that I had received as ARCs were both amazing. David Leviathan’s Every Day is about the main character of A. who wakes up every day in someone else’s body. A has accepted this fate until falling in love with a girl when the meet one day. It was an incredible story that I completely fell in love with and much different from Leviathan’s other books. Release date: August 28^th.

The other ARC I read is The Templeton Twins Have an Idea: Book One by Ellis Weiner, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes. Not sure how to describe this one. Basically John and Abigail are twins living with their father, their mother has died. They have to move to a new town where their father has gotten a new job at a new university (he is an inventor) and there is someone at this new town who isn’t happy the Templeton’s have come to town. I really enjoyed this book – the narrator is hilarious, their will be fun illustrations, and the twins are extremely creative. Look for this book August 15^th.

So, all in all, a good reading week. I still feel like I need to organize my days better. I am not a person who does well without a schedule and I felt like I feel out of my “summer schedule” last week. I began the week doing so well reading, writing, and exercise wise. By the end, not so much. So will attempt to refocus this week and improve. First up is to finish Richard Allington’s book dealing with RTI. Then I am reading the Lord of the Rings series which I’ve never read, yet. My oldest son bought the movies this weekend and I’m loving them.

By the way - the winner of the See You at Harry's  drawing was Trevor. Thanks to all who entered, make sure you read that amazing book!

Happy Reading Week!

Katherine

Summer Reading

Today on Twitter the hashtag #summerreading is flying fast and furious. What books do you recommend for summer reading? I have so many that 140 characters aren’t going to cut it. So here’s my list so far of the books I have read, that were released this year, and that I adore:

·      Wonder by R.J. Palacio

·      The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

·      Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner

·      One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

·      The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

·      Babymouse for President by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm (cheating – it doesn’t come out until July)

·      Capture the Flag by Kate Messner (ditto on the July comment above)

·      Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

·      Squish #3: The Power of the Parasite by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm

·      The Templeton Twins by Jeremy Holmes (comes out in August)

·      Every Day by David Levithan (comes out in August)

·      Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

·      Boy + Botb by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino

·      Plant Hunters by Anita Silvey

·      Oh No! Not Again! By Mac Barnett and Dan Santat

·      See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

So, there you have it – some books I think would make an awesome summer reading list. Do you have any to add? Let me know! I might add those to my summer reading list, which grows taller day by day. J

Also, to get you started on your summer reading, I’m giving away a copy of See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles. A beautiful book I reviewed here. Enter below! 

Giveaway Rules

1. This giveaway will run from June 7th until 11:59 pm June 8th. (Central time zone)

2. This contest is open to people living in the continental United States.

3. You must be at least 13 years to enter.

4. If you can, please pay it forward. Thanks!