#nf10for10 Favorites!

I am so excited to read all the #nf10for10 posts and get new ideas for books to read! Nonfiction is a favorite genre of mine as an adult, but I'm just really beginning to see the possibilities of nonfiction children's literature. I've been making more of an effort to read aloud nonfiction and it is the go-to genre for many of my students. I don't have a theme this year- this is just a collection of nonfiction books that I've really enjoyed and my third graders have too. 

In no particular order...

Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley

Sit in: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating 

The Cozy Book by Mary Ann Hoberman

Who Would Win? Hornet Vs Wasp by Jerry Pallotta

Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention

by Barb Rosenstock

A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake by Debra Frasier

I am Lucille Ball by Brad Meltzer

You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen & Heidi Stemple

Mothers Are Like That by Carol Carrick

Crenshaw & One for the Murphy's #MustReadin2016

2/36

I finished Crenshaw last week. I found myself annoyed at Jackson's parents at times and felt I never really got to know Crenshaw as a character. Since he was an imaginary friend, maybe that was the point.  I love how this book raises awareness about hunger and homelessness and how easy it is to find yourself in a difficult economic situation. Jackson's relationship with his little sister was my favorite part of this book. He was a character with character!

3/36

My class read Fish in a Tree for the Global Read Aloud in October and that was the first book I read by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I loved Fish in a Tree, but was told that One for the Murphy's was a must read.  I'm so glad I listened to those smart friends. One for the Murphy's was a book I could not put down. I read it in one sitting, with tissues nearby. Carly's story immediately drew me in and Mrs. Murphy was an unforgettable character. While I don't feel I could read this to my third graders, I am glad it is a book that lives inside me now. 

33 more to go! :) 

Amplify! #MustReadin2016

1/36 completed! I finished Amplify! Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom this week.  Authors and teachers Katie Muhtaris and Kristin Ziemke have written an inspiring and user-friendly book detailing how digital teaching can enhance, and well, amplify learning! A key statement they make in the book is this: "The technology is as transformational as we make it. It's not the tool that counts; it's what we do with it."

Some ideas that I want to try after reading this book:

• creating a classroom recording booth when students are making audio or video entries into their digital journals. 
• learning more about vlogs and how I can use them. 
• look into SonicPics (an app that allows students to enhance images with audio recordings and captions.)
• teach more into evaluating infographics
• creating photo book reviews
• learning how to make book trailers

I really enjoy trying new technology tools to enhance teaching and learning. It's not about the tool, it's about the learning and the ways that the tool can make learning more meaningful, social, and long-lasting! I highly recommend this book! 

#MustReadin2016

Oh, my poor abandoned book blog. It's not that I haven't been reading. I've been starting a lot of books...finishing a couple...but life and teaching and other commitments and more have interrupted my reading life. I'm embarking on the 40 Book Challenge with my third graders and I need to really step up my personal reading if I'm going to meet that goal.  Carrie Gelson is a teacher blogger I deeply admire and her site is a place where I frequently find inspiration. When I saw that she was running this #MustReadin2016 challenge, I decided it was just what I needed to reboot my reading life!

There are many professional books I've purchased, started reading, and loved, but haven't finished. One of my goals is to thoroughly read and reflect on those books. There are also many children's literature books (mostly middle grade, some earlier, some YA) that I have on my list as well. I added a couple of books I want to read for personal reasons or for my book club. I saw some other bloggers were picking 36 and while that number is daunting, I'm going for it! :)

Here are my professional books that I #MustReadin2016 (11 books):

I am also going to add Stacey Shubitz's forthcoming book Craft Moves to my list! It is being published later this year.  

Personal choices I #MustReadin2016 (3): 

Children's Literature I #MustReadin2016 (22):

Thank you Carrie for creating this challenge! I hope to use this blog more often to update my progress and share the books I've read from this list. 

Circus Mirandus

Miracles, magic, goodness, faith, home.  Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley is a gift you should give yourself and the children (4th grade and up) you love. Micah Tuttle and his Grandpa Ephraim are characters you will fall in love with at first sight.  Micah's circumstances called to mind James and the Giant Peach and his Aunt Gertrudis would fit right in with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker.   There were twists and turns, tangles if you will (this is part of the story!) but this book will captivate you, delight you, break your heart a little and end the way all books should, in my opinion. (Spoiler alert.....happy!)

So glad I finally read this book as it has been sitting on my TBR pile all summer long.  Don't make the same mistake! Read it today.