Fiction Friday: Chapter 5

Happy Fiction Friday folks!

 

This summer, I've been making my way through the 2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet Nominee list and I'm excited to report that I only have 2 books left! This year's list is chock-full of great reads I can't wait to tell you more about. I honestly recommend them all.  For a complete list of the this years nominees, click here.

Today, I am going to focus on two books with dogs, because who doesn't love a good dog story?!  And, I'm happy to divulge that neither of the dogs in these books die.  There are no Stone Fox, Where the Red Fern Grows, or Marley & Me endings here. All happy which makes me happy. :)

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel

by Spencer Quinn

Woof is a mystery told from the perspective of a good ol' dog Bowser. Unlike most canine narrators that speak fluent human, this narrator feels 100% like a dog. He is food driven, distracted by any sound or smell, and completely obsessed with his owner. I loved it! It took me a bit to get used to the story coming in through the lens of a pup, but pretty soon it was the most defining and lovable characteristic of the story.

Bowser lived a rough city life with all sorts of street hooligans, until the fateful day when the dog catcher picks up him and hauls him off to the pound. Set in the Louisiana bayou, Bowser hits the lottery when Birdie picks him as her belated birthday present from her Grandmother and brings him home. He and Birdie soon find themselves mixed up in a mystery of a stolen Marlin and a hidden treasure from long ago. Bowser, with his incredible since of smell, is an excellent detective.  He and  Birdie set out to find answers and make sure "there are no loose ends." In an adventure that includes breaking and entering, a near kidnapping, bayou alligators, and a mystery that goes back generations, you will be rooting for Birdie and Bowser all the way! 

This was an entertaining, funny, and engaging read the whole way through! The chapters left off with great cliffhangers.  I devoured the first hundred pages in one day and couldn't wait to read more.  I think kids are going to LOVE Bowser and Birdie. They are the kind of characters who become your literary friends. It's a great read for animal lovers, mystery lovers, and those ready for a fast-paced fun adventure. Looking forward to the sequel: Arf!

Book Information:

• Mystery
• Grades 4-6
• 306 pages
• Lexile Level 650L
• Guided Reading Level U

A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

The story opens with Lily's blind dog, Lucky, making a break for it across the wide open blueberry fields of eastern Maine. He is caught by none other than Salma Santiago, the daughter of a migrant worker in town for the blueberry harvest.  As fate would have it, Salma is just the friend Lily needs and vice versa. 

Soon, they are making blueberry enchiladas and painting bee houses together to raise enough money for Lucky's expensive cataract surgery. Lily is a reserved color-in-the-lines kind of girl, while Salma is a scribble-all-over- the page kind of girl.  They are completely different but alike in all the ways that matter.  When Salma decides to run for Blueberry Queen at the upcoming Blueberry Festival, Lily is not sure how the town will handle things. After all, Salma is the first migrant worker to participate in the small town contest.  However, with Salma's whimsical artistic talents, heartwarming honesty, and Lily's help she may just win the Blueberry Queen Pageant and show this small town exactly what it looks like to be brave. Together, these girls go on a summer adventure that will teach them what's important to hold on to and what's important enough to let go.

I loved this book! It honestly took me forever to write a quick blurb because there was so much depth and complexity between these pages. A Handful of Stars is more than a book about a dog and a friendship.  It is a novel about overcoming cultural biases and personal obstacles, finding your inner strength, accepting change, celebrating differences and finding the courage to stand out from the crowd. Filled with quotes that resonate with readers of all ages, I couldn't put this book down. And the ending was perfect. 

One of the marks of a truly incredible novel is that you will never look at the something the same way again. The story has connected with you and changed you.  That is the true power of fiction. Blueberries will never be the same after reading this book. From the amazing blueberry facts woven throughout the text, to the symbolism of blueberries, stars, and friendship...blueberries are different now. They are more important. Great read!

I'm looking forward to recommending this book it to my 4th graders, especially students who enjoyed How to Steal A Dog or A Crooked Kind of Perfect. It's not nearly as heavy as Rules (another fabulous Cynthia Lord novel) but still sooo good.

Book Information:

• Realistic Fiction
• Grades 3-7
• 192 pages
• Lexile Measure 690L
• Guided Reading Level S

These two books were so very different and so wonderful and special in their own way.   I'm so glad they made the Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee list this year. Well done, Bluebonnet Committee, well done.

As always, thank you for joining me for Fiction Friday.  

Please share your thoughts on these books and recommendations below. 

Have a blog?  Link up and share a few of your favorites.  

 

When linking up, please remember to grab the Fiction Friday button and link back to my blog. Also, please choose an image of a book you blogged about for the link.

For more great books, please visit the Fiction Friday Archive or click through this summer's Fiction Friday Link Up below.

Happy Reading! 

An InLinkz Link-up

15 Ways for Teachers to Utilize Parent Volunteers {freebie}

I believe classroom volunteers can be an incredible asset to teachers. However, a few years ago I would have told you that I hated having classroom help. Seriously.

In the past, having classroom volunteers always ended up being a lot more work for me.  I had to plan ahead when I was mostly living day by day. I had to prepare activities (with directions) for parents to do with students. Organizing small groups for parent volunteers was my nightmare. Without the content knowledge and background of what and how I was teaching, it was difficult for parents to support students without a lot of instruction and explicit direction from me. I even went to the extent of writing a mini-lesson plan.  Whaaat?? That's outrageous! Ain't nobody got time for that.

Then I realized I was going about it all wrong. There are millions of ways for volunteers to support a classroom, big and small. I wasn't thinking about involving parents in our classroom the right way.

When I think of classroom volunteers I no longer limit my thinking to in-class support.  In fact, it was all the in-class support that was stressing me out. Now, I think about what can I honestly commit to and what would make my life easier, benefit my students, and make learning more meaningful and fun.

Here is a list of easy ways I've found to utilize parent volunteers in any classroom, but especially upper elementary and beyond. 

1. Mystery Readers

Invite a parent to come in once a week or once a month to read a picture book to your class, but don't tell your class who is coming in.  It is the most fun when it is a surprise. I suggest collecting names at the beginning of the year of those interested and emailing out a Google Doc sign-up sheet in the first few weeks with all the dates for the school year.

2. Art in the Classroom

Have a crafty or artistic parent?  Invite them into the classroom to do an art project with the kids every couple of months.  

3. Copy Heroes

Have a parent make copies for you. I recommend a 1/4 sheet with directions that you can paper clip to the top of each page you need copied. One sided or two?  Staples? Holes?  This minimizes questions and allows you to keep on teaching when your amazing copy hero shows up to help. You can easily make your own or click the image below to download my Superhero Copy Volunteer Form for free. 

4. Sending in Supplies & Requested Materials

This is a great option for working parents and we ALWAYS need glue, like always. Our classroom couldn't run without the help of these generous parents, so they get an A+ as a parent volunteer in my book.

5. Sharpening Pencils

Send home a bag of new or dull pencils to be sharpened at home with a student.  You will never have to sharpen a pencil again!

6. Cutting, Folding, & Creating

Another great at-home help is sending home lamination to be cut, centers or games to be created, or foldables that need folding. I always send home all necessary materials (baggies, craft sticks,etc.) and an example what I would like done. 

7. Bulletin Board Help

Invite a parent with a great design eye to put up and take down your exterior bulletin boards.

8. Parent Show & Tell

Show and tell is not just for kids. Invite a parent to show & tell something from their job, their hobbies, or their lives. I had a parent bring in a piece of a meteor and the kids were fascinated.  They all immediately made a beeline for the space books after that presentation. It is a bonus if it connects with something you are studying, but either way real world connections will be made, classroom community will be built, and parent-student-teacher relationships will grow.

9. Classroom Party Help/ Room Parent/ Field Trip Chaperone

I just grouped all the usual suspects together. :)

10. Science Lab Set-Up

Give a parent the directions for an upcoming lab and have them get the science lab all set up. 

11. Technology Support

This is a great role for the beginning of the year in particular. Invite some tech savvy parents to join you in the computer lab to help get students logged in and troubleshoot any unforeseen tech glitches. 

12. Door Decorating

Invite a parent to decorate your door for the season, a unit of study, or a special event. For example, I have parents design and decorate my door for Writing Camp.  You could also do something for Dr. Seuss week, the 100th Day of School, Global Read Aloud, etc. 

13. Book Clubs

Parents who love to read?  Invite them to lead a weekly book club with a group of students.

14. STEM Challenge Help

This is a great way to get more dads in the classroom. Invite parents in for a monthly STEM challenge. They can organize materials, help groups get started, and assist with the excitement of discovery during the activity.

15. Scholastic Book Club Manager

Invite a parent to put together your monthly book order flyers from Scholastic.  They can write in your classroom code and due date, staple multiple flyers together, and/or attach a top sheet with recommendations and order info.

You'll notice that most of my suggestions are ways for parents to help outside the classroom, help with special projects, join in our classroom community,  and/or participate in a whole class activity at one time. This allows me to plan accordingly and maintain my class scheduled as much as possible. It also allows me to have all those "extras" in my classroom without taking my precious planning time. This means I can put all my energy into lesson planning, but my bulletin boards still look good.  :)

Over the years, I have learned to utilize classroom help. It is still a work in progress, but I have found that classroom volunteers really do make life easier. I simply had to figure out what worked for me and I hope some of my ideas work for you too! 

Happy teacher, happy parents, happy students, happy classroom!

I highly recommend creating your own Volunteer Sign-Up sheet at the beginning of the year. This way you can list the help that you really want and will really use. Be specific with the help you need.  Parents will appreciate direct requests and clear expectations knowing their time is valued and appreciated.

Once you know how your parents will be volunteering, it is time to get organized.  I use my Classroom Volunteer Forms to keep track of volunteer contact information, preferred volunteer activities, and classroom help provided. I put all of these pages (and my original sign-up sheets) in my teacher binder for quick reference throughout the year. The Volunteer Log is especially helpful towards the end of the year when it is time to write thank you notes and give appreciation gifts. Click here to read about how I thanked my awesome volunteers this year.

Classroom Volunteer Forms also includes at Volunteers at Home directions sheet which has been an absolute life saver for me in my classroom.

Click the image above to visit my TPT store. 

You can grab these forms 50% off today ONLY. 

Enjoy!!