Book in Verse

Crossan, Sarah.  The Weight of Water.  New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2013.  Print.

I absolutely love books in verse.  I think these are great ways to reach tangled readers because they are often less intimidated by the amount of text.  I think this title would be great for ELL readers, students who feel bullied, or students struggling with family issues because they'd be able to relate to many of the main character's struggles.  

Kasienka, the main character, moves from Poland to England in search of her father.  She experiences the joys of friendship and the wrath of enemies along the way.  I loved how her emotions were conveyed so succinctly in verse.  

I could also see using this as a mentor text during free verse poetry focus lessons on titles or word choice.  It's important for readers and writers to see that so much can be conveyed in just a few words.  

It's August...

Pre-season football games, fantasy football news, and drafts are on forefront of my husband's brain.

Getting a leopard print backpack and lunch sack are at the top of my oldest daughter's list.

As for my youngest, she's looking forward to daycare starting back up so she can spend time with her sweet little friend!

As for me, it's August.  There's a teeny tiny sense of sadness when it feels like summer comes to an end.  Mostly because I love sleeping in late, having days when nothing is planned, and lots of time with my family.  However, it's been a great summer.  We've had lots of time to spend with loved ones,   we got two new nieces this recently, and I've been able to get some much needed vein work done on my legs.

It's August.  I've been attending professional development offerings at my district.  I've been reading a variety of professional books.  I've been doing a lot of thinking.  And then I've been doing even more thinking.

There's a little bit of a tickle in my tummy and an extra beat in my heart because I'm excited.  I'm looking forward to the 2014-2015 school year.  There are loads of ideas floating around in my head.  I've got ideas for posters and focus lessons.  I ordered an Erin Condren teacher planner! Hey, if my sister says she's worth it - then so am I!   I'm planning a list of books to book talk.  Wish lists of books are being created to add to my classroom library.  Google docs are being created.  A presentation for the Illinois Reading Council conference is in the works!  Life is good.

I'm rejuvenated and ready to take on the challenges of a new group of learners and anything else that comes my way.  So remind me around December when I feel a bit down with the weather or the daily routine not working the way it should that this is how I felt.  That reading is important.  That I want my students to be lifelong readers and learners and that I am in this teaching thing for the right reason.

Off to put some ice on the leg and do more reading, thinking, learning, loving the kiddos, you name it!

Sarah

Feeling reconnected, rejuvenated, and lost...

Each summer we try to visit Vermont.  It's where I grew up and where my side of the family resides.  There's just something about seeing those mountains, smelling the air, and dirt roads that makes me feel at home.  Peaceful.  Rejuvenated.

I come home feeling inspired to be outside on my .25 acre lot.  I weed.  I mow.  I cultivate.  I investigate composting and getting a worm farm.  I feel refreshed and closer to nature.  I guess visiting the country, having a bear sighting, and getting away from suburbia will do that to a girl.

This particularly trip was also extremely relaxing.  Due to a number of factors, we were able to spend more time with family than any previous year.  I reconnected with cousins and other relatives.  Our time together was filled with laughter and conversations around the fire pit, enjoying the small town's 4th of July festivities, and delicious BBQs.

Sadly I return home and feel lost.  While the reconnections and rejuvenation are still within, there's a sense of loss that all that I experienced in the 3 weeks during my visit - could be something I experienced year round if I lived closer.

So what does that mean?  It means I have to work through this feeling of loss and realize how fortunate we are to have shared those three weeks with those we love.  I have to cherish the fact that my daughters were able to experience three weeks of Vermont life and Vermont souls.  I have to remind myself what's there and it's within reach if I hop on a plane, open FaceTime, or get back in the car for another 17 hours.

Don't misinterpret my message.  I appreciate my life, family, and friends here in Illinois.  I am incredibly grateful that my husband's side of the family is willing to do anything for us in a moment's notice.  I am happy as a teacher in the school I've been at for the last 11 years.  I love my house on Wineberry Lane and my neighbors.

I'm just reminded that staying connected and rejuvenated takes time and effort.  With that being said, I'm off to write a few notes to those Vermont souls.  After that I may even read some more articles on worm farming in Mother Earth News.

Sarah

Fantastic Titles

Hunt, Linda Mullaly.  One For The Murphys.  New York: Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2012.
     Print.

I recently finished reading One For The Murphys by Linda Mullaly Hunt.

As a reader, I enjoyed a beautiful story of a life that I am unfamiliar with.  One For The Murphys is a story about the foster care system and believing there's still good in the world even when you've experienced the worst of the worst.

I loved the characters that Hunt has developed with their gentle sides and unique traits.  Mr. Murphy is portrayed as a family man with an ultimate priority of taking care of his own children first until Carley's strong-willed personality sneaks her way into his heart.  The three Murphy boys are authentically and realistically created.  It is evident that Hunt has modeled each character off from someone in her own life and crafted them perfectly.

As a mother, I appreciated the unconditional love provided by Mrs. Murphy.  She's the mother we'd all like to be.  The one who roots for you when you are down, tolerates your behavior when she knows you're struggling inside, and makes each of her children, blood related or not, feel loved and valued.

As a teacher, I absolutely loved the use of Hunt's titles.  The chapters are fairly short and well organized.  I am constantly working with my 7th grade students to create titles for their writing pieces that attract a reader's attention, create a bit of mystery, and fit the whole piece of writing.  One For The Murphys would be a fabulous mentor text for young writers to read through and identify how well-creafted the titles are.  I'd recommend Chapter 35 "Order on the Court!" (page 155) and Chapter 3 "Orange You Glad You're Here?" (page 10).  This would also be a great mentor text for dialogue.

Sarah

Opening Post

I've always loved words.  At times I loved reading them and other times I loved writing them.

As a child, I loved picture books and stories filled with words.  I remember receiving a copy of The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman as a graduation gift from my kindergarten teachers.  I felt so special walking out with this beautiful bright pink hardcover book.  I read it as much as I possibly could in between my favorite horse books.  

I'd say between the ages of middle school and college my reading was minimal or non-existent.  I read what I was asked to read at school and little beyond that.  It wasn't that I didn't enjoy words during that time.  Instead, I preferred to write.  I found myself writing letters to long lost family members and significant people in my life that needed to hear a little cheer every so often. 

Thankfully, one of my dear friends and mentors (Mindi Rench) encouraged and inspired me to be a reader again.  Once a teacher, I felt the need to immerse myself in books.  It was then that I began with the Twilight series.  My passion for reading was unstoppable.  Since then I've devoured books and experienced a number of genres I never even fought I'd enjoy.  I've learned about myself as a reader, a mother, and a teacher.  The knowledge I've gained from reading has assisted me in all of those areas.

I sit here on my mom's beautiful porch in Randolph, Vermont and feel inspired to write words about the life I live, the peace and balance I seek in life, the entertainment and frustrations I experience as a mother, and the author's crafts I experience in books.  

Perhaps my inspiration to write also comes from a recent experience at the funeral of a second cousin who passed away this past week.  The reverend presiding over the picturesque cemetery service mentioned that headstones and grave markers provide so little information about the person beneath.  The markers identify the person's start and end dates with just a little dash - in between to signify all that happened in his/her life.  I was touched by that.  One dash doesn't nearly seem to be enough to identify the qualities, accomplishments, or impact on others the person being memorialized achieved during his/her life. 

Sadly, my family, like many others, is all too familiar with loss.  People say life's too short all the time without realizing that it truly is.  To be so simply represented by a dash on a stone is not enough.  

Without further ado, I've decided to document some of my experiences and observations as a mother, learner, writer, and reader here.  Perhaps my children will learn that their mother's dash was much more than just a little line.

Sarah