Poetry

Great, Good, Bad

A great book is a homing device

For navigating paradise.

A good book somehow makes you care

About the comfort of a chair.

A bad book owes to man trees

A forest of apologies.

From Please Bury Me in the Library  by J. Patrick Lewis

A poem can do many things for the reader. It can send them into a journey into the imagination. A poem can sate the obvious in new and exciting ways. Poems can be used to help the reader to make new connections. 

When reading Science Verse I was in awe of the cleaver way new ideas were presented. The book will make an exceptional addition to my classroom library. Science topics can be enhanced with the addition of these creative poems to the unit.

Traditional Literature

By definition Traditional literature are stories that are handed down from generation to generation. They lend themselves to storytelling. It is very important that as a teacher I be diligent in providing culturally diverse Traditional Literature.
Cinderella has been told in many different formats.Including other prospectives is key to insuring that students are engaged in higher order thinking.  Glass Slipper Gold Sandal presents the Cinderella story from many different cultures. The graphics in the book are beautiful and help advance the multicultural experience. The Cinderella Project is a website dedicated to providing alternative versions of Cinderella.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet is a classic American Indian Tale retold by Tomie dePaola.
When a drought threatens the existence of the tribe, a courageous little Comanche girl sacrifices her most beloved possession--and the Great Spirit's answer results not only in much needed rain but a very special gift in return. Giving selflessly is the overriding message in this tale.
The  book can be read and/or the video can be used to enhance the curriculum. 

Modern Fantasy

There are two categories of Modern Fantasy: low fantasy and high fantasy.
Low fantasy is set in the real world but animals or toys are given human aspects of speech, movement and feelings. The textbook gives examples of low fiction as Charlotte's Web and the Velveteen Rabbit.
I recently read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Katie DiCamillo the book is and example of low fantasy. Edward is a stuffed animal that learns what love is as he travels from caregiver to caregiver.
While reading this story I often forgot that I was reading about a stuffed animal because the character takes on human characteristics.


According to An Examination of Four Key Motifs Found in High Fantasy for Children d in High Fantasy for Children. by John Arthur Cohen "high fantasy for children suggests that although its deepest roots come out of myth and folktale its concerns are very much those of the present. By freeing themselves from natural laws the authors can design a framework in which they will be able to deal with philosophic questions without resorting to moralizing. At the same time, authors will be able to project the reader into marvelous new worlds and experiences"Some examples of high fantasy are The Wizard of OZ and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Historical Fiction

Christopher Paul Curtis is an author of Historical Fiction. His first book was the The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Mr. Curtis writes about life in and around Flint Michigan where he grew up. His books are informative while being entertainment. He states that for students to enjoy reading it needs to be enjoyable.
I have grown to really enjoy Historical Fiction. It seems to be easier to learn history when it's presented in an interesting format. Thee textbook The Joy of Children's Literature states that the benefits of Historical Fiction are:

• conveys a sense of life as it was lived.
• happens to ordinary people.
• broadens perspective.
• helps children understand that the present and future are linked to actions of the past.

There are so many excellent authors of Historical Fiction and as a teacher I  plan on incorporating them into my lessons whenever it is possible.

A Season of Gifts

It is no wonder that Richard Peck is an award winning author. I began reading A Season of Gifts on a long car ride. Due to boredom, I decided to start reading
 A Season of Gifts to my husband to keep us both awake. We arrived at our destination but I hadn't finished reading; my husband asked if he could finish reading the book. He finished that evening and when I asked him to fill me in on the detailed his response was "Oh no you have to finish it, it was so good." I finished it today and he was right. 

A Season of Gifts is a terrific book that I recommend to everyone over 12 years of age.

My Fair Godmother

Just finished My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison. The book was thoroughly enjoyable. Modern day teenagers meet the Middle-ages. Reading the book you are drawn into the world that Savannah has created. My Fair Godmother is full of life lessons. There are consequences for everything we do and Savannah embarks on a journey that will teach her that among many other things.

Realistic Fiction

According to education.com,  Reasons for Using Realistic Fiction in the Classroom , the real benefit will be that student's have something to help them make moral and ethical decisions. When we discussed diversity last week we were reminded of the benefit to students to view themselves in literature.The same principle applies to realistic fiction if a student see a character dealing with the same issue they are they are more apt to relate and better understand themselves.

Thank you, Mr. Falker

 Thank you, Mr. Falker is about a dyslexic student that learns to read. 

Don't make me Smile

 Don't make me Smile is about a boy dealing with his parent divorce.





As a teacher it will be important to search for realistic fiction that can help student to overcome the obstacles they face as well as  helping them see that they are not the first nor will they be the last to deal with these life situations.