What Are You Reading: January 2017

Terrible Typhoid Mary by Susan Campbell Bartoletti: My book club read this and Fatal Fever in the same month. We compared and contrasted the way each author presented Mary Mallon, who alleged started a typhoid outbreak. (Barb)

Ghost by Jason Reynolds:  "Ghost" (a.k.a. Castle Crenshaw) lives with his single mother while his father is in prison doing time for firing a gun at Ghost and his mom. That gunshot started Ghost on running and he's been doing it ever since! One day, he decides to crash a track practice and prove his skill by entering in the race. The coach, impressed by what he sees, offers him a position on the team. Ghost, constantly in and out of trouble, has to see if he has what it takes to stay the course and learn the value of teamwork and practice. Audiobook highly recommended! (Maggie and Barb) 

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo: Kate DiCamillo has done it again! This sweet tale of friendship and youth tells of three young girls who are brought together when they all decide to compete in the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition. Raymie enters the contest in the hopes of getting her picture in the paper so her father (who ran off with a dental hygienist) will see it and come home. She meets Louisiana and Beverly, two very unique characters facing challenges of their own, and these three girls enter into an unlikely friendship. (Maggie) 

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs: I just finished this. It is the third book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children trilogy. I read the first book so that I could discuss with my daughter, Olivia, as she was reading. I was hooked and had to finish the next two books. (Sarah)

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Realistic fiction perfect for fans of John Green or Rainbow Rowell, this novel tells the story of Finch and Violet who meet on the edge of a bell-tower and both learn what it means to save another person. (Barb)

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub: This novel picks up where Romeo & Juliet left off, with the houses of Capulet and Montague still at war. In an effort to resolve the violence and bring peace to Verona, Prince Escalus decides a marriage must be arranged to unite these houses and his city. Rosaline, niece to Capulet, and Benvolio, nephew to Montague, are paired together against their will. Together they work to avoid this forced union and bring an end to the treachery and violence corrupting Verona. If you liked Romeo & Juliet, you'll LOVE this read. My advice: listen to the audiobook! (Maggie) 

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Phillip Hoose: This well-written nonfiction novel shares the story of Knud Pederson and the Churchill Club and their acts of sabotage in Denmark during World War II. Angered by the cowardice of their nation's leaders and the ease of how Germany occupied Denmark, this group of teenage boys took it upon themselves to take a stand against Hitler. Hoose worked closely with Knud Pederson to share his story, and he does an excellent job of depicting this historical event. (Maggie) 

Pax by Sara Pennypacker: I just finished this young adult book over break.  It is about a boy whose father goes away to war, and so the boy needs to release his pet fox into the wild.  The chapters switch between the fox and the  boy.  I think my students who love animals will really get into this book.(Heather) 

Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams: I just started this book and finished chapter 2.  So far it has talked about why we might try to avoid hard conversations. I am looking forward to the ideas while I am having a hard conversation. (Heather)

Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle: I am reading this book with some of our district literacy department colleagues.  So far this book has had great ideas for quick writes that I have used with my students in intervention and also great reminders for workshop. (Heather) 

The Art of Coaching by Elena Aguilar: I am actually rereading this books as part of the book study with the new literacy coaches in Menomonee Falls. (Sarah) 

I Am Reading by Kathy Collins and Matt Glover: I am reading this because our Kindergarten is in the process of looking at how to balance teaching the "skills" related to literacy aquisition and fostering a love and passion for books, writing, and learning. (Sarah) 

The Common Core Reading Book: Lessons for Increasingly Complex Literature, Informational Texts, and Content-Area Reading by Gretchen Owocki:  This resource has proven to be invaluable as my district works to identify priority standards and the progression of reading skills across the grades and content areas. The book is available in a K-5 edition and a 6-8 edition. Be sure to check out The Common Core Writing Book too! (Maggie) 

Argument in the Real World by Hawley and Hicks (Andrea)

Various Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study Units (Andrea) 

Comprehension and Collaboration by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels (Julie)

Evicted by Matt Desmond: Beautifully written non-fiction, this work captures the voices of tenants and landlords impacted by urban eviction. (Barb)

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney: I'm generally resistant to best-sellers and books recommended for book clubs, but this one was recommended a few times. "The Nest" is what four New York siblings call the inheritance they are set to receive when the youngest turns 40. Everything changes when the family matriarch uses The Nest to pay the legal fees of one of the siblings. (Barb)

Auschwitz #34207: The Joe Rubinstein Story by Nancy Sporwell Geise: This is next on the stack of personal reading on a recommendation from my dad, who has first discovered a passion and love for reading at age 61! (Sarah) 

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (Andrea) 

Use the comments to tell us about what you're reading.