Reading Rumpus

Read Across America is coming March 2nd - Get ready!

Reading Rockets has all sorts of Read Across America links and ideas.....

Here is the link to their LOAD of links!

P.S. Reading Rockets is one of the best reading education sites on the web.
Go there.
Regularly.

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On being a bibliophile: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Whenever your back is aching from moving all those books, when the stacks seem to overwhelm your space, when your TBR pile is stressing you out.... take a look at this amazing Academy Award nominated short film and remember why you are a bibliophile:

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Publisher's Blurb: Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home -- and his own art -- through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

My Thoughts: The One and Only Ivan is one of those books. One you know will garner all sorts of glowing reviews. One you know will really touch hearts. One you know will be on the shortlist for a Newbery. The poetic voice of Ivan the silverback gorilla is profound, authentic and, when needed, humorous. The fact that you are being told the tale from a gorilla’s point of view is one of the most forceful elements of the writing, and the writing is excellent. So many adjectives flood my thoughts as I try to describe the beauty of this book - poignant, convincing, bittersweet. The One and Only Ivan is very simply a story that makes you wiser for having read it.

Highly recommended for all elementary and middle classrooms and libraries.

----------------------- Teaching Resources & Ideas ------------------------

Genre: Fictional Animal Tale ... However, based upon true situation of a gorilla named Ivan now living at Zoo Atlanta
Age: 9-12
Pages: 320
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date: January 17th, 2012
ISBN-13: 9780061992254

Themes: Friendship, Courage, Animal Rights, Artistic Aesthetics

Character Development: Perfect. No one is a "bad" guy even though the tale shows some poor choices on the part of humans

Plot Engagement: Slow to start, great once character investment occurs (fairly quickly)

Originality: Unique being a better word

Believability: Absolute suspension of disbelief for this reader

Thank You to Author Katherine Applegate for the advanced copy.

Advisory: Evolutionary theory is professed by Ivan, which I only mention here for parental knowledge. Censorship by parents exists so I defer to that right (even though I personally take issue with censorship of any kind). There is absolutely nothing in this book anti-religious or that children should not be exposed to in order to grow into critical-thinking adults.

BUY The One and Only Ivan HERE

Video of the real Ivan at Zoo Atlanta

Link: Here is an interview with the author at Publisher's Weekly.

Link: Here is a personal blog account of the real Ivan at Zoo Atlanta from Words from Willow.

Link: Here's Zoo Atlanta's site.

Link: Seattle Times article on Ivan finding love (great nonfiction pairing)

Link: Facts abut Gorillas on the Defenders of Wildlife website

Link: Great Apes Survival Partnership

Link: Discuss endangered animals and/or adopt a gorilla on one of these sites: Dian Fossey's Gorilla Fund International or the World Wildlife Federation

Idea: Study the gorilla Koko who can use sign language to communicate.

Idea: Look at personification from Ivan’s viewpoint, how he attributes gorilla behavior to humans and vice versa.

Idea: Read about, research, discuss any of the following: Silverback Gorillas, Koko the sign language gorilla or Dian Fossey. Just reading about Ivan sent me scrambling for more information on these subjects!

Idea: Research the difference between monkeys and apes.

Katherine Applegate has written many books for children, including the well known Animorphs series. She lives in California with her husband and children. She has a webpage, but it was not working at the time of this post. You can read more about her on the Harper Collins biography page here.

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CYBILS Reading Weekend

So...
I've been out of CYBILS nominees for about a week, patiently waiting on my library to deliver....

-------------Guess how my weekend is going to go? --------------------

Nowhere Girl by A.J. Paquette - book review

Synopsis from the publisher: "Luchi Ann only knows a few things about herself: she was born in a prison in Thailand. Her American mother was an inmate there. And now that her mother has died, Luchi must leave the only place she's ever known and set out into the world. Neither at home as a Thai, because of her fair skin and blond hair, nor as a foreigner, because of her knowledge of Thai life and traditions, Luchi feels as though she belongs nowhere. But as she embarks on an amazing adventure-a journey spanning continents and customs, harrowing danger and exhilarating experiences-she will find the family, and the home, she's always dreamed of. Weaving intricate elements of traditional Thailand into a modern-day fairy tale unique unto itself, Nowhere Girl is a beautifully rendered story of courage, resilience, and finding the one place where you truly belong."

Nowhere Girl is told in first person and likable narrator Luchi Ann's coming of age search for a home tugs at the heartstrings. There is a bit of adventure and a bit of danger, enough to keep the plot from being totally stagnant. The Thailand setting provides an appealing addition to the tale. The beautiful cover art lends even more likability to Luchi Ann.

However, Nowhere Girl is a bit predictable and much of the story settles into too convenient a place. It is not strongly plot driven and would mostly appeal to a strong, realistic fiction reader. Reluctant readers would easily lose interest.

All that being said, Nowhere Girl is a well-written tale that many students will enjoy.

-------------------- Resources --------------------

Genre: Realistic fiction
Age: Middle Grade 10+
Pages: 256
Themes:

Character Development: Great
Plot Engagement: Fair
Originality: Good
Believability: Iffy at times

Thank You to Bloomsbury Kids for my advanced copy
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Date: September 2011
ISBN: 978-0802722973

BUY Nowhere Girl HERE

Book Site: Bloomsbury Kids

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Author A.J. Paquette lives in Boston with her husband and two daughters. She is a chocolate connoisseur. You can read more about her on her website.

Interviews with the author on
From the Mixed Up Files of Middl Grades Authors: HERE
and
Cynsations: HERE

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