To Survive

Happy to share that I finished the first book in the Hunger Games!  Listened to it all weekend while I was cleaning out and organizing closets-- made the time go by much more quickly!
I will admit that I greatly enjoyed this book.  I wanted to write today a bit about survival, which I feel is one of the many prominent themes of this book.  How does one survive while keeping dignity and sense of self?  During the hunger games, Katniss had to fight off fire, poisonous insects, hunger, thirst, and of course her peers or tributes.  To survive, she had to outsmart and even kill her opponents.

I connect this book's theme of survival to political survival between the Capital and its districts, social survival between the rich and poor, and survival of life.  For Katniss, she is the definition of a survivor, and her surviving these games came as no surprise.

Katniss outsmarted the capital, and my prediction for book two is that she will suffer for it.  Peeta and Katniss have survived together, yet they are still under the capital's control.  I believe book two will become another story of survival.  How will Peeta and Katniss's lives be changed after surviving these games?  How will she handle returning to District 12? How will she handle her relationship with Peeta?  After she confesses to playing into the "star-crossed lovers" image to help win the game, Peeta is heartbroken.  They arrive back home and put on a show for the crowd one last time:

"One more time? For the audience?" he says. His voice isn't angry. It's hollow, which is worse. Already the boy with the bread is slipping away from me. I take his hand, holding on tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go.” 

Collins shares his voice was "hollow" and this is worse than "angry." Wow, that's powerful craft.  We all know that hollow voice and look of goodbye.  Katniss is no doubt confused but now seems to be entering back into her district solo.  Can she now survive without Peeta?  What happens after she "let's go?"  Definitely planning to get my hands on book two in this series!

The Hunger Games

I went into the book with little background knowledge (other than Brad's posts, which is why I picked up this book!), and once I moved past the initial shock of what "The Hunger Games" involved, I was hooked.  I'm about half-way through the book and anticipate I will move through the second half quickly. 

In this text, we have totalitarian Capital government and teenagers, or "tributes", from various districts.  In the games, teens are forced to kill each other, even the teen from his/her own district, in a controlled Big Brother type environment.  Yes, the games are broadcasted on live television and the teens are essentially sacrificing their lives for the entertainment of their capital.  Sounds crazy?  It is, but I'm engrossed.  I see the Hunger Games arena similar to the Coliseum during Roman times.  How are the tributes different than gladiators fighting to their death for the citizens of the Empire's entertainment? 

Katniss, the main character, is a strong survivor.  Having lived in poverty, she hunted and gathered to feed her younger sister and mother.  At the beginning of the story, I felt as if I was reading a book about the past, back in the "olden" days when people hunted and bartered for food.  I later found out that this is rather a district inequity.  The Capital is modern, filled with the latest and greatest, and this book takes place in the future.  One quote that made me think and rethink our values is the following:

"They do surgery in the Capitol, to make people appear younger and thinner. In District 12, looking old is something of an achievement since so many people die early. You see an elderly person, you want to congratulate them on their longevity, ask the secret of survival. A plump person is envied because they aren't scraping by like the majority of us. But [in the Capitol] it is different. Wrinkles aren't desirable. A round belly isn't a sign of success." (Ch9)

It's all about perspective, right?

Anyway, when Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place at the reaping, the reader begins to develop her identity.  Yet, as the plot progresses, it's as if she is working to find her identity too.  I'm unsure if how she is being portrayed by the media is changing her identity.  And then there's Peter, the other tribute from district 12.  He is the biggest mystery to me in this story.  As the games have begun, I can't help but wonder how these two "star-crossed lovers" will handle a face-off in the arena, and will that happen?  I expect a rebellion, perhaps if these two unite, or even an escape.  I don't predict a sole winner in these games -- something complicated instead (as I know there are two more books to continue this series!). 

Collins has a craft for well-planned plot twists.  Looking forward to figuring things out as this plot unfolds. 

Till next time,
Dr. K.

Show, not Tell-- Exploring Author's Craft

"Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin’s hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry’s eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water. . . ."

-Harry Potter, The Prisoner of Azkaban

Whew!  Talk about character description: "glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed"  Adjectives GALORE!

This reminds me of the "Tell -- Show" strategy I used to use with my 5th-grade students (see this link to find this lesson)

The task as a writer is to get all of those important details into the mind of the reader.  For this activity, have students take ONE sentence from their story and place it on the left side of a two-column chart.  On the right hand side, place the heading title, "what your reader needs to know."

Here's an example:

So, instead of saying, "A hand popped up" The author (J.K. Rowling) builds the image though lots of details.

In a WW format, students can pick one average sentence from their writing, complete the "Tell-Show" activity and build an amazing sentence.  This is a great step to later refer to in the revising stage of writing.  During revising with future drafts, students may need to pick 2 sentences, for example, to improve using the "Tell-Show" strategy.

I look forward to discovering more of J.K. Rowling's craft for details as I continue through Book Three in the Harry Potter series!

Petrified

Petrified

Definition: So frightened one is unable to move.  Terrified.

Yes, there is a dark force lurking at Hogwarts-- the air of Syltherin--and no one knows who are what is causing students to become petrified, turning to stone. This is due to the Chamber of Secrets, who according to legend, can only be opened by the air of Syltherin.   The latest victim, Hermione Granger.  When something petrifies Harry's best friend, things are getting serious.  

I'm in the thick of the plot and clues are starting to unveil.  One big question rolling around in my brain relates to Harry's belonging.  Does he really belong in the  Gryffindor, or, was he truly meant for Slytherin.  It was the Slytherin house the sorting hat recommended. The hat felt strongly of his connection to the Slytherin house.  Some are saying Harry is the air of Slytherin.  We learned up to this point in the story that he can speak in Snake tongue.  This along with more and more connections are being shared between Harry's wizard abilities and Voldemort's (the "you know who" evil wizard!)  

Is Harry the yen and Voldemort the yang?  This is a strong internal struggle for Harry at this point in the story.  We want to root for Harry and we know he represents good, but why is he so connected to the Slytherin house? Without knowledge of about his family (since they all died when he was born), we just aren't sure . . . .yet.    

And, another question at this point in the story  . . . why isn't anyone considering Voldemort as the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets????  Sometimes I want to give Harry and his friends a few tips on who to consider!  Seriously!  

I am nearly finished with this novel and anticipate much will happen here in the next few chapters.  

Dr. K

And the Magic Continues

I'm excited to share that my daughter and I are now into the 2nd Harry Potter book!  Even better, the audio on hold is now available so my commute to campus will help my progress (and the 4-hours I will be in the car tomorrow when I dive to Ft. Wayne and back for a presentation :)   What I wanted to point out this week is the use of transitions.  In a book series, the author has a difficult task, which is recapping the story from the previous book(s).  It's been a while since I've read books in a series.  I found Rowling is a master and embedding the history of the story within the first few chapters of the book.  

In chapter 2, Harry gets a warning from a house elf named Dobby.  Dobby talks in third person-kind of like Elmo in Sesame Street.  Rowling is able to weave it the tension between Harry and the "you know who" (aka Voldemort) that began in the first book and will continue through the plot of this narrative.  

"“Dobby heard tell,” he said hoarsely, “that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago . . . that Harry Potter escaped yet again.”

Here you can see that this opens up the conversation to revisit the climax in the first story.  Well, Dobby has a warning.  Harry is NOT to go back to Hogwarts because bad misfortune is lurking.  This sets the tension and now the plot thickens!  

On another note, for anybody who has read the series, Isn't the Weasley family just hilarious!  

Wow, this week I finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon--so much emotion in this Newbery winning novel.  

The anticipation--as Luna approached 13 years, I felt the anticipation of her magic ready to burst!  

Pain--If felt the mother's pain for the loss of her child, being taken to be sacrificed unnecessarily.  

This story is so well plotted, it became impossible to put down.  She develops strong female characters.. all who at some point in the story carry a supernatural ability.  It's about growing up, finding your center, and then your way back home.  

I'm noticing the swing in narrators lately in the books I've been reading.  In Ch8, the narrator begins to speak on behalf of the Protectorate. Sharing the cultural beliefs and background for their traditions.   This craft of using narrator switching to reveal points of view is one I would share, examine, and implement in a writer's workshop classroom.  This reminds me of Wonder, in which chapter transition to various viewpoints.  

I found this review comment and found it sums the text up nicely, 

The swiftly paced, highly imaginative plot draws a myriad of threads together to form a web of characters, magic, and integrated lives. Spiritual overtones encompass much of the storytelling with love as the glue that holds it all together. VERDICT An expertly woven and enchanting offering for readers who love classic fairy tales.

–D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH"

Until next week!

  

Moonlight Magic

This 2017 Newbery Award winning book has been on my reading "bucket" list for some time, and when I saw a digital copy was available in Overdrive, without needing to place a hold, I jumped on it! 

The story begins in a town known as "Protectorate" which is run by a group called the elders.  Every year the people of Protectorate leave a baby to be sacrificed to the witch (creepy right?!?), only the witch is kind.  When the sacrificed baby accidentally drinks in the moonlight, the witch names her "Luna" and decides to raise the child, taking her home to her friends, a swamp monster, and tiny dragon.

So, within the first five chapters, I am making many connections to other novels.  When I read about the elders and I read about Antain, the elder in training (who seems to be the only boy who questions this insane practice!), I think of The Giver and connect Antain to Jonan's role in The Giver.   When I read about Luna who, thanks to the moonlight, has been enmagicked and unaware of her magical abilities, I think of Harry Potter, who lived until the early adolescence not knowing he was a wizard.  Like Harry Potter, Luna also has a mark on her forehead-- a crescent moon--similar to Harry's lightning bolt.  

I can't help but wonder how inspired this author was by many of the wonderful novels, and perhaps folk tales, that perhaps paved the path for this magical plot.  

I anticipate Luna's magic becoming a big complication to this plot, and of course, the inquisitive mind of Antain playing a role in her discovery.  

More to come next week!

Dr. Kinglsey

Diving in to the end!

Dear Students,

Wow!  What an amazing semester!  Is the book challenge really coming to an end?  It's been such a joy peeking into the books you are reading on your book blogs!  

With Alice, I’ve been reading Lea Dives In, which is the book that accompanied her American Girl Doll, Lea, she got for her 8th birthday. I first heard ALL about Lea’s story from the saleswoman at the American Girl Doll Store (to me it was almost quite creepy how invested she was with the stories for each doll!). Anyway, Lea is setting off on a trip to Brazil to stay with her brother who is studying in the Rainforest.

We find that Lea’s late grandmother was quite the traveler and brave. Lea has been given her grandmother’s journal and the author weaves diary entries from her grandmother throughout the story’s narrative. Lea, however, has a fear. A deep fear of the ocean. I’m excited to read about how she overcomes this fear and how her bravery might set a positive example for my daughter.

I also like the idea of travel journals and think this would be a good extension for our upcoming trip to Florida. Alice could write about her adventures in the same way Lea is doing in this text. Also, little facts and information about Brazil are uncovered as we read. It’s nice to be able to learn a bit about a different culture through this text.

I’ve also downloaded an audio book from the Overdrive app.  I know I've mentioned this before, but you should really check out the Overdrive app.  You can connect your public library card to this app and check out ebooks and audio books to play through your computer, tablet, or smartphone! I love to check out audio books and play them in the car through my Aux input while driving back and forth to Kokomo.

I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of this novel!

Happy reading,

Dr. K.

What if you had all the answers??

I have been plugging my way through my next children’s book, All the Answers by Kate Messner. It’s a genius idea and the story’s plot is well crafted. Here is the book’s preview on her website:

What if your pencil had all the answers? Would you ace every test? Would you know what your teachers were thinking? When Ava Anderson finds a scratched up pencil she doodles like she would with any other pencil. But when she writes a question in the margin of her math quiz, she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else seems to hear.

With the help of her friend Sophie, Ava figures out that the pencil will answer factual questions only – those with definite right or wrong answers – but won’t predict the future. Ava and Sophie discover all kinds of uses for the pencil, and Ava’s confidence grows with each answer. But it’s getting shorter with every sharpening, and when the pencil reveals a scary truth about Ava’s family, she realizes that sometimes the bravest people are the ones who live without all the answers…

The books begs the question, “Is knowledge power?” or is “the less you know is sometimes better?” Immediately, I think about genetic testing as Alzheimer’s runs heavily in my family. I’ve contemplated if I would want to know if I have the gene for this debilitating disease for prevention purposes or would that knowledge destroy my outlook on life? I believe the latter to be true, so I opt to live blind and hopeful a cure will be discovered before I lose my mind (as if I haven’t already!)

Ava is an anxious child and how she uses the pencil is quite interesting. Although the pencil was first discovered by using it on a Math test, she implements a rule NOT to use it for tests (because that would be cheating). As the story goes, she gets greedy for answers, answers that may have been better left unknown. Her anxiety keeps her away from new and unknown situations, afraid to tackle challenges that seem scary. My oldest is going through this as well. Ava, like my daughter, questions why she has to feel this anxiety. Why does it affect her and not her peers? As I’m heading into the end of this book, I’m anxious to see how she faces her family’s challenge (not going to give that away to you!), and how this challenge might change her outlook on life. Will she surprise herself by taking the lead and being brave for the sake of her family?

This book begs a question for discussion:

“What if your pencil has all the answers?”

Until next week!

Dr. K.

El Deafo es Asi Asi

My daughter is REALLY into graphic novels - My theory is that they are a chapter book, but still have the feel of a picture book (I think all text intimidates her reading--although she is finally transitioning out of this stage).  This week, I searched on Overdrive (where you can link your library card for FREE e-texts!), adn thought I’d try out the graphic novel, El Deafo, by Cece Bell. There’s no doubt this is a memoir of the author’s life (first clue, the main character’s name is Cece, AND of course, the afterward shares this connection posted at the end of the book).

So, this novel tells the story of Cece, who was born of hearing and became deaf after battling meningitis at the age of four. At first, she is scared and clings to her mother as she begins to figure out her newly changed world.

In this story, we are taken through her childhood through 5th grade. She battles bullying, insecurities, and a boy crush along the way. Her “phonic ear” or rather large and bulky hearing aid with cords to her ears is bulky, and she is ashamed of how this makes her difference transparent to her peers (See this picture--Never knew this!)

Although I love the fact this book highlights differences and how other feel who are categorized as “different” from a handicap, I found the comic style quite dull at points. She goes through her friends sequentially and how she liked or didn’t like them. I found myself quite annoyed at times with how long these sections of the book dragged on. The author did use the analogy of her living in a bubble, which I found to be a great analogy for her life. And the protagonist, CeCe, fantasizes herself as a superhero when she discovers how she can hear the teacher (who has a connected microphone she wears around her neck) allows CeCe to hear wherever her teacher was in the building (even while using the restroom!—this part I’m sure students would find quite amusing!). At the end of the story, she does become a true superhero when her peers find this “superpower” quite fascinating, and she soaks in that attention!

Overall, I think it is an interesting medium to tell her story (graphic novel) and elementary students respond well to graphic novels. My niece too has a hearing aid and her teacher as well wears and amplifying microphone. I do think I will recommend this book to her, and possible see if my daughter might find it a better read than me.  However, it did win the Newbery Honor Award.  

Until next week!

Dr. K.

Rules & Order: Do you Follow?

Dear Students,

This week I finished listening to The Maze Runner, and still continuing to read Flora & Ulysses. I did like the Maze Runner, but not enough to want to finish the trilogy.  I can see how this type of novel would be a good fit for many upper elementary readers looking for a challenge. 

I was particularly interested in looking at The Maze Runner in regards to particular themes.  I did some research and found this list @ http://www.shmoop.com/the-maze-runner/themes.html which includes the following themes: 

• Manipulation
• Memory
• Rules & Order
• Fear
• Identity
• Sacrifice
• Justice & Judgment
• Freedom & Confinement

Looking at this list from a teacher’s perspective, this novel could raise some interesting book club discussions.  I’ll discuss one theme within this list, Rules & Order.

I’m very much a rule follower, and I can honestly say I follow rules primarily out of fear—fear I will get caught, fear I will be judged, fear I will set a bad example.  In this novel, I think about the boy’s and their constant adherence to the rules.  The rules kept the glade functioning, but it was Thomas who first broke the major rule (never enter the Maze at night).  My question I ponder is, Was it the system of rules that helped the children find their way out of the maze or was it Thomas’s rule breaking tendencies that allowed the escape?  At first thought, I would say Thomas.  He was the trigger and the one who first questioned the rules.  However, without the rules of the runners to map the day’s route, the code would not have been discovered.  This leads to a larger essential question one could use with students, Are rules meant to be broken? – That could lead to a heated debate and tap into students’ higher order thinking skills for sure!  Of course my mind was constantly making connections to other texts such as my recent novel, Divergent and a classic favorite The Giver.

Overall, I would recommend this book for you to read.  It’s suspenseful and taps into one’s curiosity.  I’m moving out of Science Fiction books this week and reading a realistic fiction book, which is actually my favorite genre. 

Until next week,

Dr. K.

Diverged . . .

Dear Students,

Well, I started the week off strong with reading Divergent, but have diverged (ha!) some since midweek due to a few work deadlines.  I am rereading Wonder with my 9-year-old daughter, and I have managed to tackle two Junie B. Jones books with my 6-year-old daughter, although Junie’s terrible grammar always drives me crazy . . .am I the only one? 

OK-back to Divergent.  The plot is intensifying and her Divergent nature is becoming Tris’sa “achilles heel” so to speak.  She has taken to the leader, Four, and now knows his deepest fears, along with his history.  This week we have examined loyalty, friendship, and trust, all greatly impacted by the competitive nature of the faction. 

 I was glad to see Tris’s mom attend the family visit.  I figured, based on her dad’s reaction at the choosing ceremony, he wouldn’t be able to face his Dauntless daughter, but the mother has become quite an intriguing character.  She has a past Tris is starting to unravel. 

Tris is transforming.  She is becoming stronger and more aggressive.  I personally can’t imagine turning to violence to solve life’s problems, but violence has become a necessity for her survival.  And then there is the chasm, which defined is a “deep cleft in the earth's surface; gorge.” The chasm is filled with sharp rocks, running waters, and embodies fear.   It seems the chasm is representative of a fine line between bravery and stupidity.  It is at the chasm where we see threats, murder, suicide, friendship, and love.  I anticipate the chasm continuing to be a central focal point of this story. 

Until next week!

Divergent

Although it’s been a challenge this week with the flu bug circulating my household, I’ve secured at least 15 minute each day for reading—I’ve carried the novel, Divergent, in my purse "mom bag" and found “stolen time” at the doctor’s office, in the car, and turning off my computer at night before bed to read.  It’s been refreshing to take my mind off life, especially work, to dive into Beatrice’s dystopian Chicago society.  

Her society is divided into five factions.  There is the Candor (honest souls), Abnegation (her former selfless self), Amity (peacemakers), Erudite (academics), and the Dauntless (her new self, the brave).  On her 16th birthday, she, and her classmates, must either decide to remain in their current faction, or devote her life to a new faction.  Beatrice, or Tris as she renames herself, in a last minute call, decides to test the waters of the Dauntless by letting her blood drop into new waters. 

Talk about an identity crisis!  I see my current self, my past, and my future within each faction.  The life I currently live (Erudite), my obsession with rule following (Candor), and the life I live only through others (Dauntless).  I see myself in Beatrice as she comes of age in this novel--moving away from home to test new waters.   Really, it’s the life of a typical teen isn’t it?   A constant flurry of emotions and life-changing decisions.  

            Tris realizes during the initiation that not all members will make the cut—but I know she will thrive.  She is already thriving in her new environment and showing confidence and strength, which are character traits I’m sure will continue to develop throughout the novel.  Her future, which seems uncertain at this point, will unfold during this novel, and I’m glad I’ve jumped on the train along with Tris. 

This book is well written, and the escape to my teenage years is a much-needed break! 

Till next week,

Dr. Kingsley