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In Their Words – Part 1

Posted on June 10, 2014 by auburnchick

Over the course of the next few posts, I will be sharing the book advertisements that my students created.

The final project I assigned them required that they create book advertisements for favorite books they had read during the year.

They had to list the main characters, draw pictures of them and a setting (I did not take points away based on artistic ability), and write summaries, without giving away the ending.

I explained that I would be displaying these around the classroom so other students could use them to make decisions about what to read.

It’s one thing for me to put a book in front of a student who is having a difficult time settling on something to read.  Students quickly caught on to the fact that I love just about every book I read.  Seeing a book being recommended from a peer’s perspective was more up their alley, as I had witnessed first-hand when I saw students in class talking up books that their classmates later read.

The final exam was comprised of presentations of these book advertisements to the class.  We displayed the posters under the document camera, and students talked in front of the Smartboard.  We grilled them afterward.  They were graded according to a presentation rubric.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  They really do speak of my students’ love for reading, and I feel like a proud Mama showing them off to you!  Please click on each picture to enlarge it.

This student got to attend a book signing with John Green!!! I was completely jealous when I found out!!!

I read this series because of this young lady! We had a debate about the yucky movie of the same title (she liked it, and I did not).

This young lady fell in love with Jennifer Brown’s books after reading Hate List. She had a difficult time deciding which book to do her project on but finally decided on A Thousand Words. She got a few other girls in the class to read it too!

The young lady who read this could not put it down! She had fought silent reading time all year…until she began reading this book. I frequently had to ask her to stop reading it while I was providing instruction to the class. It moved her beyond words, and I ordered the second book for her after she asked. For a non-reader, this was a huge milestone!

Another Jennifer Brown book. The student who read it talked about how she had gotten out of an abusive relationship. This led to a class discussion about teenage dating violence. It was eye-opening for me.

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Unbroken – A Book Review

Posted on April 16, 2014 by auburnchick

I just finished book #15 of 2014, and what a doozie!!

I originally purchased this book because I have a student who is very interested in military history.  While this student was finishing a different book, I decided to bring it home.

It is, hands-down, the BEST biography I have ever read (and I’ve read quite a few, let me tell you). I became interested in this book after a segment about Louie Zamperini aired during the Olympics. It appealed to my love for history as well as my appreciation for athletics.

This book really doesn’t read much like a biography. Hillenbrand’s storytelling skills are PHENOMENAL. There was certainly a lot of information poured forth in the book’s pages, but she presented the information in such a way that I didn’t want to stop reading! I could not put this book down and resented my need to sleep, eat, and work because I wanted to read it straight through.

Zamperini’s antics as a child and young adult made me laugh…out loud. His bravado during his time drifting at sea and in the POW camps was truly inspiring. His collapse after his return home broke my heart, and his restoration brought tears to my eyes.

This is a MUST-READ.

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

The Scorpio Races

Posted on April 12, 2014 by auburnchick

I just finished book #14 for this year…The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater.

I had read a few reviews and knew I had to purchase it for my classroom.

What a gem of a book!  I read it in three days!

The story centers around an annual ritual in which water horses, caught from the sea, are raced across the shore, handled by experienced and inexperienced men.  The prize is a large purse of money and prestige.

Sean Kendrick is a four-time winner, vying for his fifth win.  His motives run deeper than tangible rewards.

Puck Connolly is an orphaned young lady who enters the race to save her home.

I’m trying to put my finger on what makes this book so magical.

Part of it is the setting.

I’ve been on a few cruises, and I’ve seen a few tropical locations.

There’s a ethereal feel when you step on an island, and it was that connection that I felt when I read this book.

A thread of mystical power runs through this story.

Sean reminds me of the Horse Whisperer.  His connection with the wild horses from the sea is intriguing and touching.

Puck is a strong female character who doesn’t wait for life to happen to her.  She literally takes the reins in her hands to drive her own destiny.  This is a theme my teenage charges need to read about.

I think what I loved most about this story was the constant pull between what one loves (in this case, the ocean) and what needs to be done, pragmatically.  It’s a struggle I can identify with…that any reader will connect to.

I highly recommend this to anyone…middle school and above (it’s a good read for adults too).

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Comments from the Classroom

Posted on April 10, 2014 by auburnchick

Truly do I wish I could record some of the conversations that transpire between me and my students.

I want to replay some of them over and over.

Thank goodness for this blog, which has become a snapshot of the things I want to hold close to my heart.

Here are a few comments I overheard yesterday.

Before school started, one of my students popped in.  He was on his way to take FCAT because he is an eleventh grader.  As I began wishing him good luck, he proudly opened his backpack and displayed the HEALTHY snacks he had packed for the day…carrot slices and peanut butter crackers!  He also told me that his friend, another student of mine who won’t be testing until next week, had MADE him eat breakfast that included PROTEIN!!!!

I.

Kid.

You.

Not.

Later, I saw one of my students walking past my classroom before second period.  He was on his way to another class and would be seeing me later, but he said, as he made eye contact, “Mrs. AuburnChick, I went to bed an hour earlier like you said.”

You see, I’ve been asking my students to eat healthier and get more rest in preparation for the FCAT test they will be taking next week.

In fact, nutrition has been an ongoing theme in my room all year as they inquire about my vegan lifestyle.

These are conversations that most of my students do not have with their parents.

Changing topics…

My second period class was taking their five-minute break between classes (we are together for second and third periods).  One of my students proudly announced that he had read twelve books this year!  Another student chimed in by saying she had read six.

They’ve been keeping lists.  I had no idea!

Another student told me he needed a new series of books to read.  He’s read Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker and Unwind series.  He recently finished the I am Number 4 series, written by Pittacus Lore.  He’s read a number of other books this year as well, but he likes series, where he can establish long-term relationships with characters and story lines.

Three female students were discussing how they liked/disliked a prominent male character in one of the books they’ve passed around.

One of the girls said she didn’t like him because he has one dimple, which students in my classroom have been teasing her about, saying they would make the perfect couple because she has one dimple and the character’s dimple is on the other side.

Ahhh…teenagers.  You’ve gotta love them!

I love listening in on these conversations.  They reflect the atmosphere in my classroom…one that has fostered a love for reading…a camaraderie among vastly different teenage personalities…a sense of accomplishment.

This is not something that has existed to this extent in my previous three years of teaching.

These things show me that my ability to connect with my students…read their interests and supply their needs…is improving with each year I am in the classroom.

Go ahead and be envious.

I’m doing a job that pays these kinds of dividends every single day, and I am a fortunate gal indeed!

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

I Have a Little Problem

Posted on April 3, 2014 by auburnchick

I have a little problem that I thought I’d share here.

This problem has been in the works for several months now.

It all started when my first box of books arrived.

You see, I had been observing my students…listening to my students’ comments about the types of books they liked.

It wasn’t long before THE PROBLEM happened.

My students were reading…

Without me asking them to…

And asking for more reading time.

They were reading after the timer went off, signaling an end to independent reading time.

As the months have passed, the problem has gotten worse.

Students are reading when they are supposed to be doing bellwork.

They are reading instead of listening to my carefully-prepared lessons.

They are hiding books under the paperwork they are supposed to be completing.

They are leaning over their chairs, gripping their stomachs in feigned sickness, all the while reading the books they have crammed into their laps.

Oh, and the problem is even worse than that.

My students are talking even more in class…

About the books they are secretively reading.

They are making threats too.

Threats against me…

Threats to reveal twists in the plots of the books I am planning on reading during summer vacation.

And they are laughing in demonic voices as I implore (vocabulary word from yesterday’s reading) them to keep their secrets to themselves.

Do you want to know the VERY, VERY worst problem of all?

Instead of buying more bling for myself, I am buying the above offenders MORE books, thus encouraging the problem to continue.

The newest batch of books…newly arrived as of yesterday afternoon…

Sheesh.

Honestly, I don’t know what to do!

I guess I’ll just have to let this problem time out on its own…as in June 6th…the last day of school.

What a WONDERFUL problem to have!!!!

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

When a Student Breaks Up With a Book

Posted on March 20, 2014 by auburnchick

Last week, one of my students experienced an emotionally distressing situation.

He had to break up with a book.

He had quickly fallen in love with her.

He had nurtured his love affair, meeting each daily rendezvous with anticipation.

He became more invested in the relationship with each page he turned…each word he read.

He couldn’t contain his feelings but made them known to everyone around him.

When he turned the final page and closed the back cover last Friday, it was with great sadness.

He held the book tenderly, refusing to part ways.

He wasn’t ready to say goodbye…just could not accept that the relationship had run its course.

He refused, at first, to look for a new relationship, feeling as though he would be cheating on his first true love.

I introduced him to a number of eligible partners, but he bucked.

Nobody could hold a candle to his former love.

My heart went out to him, even as I assured him that he would find love again, if only he was willing to open up his heart.

He’s giving it a valiant go, but I fear he’ll never be the same.

It is said that time heals all hurts.

We shall see.

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Prisoner B-3087: A Book Review

Posted on February 25, 2014 by auburnchick

Last week, I finished my seventh book of the year…Prisoner B-3087, by Alan Gratz.

This book caught my attention the week before the book fair at my school.  During announcements, a book trailer was shown…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHJKu3lx9s

The book was so popular that the media specialist had to order more of them!  I bought one (no surprise there, eh?).

This book is based on the true story of Yanek Gruener, a young Jewish boy, who lives in Poland before and during the outbreak of World War 2.  He watches as his parents get led away one day and, eventually, he is rounded up as well and sent to his first concentration camp.

He would wind up living in ten different camps throughout the war.  His description of each camp, the prisoners, and the atrocities he witnessed both there and during marches between camps will break your heart.

That he lived through them is a testament of the human spirit.

This is a book geared for middle and high school students.  It was a quick, easy read, but what sets it apart is the descriptions, told from a teenager’s point of view.  Although I am an adult who has read quite a number of stories about the Holocaust, this story will always stand out.

Found this through a search on Google images. This is Yanek (Jack) showing a class the tattoo of his prisoner number.

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The Wedding Dress – A Book Review

Posted on February 1, 2014 by auburnchick

When I got home from work yesterday afternoon, I had a game plan for what I wanted to accomplish.

It wasn’t going to be grading, and it wasn’t going to be cleaning the house.

I wanted to finish reading a book I’d recently started, The Wedding Dress, by Rachel Hauck.

After reading an endless assortment of dystopian young adult books, the break from that genre was a welcome one.

This book quickly drew me in, let me tell you.

It grabbed hold of my heart, and I.

Could.

Not.

Put.

It.

Down.

It was all I could do to teach on Friday because I wanted to keep reading it!

Conveniently, my students read between 20 and 25 minutes, silently, each day.

I’m supposed to set a good example by reading too (I don’t most days because I’m busy meeting with them one-on-one).

So, like a good teacher, I read while my first and second classes read.

I read through my lunch break.

Sixth period came, and I rolled my chair to the front of the room, propped up my feet on my tall stool, and read.  I’m sure I was quite the sight…knit socks propped up.

My students, at first, giggled before settling down to their own books.

Thus, when I got home, I was two-thirds of the way through the book.

I.

Had.

To.

Finish.

I had to find out if Charlotte would come to her senses about Tim.

I had to find out if the mystery man clad in purple really was.

I was drawn in by Emily’s desire to conform to her family’s expectations yet stay true to the convictions that resided within her heart.

The addition of two other women, Hillary and Mary Grace, added even more sentimentality and heartache to the mix.

Oh word, but as I traveled back and forth between the here-and-now and 1912, I literally wanted to jump inside the book.

All of these emotions ran through me as I tried to discover the mystery of the wedding gown that linked everyone together.

It was truly a wonderful read that found me both joyful and sad when it ended.

THIS is good reading, my friends.

I’d originally spied the book on a shelf in a bookstore several months ago.

Later, I’d read a review about it somewhere online.

I finally got around to purchasing my own copy, and I am so glad!

It’s a book that I’m proud to recommend to my high school girls.

They need to know what true love looks like…how to wait for it while staying true to a moral compass.

If you haven’t read it, I strongly urge you to.  It’s a magical story that will capture your heart as it did mine.

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Bruiser – A Book Review

Posted on January 27, 2014 by auburnchick

I recently finished reading Bruiser, by Neal Shusterman.

This is the tenth book that I’ve read by Shusterman.  His books are chock-full of deep meaning and heart-wrenching themes.

Bruiser is no exception.

This book tells the story of a young man named Brewster who has a unique ability.  When a girl named Bronte befriends Brewster, strange things begin to happen.

Brewster’s relationship with Bronte and her twin brother, Tennyson, changes all of their lives in unexpected ways.

This book is told from the perspectives of each main character, as well as Brewster’s younger brother.

Oh word, but I rode a roller coaster of emotions with this book.

My heart broke for Brewster, as I saw the pain he allowed himself to go through because of his love for his brother and friends.

I grew angry at Bronte for trying to mold him into the person she wanted him to be.

Tennyson’s selfishness made me want to knock some sense into him!

What was most frustrating was Bronte and Tennyson’s inability to see what was clearly before them.  Grrrr!

As I think about how this book’s themes apply to real life, I’m surprised to find that most people are just like the twins.  We settle ourselves into our cozy lives, happy when we find things that satisfy us.

We foolishly allow ourselves to use things in our lives to mask the pain and heartache we face each day when, in reality, we need that pain to find our way through the difficult circumstances.

Ultimately, I saw a correlation between Brewster’s selfless sacrifice to that of Christ’s.  If you read the book, you’ll understand what I mean.  Shustermann never mentions Christianity, but one can’t help but think of it as this book reaches its climax.

I will probably do this book as a Read Aloud next fall.  The messages about not judging people by their reputation and not jumping on the bandwagon ‘just because” will ring true to my high school kids.

It rang true to this almost-44 year old gal, that’s for sure.

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Promise to Return – A Book Review

Posted on December 1, 2013 by auburnchick

I was excited to receive the book, Promise to Return, by Elizabeth Byler Younts, free from the publisher (shout-out to Linda for putting me in touch with the author)!

I can honestly say that I was drawn into the story from the very first page.  The story line intrigued me…an Amish couple struggling to live out their convictions regarding war, religion, and family. 

Miriam is an obedient young woman…the youngest in a large family…left to shoulder the responsibility of caring for her aging parents.  Henry, her true love, has been drafted but feels a strong leading by the Lord to take his calling to serve a bit further from his initial assignment to a Civilian Public Service camp.  His decision throws a monkey wrench into the life Miriam had planned out for the two of them, and the result is a string of events and heart introspection that changes the lives of nearly everyone in the community.

I didn’t know much about the Amish way of life and was surprised by the personal struggles the characters faced.  I don’t know why, but I always thought the Amish life was uncomplicated.  This book removed that misconception, and I have a healthy appreciation for how similar the Amish are to other groups of people.

I will eagerly await the next book in the series!

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