MY WEBSITE

This is a website I created as a final poject for my class. I hope to keep up with it and make it better as time goes on. The website is built for parents about censorship and books their children might be reading or have an interest in.

rasalina.tripod.com

Video Book Talk 3 Red Hot Salsa Edited By: Lori Marie Carlson

Book Review 3

Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case
By: Chris Crowe

Biography of Author: Chris Crowe had a love for reading at a very young age; in sixth grade he began to try writing and found it great, but hard experience. Crowe found interest in sports and stuck with that for some time. Later, he married, Elizabeth, and found that writing was what he always wanted to do. At the age of 24 he got serious about his writing, and slowed down with the sports. Since then he has published hundreds of articles, a handful of short stories, a few poems, and ten books.

Summary of Book: Author Chris Crowe gives a compelling, historical account of young Emmett Till’s short life, through text and real-life photos. Till, an African American boy, was raised in Chicago; a place with more freedom than the South, during a time of racism and segregation which seemed to be a shield to his knowledge of the South. On a trip to visit family in Mississippi in 1955, Till’s life is cut short by two racist men that murdered him in 1955. This story digs deep into the teen’s life and trial of the men who took his life. What is a horrible tragedy brings power and strength to many people, who begin to stand up for their rights. Little did Till know his sad story would trigger events from people like Rosa Parks, leading to The Civil Rights Movement in America

Awards: Best Books for Young Readers 2004

Analysis of Book: Crowe definitely brings the story of Emmett Till back to life reminding his readers of the history and struggle of the African American people. His use of historical events and actual pictures gives any age reader the insight to a life, which might have been missed without this great book being written. The story is told with accurate detail, from articles, interviews, and court records. Being well written, this story will bring heaviness to your heart and strength to want to help make a difference. This is an important part of history, which all ages should learn about and develop an understanding about. This touching and revealing biography gives readers a chance to learn about the time leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. Overall, this book is a great tool for reading and studying an important piece of our history.

This review can be found on borders.

Craft Lesson 3

Craft Lesson 3: Using Pictures to Understand Text
Resources and other materials: Persepolis The Story of a Childhood By: Marhane Satrapi
Grade Level: 8th Reading Comprehension Unit


Discussion:

As teachers it is important to introduce many different genres of text to our students so they learn and grow in their understanding of books and reading. However, sometimes introducing different genres can help students become better readers and by becoming more interested in reading. For ELLs or struggling readers a graphic novel can be a great way to get them interested and not scare them off to an overload of text. It also helps when reading books that are about a topic one is not very knowledgeable on; for instance Persepolis is about Iran and the Islamic Revolution, which one might not know much about, but the illustration help tell the story and explain things one might otherwise not understand at all. So reading illustrations in graphic novels is an important part of reading and can help all types of readers understand a text better.

How to Teach it:

Today we are going to talk about graphic novels and how reading the illustrations is just as important to understanding a story, as reading the words. (Prior to this lesson, the class has been reading Persepolis) We have been reading Persepolis has a class for the past week or so and have had many discussions about the book and what we are learning from it, but we haven’t talked much about the illustrations. We know this is a graphic memoir and that it uses many pictures, along with words to tell the story. Let’s think about how the pictures have been helping us learn about the story, culture, and people in it. In the chapter “The Trip,” page 75+, we learn about the types of people and clothing in Iran. The images help us a lot by showing us what these people look like. I know when I read this part it was a little confusing and hard to picture in my own head, but by looking at the illustrations I was able to understand what the young girl meant by these people and their attire. Can anyone else find a place in the story that the images help us to understand the book and its text better? (Some examples are: pp. 51, 78, and 109-110. Get the students talking about how without these illustrations they might have a harder time understanding what is happening in the story.) All of the points you all had were great and help us to better understand the characters and the history to this story. If we didn’t get the images with the words we would struggle to compare our lives to that of the people in the book; this helps us to know them and their culture better.

Extension

To further this process and help the students better understand have them make a comic or short graphic book. Let them share it with people in the class without illustration and then with illustrations; this is a great way to have them practice the importance of understanding an illustration to better understand the text. Another possible extension would be to gather a selection of age appropriate graphic novels for the class; have students read a chapter or so and find examples of using the illustrations to better understand the text. Then log the results on notebook paper and have the students share with the class; this can be done in groups as well.

Bibliography:

Satrapi, Marjane (2003). Persepolis: The story of a childhood. NY, NY: Pantheon Books.

TEKS:
3) Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze literary works that share similar themes across cultures;
(B) compare and contrast the similarities and differences in mythologies from various cultures (e.g., ideas of afterlife, roles and characteristics of deities, purposes of myths); and
(C) explain how the values and beliefs of particular characters are affected by the historical and cultural setting of the literary work.
(6) Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze linear plot developments (e.g., conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, subplots) to determine whether and how conflicts are resolved;
(B) analyze how the central characters' qualities influence the theme of a fictional work and resolution of the central conflict; and
(C) analyze different forms of point of view, including limited versus omniscient, subjective versus objective.
(7) Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze passages in well-known speeches for the author's use of literary devices and word and phrase choice (e.g., aphorisms, epigraphs) to appeal to the audience.
(8) Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the effect of similes and extended metaphors in literary text.
(9) Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze works written on the same topic and compare how the authors achieved similar or different purposes.
(13) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:
(A) evaluate the role of media in focusing attention on events and informing opinion on issues;
(B) interpret how visual and sound techniques (e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting, music) influence the message;
(C) evaluate various techniques used to create a point of view in media and the impact on audience; and
(D) assess the correct level of formality and tone for successful participation in various digital media.

Reading Journal 11

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States
Edited by: Lori Marie Carlson

Poems are wonderful works of art, but I tend to shy away from them. I get nervous that I will not understand the deep meaning or be able to read it with much fluency. This book was just the opposite, it was a fun and enlightening read. The poems focus on the Latina community by Latino writers; a good example of strong positive role models for students. The poems are enjoyable for people of all ages.

I appreciated that every poem is written in both English and Spanish. This has appeal to the Latin American community, and gives people of other cultures a window into another culture. The poems are separated into categories, making the reading easy and accessible; depending on what type of poem a reader might be in the mood for. I enjoyed the section Victory and the poem El triunfo by Marjorie Agosin.

As a future teacher this book of poems jumps out at me, as a book to use to show multicultural writers, poems, and use to enhance my classes knowledge and book selection. I think it is important for students to be introduced to many great writers and their texts; this collection of poems is just that, showing the Latino community and its writers.

Reading Journal 10

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
By: Margarita Engle

This book was one I was dreading to read. I thought the title sounded interesting and after flipping through the pages, found the illustrations great. My problem lied in that I struggle with reading poetry in such long story form and was not sure if I would like this book since it seemed to be just that. SURPRISE the book was awesome!

The story is told very well through poem and I love the use of Spanish words throughout. I felt that was important to the culture of Juan and should be used. I enjoyed that the poems seemed to be free verse and flow nicely, which led me to think that most students would find it easy to read also. The illustrations played well to the image I thought Juan would make himself about his story. The words and artwork together paint a wonderful image of Juan’s life. This book is aimed well at the older young adult crowd, because Juan is of this age, it is an easy read, and it has much to teach children. I feel that all students should read this book. It has an important message and is a story that all young readers should be aware of.

I do caution readers, this book has some parts that are hard to take in and can be a little unpleasant. I do think they are written well, however and need to be addressed to tell Juan’s story in a way that is necessary to get a full scope of his struggles.

Reading Journal 9

Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and the People in America
By: Deborah Hopkinson

This was a great book covering so much historical information with pictures, interviews, and stories. I liked that the author used real people to tell the history and their view of the early times of cotton. The pictures also helped to make sense of what things were like then.

I feel this book is wonderful for students to use in history and in language arts classes. The detail and accurate account the book gives of the beginning of cotton for the United States is a good tool for exploring through text. The genre of writing, historical non-fiction is a tool that can be used in any LA class; and this book is a strong example of such writing.

The main reason I feel that students will enjoy this book, is due to the great pictures, neat facts, and focus on children’s lives back then. What child wouldn’t want to know what it would be like for them if they lived in a different time? I believe that the way Hopkinson ties in important factual detail and evidence, with kids’ stories helps children of today get interested and relate to the children of the past.

This book also has a bibliography, notes, and index!!!! These are all tools students can learn to use with this book and will help them read and reread when needed!

My only complaint with this book is that it doesn’t bring us up to present day; granted that would make the book much longer. I wish that it would tie in today through its timeline to help students make the connection of present day to the past read about in this story.

Video Book Talk 2 Up Before Daybreak Cotton and People in America By: Deborah Hopkinson

Book Review 2

Book Review 2
Rachael Salinas
EDLL 6349


A Step from Heaven
By: An Na

Biography of Author: An Na was born in Korea and then grew up in California. She completed school and became a middle school English and history teacher. Today she lives in Vermont and is working on her third novel. Her name is her unique, interesting trait. Her ‘first’ name, An, is actually what we would call her last or family name. Na is her given or first name. This is customary in Korea; however, her Americanized name is ‘Anna.’

Summary of Book: Four year old Young Ju’s parents have decided to pick up and leave their home in Korea for America, and the hopes of attaining the American dream. Young Ju is thrilled with the idea of heading to ‘Mi Gook’ or heaven (an idea she gets from her grandmother). Once in America it seems that Young Ju faces every struggle a young girl could; from learning a new language, to dealing with a new siblings, to experiencing family trials, to finding herself as a Korean American girl. Does Young Ju find her American dream and heaven? Does she learn English and fit in? Will Young Ju’s family make it through the struggles of living in a foreign country?

Awards: Michael L. Printz award, National Book Award Finalist, Children’s Book Award in YA Fiction – International Reading Association, and many more

Analysis of Book: This is a wonderful story for young adult readers about a family’s idea of the American dream. I feel that all teens can relate to Young Ju in one way or another; be it due to their own family struggles or fitting in at a new school. It is also a great chance for discussions of what the American dream is for different people and why it is so important. Another great discussion opportunity comes from the cultures discussed in the book gives a chance to learn about others and one’s own culture. Though some of the writing might be hard to wrap around at times, the book flows nicely as a whole making it a fun and enlightening read for any age.

This review can be found on Borders.

Craft Lesson 2

Craft Lesson 2: Understanding/Judging a Title
Resources and other materials: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Grade Level: 8th Reading Comprehension Unit


Discussion:

When reading books as experienced readers, we notice the title right off the bat. As a readers and teachers, we look over the title and wonder what it means for the book. The title might be a hint as to what the book is about, express a theme in the book, or describe a character in the book. Titles grab our interest, but also give us hints to what we might find inside the book. We often judge books by their titles and decide if we like them or not based on that alone. Those students, you haven’t been reading as long as we have, might not know to take notice of the title of a book, or why it is important. As teachers we can help our students understand titles and how they are important to the book itself.


How to Teach it:
A title serves as the name and description of a book all in one. Titles are exciting because they get us interested in what we might want to read. They also do something else, what do you think that might be? (Ask students why they think a title is important and hold a short discussion, while supporting correct answers with explanation.) Many of the things you all have said are right! A title is something we judge; we like the book or don’t think it is for us, just by reading the title. When we started this book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, did you think you would like the book? (Let them dicuss how they judged the book for themselves and discuss why they liked the title or didn’t.) Well this shows us that we judge titles, but we can also find out a lot about a book by its title. This title lets us know it might be a diary about a kid who is wimpy, or think he is. Titles help us learn about books before we start to read them they are a name and a description all rolled into one. What are the titles of some of your favorite books? Did they play a part in making you want to pick the books up and read them, and why?

Extension
To take this lesson further, go on a trip to the school library or the public library. Give the students about twenty minutes to browse the shelves and pick out three books that interest them, just from the title. Then have them write down a few sentences to explain why the title interested them and what they think the book will be about. Have the students share with a friend and then read the synopsis to see if they were right, if it still fits their interests. This is a great way to figure out how a title influences ones book choice.

Bibliography:
Kinney, Jeff (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid, NY, NY: Amulet Books.

TEKS:
(10) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to:
(A) use his/her own knowledge and experience to comprehend (4-8);(B) establish and adjust purposes for reading such as reading to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems (4-8);(C) monitor his/her own comprehension and make modifications when understanding breaks down such as by rereading a portion aloud, using reference aids, searching for clues, and asking questions (4-8);(D) describe mental images that text descriptions evoke (4-8);(E) use the text's structure or progression of ideas such as cause and effect or chronology to locate and recall information (4-8);(F) determine a text's main (or major) ideas and how those ideas are supported with details (4-8);(G) paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas (4-8);(H) draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience (4-8);(I) find similarities and differences across texts such as in treatment, scope, or organization (4-8);(J) distinguish fact and opinion in various texts (4-8);(K) answer different types and levels of questions such as open-ended, literal, and interpretative as well as test-like questions such as multiple choice, true-false, and short answer (4-8);(L) represent text information in different ways such as in outline, timeline, or graphic organizer (4-8); and(M) use study strategies to learn and recall important ideas from texts such as preview, question, reread, and record (6-8).


(11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. The student is expected to:
(A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts (4-8);(B) interpret text ideas through such varied means as journal writing, discussion, enactment, and media (4-8);(C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences (4-8); and(D) connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across text (4-8).
(12) Reading/text structure/literary concepts. The student analyzes the characteristics of various types of texts (genres). The student is expected to:
(A) identify the purposes of different types of texts such as to inform, influence, express, or entertain (4-8);(B) recognize the distinguishing features of genres, including biography, historical fiction, informational texts, and poetry (4-8);(C) compare communication in different forms such as contrasting a dramatic performance with a print version of the same story or comparing story variants (2-8);(D) understand and identify literary terms such as playwright, theater, stage, act, dialogue, dialect, analogy, and scene across a variety of literary forms (texts) (8);(E) understand literary forms by recognizing and distinguishing among such types of text as myths, fables, tall tales, limericks, plays, biographies, autobiographies, tragedy, and comedy (8);(F) analyze characters, including their traits, motivations, conflicts, points of view, relationships, and changes they undergo (4-8);(G) recognize and analyze story plot, setting, and problem resolution (4-8);(H) describe how the author's perspective or point of view affects the text (4-8);(I) analyze ways authors organize and present ideas such as through cause/effect, compare/contrast, inductively, deductively, or chronologically (6-8);(J) recognize and interpret literary devices such as flashback, foreshadowing, and symbolism (6-8); and(K) recognize how style, tone, and mood contribute to the effect of the text (6-8).

Reading Journal 8

Getting Away with Murder: The true story of the Emmett Till Case
By: Chris Crowe

This book was so moving and deep. I found myself crying, getting angry, and then happy. It makes a reader want to get up and stand for something and someone; a better America.

The book is very real, nonfiction, and filled with great photos of the period and events. When reading this book it feels surreal to imagine such horror happening, but reminds us of the trials, accomplishments, and progress that has been made and we still need to make. This is a story that every person should here and study; it is important to know the history of African American people in the US, how they were treated and all they went through. It is still an issue today and as adults and teachers it is important to share the history, racism, and struggle of our ancestors. The book brings on many emotions, and some parents might have concerns about the content (picture of Emmett’s body), but I believe it is addressed early on and properly most will see the historical and present importance of the book.

I do wish that the story could have ended on a better note, but the story is that of nonfiction. I was happy that the Aftershock section was added, to show the prompt for change such a tragedy brought about. I hope that students would get to this understanding, possibly with the scaffolding of a teacher. It is a great focus for a history and cultural lesson for a class; also a good lead into other turning points for African Americans.

Reading Journal 7

Persopolis
By: Marjane Satrapi

This was such a deep story, with so many emotions. I was surprised to find this story so important and moving, for a graphic novel. I love graphic novels, but have found that many are fiction and fun. This book was so real and accurate, I was happy to see the graphic novel genre used to portray such a true story.

I loved how strong and yet young the main character is. This girl went through many small struggles that all children go through, making her relatable. However, she faced situations that many, even adults, can’t fathom. I found her the rock in the story the strength and proactive nature, which is helping women around the world. This story gives students the chance to relate to a student much like them, while learning about another culture. The discussion topics and knowledge behind this book is endless. I feel like it could be talked about and help many for years.

The writing is well done, in that it keeps to the graphic novel genre while digging deep into the aspects of the culture and struggle of a girl, family, and nation. The illustrations help this book come to life; without I don’t think many could read and understand what life was like for this girl. I knew little about this culture before reading the book and I don’t think I would have understood as well without the illustrations; they were key for me. I do like that the illustrations are comic like to keep with the genre and focus of the age group intended for this book.

Overall, I think this is an amazing book for students of all ages to read. I do worry that it won’t be given its justice, if the person teaching the themes and discussions of the book is not well educated in the history and culture.

Reading Journal 6

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
By: Jeff Kinney

I loved this book! It is perfectly aimed for preteen, middle school children; it can be a good read to an adult as well. When I read it I was brought back to so many memories.

The illustration and font make the story come to life. It visually resembles what anyone would think of when seeing a journal from a middle school boy. The illustrations are good and yet done well enough to think a boy could do them. This part of the book is amazing, to me.

As I read the book I felt it was a little jumpy in focus, but always on track. It read the way I would imagine it actually being written throughout a year in the life of a preteen boy. I appreciated the honesty of the Greg’s thoughts and actions, paired with the PG language. I feel like it is something that students can relate to and understand without offending parents. I noticed that Greg occasionally back talks his parents, but I feel that the author does a great job teaching little lessons throughout the mistakes or inappropriate behavior. The humor is hilarious as well, aimed at all ages.

So may discussions can come from this book, from text and illustrations to doing the right thing and respecting family or elders. This is an awesomely funny book that manages to teach a lot as well.

Reading Journal 5

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train
By: Kazy Kibuishi

I love that this book seemed like a Sci-fi comic Western. The lead character as a woman is another wonderful and empowering aspect of this book. It is too common for women not to be the protagonist, and this did a great job placing a deep and strong woman as the character. I felt that Daisy was well developed and it was easy to get to know her as a role in the story. This also led to many discussion topics for classes, right and wrong for example.

I was a little skeptical at the idea of a graphic novel, visually resembling a comic. After reading and looking through the amazing illustrations, I couldn’t imagine this book without it. It seemed genius to use black and white; to me it helped play up the Western idea behind the book. I have always been a fan of Old Westerns, but I am aware that they are old. This book brought the Western to life again for a new, younger generation. I think this book is a fun and unique read.

Video Talk 1 Acceleration by: Graham McNamee

Reading Journal 4

Acceleration
By: Graham McNamee

To be completely honest, I was a bit unsure to how good a suspense thriller, for this age group would be. I have a love for mystery and thrill, when it comes to books. When I heard about this book I wasn’t too sure if I would enjoy a book of this genre; written at this age level, but I loved it. I felt tons of thrill and fear for Duncan, as he battled the world, himself, and finding a man before he kills.

It seemed like this book covered many great topic areas, for discussion. Some of the things I noticed were the will to help others, solve right and wrong, treat others well, and being honest; just to mention a few. This book has endless possible angles to take as a reader and teacher for the use in the classroom. Though it was a suspenseful novel, there were many important life lessons happening throughout; that I believe many students this age have faced or have witnessed. By this statement, I am referring to friends with differences, doing the right thing, and dealing with struggles at home, friends, love.

I was very impressed with how well written, believable the story was. Though there is some blood and gore in the novel; I felt it was well handled and just enough for the thrill, but not to take from the age well the book was intended for. Overall I found this book a great story, which has much meaning behind an exciting thriller.

Craft Lesson 1

Craft Lesson 1: Describing a Character
Resources and other materials: Standing against the Wind by Traci L. Jones
Grade Level: 6th - 8th Creative Writing Unit


Discussion:
As teachers and readers we all know how important it is that our characters and the ones we read about are well described. We want them to come to life for us so that people enjoy our writing and make connections with the characters. Sometimes when students write they forget or struggle with describing their main character. I’m sure we have all read a good story, but it is hard to relate to or become interested in because we know nothing about the main character, thus making the story not as good as it could be. I believe that it is not that are students are bad writers, they just know their characters so well they forget we, the reader, doesn’t know their character yet. As teachers we can help students understand how to describe characters by reading works that do a good job of just that, then giving the students a chance to practice themselves.

How to Teach it:
The class will have read through chapter four at this point. Class, as you know, we have been reading the book Standing Against the Wind and have spoken a lot about what Patrice has been doing and going through. Let’s take a minute to talk about Patrice as a person. What do we know about her? (In small groups give students a chance to come up with a list of traits and why they feel she embodies those; let groups share what they have come up with and give the rest of the class a chance to comment.) How did we come up with these traits and opinions of Patrice? How did we get to know her? She isn’t a person in this class so who helped us get to know her as a person/character in our story? (This is the “AH HA” moment for the students that you will help prompt them to.) By figuring out the author is the person who helped us to get to know Patrice, by describing her to us through her writing, we now know why we feel we know Patrice. (Let the students continue in this discussion and new understanding. Once this topic has been addressed have the students review some of their recent writings.) While we review our work we could try to come up with adjectives to help us describe our characters. Let’s also look through Traci L. Jones’ book and see what she has done to describe Patrice to us. (Go back and forth with the students sharing personal ideas and examples from Traci L. Jones’ book.) With a partner let’s work together to better describe characters in our recent stories; this is something we want to do so when people read out work they feel they know the characters. We want our readers to relate to our stories and feel more apart of what we write, thus making us better writers and describers.

Bibliography:
Jones, Traci L. (2006). Standing against the wind. NY, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

TEKS:
(15) Writing/purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes and in a variety of forms. The student is expected to:(A) write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, and to problem solve (4-8);(B) write to influence such as to persuade, argue, and request (4-8);(C) write to inform such as to explain, describe, report, and narrate (4-8);(D) write to entertain such as to compose humorous poems or short stories (4-8);(E) select and use voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose (6-8);(F) choose the appropriate form for his/her own purpose for writing, including journals, letters, editorials, reviews, poems, memoirs, narratives, and instructions (7-8);(G) use literary devices effectively such as suspense, dialogue, and figurative language (5-8); and(H) produce cohesive and coherent written texts by organizing ideas, using effective transitions, and choosing precise wording (6-8).
(18) Writing/processes. The student selects and uses writing processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is expected to:(A) generate ideas and plans for writing by using prewriting strategies such as brainstorming, graphic organizers, notes, and logs (4-8);(B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas, organizing them into paragraphs, and blending paragraphs within larger units of text (4-8);(C) revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, combining, and rearranging text (4-8);(D) revise drafts for coherence, progression, and logical support of ideas (4-8);(E) edit drafts for specific purposes such as to ensure standard usage, varied sentence structure, and appropriate word choice (4-8);(F) use available technology to support aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing texts (4-8);(G) refine selected pieces frequently to "publish" for general and specific audiences (4-8);(H) proofread his/her own writing and that of others (4-8); and(I) select and use reference materials and resources as needed for writing, revising, andediting final drafts (4-8).
(19) Writing/evaluation. The student evaluates his/her own writing and the writings of others. The student is expected to:(A) apply criteria to evaluate writing (4-8);(B) respond in constructive ways to others' writings (4-8);(C) evaluate how well his/her own writing achieves its purposes (4-8);(D) analyze published examples as models for writing (4-8); and(E) review a collection of written works to determine its strengths and weaknesses and to set goals as a writer (4-8).
(21) Writing/connections. The student interacts with writers inside and outside the classroom in ways that reflect the practical uses of writing. The student is expected to: (A) collaborate with other writers to compose, organize, and revise various types of texts, including letters, news, records, and forms (4-8); (B) correspond with peers or others via e-mail or conventional mail (4-8); and (C) identify challenges faced by published authors and strategies they use to compose various types of text (7-8).

Book Review 1

Miracle’s Boys
By: Jacqueline Woodson

Biography of Author: Jacqueline loved to write from a young age and would write on anything she could, from sidewalks to school binders, even a building. She also loved to tell stories to anyone who would listen, whether the stories were true or not. She finally was noticed as a great writer in fifth grade, but not until she was accused of not writing a work that was indeed hers. She finally got recognition for her poem and since then has continued to write. She says it still surprises her to see her books in stores, even now.

Summary of Book: Lafayette is a young boy living with his two older brothers in the apartment that once held a whole family. With his middle brother, Charlie, returning home from a boys’ home; and not returning the brother he remembered, Laf wishes more than ever that life was back to the way it used to be. He misses his mom and the old Charlie that he was once so close to. With his oldest brother, Ty’ree working long hours to provide for the three, Laf feels rather alone, while struggling with how his past has altered his future. While living the strain of his family falling apart in front of him he worries things will never be happy again. Does Charlie finally stay out of trouble? Does Lafayette begin to understand his past and happy with his brothers in his present?

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize

Analysis of Book: This is a great book for tween and teen readers. It reaches out to any child struggling with trials in the home; from loss of parents, to fights with siblings, and more. It is well written, in that it covers a very short span of time, but really allows the reader to get to know Lafayette and his struggles. It is a book that any young reader can relate to in some way and makes for an easy, yet interesting read. Though some of the situations throughout the book might be hard to hear about, they are all well written into the story at a level students will understand. I enjoyed this book and all the discussion content it has to offer!

This review can be found at Borders.

Reading Journal 3

Miracle’s Boys
By: Jacqueline Woodson

This book is at the top of my list of favorites.

I found when reading this book that I really got to know Laf as a person, and understand his emotions. The story seemed to get into each person so well, and give the reader a chance to feel like part of the family, of three boys. This surprised me because once I got to the end of the book; I realized that only about two days passed. It just seemed I had been with the boys forever, due to the well written memories told throughout the book.

It was neat to see how the author slowly revealed the reason each boy was sad and hurt. It was as though they were letting each other, and us as readers, become comfortable around one another before sharing intimate details. I liked this, because it felt the way a real family might struggle to share information with each other.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a great ending to this book. I really thought that Charlie had messed up again; hurting what was left of a fragile family. Thank goodness he had only seemed to have lost his way, and wanted so badly to return home. I was thankful the two boys believed him, and for the first time in the story they all seemed to truly love one another. By the end they became the family they once knew when Mama was around.

Reading Journal 2

A Step from Heaven
By: An Na

When reading this book I felt just about every emotion possible; which was great!

I was happy to see such a close family choosing to do something they believed would better them. I then began to be angry for Young; she seemed lost with the language, culture, and adaptation of a new place. Then my emotions turned to strength and frustration as she struggled through different trials in America. And just when I really got mad with Young’s situation and felt she was almost helpless, I felt happiness to see that it was possible to make it through such rough times, and come out whole. I thought this book faced some very real situations happening today and they were topics that I feel need to be addressed.

As she began to stand up for herself, I couldn’t help, but feel this book was meant for young girls to read. It was so empowering to read about a girl struggling to find herself, while being true to her family. I felt all girls could relate to Young, because everyone struggles with family, while discovering themselves and their place in our world. It was also eye opening for me, as others, who have never gone through the trials of facing a new culture while holding on to your own. This was something that all people should learn about and come to respect and understand. This book is great for girls, people, who have gone through facing a new culture or are going through it presently. So much can be learned about a family just moving from another country and making their way in a new place.

My few concerns with this book are that some of the language was difficult to interpret. This was something I worked through pretty easily, but wonder if younger readers would loose interest do to struggling with some of the ‘mixed’ language. Also there were situations in the book that I could see being a concern for parents; having their children read. I thought the book dealt with those areas appropriately, but wonder what the best way to address some of the contents of the book with parents, so students would be allowed to read this.

Reading Journal 1

Standing against the Wind
By: Traci L. Jones

I enjoyed reading this book so much. It was neat to read about a lifestyle and culture that I am not personally familiar with. The use of setting and dialogue made the characters and their lives jump to life. It was easy to become enthralled with the book and the day to day life of Patrice.

Patrice was such an in-depth character. I felt the author did a wonderful job portraying who she was as a person. When introducing the other characters, I almost left as though Patrice was going to be a certain way and fall into the mold of her new environment. It was a pleasant surprise to read that a girl of such a young age knew who she was and didn’t change for anyone. The author did an amazing job balancing Patrice’s emotions as a teen girl being nervous and unsure of her, whiling knowing who she was and wanted to be as well. It was great to see that conflict in her and yet watch her grow and choose to stay true to herself. I felt that Patrice is a character any young girl can relate to even if they are not in the same exact situation, because her core struggles were things many girls face. It was great that her situation was also something that not all people deal with, because it was a chance to become a part of a different life and learn about others, while learning respect and understanding of that person.

While reading the book I was a little nervous to see if I would get into the story, since it was different than anything I have experienced. As soon as I began reading the detailed, true to form dialogue I couldn’t help, but feel the author did an amazing job bringing the story to life. The slang was accurate and believable to each person and well kept up with throughout the entire story. I was very impressed with the amount of dialogue and how well it was used for each different character.