Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Book Talk Tuesday: Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin



Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin (grades 5 & up)

Did you know...

  • that when football first started, forward passes were illegal?
  • that when football first started, a play wasn't over until the player with the ball stopped moving?
  • that the Carlisle Indian School was the first team to try trick plays and make football more interesting?
  • that without the Carlisle Indian School, coach Pop Warner, and superstar athlete Jim Thorpe, football might not exist today?
This fascinating book shows how Pop Warner, Jim Thorpe, and the rest of the Carlisle Indian School underdogs transformed football and helped to make it into the sport we love today.  The Carlisle Indian School was a boarding school where many Native American children were sent by the U.S. government in an attempt to erase Indian cultures.  Life at the school was difficult and unbearable for many but the football team was the one bright spot.  The players there bravely took on the best teams such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.  As underdogs, they used speed and innovative thinking to beat the best teams in America.  Their story is not well known, but their contribution to football is undeniable.  This interesting book has short sections and lots of photographs which make it an easier book to read.  Undefeated is on the 2019 Rebecca Caudill list and is great for football fans, readers who like a good underdog story, or anyone wanting to learn more about history.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Book Talk Tuesday!

Summer is speeding right along!  I've recently finished reading two books with similar titles, but very different stories.



Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming and Eric Rohman (historical fiction, grades 3-8)

Back in the 1920's, silent film director, Larry, wanted to do something that nobody had ever done before...make a movie starring a dog!  Finding the perfect dog was tough, but Larry found Etzel who was a former police dog.  Strongheart, Etzel's new screen name, had been trained to be ferocious on the police force so Larry had to reteach him how to play, have fun, and show lots of emotions.  Luckily, Strongheart was super smart and soon starred in lots of movies, by himself and with another dog named Lady.  Fame brings trouble when Strongheart is accused of doing something wrong.  Can he use his acting skills in court to clear his name?  This book is loosely based on the true story of Strongheart.  It's filled with beautiful illustrations, suspense, and heart and is perfect for any animal lover!  Author Candace Fleming will be visiting Harrison School in January (2019)!




Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (science fiction, grades 6 & up)

Ten years ago, a powerful Epic named Steelheart killed David's dad.  Now David is 18 years old and he's teamed up with a group called The Reckoners to hunt down Epics and hopefully restore the world to the way it was before Calamity came.  Each Epic has different powers and Steelheart has bigger powers than most making him really hard to take down.  Can they figure out how to kill Steelheart before he kills them?  This is a really fun, action-packed, science fiction book about good verses evil that will make you want to read the next book in the series!

Happy reading!

Monday, July 16, 2018

It's Monday, what are you reading?


Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly (realistic fiction, grades 4-6)

Do you believe in fate? Virgil is shy and quiet, Valencia is brave and spirited, Kaori is a budding fortune teller, and Chet is a bully, and they barely know each other until one event forces their lives to intersect and changes to occur.  Chet has always been mean to Virgil and Valencia.  One day, he takes things too far and Virgil (and his pet guinea pig) go missing.  Can Valencia and Kaori team up and use their skills to find Virgil before it's too late?  Can Virgil find his "voice" and save himself?  If you like stories that have alternating points of view or stories where the bully gets defeated, then you'll like this award-winning book!



The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros 

I love how our administrators are always looking for new ideas and they are always challenging us to think deeper about our teaching.  This summer, we were each given a copy of The Innovator's Mindset to read. When author George Couros announced in early July that he was starting an Instagram book study for the book, I jumped on board.  With the book study, we read one chapter each day and then discussed the chapter on Instagram.  George also posted a video reflection about each chapter and encouraged us to try to find new ways of sharing what we were learning.

The Innovator's Mindset is an excellent professional development book about what innovation is (and isn't) and what we can do to encourage innovation with ourselves and our students. The author presents the idea that innovation begins with empathy (asking "What does THIS learner need"), challenges us to move beyond engagement to empowerment (equipping students with the skills they need to drive their own learning), and encourages educators to become more reflective of their practice through blogging and sharing on social media.  We cannot be innovative if we are not connected to other educators around the world.  I became active on Twitter about 3 years ago and my teaching was transformed because of the ideas I found so I wholeheartedly agree with this!  Here is a short video reflection sharing these main ideas:


I loved everything about this book and encourage all educators to read it!  If you have read it, please share ways that you are planning on incorporating the ideas into your teaching in the comments below!

Happy reading!

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Booktalk Tuesday

Wow, summer is flying by!!  Summer is a great time to catch up on reading and I've read so many amazing book already. 

In the past, I have kept two blogs...this one to share what is happening in our school library, and http://mrsandersonbookblog.blogspot.com/ to share great books that I've read.  Since it has been difficult to maintain both, and since the audience for both blogs is similar (our school community as well as other teachers and librarians), I have decided to begin talking about books on this site and discontinue writing on the book blog site.  My goal is to add books here on Mondays (based on It's Monday What Are You Reading #IMWAYR) or Tuesdays (Booktalk Tuesday #booktalk).  Mostly, I'll just add one or two books per week but I have a lot of catching up to do, so, here goes!






These are pictures of all of the books that I read in June!  Here are a few summaries:



The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson (mystery, grades 4-8)

Are you a fan of mysteries or stories where the main character overcomes adversity?  In this book, Matthew has severe OCD and rarely leaves his bedroom for fear of getting sick.  While looking out his window, he often notices things about his neighbors.  One day, his neighbor's grandson goes missing and it's up to Matthew to figure out what happened.  While reading this book, I felt myself cheering for Matthew to not only figure out the mystery, but also to get the help that he needs to go back to living a more regular life.  The Goldfish Boy is on the 2019 Rebecca Caudill list.




Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate (fantasy/adventure, grades 4-8)

Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree, wrote this fast-paced fantasy adventure.  Byx, a young dairne, lost all of the other members of her pack and she sets out to see if any other dairnes still exist.  On her dangerous journey through war ravaged land, she is joined by Tobble, a faithful and brave little wobbyx, Gambler, a proud and strong felivet, and a human named Khara.  They soon learn that their "allies" are not who they seem and their lives are in danger.  I loved these endearing characters and the fast-paced story will keep readers engaged throughout.


Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (realistic fiction, grades 5-8)

Two very different kids find friendship with one another!  Lily is transgender and Dunkin is bipolar.  Both have issues that they are dealing with but they find happiness in their friendship.  I LOVED this beautifully written book. This story has the power to open the eyes of readers to become more understanding and empathetic of those who are different. It also provides representation to middle grade readers who are transgender and those who have a mental illness. While tough issues such as acceptance and bullying are presented, they are handled in a way that is hopeful and also in a way that is anchored with positive relationships (through friends and loved ones in the story). Lily and Dunkin is on the 2019 Rebecca Caudill list.

Harrison families, how many reading BINGOs do you have?  Remember to keep reading this summer!!

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Happy Reading!