This week’s book talks 9/10-14

Monday

The Last Boy At St. Edith’s  by Lee Gjertsen Malone

Tuesday

Train I Ride by Paul Mosier

Wednesday

The True Meaning of  Smekday by Adam Rex

Thursday

Zombie Baseball Beatdown  by Paolo Bacigalupi

Friday

The Whydah by Martin W. Sandler

 

 

This week’s book talks 1/22-26

I had an out of building meeting on Monday, but still managed to talk about five books. I am sneaky that way.

Tuesday, I shared Making Bombs For Hilter by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, who lives in the town where I did my last year of high school.

Wednesday, the kids clearly needed something less serious, so I chose Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi.

Thursday, I caught up and gave them a twofer: two books by N. H Senzai, N. H Senzai. Escape from Aleppo, her new book, and  Saving Kabul Corner.

  

Friday, I shared Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, just because I love it.

 

 

Happy Hallow Reads

Last week, I book talked five books with some Halloweenie connection.

The scariest book was the first one, Coraline,  by Neil Gaiman.

I admitted to the kids that I had never read the book or seen the movie. I told them that Iknew enough about Gaiman and the book to know that it twists reality in a way that seems eerily possible and that seemed to intrigue a few students.

Next up was Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts, a graphics novel to steer us into safer territory, since I don’t really read scary books.

Many students had read Telgemeier’s other books and that was enough of a recommendation.

On Wednesday, I told them about My Zombie Hamster, by Havelock McCreely. Zombies and humor seem a perfect combination for sixth graders.

Thursday, I told them about a new one in our classroom library, The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne. This book gave me a chance to explain a little of the history of grave robbers.

The last book I told them about was one of this year’s OBOB books: Zombie Baseball Beatdown  by Paolo Bacigalupi.

I’m not yet sure what I will book talk today. I think I will decide once I am in my classroom. I will take a few minutes to leaf through the book bins and choose the 5 books of the week.

 

 

Winding down and gearing up

With only six and half weeks remaining, the school year is gearing down.There is still a lot to do to finish this one well, but my thoughts are straying to summer and the next school year. This will be the first time in 5 years I don’t have to move rooms or buildings. It is almost

Just this week, the final 2016-17 OBOB book lists were published for all three divisions. The first three quarters were published earlier, but the last four titles were just announced. I am ordering my  book set and starting to think about a new Oregon Battle of the Books bulletin board. I’ve read a few of the titles already, have heard of a few of the others, but there are also a couple I’ve never heard of, making reading them exciting. I like to read the books over the summer, if I can, so I have them all done by the time OBOB season rolls around. I never know them to the degree the kids do, but I like to get the gist of the book, so I can talk intelligently about them.

Here is the 6-8 Division list:

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen

Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

The Menagerie by Tui T. and Kari Sutherland

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

Unfriended by Rachel Vail

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi

2014 Hub Reading Challenge check-in #6

A bit of a slow reading week. I am madly trying to finish sweaters for an auction. They will be late, but I think that;s probably built into the plan.I managed 3 books, brining my total to 30 so far.

28. MIND MGMT V.1: The Manager by Matt Kindt  – A graphic novel I didn’t enjoy much.

29. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina – A reread. I loved this as much the second time as I did the first. If you haven;t read it, please do. Don;t be put off by the title. It is all about a girl being bullied and definitely worth reading.

30. Zombie Baseball Breakdown by Paolo Bacigalupi -This was my big surprise of the week.

I would never have chosen this book based on the cover. For me, it’s a turn real turn off. Thank goodness it was son the list because I’m really glad I read it. It is sort of Upton Sinclair’s Jungle  meets  Shaun of the Dead. It’s all about the meat-packing industry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, illegal immigration. It’s a funny book tackling some serious issues. So, as with Yaqui Delgado, look past the cover and give it a try.