Saturday, August 11, 2012

Fiction Friday


It's time for Fiction Friday Saturday! Don't throw tomatoes at me, I have a good excuse. I was at that RtI math conference yesterday. Boy, I can't wait to tell you what I learned!

This was my Jerry Spinelli week. I broke my one-book rule and read 2 books by Spinelli. I would have read more if I had more in my hands (alas, they are all at school). Here are some key words I can say about Spinelli's writing: hilarious, thoughtful, mature, rich, real.


Donald Zinkoff is just a regular kid...kind of. He is kind, thoughtful, and exuberantly happy. He is also clumsy, goofy, and always raises his hand with the wrong answer. You will fall in love with Zinkoff by page 3. All of his good qualities (the ones that really matter in life, and trust me, he has them in spades) begin to take a back seat to the kids at school around 4th grade. He can't win a race or ace a test, and the vultures zero in on him. Zinkoff's big heart and good character keep you warmly endeared to him and smiling despite the cruelty of kids. The final suspense is colored by what can only be described as "Zink-ness", and shows that the name Hero can  replace any of the others that someone may carry.

LOVED. THIS. BOOK. It gives my heart a little squeezy-squeeze just writing about it.



My inner-geek LOVED this story. So did the anxiety-ridden monster that lives in the dark part of my head.

Will Tuppence is a skate-boarding, chess winning, Monopoly playing, sister hating, best-friend-crushing 15 year old. When the story begins, it is discovered that protons can die. This sends Will into a tailspin of worry and existence-questioning. You'll get to live life inside the complex head of Will as he navigates his first crush, jealously, failure, and dealing with his (horrid) little sister.

Things are not always what they seem, and Spinelli is a master of revealing the other side. Being able to change perspective is a gift, and Spinelli shows us the importance of opening our eyes to all sides.

Now RUN to the library (or book store, or Amazon, or your own class library) and grab a Spinelli book. I can guarantee that I will be breaking my rule again this week to check out Maniac Magee and whatever else I can get my hands on by Spinelli.

AHEM....and while I still have your attention.
I am participating in the HUGE back-to-school sale for TPT. In honor of that goliath sale I am also hosting a 30% sale at TN.


I have set my sale to run at 20% off, but if you use the promo code BTS12 you can get an additional 8%. Cool, huh?




1 comment:

  1. Okay, I'm just going to say it - Jerry Spinelli is THE MAN! So many great books. I actually haven't read these two, but they have both been on my list FOREVER. I loved Milkweed (Holocaust story), Eggs, and (of course) Maniac Magee.

    I was actually just thinking about starting my year off with Loser this year. I already know it is a student approved read aloud from another teacher and I've been meaning to read it anyway, soooo... why not kill two birds with one stone.

    This worked out perfectly this week. We both inspired the others 1st year read alouds. We rock!

    Thanks for joining my linky!! :)

    Amanda
    The Teaching Thief

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