Fiction Friday

Amanda over at The Teaching Thief did this awesome linky over the summer called Fiction Friday. It was a great way to link up and find out about all kinds of fiction to use in the classroom. I read some of the best books ever last summer, all thanks to this linky. I love being introduced to new books.

I've gotten a few reads done this fall and wanted to share them, Fiction Friday style.

I finally read....

I read it a month ago, and am now reading it to my class. 

Maniac is a kid who is searching. He is searching for a home, a family, and love. Maniac stays true to Spinelli at his best: your heart breaks at the same time it is blooming for this incredible character. 

I read Fig Pudding aloud to my class this fall. I had never read it before, so each word I read to the Fab 4s was the first time I had read it myself. I recommend reading it before hand, because there is a very sad part in it and it's good to be prepared. 

Cliff Abernathy is the oldest in a family of six kids. This book is great at demonstrating that it isn't easy being the oldest, but it isn't easy being the youngest, the middle, the only girl, the second oldest, etc. It's a story about family, sharing, and keeping some things sacred to yourself.

The Lost Hero is the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series, based off the Percy Jackson series by same author Rick Riordan. I started reading this last week to see if it would be something I would recommend to my higher readers. It's a level W, so it won't be appropriate for most of my readers to tackle on their own, but would be great as a book to read along while listening to the audio version on an iPod. 

So far I'm liking it. I'm a fan of mythology; if you really dislike Greek/Roman mythology I would pass on this one. The characters are all half-blood children of Greek gods. There are many other mythological characters as well. 

I realized yesterday that this hits one of the 4th grade Common Core State Standards having to do with vocab. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

It's an action adventure story about several teens who find themselves pulled into a world hidden to mortals. I can think of more than a few kids in my classroom who would love this series. 

What are you reading this fall?

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?