Dead City

When this book was first suggested I did not know how much I would enjoy it but as I began reading it I really started to enjoy it. The story is well written and keeps the reader engaged. I can see using this book in my classroom as an example of a fun engaging book that will keep most of the students wanting to know what happens as the end. It is filled with suspense. It also has some factual information as well as a lot that is fictional. This book features several strong female leads and examples of boys who do not mind having a female in charge. This could be helpful for many male students to see as well as female students that may be a little shy. This is not a typical zombie story. There are level to the zombies. They also have to stay on the island of Manhattan and be close to Manhattan schist which is what makes the dead into zombies. There are so many connections to different mythologies and codes. The groups that protect and police the zombies are called Omegas and have a secret society of high school aged students that monitor zombies. The zombies in this book don't like being called zombies and prefer undead. They also try to blend into the world and wear makeup to fit in. I like this concept. It is different than most other zombie books which is refreshing.

There are a few grammatical errors that make a few places difficult to read. These places could give students an opportunity to discuss the importance of editing and that even the best editor miss some things. They could then work as a class to fix the errors. This will help them learn how to fix the same errors in their own writing. I enjoyed this book so much that when the book ended I ordered the rest of the series. My husband could not wait so he actually ordered them tonight so I could read them to him over the break.

Wonder Part 2

This is such a great book. I just want to keep reading. Even my husband wants me to keep reading. I'm so glad that everything worked out so well for Auggie in the end. I am also glad that the bully will be going to a new school next year. It was so great that the principal was able to present Auggie with an award at the end of the year to recognize how much he went through. I also like that he was able to make friends with some of the boys that had not been the nicest to him during the year. I think that nest year Auggie is going to have a great year. It was sad when his dog died. It is clear that he has grown so much over the year.

It is great to see the family come together over the  death of the dog and getting the new puppy. I cant wait to use this in my classes to teach friendship and bullying. There are so many good lessons in this book. There are adults that could stand to learn from this book too. The part where they are at camp and the older bullies start a fight is great for teaching students to standup for those that are being bullied. You do not need to promote fighting but defending those that are being bullied is important. It is also important to show that you can make mistakes and may not always be the best friend but can be forgiven. At the same time being a bully is not being a friend. I can see doing a project of picking out examples of being a good and bad friend to help students understand how to treat people. I would also like to have students understand that all people are to be treated with respect even if we are not their friend.

Wonder Part 1

So far I really like this book. I feel so bad for Augie It can be hard going to a new school let alone school for the first time. It made me so sad that his friends were mean to him. I really like Summer she is the only person who wants to be friends with Augie simply because she did not want him to sit alone. I this is so sweet. I got so mad at Jack for giving into peer pressure and saying negative things about Augie behind his back. This is not how friends behave.

I liked getting to see the different sides of the story. Especially Via and Jack's you learn that Via has had a very difficult year but because she knows that Augie is having a hard time and their parents are worried about him she keeps her problems to herself. I would hope when I have kids that I am able to give them all the attention they need. I also like that is shows Jack having met Augie before and him knowing that the student he was being asked to show around was Augie. It also shows that he did not mean to hurt Augie he was just trying to be one of the group. While this is still not acceptable everyone makes similar mistakes from time to time.

I think I would use this book to teach topics such as bullying. Many times Augie is bullied just because he looks so differently. No one bothers to get to know him. I do not see the teachers trying to help much either though. God teachers know what is going on in their classroom and I feel that there are several times that teachers could have talked with students about getting to know someone and the damage that bullying has on people.

Wednesday Wars Part 2

I love how this books ends. I also like that he seems to understand that she did not give him the assignments because she hates him. I was not sure how this book was going to end. I am so glad that her husband was able to come home. I also like that the book dealt with difficult subjects such as his sister leaving and his father not wanting to help her get home. The Vietnam War era is a difficult time to explain because society was very different in many ways then today. I would use this book to help students understand what the culture looked like at the time of the war to give some context.

I am not sure if students would like the book as well as I did but I would like to see how many of them tried reading it and really liked it. I will have to keep it in mind if I teach upper elementary. The book is very well written and makes you care for the characters and want to see the happy ending that comes at the end of the book. Now I want to know more about what happens to the people in the story when they are older. I want to know how his father deals with him not wanting to be an architect.

One of my favorite parts was when he got to go to the baseball game. I was so disappointed in his father for not taking him to the game. I am also so proud of his teacher for making sure he gets to go still. I also think it is great that she was able to get the baseball stadium for the other student's father. This shows that she is truly a caring teacher who wants the best for all her students. I also liked that she taught him how to run better. They are able to connect through this activity and I believe that this is when he realizes that she really is there to help him and does not hate him for being in the class on Wednesdays.

The Wednes Day Wars part 1

This book is not as interesting or as engaging as the others we have read. I have found it to be a little slow going. I am enjoying the situations he finds himself in. I think that a lot of students would have connections to the topics in the book such as thinking a teacher hates you, being bullied, and not always getting along with family. I would want to give some context about the time period before I have them read the book because there are some references to topics students may be unfamiliar with. I would want to provide context for the Vietnam war, flower child and other terms and events that they may be unfamiliar with. This would help provide understanding.




I think this book would make a good classroom book that we all read together. This too would help with understanding and I would be able to help with difficult topics. I am not sure that I would recommend this book to my students I think that if I had older students then maybe I would consider it.  I look forward to seeing if the rest of the book becomes more interesting and if it has more topics or ways to incorporate it into my class lessons. I love having more books to use in my classroom but I want them to have a purpose.

Hatchet Part 2

This has still been one of my favorite books so far. I wanted to keep reading to see what happens next. He really changed over the course of the story and I like that the author had him address the changes he was seeing in himself. Often we do not see the changes that happen to us over time He became a person who really takes time and thinks before he acts and makes the most of everything he has. I wish that he would have gone into more detail about the reunion with his parents. It sounded to me that they spent hardly any time with him after he got back. I would want to hold him tight for as long as possible when I got him back if he were my son.

I think this would be a story that every student would be interested in reading. It has so many vivid details and just keeps you hooked until the end. I could use this as a teacher as a way to teach narrative writing. Having the students write stories of an event in their life the same as Brian did would be interesting. I also think that this could be a great classroom book that we could use to introduce a higher level of reading. We would read it as a class and answer questions as we go through to help the students learn vocabulary, parts of writing and keep the information in the story organized. I also looked through the reading group guides in the back and could use those to guide a book club in my class. Maybe some of my students that are further ahead in the reading could work on this in small group. I could also pair them with someone that needs help with reading comprehension to work through the questions together. This helps them learn from each other.

Hatchet part 1

Hatchet is the story of a 13 year-old boy named Brian who is on a plane trip to see his dad for the summer. He is going from New Jersey to the Canadian oil fields. He is in the small plane because they are also bringing parts. He is not in the best mood because of his parents recent divorce. The pilot had been quiet for most of the trip but at one point shows Brian how to use the controls and even allows him to fly the plane for a moment. This gives Brian some knowledge that he is able to use to crash the plane into a lake after the pilot has a heart attack. The plane and everything but the hatchet attached to his pants sink. This leaves Brian with little few survival skills and little to help him. He has to learn through trial and error that eating all the berried he finds will make him sick. He also begins to encounter several types of wildlife such as bears and porcupine. It will be interesting to see just how he learns to deal with the animals in the woods and how he is able to survive. I think that the language used in the story is so descriptive that it makes the reader feel that is happening and makes the story seem real. It paints an image in the mind and makes the reader feel as if they are in the story or are being told the story by Brian himself. I think this has been my favorite book we have read so far. It is so descriptive and detailed the reader is pulled into the story and is compelled to continue reading to find out what happens next.



I think that this is a great book for all my students. When I spoke with my brother last week he was surprised that I had never read this book. He has never liked reading and began raving about the story and that he read the rest of the books Paulson wrote because of this book. He remembered tons of details and wanted to tell me about all of his favorite parts. I had never seen him excited to talk about a book. If it can get a person who avoids reading at all costs interested in books then I am all for it. I will keep this book in mind as a suggestion for my students that struggle at getting interested in reading. I liked that Brian remembers that a teacher once told him that his greatest tool is himself and I think it will be interesting to see how this continues to play a role in the story and how he survives. I think this is also something that we are trying to instill in all of our students. They all have different skills and while they may not be the best at everything the skills they have are valuable and make them special.

BFG part 2

I really enjoyed how this book ended. I like that in the end the BFG was given respect, a house and schooling. I feel that Sophie and the BFG saving the day is the perfect way to end the book. I like that they gave him a position blowing dreams into the rooms of children and that all children want the BFG to come by their house at night. I think this shows him that people can be better then he originally thought and also gave him a place of importance and acceptance after not being accepted by the giants. I also like that he thought to bring the snozzcumbers for the giants to eat since they had teased him so much for eating them. It shows students to be kind even to those that have not been the nicest to you. I also think that the moral of the story is that doing the right thing always pays off in the end and that good people get rewarded for their good deeds. I can see encouraging students to read this and then write letters to the BFG. They could tell him about the dreams they have had or wish they had. I liked that he was the author of the book. It is a nice twist ending. I also think that students who like to read fantasy stories would like this. This could be a fun alternative to the same classroom stories that are read as a class. Some of those could be boring and this book was fun, imaginative, and enjoyable for children.

BFG part 1

I have never been much of a fan of Roald Dahl. Even growing up his writing was just not something that I got into. I like the story and the creative spelling is great for kids. I think that this is something that I would recommend for my students to read but I cannot see me using it as a whole class text. I feel that there are better stories I can use in the classroom. I like that it gets kids using their imagination to fanaticize about giants and far away lands that are vastly different than where they live. I also like that it talks about how inhumane people can be compared to other animals. Humans always think they are superior to others and tend to forget about the bombings and shootings that happen daily. I also think that the parts about him catching dreams and blowing them into their rooms is imaginative and a great explanation for why children have dreams. This is something that children would be able to connect to and appreciate. I can see why this book is so popular and would encourage students that like fantasy books to try reading it.

How to Steal a Dog part 2

I really liked how this book ended. Georgina thought that if she stole a dog that she would be able to get the money her family needed to get a new place to live. Georgina soon learned that the woman from whom she stole the dog did not have the money to pay the large reward she thought she would get. She also learned some valuable life lessons from a local vagrant. In the end she returned the dog and did not take a reward. Her family was also given the opportunity to move into the house of a woman connected to a colleague of her mother.
 I think this book has some very valuable lessons for children. At first I was concerned that some of the topics would be difficult for children to understand but I believe with proper guidance from the teacher they would be able to understand the difficult content. I would use this in a classroom to discuss various social issues as well as behaviors such as doing the right thing. I also found several resources and teaching guides online that I could use to design lessons for my classroom.

How To Steal a Dog Ch.

      This is incredibly sad book. While there are moments that are humorous such as when Georgina is not getting along with her brother it also deals with some very difficult subjects. Homelessness, absentee parents and fighting with parents are some of the difficult topics that are covered in the book. If I would use this book in my class I would have to be careful with the are of the students and ensure that they have the proper background information to understand the concepts. I would also want to make sure that if there are students in my class that are or have dealt with homelessness. I am really enjoying reading this book though and cannot wait to see what happens at the end. I want to see if her plan to help her family works out or not.  This is a book I can see having to talk to parents about before I have the class read it but it could also be a way to incorporate a trip to a food bank or another form of service project that the class could do to help their community. No matter how this book is used the teacher would need to have plenty of discussion with the class and ensure that everyone in the class is comfortable with these topics. I would not want to make someone feel worse about their situation then they already do.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Part 2

I still enjoyed reading this half off the book. I think that the cartoons add to the humor of the stories. I also think that many kids can relate to parts of the book such making a Christmas wish list and not getting what you asked for. Bullying was still an issue in this book. Greg was not nice to his friend. You should not let your friends take the blame for something you did. I also think that teachers would have to discuss this with the class because some students might get the wrong impression about middle school.
At the same time I know why they are so popular with students and why they want to read them. I think I could use parts of this story to discuss buying and why we should not behave like the people in the book. This book is at a higher reading level then my students are allowed to read right now but they all know abut them.
Taking parts of the book and having the students lead discussions based on small parts of the book supported by the pictures could be a way to touch on the issue of bullying while also exposing them to more difficult text then most are used to reading. Overall I really enjoyed the story and would look forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the books. They are humorous and enjoyable for many ages. I would recommend this book to some older students that were having difficulty finding interesting books to read. This may even get them interested in reading more often since there are so many books in the series.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid part 1

I really enjoyed reading the first part of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It was a fun book that I did not want to put down. I want to see what he does next. He is always getting himself into some funny situation. It made me think about when I was in middle school. I did not get into near as much trouble as he did but I defiantly did things I was not supposed to. I enjoyed remembering middle school and how awkward I was. The drawing were funny and added to the story.

               Some of the parts that I liked best were when he was describing how he was going to be famous one day so writing a journal. I think everyone wants to be famous at one point in their lives and I think that kids would be able to relate to this. I could also relate to having some people that you do not want to sit by. It is not the nicest behavior but there is always someone that you do not want around or get along with. I also thought it was funny that he was always trying to find a way to get the girls attention. I think everyone can relate to this and everyone is awkward and does things they think will get them attention. As we get older we find that we don’t need to make grand gestures to get someone’s attention. The part about students being at different stages of development is also very funny and true. People do not realize how quickly some children develop.

              Many of my students will not yet be able to relate to middle school and this may create a misconception about what they will experience. It may also give them ideas about how they think they need to behave to get the attention of girls they like and what makes a person popular. They will get a lot of this from the media and others too but maybe we need to have a conversation about accepting differences and seeing what everyone has to contribute.