Lorraine Jean Hopping's Blog, page 4
August 10, 2013
Top 20 Books for Ages 10 to 12.5 (Whittled from NPR's Top 100 Books for Ages 9-14))
I love NPR's Top 100 Ultimate Backseat Books for tweens. I also love that the responses to the list are so passionate and insightful (don't skip the comments!). It's a wonderful feeling when books and reading generate animated dialogue.
I do sympathize with one commenter who said she wished reviewers would fill in more detail, especially when it comes to age appropriateness. The NPR lists spans a Grand Canyon of development�ages 9 to 14. (They generated a separate book list for teens, which I blogged about last year.)
In my sixth grade class, I navigate a tremendous, tumultuous gap in maturity among 11 years olds�let alone between 9 and 14. That's the nature of the tween beast.
When selecting reading material for my FREADom classroom library, I carefully assess issues with language, violence, death, religion, and more on a case by case basis. Adults in a child's life need to be aware of what children are reading, and that's part of my mission.
That said, my number one goal is to put good books in the hands and minds of tweens. So, I decided to narrow down the list and recommend one or two books in each category that I have personally read and that are suitable for ages 10 to 12.5�my sweet spot. I went for variety, including books that appeal to both boys and girls and, in some cases, that I know to be incredibly popular with my tween crowd.
Choosing wasn't easy (all of the books are worthy), but here's what rose to the top.
I do sympathize with one commenter who said she wished reviewers would fill in more detail, especially when it comes to age appropriateness. The NPR lists spans a Grand Canyon of development�ages 9 to 14. (They generated a separate book list for teens, which I blogged about last year.)
In my sixth grade class, I navigate a tremendous, tumultuous gap in maturity among 11 years olds�let alone between 9 and 14. That's the nature of the tween beast.
When selecting reading material for my FREADom classroom library, I carefully assess issues with language, violence, death, religion, and more on a case by case basis. Adults in a child's life need to be aware of what children are reading, and that's part of my mission.
That said, my number one goal is to put good books in the hands and minds of tweens. So, I decided to narrow down the list and recommend one or two books in each category that I have personally read and that are suitable for ages 10 to 12.5�my sweet spot. I went for variety, including books that appeal to both boys and girls and, in some cases, that I know to be incredibly popular with my tween crowd.
Choosing wasn't easy (all of the books are worthy), but here's what rose to the top.
July 29, 2013
The "Rock Star" President
At the beginning of the school year, one of my student survey questions is: �If you could talk to any person from history, who would it be? What three questions would you ask?�
Out 64 students in my current class, 13 chose Abe Lincoln�more than any other historic figure, including good old George Washington.
Why is Lincoln such a history rock star for tweens?
Out 64 students in my current class, 13 chose Abe Lincoln�more than any other historic figure, including good old George Washington.
Why is Lincoln such a history rock star for tweens?
June 20, 2013
Rascal, A Memoir by Sterling North
Have you ever spotted a book that you read as a kid and glowed uncontrollably? That warm, fuzzy feeling is what I hope to capture in a time-release bottle every time I recommend a title to my sixth graders. I know I shouldn�t be, but I�m always surprised when it happens to me.
The most recent wave of tender nostalgia struck me at the sight of the 1963 memoir Rascal, by Sterling North. I was a little wary of rereading it, worried that the story and the characters hadn�t aged well and I�d be crushed. I wasn�t.
Rascal is refreshingly wholesome. It�s the perfect antidote to today�s relentless fervor for dystopian worlds, zombies, and vampires.
The most recent wave of tender nostalgia struck me at the sight of the 1963 memoir Rascal, by Sterling North. I was a little wary of rereading it, worried that the story and the characters hadn�t aged well and I�d be crushed. I wasn�t.
Rascal is refreshingly wholesome. It�s the perfect antidote to today�s relentless fervor for dystopian worlds, zombies, and vampires.
Rascal by Sterling North
Have you ever spotted a book that you read as a kid and glowed uncontrollably? That warm, fuzzy feeling is what I hope to capture in a time-release bottle every time I recommend a title to my sixth graders. I know I shouldn�t be, but I�m always surprised when it happens to me.
The most recent wave of tender nostalgia struck me at the sight of the 1963 memoir Rascal, by Sterling North. I was a little wary of rereading it, worried that the story and the characters hadn�t aged well and I�d be crushed. I wasn�t.
The most recent wave of tender nostalgia struck me at the sight of the 1963 memoir Rascal, by Sterling North. I was a little wary of rereading it, worried that the story and the characters hadn�t aged well and I�d be crushed. I wasn�t.
January 1, 2013
The Goldilocks Rule: Choosing a Book That's Just Right
Goldilocks had the right idea: Sit in the chair that is just right. Eat the porridge that is just right. Find a bed that is just right.
So... �Goldilocks� is my number one rule for reading: find a book that is just right for you.
Why number one? Because making good choices is the first crucial step to falling in love with reading. If kids enjoy a book, they�ll voluntarily try another one. And another one. A negative experience derails that happy train.
The Goldilocks Rule sounds simple, yet following it is a struggle for some of my sixth graders. An adult who knows a kid well can offer guidance, but one of my goals is to help kids discover �just right� books on their own. It�s an empowering quest made easier by these detective tips, which you could demonstrate using a book that�s unfamiliar to kids.
So... �Goldilocks� is my number one rule for reading: find a book that is just right for you.
Why number one? Because making good choices is the first crucial step to falling in love with reading. If kids enjoy a book, they�ll voluntarily try another one. And another one. A negative experience derails that happy train.
The Goldilocks Rule sounds simple, yet following it is a struggle for some of my sixth graders. An adult who knows a kid well can offer guidance, but one of my goals is to help kids discover �just right� books on their own. It�s an empowering quest made easier by these detective tips, which you could demonstrate using a book that�s unfamiliar to kids.
December 20, 2012
Battle of the Books: Titles Unleashed!
This year's titles for the Battle of the Books competition have been announced! The parent in charge went with tried-and-true classics, which the kids are devouring in preparation for the February finale quiz event.
Book List
Elephant Run, Roland Smith (he offers a board game and quizzes about this World War II novel on his website)
Number the Stars (also set in WWII), Lois Lowry
City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau (can you decode the document?)
Elijah of Buxton (freed slaves in Canada), Christopher Paul Curtis (videos and discussion guides)
Book List
Elephant Run, Roland Smith (he offers a board game and quizzes about this World War II novel on his website)
Number the Stars (also set in WWII), Lois Lowry
City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau (can you decode the document?)
Elijah of Buxton (freed slaves in Canada), Christopher Paul Curtis (videos and discussion guides)
August 26, 2012
Let the Battle of the Books Begin!
One evening in February, well past Halloween and not quite Mardi Gras, our school gymnasium looked like a costume party: A group of grey-haired �old men� hobbled in on canes, followed closely by a bevy of beautifully adorned �Greek goddesses.� Some hooded grim reapers crept in next and then�what were they? Not pillow pets, but pillow people?
What whipped these kids into a costumed frenzy? I�m proud to say: books. At this highly anticipated event, the school�s fourth through sixth graders compete to answer questions about eight books in our annual Battle of the Books quiz competition�BOB for short.
Preparation for this year�s BOB begins right now, at the start of the school year. I help choose the eight book titles and we keep them under tight wraps until December. The trick is to find books that appeal to ages 9 to 12 and provide a range of reading levels. You don�t want fourth graders feeling frustrated. (I�ve provided a sample book list at the end of this post.)
Soon, our new students will form their teams of six and secure a coach (a parent or teacher). In our school, that�s 16 to 20 teams, with 96 to 120 students participating. No one is turned away, so some teams might have seven or eight members.
Each team chooses a name: The Book Bosses, Contagious Readers, Pretty Little Readers, Agent 00 Divas, the Grim Readers, the name a few recent ones. Then, kids design costumes�in some cases very elaborate�to go with their theme.
By December, teams can�t wait to report to the gym to collect their stack of eight books�an event in itself. I see fists pump and hear shouts of excitement every time kids realize they have already read a title. Sometimes, students argue over who gets to read which book first. (Be still my heart!)
When the dust settles, the real work begins. Over the next two months, teams meet at lunch, before school, and on weekends to write and answer practice questions, memorize the spelling of author names, and discuss the plots, characters, and settings of each book. By the time the competition rolls around, they know these eight books cover to cover.
What whipped these kids into a costumed frenzy? I�m proud to say: books. At this highly anticipated event, the school�s fourth through sixth graders compete to answer questions about eight books in our annual Battle of the Books quiz competition�BOB for short.
Preparation for this year�s BOB begins right now, at the start of the school year. I help choose the eight book titles and we keep them under tight wraps until December. The trick is to find books that appeal to ages 9 to 12 and provide a range of reading levels. You don�t want fourth graders feeling frustrated. (I�ve provided a sample book list at the end of this post.)
Soon, our new students will form their teams of six and secure a coach (a parent or teacher). In our school, that�s 16 to 20 teams, with 96 to 120 students participating. No one is turned away, so some teams might have seven or eight members.
Each team chooses a name: The Book Bosses, Contagious Readers, Pretty Little Readers, Agent 00 Divas, the Grim Readers, the name a few recent ones. Then, kids design costumes�in some cases very elaborate�to go with their theme.
By December, teams can�t wait to report to the gym to collect their stack of eight books�an event in itself. I see fists pump and hear shouts of excitement every time kids realize they have already read a title. Sometimes, students argue over who gets to read which book first. (Be still my heart!)
When the dust settles, the real work begins. Over the next two months, teams meet at lunch, before school, and on weekends to write and answer practice questions, memorize the spelling of author names, and discuss the plots, characters, and settings of each book. By the time the competition rolls around, they know these eight books cover to cover.
August 15, 2012
My FREADom Library Gets a Reality Check
My FREADOM classroom lending library is back in action! Teenagers Sam and Maddie and a very hard-working sixth grader from last year, Maggie, put in a full day's work to help me set up the entire book center anew. Thank you, ladies!
This year, I removed a gigunda box of books to make room for new titles�more nonfiction (for Common Core informational reading), the latest award winners, and favorites from the giant stack I've been reading all summer.
Marrying Books to Make Them Multiply
I played a lot more matchmaker this year�pairing nonfiction and historic fiction titles on the same topic. Once kids are mouth-agape about a subject, I plan to keep producing variations and fresh takes for them to gobble up.
A timely nonfiction book, in the face of this summer's severe drought, is Jerry Stanley's photo-documentary Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp, which I wed to the historical fiction book Out of The Dust, by Karen Hesse. Hesse's title was #7 in popularity out of all the titles my students read and ranked last year.
This year, I removed a gigunda box of books to make room for new titles�more nonfiction (for Common Core informational reading), the latest award winners, and favorites from the giant stack I've been reading all summer.
Marrying Books to Make Them Multiply
I played a lot more matchmaker this year�pairing nonfiction and historic fiction titles on the same topic. Once kids are mouth-agape about a subject, I plan to keep producing variations and fresh takes for them to gobble up.
A timely nonfiction book, in the face of this summer's severe drought, is Jerry Stanley's photo-documentary Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp, which I wed to the historical fiction book Out of The Dust, by Karen Hesse. Hesse's title was #7 in popularity out of all the titles my students read and ranked last year.
August 12, 2012
My Carrots-and-Sticks (Gotta Have Sticks!) Reading Incentive Program
At times, getting tweens to read is like bleeding a stone. Sometimes, you just have to cram books down their metaphorical throats and make them read. You just do.
That�s the sticks half of my carrots-and-sticks reading incentive program and, say what you will about bribes and rewards and force feeding, it�s worked well for me for the past 20 years.
I call the program Book Buddies�corny, I know, but books are our friends (I tell my students) and a local business called Buddy�s provides the carrots in the form of coupons.
My biggest stick is: The program counts toward their grades. Here�s how it works.
THE READING CONTRACT
Each September, my students sign a contract to read a minimum of one book per month from October through April. That means everyone must read at least seven books at their reading level. That�s seven whole books. For the whole school year. And for some kids, that�s a struggle, believe me.
For each book completed, students will fill out a verification slip with their name, the book title, the author, and a parent/guardian signature.
At orientation night at the beginning of the year, I speak to the parents at great length about reading. I give them some ideas for discussing books with their children�a great family dinnertime conversation. Christopher Paul Curtis in The Mighty Miss Malone would call this �Chief�s and Children�s Chow Chat�!
Of course, the kids are welcome to pledge and read as many books as they like each month. Last year, one girl logged an astonishing 119 titles. My classes as a whole (85 students) read 1,752 books!
I have actually had parents call me to complain that their kids were reading too much and not getting chores or homework done, or not getting enough sleep. Other kids aim a little higher than they can reach with their monthly goals. That�s why I make those goals eligible for negotiation and adjustment, even though the contract is a �legal document.�
That sounds like a stick, doesn�t it?
That�s the sticks half of my carrots-and-sticks reading incentive program and, say what you will about bribes and rewards and force feeding, it�s worked well for me for the past 20 years.
I call the program Book Buddies�corny, I know, but books are our friends (I tell my students) and a local business called Buddy�s provides the carrots in the form of coupons.
My biggest stick is: The program counts toward their grades. Here�s how it works.
THE READING CONTRACT
Each September, my students sign a contract to read a minimum of one book per month from October through April. That means everyone must read at least seven books at their reading level. That�s seven whole books. For the whole school year. And for some kids, that�s a struggle, believe me.
For each book completed, students will fill out a verification slip with their name, the book title, the author, and a parent/guardian signature.
At orientation night at the beginning of the year, I speak to the parents at great length about reading. I give them some ideas for discussing books with their children�a great family dinnertime conversation. Christopher Paul Curtis in The Mighty Miss Malone would call this �Chief�s and Children�s Chow Chat�!
Of course, the kids are welcome to pledge and read as many books as they like each month. Last year, one girl logged an astonishing 119 titles. My classes as a whole (85 students) read 1,752 books!
I have actually had parents call me to complain that their kids were reading too much and not getting chores or homework done, or not getting enough sleep. Other kids aim a little higher than they can reach with their monthly goals. That�s why I make those goals eligible for negotiation and adjustment, even though the contract is a �legal document.�
That sounds like a stick, doesn�t it?
August 9, 2012
NPR Top 100 Teen Books: My Picks
NPR published a final list of top 100 teen books, based on audience voting on a pre-selected list.
Teen isn't tween, and I draw that line sharply in this blog. (My sweet spot is ages 10 to 12.5�the upper half of middle grade, if you go by publishing categories.)
Even so, these 10 teen titles were my choices in the initial voting (out of hundreds of titles). The number in parenthesis is the place they came in on the NPR final list. Eight out of 10 made it!
1. The Book Thief (10)
2. The Giver (11)*
3. Go Ask Alice (35)
4. Harry Potter series (1)
5. The Hobbit (5)
6. The Pigman
7. Stargirl (37)
8. To Kill a Mockingbird (3)
9. Tuck Everlasting (30)
10. The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic
*They included the "series," but these titles are really companion books.
Go Ask Alice is definitely teen, not tween, and has a history of being censored in schools, along with some controversy over authorship and authenticity. (It's a work of pure fiction.) But, the book made a big impact on me when I read it in my teen years.
Teen isn't tween, and I draw that line sharply in this blog. (My sweet spot is ages 10 to 12.5�the upper half of middle grade, if you go by publishing categories.)
Even so, these 10 teen titles were my choices in the initial voting (out of hundreds of titles). The number in parenthesis is the place they came in on the NPR final list. Eight out of 10 made it!
1. The Book Thief (10)
2. The Giver (11)*
3. Go Ask Alice (35)
4. Harry Potter series (1)
5. The Hobbit (5)
6. The Pigman
7. Stargirl (37)
8. To Kill a Mockingbird (3)
9. Tuck Everlasting (30)
10. The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic
*They included the "series," but these titles are really companion books.
Go Ask Alice is definitely teen, not tween, and has a history of being censored in schools, along with some controversy over authorship and authenticity. (It's a work of pure fiction.) But, the book made a big impact on me when I read it in my teen years.
