Showing posts with label Newbery Award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newbery Award. Show all posts

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina. 2018

Generically Newbery
Inspiration Book:
Merci Suarez changes gears by Medina, Meg — Candlewick Press, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.3. Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately -- forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. Newbery Award 2019. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at www.titlewave.com
Rationale: When the new year turns, when it’s back to school time after Winter Break, when the American Library Association announces its annual awards, in other words, when it’s January, I frequently hold a Newbery Readathon. While Merci Suarez Changes Gears can easily be studied on its own as a stand alone piece of literature, I’ve instead chosen to share a more generic approach to the Newbery Award. There are so many themes within Merci that are valid and valuable to pursue, themes like grandparent- grandchild relationships, private and public schools, generational living, middle schools, bullying, mean girls, aging, etc. as part of a thematic study as well. You will find Teacher Resources, and a Related Books List below if you choose to do a study-alone of Merci.
What is a Newbery Readathon? During a given period of time, usually a month, and usually in January or at the very end of the school year or even at the very beginning of the year, whenever the teacher(s) involved want to pursue the event, the entire class(es) devote their language arts time to reading and sharing as many Newbery Award winners as possible. 
Where is the Newbery Readathon held? Since this is a joint effort, it is held in the classroom(s) and the library and students move freely during their language arts time between the two rooms. The library serves as the supply source, check-out location, recommendation site (students, teachers, and librarian, or whoever is available offer reading ideas), reading site, and sharing location. The classroom serves similarly, but also is the location point for specific student and teacher interaction. 
Who can benefit from a Newbery Readathon? The majority of Newbery books are for Grades 4 and above, thus appropriate reading for upper grade students. I have used the method for students in Grades 5-8, in other words, the middle school grade range. It seems to work well for them because classes are often departmentalized with different teachers and a set period of time is allocated each day for language arts.
Why do we do a Newbery Readathon? The contemporary classroom curricula is so programmed and so stuffed with filling and meeting required standards that students rarely have the time to learn the important life skill of reading for enjoyment and become a lifetime reader. A Newbery Readathon allows students to read books of topics or themes of interest to them and at their reading level, thus providing for individual differences. Books students may not ordinarily read on their own accord become possibilities. Many of the Newbery books stretch a student’s usual reading depth and move them out of a reading rut.
How do we do a Newbery Readathon? The basic construct is the same each year, but the exact method may be tweaked based on the specific students, the time of year, and the amount of time available. Note the quote below from Blended by Sharon Draper in which I describe a class reading program. 
“Once upon a time, a long time ago, my school had a class devoted to only reading. Everyday     students came to that class to read. They read and read and read and kept a daily diary of the titles and number of pages read. In fact, part of their grade was based on the number of pages read. At the end of each week students spent fifteen minutes writing about one aspect of their weekly reading: characters, plot, style, mood, etc. And, I thought, “Oh, Mr. Westfall, what an easy class to teach.” What was Mr. Westfall doing during that class? He was reading and collecting books to share with the class. If a student really liked a book, he’d locate and recommend a similar book, and that book became available on his library table, set aside, at least for the week, for the student who needed or wanted the book. The table was always changing. Sometimes it featured an author; sometimes a theme; sometimes random choices. Based on comments in the students’ weekly writing, Mr. Westfall had individual conferences with each student, not weekly, but at least every other week.  Mr. Westfall knew his students and the result was a very individualized class. Mr. Westfall created a love for reading and a class of readers. Perhaps some librarian should recommend that a class like this “once upon a time” class be re-established in middle schools and high schools.” https://www.mybooksalive.com/2020/01/blended-by-sharon-m-draper-2018.html
The structure is basically the same as the program above, but I sometimes make some structural modifications when I set up the program. Some years I label the reading level of each title; some years I sort by theme or genre; and some years I add the honor books, especially if all students grades 5-8 are involved in the Newbery Readathon at the same time. There are some years when only one grade participates--often the eighth grade asks for their own Newbery Readathon.
It’s the method of sharing or the culminating activity that varies from year to year or grade to grade or even individually. Below are a few ideas for the sharing aspect that have proven to be the most popular and effective:
  • Make a scrapbook page for the main character, plot, or setting
  • Make a webpage for the book with links to additional resources
  • Make an advertizing poster
  • Prepare a sales speech promoting the book
  • Dress as the main character and introduce the character
  • Make a list of “read alike” books
  • Write a reader’s theater script for one scene and recruit friends to perform it 
  • Make a shoebox diorama
  • Make a mural that emphasizes the setting
  • If more than one student has read the book, have each student write interview questions and interview the other
  • Add to our library media podcast
  • Find two other students who have read a book about a similar plot and have a panel discussion
  • Make a book diary
  • Three Wishes--how would the student change the story and why--written or oral
  • Student choice, especially if the suggestion includes technology


TEACHER RESOURCES FOR CLASSROOM STUDY OF MERCI:


Audio Excerpt narrated by Frankie Corzo https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=15451
Word lists, definitions, and example sentences on Vocabulary.com https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/2638946
Meet-the-Author Recoding with Meg Medina about Merci Suarez Changes Gears (4:15 min.) https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=15789
Personal Website for Meg Medina https://megmedina.com
RELATED TITLES:
Booked by Alexander, Kwame  — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 3.9. Twelve-year-old Nick loves soccer and hates books, but soon learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams.
Goodbye stranger by Stead, Rebecca Wendy Lamb Books, 2015 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.1. As Bridge makes her way through seventh grade on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friends, curvacious Em, crusader Tab, and a curious new friend, she finds the answers she has been seeking. 
Fish in a tree by Hunt, Lynda Mullaly — Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.2. Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read.
Flying lessons & other stories — Edited by Ellen Oh. Crown, 2017,  -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.5. Matt de la Pena -- Difficult path / Grace Lin -- Sol Painting Inc. / Meg Medina -- Secret Samantha / Tim Federle -- Beans and rice chronicles of Isaiah Dunn / Kelly J. Baptist -- Choctaw Bigfoot, midnight in the mountains / Tim Tingle -- Main Street / Jacqueline Woodson -- Flying lessons / Soman Chainani -- Seventy-six dollars and forty-nine cents / Kwame Alexander -- Sometimes a dream needs a push / Walter Dean Myers. From basketball dreams and family fiascos to first crushes and new neighborhoods, this anthology, written by award-winning children's authors, celebrates the uniqueness and universality in all of us. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from www.titlewave.com
Hello universe by Kelly, Erin Entrada — Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.7. The lives of four misfits are intertwined when a bully's prank lands shy Virgil at the bottom of a well and Valencia, Kaori, and Gen band together in an epic quest to find and rescue him.
You go first by Kelly, Erin Entrada  — Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.7. Charlotte, twelve, and Ben, eleven, are highly-skilled competitors at online Scrabble and that connection helps both as they face family issues and the turmoil of middle school.
The seventh wish by Messner, Kate — Bloomsbury, 2017 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.8. Unsure of how to get her family's attention, Charlie comes across the surprise of her life one day while ice-fishing...in the form of a floppy, scaly fish offering to grant her a wish in exchange for its freedom.

The way to Bea by Yeh, Kat — Little, Brown and Company, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.6. Recently estranged from her best friend and weeks away from shifting from only child to big sister, seventh grader Beatrix Lee consoles herself by writing haiku in invisible ink and hiding the poems, but one day she finds a reply--is it the librarian with all the answers, the editor of the school paper who admits to admiring her poetry, an old friend feeling remorse, or the boy obsessed with visiting the local labyrinth?











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Thursday, July 12, 2018

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. 2014

Try a Winter or March Madness Book Club
Inspiration Book:
The crossover by Alexander, Kwame — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014--Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.3 Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett

Rationale: As a librarian I rarely “teach” a book as a piece of literature. Instead I give the book and related resources to a language arts teacher to pursue. At the same time, I offer suggestions for how, I, the librarian and the library facility and resources can help. Once in a while, I find a book so profound that I absolutely want to share the whole book with a group of students. The Crossover is one of those profound books.

How do I share such a book that I don’t or can’t teach during time-limited library classes that need to be filled with skills and research? Well, here’s one way...During the winter months when the temperatures are too cold for outdoor activities, I sponsor several book clubs or book activities or projects. For a book club the individuals in the group read the book on their own or we read it together over no longer than a two week period. Sometimes whether individuals read or we read together or I read aloud depends on whether I can get enough copies of the book without buying them. I do both public library and school library interlibrary loans to gather as many copies as I can. At times, the number that can participate in the book club is limited by the number of books I can gather. I can usually count on gathering a dozen, and that’s usually a good number to limit for an indoor extracurricular activity. When a teacher asks about a book being read in book club because the students are talking about it, I KNOW we have made a good choice. When a teacher asks whether a book would be a good one to teach as a literary piece, I KNOW we have made an excellent choice. When a teacher copies some of the activities we do that correlate with a book I KNOW we have made a superior choice. All three happened with The Crossover.

For The Crossover book club, I read aloud, but had enough books for the participants to follow along. I wanted students to see the visual presentations of the poems as well as hear them. I didn’t want students to “analyze” the book or answer specific questions or do homework. I suggested that the students bring up questions for discussion. At times we used the terms at the head of the chapters to begin the discussion, but we wanted to read and enjoy primarily. A few discussion questions that I borrowed from Vermont Libraries http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFBookReviewsQuestions15-16.pdf
  • What is the meaning of the title The Crossover? Does it have two meanings?
  • There are ten poems in the book called “Basketball Rules.” Discuss these poems and how
                  they fit into the overall story.
  • Why did the boys’ father not want to go to a doctor? How did you feel about that
  •       decision?
  • Discuss the importance of sports in the lives of the Bell family. How did playing
  •       basketball help each person become who they are or want to be?

Jon Scieszka and his push for books that boys will read and Kathleen Baxter’s presentations promoting nonfiction books have awakened my awareness in searching for high interest books that boys will read. Kwame Alexander expresses that same interest and awareness. Both The Crossover and Booked appeal to middle school boys. I have found that if a book tells an active yet thought-provoking story both boys and girls will read it and enjoy it. If the characters have relateable traits that’s even better. I’m still careful about using girly-girl stories for a mixed group of upper elementary and middle school students.

Procedural How To Ideas:
  1. Gather sufficient copies of The Crossover.
  2. Promote the Book Club via classroom visits, library classes, PA system, flyers home, and hallway posters.
  3. Preview the videos featuring interviews (see teacher resources) with Kwame Alexander and decide which one(s) to use.
  4. Plan to use the book trailer. Booklist Reader, Book Trailer Thursday http://www.booklistreader.com/2015/02/05/book-trailers/book-trailer-thursday-the-crossover/
  5. Decide which activities you would like to do throughout the two weeks and as a culminating activity.
    1. I chose one idea from Vermont Libraries http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFBookReviewsQuestions15-16.pdf encouraging students to perform a poem such as “Filthy McNasty” (p. 10), “The Show” (pp.30- 31), “Ode to my hair” (p. 33), “Man to man” (p. 59), “The last shot” (pp. 221-222).
    2. The Houghton Mifflin Book Guide Book Guide https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/TheCrossover_BG.pdf
has several ideas that work well for a book club.
      1. Have students choose one of the main characters: JB, Josh, Dad, and Mom and jot down character traits as the book is read. At the end of the book each student creates a sketch or collage representing that character.
      2. Compare and contrast the twins using a Venn diagram. Develop the diagram as a group, adding any new items at the end of each day.
      3. Share reading via Readers’ Theater. The HM Book Guide suggests these poems because the text is in two parts
  • “Conversation” (pp. 17–19)
  • “The game is tied” (p. 36)
  • “Mom doesn’t like us eating out” (pp. 41–42)
  • “The inside of Mom and Dad’s bedroom closet” (pp. 44–47)
  • “Dad Takes Us to Krispy Kreme and Tells Us His Favorite Story (Again)” (pp. 63–65)
  • “Mom calls me into the kitchen” (pp. 96–98)
  • “Phone Conversation (I Sub for JB)” (pp. 106–109)
  • “Suspension” (pp. 138–141)
  • “I run into Dad’s room” (pp. 165–167)
  • “School’s Out” (pp. 188–189)
  • “Santa Claus Stops By” (pp. 207–209)
  • “Questions” (pp. 210–211)


6.  Prepare a display of the Related Titles. All the titles are either sports related, have African American main characters, or are written in verse.


Related Titles:
How Lamar's bad prank won a Bubba-sized trophy by Allen, Crystal — Balzer + Bray, c2011 p2012. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 3.5. When thirteen-year-old, bowling-obsessed Lamar Washington finds out that his idol is coming to town, he finds himself involved in some unsavory activities as he tries to change his image to impress people.

Planet Middle School by Grimes, Nikki — Bloomsbury, 2011. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.8. A series of poems describes all the baffling changes at home and at school in twelve-year-old Joylin's transition from tomboy basketball player to not-quite-girly girl.

Darnell Rock reporting by Myers, Walter Dean — Dell, 1996. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.5. Thirteen-year-old Darnell's twin sister and the other members of the Corner Crew have doubts about his work on the school newspaper, but the article he writes about a homeless man changes his attitude about school.

Garvey's choice by Grimes, Nikki — WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, 2016. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.5. Preferring science and reading to the sports his father wants him to play, Garvey comforts himself with food and endures bullying before joining the school chorus, where he learns how to accept himself and bond with his father.

Sasquatch in the paint (Streetball Crew, Book 1) by Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem — Disney-Hyperion Books, 2015. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.5. Eighth-grader Theo Rollins' growth spurt has Coach Mandrake trying to transform him into a basketball star, but training time is hurting the science club's chances of winning the "Aca-lympics," and being accused of stealing could mean Theo is off both teams.

Locomotion by Woodson, Jacqueline — Putnam's, 2003. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.7. Inspired by his teacher, eleven-year-old Lonnie begins to write about his life in a series of poems in which he discusses his feelings about his friends, his foster mom, his little sister Lili, and the death of his parents.

As brave as you by Reynolds, Jason  — A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.8. When two brothers decide to prove how brave they are, everything backfires -- literally.

The dream bearer by Myers, Walter Dean — HarperTrophy, 2004. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.0. During a summer in Harlem, David relies on his mother and a close friend and on an old man he meets in the park to help him come to terms with his father's outbursts and unstable behavior.

Peace, Locomotion by Woodson, Jacqueline  — Putnam's, 2009. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.0. Through letters to his little sister, who is living in a different foster home, sixth-grader Lonnie, also known as "Locomotion," keeps a record of their lives while they are apart, describing his own foster family, including his foster brother who returns home after losing a leg in the Iraq War.

A star is born (Cruisers) by Myers, Walter Dean — Scholastic Press, 2012. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.1. Zander's play, Act Six, brings Da Vinci Academy into the spotlight, especially when LaShonda's costume designs win her an opportunity she can accept only if she is willing to leave her autistic brother and their group home behind.

The mouse rap by Myers, Walter Dean — HarperTrophy, 1992. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.2. During an eventful summer in Harlem, fourteen-year-old Mouse and his friends fall in and out of love and search for a hidden treasure from the days of Al Capone.

Brown girl dreaming by Woodson, Jacqueline — Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2014. Dewey: 811; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.3. "The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South

Summer ball by Lupica, Mike  — Puffin Books, c2007 p2008. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.3. Sequel to: Travel team. Thirteen-year-old Danny must prove himself all over again for a disapproving coach and against new rivals at a summer basketball camp.

Travel team by Lupica, Mike  — Puffin, c2004 p2006. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.3. After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.

Leaving Fletchville by Schmidt, Rene — Orca Book Publishers, 2008. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.7. Leon, Winnie, and Sam, three African-American siblings who recently changed schools, receive help from an unlikely source--Brandon the school bully.

Teaching Resources:


Discussion Questions from Unleashing Readers










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