50 States, 50+ Books

When I think of summer, one of the images that comes to mind is that of the great all-American road trip. Blue skies, windows down and great companionship. I do love a good road trip!

One of my students is headed out for a three week road trip with her family (dog included) next week. Hearing about their plans has made me nostalgic for road trips and specifically for the cross-country drive I made when I moved from Maryland to Washington eight years ago. I set out with a dear friend and a carefully-packed Honda Accord the summer after college. From the Corn Palace to the Dave Matthews concert at the beautiful Gorge Amphitheater, we had a great, great time. I know I've already mentioned my love for Laura Ingalls Wilder, but my only sadness on that trip was skipping the detour (albeit a multi-hour detour) to see her home in DeSmet, South Dakota. 

All of these thoughts reminded me of a magazine article that I read a few years ago about incorporating relevant books into your travels. Be it fiction set where you're headed or books about the history of your destination, reading can add to a trip and make it come alive. When my friend and I drove cross-country that summer, we'd often read aloud about our next destination. In fact, we read enough about the wildlife in Yellowstone to scare ourselves out of camping there! All of this is to say that the intersection of reading and travel has inspired me to start a 50 Books for 50 States list. Children's books from picture books to young adult novels set in or inspired by each of the states in the union. I've got tons of ideas and will share them in chunks of ten over the course of the next few months. Good summer reading project for a book-loving Geography teacher, eh?! Take a peek and see if you see a familiar title, one you'd like to check out, or if you think of a must-read you'd like to suggest. 
Enjoy!

50 Books for 50 States - List 1 of 5

Alaska - Julie of the Wolves* by Jean Craighead George

Arizona - Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson

California - A Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Unhid

Hawaii - The Last Princess: The Story of Princess Ka'Iulani of Hawaii by Fay Stanley

Illinois - The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Maine - One Morning in Maine by Robert McClosky

Maryland - Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson, Homecoming* by Cynthia Voigt

Oregon - Ramona Quimby, Age 8*  by Beverly Cleary

Virginia - Misty of Chincoteague* by Marguerite Henry, Meet Felicity* by Valerie Tripp

West Virginia - When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

A few notes about this list: 1) I've chosen to link up to the Scholastic website because I like the ease with which one can access the information on interest level and reading level. What was gained in the data department was perhaps sacrificed in the creative writing department. i.e. That information's listed but the book descriptions are somewhat lacking. Particularly heartbreaking, among these books, was the description of Homecoming. It is a beautiful book and the beginning of a lovely series but you'd never know it from the description on the Scholastic site. Sigh. A teacher friend of mine often tells her students, "No one person can be everything for anyone." The same is true, I'm finding, of a website. 2) The asterisks denote books in a series. I simply chose one of the books in the series (often the first) to list here. Happy reading!

Week One: School's Out for Summer!

One week in, and it's time for an update on what I've been reading.

Books of the Week:

A to Z Mysteries: Zombie Zone by Ron Roy

Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail

Under the Weather: Stories about Climate Change edited by Tony Bradman

My favorite book of the week was Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom. The story of a shy boy who is learning to be brave at a new summer camp, it was a perfect book to read right as school was letting out for vacation. As an adult, it reminded me of what it's like for kids to try something new. My students are learning to be brave and try new things all the time, be it a new camp, a new martial arts class or a new soccer team. I also have a few for whom tutoring is new. For whom I am new. It's helpful to be reminded that walking in the door on day one takes something for them, and that their brains will make up all sorts of things about what going to tutoring means about them. 

Back to Justin Case. The book is written in a series of journal entries about the summer that Justin goes to Camp GoldenBrook, "where all the runny-aroundy kids go", instead of science camp where he's gone in years past. It isn't an easy transition and Justin sometimes wishes he'd never decided to leave science camp after all. He's both believable and resilient, and a character that kids who are shy, funny, worried, or clever will relate to with ease. His journal entries will have you laughing out loud, particularly when he mentions "the horrible flip-flops of doom". I haven't decided on a rating system yet, but this book will get lots of stars, thumbs up, or gold coins when I do. In the meantime, here's the nitty gritty. 

Reading Level: 5.2* Interest Level: 3* 

The other books I read this week were Under the Weather: Stories about Climate Change, and The Zombie Zone, from the A to Z Mysteries series. The former was a mix of stories from all over the world, tied together by the theme of kids effected by climate change. The stories were a hodgepodge that varied greatly in quality. Some great, some I couldn't wait to be done with. If you pick this book up, the first story, "How to Build a Sandcastle", is astounding and wonderful.  

The Zombie Zone is part of the A-Z Mystery series, which I love to use with early readers. The books are not too long and not too tough, but have story-lines with enough twists, turns, and interesting details to keep kids engaged and begging for more when each chapter ends. The characters are likable, and kids always get a chuckle out of the ever-hungry, ever-humorous Josh. I took an informal poll of kids this past week and the favorites from this series seem to be The Absent Author, The Ninth Nugget  and The Haunted Hotel.  The Zombie Zone was pretty good, but not the best of the bunch according to my students, and I agree. The series ranges in level from about 2.4 - 4.2 and is of interest to second and third graders.

*Reading and Interest Levels listed for Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom are actually for Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Disasters. My eye would say that these are at least very close, if not right on. 

Hooked on Books

I remember well the first book that transported me to another world. I was five years old and my family was headed to the Bahamas. My mother had packed a copy of Little House in the Big Woods and began reading it aloud on the jumbo jet that carried us south. I can still clearly picture Laura's red calico dress, the blue dress that her sister, Mary, wore to match her eyes, and their family's little cabin in the big woods of Wisconsin. Laura told of her family's chores and barn dances with cousins and neighbors. I wasn't quite sure what a pig bladder was, but I knew that it could be blown up like a balloon and playing with it sounded awfully fun. It's funny, really; my memories of the Bahamas are just as much about sleigh rides and maple syrup as they are about boat rides, sandy beaches and the friends we visited there. I was hooked. Soon after we got home, I was trading off reading pages of Little House on the Prairie with my parents.  

Throughout my life, books have been there for me, the little mental vacations I've gotten to take when I enter the world of another. I began elementary school with Laura Ingalls Wilder, spent third grade engrossed in the world of the American Girl characters, fourth grade in Nazi Germany and on the western prairies, and the following two years bouncing between all of those titles about children making it on their own, with no parents to speak of. As an adult, I can remember which vacation included the latest Jodi Picoult, the Christmas I flew back to Seattle reading Bossypants while trying not to wake anyone with my laughter, and which Thanksgiving trip was set amidst the pages of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

But I digress. Back to the impetus for the blog: I love it when kids tell me what's happening in their reading at home, beg me to let them read "just a little more" or talk to me about characters like they're real friends. That's gold. I love knowing that those kiddos are going to discover all kinds of things (new words, new worlds, concepts, ideas, comfort and questions) in what they are reading. 

As I work with reading students, I always look for what books will be a good fit for them. There are a number of factors to consider, including the genre, topic, reading level and interest level.  With all of the books out there, it would seem easy to match kids with books that fit them and yet its not always that simple. 

I have several types of kids and want to be sure to fid books for each type: 1) The student whose skill level and interest in reading are both low. In my experience, these kids are often most open to trying funny books, mysteries, or books that speak to their specific interests, like a particular sport or animal. 2) Students whose reading skills haven't yet caught up to their love of a good story or information. These are the kids reading fifth and sixth grade level books despite reading on a third grade level. They simply want to know, and aren't bothered by missing some words or concepts along the way. 3) Then there are skilled and relatively skilled readers, who are just not yet hooked on books. I have a few kids who simply have other interests-- horseback-riding, swimming, tennis, science, dance... It is with each of these archetypes in mind (and really the faces of those students in mind), that I begin my journey here. I've gathered recommendations from kids and adults, and am also happy to follow my nose at the library in search of a good book.  

Here's the promise: at least three books and a post per week for the next year.  I can't wait to share my thoughts on life and learning-- and to get reading!