Do you want to win some books?

Would you like to win copies of the books talked about in class today? Put your name under the books you would like to win and then click submit.

Just what the heck really happened at the end of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole?

My friend Travis Jonker wrote about 6 Theories on the Ending of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole.

What is your theory about what happened at the end of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole?

Answer this question in Google classroom for a chance to get some extra credit!

8th grade research paper on a historical era

Your research paper starts with a book. You will choose a historical fiction, preferably from the following list, and then research the historical period in which your book takes place. 

No more than TWO people may read the same book.

Anderson, Laurie Halse:  Chains, Fever 1793

Barrow, Randi: Saving Zasha

Barth-grozinger, Inge: Something Remains

Bartoletti, Susan: The Boy Who Dared

Brady, Esther Wood: Toliver's Secret
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker: The Lacemaker and the Princess

Bruchach, Joseph: Code Talker
Burg, Shana: A Thousand Never Evers

Chibbaro, Julie: Deadly

Choldenko, Gennifer: Al Capone Does My Shirts

Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher: My Brother Sam is Dead

Compestine, Ying Chang: Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
Curtis, Christopher Paul: The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 
Donnelly, Jennifer: Revolution 
Dowell, Frances O'Roark: Shooting the Moon

Draper, Sharon M.: Copper Sun

Elliott, L.M.: Under a War-Torn Sky
Forbes, Esther: Johnny Tremain

Grant, K.M: Blood Red Horse
Harlow, Joan Hiatt: Firestorm!
House, Silas: Eli the Good

Kadohata, Cynthia: Weedflower

Kidd, Sue Monk: The Secret Life of Bees

Klages, Ellen: The Green Glass Sea

Lasky, Kathryn: Ashes
Levine, Kristin: The Lions of Little Rock 
McCarthy, Susan Carol: Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands
McCormick, Patricia: Never Fall Down
Myers, Walter Dean: Riot

Rinaldi, Ann: A Break with Charity, The Fifth of March, The Coffin Quilt,
Paulsen, Gary: Mr. Tucket

Pearsall, Shelley: Trouble Don’t Last
Sepetys, Ruta: Between Shades of Gray
Shaffer, Mary Ann: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Sharenow, Robert: The Berlin Boxing Club

Smith, Roland: Elephant Run

Speare, Elizabeth George: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Spinelli, Jerry: Milkweed

Stockett, Kathryn: The Help
Taylor, Theodore: The Bomb
Wein, Elizabeth: Code Name Verity

Whelan, Gloria: Angel on the Square, Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Wiles, Deborah: Countdown

Wolf, Joan:  Someone Named Eva
Wright, Barbara: Crow

Yolen, Jane: The Devil’s Arithmetic

Zindel, Paul: The Gadget
Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief

Who should Mr. Schu take on his 2013 summer roadtrip?

Remember at the beginning of the year when I told you about my friend Mr. Schu's road trip where he got to meet Ivan the Gorilla? Well, he wants you to vote for his 2013 road trip mascot.

I voted for Babymouse. Who do you think should accompany Mr. Schu this year?

Vote here.

Interview with Katherine Applegate

As we finished The One and Only Ivan, many of you had questions about how Katherine Applegate was inspired to write the story. Here is a video that will hopefully answer some of those questions.

Leads from our group assignment

For those of you who were intrigued to read one or more of the books from the leads assignment we did the other day, here are the books:

1. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
2. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
3. Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
4. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
5. Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
6. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
7. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
8. The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
9. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
10. Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

There will never be another One and Only Ivan

I was devastated to find out earlier this evening from my friend Mr. Schu that Ivan the gorilla passed away today. It is especially sad for me because my husband and I are on vacation in Florida right now and were considering stopping at Zoo Atlanta to see him on our way home to Michigan.

If you have not read The One and Only Ivan yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It rivals Charlotte's Web when it comes to children's literature that will stand the test of time.

Rest in peace Ivan. You will be dearly missed and your memory will live on in your story.

Look who I got to meet

So I know how much you all love the graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Look who I got to meet at the Kids Read Comics event at the Ann Arbor District Library this past weekend:

Yes, that's me with Raina Telgemeier, author of the awesome graphic novel, Smile:

Not only did she sign a copy of Smile for me, but I also got a Smile t-shirt too! I can't wait to wear it to school when we come back in September.

Other cool things at the Kids Read Comics Event:

Artist Chris Houghton signed a copy of Reed Gunther for me and then drew a personalized picture for my classroom.

 My friends Brian, Colby, Jen, and I pose with  Vordak the Incomprehensible (Photo courtesy of Colby Sharp)

Raina also gave a "turn your life into a comic" workshop at the Robot Supply and Repair Shop a couple blocks from the library. It was such a fun workshop about turning your life into a comic. Well, I say fun, but for me it was quite stressful since I can't draw even a stick figure to save my own life. It was much more inspiring to watch Raina at work than to try to do any sort of drawing myself.

Raina makes an outline of a story from an audience volunteer

Raina draws a comic from the story outline right on the spot

The hilarious finished comic

Overall it was a fun day of getting to hang out with friends and of course meeting great authors and artists. Oh, and let's not forget that I got a Smile t-shirt and a copy of the book signed. Yay! You will definitely see me sporting my Smile shirt when school starts back up again.

Guenter likes Smile too

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. What cool things have you done/will you do?

March is Reading Month Locker Project: A Love Letter to Your Favorite Book

For March is Reading Month we are going to be doing lots of fun bookish projects, the first of which is a love letter to your favorite book. This could be a book that has recently become close to your heart (like mine) or a book that holds fond memories for you from your childhood. The important thing is that you express your love and devotion for that book in only one page so that  it will fit on your locker.

Also necessary to include in your letter is a picture of the book cover. Here is the example that I wrote:

A love letter to my favorite book

Dearest Fault in Our Stars,

In my entire time residing on this planet, I have never declared one favorite book. When people ask what my favorite book is, I always tell them, "I have lots of favorites. I can't choose just one." Today, however, I am here to proclaim my love for my all-time favorite book as you dear Fault in Our Stars.

Back in January, I began to read you and ended up wiling away an entire day. I never do that. I don't have time anymore. But when I started to read the first pages of your heartbreaking story, I did not move from my chair until I finished.

I don't even know how to express my feelings for you in words dear Fault in Our Stars. Hazel and Augustus were real people to me. They were two of the most wonderful teenagers ever to have graced this planet, even if only in the pages of your brilliant book. So as their tragic story unfolded, I grieved for them. As I sat there reading, a pile of sodden tissues in my lap, my thoughts ping-ponged between sadness and joy. Conversations that were supposed to be tragic ended up making me laugh out loud at their light-heartedness and humor. Scenes that would have been cliché and caused me to roll my eyes in any other book made me weep at their tenderness and romanticism.

So thank you dear Fault in Our Stars. Thank you for Hazel and Augustus and Isaac and for all of the other amazing characters to grace your brilliant story. When I turned your final page, I grieved. Not just for the characters and for the end of you, but also for the fact that I don't know if any book I read from here on out will ever live up to you. You have made my reading life from this day forward a much more challenging endeavor and for that I am ever grateful.

My undying and everlasting love,

Beth Shaum

Plans for reading over Christmas break

To my dear, lovely 6th graders:

Christmas break is soon upon us, and many of you have visions of sleeping late (except for Christmas morning of course), sledding in the snow, and snuggling up by the fire with a warm mug of hot cocoa.

NOT SO FAST! You need to include reading in those daydreams.

Given that you are expected to read 5 books per quarter - which equates to finishing a book every week and a half - you can't assume that Christmas break is going to be time spent away from books.

So, I want you to take some time in class to peruse the classroom library, the school library, and even Goodreads, and start making some plans for what you want to read over break. I will expect a planned-out list of 2-3 books by Wednesday, which is our first day of reading conferences.

I understand many of you will not finish two or three books over break, but you all should at least finish ONE book. I still want you to give me a list of 2-3 books even if you only plan to finish one. Why? So in case you DO finish one book earlier than expected, you have a plan for what you will read next.

And since you all know that I never make you do something I myself wouldn't do, these are some of the books I have plans for reading over break:

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

In this much-anticipated sequel to the young adult book, Delirium, Lauren Oliver builds a dystopian world where love is considered a disease and you must get a surgical procedure when you are 18 to be cured of it. I received the ARC of this book at NCTE and cannot wait to read it! Publication date: March 6, 2012

Wintertown by Stephen Emond

This is another ARC I received at NCTE and it has been on my to-read list for quite some time. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book his illustrations, which gives it kind of a "young adult meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid" feel to it.

You might also have noticed that I recently put up a poster in the room of this book cover.

Publication date: December 5, 2011

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

I have been reading this book on and off since October and I think it's time I just buck up and finish it. I'm enjoying the book, it's not as if it's boring or anything, but there are so many other books that I've been wanting to finish that this one just got pushed by the wayside. I WILL finish this book over break. I can guarantee that. (Famous last words, right?)

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

I got the audiobook of this at the library because I feel like my reading life is sorely lacking in children's classics (and adult classics for that matter). This book is over 100 years old, so I'd definitely say it's a classic.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman endeared himself to me when I went to one of his sessions at NCTE about humor in writing and in the classroom. His inspiration for writing this book was that he was tired of reading sad books where the dog dies at the end. At the conference, Mr. Korman said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Whenever a kid picks up a book with an award sticker and a picture of a dog on the cover, the kid pretty much knows that dog is going down." With a pitch like that, how can you not want to read this book?

This is another one I will be tackling on audio thanks to my wonderful neighborhood library.


Now I know what you're thinking: "Mrs. Shuam, that's FIVE books! How are you going to read FIVE books in less than two weeks?!"

Pish posh! I've been known to finish TEN books in two weeks. So, the challenge is on! Who is going to read more books than Mrs. Shaum over Christmas break? (By the way, this is a challenge I will have NO PROBLEM losing. In fact, I wish I could lose this challenge to ALL OF YOU!)

Literature Extra Credit Opportunity

We talked in class today about two extra credit opportunities for literature.

Way #1

Write more than 6 letters per quarter in your literature journal

This is a fairly easy, straightforward way of boosting your grade: go above and beyond the minimum requirement. Write over six quality letters to classmates or to me and you'll earn one point per extra letter you write.

Way #2

Sign up for and maintain a Goodreads account

Goodreads is one of my favorite Internet websites. It allows you to keep track of the books you've read and the books you want to read. This can be a big help for you this year given your twenty book requirement. In order to earn your extra credit, you must consistently update your account - not just sign up for it and forget about it. Be sure to "friend" me too once you've signed up so I can keep track of your activity and therefore give you your extra credit.