That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week

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That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week:

Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life

By Ana Homayoun

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and instantly visualized about four students I work with this year who might benefit from it's knowledge! I ordered it from the library right away. I really thought it was interesting, especially when she classifies different personalities that boys tend to have and how each one handles school and stress and life in general. I was sitting in bed read about Over-Scheduled Procrastinators and looked over at Chad...because that is so him! He's great guy, friendly, a natural leader, involved in lots of stuff...but sometimes too involved that he has trouble keeping things straight...and he's been known to start papers or projects the night before (believe me, I've known him since college and through his master's degree). Anyway, besides that she offers solid ideas for helping students (mainly boys) get organized and take control of their lives. So many boys lately seem like their parents are micromanaging them and it's not helping them out, or they are so overwhelmed and not sure how to get organized so they just don't even try. It's not cool, and especially not for them.

I have to say the ideas and strategies are not rocket-science by any means but it does help to read about what students were experiencing and how and why the ideas helped them and to just read about what has worked for so many kids. I've already shared this book with lots of colleagues and one student's parents and I have lots of ideas for helping my students in the future. I hope it makes a difference!

The Teacher's Funeral

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The Teacher's Funeral

By Richard Peck

Honestly, I grabbed this book because some website had it listed as science fiction...and even though it didn't seem like science fiction, I listened to it anyway. It most definitely is not a science fiction book. It is, however, a nice fiction book about a boy growing up in Indiana at the turn of the century and one year of his life. I liked the characters in the book and I liked reading about what he worried about and what school was like for him back when they had one-room schoolhouses. I think it would be a good book to help kids understand how different life used to be. I have never read a Richard Peck book so this was my first. I liked the writing, it wasn't a life-altering book, but it was a good read. His writing kind of reminds me of Steinbeck...not sure if it's because of the time period he was writing about or just the matter-of-factness of his writing, but I was thinking about Steinbeck. I'd say it was Steinbeck for intermediate/middle schoolers. I'm not a huge fan of Steinbeck but I did enjoy this book.

Enthusiasm

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Enthusiasm

By Polly Shulman

Gosh, I'm stuck on what to say about this book. In the end, I would say I liked it. I definitely think any YA girl would like this book. The reason I'm stuck is that I didn't like it that much at the beginning. I'm not sure if the voice changed towards the middle/end or if I just got used to the voice about halfway through. This book is supposed to parallel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which is fine, but it seemed kind of forced in the beginning. I think the characters were fun though and it ended up being a good story.

Whales on Stilts

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Whales on Stilts

By M. T. Anderson

I've been on the hunt for a good science fiction book to read with my 5th grade student. I grabbed this one from the library having no idea what to expect. It was such a fun read though. I think it'll be a little too hard for my student just because it's written in such a funky style. It kind of reminds me of Series of Unfortunate Events because the narrator stops (occasionally) to talk to the reader and there are lots of puns and parts that allude to other stories or science fiction in general. I enjoyed this book though, it cracked me up. It was super fun.

Field Museum Fun!

Last weekend, on a complete whim we decided to take a trip to the Field Museum. Chad and I haven't been in forever, and Jordan had never been. We packed up lunch and hopped in the car. Jordan and I slept on the way down while Chad drove. (This happens a lot...maybe too much.)

Our first stop when we got there was the new children's section called the Crown Family Play Lab. It was a great space in the basement where Jordan made a crown with animals on it and then dug for fossils. Very cool!

Then we headed upstairs to see Sue. I have never seen Sue and she is pretty cool. I do have to say I thought she was going to be much bigger, but she was still cool. Jordan thought she was awesome.
We walked around and saw the animals and went to Egypt. After lunch we go tickets for the Dino 3-D show and went to see the other dinosaurs. Jordan was pretty excited at this point, I'm pretty sure he's roaring in this picture!
It was a fun trip! It was perfect for an overcast, winter day!