Nobody Bothers to Look

"Well, that's just my point. Nobody bothers to look."  These were some of Professor Savant's words to the children today in their first lesson with him. 
"Think of being as small as an ant down there.  Look at it as if you were indeed a beetle or a worm.  Wouldn't the Earth be different to you then? Wouldn't it be a whole new countryside? The lumps of clay would be mountains and the blades of grass would be a forest."

Today, I want you to look as the professor encouraged Ben, Tom and Lindy to look at the world today in chapter 4.  Look up.  Look down.  Look at the world as you have never looked at it before.

Discussion points:

What did you notice? Describe the wondrous, surprising, amazing things that you saw.  Think of the professor, and especially Lindy as you write.

The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

Hello Room Full of Readers!
I am so excited to be reading you one of my all-time favorite books!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did at your age. 
We have read to chapter 5, and have met the main characters and a few others.  I am curious to hear your impressions of those characters so far.

Discussion Points:
1.  Tell me who your favorite character is so far and why.  Make sure you give me examples from the book to back up your claim.
2. Who is your least favorite character so far, and why?
3. Who is the character you are the most curious about, and why?

Happy Reading!

This Book is not Good For You

This is the third novel in the Secret Series.  It is 390 pages and is sure to make your taste buds tingle!

Cass and Max-Ernest learn of an ancient abject used by the Aztecs to make food taste like anything.  Will the midnight sun manipulate Cass for it?

This book's strong points are the Great Escape, and the dark and devious night in a "blind", Chef's restaurant.

If you want taste, you need smell and hearing, get The Name of This Book is Secret, and If You're Reading This, It's Too Late.

Captives are held, secrets are told, and lots of chocolate ( dark chocolate) is eaten. I'd think twice before biting this tasty novel.

By Paul

Better or Worse?

Yikes, during the last two chapters of Schooled, we heard from Hugh and from Zach.  Neither of them are very happy with Cap right now.  Things seem to be going better and better for Cap, and not so well for both of them.

Discussion Points:
1. Give some examples of how things seem to be getting better for Cap, and worse for Hugh and Zach.
2. What do you predict will be the high part of the story mountain, or the turning point in this story? Be sure to explain your thoughts fully and use examples( or evidence0 whenever possible.

12-12-12

Hello  2308 Readers!
What a fun day we had today celebrating the number 12! For today's blog post, in honor of 12-12-12, let's list twelve of our favorite books!

Here is my list:
1. The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. Mandy
4. Maniac Magee
5. Charlotte's Web
6. The Phantom Tollbooth
7. The Black Stallion
8. Misty of Chincoteague
9. James and the Giant Peach
10. The BFG
11.Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
12. The Hunger Games

Gosh, there are many more that I love, but there are 12 books I love anyways.  I can't wait to read your lists........
Happy Reading and 12-12-12!

Mrs. S

Magyk Book Talk

I rate Magyk by Angie Sage a ten because how she explains the scene, characters, and the way they feel.  Magyk is an adventurous novel with action, adventure, and excitement bursting out of the seams.  In this book you will meet Jenna who is actually is the princess, you will also meet boy 412, and Jenna's "brothers" and family.  This book is about first finding the seventh son of the seventh son, and saving Jenna from the assassins trying to kill her so she will not take over the throne, because the supreme custodian wants the throne to belong to him forever until he dies.  This book is part of a five book series and I am on the second named Flyte and I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.  So do you love it or hate it?  If you ahte it I suggest you change your philosophy and at least try it because it is good, really good.


Discussion Points:

1.  Please share what you noticed and liked about this book talk.  Remember to reference the 5 S's......Specifics, summary, strong points, suggestions, and selling point.
2.  Give any feedback for grammar and editing points that you notice.  Please remember to give feedback in a respectful and helpful way.

Character Changes

In our class read aloud, we talked about how we noticed some characters changing their attitudes.  Character development is something we are working on in our writing as well.

In Maniac Magee, one of our earlier read alouds, one of the characters, Mars Bar, started out as quite a bully.  He was nasty to Maniac.  Throughout the story, Maniac had various interactions with Mars Bar.  Towards the end of the story, Mars Bar begins to respect Maniac, and they really become friends.

Discussion Points:

1. From Schooled, pick a character and talk about any small changes that they may have made recently.  Be sure to give examples from our reading.

2.  From your own reading, or from a previous book you have read independently, discuss how a character changed throughout the story.  Be sure to use examples from your reading to back up your claim.