Think about the things you have been reading over the summer. Add a comment explaining what you have been reading. 
Include:

·                What you have been reading

·                What you thought about what you read (Did you like it? Why or why not?)

·                What made you pick the book up to read (Did someone recommend the book to you? Did you like the title? Did you like the cover of the book/magazine? Did someone tell you to read it? Do you like the author?)

Example: 
Scat was the title of one of the books I read this summer. I read it with my kids. We chose this book to read together because we have read other books by this author, Carl Hiaissen. The book was extremely interesting to read and kept the kids and I wanting to read more. I really liked the way the author revealed different details throughout the text that wove the story together. It was also interesting to have the heroes of the story be school aged children. 

Picture Source: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0375834877/ref=asc_df_03758348771667493?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0375834877

Which Book Would You Like To Include On Your Summer Reading List?

You and your classmates left a comment on last week's blog post describing a book that you really enjoyed reading this year. You included a summary of the book and why it kept you reading.

Your task:
1. Review the comments from last week's blog post.
2. As you read the comments, think about which book you would most likely want to read over the summer.
3. Write a comment on this blog post. Include:

1. Title of the book
2. What about the description from your classmate makes it sound interesting to you

One Of Your Favorites

It's almost the end of the school year and you have read many good books. Take time to think about one book you would consider to be one of your favorites. Take time to reflect upon why that book was one of your favorites and what you would tell your peers about that book.

Your task:
• Write about your favorite book. Include:
• Title
• Summarize the text
• Explain what kept you reading (examples: development of characters, action, suspense, part of a series, etc.)
• Why you think others would like the book

My example:
I loved reading The Watson's Go To Birmingham. This text is about a school-aged boy named Kenny and his family. The Watson family lives in Michigan in the 1960s. Kenny's older brother continually gets himself in trouble. So much so that his parents decide that he should spend some time with his grandma in the south. At this time in history, African Americans were discriminated against, especially in the south where the grandmother lived (Kenny and his family were African American). Kenny witnesses a church bombing. Not only that, he thought his little sister was one of the four girls who died in the bombing. He was relieved his sister was not in the church, but the incident left him traumatized. The family leaves immediately to go back to Michigan. There, his naughty big brother helps him smile again. This book kept me wanting to turn the page and read more because of the humor that was sprinkled throughout the text, even during the serious "heavy" parts. I also loved the way that the author incorporated actual pieces of history in the text. I found it so interesting that it made me read more about the actual history that was in the text. I think that people would appreciate the humor in the book, the realistic problems the characters had, and the history that was incorporated in the text.

Making Connections

We recently read the story, Fireflies in class and wrote about connections we had to the text. As you are reading this week, think about a connection you have to the text you are reading. Remember, it could be to a way a character feels or things they do. You can also make a connection to another story you have read!

My Example:

Text: Crash

Author: Jerry Spinelli

From The Text: It was Crash's first day of seventh grade. He and his friend, Mike, were busy trying to look cool and sound cool. They were bragging about the designer clothes they wore and the expensive sneakers they had. They thought it was funny, in a mean sense, that Penn had clothes that were not as stylish as theirs.

My Connection: I remember being that age and concerning myself with how I looked and how I acted. I thought the whole world was looking at me and if I made a mistake I thought people would think less of me. Yuck! I wonder if Crash was feeling a bit self conscious too and wants to and is acting that way because he thinks that's what other kids will see as being cool. I am glad that I have matured and realize that being true to yourself is so much more important than having the right clothes or the right shoes. I just wish I would have realized it when I was younger!

Wow Statements

We recently read, Come On Rain in school. We noticed how the author carefully chose her words to make the story interesting. Then we searched for wow sentences, or sentences we thought were written really well. As you are reading this week, look for a wow sentence.

Your assignment:
Title
Author
Wow sentence
Why you think this is a wow sentence

My example

Maniac Magee

Jerri Spinelli

Wow Sentence: To the old pitcher, they were like his own best knuckleball come back to haunt him. In, out, up, down-not even the pitcher, much less the batter, knew which was it would break. He kept swinging and missing.

Why:  The old baseball player, Grayson, did not know how to read until Maniac taught him. The wow sentences show how hard it was for Grayson to know the sounds of the vowels because they make different sounds. For example, the letter a sounds different in the words ant, play, autumn, and you don't even hear it in boat. Since Grayson was a minor league baseball player, a pitcher, Jerry Spinelli, compared vowel sounds to the different pitches a pitcher throws to confuse the batter. In this case, Grayson was the batter. His word choice is far more effective than saying "Grayson had trouble sounding out the vowels." Instead, Jerry Spinelli creates a vivid comparison for the reader. 

What Genre Of Books Do You Like?

You have read many books this school year! What kind of books, or what type of genre, do you prefer. Give a detailed explanation of which genre of book you enjoy and why you enjoy that type.

Here are some examples of different book genres: fiction, nonfiction, biography, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, poetry

My Example: I enjoy reading a variety of books, but I'd have to say that I prefer reading biographies. The way other people have shaped history intrigues me and inspires me. For example, I read a book about a man who had been a slave all of his life. He didn't like being a slave and decided to do something about it. He, with the help of a friend, actually boxed himself up and mailed himself to Philadelphia where he could be free. I find great pleasure in reading stories where other people have been hopeful and have worked to achieve their goals. The genre I like the least would have to be science fiction. It is difficult for me to "get lost" in those books and want to continue turning the pages to read on.

The Importance of Setting

Setting plays an important part in the book, Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli. Explain why the setting is important. Be detailed in your response.