Have you read.....?

Have you read 20 books so far this year? We are about halfway through our school year, and should be halfway through our reading. Please be sure to write down each book you read in your reader's notebook. If you haven't been reading from each genre, here are some suggestions:
 No More Homework, No More Tests by Bruce Lansky - poetry
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - traditional
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban - realistic fiction
Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner - historical fiction (yes, even for guys)
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull - fantasy
Maximum Ride by James Patterson - science fiction
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder - mystery
An American Plague by Jim Murphy - informational (nonfiction)
Who Was Marco Polo? by Joan Holub - biography

If you love series, here are some good ones...
The Children of the Lamp by PB Kerr
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz
The Immortals by Tamora Pierce
The Missing by Margaret Peterson Haddix

A book to try...

Most recently, I have been reading Narrative Writing Assignments about the Best Celebrations. However, before that, I read a few books while visiting my grandma... One of my favorite books (series) that I've read recently is Maximum Ride by James Patterson. Several people recommended it to me, and I thought I'd try it. I "read" the first book, Maximum Ride, on CD in my car as I traveled back and forth to school. It is science fiction, which is sometimes hard for me to get into, but I really like the "voice" of the book, the style and tone which the author uses. It's from a first person point of view (Max), and really sounds like a 14 yr old (which can sometimes be hard for grownups to remember). I read the second book, School's Out - Forever, from our library on my trip to South Dakota. It was just as interesting as the first one. I will definitely continue to read the entire series...

Wow! It's been a while...

I will have to clear out the cobwebs here...it's been a couple of years since this blog was used!  We will have spelling lists posted, book reviews, and links to all kinds of online resources. I hope you will bookmark this page at home and use it all the time :)

Book Reports due 3/12

Book Review book reports will be worked on in class and at home for the next couple of weeks. MOST of the work should be done at school, but some finish writing and editing may need to be completed at home. Students have packets with instructions and rubric. Contracts are due THIS FRIDAY.

Persuasive Essays

We will be working on Persuasive Essays for the next two months in writing. One of our assignments will be to write a letter to Mayor MacArthur - this counts toward the Communications Badge for any BoyScouts. See Mrs. White for more information.

New book reports will be assigned next month - please be sure to choose a book at or above your reading level. You have to "stretch" to grow! I have included some websites for some of the more popular books that kids are reading. Some, including Stephenie Meyer's site, have thoughts from the author on how they write and develop characters.

What do you think of Percy? Do you relate more to him, or Annabeth, or Grover? Check out the websites on the menu to the right.

Me Magazine

Students will be writing and publishing a magazine about themselves for the next 4 weeks. Be sure to have Mom and Dad sign the packet so we are all on the same page! We will begin writing Thursday, 11/20.

Thinking about Tuck Everlasting

What do you think about Tuck Everlasting? How would you feel about living forever? What would you miss? What might you be excited about seeing? Would you tell anyone? What might be the dangers of sharing your secret?