Literacy Now

by W. Ian O'Byrne

We often spend time discussing ways to embed reading and writing instruction into classroom activities. As an extension of this work we try to identify ways to embed digital texts and tools into these literacy activities. The posts from Reading Today Online are an excellent resource to think critically about possible ways to enhance teaching and learning. For this post I would like to discuss ways that we can empower teachers as composers, or "makers" of online information.

Much of the work integrating online information into the classroom consists of reading online, multimodal content. Writing, or constructing online content is a great way to turbocharge classrooms using digital texts and tools. Of course there are numerous challenges and concerns when having students construct, make, or write online information. I think the first step should be having teachers initially compose, or "make" online information for the classroom. I have argued that teachers should not only have an online identity, but also a vibrant classroom website that acts as an educational resource for students and parents. To get started, build your own website for free at Google Sites or Wikispaces. I would then suggest enrolling in a MOOC this summer to build content to add to your website.

There are numerous MOOCs online that will help teachers build the skill set necessary to empower teachers as makers of online information. For those of you that are a bit suspicious of the label "MOOC"…don't be. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. Some of the MOOCs that I have been involved with lately can be described as free, open, educational resources. 

I recently have been involved in (and challenged by) the Mozilla TeachTheWeb MOOC. I'm also looking forward to the Making Learning Connected MOOC being developed by the National Writing Project. Finally, I have been developing my own MOOC focusing on ways to authentically and effectively embed new literacies in the CCSS. Some of the content in these classes may seem a bit above what you believe you can do with technology. The power in these classes really is the community associated with the learning environment. Additionally, since MOOCs are open and online, they frequently make all resources and student exemplars available online to view. This means that you can work through in privacy, at your own speed, and use the work of others to scaffold your own progress.

To get started, I suggest you first start up your own classroom website using a free tool like Google Sites or Wikispaces. Then sign up for one of the MOOCs I listed above to learn this summer. If you’re interested in learning more, or need more support, please contact me at the information below and I’ll help you make the leap.

Image CC by opensourceway

 

W. Ian O'Byrne is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of New Haven. You can follow him on Twitter (@wiobyrne), at Google+, or contact him at wiobyrne@gmail.com.

This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

 

by Amy Correa, Chicago Public Schools
with Nell Duke, University of Michigan
June 7, 2013

As a classroom teacher (or geek) who finds learning about reading research not only interesting but also imperative in making me a better teacher, I really enjoyed the IRA Outstanding Dissertation Research Poster Sessions. Each year IRA selects ten finalists and one winner of this prestigious award. These finalists are among the next generation of researchers who will influence our profession, and many of their studies have direct implications for classroom practice.

As a case in point, one of this year’s finalists was

Reading Across Multimodal Texts in History by Michael Manderino, Ph.D.

This was a timely study. As the Common Core State Standards emphasize the use of literacy in history and other subjects, language arts and content teachers will need to think carefully about how to scaffold students from general sense making to discipline-specific reading. This study involved examining how high-school students read multiple texts of different modes (audio, video, graphic, written cartoons) as they worked to answer an historical question.

The researcher studied two students—one a more proficient reader and one a less proficient reader—especially closely. He found that neither student attended much to who produced the sources they were reading, something that is very important to historical reading. This made me think about my own teaching of historical reading. Perhaps I can do more to encourage my younger students to start paying more attention to the production of the sources they read. Another finding was that, as they engaged with more sources, in particular sources beyond written text alone, the gaps between these two students’ learning and performance narrowed. This reminded me of this importance of encouraging students to use a wide range of texts, including video, audio, and graphics, to develop their knowledge related to topics I assign.

This is only one of many interesting and consequential studies among the finalists for IRA’s Outstanding Dissertation Award. For a complete list of this year’s finalists, as well as the Award winner, please see below.

IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award Winner 2013

Byeong-Young Chou, dissertation from the University of Maryland; chaired by Peter P. Afflerbach; dissertation title: Adolescents’ Constructively Responsive Reading Use in a Critical Internet Reading Task

Abstract: The Internet is central to understanding literacies in the 21st century, and explication of reading strategies situated in Internet settings contributes to both our understanding of reading and our support of students in the Internet age. This study investigated the complexity of Internet reading strategies used by seven accomplished high-school readers. Individual participants read with the Internet, with a goal to develop critical questions about a contemporary, controversial topic. Internet reading strategies were analyzed using participants’ verbal reports, triangulated with complementary data (e.g., computer screen-recordings). Results describe the nature and sequences of readers’ strategies (categorized into realizing and constructing potential texts to read, identifying and learning text content, monitoring, and evaluating), the roles these strategies play in Internet reading, and also the interactive patterns of strategy use among individual readers. Implications of Internet reading strategy use for theory and practice are discussed.

Byeong-Young Cho's dissertation

IRA Outstanding Dissertation Award Finalists 2013

Vicki S. Collet, dissertation from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York; chaired by Mary McVee; dissertation title: The Gradual Increase of Responsibility: Scaffolds for Change

Vicki S. Collet's dissertation

Rebecca S. Donaldson, dissertation from the Utah State University; chaired by D. Ray Reutzel; dissertation title: What Classroom Observations Reveal About Primary Grade Reading Comprehension Instruction Within High Poverty Schools Participating in the Federal Reading First Initiative

Rebecca S. Donaldson's dissertation

Darcy Anne Fiano, dissertation from the University of Connecticut; chaired by Mary Anne Doyle; dissertation title: Primary Discourse and Expressive Oral Language in a Kindergarten Student

Darcy Anne Fiano's dissertation

Lindsay P. Grow, dissertation from the University of Kentucky; chaired by Janice F. Almasi; dissertation title: The Identity Development of Preservice Teachers of Literacy in Field Experiences Considering Their Prior Knowledge

Lindsay P. Grow's dissertation

Andrew P. Huddleston, dissertation from the University of Georgia; chaired by Donna Alvermann; dissertation title: Making the Difficult Choice: Understanding Georgia's Test-Based Grade Retention Policy in Reading

Andrew P. Huddleston's dissertation

Charlene Martin, dissertation from the University of Oklahoma; chaired by Priscilla Griffith; dissertation title: A Study of Factors that Contribute to Pre-Service Teachers' Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction

Charlene Martin's dissertation

Elizabeth L. Jaeger, dissertation from University of California, Berkeley; chaired by P. David Pearson; dissertation title: Understanding and Supporting Vulnerable Readers: An Ecological Systems Perspective

Elizabeth Jaeger's dissertation is not available on a website, but a summary of it can be obtained by e-mailing Elizabeth at elizabethjaeger56@gmail.com.

Michael L. Manderino, dissertation from the University of Illinois at Chicago; chaired by Cynthia Shanahan; dissertation title: Reading Across Multiple Multimodal Texts in History

Michael Manderino's dissertation

Darcie D. Smith, dissertation from the University of Nevada, Reno; chaired by Shane Templeton; dissertation title: How Do 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Students’ Categories of Cognitive Reflections in Interviews on Derivational Morphology Compare to Their Upper Level Spelling Inventory Orthographic Knowledge?

Darcie D. Smith's dissertation

 

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Recently, I joined seven other authors—Jeffrey Salane, Tui T. Sutherland, Kari H. Sutherland, Sarah Mlynowski, Josanne La Valley, Geoff Rodkey, and Rita Garcia-Williams—on a panel at New York’s excellent Books of Wonder. The title of the panel was “Middle-Grade Adventures.” Within the group, there were some pulse-quickening stories of dragons and renegades, heroes and refugees, mermaids and magic mirrors. These were adventures in the classic sense of the word.

My debut novel, GENIE WISHES, is a relatively quiet book—a slice-of-life book. It’s a ten-year-old girl named Genie’s first-person account of her fifth-grade year, during which she is elected to be her class blogger and must regularly and publicly address the school’s assigned blog theme of Wishes, Hopes, and Dreams. The story isn’t set in a fantastical world. There’s not a single death-defying dash. The only nonhuman creature is a fluffy lap dog named Lulu, and at one point in the book, what’s at stake is a hamster eraser. At first, I wondered how GENIE WISHES and I would fit into this adventure panel.

But then I remembered that adventures come in many flavors, and that my book contained the kinds of adventures that kids confront every day. The way friendships can change over time and cliques reorganize a class. The way socioeconomic differences you never noticed before can gradually become apparent when you’re older. The way a body can turn hilly and smelly and start sprouting hairs like a Chia Pet, all because you’ve hit a certain age. (Honestly, is there any crazier or more inevitable experience than puberty?) These were, in fact, adventures—adventures in growing up.

And Genie does take risks in the book—not Indiana Jones-type risks, but risks nonetheless. For instance, putting herself up for class blogger at all is a bit nerve-wracking for this relatively quiet girl. Then she has to figure out what to write about. And later, she has to gather her might to tell the boys in her class what she thinks of some of the pranks they’ve been trying. And though her single dad is a sweet, gentle guy, it still takes some courage to ask him to take her bra shopping or encourage him to sign up for an online dating service. No fifth-grade year, or any year for that matter, is without some degree of risk.

When I was a kid, I read all kinds of books, books about dark hallways and poltergeists and girl detectives and the rest. But the book I cherished—the only one I reread again and again, in the apartment I shared with my mother—was ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. That book felt like a cross between a best friend and an older sister. It delivered exactly what I needed in my own middle-grade years, and even a bit beyond them. It was funny and serious and intimate and revealing. It filled in the outlines of the anatomy books I’d seen, addressing feelings and practicalities that those books did not. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET did for me what it did for so many of the other girls I knew. It humored and entertained us while also teaching and reassuring us.

It wasn’t until I’d finished writing GENIE WISHES that I realized how much it owed to this Judy Blume classic. Although Margaret and Genie confront somewhat different challenges in the course of their stories (for instance, Genie isn’t dealing with the questions of religious identity that Margaret faces, and Margaret is a bit older), the characters share a fairly direct, confessional tone.

Authors write the books that they’d like to read, and children’s authors are no exception—they’re just writing for the younger selves they remember being. So, because I’ve always loved illustrated books, I also did line drawings to accompany the story, drawings of everything from Genie’s favorite flats to the “little Mom shrine” (a photograph and a bottle of her deceased mother’s perfume) she keeps in her room.

When I talk to kids who’ve read GENIE WISHES, girls especially, I get the sense that the book has done for them what I hope it would have done for me when I was their age. It has addressed the valid and serious issues that they confront on a daily basis while also providing some levity and reassurance that they have within them what they need to weather change in their lives. It’s a slice-of-life book, and I wanted it to be the most accurate, all-encompassing cross-section of one particular girl’s life that I could make it. Growing up is a part of life, and life is weird and funny and grim and joyous and short and long and tedious and invigorating—in short, it’s an adventure.

Elisabeth Dahl writes for children and adults from her home in Baltimore, Maryland, where she also works as a copyeditor. GENIE WISHES (Amulet Books/ABRAMS, April 2013) is her first book. Her website is ElisabethDahl.com, and on Twitter she’s @ElisabethDahl.



5 Questions With... the legendary Judy Blume!

On a Writer's Journey, Finding a Fellow Traveler

Being a teacher means embracing constant change. Yet all too often, teachers are told when, how and why to change. In this monthly column, Mrs. Mimi takes on creating change for herself by rethinking old practices and redefining teaching on her own terms.

p: Chris Costello via photopin cc

So June is finally here. FINALLY. Or maybe you’re feeling like it sneaked up on you in the dark and shouted, “Boo! I’m here sucker!” scaring the you-know-what out of you as you frantically tried to organize piles and deal with typical end of the year nonsense (read: paperwork). Regardless, June is here and that means so is the end.

Isn’t it strange that my life as a student and an educator translates itself into a bizarre notion of what constitutes a year? Most people think about endings in December…I think of December as the middle. Granted, we get to pause a bit and rethink routines or what have you, but when I think of endings, I think of June. June is the time for reflection and taking a deep breath. (December, on the other hand, is about holiday-fueled panic and leaving work in the dark.)

But back to this year and this particular ending. I don’t know about you, but this year kicked my had its way with was hard. As in, “so hard that I’m not sure I’ll be the same when I come back in the fall to begin another year” hard.

Unraveling and implementing the Common Core State Standards pushed me to question everything I think about best practices. I mean, those babies are intense. Over and over again, I wondered, “Am I this intense? How can I ensure that I am doing my job and teaching with these standards in mind and at the same time hold on to those parts of my teaching that I believe in the most? Can I see myself through these standards? How do I do this and not lose myself?”

It felt like I could never do enough. I couldn’t be in enough places at once, read enough books, write enough blog posts, call enough parents, or craft enough original units of study. With so much new-ness (and not enough-ness) this school year, I often was left feeling like I had lost my grip.

And now that we are at the end, I guess all the soul searching, self-doubt, and confusion feels like it may have been worth something. While I’m not who I was in September (a.k.a, a teacher’s January), I like to think I’m a stronger, more thoughtful version of myself. One that is steeped (we’re talking full to the brim) in the Common Core State Standards, is clearer on the practices which feel good to me and good for children, and is more conscious of the rhythms of teaching and how they effect me (and those who are forced to live with me….sorry, Mr. Mimi!) so deeply.

I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year is how far I can bend and just how much I can give to my practice in the classroom. I used to feel like a human pretzel with unlimited energy and willingness to do whatever it takes. No teacher bag was too heavy for my commute home, no booklist too long for me to tackle, no project too intense for me to take on.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: There is no way that that life is sustainable or even…sane. Now, let’s not get it twisted—I am not en route to Slacker-ville. I will always stay up too late, read too many children’s books, and spend an unusual amount of time thinking about work. That is who I am. But I also read PEOPLE magazine, love playing Legos with the Mini, and enjoy laying in the grass of my new big-girl yard on a sunny day. That is also who I am.

So, with this ending right around the corner, I feel like I’ve finally settled (or maybe resettled) into who I am, how intense I am about my job and just how much I can handle before snapping.

Keep your fingers crossed that I can hang on to this feeling once the new (school) year begins…

Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

As many schools and teachers start to pack away their instructional materials and shut their doors for summer, youngsters and their parents are sure to celebrate the arrival of more leisurely days spent playing outdoors and spending time with friends and family members. For some, the end of school may mean a chance to read books in the back yard or patio or it may announce the arrival of departures as some children head off to summer camp or on family vacations. For others, it may signal a time to help as an older family member grills food outside. Whatever the case, summer’s blissfully relaxed months are sure to offer inspiration for newly-published books such as the ones reviewed this week by members of the IRA Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group. All of these books relate in some way to the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Put on some sunscreen, grab a hat, and read one of these suggested titles or a book you’ve been saving for just the right time. It’s here now.

 

GRADES K-3

 

Atinuke. (2013). Splash, Anna Hibiscus! Illus. by Lauren Tobia. New York: Walker Books.

Anna Hibiscus and her family are enjoying a day at the beach in Africa, or "amazing Africa" (unpaged) as the irrepressible girl always calls it. After making their way to the right spot, all the family members settle down with their own pursuits. After all, relaxation can take a lot of effort. The playful waves along the edge of the sand tantalize Anna Hibiscus, and she wants someone to join her in splashing in the water. But everyone else is too busy burying each other in the sand, braiding hair, smoothing on sunscreen, talking, and enjoying themselves to be bothered. Not to be denied, Anna Hibiscus heads to the shallow part of the water to play. Once she and the waves make their own fun and her infectious giggles of delight fill the air, one by one, her family members joins her. Readers will love this spunky, independent girl and be drawn to her personality through the text and softly-colored illustrations. It's hard not to celebrate the joy Anna Hibiscus and her family find in the simplest moments shared together.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Cocca-Leffler, Maryann. (2013). A vacation for Pooch. New York: Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt Publishers.

It is time to pack for summer vacation, but Pooch can’t go to the beach with Violet. They each pack a bag as Pooch is going to a snowy vacation on Gramp’s farm while Violet heads for the beach. Though Violet is sad that Pooch has to suffer being away from her, once she arrives at the beach she starts to enjoy the sun and the sand. However, as she reaches for her packed bag and her crayons and favorite doll, Molly, she realizes her bag has gotten switched with Pooch’s. Now she is feeling guilty and gives Gramps a call to check on Pooch’s assumed misery. Gramps assures Violet that Pooch is just fine and he is actually having lots of fun on the farm and taking naps with Molly. The gouache cartoon-like illustrations are delightful and truly capture the spirit of a young child separated from her pet in this small-sized book for young children. Visit the author’s webpage to see all of her artwork and books.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Fox, Tamar. (2013). No baths at camp. Illus. by Natalia Vasquez. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publisher/Lerner Group

Max is home from camp, and when his mother tells him it is bath time, Max vehemently tells his mother that he wishes he were back at camp because “there are NO BATHS at camp.” As Max continues to tell his mother about all the things that happened at camp, his fun included rock climbing, painting, dancing but also things like canoeing, and throwing water balloons, and swimming and catching frogs. Mixed media illustrations depict all the fun and water-related activities that kept Max busy and clean during his week at camp including the shower and shampoo on the evening before Shabbat. Several Jewish traditions thread through the story of Max’s summer camp experience.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Hutmacher, Kimberly. (2012). Your senses at the beach. Minneapolis: Capstone Press.

In addition to pointing out the many sensory experiences on a hot day at the beach, this book could also be used for a read aloud before a writing activity for young writers and readers. Pointing out the “… feel [of] the warm sand and smell the salty air” (p.1) teachers could guide children to use their five senses not only to enjoy an environment but also to think about using sensory words in their own writing. Another page says, “Listen! Waves crash/Seagulls scream.” (p.9) Wonderful examples of language and words full of color and sound and smell make this a useful book on many levels.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Idle, Molly Schaar. (2013). Flora and the flamingo. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Clad in her pink bathing suit, bathing cap, and flippers, Flora happens upon a beautiful and stately flamingo. In wordless text and lift-the-flap illustrations, Flora attempts to mimic the graceful movements of the flamingo but as the lithe flamingo flexes in directions the stout little Flora can’t manage, Flora burst into tears. The flamingo patiently begins to teach Flora the dancelike movements of the graceful bird. A double-page spread fold-out bursts from the middle of the book as Flora and the flamingo enjoy the dance. Molly Idle worked in animation at DreamWorks, and this talent is brought to life in this fanciful and beautiful wordless experience in print.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Joyner, Andrew. (2013). Boris on the move. New York: Scholastic.

While it’s true that there’s no place like home, home can get to be too much of a good thing. Tired of the sameness of his home, Boris longs for adventures like his parents once had. After all, they once traveled in their van all over the world and saw many exotic sights. Now the globetrotting couple has settled down in Hogg Bay where they plant vegetables and enjoy their version of the good life. This simple story about Boris and his family, depicted as warthogs, will have plenty of appeal for young readers. The book even starts out by saying that Boris and the reader of the book have a lot in common. As Boris makes his yearning for adventure clear, his parents respond accordingly and take him on an adventure. Although he’s disappointed that the trip on which they embark is quite short, still he finds plenty of adventure and a frightful moment or two while he’s exploring. He even finds an orange cat, his own version of a fierce tiger. The story reminds readers that there is plenty of fun to be found in anyone's back yard or close by. The line illustrations and text are delightfully rendered and filled with surprising details that warrant a second look. See the publisher's website for a lesson plan. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Peschke, Marci. (2013). Kylie Jean: Summer camp queen. Illus. by Tuesday Mourning. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Kylie Jean Carter's lifelong ambition is to be a beauty queen, something she's been preparing for much of her growing up years. She’s keenly aware of how a beauty queen should look, act, and think, and she uses every opportunity to conduct herself as though she is auditioning for a pageant or engaging in competition. When summer comes, she attends a camp where she learns lots of skills, makes friends, learns about sportsmanship, and sets her eyes on becoming Camp Queen by earning the most number of points for activities. But to her surprise, although there is another camper who looks just like her, she doesn't act like Kylie Jean at all. Instead, Miley shows poor sportsmanship when she doesn't win the daily competitions, and almost causes Kylie Jean to lose her cool. Young readers will warm up quickly to this Texas charmer and the letters from camp she sends to her parents, brother, and dog, Ugly Brother. As Kylie Jean looks for solutions to Miley’s rudeness and her own dilemmas, she shows that even a secure girl can feel a little homesick and that there’s more to becoming a camp queen than being in charge or winning everything. Young readers will love the illustrations and this girl’s can-do, exuberant spirit. For more camp fun, check out what Ivy and Bean series author Annie Barrows has to say about summer camp in "Reading, Not Rules" on the Engage blog.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Ransom, Candice. (2013). Iva Honeysuckle meets her match. New York: Disney-Hyperion.

Iva and her cousin Heaven’s families are going on vacation to Stingray Point on the Chesapeake Bay. The beginning of the vacation does not quite start the way Iva envisioned in those six kids and two families in one small vacation house make for a hectic household. Iva, always on the lookout for a new adventure, is worried that this solitary stretch of beach holds nothing for her to explore. Then she hears about the legend of a sea monster and so her exploration for Chessie begins.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Spilsbury, Louise. (2013). Look inside a tide pool. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Library.

As children and parents head to the beach for summer vacation, the discovery of a tide pool is common and fascinating. This book guides young readers to explore what is actually alive within this habitat of the tide pool. The book is divided into four sections: At the Top, On the Rocks, In the Water, and Rock Bottom. As readers plunge into the tide pool captioned color photographs bring the life within the tide pool into visual reality along with fact boxes and bold text to highlight marine vocabulary. A helpful glossary and index are included at the end of the book in addition to further reading and websites.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Watt, Melanie. (2013). Scaredy Squirrel goes camping. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press.

Scaredy Squirrel has returned hoping to avoid another adventure. Scaredy never goes camping and decides it is better to watch about camping on his new television set. However, his electrical cord is not long enough to plug into an outlet. He decides to get a verrrrrry long extension cord and plug it in at the campground. Now he has to prepare for his trip to the campground and this preparation presents the hilarity in this new adventure with the timorous squirrel that actually lives in the wilderness but must now venture outside for a wilderness trek to the campground for electricity. His checklists and exercises to prepare for this adventure are truly funny. Melanie Watt has written another most enjoyable new adventure for Scaredy to overcome his fears to discover he enjoys the out of doors. Children will enjoy these activity pages at the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 5-6

 

Greenwald, Tommy. (2013). Charlie Joe Jackson’s guide to summer vacation. Illus. by J.P. Coovert. New York: Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Publishers.

Following on the author’s Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit, Charlie is now off to summer camp, Camp Rituhbukkee (read-a-bookie) for kids who like to read. His parents have shipped him off for three weeks and Charlie is determined to turn all the nerdy kids there into normal kids like him. Charlie becomes somewhat of a star on the camp basketball team, works on the camp newspaper and leads the campers into a strike after they read the biography of Lech Walesa, and in the end helps another camper with a cheating dilemma. Charlie is also writing letters to a Zoe, a girl from home that he likes. This is a great middle school book especially for readers who like the Big Nate series.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Griffiths, Andy. (2013). The 13-story treehouse. Illus. by Terry Denton. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

Imagination runs BIG in this opening book for the new series, The 13-Story Treehouse. Andy and Terry live in the treehouse, but it is a huge treehouse like no other with monkeys and gorillas, shark tanks and bowling alleys, an underground laboratory, a see-through swimming pool and a marshmallow machine that follows them around popping marshmallows as needed.  As the boys, who are author and illustrator of new books, are trying to meet their new book deadline for Mr. Big Nose their publisher, they find they are constantly being interrupted by the outrageous distractions in the treehouse or all the fun things to do in their fantastical environment. The catnary (cat + canary) has escaped, a burp-gas-filled bubblegum bubble machine has malfunctioned, the giant gorilla is after more bananas, the sea monster is disguised as a mermaid, the monkeys have gone berserk and much more zaniness is keeping the boys from meeting their publishing deadline. This fun-filled chapter book is written so that each chapter stands alone and will make a great read-aloud. Looks like the beginning of a series that Wimpy Kid readers will enjoy.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 7-12

 

Goelman, Ari B. (2013). The path of names. New York: Scholastic.

Not everyone wants to attend summer camp, and fourteen-year-old Dahlia Sherman is decidedly not interested in the typical camp pursuits of hiking, swimming, crafts, and socializing. The fact that her older brother is a popular camp counselor adds to her dislike of camp. Dahlia is more interested in numbers, magic tricks, and games than in the typical pursuits at Camp Arava or her bunkmates’ interest in finding boyfriends. Her well-meaning parents want her to learn to be more social, and they broker a deal that she can attend magic camp later in the summer if she agrees to give this camp a go. Dahlia is not too thrilled with camp until she spies two girls disappearing through a wall. What looks like a clever magic trick turns out to have a supernatural reason behind it, and Dahlia keeps seeing the same two girls and dreaming of David Schank, a boy whose initials she shares. Her dreams reveal that he somehow knows the 72nd name of God and is responsible for the maze on the camp property. No one is allowed to go near the maze, and there’s a creepy caretaker who keeps watch to make sure no one breaks that rule. Not one for the faint-hearted, this title mixes modern day adolescent angst about fitting in, summer camp, and sibling rivalry with a mystery rooted in religion and folklore. Readers who like challenging problems will enjoy trying to solve this one in which unimaginable power and lives are at stake. Plus, they’re certain to like Dahlia and her determination to be true to herself among many temptations to revert to the norm.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Whitney, Daisy. (2013). When you were here. New York: Little, Brown.

Understandably angry because of the death of his mother and the desertion of his girlfriend, high school valedictorian Danny Kellerman is sleepwalking through life, making unwise decisions, medicating his pain, and caring about very little. In fact, he even drops the F-bomb during his valedictory address to his senior class. But after a letter from Kana Miyoshi, a teenager whose mother takes care of his family’s apartment in Tokyo, prompts Danny to spend his summer there in search of answers and to make sense of his mother's last months. As he waits for her doctor to provide some answers, he embraces the delights of Tokyo, a city he already loved from earlier visits, while also uncovering secrets that surprise him. The descriptions of Tokyo's unique features are drawn with great affection, and will make some readers curious to visit the city. While there is plenty here to prompt tears and laughter, the self-destructive Danny is hard to like. He's so determinedly self-destructive, so filled with his own pain and reality that he is unable to see his mother and how she lived her life and her last days clearly. As he savors the moments they shared, he realizes that she had, indeed, seized every experience she possibly could, making sure that she had no regrets for having failed to live life to its fullest. How can he do less? He's redeemed by his love for his loyal dog, Sandy Koufax, and the very real pain through which he is living. While the book tugs hard at the heart strings, creating characters that can whimsically buy one-way tickets to Tokyo or have contacts who can afford to have a dog flown by private jet to Japan certainly risks alienating the typical teen reader. Nevertheless, the book is a palpable reminder to enjoy the times we have with those we love.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.