Because of Winn-Dixie Review

Because of Winn-Dixie, although not the most complex or intriguing book, is a gentle story that is sweet, simple, and lyrical. The story doesn't have that much of a plot or a protagonist, but throughout the story India Opal captivates the reader with her charm and her distinctive voice. She's smart, funny, and incredibly honest. Many readers can relate to how lonely she felt in the beginning due to moving to a new town and not knowing anybody. But throughout the book she makes new friends by opening up to others and to always look for the good in people. Never judge a book by it's cover! On a complete side note, I love that Opal taught Winn-Dixie how to look through a building window in order to see Opal at all times. So cute!

  

The book is full of sweet and humorous events; the first of which occurred when Winn-Dixie chased after a mouse during church while the congregation clapped, hollered, and pointed. And then...kind of like a cat, Winn-Dixie dropped the mouse at the preacher's feet who responded by picking it up and saying "Let us pray...for this mouse." I'm not sure how well students would pick up on this, but it was interesting that Winn-Dixie begins making friends but they're not her age. It takes her a while to open up and make friends with kids who are her own age. Something that I loved about the characters in the story were some of those names just make you think of living in the South. Nice to meet you, Sweetie Pie. Opal and Winn-Dixie's time with Gloria Dump were some of my favorite. The writing was perfect and I could easily picture the town witch (but not actually). She ties bottles (whiskey bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles, you name it!) to a tree to hold the ghosts of her past, has crinkly brown skin, no teeth (except for her false ones to eat with), terrible eyesight, but perfect listening skills. I loved all of the lesson that Opal learns with help from Gloria: you should judge people based on what they're doing in the present, everyone makes mistakes and has their own "ghosts", and everyone needs to be loved. To top it off, many funny moments throughout the book were thanks to Gloria. 

"My name’s Gloria Dump,” she said. “Ain’t that a terrible last name? Dump?” 

“My last name is Buloni,” I said. “Sometimes the kids at school back home in Watley called me ‘Lunch Meat.’” 

“Hah!” Gloria Dump laughed. “What about this dog? What you call him?” 

“Winn-Dixie,” I said. Winn-Dixie thumped his tail on the ground. He tried smiling, but it was hard with his mouth all full of peanut butter. 

“Winn-Dixie?” Gloria Dump said. “You mean like the grocery store?”

 “Yes ma’am,” I said. 

“Whooooeee,” she said. “That takes the strange-name prize, don’t it?”

 “Yes ma’am,” I said. 

“I was just fixing to make myself a peanut-butter sandwich,” she said. “You want one, too?"

Descriptions throughout the book are perfect and add so much to the story. My favorite would have to be when Amanda, Opal, and Winn-Dixie try a Littmus Lozenge. When asked how she likes it, Amanda says it reminds her of something sad. Now how would candy do that? Gloria tries one and also says that, "It taste sweet. But it also taste like people leaving." Then the preacher says it tastes like melancholy. Everyone thinks it tastes sweet but also sad. So how does a candy make you sad? Well here's a short version of the story: Littmus, a young soldier returning home from the Civil War, is devastated when he realizes that he has lost absolutely everything. After mourning he craves something sweet; he went on to create a candy both sweet and sad. Just one of the cute stories that adds to Opal and Winn-Dixie's adventures and paints a continuous picture.

There's so much to this story and so much that can be discussed with students. How are Opal and Winn-Dixie alike? Have you ever judged someone too quickly? If you changed your opinion what caused that to happen? Did anything make you laugh in the book? How is life like a Littmus Lozenge? You could play a Who Said It? game with an entire class and play it like Bingo! This story is simple but deep all at the same time and, I think, is a great book for mid-elementary students to explore.

Wonder Review Part 2

Start to finish, Raquel J. Palacio weaves a story full of complex issues; all the while somehow managing to capture a multitude of different character's personalities and emotions. 

 A lot of events happen in the second half of the book and one of the most significant parts was reading and learning more about Jack. During the Julian and Jack war, it was sad to see Julian try to turn everyone against Jack just so he would stop being friends with Auggie. I loved when Jack comments to Auggie and Summer how weird it is to have people pretend that you don't exist. Auggie replies with welcome to his world. I love those little scenes! This section was a turning point for Jack's character. For so much of the book he was painted as a betrayer and a villain; we finally see that he may not be nearly as mean as what we originally thought. It was also interesting to see how Palacio adds in a bit of socioeconomic tension between Jack and the other students. Jack has more than the usual middle school issues to deal with, his chapter adds in how hard it can be to be a kid who has to deal with kids like Julian who come from families with much more financial wealth. 

One little part which I think could be a key discussion point for students is when Jack makes a point that it's not only the "jerks" who are mean to Auggie; even the kids that you would consider to be nice are mean. Sometimes nice kids, even adults, don't realize how things they say can be taken in a very hurtful manner. Another interesting part was Miranda’s section! She made up so many stories that involved Auggie just to be pitied or be the center of attention. I understand that she was going through a tough time dealing with her absent and broken family but that’s not a good enough reason to turn into someone who lies consistently. How do you trust them? This could be an interesting debate with students. Do you think it was okay for Miranda to lie? How would you defend your claim?

A little wish that I have for this book is that we could have read parts with Auggie's mom and dad's point of view. It would have been interesting to read about their worries. Is my son being bullied? did something happen on Halloween? Why is Via not speaking with her friends? Reading about a parent's point of view could bring up lots of good discussion points with students. Do my parents ever think similar things? Does that change how you feel about certain situations? This may be one of those books that I NEVER go see the motion picture of. I definitely don't think that any movie could capture the different sides, the multiple problems, or the heart of this book. Because of how much the book entails, it can be used in so many thematic units! Courage, bullying, friendship, love, perseverance, lying, etc. Even doing a jigsaw where different groups analyze different parts of the book might help students understand the text on a deeper level.  

I was trying to pick a favorite character in this book but I just can't decide. Auggie of course because of his character and personality, and I love Summer for being so loving, Jack for finding himself, and I could go on and on. I love, love, love Auggie's Dad! His conversation with Auggie about the astronaut helmet is one of my absolute favorites in the whole book. It's so sweet, sad, and tugs at your heart strings. "Come on, Auggie, please try to understand...You were wearing that helmet all the time. And the real, real, real, real truth is: I missed seeing your face, Auggie. I know you don't always love it, but you have to understand...I love it. I love this face of yours, Auggie, completely and passionately. And it kind of broke my heart that you were always covering it up." Oof what a moment! I also loved the entire camping part...full of so many good moments and friendships changing. Doing a character analysis in pairs or small groups would be quite fun, especially since there are so many major characters in the book. Read this book! It has so many other funny and heartwarming moments and appeals to readers young and old. 

Wonder Review Part 1

Wow. Wonder is an eye-opening journey packed full of humor, love, courage, and so many amazing discussion starters for both young adults and adults! The quality of the book was no surprise to me; I was hooked from the first "chapter" which also happened to be the first page. Within that small amount of text we are introduced to Auggie, his family, and how he doesn't feel ordinary. Throughout the chapters, which I loved how quick and short they were, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of emotions. I cried, laughed, felt terrible, was hopeful, and everything in between it seemed. Auggie is a pretty cool kid and you fall in love with his personality, want to sit beside him at lunch when it seems no one else will, and definitely hurt right along with him. The characters are so realistic which is a bonus in any book! Every person in the book feels like a real person, acts like a real dad, typical middle school hormones, and the usual high school problems. Julian is so realistic that I despise him...it shocks me when kids are so unbelievably mean to one another. And I see it in first graders! What?!  

I enjoyed how quick the "chapters" were and was quite surprised by that aspect of the book. Such short chapters seemed to move the book along quite quickly which I think is a bonus for young adults. Getting bored within the text, in my opinion, is harder to do when a book has a fast pace and things are constantly moving. Another surprise to me was how the book is broken up; I assumed that the entire book would be from Auggie's perspective (apparently I completely skipped over the PART 1 page). Instead, we hear the story from Auggie's, Via's, Summer's, and Jack's perspective in the first half. I love this! It's so different and incredibly powerful. For young adults it's important to learn how to look at situations from different perspectives and not just from your own; this book is a perfect example at how situations can come across differently based on who you are. One of the biggest examples was when Auggie was betrayed by Jack Will (did anybody else's heart break in that moment??) and it was so interesting to be able to read the story as told by Auggie and Jack. 

Speaking of that moment during The Bleeding Scream chapter, the writing is so powerful that I don't know how your heart couldn't break during it! "I don't know what Jack answered because I walked out of the class without anyone knowing I had been there. My face felt like it was on fire while I walked back down the stairs. I was sweating under my costume. And I started crying. I couldn't keep it from happening. The tears were so thick in my eyes I could barely see, but I couldn't wipe them through the mask as I walked. I was looking for a little tiny spot to disappear into. I wanted a hole I could fall inside of: a little black home that would eat me up." As I read that all I wanted was a hug from a baby, a cozy blanket, and a piece of pie. Reading this book is almost like watching Breaking Bad. Sometimes it gets so sad and depressing that you have to stop and find something that's happy. Which is why I loved that the book also had a good dose of humor in it. 


In the chapter Locks, a boy named Henry is forced to sit beside Auggie and then proceeds to place his backpack in between himself and Auggie creating a wall. The students receive their locks and are instructed to practice their combinations. Henry struggles but Auggie gets his opened on the first try. I love this line from the book: "He got really annoyed when I was able to open mine on the first try. The funny thing is, if he hadn't put the backpack between us, I most definitely would have offered to help him." Yeah Auggie! One of the funniest parts of the book, to me as a fellow homeschooler, were all of the references to being homeschooled. As Auggie experienced his first year of public school I was reminded again and again of my freshman year of high school. I wasn't used to getting up at 5 am, wasn't used to homework (hellooo it was all done at home and once I was done with school for the day I was DONE), rarely had any free time anymore, the halls were crowded with so many kids, I couldn't get a snack whenever I felt like it, and YES that bell scared the crap out of me. First day of freshman year, first period, sitting in Mr. Christian's Earth Science class, and the bell rings. I literally jumped and looked around NOT KNOWING what to do or what that was. Was it a fire alarm?! Quick look at everyone else and see what is everyone else doing? So I completely related to Auggie which I found to be hilarious. 

I don't even know where to start with how I would use this book in a real class. What subject would I start on?! Family, friendship, bullying, betrayal, overcoming difficult things in life? I definitely think that a discussion on betrayal would be interesting with students. If Jack and Auggie were friends why do you think Jack talks badly about Auggie behind his back? I wonder if students would defend Jack and say that maybe he felt pressured and was trying to fit in. So then you could discuss what they would do in a similar situation, what the right thing is, why that's hard, etc. I'd love to do a lesson based on Mr. Browne's monthly precepts. First of all, why are those so important to the story and do they benefit the students? Secondly, I think that would be a fun assignment to do with my own students and maybe even have them think of precept ideas that would help make their school a kinder and more enjoyable place to be. Some sort of research into Treachers-Collins Syndrome would definitely be eye-opening for the students as well as myself. But as far as projects or fun ideas I'm not quite sure yet what I would do!

Back to the book though! So far this book is amazing and I admit I already finished it and SPOILER ALERT the second half is just as good!

The Wednesday Wars Review Part 2

While I still don't absolutely love this book, I am definitely enjoying the story line! There's so many things going on in the story which I like and dislike about the book. On one hand it has so much going on (so much dialogue) that I have a hard time keeping things straight, but on the other hand it has so many warm, heartfelt moments that are so good for young adults to read. Oh, and Mrs. Baker? She grows on you. Throughout the second half of the book quite a bit happens to Holling and some of my favorite moments revolved around Holling's family life or Mrs. Baker. 

In February, Holling is afraid of looking cheap since he has no money but desperately wants to ask Meryl Lee out for Valentine's Day. Sassy Merly Lee who's been in love with Holling since the third grade. I'm about to type an entire page worth of words but it's one of my absolute favorite scenes because I think that many students who have read Romeo and Juliet have felt the same way as Holling. 

"Let me tell you, these two wouldn't make it very far in Camillo Junior High. Never mind that Romeo wears tights - at least according to the pictures - but he just isn't very smart. And Juliet isn't too strong in that department, either. I mean, a potion to almost kill you? She drinks a potion to almost kill you? Who would drink a potion to almost kill you? Then Romeo goes ahead and drinks a potion that will kill you because he can't figure out that she's only had a potion that almost kills you? And then Juliet, who at least is smart enough to figure out that Romeo really is dead, makes sure that she uses a knife this time, which is not almost going to kill you, but really will kill you? Doesn't this sound like something that two people who can't find their way around the block would gt themselves into? Of course it does." I found this paragraph to be so funny! I love Shakespeare but I, and I think many readers, can relate to thinking similarly if they've read Romeo and Juliet. And I think that Gary Schmidt was smart to use italics throughout this paragraph to highlight "almost" and "will" because it adds character and gives the writing an expressive voice. 

Throughout the next few months, Holling's sister runs away to California to "find herself" after constant fighting with their dad over politics, Mrs. Baker's husband goes missing in action, and Holling discovers that he's a talented runner. As the book progresses, Mrs. Baker begins to seem like a normal person with her own struggles and feelings. Not just a cold-hearted witch who hates children. She ends up coaching Holling on Wednesdays and he finds out that she was a Olympian in track and field. So that's handy! She takes a few of the boys to opening day at Yankee stadium, takes the kids on a camping trip, and even ditches bomb drills to take Holling on a field trip to appreciate some of the city's famous architecture, She does so much for Holling and you can see him growing. I love when Holling's father demands for Holling to decide where he's headed and Holling bravely stands up for himself and happily says that he doesn't know. Such an important lesson for kids! You don't have to know where you are going and have all of the answers right away! They will come over time.

"Eleven days later, on Wednesday, Lieutenant Tybalt Baker came home...I guess you want to know what Mrs. Baker did when Lieutenant Baker came out of the plane. And I guess you want to know what Lieutenant Baker did when he saw Mrs. Baker on the tarmac. But toads, beetles, bats. If you can't figure that out for yourself, then a southwest blow on ye and blister you all o'er. Because let me tell you, it was a happy ending." 

Such a good ending! Although kinda weird that all of her students were there to see Mrs. Baker and her husband reunited. But everyone was happy in the end of the book, people had grown as individuals, and it was summertime! I enjoyed how Holling began to grow as he read and learned about some of the big themes in Shakespeare's work. Mrs. Baker did so much to show Holling how much was out in the world and how to become a good person.

This book was jam packed full of so many funny moments that you can't help but love them all. I could go on and on with all of the quotes that I loved, but here are a few that made me laugh inside or think deeply. 

"The light made the snowballs look yellow. Or at least I hoped that was the cause."

"I almost cried. But I didn't, because if you're in seventh grade and you cry while wearing a blue floral cape and yellow tights with white feathers on the butt, you just have to curl up and die somewhere in a dark alley."

"I saw my town as if I had just arrived. It was as if I was waking up. You see houses and buildings every day, and you walk by them on your way to something else, and you hardly see. You hardly notice they're even there, mostly because there's something else going on right in front of your face. But when the town itself becomes the thing that is going on right in front of your face, it all changes, and you're not just looking at a house, but at what's happened in that house before you were born."

"When a girl holds a rose up to you, you run better, let me tell you."

"A comedy isn't about being funny...a comedy is about characters who dare to know that they may choose a happy ending after all."

One of my favorite extension activities based on the book is to have small groups of students take different months from the book. Each group would have to prepare a chart, slideshow, or some sort of presentation which includes all of the main events that occurred during that month. I think this would help students recall scenes that they might have forgotten about and also help them visualize all of the main events throughout the book. Shakespeare was a big part of Holling's journey and it would also be interesting to see groups take different works of Shakespeare that Holling read and then create a visual or presentation explaining what Holling learned from that play. Friendship and finding yourself were two of the biggest themes in this book which I'm not sure how to create a lesson around finding yourself so it would be interesting to hear the opinions of others!

The Wednesday Wars Part 1

The Wednesday Wars is so far a humorous story about the daily life of seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood. Not Holling Hood. Hoodhood. After a bit of reading I realized that Holling's story was based in the 1960s and my first clue was during Gary Schmidt's description of "the Perfect House" and Holling's mother. The couch cushions were covered in "stiff, clear plastic" which definitely reminded me of the 50s or 60s and then his mother standing "...in the kitchen, fanning air out the open window and putting out a cigarette..." I may be the only one but that reminded me of a 60s housewife. Finally, they were listening to a report on Vietnam casualties and I finally knew the exact setting. It seemed to take longer than 7 pages to figure it out though!

The story is full of heart and funny situations, and even though the story line is interesting, I'm not loving the book simply because it's not interesting to me, there are so many characters, and the book seems to nearly be all dialogue.

Holling Hoodhood isn't Catholic and he isn't Jewish. It just so happens that he is the only Presbyterian student in his school so he spends every Wednesday afternoon cleaning closets, beating chalkboard erasers, cleaning boards, and causing Wives of Vietnam Soldiers to nearly choke to death on chalky cream puffs. The only thing that I was looking forward to finding out was why Mrs. Baker seemed to hate Holling and if things would change for him. Every Wednesday, the Jewish students leave for Hebrew school at 1:45 and the Catholic students leave at 1:55. Holling is convinced that Mrs. Baker hates him simply because he's the lone student that she's stuck with. When trying to get help from his parents, Holling is forced to be polite to Mrs. Baker and do whatever she asks so that his dad can land an upcoming project with Mrs. Baker's brother-in-law. Are you confused by all of the characters yet? I sure am.

One of the things that I don't love about the book so far is how many characters there are and how hard it is, at least for me, to keep them straight! Within the first few chapters we were introduced to Holling, Mrs. Baker, Doug Swieteck, Mrs. Sidman, Daniel Hupfer, Holling's mom, Holling's dad, Holling's sister, Meryl Lee, Doug Swieteck's brother, Mai Thi, Mr. Guareschi, Mr. Petrelli, Mrs. Bigio, Sycorax, Caliban, and Mr. Vendleri. Did I forget any? Most likely! If this is confusing to me it has to be confusing for students! I think the best thing to do as a teacher would have students make character maps to try and help keep everyone straight. Character Graphic Organizers

Holling is forced to clean erasers, clean Sycorax and Caliban's cage and then chase the screaming and hissing vermin, and eventually Mrs. Baker forces him to begin reading Shakespeare. Pure misery for a seventh-grader, but Holling eventually enjoys the plays and I especially loved the part where Holling practices curses like "the red plague rid you!" and "toads, beetles, bats, light on you!" at home and on his classmates! One of my next favorite parts so far occurred when Holling realized that sometimes your heroes aren't exactly as you've dreamed. Clad in yellow tights and feathers he sees his hero for the first time up close. Mickey Mantle. When he reaches his hero and hands him a perfect new baseball to sign, Mantle breaks the little boys heart and says, "Listen, I don't sign baseballs for kids in yellow tights" and then tosses the baseball to the ground. Holling's heart broke and my heart broke! And then Danny, who just got his ball signed, gives his autographed baseball back to Mantle to stand beside his friend. How sweet was that?! I loved the quote which perfectly describes why I never want to meet my heroes. What if someone you've idolized for so long turns out to not be anything like you hoped and dreamed?

"When gods die, they die hard. It's not like they fade away, or grow old, or fall asleep. They die in fire and pain, and when they come out of you, they leave your guts burned. It hurts more than anything you can talk about. And maybe worst of all is, you're not sure if there will ever be another god to fill their place. Or if you'd ever want another god to fill their place. You don't want fire to go out inside you twice."

So far this book has offered plenty of discussion topics and extension activities which are perfect for the upper elementary level. I think it would be really interesting to do an activity around Flower Power. I doubt any of the students would know what a flower child is or why Heather painted a flower on her cheek. Students could research the Vietnam anti-war movement and create some sort of poster or presentation on important protests and the reasoning behind them. Lessons on heroes, courage, and kindness would also work perfectly with the text. Vocabulary lessons for every chapter would also be extensive and so helpful to students. The book is full of words like coagulated, menorah, billowed, rhetorical, foresight, vanquished, asbestos, etc. All of which students may or may not know but would definitely make for an interesting vocabulary list!

The Wednesday Wars is a story of friendship, getting through humiliation, Shakespeare, and so much more. Despite the book being jam packed full of dialogue and not interesting me nearly as much as The BFG or Hatchet, I am looking forward to finishing Holling's year of Wednesdays.

Hatchet Review Part 2

As the second half of the book began, I definitely wondered how long it would go on for until Brian was either discovered or finally decided to start hiking south. I honestly didn't expect him to stick around the camp for the entire time! I thought the book might get boring but honestly it was full of thrilling and terrifying experiences! There was only one teeny chapter where I got a tiny bit bored. 

There were quite a few places in the book where I kept questioning what I was reading...would that really happen? While picking berries, Brian stumbles upon a mama bear and her cubs. The mama bear defends her cubs but does not attack Brian. Maybe the bears simply haven't interacted with humans, but from what I've heard and know not many mama bears would simply let a human go unharmed after coming that close to their babies. Unless its an inspirational movie. Or a book. And it's not that I was annoyed by this part in the book in any way...I definitely think it added to the magic and story of the book...I was just being a little bit too realistic. And forgetting about luck and magic. 

I literally have not been more terrified while reading a book then when I was reading about the moose attacking Brian. I've been within touching distance of moose and have heard crazy stories from my dad who used to live in Alaska so I know how dangerous they can be. I cringed and covered half of my face while reading this part of the book...I was that terrified of the outcome. "As soon as he moved, the hair on her back went up and she charged him again, using her head and front hooves this time, slamming him back and down into the water, on his back this time, and he screamed the air out of his lungs and hammered on her head with his fists and filled his throat with water and she left again." Moose. Drowning. Gary Paulsen writes such terrifyingly realistic passages. Moose can be incredibly cute and sweet but one wrong turn and it's all over.

And then the tornado. Brian can literally not catch a break! Moose, skunks, porcupines, tornadoes, it goes on and on. And a tornado in Canada? I had to google that and sure enough Canadian tornadoes are a thing! When the wind woke him up he described it as a "low roaring sound that came from wind...a far-off roar but coming at him". At first I thought it was only a windstorm because I couldn't imagine a tornado in the northern forests of Canada, but I was wrong. "He was whipped against the front wall of the shelter like a rag, felt a ripping pain in his ribs again, then was hammered back down into the sand once more..." This book is so vivid and artistic but it's also heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. Maybe I read this on a rough day but this part of the book nearly had me in tears...I was so tired of seeing Brian struggle and feel hopeless. All I could see was my 13 year old brother in that sort of situation and imagining what he would be going through. 

"A flip of some giant coin and he was the loser."

Brian became discouraged throughout the book and rightfully so! However, he always managed to pick himself up and get back to surviving. Of course I think this is an amazing lesson for young readers and the lesson is relayed in such a terrifyingly and attention-grabbing way. Don't worry Brian was rescued in the end! The tornado brought the plane up from the bottom of the lake and Brian was able to retrieve an emergency transmitter, gun, food, and everything that would have been so useful this entire time. A pilot hears his emergency transmitter and finds Brian diving into the glorious food. What if Brian had never been able to find the emergency transmitter? Would he have stayed at the camp and possibly died or would he have finally decided to leave the camp? 

Hatchet Review Part 1

Simply amazing. It could be because I grew up loving the outdoors, loving stories about adventures in the wilderness, because of the book's writing, or any combination but regardless I love this book. It was a riveting, intense, and incredibly fast read. Brian Robeson is a 13 year old boy flying in a single-engine Cessna to visit his father for the summer. While en route from New York to the oil fields in northern Canada, disaster strikes and Brian ends up crash landing in a wilderness lake, surviving storms, living off the land, and facing multiple tragedies. I could write for ages about this book. Gary Paulsen takes the reader on a vivid and emotional journey which I enjoyed every last bit of it. Well nearly every last bit.

In the very beginning of the story, the pilot lets Brian take over flying and Paulsen does an amazing job at describing what that actually feels like. While I was reading it, I felt like I was young again and flying in my dad's Cessna for the first time. It's hard to describe how thrilling and terrifying it is to take over the controls but Paulsen does a wonderful job. "Brian reached out and took the wheel in a grip so tight his knuckles were white. He pushed his feet down on the pedals. The plane slewed suddenly to the right. 'Not so hard. Take her light, take her light.'" I can remember my shaky hands grabbing the wheel and how the tiniest of movements were so drastic! "The burning in his eyes was forgotten momentarily as the vibration of the plane came through the wheel and the pedals. It seemed almost alive." There's something so amazing about being in the air and having complete control over the aircraft. Brian's experience was so enjoyable to me as it reminded me of flying with my Dad.

If I thought the flying experience was written well, I was amazed even further when the pilot had a heart attack. It was so real, so lifelike, I could see the pilot seizing in front of me and I almost couldn't read it. "And now a jolt took him like a hammer-blow, so forcefully that he seemed to crush back into the seat...The pilot's mouth went rigid, he swore and jerked a short series of slams into the seat, holding his shoulder now. Swore and hissed...one more awful time he slammed back into the seat and his right leg jerked, pulling the plane to the side in a sudden twist and his head fell forward and spit came. Spit came from the corners of his mouth and his legs contracted up, up into the seat, and his eyes rolled back in his head until there was only white. Only white for his eyes and the smell became worse, filled the cockpit, and all of it so fast, so incredibly fast that Brian's mind could not take it in at first. Could only see it in stages. The pilot had been talking, just a moment ago, complaining of the pain. He had been talking." Wow. And we're on page ELEVEN. I don't know how Paulsen described something so vividly...maybe he himself saw someone have a heart attack? Regardless, it was too realistic.

Fast forward a few pages and the plane's about to crash. Honestly while reading about the plane getting closer and closer to crashing, I was predicting what would happen, and since we had already learned about the planes emergency bag I assumed that Brian would be fine. Nope! Surprise! He crash lands and the plane sinks...buh-bye handy emergency kit with food and rope and flares and anything else that would come in handy after crash landing. And again, throughout all of this Paulsen brings the story to life. The range of words: viciously thirsty, foul, scrunched, ruefully, lumpy are perfectly used throughout the story. This book is one of those rare books, at least for me, where I can see a movie playing in my mind while I'm reading. I love it!

"And he was, at that moment, almost overcome with self-pity. He was dirty and starving and bitten and hurt and lonely and ugly and afraid and so completely miserable that it was like being in a pit, a dark, deep pit with no way out. He sat back on the bank and fought crying. Then let if come and cried for perhaps three, four minutes. Long tears, self-pity tears, wasted tears."

"So fast, he thought. So fast things change. When he'd gone to sleep he had satisfaction and in just a moment it was all different. He grasped one of the quills, held his breath, and jerked. It sent pain signals to his brain in tight waves, but he grabbed another, pulled it, then another quill...The pain filled his leg now, and with it came new waves of self-pity. Sitting alone in the dark, his leg aching, some mosquitos finding him again, he started crying. It was all too much, just too much, and he couldn't take it. Not the way it was."

So much of this book is heart wrenching, and, although it is full of failures that Brian experiences, he also succeeds and slowly learns to become at home in the wilderness. Living off of fish, berries, and dealing with a wide assortment of wild animals, this story is anything but a romanticized crash-landing story.

There are a plethora of extension activities that can be based around Hatchet. The vocabulary throughout the book is rich and students could write down new words that they come across in each chapter. Then you could create an extensive class vocabulary list for the book. Furor, oblivious, audible, ruefully, haunches, grimacing, etc. There are obviously questions you could create around what if students were in Brian's situation, but I would love to ask them questions such as the following. How might the pilot's treatment of Brian as an adult have helped save Brian's life? (The pilot let Brian control the airplane which gave him some confidence and experience in flying) What makes the first chapter so dramatic? Why are some phrases repeated? There are also plenty of fun graphic organizers to help students read effectively, improve their comprehension, etc. Hatchet Graphic Organizers

The BFG Review Part 2

From start to finish, The BFG was full of imaginative characters and a balance between whimsical and fright. Through the second half of the story, Sophie helps the Big Friendly Giant gather his courage and create an ingenious plan to put a stop to the giants' nightly terror. With a little help from the Queen of England and nine "bellypoppers", Sophie and the BFG end their adventure with an exciting capture and a funny twist at the end (it involves snozzcumbers). 

Bravery is a major part of this book and I loved in the chapter, The Great Plan, how Sophie and the BFG worked through their discouragement and dismay to come up with a brilliant plan that would solve everything. The portrayal of bravery, perseverance, and encouragement is incredibly important for young readers! Although the book does have a darker side, it is definitely an ultimate adventure. I wish I had a giant who could run so fast that I felt like I was flying while I hid in his pocket. Roald Dahl's style of writing and descriptions make you feel like you're actually seeing everything unfold as you read.

The feelings that this book invoke are also amazing. On page 154 the story reads, "Dawn came at last, and the rim of a lemon-colored sun rose up behind the rooftops somewhere behind Victoria Station. A while later, Sophie felt a little of its warmth on her back and was grateful. In the distance, she heard a church clock striking. She counted the strikes. There were seven." I could see the lemon-colored sun coming up, almost feel the warmth of the morning sun, and hear a loud English clock striking. Passages like this fill the book and capture the reader's imagination. 

One of my favorite themes in the book was the importance of dreams. I love the idea of dreams being real things that are floating around and I would absolutely love to visit the land of dreams and find my own! A fun art project for students would be to create a dream jar like the ones the BFG used to store dreams that he captured. You could make them in so many different ways using all sorts of things like: glow-in-the-dark paint, glitter, glue, cotton balls, food coloring etc. They would be such a fun project and kids would have their own dream jar! Starry Night Luminaries Glitter Jars 

It could be just because I love breakfast but The Royal Breakfast was a fantastic chapter! Imagining Mr. Tibbs and servants scurrying around to build a table and make breakfast for the BFG was absolutely comical. "That was only one titchy little bite." Perspective can be hard for kids (even me) so I appreciated these parts of the book that helped put the size of the BFG into perspective. He experiences coffee, eats all of the eggs and bread, and has a grand time! This book is full of so much emotion and entertainment that I think it's a great read for kids!

The BFG Review Part 1

The witching hour. Even the title of the first chapter set a scene and distinctive feeling in my mind. I've never read The BFG before, and although I've seen commercials for the feature film, I never really knew what the story was about. During the witching hour, Sophie is captured by no ordinary giant and swiftly taken to his cave where she quickly learns about the world of giants, repulsive snozzcumbers, and why "upgoing bubbles is a catasterous disastrophe." The story is full of life and constant movement which I found very enjoyable. There hasn't been a boring part yet! And if there has been, it was quickly forgotten due to a funny antic in the story. Although I didn't love it at first, my favorite part of the book so far might just be the way the BFG talks. 

“A whizzpopper!" cried the BFG, beaming at her. "Us giants is making whizzpoppers all the time! Whizzpopping is a sign of happiness. It is music in our ears! You surely is not telling me that a little whizzpopping if forbidden among human beans?” The language throughout this book is truly silly and such a fun way to play with language. When the BFG first started talking to Sophie I was honestly almost put off in a way because it was hard to get around the words and sentence structure. I found myself needing to pay close attention to what he was saying and reading every word exactly as it's written. Sometimes before even finishing reading a whole word, my mind immediately fills in what the word will be. But you can't do that in this book! You might think you're reading one word, but it ends up being completely different four letters in. But once I let go of my inhibitions the babbling of the BFG was hilarious and I love reading the way he talks. He even began to take on a particular voice in my head. Whizzpoppers, squiff-squiddled, whoppsy-whiffling, and frobscottle are all delightful words that any child would love. They create an image, a sound, smells, and even awful tastes. 

The snozzecumber is one of my favorite descriptions in the story especially thinking of how kids can often be with vegetables. "'It's filthing!' he splutered, speaking with his mouth full and spraying large pieces of snozzcumber like bullets in Sophie's direction...'It's sickable! It's rotsome! It's maggotwise!...to me it is tasting of clockcoaches and slimewanglers!'" The words and sentence structure make the story fun and entertaining for the reader, however I do think that it could be difficult for a younger reader to get through the text. But it would work wonderfully as a read-aloud! 


Throughout Sophie's adventure I came across hilarious sayings and scenarios that I simply loved. In the beginning, the BFG was explaining to Sophie what people from certain countries tasted like. In Denmark, the people taste very much like dogs, as do the people of Labrador. Obviously Danish people would taste like Great Danes and the people of Labrador would taste like Labradors. Of course! "'Wrong! cried the Giant, slapping his thigh. 'Danes from Denmark is tasting doggy because they is tasting of labradors.'" And the people of Labrador taste like Danes. Of course! What were Sophie and I thinking?! 

I also found it rather funny how the BFG would ask Sophie "right or left?" at the end of a question just like we would say, "We're having snozzcumbers for dinner, right?" It's such a small detail but I know that kids and adults will get a kick out of it just like I did. The book is full of similar details which are so small but work together to create quite a fun story. 

I would love to create an entire interdisciplinary unit around this book...from English to math, science, art, and beyond, there are so many fun and unique ideas that you could use in the classroom. There are a plethora of interesting creative writing ideas: what might happen in 'the witching hour', create some aditional similes to describe the BFG, think of words to describe snozzcumbers, etc. I think math and science would be fun by using the BFG to discuss measurements and proportions, sound waves, where dreams come from, etc. This book is full of endless possibilities which I think is a great resource for teachers! Dream the Impossible: Creative Literacy Activities

How to Steal a Dog Part 2

I love the colorful characters that enter during the second half of the story. Georgina and Toby meet Willy's owner, Carmella. Carmella's not the wealthy and sophisticated owner that Georgina thought she would be but she is depicted as being a loving and distraught dog owner. The duo also meet Mookie, a wise man with some gold teeth and two missing fingers from a tousle with a tractor engine. These two characters help shape Georgina's feelings and decisions and I love watching Georgina think about her decisions and the consequences they have on different people.

One of my favorite lines came from Mookie on page 134. "Sometimes the more you stir it, the worse it stinks." Not only was the line funny, it was also a profound sentence for Georgina to hear. I think this is a great book for students who are also at that age where they are trying to decide whether something is right or wrong. I was momentarily worried that the book would end with Georgina simply returning Willy and never telling the whole truth. I was pleasantly surprised when the book ended with Georgina confessing everything, getting to spend more time with Willy, and ending up in a real house with her family!

In my opinion, readers would be able to connect with Georgina and feel the turmoil that she was going to. They could all, most likely, relate to the feelings of dread or worry or regret. The story could teach them a lesson on how freeing and important it is to tell the truth. Along with the lessons I mentioned in the first review, this book obviously would do well with a lesson on teaching students the benefits of telling not just the truth but the whole truth. There are also plenty of other children's books that are great for teaching about honesty, and students would love to read them. Teaching Honesty with Great Children's Books

All in all I think How to Steal a Dog is a funny, charming, and emotional book that is wonderful for students. It's easy to relate to, you feel for the character, and Georgina makes me laugh every time with her lists to herself!

How To Steal A Dog Part 1

The first half of this book surprised me because of all of the dark problems that it covers.From homelessness to theft, it brings up topics that are not often the main focus of a children’s book and definitely not issues that feel so real. My heart was already sad halfway through the first page. Georgina says, “I guess I’m pretty good at pretending.” Her father walks out on the family and Georgina, her mother, and brother are forced to move out of their apartment and sleep in their car. I love how honest the book is and how you can feel Georgina’s emotions. Her embarrassment shines through the first few chapters and it’s fully apparent when Luanne finds out about Georgina’s family living in a car: “If there was ever a time when I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole, it was when I turned around and saw Luanne looking at me and that car and all.” The book revolves around Georgina’s entertaining antics geared towards stealing a dog, receiving a reward after returning it, and helping her mom get enough money for an apartment or house. 

Throughout the first eleven chapters, my mind was focused on thinking about what if I had a student who was homeless? If they came to school with constantly dirty clothes and had poor hygiene? If I knew that their parents were struggling to get by and didn’t even have a home? What would I do for them? What could I do? I felt almost frustrated that Georgina’s teacher, Mr. White, never seemed to do anything to help her. On page 50, Mr. White related how disappointed he was in her and asked why she had a bad attitude lately. In my opinion, that is not the way to get to a child who is struggling and you can tell that something is wrong. You need to give them love and show them that you care, not scare them and make them not feel trusting enough to talk to you about it. But on the other side, later in the story, Georgina says how much she likes Mr. White because he doesn’t bring any unnecessary attention to her situation and struggles.

The book is full of visual descriptives that help bring the story to life. On page 4, “When I saw Luanne’s eyes narrow and her lips squeeze together, I knew her nosiness was about to irritate me.” You can see Luanne’s face and definitely feel Georgina’s emotions. On page 74, Willy the dog prances, yips, and jumps around. I also enjoyed how the story revolves around the homeless family, but homelessness has not ever been the sole backdrop. At least not yet. In my opinion, I think that the topic of homelessness is a tricky but great one for students. Many students have no concept of what being homeless means or how it affects people that are the same age as them. There are plenty of activities and lesson ideas out there. I found a few but here's a link to a site for ideas for students in K-2. Homeslessness Facts and Lesson Ideas for K-2 

So far I'm enjoying this book and am finding it heartwarming, funny, and thought provoking. I have a feeling that the second half will be just as good as the first!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review Part 2

I enjoyed finishing this book, however I definitely laughed more during the first half of it. My opinion on how Greg treats his “best friend” didn't change but I think that it's an honest portrayal of many kids at that age. I loved when Greg and Rowley joined the Safety Patrol because their reasonings were typical for their age: they got to miss twenty minutes of class, got bully protection, AND got free hot chocolate. I'd do it too for free hot chocolate!

One of my favorite things about this book was all of the lesson plan opportunities. A teacher could develop a lesson around bullying, manners, video games, student elections, etc. Three that I immediately thought of while finishing the book were lessons on being grateful, on doing the right thing, and a creative writing lesson. On page 120, Greg starts writing about his Christmas and how disappointed he was with the gifts he received. At one point, his mom gets mad at him for not hiding his expression towards a gift well. I think it would be interesting to see if students ever felt that way about a gift, what they learned from that experience, and what they think is truly important. Should they hide their true feelings if they don’t like a gift? What is the more important part of gift giving: the gift or the thought?

In one of the most important journal entries, in my opinion, Greg writes about a situation in which Rowley took the blame for something that Greg did. He struggles with whether or not to tell the truth about the whole situation. You could ask the students whether or not Greg did the right thing and if he did it at the appropriate time. What might have happened if he told the truth right away? Do they think that Rowley’s actions were justified after Greg told him the truth? How would you feel if your friend didn't stand up for you?

I'd also be interested in a creative writing lesson where students had to describe what Greg or Rowley would be like in the future. What kind of job would he have? How would he be as a father? I think the answers could be hilarious!

Overall I think that this is a really entertaining book and will keep kids laughing and wanting to read more. The book is full of growing pains, middle school struggles, sibling fights, and perfect illustrations. I think that supplementing the reading with lessons or discussion questions is important and a great way to maximize the book's potential.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review Part 1

I can see why the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is so popular! The book is hilarious, honest, engaging, and full of valuable lessons for young adults. Did anyone actually enjoy middle school? I don't think I have met a single person who did not share the same sentiment regarding middle school: it was awful. They were awkward, hit their growth spurt (or didn’t), their friends changed, kids were mean, they were uncoordinated, etc. This book is stuffed full of stories that the reader can relate to in one way or another. 

I absolutely love how this book is written especially for the audience it is intended for. Books written in first person feel more relatable, in my opinion, which I think is an important quality in finding books for reluctant readers. Getting kids interested in reading can be difficult, but I think even the most reluctant of readers would enjoy these books immensely. The anecdotes are hilarious and the cartoons bring the stories to life, add in more laughs, and get the reader eager to flip the page. One of my personal favorite cartoons was when Greg was describing how his dad gets angry vs. his mom. The description was funny enough but the cartoon made it even funnier! I immediately related my own experiences to many of Greg's stories while reading and relived some funny and painfully awkward times. While I am enjoying the book, there are some things that I do not love about it and make me question how age appropriate it is for younger kids. Bad character traits, bullying, unfriendliness, humiliation, etc. are all seen here and there throughout the book. That being said, the book is written in the eyes of a middle school student and I do think that many kids of that age can relate to Greg's day to day life. I also think that there are plenty of activities that parents or teachers can create based on the book that will help children realize what is right vs. wrong, develop their thinking and discussion skills, and let them use their creativity.

One activity that I think would be really fun with the younger grades would be a Halloween activity. On page 62, Greg discusses how he never gets a store bought costume and how he can never think of an amazing costume idea. You could have your students either individually or in pairs design a costume for Greg using random craft materials. Or you could even have them design their own haunted house map! It could be tied into a geography unit even and students would have to include a title, direction, a scale, a legend, etc. There are also plenty of situations that Greg trudges through that I think would be important to bring up and discuss with students. On page 17, Greg talks about avoiding his “best friend” Rowley and how he thinks their friendship is questionable. Are Greg’s reasons for not wanting to be friends with Rowley anymore fair or right? Is it right to avoid a friend because you’re embarrassed of them? What would you do in Greg’s situation? Should you care what others think? On page 93, Greg talks about how he was going to cheat on his state capitals quiz but Patty Farrell mentioned the poster to the teacher and Greg subsequently failed the quiz. Would you have spoken up and told the teacher? Why is cheating harmful to your education? There are an abundance of discussion questions that you could base off of the reading to help your students grow as individuals. 

Knowing how popular this series is, how funny the first half of the book was, and how funny the movie looks, I don't think the second half of the book will disappoint!