Who What Wear

Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett
The Allegra Biscotti Collection
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Publishing

Fashion Emergency! Is there anyone out there that hasn't had one? Emma Rose secretly answers the 911 calls as a new international,in-demand fashion designer. Since the world of fashion isn't ready for a middle school designer deva, Emma must work under a false identity- Allegra. Keeping this secret from her best friend may cost her their friendship- sharing her secret could cost her the opportunity of a life time. Emma's worlds collide when she is asked to design a gown for the middle school social event of the year. Find out how Emma/ Allegra designs her new identity to fit into her wardrobe world.

How to Get a Job by ME The Boss

How To Get a Job by Me the Boss and Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap
Schwartz & Wade Books/ Random House

No matter your age or choice of occupations, getting a job can be tricky. How To get a Job by Me The Boss, shares the ins and outs of securing your first job- even if you are still in elementary school. This matter of fact narrator shares all there is to know and more on landing your perfect job. There is a list of terrific sounding  jobs: magician, doctor, teacher, mommy &/or a daddy, and even a spy. you are reminded what you should (reseme) and shouldn't (your gerbil) take to a job interview. Being on your best behavior is a must at the interview (no biting or sleeping). After getting the job, it is just a small step to becoming your own boss.

This is another great fun to read and see book in the authors' series of "How To" guides. A must for any want-a-be boss or lemonade stand owner. The pictures are bright and detailed and it is full of silliness making this book stand out as a favorite!

I Couldn't Review This Book...

The Rendering by Joel Naftali 

Egmont Publishing

"One mad scientists+ One evil mercenary vs. Two kids+ Three skunks= Nonstop Adventure"

Joel Naftali used technology and suspense to create a book that I couldn't review. 

So, why couldn't I review this book you ask?

Well...

--It wasn't because of the plot: 

It is easy to follow the suspenseful blog entries that share the past, present and future of an attempt for complete world domination
--It wasn't because of the characters:
Doug is a regular video playing teenager who finds himself with a $1000,000 reward on his head and featured on America's Most Dangerous

Jamie is the smart, rich girl that lives next door to Doug, her best friend

Scientists: good & evil combat each other and Doug and Jamie to dominate or save Earth as we know it

Three skunks that are enhanced in every way possible (picture Teenage Mutant Turtles w/ a wicked spray)

--It wasn't the setting:

A top secret "medical research" center and then "on the run" hideouts

--It wasn't the conflict:

Mad scientists using technology to have total control of everything and everyone on this planet and a team of teenagers/mammals doing everything they can to stop the take-over

It was the fact that as soon as I received this book, my students begged to read it/ they pleaded/ they whined/ they tried to bribe (chocolate) so I loaned it out before I had a chance to read it myself...

It passed from reader to reader and before I new it, I was almost the only one left that hadn't read it.

Summer vacation leaves me with less reading competition and my own stash of chocolate-time to read!

**Note to self: open book packages away from student eyes when ever possible-unless in need of chocolate

Dads, Kids and Rockets Make Great Picture Books to Share!

Father's Day is June 19th and two books that I recently shared spell

READ: Really Exciting Adventures w/Dad

Sourcebooks-Jabberwocky

Rocket Town by Bob Logan is a brilliant board book that gets you flying through the pages to see what adventures are available in Rocket Town. The boy and his dog are seen on every page in their yellow pick-up truck. Trips to the moon, rocket parks and rocket highways take them to a special place-a rocket dealership. What rocket will they choose to fly to the moon?

Rocket Town is a fun read with a lot of fun details to share and talk about.

My Dad , My Hero

Growing up in a family with a Superhero Dad would be very interesting. But sadly, this little boy's dad isn't a superhero. He can't fly, he doesn't have super strength and he doesn't have a force field. But... the things that Dad can do are amazing. he spends a lot of time with his son- something that every dad can do-even without a cape! Ethan Long sums it up when he wrote: " My dad is NOT a superhero...but he is SUPER GOOD at being a dad."

Here is to a Happy Father's Day to all of our Super Dads!

The Archer Legancy

The Billionaire’s Curse by Richard Newsome   Published by Walden Pond Press 

I was lucky enough to be able to read book one and two in this amazing adventure written by Richard Newsome. The Billionaire's Curse begins the action packed journey of Gerald, an average 13 year old- that is until he became the richest individual in the world. His great-aunt didn't just leave him over 20 billion British pounds though, she left him a mystery to solve: her murder. Gerald found it hard to adjust to this amazing inheritance, but found some true friends that helped him follow the clues and help him out of many tight spots. Mystery, money, mayhem- make room for some great reading!

 

Trailer to The Billionaire's Curse

The Emerald Casket

Book Two

Gerald, Sam and Ruby didn't have time to enjoy the luxury that Gerald's inheritance of billions presented him in book one- The Billionaire's Curse. Finding the murderer of his aunt had been an adventure none of them wanted to repeat! When they were invited to India to share some down time with Alisha and her father as thanks for rescuing their diamond,
the clues to yet another casket and mystery appear. This adventure takes you through a tour of India like you could only have nightmares about!

Did I say there is a third casket that is calling Gerald's name?  I can't wait to read Book three!

An Accidental Adventure

 Philomel Books:  
We Are Not Eaten by Yaks: An Accidental Adventure  

by C. Alexander London 

 Watch This Great Book Trailer!

The Navel twins: Oliver and Celia DON'T like adventures! Not surprising since their parents have taken them around the world on one adventure after another. They all live on the 4 1/2 floor of the Explorers Club.  For the last few years, their mother, Dr. Navel, has been missing. Having a parent disappear on an adventure is yet another reason to stay in their living room and watch TV. Going on an adventure is the LAST thing they want to do. Tibet becons the Navels when clues surface about their mother. So, for twins that Do Not Like Adventures, falling out of airplanes, being chased by Yetis, and escaping from the Poison Witches isn't what they signed up for..

Will they find their mother? Will they be able to wake up their dad from a poison? Will they ever get cable TV?

This is a must read because book two is coming in November and trust me, 

you will want to be ready for We Dine With Cannibals!

6 word Sidewalk Stories & Twitter

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

The challenge is to write an entire story in exactly six words. Ernest Hemingway, a master of allusion and manipulating negative space (or what is NOT present in the story) is said to have started this form. When challenged to come up with a story in six words, he wrote: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

 

We finished the school year writing  our own 6 word stories and then spent a fun day publishing them on our school sidewalk with chalk.

We were also inspired to share our work when we Skyped with C.Alexander London. He was challenged to create his own 6 word story...he he trumped our idea and said he could do better and gave us some fun responses.

@naveltwins he is trying to make a four word story but he says its hard
@naveltwins his story was getting lost was more fun it was actually five because four was to hard for him to do.

naveltwins C. Alexander London

@ new short short story inspired by @OMS6th @teacher6th "went to Iowa without moving" 

 naveltwins C. Alexander London    @OMS6th Mine was "Getting lost was more fun" 

Summer Reading Skype!

Baxter

Students and teachers were gifted with an end of the school year reading special when C. Alexander London and his sidekick Baxter joined us over Skype.

London is the author of a newly released book  An Accidental Adventure-We are not eaten By Yaks -see my review

Although it was the end of the school year, it was a day of firsts.
* This was our first Skype in our auditorium and we shared our experience with other 6th grade reading classes. The large screen really helped us feel like we were talking face to face with London.
* This was C. Alexander London's first Skype with a classroom. We hope he enjoyed sharing his writing and reading adventures with us.
* This was our classes first Skype with a dapper dog- Baxter- He was very professional in his tuxedo!

We want to thank London for sending us his books before the Skype- not only did we get a signed copy of We Are Not eaten By Yaks, we also got a signed ARC of We Dine With Cannibals!

This 6th grade adventure with London (@naveltwins) was made possible by one of our favorite authors, Tom Angleberger creator of Origami Yoda (@origamiyoda) and Twitter. We returned the favor to Twitter World by documenting it all on our accounts @OMS6th and @teacher6th.

The "Hot Seat" during our Skype

Twitter Table:Students using accounts @OMS6th and @teacher6th

Graphic Novels hit our Classroom-POW!

Tweet from  donalynbooks (Donalyn Miller) concerning Graphic Novels:

Comics contain 2X as many rare words as avg. children's book & 3X as many as the avg. conversation w/ adult. Journal of Child Language, 1988 

 

Graphic novels are the new comic books of today. They use the same graphic concept of the old but great comics but put the prose into a visual adventure. Classic literature, bibliographies, current fiction, and even non-fiction has been artistically published with a graphics telling the story.We were able too read and share many different graphic novels these last few weeks and even meet an author that is having his published book, High School Heroes transformed into a graphic novel.
James Mascia shared his writing process and information about graphic novels over Skype with our reading class. He sent draft pages from his graphic novel that is being created as we read. It looks like another favorite with the 6th graders.  Thanks to James, we got an inside look at the creation of this fun genre.
Other favorite graphic novels in class included: Twilight, Bone, The Lightning Thief, and Sherlock Holmes.

Page from High School Heroes- Graphic Novel

Community Clean Up Celebration

Taking our lead from our very own OMS Earth Mother, Mrs. Leo, students 6th-8th grade spent the morning cleaning our community. Pulling weeds, raking leaves, sweeping parking lots, and litter/trash pick up was the activity. The mission set before us was simple: take pride in our surroundings and give back to our community.  i will update with a total number of trash bags filled, but I do know it was a lot!

Mission completed!

Thanks to all the students that gave it their all and of course to Mrs. Leo for choosing a perfect spring day to be outdoors.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

Jessa's dream trip to Italy with her Drama Club is derailed when her boyfriend, Sean, chooses to dump her and spend his time with someone else. Traveling around the country watching her heart being smashed, she relies on a package 20 envelopes of instructions: 20 reasons "why Sean is a jerk and not worth the dirt on your shoes"  from her best friend back home. Jessa follows the instructions of each envelope and discovers things she never knew even where possible.


A "getting to know your self- strengths and weaknesses" story that has you laughing, cringing and hoping for a unforgettable ending.
Enjoy the trip!

Sourcebooks will be offering a FREE e-book of Kim’s previous novel, Songs of a Teenage Nomad, from May 3 – May 9.  All you need to do is click here: http://bit.ly/mBn85f

The Undertakers by Ty Drago

What Do You See?

Review by Ashley- 6th grade reader/reviewer

---Approved and given highest marks by teacher6th

 The Undertakers is one of the best books I have ever read. Will wants to go home after he gains his Sight. It enables him to See the Corpses as they really are, dead. They are not zombies, though, these things are smarter than a zombie. The Corpses try to take him again and again because of who his father really was and what he did. Will didn't know what really happened to his father two years ago, and he has no choice but to fight the Corpses after he learns what they want of him.