Podcasts about nerdy book club

Send us a textDonalyn Miller talks to us about access to reading and books, reader identity and reader communities, and joy in reading and learning. Donalyn is known for her work sharing the importance of self-selected independent reading and provides suggestions and resources that foster children's love of reading and the development of positive reading identities. She is known as The Book Whisperer, the title of her first book, published in 2009. Donalyn has also written Reading in the Wild, and co-authored Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids and The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library with Colby Sharp, and The Joy of Reading with Teri Lesesne. With Colby Sharp, Donalyn co-founded The Nerdy Book Club blog, which provides daily inspiration, book recommendations, resources, and advice about raising and teaching young readers. Donalyn Miller is an award-winning Texas teacher, author and reading advocate. She lives in San Antonio.  To cite this episode: Persohn, L. (Host). (2024, Oct. 8). A conversation with Donalyn Miller (Season 5, No. 3) [Audio podcast episode]. In Classroom Caffeine Podcast series. https://www.classroomcaffeine.com/guests. DOI: 10.5240/517B-1356-013D-C672-F136-M Connect with Classroom Caffeine at www.classroomcaffeine.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Learn how to have crucial financial discussions with your aging parents while preserving their dignity and security. In this Nerdy Book Club episode, personal finance Nerd Kim Palmer talks with journalist Cameron Huddleston about insights from her book “Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances.” In their discussion, Cameron shares her personal journey of stepping up to manage her mother's finances after an Alzheimer's diagnosis and offers guidance on how to have critical discussions about money matters with parents. Cameron breaks down why it's important to understand different aspects of your parents' financial situation, including their income sources, bills, debts and investments. She also provides strategies on initiating difficult financial conversations in a respectful, loving manner and shares how to spot changes in your parents' financial situation or cognitive abilities. You'll walk away with tips for timing your conversations and strategies for broaching the subject, even if your parents come from a generation that is typically reluctant to talk to their kids about money. In their conversation, Kim and Cameron discuss: difficult conversations with parents, financial affairs, legal documents, power of attorney, health care power of attorney, advanced directives, living wills, paying someone else's bills, debt, navigating parental finances, elderly parents' finances, estate planning, dementia, financial scams and protecting parents from scammers. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

Talking about money doesn't have to be boring. In this episode of our Nerdy Book Club series, NerdWallet writer Kimberly Palmer talks with former financial advisor Joe Saul-Sehy, co-author of “Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management” and co-host of “The Stacking Benjamins Show” podcast, about setting money goals, recovering from big financial mistakes and how to have a good time while figuring out your finances.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

Medical debt can be confusing and, for some, financially debilitating. In this episode of the Nerdy Book Club series, NerdWallet writer Kim Palmer talks with author Emily Maloney about her personal experience with the health care system — both as an ER worker and a patient. Maloney also sheds light on how quickly medical costs can spiral out of control.  In her book of essays, “Cost of Living,” Emily Maloney shares how, after accumulating thousands of dollars of debt, she eventually gets free of it and suggests ways that those currently weighed down by medical debt can do the same. She also offers insight into the debt collection process in light of recent changes. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

In this episode, Colby talks with writer, speaker, Nerdy Book Club co-founder, Book Whisperer, and former teacher Donalyn Miller about her book THE JOY OF READING, co-written with the late Teri Lesesne.This episode is sponsored by READING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, written by Lester L. Laminack and Katie Kelly and published by Heinemann.Heinemann Publisher of professional resources and a provider of educational services for teachers.

Wedding season is picking up steam. Are you — and your budget — ready? To kick off this episode, Sean and Liz talk about how you can save money attending weddings this year. Then Sean and Liz answer a listener's question about the risks of going with the mortgage lender your real estate agent recommends.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Timestamps: This Week in Your Money segment: 0:00 - 10:57  Money Question segment: 10:58 - 30:35  Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Also, we are running a sweepstakes ahead of our new Nerdy Book Club series. You can enter for a chance to win Paco de Leon's book “Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances” by emailing podcast@nerdwallet.com with the subject "Book Sweepstakes” during the Sweepstakes Period, which ends at midnight PST on April 20, 2022. Include the following information: your first and last name, email address, ZIP code and phone number. Check out our book club page for more info.

With spring in the air, money tasks might be the last thing on your mind. To kick off this episode, Sean and Liz talk about three easy tasks to knock out so you can have your money on track while you go enjoy the warmer weather.  Then they answer a listener's question about different ways to take care of their debt. Some routes can save you time and money — others can make a difficult situation worse.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Timestamps: This Week in Your Money segment: 0:00 - 9:14  Money Question segment: 9:15 - 25:54 Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Also, we are running a sweepstakes ahead of our new Nerdy Book Club series. You can enter for a chance to win Paco de Leon's book “Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances.” by emailing podcast@nerdwallet.com with the subject "Book Sweepstakes” during the Sweepstakes Period, which ends at midnight PST on April 20, 2022. Include the following information: your first and last name, email address, ZIP code and phone number. Check out our book club page for more info.

The windfall of a tax refund can be a boon to your savings, help fund a vacation — and more. To kick off this episode, Sean and Liz talk about different ways to use your tax refund and why you might have to wait awhile for yours.  Then they answer a listener's money question about whether pet insurance is worth the cost.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Timestamps: This Week in Your Money segment: 0:00 - 10:27  Money Question segment: 10:28 - 30:25  Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Also, we are running a sweepstakes ahead of our new Nerdy Book Club series. You can enter for a chance to win Paco de Leon's book “Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances.” by emailing podcast@nerdwallet.com with the subject "Book Sweepstakes” during the Sweepstakes Period. Include the following information: your first and last name, email address, ZIP code and phone number. Check out our book club page for more info.

Taking charge of your own financial education can help you get ahead and avoid classic money mistakes.  In this episode, personal finance Nerd Kim Palmer talks with money author and educator Bola Sokunbi about her book, “Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth.” Sokunbi discusses how her mom taught her about money growing up, financial mistakes she made and learned from, and why she says it's so important to have a side hustle. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

A no-spend month can help you reset your money habits and save cash. To start this episode, Sean and Liz kick off their no-spend month challenge and talk about how you can craft a plan that works for your lifestyle and budget. Then they answer a listener's question about how to earn more money while raising kids.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Timestamps: This Week in Your Money segment: 0:00 - 9:07  Money Question segment: 9:08 - 28:41 Also, we are running a sweepstakes ahead of our new Nerdy Book Club series. You can enter for a chance to win Bola Sokunbi's book "Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth" by emailing podcast@nerdwallet.com with the subject "Book Sweepstakes” during the sweepstakes period. Include the following information: your first and last name, email address, ZIP code and phone number. Check out our book club page for more info.

Finding (and paying for) COVID tests is overly complicated. This episode, Sean and occasional co-host Sara Rathner start off by talking about how you can navigate getting COVID tests right now. They also talk about avoiding COVID testing scams. Then Sean and Sara answer a listener's question about how to reverse a credit score drop.  To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Timestamps: This Week in Your Money segment: 0:00 - 8:49  Money Question segment: 8:50 - 24:40 Also, we are running a sweepstakes ahead of our new Nerdy Book Club series. You can enter for a chance to win Bola Sokunbi's book "Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth" by emailing podcast@nerdwallet.com with the subject "Book Sweepstakes” during the Sweepstakes Period. Include the following information: your first and last name, email address, zip code and phone number. Check out our book club page for more info.

Cauldron Cakes and Wine: A Nerdy Book Club Trailer

On this episode of Friends Talking Nerdy, join Professor Aubrey, Keeli the Librarian, and Tim Jousma for the latest meeting of the Friends Talking Nerdy Book Club. For our featured book, we discuss "Shrill" from Lindy West. As always, we wish to thank Christopher Lazarek for his wonderful theme song. Head to his website for information on how to purchase his EP, Here's To You, which is available on all digital platforms. Follow us on Twitter at @FTNerdy, @TheRevTracy, @timjousma, and @genghisfaery Join our Discord server. Announcing the Friends Talking Nerdy Podcast Network. We are a collective group of podcasters that are banding together to help support each other's shows. The first member of the Friends Talking Nerdy Podcast Network is Their Voices Podcast. Each episode, they share their ancestors stories and history topics related to the times and places they lived. Follow Their Voices on Twitter @TheirVoices_Pod Check out their podcast at this link. Head to our website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ftnerdy/message

In this episode, Colby talks with writer, speaker, Nerdy Book Club co-founder, Book Whisperer, and former teacher Donalyn Miller about #bookaday, the personal challenge she created to encourage reading over the summer.This episode is sponsored by Leading Literate Lives by Stephanie Affinito, published by Heinemann.

Join your friends at Friends Talking Nerdy as we start our very own book club. Join Tim, Professor Aubrey, Jennifer Lumbly (host of Comics Will Break Your Heart on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7pAGSPeu9OfYUJGyWBo0w), Tim's adopted sister Colleen, and Keeli Price. This month, we review the graphic novel The Coldest City from Anthony Johnston and Sam Hart. As always, we wish to thank Christopher Lazarek for his wonderful theme song. Head to christopherlazarek.com for information on how to purchase his EP, Here's To You, which is available on all digital platforms. Follow us on Twitter at @FTNerdy and @TheRevTracy Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2808884652488999/?ref=group_browse Follow us on Instagram: FTNerdy666 Join the Friends Talking Nerdy Discord Server: https://discord.gg/pmNnsh6 Please consider supporting these organizations, whether it be financially or through sharing these links on your social media platform of choice. National Network Of Abortion Funds: https://abortionfunds.org/need-abortion?fbclid=IwAR0MvhM7Qy5rzWXPjg6sXhF5qPzywZHHQ7ggwcptKSNYlJ-dM6GiR4qlaUI RAINN: http://www.rainn.org Equal Justice Initiative: http://www.eji.org NAACP: http://www.naacp.org Black Lives Matter: https://www.blacklivesmatter.com/ Know Your Rights Camp: http://www.knowyourrightscamp.com ACLU: http://www.aclu.org National Bail Out: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/freeblackmamas2020 New York Magazine Article With More Links: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ftnerdy/message

This #TeacherFeature with Nicole Mancini (a.k.a.- Miss Nikki), My Messy Muse's official Educator Collaborator, discusses book clubs in the classroom! What is a book club? How to organize a book club? How to get the kids excited to do book clubs? Lots of great tips in this #TeacherFeature!  Book clubs are another great way to build relationships between authors and educators. Miss Nikki teaches fifth grade English Language Arts at Bedminster Township School District. She graduated from Washington College in 2002 as a triple major in English, education, and gender studies. She earned a Masters of Science in Education from Monmouth University and has a Reading Specialist certification. Nicole has served as a member of Bedminster Township School's Gifted & Talented Advisory Council, Technology Committee, Teacher of the Year Committee, and English & Language Arts Literacy Curriculum Committee; she also led the faculty's professional book club.  Nicole has presented various workshops both in and out of New Jersey on technology, building students' passion for reading, motivating reluctant readers, battling mental health stigmas through books, and engagement. She has been an advocate for using diverse and neurodiverse books in the classroom for several years and has worked with authors from around the country to help educators learn more about this topic. In addition, Nicole is a freelance writer, a member of the International Literacy Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and New Jersey Council of Teachers of English, and an ambassador for Flipgrid. Nicole was most recently named the Ambassador of Special Projects and Professional Development for the New Jersey Literacy Association. She has been published on the Nerdy Book Club blog and Teaching Channel, appeared on the Books Between Podcast and My Disney Class Podcast, and was featured on the Educator Spotlight column for MG Book Village. Nicole also organizes and appears on author panels for both children and adults in local bookstores. Resource referenced- Breathing New Life Into Book Clubs, by Sonja Cherry-Paul and Dana Johansen. Check out our prior #TeacherFeature- Episode 11! You can connect with Nikki on Twitter at @MissNikkiIn5th. Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse If you are interested in a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme  Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Colby Sharp author of Game Changer! Books for All shares some ways to improve your classroom library without spending any money at all. There are some ideas for all of us here. www.coolcatteacher.com/e565 Colby Sharp - Bio As Submitted Colby Sharp is a husband and father of five. He teaches fifth grade in Parma, Michigan. Colby is the co-founder of Nerdy Book Club, and he serves on the Nerd Camp Michigan team. He co-hosts The Yarn podcast with Travis Jonker. Colby currently serves as the president-elect of the Michigan Reading Association. He co-authored Game Changer! Book Access for All Kid with Donalyn Miller, and he is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection. Blog: http://www.mrcolbysharp.com Twitter: @colbysharp Book: Game Changer! Books for All Disclosure of Material Connection: This episode includes some affiliate links. This means that if you choose to buy I will be paid a commission on the affiliate program. However, this is at no additional cost to you.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

There are many ways to create a book desert — an area where a child has little or no access to books. Maybe a school's budget cuts lead to closure of the library. Maybe a neighborhood bookstore closes. Maybe the closest public library is too far away to reach by public transportation. Whatever the cause, the problem is clear: Too many children in the U.S. lack access to books. This week, we're talking with literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp about how crucial access is. It's a topic they address in their new book for K-8 educators, Game Changer! Donalyn and Colby discuss how access to a wide variety of texts, choice in what to read, and time to read are “game changers” for the lives of all children, enhancing academic achievement while shaping kids' understanding of themselves and their world. They also offer practical ways that educators and families can make small changes that can enrich their readers' lives in major ways. Additional resources: Learn more about Game Changer!  Learn more about The Nerdy Book Club Learn more about Nerd Camp Learn more about Donalyn Miller Learn more about Colby Sharp Guests: Donalyn Miller is a leading expert on independent reading, children's literature, and the author of two bestsellers, The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild. She is founder of the annual #bookaday event, co-founder with Colby Sharp of The Nerdy Book Club, and co-host of the monthly Twitter chat, #titletalk. Her articles have appeared in Education Week Teacher, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, The Washington Post, and other prominent periodicals. Colby Sharp, a fifth-grade teacher at Parma Elementary School in Parma, Michigan, is co-founder of Nerd Camp and The Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts the monthly twitter chats #sharpschu (with John Schumacher) and #titletalk (with Donalyn Miller), and, with Travis Jonker, The Yarn Podcast. He is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan Produced by Emily Morrow

There are many ways to create a book desert — an area where a child has little or no access to books. Maybe a school's budget cuts lead to closure of the library. Maybe a neighborhood bookstore closes. Maybe the closest public library is too far away to reach by public transportation. Whatever the cause, the problem is clear: Too many children in the U.S. lack access to books. This week, we're talking with literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp about how crucial access is. It's a topic they address in their new book for K-8 educators, Game Changer! Donalyn and Colby discuss how access to a wide variety of texts, choice in what to read, and time to read are “game changers” for the lives of all children, enhancing academic achievement while shaping kids’ understanding of themselves and their world. They also offer practical ways that educators and families can make small changes that can enrich their readers' lives in major ways. Additional resources: Learn more about Game Changer!  Learn more about The Nerdy Book Club Learn more about Nerd Camp Learn more about Donalyn Miller Learn more about Colby Sharp Guests: Donalyn Miller is a leading expert on independent reading, children’s literature, and the author of two bestsellers, The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild. She is founder of the annual #bookaday event, co-founder with Colby Sharp of The Nerdy Book Club, and co-host of the monthly Twitter chat, #titletalk. Her articles have appeared in Education Week Teacher, The Reading Teacher, Educational Leadership, The Washington Post, and other prominent periodicals. Colby Sharp, a fifth-grade teacher at Parma Elementary School in Parma, Michigan, is co-founder of Nerd Camp and The Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts the monthly twitter chats #sharpschu (with John Schumacher) and #titletalk (with Donalyn Miller), and, with Travis Jonker, The Yarn Podcast. He is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan Produced by Emily Morrow

Featured ContentNerd Camp is an EdCamp inspired conference with an exclusive focus on literacy instruction. The workshop board is built prior to the conference, but the spirit of collaboration and flexibility remains strong. Teachers, librarians, administrators, teacher educators and local authors come to Nerd Camp to present and attend workshops for FREE.Our guest today is Oona Abrams, a graduate of The College of Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattanville College, Oona teaches English at Chatham High School. Oona has presented and collaborated with colleagues at the NCTE, CEL, NJCTE, NJWA and EdTechNJ conferences, and she has been a guest blogger for NCTE and The Nerdy Book Club. She served as editor of English Leadership Quarterly from 2014 until 2018. Professional learning is one of her greatest passions, and attending #nErDCampMI and #nErDCampLI inspired her to launch #nErDCampNJ as her Genius Hour professional development project in 2017. She lives with her husband and sons in northern New Jersey.Resources & Authors Mentioned:Colby SharpeDonalynn MillerCindy MinnichKatherine SokolowskiThe Nerdy Book ClubHillary HomseyAlexandria LaFayeSally J PlaAndrea LoneyJosh FunkJeff ZentnerTom RinaldiNERDCAMPNJAlso mentioned…Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, TodayWhat We're Listening ToChris: Check out the NEW House of #EdTech Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing SkillAJ: Golficity PodcastStacey: Hidden Brain – Emma, Carrie, Vivian: How A Family Became A Test Case For Forced SterilizationsOona: The Moth Podcast, ADHD Rewired Podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we're talking with Varian Johnson, author of the new middle grade book The Parker Inheritance. Varian talks about his inspiration for the book, the research it took to dig back into his own hometown's past, and about social justice — how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Additional resources: More about The Parker Inheritance More about Varian Johnson Read the essay Varian Johnson wrote for Nerdy Book Club about his experience with police Guests: Varian Johnson is the author of nine novels, including The Parker Inheritance, which received four starred reviews and was named a Junior Library Guild selection and a Spring 2018 Kids' Indie Next List pick among other accolades. His middle grade caper novel, The Great Greene Heist, has been named to over twenty-five state reading and best-of lists. In addition, Varian has written for the Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts middle-grade fantasy series as well as novels and short stories for YA audiences.Varian was born in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. He later received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is honored to now be a member of the faculty. Varian lives outside of Austin, TX with his family. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

This week, we're talking with Varian Johnson, author of the new middle grade book The Parker Inheritance. Varian talks about his inspiration for the book, the research it took to dig back into his own hometown’s past, and about social justice — how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. About The Parker Inheritance: The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It's waiting for Candice Miller. When Candice finds the letter, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left Lambert in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again? Additional resources: More about The Parker Inheritance More about Varian Johnson Read the essay Varian Johnson wrote for Nerdy Book Club about his experience with police Guests: Varian Johnson is the author of nine novels, including The Parker Inheritance, which received four starred reviews and was named a Junior Library Guild selection and a Spring 2018 Kids’ Indie Next List pick among other accolades. His middle grade caper novel, The Great Greene Heist, has been named to over twenty-five state reading and best-of lists. In addition, Varian has written for the Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts middle-grade fantasy series as well as novels and short stories for YA audiences.Varian was born in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. He later received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is honored to now be a member of the faculty. Varian lives outside of Austin, TX with his family. Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson Produced by Emily Morrow

Longtime critique partners Julie Kingsley and Cameron Rosenblum dive into another first page for The Manuscript Academy Podcast. Join them for a quick reading and review of contemporary YA first page. Repped by the fabulous Brianne Johnson, a Senior Agent at Writer's House, Cameron is a school librarian, who served as a judge for the CYBIL's Award and was a guest blogger for the Nerdy Book Club. This page by author Lauren Shade. CHAPTER ONE SADIE I can't get caught. My stomach turns as I unclench my fists and wipe my palms down the side of my shorts. I can't. I am so close…so close to the truth I can taste it, and if I get caught, she'll take it away from me. She did it once. She'll do it again. I keep my eyes locked on the kitchen archway. Toes curled in the plush living room carpet. Sweat gathers under my arms and behind my bent knees, in the area where my boobs meet the underwire of my bra. My heart beat drums in my ears, much louder than the air conditioning or the gentle wind pulling the smell of salt-water and rain through the open terrace doors. The wall separating us is streaked yellow with sunlight. I can almost see her through it, phone pressed against her ear, probably pacing and definitely with a drink in hand, but nowhere close to suspecting what's going on right under her nose. With a shaky breath, I inch my hand into my mother's coat pocket. Slowly. Slowly. Fingers touching metal and plastic. This is wrong. Stealing her keys. Breaking into her office. I should stop. Maybe I should listen to Dante's advice for once. The first time he told me some things were better left alone was when I was twelve. It was during primary school. I would spend each summer at the Arzola Estate in Coral Gables. The manicured lawns were my playground. The ocean front was a mini paradise I would swim in for hours on end. One day when the chauffeur dropped me off, he turned to me with dead-set eyes and said, “Nobody has this much money unless they're involved in bad things; if you know what I mean.” But, I didn't know what he meant…though I'd soon find out. Dante and I used to love playing hide and seek at night. That night was no different. The mansion was a fortress. I would fade into the shadows of the hallway or climb the stairs to the third floor, maybe higher to the fourth where the library was and the art studio. This time I was it. I stood in the middle of the common room, shouting the countdown behind cloaked eyes and a smile that grew wider by the second. When I finally found him, Dante was hiding outside the boathouse, but he wasn't hiding from me. There was a blizzard in his eyes, a frozen panic that raised chill bumps on my arms. He had turned into a statue—stone-faced and stone-silent. I was cautious as I approached him. “Dante?” Pop! I jumped as the gun exploded. A metallic jingle—the keys scraping against each other. The memories vanish, and I'm back in the den. My mother's voice floats from the next room, low and quick. I strain to make out the conversation she's having, gauge how close or far she is, but her words all mesh together. Focus. “Damn it, Javi! Who gave him access to the accounts? Do I need to come there myself?” I go completely still, the keys swinging back and forth in my fingers. In the kitchen, cabinets open with a creak and shut with a bang. Her accent draws closer as though she's walking toward the living room. I pinch my eyes closed and grit my teeth until my jaw starts to ache, and though inside I'm on fire, outside I'm ice. I'm Dante on the night we heard those noises.

Intro Hi everyone and welcome to the Books Between Podcast! I believe in the power of stories to connect us to others in our world.  My goal is to help you connect kids with incredible books and share inspiring conversations with the authors and educators who make that magic happen.  Every other Monday, I bring you book talks, interviews, and ideas for getting great books into the hands of kids between 8-12. I am Corrina Allen - a mom of an 8 and 10 year old, a 5th grade teacher, and now making multiple visits to the orthodontist for both of my daughters. Farewell popcorn and hello palate expanders! This is Episode #45 and Today I’m discussing some ideas to make your read alouds even better and then sharing with you a conversation with educator Colby Sharp about The Creativity Project! Two quick announcements. First, the March MG at Heart Book Club pick is The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street and the April book is The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. So adjust your TBR pile if you want to join us for those conversations later this spring.  And remember that #MGBookMarch is going strong this month, and I have been so inspired by all of your responses. If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll jump into the conversation! How to Rock Your Read Aloud Last week, I had to be out of my classroom for three days for special ed meetings and various professional development training. And so I left some short picture books for the sub to read while I was away and the students foisted some of their favorites on them as well. And let me tell you - my students had OPINIONS about those experiences when I got back!  And it got me thinking - it is SO hard to grab a book you’ve never read and be open and vulnerable enough in front of an audience to read it aloud well. It takes some bravery to take those chances to give yourself over to the book. In case you were wondering, it was The Book With No Pictures - the incredible book that “tricks” the reader into saying silly things. So today I am going to share with you some ways that you can rock your read aloud with your students, your own kids, or any group of children. I’ll chat about what to do before, during, and at the end of your read aloud.  And I’ll read aloud some non-spoilery samples from one of my all-time favorite books - and the one whose sequel is released tomorrow - The Wild Robot. Before the read aloud. There are some things you can do to prepare ahead of time to make that read aloud really come to life.  Pick the right book! Some books just aren’t that great to read aloud. My daughters asked me to read aloud El Deafo a few years ago and it worked...okay… since they could sit on either side of me and see the illustrations, but I think a whole class read aloud of a whole graphic novel would be tough.  Books with short chapters are really great. Books that have tons of internal thinking or long sections of description can be tough though. Also, some of the classics have tricky sentence structure or difficult vocabulary. Or contain messages or stereotypes that we don’t want to perpetuate anymore. So - look to resources and people you trust for some good recommendations.   Listen to great examples If you want to improve, listen to other people read aloud to pick up their tricks. And listen to audio books. There are often samples you can listen to on Audible that will give you some ideas of voices to do. Or how to modulate your voice and tone and speed to match the story and the characters. We’ll chat more about that in a bit, but I have learned SO much from Jim Dale’s performance of Harry Potter. And Neil Gaiman’s readings of his novels, or most recently, the masterful performance of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Robin Miles. Listening to those examples, helped me realize that a good read aloud IS a performance.   Preview the book ahead of time. It really helps if you’ve at least read the chapter before so you don’t get lost in the sentences. And read it out loud - even if you’re just mouthing it to yourself. Three things to pay attention to: new characters you’ll have to voice, punctuation, and dialogue tags (the part of the sentence that says “she yelled”, or “he said angrily”). I am reading The Wild Robot with my class right now. I’ve read it before so I thought I was all good, but I didn’t skim Chapter 45 first so when we got reintroduced to the otters, I forgot that the first otter speaking was Shelly and so I read it in a low male voice - and so I backed up and reread it in a more female-coded voice. (I could have decided to just have our Shelly have a low voice - sometimes I think it’s good to adjust expectations a bit. But, I’d recommend just being intentional about it.)  Or sometimes the dialogue tag at the end will say, “he whispered.” and oops! I didn’t whisper that. Skimming the chapter ahead of time will help.   Review When continuing a read aloud of a chapter book, I have found that it’s helpful to do a quick recap of the last section.  In my class, we call this “Previously in The Wild Robot” and I’ll call on a few kids to refresh our memory of what happened and where we left off. And sometimes I’ll even reread the last paragraph or two just to pick back up the threads of the story to get that momentum back. I notice that my Audible app does this automatically - when I stop the book and restart, it goes back about 15 seconds - which is so helpful. During the read aloud As you are performing the story, there are three elements that when they are working well, you will have a memorable and awesome read aloud! Those three elements are your voice, your body language, and your audience. Let’s talk about your voice first because there’s a lot going on here. First of all, project your voice. And probably more than you think you have to. I don’t know about your space, but I am battling a TON of white noise in my classroom - the heater is blowing, the projector is whirring, the class across the hall is making some noise. So you have to cut through all that and angle your mouth further up than maybe you naturally would. When you are reading aloud a text, you want to try to find the music and rhythm in the language. It’s about how the cadence and inflection of your voice matches the tone of the scene and how the characters are feeling. If it’s something mysterious is happening, add that little question to your voice. If it’s a sad moment, then you’ll want to slow down and maybe read more carefully with that emotion coming through. For example, on page 58 of The Wild Robot, there is the part where Roz falls down the cliff: Expressing the right tone is about finding that rhythm, but it’s also about volume. If a character yells - you yell. And whisper those poignant lines so your class leans in to hear them. Use the dramatic slow down. Speed up when there’s energy or a chase or big climatic scene. And repeat important parts - look up at the kids. Give them a moment to digest and think. Those lines in the book that give you a deep message, that foreshadow something later, that are the heart of the story - repeat them! And maybe emphasize a different word the second time. Here’s an example from Chapter 37 of The Wild Robot where we first meet a new character - Chitchat the squirrel. SO in that section, based on the cues of the text - I made my voice bouncy when Chitchat bounces across the lawn and then fast and sort of nervous when she’s talking. Another hugely important aspect of using your voice to convey meaning is by what most kids call “doing the voices”. That’s often their biggest compliment to an adult who reads out loud to them - that they do the voices well.  And it takes some practice and some planning to figure out how to perform and almost embody those various characters. Something that has really helped me is to think about what actor or actress might be cast in that role and then try to “do” their voice.  In The Wild Robot, I modeled Roz on Alexa. The older goose, Loudwing, was Julia Sweeney for some reason. Here’s an example from Chapter 44, The Runaway: Now, YOU and the students might not hear those actors in my voice, but it helps me to keep the character’s voice straight and consistent throughout the book. And it gives me ideas of different ways that I could do different voices. Now let’s talk about your body language!  First of all, move around the room instead of just sitting in one spot. And try gesturing with the hand not holding the book.  If a character is described as doing an action, like pointing, I’ll point. If the author has the character cough or sneeze - do that! And let your facial expressions reflect the tone of the story and mood of the characters. If there’s anxiousness in the description, furrow your brow and curl into yourself.  If they are described as smiling, I’ll smile as I say that part. And you can hear that smile in your voice. The children look for visual cues to understand the text so add a little performance to it. A last way to really boost the engagement of your students or children during the read aloud is to get them involved in some way. Shorter picture books are easier to do this with because they can often see the words to say them. My class loves reading the colored words in books like She Persisted or You Don’t Want a Unicorn. But it’s a bit trickier when you are reading aloud a novel. But - there are some ways to do it.  One idea is to include your audience in some kind of small action. I remember when I was taking a graduate education class, my professor read us Seedfolks. And I vividly recall her gently placing imaginary seeds into the palms of each of our hands as she read. Just that small little thing brought us into the story, and I’ve never forgotten it.  (It also goes to show that you are never too old to enjoy a read aloud! And that you can get cool ideas by listening to experienced people read out loud.) In our class, one of the mentor texts we use a lot is Eleven by Sandra Cisneros. And there’s this part where the teacher dumps this nasty old red cottage-cheese-smelling sweater on the desk of one of her students. So, of course when I read it aloud, I mimic dropping that sweater on a student’s desk and then aim the teacher’s dialogue at that kid. Or one time I was reading a poem where one of the characters got their shoulder bumped by another person, so as I read that part and walked past a student I dipped down and (gently!) bumped their shoulder with mine.  Now, you have to know your kids well enough to know who would respond well to that. Adding those little actions can really get the audience more invested and involved in the story.   At the end of the read aloud At the end of the read aloud time, when you’ve got to stop. Always try to end on a cliffhanger - even if it’s the middle of a chapter. A lot of authors are really skilled at those chapter endings but you want to leave them wanting more! Begging to read just one more chapter! And sometimes - indulge them! Most importantly - enjoy yourself!  If you are having fun reading the story and you are getting into it - your kids will love it, too. There a hundred reasons why read alouds are so important. Of course it models fluency and introduces sophisticated vocabulary. I’ll just end by  mentioning that many accomplished readers talk so fondly about those early experiences being read to that sparked that passion for story in their lives. For me, that’s my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Simile, reading The Search for Delicious to us. I just fell head over heels for that story in a way that it became part of me. Read alouds create this shared experience that you and those children will have forever. And now - I would love to hear from you! I am always looking for ways to improve my read alouds, and I’m sure our listeners would love more ideas as well. And I am sure you have some awesome suggestions! You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect with me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Colby Sharp - Interview Outline Our guest this week is Colby Sharp! He is a teacher, one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club site, a co-host of The Yarn podcast, organizer of NerdCamp Michigan, and now…. author of The Creativity Project!  A few weeks ago we sat down to chat about the book, what’s been inspiring him in his classroom, books he’s been reading, and so much more! Take a listen... The Creativity Project The Creativity Project will finally make its way into the world this March. How did this project get started? Logistically - how did the exchange of prompts work and how did you decide who received which prompt? Did you get to see them before they went out? Are there some responses that are really memorable to you? I love that The Creativity Project works not only as an anthology that you could just enjoy as a reader, but also as a spur to your own writing. It’s going to be a great resource for teachers! Have you used the prompts in your own classroom? What writing projects are you working on now? Your Teaching Life You recently switched grade levels - going from teaching 3rd grade to 5th grade. How has that been going for you? What have been some of your favorite, most memorable teaching moments with your students this year? What does reading look like in your class? Your Reading Life Something that I think about a lot is how sometimes it only takes ONE person to really influence a child’s reading life - either in a positive way or sometimes in a negative way. Was there someone in your life who impacted you as a reader? What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked? Links: Colby’s website - https://www.mrcolbysharp.com Colby on Twitter and Instagram Student Podcasts: Colby’s Students & Corrina’s Students Books & Authors We Chatted About: Hatchet (Gary Paulsen) Holes (Louis Sachar) Enticing Hard to Reach Writers (Ruth Ayres) The Truth as Told By Mason Buttle (Leslie Connor) Freak the Mighty (Rodman Philbrick) See You in the Cosmos (Jack Cheng)   Closing Alright, that wraps up our show this week! If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or a suggestion about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Books Between is a proud member of the Education Podcast Network. This network features podcasts for educators, created by educators. For more great content visit edupodcastnetwork.com Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher so others can discover us as well. Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!

Hello everyone! As more and more news outlets decide to condemn schools, more and more politicians find it to their liking to tell their version of what public education is (and is not,) it's becoming extremely important for teachers and administrators to step outside of their bubbles and share their stories. I'd argue that educators don't control their narrative right now. Everyone outside of us, the people who want to have a say in our pay, our funding, and how we are held "accountable," control it. I think it's time to take that control back, and I brought Colby Sharp to the podcast to help tell us why. Colby is a fifth grade teacher in Parma, Michigan. He's been a classroom teacher since 2006. In 2011, he started the Nerdy Book Club blog with friend of the show Donalyn Miller. He co-hosts The Yarn podcast with Teacher Librarian Travis Jonker. He also serves on the Nerd Camp, a free literacy event that takes place in Parma, Michigan each summer. His first book, The Creativity Project, hits shelves April 10, 2018. In this episode, Colby says, "We need to share our stories, because if we aren't sharing our stories, other people will," and continues by sharing why he creates the many projects he does, and how it all goes back to helping the kids.  I couldn't recommend this episode more. I believe in the message of this episode, and I believe in the power of sharing what we do as educators...Someone will either way, wouldn't you want it to be us? As an added bonus to the conversation, we also briefly discuss his work in his classroom, his philosophy with teaching ELA, and all about his desire to give kids the love of reading. Enjoy!

Join us for the last episode in the series on why teaching is so hard. In this segment, we turn our attention to why we love teaching despite the challenges. Follow: @gustafsonbrad, @benjamingilpin @colbysharp @bamradionetwork Colby Sharp is a fifth grade teacher in Parma, Michigan. He is the co-founder of Nerdy Book Club, and the author/editor of The Creativity Project. Dr. Brad Gustafson is the principal and lead learner at Greenwood Elementary in Minnesota. Ben Gilpin is the principal at Warner Elementary School in Spring Arbor, MI.

Intro   Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and just back from a trip to our local greenhouse to pick out flowers for our window boxes. I always feel like summer is finally around the corner when I look out and see geraniums and petunias.   This is Episode #25 and it’s early!  I had the opportunity to chat with Laurel Snyder about her new novel Orphan Island and so many other things - the need for more upper middle grade books, indie book stores, what she’s been reading lately. It was supposed to last for 30 minutes but, well, we got talking, and it was a great conversation and rather than chop it way down and pair it with some book talks or other information for a more traditional show, I thought I’d just give you an episode of all Laurel Snyder.   So here it is.   Laurel Snyder - Interview Outline   Orphan Island is released May 30th and I am really excited for that because now I will have MORE people to talk to about this story! I’m wondering, what plans do you have for the Orphan Island publication day and having published several other middle grade novels and picture books - do you have certain traditions or routines on days that books are released?     What is Orphan Island about?   I saw your Nerdy Book Club post explaining why you decided to leave the ending rather open and keep some mysteries unsolved. It made me wonder…. Have you had the grownups clamoring for a sequel?     When you were first drafting this novel - did the backstory, the “rules of the island” ever change or did you know right away how it was all laid out?       One of the parts of Orphan Island that particularly resonated with me as a parent and teacher was that tension between being protective and giving children the freedom to make mistakes. As parent, is that something you’ve struggled with yourself?   If you were to live on the island, what would be your favorite thing? And what would be the thing you found most challenging?     One of the goals of this podcast is to share ideas about how to help kids find (and eventually learn to discover themselves) books that they’ll love.   You mentioned before that you see a need for more really good upper middle grade books...     You’ve mentioned that you are are teaching creative writing this spring in the MFA program at Hamline University. I’ve heard so many people say that you never really know something until you have to teach it to someone else. How has your writing changed as a result of your teaching?   I have noticed in my conversations with authors and educators and parents a feeling in the past six months that we are living through a critical time in our nation and therefore they feel a shift in their writing or teaching or parenting. Have you felt that way yourself?       Your Reading Life   You have been an advocate of small independent bookstores. And I’m sad to say that we no longer have one in Syracuse. What are your favorite indie bookstores?   What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?       Closing   Okay - that wraps up our show this week. If you have an idea about a guest we should have or a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our shows along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com.   And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher.   Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!     Charis Books - http://www.charisbooksandmore.com Little Shop of Stories - http://littleshopofstories.com   A Capella Books - https://www.acappellabooks.com   The Ivy Bookshop - http://www.theivybookshop.com The Bird in HAnd  - https://birdinhandcharlesvillage.com   The Children’s Bookstore - http://www.thecbstore.com   The Red Canoe - http://redcanoecafe.virb.com   Avid Bookshop - http://www.avidbookshop.com/welcome   Prairie Lights Book Store - http://www.prairielights.com   The Canning Season   York - Laura Ruby   Rebel Souls   https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/what-i-was-thinking-about-by-laurel-snyder/     http://laurelsnyder.com

Intro   Hi everyone - welcome to Books Between - a podcast focused solely on middle grade readers and to help teachers, parents, and librarians connect them to books they will love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two, a 5th grade teacher and still basking in the glow of getting to see Neil DeGrasse Tyson LIVE when he came to Syracuse! He talked about science in the movies and was utterly hilarious. If you ever have a chance to go see him, please do it!   This is Episode #23 and Today I am welcoming author Victoria Coe to the show and then chatting about two excellent new May releases that you won’t want to miss, and then answering a question about middle grade classics in the classroom.   Main Topic - Interview with Victoria Coe   Today I am honored to welcome Victoria Coe. She is the author of the amazing and fun Fenway & Hattie series which was just picked as one of the 2017 Global Read Aloud choices.  We chat about pets, Beverly Cleary’s Ribsy, what makes an author visit go smoothly, and lots of other things! Take a listen.   Global Read Aloud We’ve been working on having you come on to the show for a few months now but I am actually glad that the timing worked out for now so that I could talk to you about the Global Read Aloud! I admit, I actually screeched when I saw the announcement that Fenway & Hattie was selected for 2017!   How did you find out that Fenway & Hattie was picked? From the very first pages, I knew the Fenway & Hattie was a book that begged to be read out loud! Even when I was reading it by myself alone, I found myself mouthing the words and already figuring out where I would pause to let my students figure out what’s happening.   Could you tell us what the book is about for those listening who haven’t read it yet?   It wasn’t until I finished reading the book that I noticed the “1” written on the spine, so I was really excited to know that it will be a series and we’ll get to spend more time in Fenway’s world! I know the second one has come out already - Evil Bunny Gang.   Did I see that Book 3 was announced recently?   In Fenway & Hattie, one of the funny aspects of the story is the names that Fenway gives to the family. So, the dad is “Fetch Man” and the mom is “Food Lady”.   So - in your home, what would your pets call you? There is just something about dog books that have the potential to connect so deeply with an audience. In fact, you wrote a post on the Nerdy Book Club site called “How Ribsy Changed My Life”.   What was it about that dog and that book that fascinated you?   I follow you on Instagram and Twitter and I have to say that I love and appreciate that you and so many authors share aspects of their life - your writing process, your inspiration, your frustrations sometimes!  Recently I’ve seen a lot of pics of school visits.   What is a Victoria Coe school visit like?   So we have a lot of teachers and librarians listening who plan author visits.   What are some things that you appreciate and like as a visiting author? One thing that I am always trying to encourage in my students is developing a rich reading life.   How do you make time for reading in your life and what have you read lately that you’ve really liked? Book Talk - Two Excellent New Novels   In this section of the show, I share with you a couple books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week I want to share with you two fantastic novels just released last week. Both are books about the seismic changes that can happen when someone new comes into your life.  They are Three Pennies by Melanie Crowder and Posted by John David Anderson. Three Pennies   I will start with Three Pennies by Melanie Crowder. This novel is about an eleven year old girl named Marin who was abandoned many years ago by her mother and has been bounced around the foster system in San Francisco since she was four. And she’s come up with these rules for survival which essentially boil down to this; BE INVISIBLE. Don’t bother the adults, don’t fight with other kids, but that makes for an incredibly lonely existence and a situation where a kid can all too easily get swept aside and forgotten. And at age 11, there’s little chance she’s going to get adopted. All Marin has from her mother are three things: fading memories, a ceramic piggy bank with one coin rattling inside, and a copy of the I Ching. Marin is constantly casting her three pennies and using the book to try to find her way back to her mother. But, the I Ching is also called The Book of Changes and Marin’s eleventh year is full of unexpected turns. Here are three things to love about Three Pennies:   Dr. Lucy Chang! She is Marin’s latest foster parent - a kind but clinal woman. And single. The reason why she’s single comes out in a dinner conversation where Marin tries to be rude to Lucy (because she fears being adopted and losing hope of that reunion with her mother.) Lucy is a science-minded surgeon and precise, but I love how she uses that in the service of being kind toward Marin.  For example, she shares these great analogies of the human body. Let me read you a couple. The owl in the story. Every few chapters we get a brief scene from the point of view of a young rehabilitated owl living among the tall buildings in San Francisco and observing what happens below. It’s a quieter and softer part of the book but I love how those chapters weave through the main parts of the story and especially how the owl connects and comes together with the other characters at the end.   And I can’t talk about that owl without mentioning the stunning cover art by artist Victo Ngai. It is vibrant with the golds and warm browns of this owl with piercing teal eyes. It’s a stunner of a cover and the artist has done work for The New Yorker and The New York Times - and her work is amazing. I’ll post a link to her site in the show notes so you can check it out.   Three Pennies is a beautifully written and gentle book about finding family. If you have kids who might love One For the Murphys or Counting by 7s, but you want something a little shorter and maybe easier to read on that same theme, this book is a great option.   Posted   Next up this week is a book I have been waiting to get my hands on - Posted by John David Anderson, who you might know from his most recent middle grade novel - Ms. Bixby’s Last Day. This story is about a tight-knit group of four middle school boys. Their nicknames are Frost, Bench, DeeDee, and Wolf. The story is told from Frost’s point of view. He earned his nickname (from Robert Frost) because he won a poetry contest in 5th grade. His parents are recently divorced. His close friend is Bench and he got his nickname because he’s always warming the bench for every team he’s on. He’s big and kind of their protector. No one messes with them when Bench is around. Then there is DeeDee who’s small, kinda geeky, dramatic and the Dungeon Master when they play D&D. Hence his nickname, DeeDee. And finally, Wolf. He is a lanky, quieter kid who’s a piano prodigy and got his name from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Each of them are kind of outcasts and outsiders in their own way.  But - they have found each other - their tribe as Frost calls it - and support each other. Until a new girl, Rose, shows up and things get thrown into turmoil in unexpected ways. Interconnecting with that dynamic is the fact that all cellphones have been recently banned at Branton Middle School and post-its have become the new contraband form of communication. And what starts off as DeeDee posting fun sticky notes on his friend’s lockers snowballs into this mess of a situation where their friendship is really tested. This is one of those books that the more you read, the more you want to slow down and savor the story, the language - and just spend time with these characters. Well - some of them.  There are so so many things I want to say to rave about this book! I have to limit myself to three - but honestly I could list at least 30. So, just as a small sample, here are three amazing things about John David Anderson’s Posted:   How much Anderson GETS middle school and the inner life of middle school kids. Before coming to teach 5th grade in an elementary school, I was a 6th grade teacher in a middle school for 8 years. And I used to joke that middle school is the Social Serengeti. There are predators and prey and you better do whatever you can to get cover within a group. And Posted absolutely captures this. Frost calls it the Middle School Minefield. And, oh the antics these four boys get involved in! From making homemade dynamite in their driveway to accidentally microwaving a can of Spaghettio’s and almost burning down the house. These are the stories every kid can relate to - and I’m sure they have some similar ones of their own. How well Anderson builds suspense by withholding information and slowly revealing it in pieces later on.  For examples, there are these various messages written on post-its throughout the story, phrases thrown at one of the characters, and an awful text that gets a girl suspended (which is the catalyst of the cell phone ban).  Anderson doesn’t reveal what those messages are at first, but describes everyone’s reactions to it.  Or he tells the consequences of a conversation, but the details come out more slowly - I LOVED it!Just like he did with Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Anderson is masterful at sliding the pieces of the puzzle into your view until you start to see the picture yourself. How this book reminded me of the Netflix series Stranger Things. I know that sounds odd because they’re two completely different genres! But - both are about four close friends used to their own routines when a vulnerable yet powerful girl is suddenly in their midst. And how they handle that disruption and the decisions they make about who to protect could either fracture their friendship or bring them closer together. And - there’s lots of Dungeons & Dragons references! When you get a new book by an author whose previous work blew you away, you’re almost expecting to be let down. Posted was everything I was hoping for, and I think this one might actually be even more of a winner with kids because the conflicts are centered so clearly on their lives. Ya gotta get this one!   Q & A Our final segment this week is Question & Answer time.   Question: This question comes from Annamaria on Twitter “Hi, @Books_Between  I'm looking for "classics" to fill a bookcase in my classroom. Have Dahl, L I-Wilder, CS Lewis, few others. Rec's? Thx!”   Answer: Alright - yes! Here are a few titles and authors you might want to add. The Indian in the Cupboard (and the sequels) Harriet the Spy All the Beverly Cleary books! (Ramona books, Ribsy books, Mouse & the Motorcycle) The Wizard of Oz series Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry The Wind in the Willows Where the Red Fern Grows A Wrinkle in Time - that one is also a series E. B. White (Charlotte’s Web, The Trumpet of the Swan, Stuart Little) The Hobbit The Hundred Dresses Louisa May Alcott (Little Women and Little Men) The Boxcar Children Series Christopher Paul Curtis (The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 and Bud, not Buddy) Black Beauty Lots of the E.L. Konigsburg (books like From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler) Frances Burnett’s The Secret Garden and A Little Princess Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series Some really like the Betsy-Tacy series - I haven’t read them but would feel remiss if I did not mention them Mary Poppins Series Anne of Green Gables books Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass All the Judy Blume books! (well, wait - careful, she does have some adult books out, but definitely Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Blubber)     You know, in looking at this list, there are so many that I grew up loving but I recognize that in many “classics” lists, the titles and authors do lack diversity and also, where you do find some diverse characters, they’re often not portrayed that well. So in considering including classics in your library, that is an aspect to think about.   So, listeners - I know I have forgotten some. What other “classics” would you add to this list and especially, what are some more multicultural “classics” that should be included?  We will absolutely revisit this again with some updates.   Closing   Alright - that’s it for our show this week. If you have a question about how to connect middle grade readers to books they will love or an idea about a guest we should have or a topic we should cover, please let me know. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Also, we have just launched a newsletter. So if you are interesting in more middle grade goodness, I’ll post a link to sign up for that in the shownotes.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of the show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com.   And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye!   Links: https://www.amazon.com/Nutcracker-Mice-Kristin-Kladstrup/dp/0763685194   https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/how-ribsy-changed-my-life-or-it-all-depends-on-your-point-of-view-by-victoria-j-coe/   FENWAY AND HATTIE resource padlet: https://padlet.com/victoriajcoe/mr9wmo96cm65   https://theglobalreadaloud.com/2017/04/07/and-the-winners-are-global-read-aloud-choices-2017-gra17/   Info about my author visits: http://www.victoriajcoe.com/school-visits   author page at PenguinRandomHouse.com where you can click on all three books for a description and order/preorder links: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2109553/victoria-j-coe   http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780380709557   http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781481492065

Intro   Hi everyone! Welcome to Episode 21 of Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who loves middle grade books!  I am Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and a big podcast fan.  And I’ll tell you - I have been absolutely sucked into the new STown podcast for the past week! And have probably spend too much time and stayed up far too late looking at pictures of hedge mazes, sundials, and antique clocks. So, I know you like podcasts - definitely go listen to STown.   Since April is National Poetry month, our show today is all about celebrating the power of poetry! I’ll share with you a couple poetry resources to help you enjoy poetry more with your students and kids, and then chat about some fabulous books - from picture books to poetry anthologies to novels in verse.     Main Topic - Celebrating the Power of Poetry   I will straight up tell you that I was slow to appreciate poetry in the way it really deserves. I was always a voracious reader even as a kid, but I rarely ever picked up any poetry when left to my own devices.  I guess I always thought of it as a complicated puzzle or containing some secret message that I was just too obtuse to figure out.  I even had this ridiculous idea that all poetry was romantic.  Yeah - I know - WRONG!   So, I have been on a mission lately to shed my own misconceptions and make SURE that I am not passing those along to my own children or my own students. It is still very much a work in progress for me, but I thought today I’d share with you a few ideas about how to include more poetry in the lives of your kids - not only during National Poetry Month, but all year long.   Rethinking Poetry First off, I think that rethinking reading poetry is the biggest step. Helping kids understand that poetry can be about ANYTHING (not just love) is a major step. The best way to to do this? Start by reading lots of varieties of poetry with them. I know we are all pressed for time, but reading a short poem every day (or even start with every week!) would take less than a minute and can often be done in those “gap times” like waiting in the hallway or waiting for the bus to arrive. (And later on, I’ll share with you some places to get those poems.)  Also, I used to think that as a teacher, I would have to hammer the heck out of a poem and make sure my students had yanked that thing apart and knew the theme, the rhyme pattern, the symbols, the point of view of the author and on and on and on until… well, it just wasn’t enjoyable anymore. For me or my students!   The event that recently cemented for me the fact that teaching poetry doesn’t have to be like that was Laura Shovan’s live Facebook Event hosted by The Nerdy Book Club. It was called “It’s National Poetry Month: Let’s Teach Poetry!” and you can find an archive of that event through their facebook page and I’ll also include a direct link to it in our show transcript. So anyway - Laura Shovan is a poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council’s Artist-in-Education program and the author of the novel in verse The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. In this video, she walks through how to teach the poem “Weather” by Eve Merriam. The whole thing is worth checking out, but I just wanted to share with you a few highlights: Read the poem aloud and ask students what THEY notice, what stands out to them, what got them thinking or feeling. And every time I have done this over the past week, my students will catch aspects of the poem I would never have considered.  I love the advice of having students take the conversational lead. Reinforce the vocabulary of poetry naturally through the conversation around the poems, rather than a separate stand alone lesson. Incorporating terms like “couplet” and “stanza” into the discussion can save time and solidify their meaning for kids. The idea of poetry as layers - layers of sound, of story, of point of view. And how reading a poem several times allows you (and your kids!) to discover more within those multiple readings.   And Laura Shovan makes this wonderful analogy of a poem as a waterfall - some students are going to want to jump into the water and experience it with all their senses, some are science minded and might want to take samples to examine and pick apart under a microscope, and some students want to stand back admire the beauty of that waterfall with awe and wonder.  And all of those responses are are just fine. And we don’t have to do every single one of them every time we read a poem together. If you want to learn more, check out Laura’s website at www.LauraShovan.com -   Another fantastic resource that links reading and writing poetry is Kwame Alexander’s Page-to-Stage Writing Workshop. And I highly recommend this if you want to harness the power of poetry to boost the level of writing excitement with your kids. This is a teacher’s guide that will get your kids writing, publishing, and presenting their poetry - and the best part is that it’s not JUST another book on teaching poetry. It includes videos of Kwame Alexander - both for teachers and for your students to watch. And if you’ve ever had the chance to hear  him speak, you know the energy he brings.  It’s like having a Newbery-Award winning author right in your classroom giving you a mini-lesson on poetry. Actually it’s not LIKE that, it actually IS that!  Absolutely check that out!   I’ll close by quoting a bit from Kylene Beers’ forward of Page-to-Stage, “Poetry - what I’ll call the neglected genre - draws us into ourselves as it simultaneously lets us give back to the world a fresh understanding , a new vision, a re-vision of one moment. Kwame puts it better when he explains that poetry lets us ‘write our own journeys, find our own voices.’”     So I’m excited and inspired to include more poetry in my classroom and get kids writing more.  As always, I would love to hear what you are doing to foster a love of poetry  with your students and kids.  You can tag me on Twitter, Instagram, and now Facebook - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com and I’d love to hear and share your ideas.   Book Talk - Fabulous Poetry Books & Novels in Verse   In this part of the show, I chat about books centered around a theme and of course this week is all about fantastic poetry books, anthologies, and novels in verse for middle grade readers. And - since National Poem in Your Pocket Day is Thursday, April 27th - this will give you some awesome options for you and your students to tuck in those pockets.   Poetry Books Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics by author Margarita Engle with illustrations by Rafael Lopez. I really love this book - the drawings are fantastic and bold and each poem is from the point of view of the person being featured so it really feels personal.   One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance the latest by Nikki Grimes which is a collection of her original poetry interspersed with classic poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. Grimes is amazing - just go ahead and get all the Nikki Grimes - you can’t go wrong with her work! Speaking of can’t go wrong poets, Kwame Alexander has two new poetry picture book collections out.  The first is called Animal Ark: Celebrating our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures and features photographs of endangered species. This one good for young readers as well as older kids. Then he’s also collaborated with some other poets  (Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth along with artist Ekua Holmes to put together a beautiful collection of poems celebrating poets called Out of Wonder.   Another poet to look for is  Lee Bennett Hopkins - his work is simply outstanding. I love his general collections but his themed books are really cool. Check out My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States - a collection of fifty poems celebrating various regions in the country. Or Marvelous Math - a collection of math themed poems, or Spectacular Science - a book full of poems on all sorts of science topics. What is cool about these books is that if you have them on hand, you can easily flip and find a poem that relates to a subject you are studying in class. A poetry break during Math or Science?  Yes, please!   And if you are looking for something clever and funny, take a look at Keep a Pocket in Your Poem by J. Patrick Lewis. They take classic poems and pair them with a parody poem. So for example, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is paired with “Stopping by Fridge on a Hungry Evening” . It’s cute, funny, and may even inspire some of your kids to give a parody poem a try!   And if you want to enjoy some excellent poetry with a jazzy, hip hop flair - please, please go snag a copy of Hip Hop Speaks to Children: a celebration of poetry with a beat. It’s edited by Nikki Giovanni and includes a CD with many of the authors reading their poems - including Eloise Greenfield, Gary Soto, Langston Hughes, James Berry - and so, so many more. A couple things I really loved - one, they make the explicit connection between music, lyrics, and poetry and include lots of poems that we might originally view simply as songs.  Like “Rapper’s Delight”! And Queen Latifah’s “Ladies First”! It’s so, so good! And secondly, some of the tracks include the authors introducing their poem and giving you a little background. For instance, before Pedro Pietri reads “Love Poem for My People”, I was really stuck by how he mentioned that he wrote it many years ago and is STILL working on it.  Powerful, powerful messages for kids - you definitely want this one on hand! Novels in Verse:   Well, you can’t talk about novels in verse without mentioning the amazing Sharon Creech. There are of course Love That Dog  and Hate That Cat - perennial classics in any classroom or library. But, I want to give a plug for her latest novel, called Moo. It’s the story of twelve -year-old Reena and her seven-year-old brother, Luke who are suddenly uprooted from their life in New York City and wind up moving to very rural Maine, and reluctantly trying to bond with a super ornery cow. There were certain aspects that reminded me a bit of Home of the Brave. I think those two would make a great novel-in-verse pairing.   And of course, I would be remiss If I didn’t mention Kwame Alexander’s two novels in verse - The Crossover and Booked. I feel like I have gushed so much about those two books on this podcast and how much students love them that I am almost risking overdoing it. So, you already know they are amazing, right?   Also previously mentioned on the podcast, but definitely need to be included on this list are Ellie Terry’s Forget Me Not, which is a novel that is half verse / half prose from two points of view.  If you want to know more about that novel, I went into more depth in the last show which was Episode 20.  And in Episode #8, I featuring Laura Shovan’s The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, which is fantastic not only for the story but because it has dozens of poetry prompts right in the back. LOVE it!   Another author that writes poetry for kids across a wide range of ages is Nikki Grimes. I already mentioned her picture book work, but her novels Words With Wings and Garvey’s Choice are phenomenal. And accessible to kids who might find the brief poems and open space of each page really appealing. They are quick but powerful reads. A short poem, a short story, can pack a lot of punch.   And of course, Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming and her earlier book Locomotion and so many others are written with such passion and love that they stay with you, long, long after you’ve set aside those books.   A couple novels in verse that I haven’t read yet but have been bubbling up are The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. I keep bumping into rave reviews and reflections on these two books - argh - I think I just need to take a reading sabbatical and work through my To Be Read pile. Wouldn’t that be nice?     Well - I could go on and on - and I know I’ve missed a lot on this list, but I do need to cut myself off at some point. But, that leaves the door open for YOU!  What poetry books or novels in verse are your favorites and why do you love them? I’ll open some threads on our various social media sites and let’s continue the conversation there!   Closing   Okay  - that wraps up our show this week.  If you have topic or a book you think we should cover, please let us know. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thanks again for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com including links to every book and every resource I talked about today. And, if you’re enjoying the show and finding some value in what you hear, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye!     https://www.facebook.com/nerdybookclub/videos/1501455839895985/?pnref=story   http://laurashovan.com/2017/04/its-national-poetry-month-lets-teach-poetry/   https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/books/kwame-alexanders-page-to-stage-writing-workshop-9781338026818.html  

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom of two daughters, and totally into binge-watching the Netflix series The Crown. I’ve seen them all twice now. This is Episode #13 and today we are all about celebrating some of the best middle grade books published in 2016. Main Topic - The Top 20 Middle Grade Books of 2016 2016 has been a phenomenal year. For middle grade books. (Not so much for anything else, really!)  And for me, 2016 has been a standout year not only for the amount of books I’ve read, but for the quality of those books.  I’ve already exceeded my sixty book goal and I’m up to 75 at the time of this recording but not only that, I don’t think I’ve rated a book less than three stars all year. Maybe I’m doing a better job of picking things I’d like, but I just think there’s been some exceptional books published this year. So - just to give you some context of where this top 20 list comes from, here’s a bit of information. In the past year, I’ve read 60 middle grade books as of 12/19. Of those 60 - 31 were published in 2016 - so just about half of what I’ve read was new.  I will say that this year was light for me with nonfiction. I gotta work on that next year. So this list is all fiction and unlike other “Best of” lists out there, I did not separate out novels in verse or graphic novels. Everything’s all together. Alright here we go - these are my Top 20 middle grade novels of 2016. #20 - Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager I’m not typically a huge fan of the magical realism genre but this novel took me on such a sweet journey last spring. I loved the sparse dangerous beauty of the New Mexico desert and the poignant story of Carol and her family caring for the grandfather who’s losing himself in dementia. This was a debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store! #19 - Rookie of the Year by Phil Bildner This novel is the second in the Rip & Red series - the first was A Whole New Ballgame. If you are into the Kidlit community, if you consider yourself a member of the Nerdy Book Club, then you are going to love this book because the teacher, Mr. Acevedo- he’s one of us. If he existed, we’d be following him on Instagram and bumping into him on #TitleTalk chat the last Sunday of the month on Twitter. This book is fun, warm and diverse without being about diversity. It’s simply great, and I can’t wait for book #3. #18 - Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper Such a memorable book with a main character that you just want to wrap up in your arms and hug. Elyse suffers from a rare disorder where the words others use to describe her are imprinted on her skin - including her own thoughts about herself. This is a book about friendship, and courage, and learning to be kind to yourself. #17 - Like Magic by Elaine Vickers This is one of several fantastic books that came out this year that featured friendship trios, but these three girls took awhile to come together. Jade, Grace, and Malia each end up at the same library, at different times, and find something they need in this mysterious secret treasure box that the librarian has tucked away in the Lost & Found drawer. I think what I loved so much about this book was how it spoke to the power of libraries and librarians to bring people together. And how libraries can be sanctuaries for children and a place to find yourself. #16 - Eleven and Holding by Mary Penney First - this book made me laugh. The main character, Macy, is a riot. It was heartfelt but not saccharine and it had lots of mysteries to solve. And is it weird to say that I had a mini crush on Switch - the skateboarding bad boy? Yeah, that’s probably weird. Let me rephrase that. My 12 year-old self would totally have fallen for that kid. #15 - Wish by Barbara O’Connor 12 year-old Charlie is sent to go live with her aunt and uncle in what she considers a “hillbilly” town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And she’s unruly and angry and yet…. The folks around her show such patience while she tries to sort everything out. It’s lovely and I liked that more rural setting. There’s also a dog that, actually - now that I think about it, follows a similar journey to our main character. #14 - The Tapper Twins Run for President by Geoff Rodkey The third novel in this series is all about the hilarity that ensues when Claudia and Reese Tapper both run for class president. It’s funny and oddly truthful about politics and running for office. Plus - I loved the twist ending. #13 - Children of Exile by Margaret Peterson Haddix This first novel in a new series had me on the edge of my seat for days. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger that build to this jaw-dropping moment that had me furiously calling and texting my friends who had already read it. So - go read it so you can tell me what you think! #12 - Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier Unlike Smile and Sisters and Drama, Ghosts is not based on Raina’s real-life but instead features a young girl named Catrina and her little sister, Maya who is living with Cystic Fibrosis. It touches on some hard-hitting themes (childhood illness and death) but somehow stays light at the same time. Again I was reminded of how much I love Telgemeier’s style - those crisp lines, curves, and great color palette. Already this book has disappeared from my classroom so I guess I’ll buying another one! #11 - Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan Featuring alternating narratives from Joe and Ravi, this book really gets what it’s like to flounder in school and to be the target of a mean kid.  I love that it takes place over one week, I love the humor, and I love the recipes in the back. This is a great choice for kid’s book clubs - it’s not too, too long and there’s a lot to discuss. #10 - Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo I got this novel last April when Kate DiCamillo came to Syracuse as part of a “lecture” series where, of course, she did NOT lecture. Instead, she focused on the kids in the audience. And not only answered the children’s questions in a way that made them feel heard and understood and but deftly framed those questions so that that both kids and adults left inspired and knowing a lot more about her and her writing process. At this event, she talked about how her family moving without her father coming along was inspiration for this story about a girl whose dad has left town with a dental hygienist. And Raymie is trying to figure out a way to get him to come back. As part of her grand plan, she ends up taking baton twirling lessons with these other two girls who each bring their own joys and pains to the story. It is wonderful and quirky in that beautiful diCamillo way. #9 - The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan This is a book that I recommend over and and over again - for so many reasons.  I love the poems, I love the storyline about kids coming together to try to save their school from being ripped down, I love how the different narrative pieces all fit together, I love how you see the characters grow and change through their poetry. It’s so, so good! #8 - Finding Perfect by Elly Schwartz Another incredible novel by a debut author. And a book that so many middle grade readers will be able to relate to - whether that’s navigating friendship with two very different people, eating take out for days when your family is overworked and too busy, or living with anxiety or OCD like the main character does. #7 - Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin Every once in awhile you read a book where the characters are so vivid and so real that months after you’re done reading the novel, you wonder about them. Will and Naheed and Aimee and Sergio would be in their twenties now. With all that’s going on in the world, I wonder what they would be thinking at this new turning point in our country’s history. #6 - The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner There’s so so much to love about this book and later on in the podcast I’m going to go into more detail about. But - I have to share with you the best summary of this book from the Author’s Note in the back. She calls it a “ magical-ice-fishing-Irish-dancing-heroin novel for kids.” Yes, it is! And it is glorious! #5 - When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin This is a book that you finish and you set down and immediately want to go read everything else that author has ever written. I’ll share more in the book talk segment later on in the podcast. #4 - The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz Three unlikely saints, an awful character who turns out to be good, a good character who turns out to be bad, disgustingly delicious French cheese, and…. a farting dragon. Now - don’t you want to know how all those connect? From what I hear, the audio of this novel is incredible - and you get to hear “The Song of Hildebrand” and other new music by medieval scholar and musician Benjamin Bagby. BUT - then you’d miss out on the dozens of medieval style illuminations by Hatem Aly in the paper copy. I think you just have to do both to get the full experience. #3 - Booked by Kwame Alexander Yes, this story is about 12-year-old Nick and his first real love, and his relationship with his parents, and soccer, and middle school bullies. BUT. It’s also about a bold librarian who slowly kindles in Nick a passion for books - often without Nick even quite realizing it.   #2 - Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson Oh how I loved this book. How I wished it wouldn’t end. This novel is another 2016 release featuring a trio of friends. Topher, Brand, and Steve band together to bring the last day celebration their teacher, Ms. Bixby missed when she had to leave school early.  Along the way they battle bakery owners, a creepy guy who tries to steal their money, and sometimes….each other. For me, the mark of an exceptional book, is one that can make me sob and laugh out loud and this book had me doing both. And, my #1 middle grade book of 2016 is: #1 - The Wild Robot by Peter Brown This is the first middle grade novel by picture book author and illustrator Peter Brown - and boy did he hit it out of the park! I have so much I want to say, but I’m going to hold off a little bit and save it for our book talk segment. So - those are my top 20 middle grade reads of 2016!  Now, I can already sense the emails coming my way saying, “Corrina - seriously - a best of 2016 list and you didn’t mention Wolf Hollow or Counting Thyme or The Rat Prince?”  And you know what? You’re probably right. Had I had a chance to read all those, they likely would have made this list. In fact, I’m halfway through Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon and oh - if the ending holds out - a powerhouse of a book. I want to read everything Kelly Barnhill has ever written,will ever write, including her grocery lists.  I know I missed some awesome ones. So a quick shoutout to some 2016 releases that are on my To Be Read list:   Top Want to Read Books from 2016   Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd The Rat Prince by Bridget Hodder Maxi’s Secret by Lynn Plourde Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley The Best Man by Richard Peck Swing Sideways by Nanci Turner Steveson Ghost by Jason Reynold   Annnd…. Likely lots more that I am missing! So - I want to hear from YOU - what were your favorite 2016 reads and which ones should be bumped up on my to be read list? You can pop me an email at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect on Twitter with the handle @Books_Between.   Book Talk - Three Amazing Books from 2016 In this part of the show, I share with you three books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week is all about the cream of the crop of 2016. Many of the titles in my Top 20 list, I’ve already featured on the podcast in previous episodes, and some I’ve talked about more than once. But there are a few of my favorites from 2016 that either didn’t fit into a theme I was focusing on for that show or they were very recent reads. The three of my top 2016 picks that I want to talk about with you are  The Seventh Wish, When the Sea Turned to Silver, and my #1 pick of the year - The Wild Robot.   The Seventh Wish First up is Kate Messner’s The Seventh Wish.  I read this book over the summer but it feels right to be talking about it in the winter. The book starts with this gorgeous image of ice flowers blooming on a frozen lake and takes place over one winter in the life of Charlie Brennan. And it’s a difficult winter for her. Her bright athletic older sister, Abby, develops a heroin addiction at college, her mother has a challenging new job, and suddenly everyone else’s problems have pushed her concerns way over to the side. And one day - while out ice fishing with her neighbors - she catches a fish that grants wishes. And Charlie has to figure out just how far that magic will go.  So here are three things I loved about Kate Messner’s The Seventh Wish:   The “I’m thinking of a word” game - So, Charlie and her family play this game where one person will announce “I’m thinking of a word.” and the rest of the family tries to guess what that word is. And whoever comes closest is the winner. And it sounds simple - and it is - but the true brilliance of this game comes in trying to justifying why “flashlight” is closer to “sunflower” than “rebellious” is!  It’s a lot of laughs, it gets you thinking and is now one of our favorite games to play in the car. The Irish Dancing - A major part of Charlie’s life is competing in Irish Dance competitions called feiseanna (“feesh-ee-AH-nuh) - the singular of that is feis (“fesh”). This is a completely foreign world to me, but suddenly I’m into hard shoes vs. soft shoes, the hornpipe and treble jig, strange uses for glue, and the ranking systems in competition. I love books where you can immerse yourself in something new. The Familiar Wintery Feel - So while all the Irish dancing details were totally new to me, the cold, blustery atmosphere of the setting was not. I live in Central New York - just outside of Syracuse, often touted as the Snow Capital of the United States. We get on average, 128” of snow every year.  Charlie’s family goes snowshoeing and ice fishing, and they wonder if when the sun comes out it will warm up from minus 22 degrees to a balmy zero. I think the setting is Northern New York or maybe Vermont, but it felt like it was written about my home. Charlie bundling up in layers of sweaters, snow pants, her puffy jacket, and two scarves is oh-so-familiar to me.   The Seventh Wish is not only a phenomenal and fun book, but also an important book. I’m not sure how things are in your community, but mine is struggling with a daunting heroin problem. And a book that addresses that in a realistic but hopeful way that is completely perfect for a middle grade reader is a necessity right now. It’s simply a fantastic book.   When the Sea Turned to Silver The second book I want to tell you more about, and one that I just finished a few days ago, is Grace Lin’s When the Sea Turned to Silver.  And I need to admit to you - this is the very first Grace Lin book I have read. And argh - why have I waited so long?! It was beautiful and lightly intricate and inspiring.  And I am sure if you have read the companion novels 2011’s Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and 2014’s Starry River of the Sky - you will get even more out of it than I did. But don’t feel like you have to read those other two first - I obviously didn’t and still understood and loved this book. This novel is about a young girl’s quest to rescue her grandmother from a cruel and vindictive Emperor, who is keeping the grandmother (and others) captive. The girl’s name is Pinmei and her grandmother is a famous Storyteller so as we are following Pinmei and her friend Yishan on their voyage to get back the grandmother, interspersed throughout that narrative are these traditional folktales.  Here are three things I loved about Grace Lin’s When the Sea Turned to Silver:   The interconnectedness of the stories. It is this slow crescendo of the main narrative and the folktales that come crashing together at the end. And all along the way, you know they are starting to connect to each other and characters and settings from one story are popping up in others - and STILL I was utterly surprised by how everything came together at the end. The focus on Honor.  Sometimes it seems like there’s a shortage of self-sacrificing, honorable people today. (Or maybe our culture doesn’t revere them as much as it should.) But this novel is full of characters like the scarred servant or the King of the Bright City of Moonlight who learn, eventually, to do the right and honorable thing even when it means danger and maybe death for themselves. It’s rereadability (is that a word?) - I don’t know but this was a book that as soon as I turned that last page, I had to go back and reread some of the stories now that I knew more about the characters and how the tales all connected. It reminded me a bit of when I finished the YA novel Challenger Deep - now that I know the secret, I want to go back and catch everything I missed and experience the story again with new eyes.   If you have a child that loves folk tales with lots of adventure and twists along the way, then When the Sea Turned to Silver would be a great recommendation for them.   The Wild Robot And I saved my best, my favorite of 2016 for last. Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot. “Our story begins on the ocean, with wind and rain and thunder and waves.” Oh - that first line gets me. You know how some books just happen to come into your life at the right moment to connect with you? That’s how this book was for me and my daughters. The first I heard of it was on the All the Wonders podcast when Matthew Winner interviewed Peter Brown and there was something so intriguing about the scenario of a robot stranded on a hostile, remote island, becoming a mother, and trying to survive and thrive. I immediately drove over to my bookstore, got a copy, and started reading it out loud with my girls that very night. We finished, a few weeks later, on Mother’s Day - and maybe that’s why the story of Roz sacrificing so much for the island - and the island sacrificing for her - touched us so much on that particular day. It was our first family book cry. We had to get more tissues and my husband rushed into the room wondering why we were all sobbing! It’s an incredible book and difficult to narrow it down to just three things to love, but here are a few things that I thought were exceptional about The Wild Robot. The illustrations - First, there are tons of them - every couple pages in every sort of perspective and shape: tall trees along the sides with a bear dangling over the text, an action scene charging across the bottom, two page spreads of a single crucial moment with just a small paragraph to the side, small inserts of just one animal, or one leaf. Peter Brown’s skill in picture book composition is clear in the layout and balance of the drawings and the words. The robot, Roz, is made of simple shapes and lines that really make it feel like it could take place at any time. And of course, I love his style of splatters and shading. The existential questioning that happens with this book. There’s just something about robot stories that lends itself to deep thinking about ethics and morality, the nature of the soul, and what it means to exist. So, I grew up in a Star Trek household. My mom is a trekkie and once got me a signed picture of my crush, Wil Wheaton, from a convention. I loved Next Generation, and particularly the episodes featuring Data, the android - there’s something about pushing the boundaries of programing that is intriguing. Putting a machine in a challenging, new environment and seeing what happens. At one point in the story, Roz and her adopted gosling son wonder what will happen if they push the button to turn her off.  Will she remember him if she turns back on? Will she be the same? Roz is devoid of emotion and yet she brings out so much tenderness and emotion in the reader. How fun and easy it is to read out loud. The chapters are really short so it’s nice to have those natural stopping points when you might just have a few minutes at home or in school.  And the character’s are vibrant and fun with great personalities to give voices to. I did Roz with the voice of Siri, which was loads of fun to do. I channeled Julia Sweeney for the goose, Loudwing and the fast-talking chipmunk, ChitChat was hilarious. The writing just has this great rhythm and it’s a joy to read out loud.   Absolutely go get The Wild Robot - I promise you won’t regret it.   Closing Okay, that’s our show for the week - and the last one of 2016. Look for our next episode on Monday, January 2nd, where I’ll be discussing the most anticipated middle grade books coming out in 2017 and some fun reading challenge ideas to kick off your new year!   And, If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we should cover, I really would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And when you are there, look for the other Best of 2016 lists to get more reading ideas. And, if you are liking the show, I’d love it if you took a second to leave  a rating or review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks and see you in two weeks!  Bye!

Welcome to Episode 8 of The Book Love Foundation Podcast! And thank you for joining us in this celebration of teaching and the joy of learning. Subscribe in iTunes Donate to the Book Love Foundation Episode 8 Show notes This episode is Part 1 of a two-part conversation Penny had recently with Donalyn Miller. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Book Love Foundation podcast. The Book Love Foundation is a non-profit 501 3(c) dedicated to putting books in the hands of teachers dedicated to nurturing the individual reading lives of their middle and high school students. We have given away $100,000 in three years and are currently reviewing 140 applications for 2016. We wish we had money to give to every one of these deserving teachers. If you can help us in that mission, visit booklovefoundation.org and make a donation. 100% of what you give goes to books. – Penny RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE Books: The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller Reading in the Wild, by Donalyn Miller On Twitter: @donalynbooks co-host of #titletalk with Colby Sharp co-host of Best Practices Roots (#bproots) with Teri Lesesne founder of #bookaday Donalyn is also the co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club. Other: Scholastic Book Fairs, where Donalyn is Manager of Independent Reading Outreach Little Free Libraries Book Buzz Book Riot BOOK TALK Here are the books from this episode s book talk, courtesy of Donalyn Miller: Reading without nonsense, by Frank Smith Unidentified Suburban Object, by Mike Jung The We Need Diverse Books Movement. Dumplin', by Julie Murphy Side Effects Vary, by Julie Murphy Rad American Women A to Z, by Kate Schatz Drowned City, by Don Brown The Great American Dust Bowl, by Don Brown (Yes, this same book talk appeared in Episode #3.) Thank you for listening to the The Book Love Foundation Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share it with a colleague or two. The post A Conversation with Donalyn Miller, Part 2. Ep. 8 of the Book Love Foundation Podcast appeared first on Teacher Learning Sessions. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to Episode 7 of The Book Love Foundation Podcast! And thank you for joining us in this celebration of teaching and the joy of learning. Subscribe in iTunes Donate to the Book Love Foundation Episode 7 Show notes This episode is Part 1 of a two-part conversation Penny had recently with Donalyn Miller. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Book Love Foundation podcast. The Book Love Foundation is a non-profit 501 3(c) dedicated to putting books in the hands of teachers dedicated to nurturing the individual reading lives of their middle and high school students. We have given away $100,000 in three years and are currently reviewing 140 applications for 2016. We wish we had money to give to every one of these deserving teachers. If you can help us in that mission, visit booklovefoundation.org and make a donation. 100% of what you give goes to books. – Penny RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE Books: The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller Reading in the Wild, by Donalyn Miller Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, by April Genevieve Tucholke On Twitter: @donalynbooks co-host of #titletalk with Colby Sharp co-host of Best Practices Roots (#bproots) with Teri Lesesne founder of #bookaday Donalyn is also the co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club. Other: Scholastic Book Fairs, where Donalyn is Manager of Independent Reading Outreach Thank you for listening to the The Book Love Foundation Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share it with a colleague or two. require(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us11.list-manage.com","uuid":"758e0031c7a7661f62a20a558","lid":"27df9614a1"}) }) The post A Conversation with Donalyn Miller, Part 1. Ep. 7 of the Book Love Foundation Podcast appeared first on Teacher Learning Sessions. ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the Drunken Dork Podcast, Jake & Tom are thrilled to welcome Ryan Anderson: Co-Host of the exellent NerdRage Podcast! Join them as the discuss the latest Mega Event from DC Comics - the continuity shattering book known as "Convergence"!  They also talk about the shakeup over at Marvel Studios, get each show's opinion on Fox's "Fantastic Four" debacle, and wrap things up with the tastiest "Jake's Versus" yet! Be sure to listen to the NerdRage Pod through the usual outlets, follow them on various social media platforms, and give 'em some feedback here! As always, be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher & TuneIn Radio while remembering to give us those golden "5-Star Ratings".  Don't forget t follow us on Twitter @thedrunkendork, like us on Facebook and give us some feedback by emailing us at thedrunkendorkpodcast@gmail.com  And most importantly - Be sure to tell your friends about us! Buy "DC Convergence" HERE! Copyright 2015 Thomas Coe, Jacob Wilson & Ryan Anderson Music Courtesy of Jackson F. Smith, via http://freemusicarchive.org/ Recorded September 14th, 2015

In this third episode, Colby Sharp talks with Jon Samuelson about three books for your classroom. Colby is a third-grade teacher in Michigan and one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club. He also organizes a yearly free conference with authors, students, and teachers called NerdCamp. You can find a ton of literature and a daily blog post at the Nerdybookclub.com. You can connect with Colby on Twitter @colbysharp and Jon @jonsamuelson or the ipadsammy Facebook Page. Find all the links and resources to this show at techlandiaradio.com.

Colby Sharp is a third grade teacher in at Parma Elementary in Parma, Michigan. He’s the co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club and the co-founder of Nerd Camp Michigan. He also co-hosts the monthly Twitter chats #SharpSchu and #Titletalk.

Brain Burps About Books Podcast #207 Our 101 Favorite Children's Books of the Year Part 2 Announcements Would you answer this one question survey? I want to hear from how I can help YOU: http://www.katiedavis.com/onequestion Getting excited and prepped for the next session of Business for Writers 101: Crank It Up with Katie. Get it now for the early bird price of $97. Support Pencils of Promise! See the free replay of How to Explode Your Career with Video to find out how you can help HERE. Get Video Idiot Boot Camp for $25 off, too and learn how to create videos to help your career as a writer and help a kid get a good education. Between now and December 31, half of every tuition for Video Idiot Boot Camp will be donated to Pencil of Promise, an organization that ensures quality education for children in Ghana, Guatemala, Laos, and Nicaragua. Use code pencils25 when you check out to get your discount. So far, we've donated over $800! This Week's Guests are Matthew Winner of The Busy Librarian and the Let's Get Busy Podcast with Cynthia Alaniz of Librarian in Cute Shoes & Contributor at the Nerdy Book Club. Matthew, Cynthia, and I talk about Their favorite books of 2014. the next 51 books on the list including our number 1 picks! All books are in alphabetical order so we can spread the book love. Getting a downloadable PDF of the books HERE for you to take to your local independent bookseller and get your favorites! Note to my podcast listeners When I was listening to Fresh Air on NPR I thought, "Hey! I could do that, but with children's publishing as my focus!" That's how Brain Burps About Books got started. Writing is so solitary. I thought it would be a great way to get to talk to my friends and make new ones, plus I could help others learn. Maybe I'd learn some stuff myself, too. I've had the privilege of talking to the first three National Ambassadors for Young People's Literature, to librarians and New York Time's bestselling authors. I've interviewed to booksellers and publishers, writers, illustrators, app creators, and app distributors, and more! There is always something new on the horizon to learn and to share. So many listeners have asked how to support the show, and actually, now you can. I've installed a donate button to help defray the costs of producing the show. What do you learn or get out of Brain Burps every week? If it's worth donating a dollar, two dollars, five, or whatever you think the show is worth to you, it would help enormously. The show costs $20 a month to keep on the server, and that's only if there are four shorter episodes in a month. That number doesn't include other costs like my time to research and record, post, edit the intros and outros, web hosting, and equipment and software to do all this. I ended up loving podcasting. I love my listeners. My "Burpers!" This is my gig, I know. and like I said, it's an incredible experience for me. But if you've you've been helped, or just love it too, and you're able, here's your opportunity to help defray the costs. No matter what, thank you for being a Burper!

In this third episode, Colby Sharp talks with Jon Samuelson about three books for students that are ready to make the jump to novels. Colby is a third-grade teacher in Michigan and one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club. He also organizes a yearly free conference with authors, students, and teachers called NerdCamp. You can find a ton of literature and a daily blog post at the Nerdybookclub.com. You can connect with Colby on Twitter @colbysharp and Jon @jonsamuelson or the ipadsammy Facebook Page. Find all the links and resources to this show soon at techlandiaradio.com.

In this second episode, Colby Sharp talks with Jon Samuelson and Scott Bedley about three of the latest books he really enjoyed reading. Colby is a third grade teacher in Michigan and one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club. He also organizes a yearly free conference with authors, students, and teachers called NerdCamp. You can find a ton of literature and a daily blog post at the Nerdybookclub.com. You can connect with Colby on Twitter @colbysharp, Jon @ipadsammy, and Scott @tasfair, @scotteach, @scottbedley, and @bedleybros. Find all the links and resources to this show at the ipadsammy.com blog.

In this first episode, Colby Sharp talks with Jon Samuelson and Scott Bedley about three of the latest books he really enjoyed reading. Colby is a third grade teacher in Michigan and one of the founders of the Nerdy Book Club. He also organizes a yearly free conference with authors, students, and teachers called NerdCamp. You can find a ton of literature and a daily blog post at the Nerdybookclub.com. You can connect with Colby on Twitter @colbysharp, Jon @ipadsammy, and Scott @tasfair, @scotteach, @scottbedley, and @bedleybros. Find all the links and resources to this show at the ipadsammy.com blog.

In this episode, Jon Samuelson @ipadsammy, Alison Anderson @tedrosececi, Scott Bedley @tasfair, (from the @bedleybrothers podcast fills in for Curt), and Colby Sharp @colbysharp chat about the world of educational technology. They also share 3 Twitter users to follow, and some great #eduwins from the past week. Highlighted will be Colby talking about the Nerdcamp Extravaganza in Michigan, the great website the Nerdy Book Club, and some ways to highlight students. Be sure to check out all the links on our List.ly list.

Nerdy Book Club! Kid Cartoonists! Comics in the classroom! & lots more! We’ve all heard someone say “well at least they’re reading,” as a defense of kids’ love of comics. And it’s true–comics can be a great inroad to developing a love of reading. But is that all comics offer? Or can we celebrate them […]