Unleashing Readers Blog Hop

Welcome to the Unleashing Readers Blog Hop!!  When Kellee sent me the introduction, explaining everything this blog will offer, I was thrilled to be participating in this blog hop.  Here is what Kellee and Ricki have to say about their new blog:  

"The goal of Unleashing Readers is to be a go-to resource for all levels of teachers to find resources for utilizing the best pieces of literature and nonfiction in their classroom. We hope to do this by making our website specifically tailored to give teachers exactly what they need.

For each book we review, we will include a summary, our thoughts, potential discussion questions, quotes/pages we flagged, and books that are similar. To make the review even more useful for teachers, we will include how we would use the book in our classroom, including if we recommend the book for a read aloud, literature circle/book club, close reading/analysis, and/or classroom library buy."

Here are some of my favorite choices: 

My Favorite Read Aloud

This would be a great choice to read aloud to all students in the class. We often suggest this category when the book has strong, widespread appeal to many types of students.

 

Title: Hound Dog True

Author:  Linda Urban
**This would be a great beginning of the school year read aloud.  Linda Urban addresses the uncertainty of moving to a new school, as well as the importance of using a writer's notebook, in a way that moves readers.

My Favorite Lit Circle/Book Club Book

This text would work very well for discussion within small groups. We often suggest this category when the book offers great points of discussion, but it might not appeal to every student in the class.

Title:  Hold Fast
Author:  Blue Balliett

My Favorite Close Reading/Analysis Book

There are many passages within the book that would be great for close analysis. We often suggest this category when a book has complex passages or great sections to teach literary elements to students.


Title: The Arrival
Author:  Shaun Tan

My Recommended Classroom Library Buy

This would be a great addition to your classroom library. Often, these books fit well with a specific type of student, but we definitely think it is worth purchasing for your classroom.



Title:  Navigating Early
Author:  Clare Vanderpool  

My Personal Favorite Book

 

Title: Paperboy

Author:  Vince Vawter
Review:   I have read many great books this year, but this is the first book where I wished I could give it more than five stars. Vince Vawter says this book is "more memoir than fiction". I still have chills thinking about the challenges the main character was faced to overcome, all because of a stutter. The choice of words Vince Vawter used, within this story, gives me hope for the world around us.