The Literary Maven

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<b style="text-align: left;">The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (<i>Kirkus Reviews</i>) from the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award–winning author of <i>When I Was the Greatest</i>.<br />
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Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PipTYvpg7H4/Xvj1lYDQtaI/AAAAAAAASNo/8HRaLZNRO7QpsfY-f9ZtOaijNbBgOQBOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Boy In The Black Suit is another gem from Jason Reynolds about loss and love. Matt's mother has recently died from cancer and his father is drowning his sorrows in a bottle. It's Matt's final year of high school and he takes a part time job at the local funeral home, where he finds comfort in others grief. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PipTYvpg7H4/Xvj1lYDQtaI/AAAAAAAASNo/8HRaLZNRO7QpsfY-f9ZtOaijNbBgOQBOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide6.png" title="The Boy In The Black Suit is another gem from Jason Reynolds about loss and love. Matt's mother has recently died from cancer and his father is drowning his sorrows in a bottle. It's Matt's final year of high school and he takes a part time job at the local funeral home, where he finds comfort in others grief. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b></span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2YeSqa5" target="_blank">The Boy In The Black Suit</a> </i>is another gem from Jason Reynolds about loss and love. Matt's mother has recently died from cancer and his father is drowning his sorrows in a bottle. It's Matt's final year of high school and he takes a part time job at the local funeral home. Up to this point he has found his grief extremely isolating; his father is largely absent and his classmates at school treat him a little like a pariah.<br />
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But when Matt begins working at Mr. Ray's funeral home, he is able to take comfort in others' grief and feel a little less alone. He connects with Lovey, a young woman he had fallen for while considering applying for a job at a local fast food restaurant, and Lovey is also all too familiar with loss. The two begin to lean on each other as they discover things in life worth living for.<br />
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The beauty of this book is in the intersections of the characters' lives. The local drunk that Matt's father begins spending time with is Mr. Ray's brother. Mr. Ray's basketball career was ended by a now washed up man Matt serves at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. The shooting Matt witnessed as a boy at his friend Chris's apartment complex was of Lovey's mother. I also appreciated the anti-gun message that is present in so many of Jason Reynolds's titles like <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/01/review-ghost-jason-reynolds.html" target="_blank">Ghost</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2019/07/review-long-way-down-jason-reynolds.html" target="_blank">Long Way Down</a>,</i> and <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/09/review-as-brave-as-you-jason-reynolds.html" target="_blank">As Brave As You</a></i>.<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>This title is appropriate for middle school and up. While the protagonist is in high school and the novel touches on violence and substance abuse, there isn't any content that would too mature or inappropriate. If your students enjoy this book, I would recommend <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/search?q=Jason+Reynolds" target="_blank">any of Jason Reynolds's titles</a> as their next read.<br />
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If your students are interested in reading more about gun violence, they may enjoy <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2020/04/enough-is-enough-students-fight-for-gun-safety.html" target="_blank">Enough Is Enough</a></i>, a nonfiction title for teens.<br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>The Boy In The Black Suit</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2YeSqa5" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note: </i>The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxeNwVc8PA0/Xv-UGMTXNuI/AAAAAAAASPk/XN204EigDpI6PQkUO1bzK1vbYMwFJUlpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Collections curriculum is often criticized for its dry, not so diverse texts and the lack of supplemental materials. You may find that the curriculum you are using has similar issues. Read on for how I deal with both." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxeNwVc8PA0/Xv-UGMTXNuI/AAAAAAAASPk/XN204EigDpI6PQkUO1bzK1vbYMwFJUlpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide1.png" title="Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Collections curriculum is often criticized for its dry, not so diverse texts and the lack of supplemental materials. You may find that the curriculum you are using has similar issues. Read on for how I deal with both." width="400" /></a></div>
This will be my third year using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's <i>Collections</i> curriculum in my sixth grade classroom. I know that the series is often criticized for its dry, not so diverse texts and the lack of supplemental materials. You may find that the curriculum you are using has similar issues. Here's how I deal with both.<br />
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<b>Dry Texts That Lack Diverse Representation</b><br />
1. Not all collections (units) within <i>Collections</i> are created equal The textbook includes six. Look closely at the themes of each collection and focus on those that would be of greatest interest to your students, connect with other content areas, or tie into your school's mission. Depending on the length of time I spend on each collection, i usually teach only three or four of the collections in a school year.<br />
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2. Get picky with your text choices within a collection. Each one usually has at least two short stories, a poem or two, several nonfiction pieces, a multimedia text plus the texts included in the Close Reader. Choose the texts that are high interest, match the standards that you are teaching, and/or help you meet your end goal (for example, writing an informational piece on a topic covered in the collection like animal intelligence).<br />
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3. Add in other texts that tie into the theme of the collection. For each collection, I add in a novel or run literature circles connected to the theme. I make sure that the whole class text I choose or the choices I offer students for literature circles bring in non-white authors and present students with a variety of experiences and perspectives since the authors and characters included in <i>Collections</i> are overwhelmingly white. Adding additional poems, spoken word pieces, or song lyrics are easy ways to add other voices into a collection since these text types are shorter than the usually lengthy pieces in the <i>Collections</i> textbook. Sites like <a href="https://www.commonlit.org/" target="_blank">Common Lit</a> can be very helpful for finding additional texts by theme.<br />
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<b>The Lack of Supplemental Resources</b><br />
1. Before I start to create or look for additional resources, I take a close look at what is included in <i>Collections</i> for the text, terms, and skills in focus. Sometimes these can be used as is or just need a little tweaking. The Interactive Whiteboard Lessons can be used to introduce a term or skill and the Level Up Tutorials can be used to reinforce those same terms and skill (though I wish they collected data on students' responses). The Close Read Application is perfect to assign for homework (though sometimes I have to reformat these handouts to add the section of the text in focus) and then discuss the next day.<br />
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I use the selection quizzes as a starting point for an after reading assessment. I usually remove the vocabulary multiple choice questions, add a sixth multiple choice question focused on applying key terms or skills, and revise the other multiple choice questions if there are too many focused on reading comprehension rather than application of skills. I make similar revisions of the short written response questions. Similarly, I use the collection assessments as a starting point, edit them down into a more manageable length, and remove questions focused on terms and skills I didn't touch on in the collection due to omission of certain readings.<br />
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2. Once I've looked at what is already mostly ready to go from the <i>Collections</i> offerings, I start working on creating the rest of the materials I need to support my students. While these I have to make "from scratch," there are a variety of places within the teacher's edition that I turn to as I create these materials.<br />
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I create a Google Slides presentations with the terms and definitions we'll be focused on with a text. I find these right after the selection (it's the "Teach" page in the teacher's edition). We review this Slides presentation in class before beginning the text and then I post it on Google Classroom for my students' reference.<br />
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Collections has guiding questions in the teacher's edition, which can also be downloaded as a Word document online, but these questions are mostly very skill focused and for many texts my students need support with basic comprehension of the text. I like to generate one or two questions per page that ask students to find a key text detail or specific lines in the text to make sure that they are understanding what they read and keep them engaged in the text if we are reading aloud or listening to the audio of the text as a whole class. Sometimes I have students respond to these questions on whiteboards so that I can have 100% participation and other times I use them as turn and talk questions and then call on a few students to share out.<br />
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While the guiding questions <i>Collections</i> includes are focused on literary elements, I like to have a concise handout that allows students to identify and/or analyze sections of the text related to those terms. The "Extend and Reteach" page after a selection in the teacher's edition can be a good starting point for thinking about examples of those terms in focus. <br />
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I usually alternate between giving students a traditional quiz to assess their understanding of a story and the related terms/skills and having students write a text dependent analysis (TDA) essay. The <i>Collections</i> curriculum includes a Performance Task on the "Practice and Apply" page of the teacher's edition that is often a writing piece, but the prompts do not align with the types of prompts my students see on standardized state tests. I do look at the "Analyze the Text" questions, also on the "Practice and Apply" page of the teacher's edition, for inspiration for building a TDA prompt. While I do not teach in Nebraska, I often reference <a href="https://cdn.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/January_2017_TDA_Released_Prompts.pdf" target="_blank">these TDA examples</a> when I am building on of my own.<br />
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In addition to using TDAs throughout a collection, I like to have a major writing assignment at the end of each collection. There are Performance Tasks at the end of each collection and sometimes I find inspiration there, but I still need to develop all of the graphic organizers, outlines, rubrics, etc. that will support students through the writing process.<br />
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3. What is missing altogether from the <i>Collections</i> curriculum is anything that would be fun, require creativity, or allow students to express their learning in less traditional ways. I don't have any singular approach to remedying this, but I try to add in something a little different with each selection that I use from<i> Collections</i>, whether it is getting students out of their seats for a question trail, engaging in academic conversation in a debate, or utilizing their art and design skills to create a one pager.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MgmBdaszCcU/XvXNm6Usl6I/AAAAAAAASJA/T1HVV9SSIok9r156WjoGWCaIuphaIuOLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MgmBdaszCcU/XvXNm6Usl6I/AAAAAAAASJA/T1HVV9SSIok9r156WjoGWCaIuphaIuOLACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide4.png" title="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b><i>The Golden Compass</i> for the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets—plus a robotic companion that isn't what it seems.<br />
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Lacey Chu has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the "baku"—a customizable "pet" with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed.<br />
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One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen...He seems real.<br />
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As Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams for the future?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHqBuiwjbVM/Xvj1wlz9GoI/AAAAAAAASNw/eq7tln2Rl64WBiqhSHp0t33n3Y0QkugDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHqBuiwjbVM/Xvj1wlz9GoI/AAAAAAAASNw/eq7tln2Rl64WBiqhSHp0t33n3Y0QkugDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide7.png" title="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b></span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2yVCsYl" target="_blank">Jinxed</a> </i>is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. I never truly felt invested in Lacey and her journey because there just wasn't enough development of her character at the start.<br />
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I was particularly interested in the notion of the baku. Characters had a choice of the animal form their robot companion would come in with more sophisticated animals costing more. In the book, part the appeal of a robot in animal form is that it is less threatening than one in human form. This sparked my thoughts about current technology like Alexa and Siri, which are both "female." Does that make them less threatening to humans than if they had "male" identities? I also appreciated the theme of friendship throughout the book as Lacey makes new friendships she struggles to find time for old friendships.<br />
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The ending of the novel also felt rushed, with Lacey's discovery of Monica sedated within MONCHA's headquarters and the release of Jinx. The ending also left unanswered questions about Lacey's father and I couldn't help but wonder if there will be some stronger connection between him (last name Chu) and the head of MONCHA, Monica Chan. I suppose we'll have to wait for the next installment in the series to hopefully clear some of that up.<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>I would recommend this novel to middle school students who are interested in science fiction, technology, and engineering. Students who enjoy shows like Robot Wars and Battle Bots will be thrilled by the baku battle scenes in the book.<br />
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After reading, students could do research about the benefits and perceived threats of smart technology. Students could also research secondary education programs that lead to employment (Lacey's school funnels into a corporation) and explore how the ideals of innovation can lead to burnout (like Lacey's father).<br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Jinxed</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2yVCsYl" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IdHMrVl8cho/XvXNZp4d0pI/AAAAAAAASI4/NpvmteclcAAgJP5cmL0LjZu8ADJTiRqogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IdHMrVl8cho/XvXNZp4d0pI/AAAAAAAASI4/NpvmteclcAAgJP5cmL0LjZu8ADJTiRqogCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide5.png" title="Jinxed by Amy McCulloch is an action packed middle grades novel with good intentions. The characters are diverse and the plot concept is intriguing. However, the pace of the novel is at the cost of developing those characters and key scenes. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDImsE77fOE/XsHu-2oUrjI/AAAAAAAAR48/NVi_P2gCwHQoDAzGSow4XCmmCqm2H_K4ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDImsE77fOE/XsHu-2oUrjI/AAAAAAAAR48/NVi_P2gCwHQoDAzGSow4XCmmCqm2H_K4ACPcBGAYYCw/s400/Slide2.png" title="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Simone is a mind-reader. She knows a great many things, but she can't seem to remember anything about her past. So when she gets the chance to search for her family, she sets off to finally find her home.<br />
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When she stumbles across a man with two minds inside him—the real one, shoved deep down, and one of a body walker, someone who can take over a person's body against their will—Simone is even more eager to leave her old life behind.<br />
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As Simone dives deeper into her history, she learns truths she never could have imagined. But as those she loves start disappearing around her, Simone knows only she can stop the evil, before it's too late.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uI8nrOCPw3Q/XsHvNTkhSlI/AAAAAAAAR5E/tJS51wpxBBwvVBgCM4p07vFhDeDWTaGLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uI8nrOCPw3Q/XsHvNTkhSlI/AAAAAAAAR5E/tJS51wpxBBwvVBgCM4p07vFhDeDWTaGLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide5.png" title="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b></span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3a31OAf" target="_blank">Hollow Dolls</a> </i>is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. The opening scene was a little abrupt (I'm thinking there's room for a prequel), but then the plot moves along at a more even pace as Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed.<br />
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Simone and Sebastian's nemesis, the body walker, is a particularly fearful foe because the mind walker takes control of another persons mind and body leaving the true identity of the mind walker a mystery (this reminded me of the struggle in <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2020/01/review-serafina-black-cloak-robert-beatty.html" target="_blank">Serafina and the Black Cloak</a></i> to identify who was snatching the children<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>This title is perfect for middle grade students and would appeal to students who like fantasy or thrillers. This is the first book (and as of summer 2020, the only one published), so if students are hooked you can recommend other titles in the series. Students may also enjoy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MarcyKate-Connolly/e/B00KK8TUQW?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000" target="_blank">other books by the same author</a>.<i> </i><br />
<br />
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Hollow Dolls</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/3a31OAf" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Note:</i> I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hrMFCDs4spk/XvXMn6WGvJI/AAAAAAAASIg/Fl-qWSzNv5MzX_Rl0CAAzQuEo5kmJkhSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hrMFCDs4spk/XvXMn6WGvJI/AAAAAAAASIg/Fl-qWSzNv5MzX_Rl0CAAzQuEo5kmJkhSACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide3.png" title="Hollow Dolls by MarcyKate Connolly is the perfect mix of fantasy and thriller. Simone and Sebastian try to settle into their life after being freed from a cruel master who had been abusing their special talents. Simone is in search of what and who might be left of her past while simultaneously trying to avoid the evil forces that have also been freed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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Those days after grades are in, but school isn't out yet can be long. If your students are anything like mine, their motivation has been dwindling as the temperature has been rising and it is near impossible to do anything academic when they know they aren't getting credit for it. While motivation may be low, energy is not and any downtime at this point in the year can lead to a classroom management disaster. I like organization, routine, and controlled fun, so the end of the year is a time I like to over plan for rather than be stuck with an unaccounted for chunk of time. Here's some ideas to help end your year on a high note rather than in chaos.<br />
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<b>Complete a Service Learning Project</b></div>
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I teach at a K-8 school and we have buddy classes (second and sixth grade are paired together) that we do activities with throughout the year. Our buddy classes were doing reader's theater at the end of the year, so we helped the students practice and create props in the days leading up to their performances and then attended their performances the day of. If your school doesn't have buddy classes, it can't hurt to send out an email just asking if any other classes need help with anything as the year wraps up.</div>
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You can also get more ideas for service learning <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/topic/service-learning" target="_blank">here</a>. The most meaningful projects are ones that are student driven so you could begin by asking your students what needs they see in their school or community and what they think they could do to help.</div>
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<b>Recognize Students with an Awards Ceremony</b></div>
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I wish that all grades at our school or at least the middle school part did an awards ceremony with consistent criteria, but that doesn't exist yet, so the sixth grade came up with awards and criteria of our own.</div>
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We gave out awards for Honor Roll (all As and Bs), Distinguished Honor Roll (all As), Highest Academic Achievement by subject, Most Improved by subject, Trailblazers (our school's equivalent of a citizenship award), and then each student received a superlative so that every 6th grader was recognized for something. You can find the academic awards we used <a href="https://amzn.to/2H7HvWX" target="_blank">here</a> and the superlative awards <a href="https://amzn.to/2H71eFW" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We had a group of student volunteers who helped come up with the superlatives and another group of students helped create a slideshow of all of our photos from the year. At the end of the ceremony, a few of the students who helped with the superlatives also gave awards to the 6th grade teachers, which was very sweet. </div>
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<b>Get Outdoors and Explore</b></div>
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Our school has an environmental focus so our grounds were designed to be a little more "natural" than most schools. While our students are outdoors every day for recess, we designed a nature scavenger hunt to have students examine the outdoors with a closer eye. Besides connecting to our green mission, this activity helped introduce  students to our newly planted garden boxes and downspout planters.</div>
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<br />
During the scavenger hunt, students' goal was to identify an item in nature for each letter of the alphabet. Points were awarded for each unique find (similar to Scattergories) and bonus pointed were awarded for alliteration and correct plant identification. We put together a "<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rLLCi2AA3eXlk__4IOdfTR0gU7Hl4i6INCV22kht36I/copy" target="_blank">cheat sheet</a>" of plants and trees that students could find on our grounds that included their common and scientific names as well as descriptions and photographs. Here's the <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Zx536V6h9X6XuRl_vBeg0YId81-LwqOd8sZv2aUXNm8/copy" target="_blank">directions</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bS1WgNwFrMQEpVnAfsbPXFgzoP8q8TehlyKHRHl__p4/copy" target="_blank">recording sheet</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrXQwpTHzJ0/XV3hp0lUatI/AAAAAAAAPec/g1GRgShtew46-gh9w9-W3ut9T9Y8gz9BACLcBGAs/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Those days after grades are in, but school isn't out yet can be long. If your students are anything like mine, their motivation has been dwindling as the temperature has been rising and it is near impossible to do anything academic when they know they aren't getting credit for it. While motivation may be low, energy is not and any downtime at this point in the year can lead to a classroom management disaster. Here's some ideas to help end your year on a high note rather than in chaos." border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="560" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrXQwpTHzJ0/XV3hp0lUatI/AAAAAAAAPec/g1GRgShtew46-gh9w9-W3ut9T9Y8gz9BACLcBGAs/s640/Slide1.png" title="Those days after grades are in, but school isn't out yet can be long. If your students are anything like mine, their motivation has been dwindling as the temperature has been rising and it is near impossible to do anything academic when they know they aren't getting credit for it. While motivation may be low, energy is not and any downtime at this point in the year can lead to a classroom management disaster. Here's some ideas to help end your year on a high note rather than in chaos." width="222" /></a></div>
<b>Hold an End of Year Breakfast</b></div>
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This one wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of parents. We put together a Sign Up Genius with a list of breakfast items that parents could sign up to bring in and sent that out in an email that explained that the breakfast would be a surprise treat for the students.</div>
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This was the one activity that ran much shorter than anticipated because middle school students eat like ravenous wolves, so in the future I would add some table games similar to things you might play at a bridal or baby shower to keep students a little calmer and in their seats.</div>
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<b>Host a Minute to Win It Championship</b></div>
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This was probably my favorite end of the year activity. Each of the three sixth grade teachers on my team hosted a series of challenges in our rooms and students rotated to each room, trying to earn points for their team.</div>
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Challenges in my room included:<br />
1. Cookie Face - move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth with no hands</div>
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2. Stack Attack - stack and unstack a 7 row pyramid<br />
3. Make A Metaphor - create and explain a metaphor using <a href="https://amzn.to/2Z2QYF7" target="_blank">Metaphor Dice</a><br />
4. Blind Bowling - blindfolded player bowls and a teammate retrieves the ball<br />
5. Marshmallow Toss - one player tosses marshmallows into a teammates cup and players move an additional step apart every 10 seconds<br />
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These Minute to Win It challenges resulted in lots of laughter plus a chance for different students to shine since they didn't require any particular academic or athletic skills. You can find ideas for challenges <a href="https://www.happinessishomemade.net/awesome-minute-to-win-it-games/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.mrsrichardsonsclass.com/11-minute-to-win-it-games-for-classroms/" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.signupgenius.com/school/minute-to-win-it-class-games.cfm" target="_blank">here</a>. We chose games that required few supplies and wouldn't make a mess in the classroom.</div>
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<b>Clean Up and Clean Out</b></div>
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Our students have lockers so we set aside time for them to clean everything out of those. We remind students to bring an extra bag to take things home in if they have a lot of extra clothes, containers, books etc. and have extra trash cans and recycling bins out in the hallway when we do this. I give back student work portfolios the same day which they can choose to keep or recycle. I also have a list of things around the classroom that need to be cleaned, organized, and/or put away so that when students are finished with their lockers, they can help out with those tasks.</div>
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<b>Plan Last Day Stations Based on Student Interests</b></div>
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Our last day of school is typically a half day, so we split that day into three chunks with three different activities that students rotated through. In one room we had legos, in another we had robotics kits, and in the third we had board games and cards. All three activities were hands-on to keep students busy, but low key enough that they could enjoy the time talking and playing with friends. My room was the lego room. Students could build freely or compete in a <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1d4BtE-eWQEc9nhyUW56EqEek1TD6YOD23oBfbU9QBqM/copy" target="_blank">lego challenge</a>.</div>
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<b>Have a Few Filler Activities</b></div>
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Despite planning out the last few days as carefully as possible, sometime the timing of things changed or an activity didn't take as long as expected. for those smaller time chunks, it is helpful to have activities like sharing advice with next year's students or <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FDOlV5dgQb5XJvNpKy5XijHEw0_FdSQPFA_-RWBx8jU/copy" target="_blank">writing a letter to your future self</a>. The advice for next year's students can be used to create a bulletin board at the start of the next school year and we promised to deliver our students' letters when they graduate 8th grade.<br />
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzTL7d94uYo/XV3hR96wjYI/AAAAAAAAPeQ/w-cAngFJNegUIbhM_CqE6oBuirPIGPRqgCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Those days after grades are in, but school isn't out yet can be long. If your students are anything like mine, their motivation has been dwindling as the temperature has been rising and it is near impossible to do anything academic when they know they aren't getting credit for it. While motivation may be low, energy is not and any downtime at this point in the year can lead to a classroom management disaster. Here's some ideas to help end your year on a high note rather than in chaos." border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzTL7d94uYo/XV3hR96wjYI/AAAAAAAAPeQ/w-cAngFJNegUIbhM_CqE6oBuirPIGPRqgCLcBGAs/s400/Slide1.png" title="Those days after grades are in, but school isn't out yet can be long. If your students are anything like mine, their motivation has been dwindling as the temperature has been rising and it is near impossible to do anything academic when they know they aren't getting credit for it. While motivation may be low, energy is not and any downtime at this point in the year can lead to a classroom management disaster. Here's some ideas to help end your year on a high note rather than in chaos." width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxjT8nFzxFo/XsHukuOLanI/AAAAAAAAR4s/XhlmEd4ISQs5ZREDGY9t__4T8jPIKoDMwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxjT8nFzxFo/XsHukuOLanI/AAAAAAAAR4s/XhlmEd4ISQs5ZREDGY9t__4T8jPIKoDMwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Slide3.png" title="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Fifteen-year-old JL Markham’s life used to be filled with carnival nights and hot summer days spent giggling with her forever best friend Aubrey about their families and boys. Together, they were unstoppable. But they aren’t the friends they once were.<br />
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With JL’s father gone on long term business, and her mother struggling with her mental illness, JL takes solace in the tropical butterflies she raises, and in her new, older boyfriend, Max Gordon. Max may be rough on the outside, but he has the soul of a poet (something Aubrey will never understand). Only, Max is about to graduate, and he's going to hit the road - with or without JL.<br />
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JL can't bear being left behind again. But what if devoting herself to Max not only means betraying her parents, but permanently losing the love of her best friend? What becomes of loyalty, when no one is loyal to you?<br />
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Gae Polisner’s <i>Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me</i> is a story about the fragility of female friendship, of falling in love and wondering if you are ready for more, and of the glimmers of hope we find by taking stock in ourselves.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WAMbqkuUwOc/XsHux0oMI3I/AAAAAAAAR40/9fqC3uWACzAq1oaWH8Ns25WW0pz77kp6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WAMbqkuUwOc/XsHux0oMI3I/AAAAAAAAR40/9fqC3uWACzAq1oaWH8Ns25WW0pz77kp6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide4.png" title="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b>I loved Gae Polisner's previous novels, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/11/review-the-memory-of-things-gae-polisner.html" target="_blank">The Memory of Things</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/07/review-in-sight-of-stars-gae-polisner.html" target="_blank">In Sight of Stars</a></i>, </span>and her treatment of mental health issues, and her newest novel,<br />
<i><a href="https://amzn.to/3caVdVP" target="_blank">Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me</a></i>, is no different.<br />
<br />
The main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow.<br />
<br />
My heart broke for JL over and over throughout the book. She is forced to be her own parent, never knowing what state she'll find her mother in each day when she returns home. While Max, her boyfriend, isn't all bad, at least not at first, all too soon he finds ways to take advantage of JL. So much of the unraveling of her friendship with Aubrey could have been prevented with a difficult, yet honest conversation, one that JL just isn't confident enough to have. Instead, she allows her fears and insecurities to push her further and further from someone who had been such an anchor in her life.<br />
<br />
The ending left me with some questions, but I highly recommend this one as an accurate depiction of the intricacies of friendship between teenage girls.<br />
<br />
<b>Classroom application: </b>I would recommend this one for high school and up because of the mature content (drug and alcohol use, sex, etc.). Students who have enjoyed Nina LaCour's books like <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2019/12/review-we-are-okay-nina-lacour.html" target="_blank">We Are Okay</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/10/review-hold-still-nina-lacour.html" target="_blank">Hold Still</a>, </i>and Laurie Halse Anderson's <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/12/review-wintergirls-laurie-halse-anderson.html" target="_blank">Wintergirls</a> </i>will also enjoy this one. JL's relationship with Max as a result of her desire to be wanted is one most teenage girls can also relate to and reminded me of aspects of Caitlin's relationship with Rogerson in <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2020/02/review-dreamland-sarah-dessen.html" target="_blank">Dreamland</a></i> by Sarah Dessen (though their relationship problems take two very different directions).<br />
<br />
For more books dealing with mental health issues, check out <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/01/teen-books-mental-health.html" target="_blank">this list</a> and <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2019/04/teen-books-mental-health.html" target="_blank">this one</a>.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/3caVdVP" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Note:</i> I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhHt6VIUReA/XvXMzNaV9eI/AAAAAAAASIk/8KyeVc-Iv-Igr2XrNmwHn4aNsRh8n5ipACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhHt6VIUReA/XvXMzNaV9eI/AAAAAAAASIk/8KyeVc-Iv-Igr2XrNmwHn4aNsRh8n5ipACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide4.png" title="In Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner, the main character, JL, is struggling to navigate high school with a physically absent father and a mentally absent mother. She's dating a senior who everyone else has pegged as bad news (and spoiler, they aren't wrong) and the rift between her and her best friend continues to grow. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqSz88WT31g/XsHuThLoHQI/AAAAAAAAR4g/t5_LJng3Kp8nsfmNOWrorzRMEL-cog2owCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqSz88WT31g/XsHuThLoHQI/AAAAAAAAR4g/t5_LJng3Kp8nsfmNOWrorzRMEL-cog2owCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide1.png" title="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.<br />
<br />
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.<br />
<br />
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bAd7j-5f36k/XsHubfc6eMI/AAAAAAAAR4o/-Q3l8QOY1OEqBuPcNzHnPGdgZXpv_OwXACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bAd7j-5f36k/XsHubfc6eMI/AAAAAAAAR4o/-Q3l8QOY1OEqBuPcNzHnPGdgZXpv_OwXACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide6.png" title="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b></span>I love twists on fairy tales and<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3a5cluG" target="_blank">Girl, Serpent, Thorn</a> </i><br />
blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster (I just love that tagline "sometimes the princess is the monster").<br />
<br />
After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift.<br />
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I appreciated that Soraya was a bisexual character, but that her sexuality wasn't the center of the plot, and was instead seamlessly a part of the story. The characters in the novel did not balk (and neither should readers) at the fact that Soraya first falls in love with a (male) newcomer to her brother's army, but then develops feelings for a (female) fairy-like demon.<br />
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<b>Classroom application: </b>I would recommend this for<b> </b>one for high school and up because of the darker content. Students who like retellings of classic fairy tales like the Lunar Chronicle Series: <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/04/review-cinder-by-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank">Cinder</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/09/review-scarlet-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/09/review-cress-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank">Cress</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/10/review-winter-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank">Winter</a></i>, will enjoy this book, but even more so, it's a book for fans of darker fairy tales like <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/02/review-hazel-wood-melissa-albert.html" target="_blank">The Hazel Wood</a></i> and its sequel, <i>The Night Country</i>. <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/05/01/must-read-fairytale-retellings/" target="_blank">This list</a> from Book Riot is a great place to find even more retellings.<br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Girl, Serpent, Thorn</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/3a5cluG" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJCmi8NNOvM/XvXM-FmYT8I/AAAAAAAASIs/ITm09n7cDe435xBVJgyRwn2Ty2B6ZdqKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJCmi8NNOvM/XvXM-FmYT8I/AAAAAAAASIs/ITm09n7cDe435xBVJgyRwn2Ty2B6ZdqKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Slide2.png" title="I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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On My Bookshelf: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

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