May 30, 2016

On My Bookshelf: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

In Hollow City by Ransom Riggs Jacob must lead Miss Peregrine's peculiar children to safety while fending off zombie-like creatures with which only he can communicate. The mix of genres in this young adult novel will hook readers with varying interests. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Basic plot from Amazon: September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Why I liked it: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs is the second novel of this series and I would definitely recommend reading the first one so you understand what is going on (cause there are some weird things going on).

In Hollow City by Ransom Riggs Jacob must lead Miss Peregrine's peculiar children to safety while fending off zombie-like creatures with which only he can communicate. The mix of genres in this young adult novel will hook readers with varying interests. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
"Peculiar children" have talents like breathing bees, expanding like a balloon, becoming invisible, and bringing inanimate objects to life. They live together in homes with their protectors, like Miss Peregrine, in protective bubbles/time warps because they are hunted by zombie like creatures called wights.

The main character, Jacob, is not outwardly peculiar like the other children, his talent is sensing these monsters and as he realizes in the second book, speaking to them. He is originally from present day Florida but has traveled back in time to 1940s London to help Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children.

The book is filled with one dangerous adventure after another that the peculiar children just barely escape by utilizing their unusual talents, sometimes even to the surprise of the other children. 

Classroom application: Hollow City is an action/thriller with a little bit of history, science fiction, and fantasy all mixed in, and would appeal to a wide range of reading interests in your classroom (even grown ups like me!). Its ending it set up for at least one more "Peculiar" book in the series, so keep your eyes open for more by Ransom Riggs.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Hollow City for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

May 27, 2016

13 Short Stories for Engaging Secondary Students & Teaching Literary Elements

Don't let your literature anthology dictate the short stories you read with your middle school and high school students. There are so many wonderful short stories out there, many of which can be used to teach a variety of literary elements and paired with other texts. Read on for 13 of my favorites, which literary terms and skills they lend themselves to teaching, plus suggested text pairings and activities.

Don't let your literature anthology dictate the short stories you read with your middle school and high school students. There are so many wonderful short stories out there, many of which can be used to teach a variety of literary elements and paired with other texts. Here's 13 of my favorites.



May 23, 2016

On My Bookshelf: Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero

In Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero, the lives of Elsi, a young half-Jewish girl in the Lodz ghetto, Matilda, a Romanian child taken from her home to be Aryanized, and Willem, a Nazi doctor, become intertwined as each struggles to survive. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: A Nazi doctor. A Jewish rebel. A little girl. Each one will fight for freedom—or die trying.

Imprisoned in the Lodz Ghetto, Elsi discovers her mother’s desperate attempt to end her pregnancy and comes face-to-face with the impossibility of their situation. Risking her own life, Elsi joins a resistance group to sabotage the regime.

Blonde, blue-eyed Matilda is wrenched from her family in Romania and taken to Germany, where her captors attempt to mold her into the perfect Aryan child. Spirited and brave, she must inspire hope in the other stolen children to make her dreams of escape a reality.

Willem, a high-ranking Nazi doctor, plans to save lives when he takes posts in both the ghetto and Auschwitz. After witnessing unimaginable cruelties, he begins to question his role and the future of those he is ordered to destroy.

While Hitler ransacks Europe in pursuit of a pure German race, the lives of three broken souls—thrown together by chance—intertwine. Only love and sacrifice might make them whole again.
In Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero, the lives of Elsi, a young half-Jewish girl in the Lodz ghetto, Matilda, a Romanian child taken from her home to be Aryanized, and Willem, a Nazi doctor, become intertwined as each struggles to survive. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: Broken Angels falls into my favorite genre, historical fiction, and focuses on a topic of personal interest, the Holocaust. What makes this novel different from other Holocaust-related texts I've read is it's use of alternating point of views and the light it shed on the relocation of Aryan looking children from Nazi-occupied territories, a practice of which I was previously unaware.

One of the narrators is Elsi, a resident of the Lodz ghetto. Her father, a Gentile, left for work one day and never returned, leaving her, her Jewish mother, and her younger sister Leah to fend for themselves. Deportation is a constant fear, especially because of Leah's age and her slight limp. Their cramped living conditions get worse when another couple moves in with them. Elsi, at first is inclined to keep her head down and avoid drawing any attention to herself, but eventually gets involved in resistance efforts within the ghetto.

Matilda is a nine year old carefree young girl living in Romania until she is selected to be relocated to Germany. Her mother signs her over to the Germans for the promise of more food and to save her two sons from being commissioned into the army. Once Matilda arrives at her new home, she is instructed to teach the other "orphans" German, but she spends more time telling them stories, and is repeatedly punished for her defiance.

Willem mans the infirmary in the Lodz ghetto, frequently performing abortions for Jewish residents until he is called to Auschwitz to part a part of experiments on women prisoners. The horrifying treatment of these women and the death of his young pregnant wife send him spirally and he returns to the Lodz ghetto where he rescues Elsi from deportation. His father, a high ranking Nazi official, has him assigned to the "orphanage" where Matilda resides. It is there that Willem, Elsi, and Matilda's lives become intertwined. Their stories end with redemption, but also unhappiness.

Classroom application: This novel could be paired with a history unit on the Holocaust and/or World War II. If you use literature circles in your classroom, this would be a great choice for a unit on the Holocaust, but also on the themes of heroism or survival.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Broken Angels for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

You can find all of my teaching resources for the Holocaust here.

Note: 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.

May 22, 2016

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Recharging the Teacher

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will focus on recharging the teacher.Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.





Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.



New in 2016 is our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, which we would love to have you join even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, May 24, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on recharging the teacher.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What are your personal and professional plans for summer 2016? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: How do you recharge and refresh during the summer break? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: What is on your personal and professional summer reading lists? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Do you have any advice for new teachers on how to spend their time during summer vacation? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share your best advice for having a relaxing and recharging summer. #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

May 20, 2016

Reflections On Your Year In Teaching: What To Keep, Change & Improve Upon

Before summer vacation begins and you turn your teacher brain off, take time to reflect on what worked this year and what didn't. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed successes, challenges, favorite texts, and invaluable resources. Read on to see what other teachers are planning to keep, change, and never do again.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about reflecting on teaching this year in the secondary ELA classroom. Middle and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed what they'll keep, change or improve upon next year as well as challenges, favorite texts, and invaluable resources. The highlights are below.
Successes:
*Roundtable book discussions, which require students to take more ownership of their reading and discussion. Roundtables are like Socratic seminars, but are more structured. Students prepare a handout before discussion & reflect afterward.
*Creating writing graphic organizers to support all levels of students
*Giving students time to read during class time, holding book talks and helping them select books to read
*Using my ticket raffle system for behavior
*Using Notice & Note signposts for reading comprehension
*Using Article of the Week to improve student writing
*Shift to standards based grading, where all assessments are skills based and lots of formative practice with feedback but no "grade"
*Using blended playlists, a list of activities that students work though at their own pace, for writing workshops and book clubs
*Choice boards and projects as a form of alternative assessments
*Flashlight Friday, reading under student made forts by flashlight every Friday
*Offering students even more choices in their reading and writing


What to change or improve upon:
*Find ways to make writing instruction meaningful, such as “chunking” parts of an essay
*Making marking more efficient
*Working with teachers to create writing checklists for students since teachers are frustrated with writing errors, but little time is spent teaching students how to correct these errors
*Balancing quality reading, writing, and grammar instruction
*Find more ways to individualize grammar instruction
*Be more intentional about helping teachers set goals, action plans, and follow through with them
*Increasing digital lessons
*Avoid getting buried and overwhelmed
*Find more ways for students to share what they're reading & make recommendations
*Implement peer editing groups and have students focus more on writing portfolios
*Working more collaboratively with peers 


Challenges & overcoming them:
*Learning how to use Google classroom
*Tough student behavior
*Helping new hired teachers build relationships with students late in the year
*Fears of the unknownL new textbooks, standards, curriculum, personnel, content
*Keeping up with all the paperwork, documentation, and data collection/analysis
*Balance between how much reading and writing we do in class


Favorite texts:
*TED talks, not traditional “texts,” but are great to connect with class readings
*Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (7th grade)
*The picture book, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
*Dark Water Rising by Marian Hale (7th grade)
*The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
*Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories by Megan Kelley Hall
* Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck paired with the author's letter to the actress playing Curley's wife
*Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury paired with The Scream painting
*I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson
*A play version of The Hobbit
*Night by Elie Wiesel paired with Holocaust picture books, art, and music
*Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
*I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
*A Newsela article about Apple and the FBI
*Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (8th grade)
*Ray Bradbury short stories (8th grade)


Invaluable resources:
*Twitter chats like #DitchBook, #TLAP, #LearnLAP, #2ndaryELA
*Pinterest
*Teacher bloggers
*2ndaryELA Facebook group
*Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst
*Technology like FormativeEDpuzzle, Plickers, and Socrative
*Reading Nonfiction by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst
*Penny Kittle's ideas about independent reading
*Regular trips to Barnes & Noble
*TeachersPayTeachers 
*Robert Marzano books
*Igniting a Passion by Steven Layne

Hope you'll join us next Tuesday May 24th at 8pm EST (our final chat of the school year!) to talk about recharging for next year. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction. 

If you missed this most recent chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

May 16, 2016

On My Bookshelf: The Light of the World by Ellen Simpson

The LIght of the World by Ellen Simpson is a mix of The DaVinci Code meets The Golden Compass with a struggle between good and evil, the protector of "the light of the world" versus its seekers, possible conspiracy, and secrets that can't be revealed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: At the back of her grandmother’s closet lies a mystery. After her grandmother’s death, Eva finds a series of diaries detailing the life of a girl caught up in the magic of the Roaring Twenties. She cannot reconcile the young woman in these diaries with the miserable old woman she loved so fiercely. What happened to change her grandmother so drastically? Eva is desperate to know more about this period in her grandmother’s life. What is the light of the world, and who is the mysterious girl that her grandmother fell in love with? Eva starts to investigate the puzzle her grandmother left behind. With the help of a local historian and his enigmatic assistant Olivia, they find a forgotten labyrinth under the city streets. But they are not the only ones down there. Someone else is searching for the light of the world.

Why I liked it: The Light of The World starts off with a flash into the past. The scene is fast paced and leaves you with unanswered questions that make you want to keep reading. When the novel moves back into present day action, it drags at first.

The protagonist, Eva is twenty two, a college drop out, struggling with depression and the recent death of her grandmother. Too much time is spent detailing her grandmother's funeral, what she was like, how other people didn't really understand her, how Eva's mother doesn't understand her, etc. Things finally pick back up again when Eva discovers some of her grandmother's diaries as she and her parents begin cleaning out her grandmother's New York City apartment. Eva's grandmother, Mary. is sixteen and living in the city during the 1920s so that she can work and help support her family. She lives in a women's boarding house full of interesting characters, many of which I wish had been more developed, and has a growing relationship with Wren, another young woman who enjoys reading as much as Mary does. I recently read The Hired Girl, which was set ten years earlier in Baltimore, but was filled with the historical details that I found lacking in The Light of The World.

The LIght of the World by Ellen Simpson is a mix of The DaVinci Code meets The Golden Compass with a struggle between good and evil, the protector of "the light of the world" versus its seekers, possible conspiracy, and secrets that can't be revealed. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Eva reaches out to a local book store owner, Theo, to try to find out more about her grandmother's past and a phrase she used repeatedly: "the light of the world." At the bookstore, Eva also meets Al, Theo's charming son, and Olivia, a young woman looking for a topic for her graduate school research and to whom Eva finds herself attracted. The novel then becomes a mix of The DaVinci Code meets The Golden Compass with a struggle between good and evil, the protector of "the light of the world" versus its seekers, possible conspiracy, and secrets that can't be revealed. The action present in the opening scene of the novel finally returns.

I found myself unsatisfied with the ending of the novel. It was too much of a coincidence that the only person Eva contacts about her grandmother's diaries happens to be an expert on "the light of the world" and its protector happens to be working right under his nose. The author creates rules about "the light of the world," but later breaks them to create a tidy ending.

Classroom application: For students that enjoy suspense and intrigue, this novel would be a good recommendation. Because of its treatment of LGBT themes, the book could also help diversify your classroom library.

It might be interesting to use this novel in comparison with another novel that mixes fantasy and the real world (i.e. the Percy Jackson or Harry Potter series). Students could identify the rules that each author creates for their fantasy world and determine whether the author follows these rules to ensure that events in the novels are believable despite their fantastical elements.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Light of the World for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

May 15, 2016

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Reflections On Your Year In Teaching

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will focus on reflecting on your year in teaching in the ELA classroom.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.




Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.


New in 2016 is our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, which we would love to have you join even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, May 17, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on reflecting on your year in teaching in the ELA classroom.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What is something you will definitely do again next year because it was such a success? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What is something you want to change or improve upon next year? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: What was your biggest challenge this year? Did you overcome it? How? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Share your favorite classroom text you read this year (novel, nonfiction, poetry, play). #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share an invaluable resource you relied upon this year (book, article, technology, blog, etc.). #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

May 13, 2016

End of School Year Engagement: Final Papers & Projects and Recognizing Student Growth & Achievement

The days are hotter and definitely seem longer. The end is so close, but you can't throw your hands up and stop teaching just yet. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed final papers, projects, and exams as well as recognizing student growth and achievement, end of the year celebrations, and tips for handling those hot days. Read on for ideas on how to engage students up to the very last day of school.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about engaging students at the end of the year in the secondary ELA classroom. Middle and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed final papers, projects, and exams as well as recognizing student growth and achievement, end of the year celebrations, and tips for handling those hot days. The highlights are below.

Final exams and review:
*Make review game based and student directed*Have students reteach a topic
*Use Kahoot!  or Quizlet Live to make your own review or search others
*Give mock finals to prepare students for upper grades
*Use QR code scavenger hunts as a way for students to review while moving around
*Use review stations
*Use varied strategies to prepare students for state, local, or school exams
*Fill balloons with messages inside that have you review something new each day

Final papers and projects:
*Literary Jenga
*Make movies, Public Service Announcements, podcasts
*Do an author study with different groups of students reading different books by the same author
*Design a literary theme park
*Use Storyboard That for summarizing and conflict
*Share student created gods/goddesses and myths
*Take a virtual class trip
*Make a year in review music video by discussing "We Didn't Start the Fire" then creating your own version
*Create a themed poetry anthology
*Have students write a thank you letter to a teacher they had this year
*Other fun end of the year projects such as creating a scrapbook or soundtrack

Recognizing student growth and achievement:
*Compare pre and post-test data
*Reflect on goals and growth seen in conferences held throughout the year
*Compare first piece of writing from the year with the most recent
*Use Seesaw throughout the year to create a digital portfolio then give students time to reflect on all their work and blog about it
*Analyze all summative data and have individual conferences with students about their growth
*Use FutureMe to write goals to future selves and reflect on them when the emails arrive

End of the year celebrations:
*Watch a YouTube graduation speech each day leading up to the end
*Graduation
*Celebration dance
*End of year trip
*Picnic
*Talent show
*Kickball tournament
*Field day
*Awards night
*Play #finishstrong BINGO where students put their tickets for "super" prizes
*Write each student in your class a note to let them know how important they are
*Play Scrabble on the tiles of your classroom floor

What to do on those hot days:
*Turn on the AC and have students get comfy around the classroom and read for pure enjoyment
*Take students outside to read under the trees, play games, or do a descriptive sensory writing
*Give out popsicles as prizes
*Get crafty and make origami after writing out favorite memories

Hope you'll join us next Tuesday May 17th at 8pm EST to talk about reflecting on the school year. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction. 

If you missed this most recent chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

May 9, 2016

On My Bookshelf: Mailbox by Nancy Freund

Part Esperanza from The House on Mango Street and part Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird, Sandy from Mailbox by Nancy Freund is a character to love. She is a kind, observant young girl who doesn't let anyone push her around. The vignettes in the novel perfectly capture the moments in her childhood and young adulthood. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: In 76 funny and poignant linked vignettes, 13-year-old agnostic protagonist Sandy Drue launches a personal quest. Her family has moved from New York City to Small Town USA -- not an easy move, especially for Sandy's artist/intellectual mother who watches Sandy and her brother adapt to their new community and feels more and more like she's hosting foreign exchange students who never leave. Sandy loves this idea, both hosting foreign students and traveling the world.

At 13, she is in-between -- between her mother's mindset and her own, between childhood and adulthood, between geographical and cultural divisions, and in the 1970s, between political conflicts in American history and a changing economy. She is searching for the Meaning of Life, and she thinks she finds it. She is finally ready to write her book. The result is a compulsively readable tale of the mysteries and mischief, struggles and victories of growing up -- a fantastic piece of contemporary fiction as true to life as a careful documentary.

Why I liked it: Mailbox is written almost as a stream on consciousness as Sandy shares stories from her life and advice on how to best live one's life. At times, the novel is reminiscent of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, especially the scenes that focus on older men leering at young girls.
Part Esperanza from The House on Mango Street and part Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird, Sandy from Mailbox by Nancy Freund is a character to love. She is a kind, observant young girl who doesn't let anyone push her around. The vignettes in the novel perfectly capture the moments in her childhood and young adulthood. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

At other times, the main character reminded me of Scout (Jean Louise Finch) from To Kill A Mockingbird. Sandy stands up for herself and doesn't let anyone push her around. Sandy's parents are very free thinking and her older brother is highly sensitive, both of which cause Sandy to be particularly observant of the world around her and kinds to others. The lack of "girl drama" that takes place in the book was refreshing.

Classroom application: The novel would be most appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students as the novel follows the main character from about the age of eight and her switch from one elementary school to another to the age of thirteen and her entrance into middle school. Selected chapters could be used as mentor texts for showing how to vividly capture a memory or "explode a moment."

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Mailbox for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

May 8, 2016

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Engaging Students at the End of the Year

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will focus on engaging students at the end of the year in the ELA classroom.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.




Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.


New in 2016 is our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, which we would love to have you join even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, May 10, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on engaging students at the end of the year in the ELA classroom.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: Do you have final exams at the end of the year? How do you make review interesting for students? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: What final papers and projects do you do at the end of the year? Share favorites. #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: How do you recognize student growth and achievement at the end of the year? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: Do you have any special end of the year celebrations in your classroom? Academics related or just for fun? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Share a lesson or tip for what to do with students on those really hot days. #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here:

May 6, 2016

Publishing Student Writing: Portfolios, School Publications, Real life Audiences & Blogging

Writing for a real audience (other than just for themselves or their teacher) can be a huge motivator for students. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the publishing stage of the writing process, student writing portfolios, and other opportunities to publish student writing outside of the classroom including school publications, contests, and blogging. Read on for ideas on how to find a larger reach for your students' writing.
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about publishing student writing in the secondary ELA classroom. Middle and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed the publishing stage of the writing process, student writing portfolios, and other opportunities to publish student writing outside of the classroom including school publications, contests, and blogging. The highlights are below.

The publishing stage of the writing process:
*Hold read aloud days where students share their work or part of it with the class
*Make books of students' best work using blurb.com, a publishing site. Students upload their work and pay about $5 to get a printed version.

 http:// Writing portfolios:
*Use them at parent conferences
*Allow students to make selections about pieces to revisit and revise 
*Analyze a few times throughout the year looking for strengths and weaknesses
*Digital writing portfolios can be helpful for students to use a model for future writing assignments
*Keep writing samples and send them home with students at the end of the year as a keepsake or keep them throughout students' schooling and give them to students at graduation
*Complete midyear & end of year reflections on writing pieces
*Use for a publishing project at the end of the year

Finding a larger audience:
*Post book reviews on GoodReads
*Write the World, a global community of young writers with prompts, competitions, challenges, groups, and peer review
*Ask other teachers if your students can present to their classes
*Write children's stories or nonfiction pieces appropriate for younger students and take students back to their elementary school to read them
*Online Publishing Opportunities for Student Writing

Using blogging in the classroom:
*Use blogging during project based learning. Partner up with another class so students have readers.

Writing contests for students:
*If you can't find one, create one
*Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Hope you'll join us next Tuesday May 10th at 8pm EST to talk about teaching media literacy. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction. 

If you missed this most recent chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

May 4, 2016

Encourage the Inner Writer in Your Students with National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program

National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program is the perfect opportunity to encourage the inner writer in your students. Read about one author's experience introducing the program to local school and get tips for having your own classroom participate this coming fall.
A guest blog post by Katherine Fleet, young adult author

Hi! I’m Katherine Fleet, debut author of the young adult novel, The Secret to Letting Go. I’m also a Canadian who is lucky enough to live on the Caribbean island of Curacao with my husband and three kids.

Four years ago, I discovered National Novel Writing Month and fell in love with the program. For those who haven’t heard of it, writers challenge themselves to write a novel in one month. NaNoWriMo happens in November and a key component is the support you receive from other writers also working toward the same goal of crafting 50,000 words in one month. My debut novel is the first NaNoWriMo book I wrote in 2012.

As I was getting ready to participate again in 2013, I discovered an amazing program developed by the folks at NaNoWriMo to support young writers. It’s aptly called the Young Writer’s Program (YWP) and is very similar to the adult version with a few key differences. Instead of committing to writing 50 K in one month, young writers are allowed to set their own goal for the month. It operates on a separate website, allowing educators to set up a virtual classroom for their participating students and letting students chat with young writers from around the world on various writing topics.

I was immediately drawn to YWP for a few reasons. First, I wrote my first novel in my 30s, but regretted not starting sooner. I’ve always wondered what would have happened if I’d been encouraged to write when I was younger. I also live on a small island and there’s not a large writing community here. I wanted to talk to other writers, and their age didn’t matter. I just wanted to find other people who were passionate about writing. Finally, my daughter was in middle school and loved to write, but I think she felt alone in this interest. I wanted her to find other kids who shared her interest.

So what happened? I approached the school, and this past November, the International School of Curacao (ISC) participated in their third NaNoWriMo! Spearheading the program, here’s what I’ve tried and learned so far.

In October, I go into all Middle School and High School English classes to give a presentation to the students. I stress that NaNo is voluntary, that they are not required to turn in their writing to anyone to be checked or graded, and that this is a chance to write about whatever they want, including fan fiction. It’s also about learning to turn off your internal editor. Writing and revising are two different processes and the goal of NaNo is to create a first, rough draft.
National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program is the perfect opportunity to encourage the inner writer in your students. Read about one author's experience introducing the program to local school and get tips for having your own classroom participate this coming fall.

We run NaNo as an extra-curricular activity. Interested students join our virtual classroom and with the help of the teacher and the online site, they figure out a reasonable word count goal for the month. During November, we hold a kick-off party, weekly writing sessions where we word sprint together, and a closing party. We hold these off school grounds, at places like Starbucks or the local McCafe, which helps distinguish the writing from regular schoolwork. This year, we also added a pajama and pizza writing party at the school’s library around the mid-way point. It was a big success. I love cake, so there’s always a cool NaNo- themed cake involved.

I see a direct correlation between student participation and teacher support. There is one high school English teacher who loves NaNo. She offers NaNo participation to her high school students as an alternative to her November class assignment. She also lets students participate in word sprints during class time.

Every year, the students surprise me. First, the students who are really committed to NaNo are often not the ones I would have suspected. I’m reminded that there are no ‘typical’ writers. There are just writers. Also, students come up with the most amazing plots and characters for their novels. Sure, some of them are just starting their writing journey, but they are clearly on the journey. This is so inspiring to me. Finally, they can follow through. Last year, one of the student writers sailed past her 30 K goal and still had a week left in November.

National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program is the perfect opportunity to encourage the inner writer in your students. Read about one author's experience introducing the program to local school and get tips for having your own classroom participate this coming fall.
Through this process, I’ve also had to adjust my expectations. When I first went to the school, I pictured all grades and teachers working this fully into their curriculum. I pictured packed writing events and awards to all the participants. I was clearly naïve. Just like adults, not every student is interested or passionate about creative writing. But NaNo provides a chance for those kids who are interested to test their writing chops and see what it’s like to be part of a supportive writing community. For that reason, I’ll keep organizing this event every year. One day, I know I’ll see some of these students with their first published novel!

If you’re interested in starting your own NaNo program at your school, here are a few tips for getting started:

1. Check out the National Novel Writing Month Young Writer's Program website. Under the “Educators” tab, it explains how to set up a personal profile and virtual classroom, and it provides lesson plans and writer's workbooks for various grade levels. Because ISC is a small school and participation is voluntary, we have one virtual classroom that all students join.
National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program is the perfect opportunity to encourage the inner writer in your students. Read about one author's experience introducing the program to local school and get tips for having your own classroom participate this coming fall.

2. Students will need to create an online profile and then be added to the virtual class. We’ve done this during school time to make sure they don’t have any problems.

3. Their word count goal will default to 30,000 words. To help them set a realistic goal, we use the word count goal calculator (found on the YWP site) during class time. Students free write for 10 minutes. Their word count is then calculated and this number is used to help them set a goal. It should be challenging, but obtainable. The goal can be adjusted anytime up to November 24.

4. Check out the various forums for students. Some of my favorites are the Character Café and Adoption Corner. Students can offer up plots, titles or characters that they came up with and don’t want, and other students can adopt them.

5. Students love to “word sprint” together. Decide on a set amount of minutes (anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes). Set an alarm or timer. For that period, everyone writes as many words as they can. No distractions. At the end, they compare words counts. Students are ALWAYS amazed by how many words they can write, often reaching their daily goal in one sprint.

National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program is the perfect opportunity to encourage the inner writer in your students. Read about one author's experience introducing the program to local school and get tips for having your own classroom participate this coming fall.
6. Consider writing yourself. We’ve had two teachers write with us, and it really helps them relate to the struggles their students might be going through – writer’s block, problems with characters or plots, or just struggling to find time to write.

7. Find a local author willing to come in and help with NaNo events. There are a lot of writers and authors participating, so there is sure to be someone in your community.

8. Encourage ways for students to talk about their stories (without requiring them to share any writing). We normally set students up in pairs and have them interview each other about genre, setting, characters, plot, etc. Then, students take turns presenting their partner’s book. A few years ago, the Grade 5 teacher had six girls participating. They met every Friday after school, drank hot chocolate, and talked about their stories and helped brainstorm ideas. I loved joining their amazing discussions!

9. Remind students to validate their words prior to midnight on November 30th. Students must paste their words into the word count validator, which only counts the words. No one reads the words! If they meet their goal, they win. This includes prizes like free printed copies of their book (if they choose to use it). We always have one student who forgets to validate and is disappointed when they don’t 'win.'

If you have any questions, contact the folks at the Young Writer’s Program. They’ve always been prompt and very helpful.

May 2, 2016

On My Bookshelf: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, a mix of fantasy and dystopian young adult literature. Despite all of the odds being stacked against her, the main character is fearless even before she discovers her superhuman powers. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll love Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, a mix of fantasy and dystopian young adult literature. Despite all of the odds being stacked against her, the main character is fearless even before she discovers her superhuman powers. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: The Red Queen reminded me of The Hunger Games (without seeming like a repeat of the plot) and Mare, the main character, was similar to Katniss in many ways (without seeming like an identical character. Mare does what she can to support her family and has a younger "good" sister who Mare wants to protect. Like Katniss, she is different from other people on her world. Her difference, however, is partly due to her supernatural powers, she can harness and generate electricity; she is a mix of both "Silver" (upperclass) and "Red" (lower class).

Only Silvers are supposed to have powers like fire, water, strength and mind control, while Reds must either work or be conscripted into the army. Mare's father served until he was injured, her three older brothers are currently serving, and Mare and her best friend Kilorn are destined to be conscripted when Mare meets the mysterious Cal one night at a tavern. After unsuccessfully trying to pick his pocket, Cal helps to get her a job at the Palace, which is when Mare finds out that Cal is actually a prince, next in line for the throne. It is at the Palace that Mare discovers her powers and takes on the role of a long lost Silver princess. Quickly betrothed to Cal's younger brother Maven, Mare becomes involved in a dangerous plot to overthrow the Silvers' powerful rule. Throughout the novel, Mare never knows who can be trusted and who cannot. Some of her gambles pay off, while others end disastrously. I;m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Classroom application:
This novel would definitely be one to add to your middle school or high school classroom library and would be equally appealing to both male and female students. If you have students that couldn't get enough of The Hunger Games, hand them this book to get them started on another great series. The novel could be used as a choice in studying the genre of fantasy or in a comparison of dystopian worlds.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Red Queen for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

May 1, 2016

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Publishing Student Work

Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will focus on publishing student work in the ELA classroom.
Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.




Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.


New in 2016 is our 2ndaryELA Facebook group, which we would love to have you join even if you aren't on Twitter. 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

On Tuesday, May 3, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on publishing student work in the ELA classroom.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: How often do you get to the publishing stage of the writing process? What are ways you publish student work? #2ndaryELA
8:10 Q2: Do your students create writing portfolios? What do you do with them? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q3: Are there opportunities at school for students to publish work? Newspaper? Literary magazine? Yearbook? #2ndaryELA
8:20 Q4: How do you find other audiences for and get responses to student work? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q5: Have you used blogging in your classroom or entered student work in contests? Share your experiences. #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurlbitlygoo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our 2ndaryELA Facebook group!

Get caught up on past chats here: