2017-2018 Battle of the Books Titles

We are so proud of the sixty-six students who participated in Battle of the Books this year! Now it's time to start reading for next year. The first five titles have been released!

Grade 4-6

• Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press, 2015)
• Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (Square Fish, 2016)
• Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar (Delacorte, 2015)
• Masterminds by Gordon Korman (Balzer and Bray, 2015)
• A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Viking, 2016)

                                         Grade 7-8

• Flying Lessons and Other Stories by Ellen Oh (Crown Books, 2017)
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (Algonquin YR, 2016)
• One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes (Bloomsbury 2017)
• The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz (Simon and Schuster, 2016)
• We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman (Clarion, 2016)

Reading Without Walls Challenge

Students (and teachers! and parents!)  are being encouraged to participate in the Reading Without Walls Challenge.

To participate you can:

1) Read a book about a character who doesn't look like you or live like you

2) Read a book about a topic you don't know much about

3) Read a book in a format that you don't normally read for fun (a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse, or an audio book)


What book are you going to read?

Illinois 2017 Monarch Winner!

The official 2017 Monarch winner has been announced...

Congratulations to Gaston!

Interested in seeing the full list of votes? Follow this link.

Illinois 2017 Bluestem Winner!

The official 2017 Bluestem winner has been announced...

Congratulations to El Deafo!

Interested in seeing the full list of votes? Follow this link.

Disney 2017 Monarch Winner!

The votes are in! Second and third graders have voted for their absolute favorite Monarch nominees.

In third place with 39 votes...

In second place, tied with 45 votes each...

 

And in first place, eking out the win with 46 votes...

Drum roll please....

If your favorite title didn't win, don't despair. All votes were tallied and sent in to the state library association. Stay tuned for the official winner!

Monarch Award: Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

This retelling of the Goldilocks story finds Goldy Luck visiting her next door neighbors, the pandas, on Chinese New Year. The pandas are not at home and trouble ensues.

Monarch Award: Families, Families, Families

Students loved this fun book about all different types of families represented by different animals. We talked and wrote about our own families. Then students decided what type of animal their family would be and drew family portraits.

Monarch Award: Gaston

Gaston is a bulldog raised in a family of poodles - who is about to meet a poodle raised in a family of bulldogs.

Monarch Award: Ballet Cat

Second and third graders enjoyed this funny look at the friendship of Ballet Cat and Sparkle Pony.

Monarch Award: The Adventures of Beekle

Every year we make sure all second and third graders have read enough Monarch nominees (at least 5) to vote for their favorite in March.  Usually we read more than five because the books are so fabulous and give us the opportunity to learn about so many new things!  This year we started with the Caldecott winning book The Adventures of Beekle.  Students designed their own imaginary friends that reflect their personalities.

Illinois Student Choice Book Awards

Every year we are thrilled to participate in Illinois's Student Choice Book Awards.  In order to participate, students have to read a certain number of nominated titles in order to vote in February (the Rebecca Caudill) or March (the Bluestem or Monarch.)

All second and third grade classes at Disney are reading books from the Monarch nominee list.  There are some fabulous books this year!  As we read the books we also have lessons related to the books including research and writing responses.  We are keeping track of what we've read using a poster for each class.

Find this year's list of titles here.

The Bluestem Award is for 3rd-5th graders and opens up a world of chapter books.

Find this year's list of titles here.

The Rebecca Caudill is for 4th-8th graders and includes longer and more in-depth works.

Find this year's list of titles here.

Students have been hearing book talks about the nominated titles and have been practicing their note-taking skills as they write down what each book is about.  Students can check these books out from our library, the public library, or can even find them as e-books in both collections.  As they read these books, students can sign their names to the Bluestem and Caudill Hall of Fames in our library.

  

GRA: Making Connections

One of the most exciting parts of the Global Read Aloud is the opportunity to make connections with students in other places. We've been fortunate to get to communicate with classes in different locations.  One of those is Ms. Pogue's class in Dunsford, Ontario, Canada.  We've had the chance to learn more about them (and about Canada).  Even though the Global Read Aloud is over, third graders are still writing to our new friends!

GRA: Yard Sale

This lovely Eve Bunting book inspired so many good conversations and so much empathy on the part of the first - third graders reading it.  The girl in the story is helping her family at a yard sale where they watch most of their things disappear in order to prepare for a move to a smaller place.

GRA: Twenty Yawns

Second and third graders found it impossible not to yawn themselves as we read Jane Smiley's Twenty Yawns for the Global Read Aloud!

We used Padlet to share ideas for what WE do when we're so tired at night and just can't sleep - just like the girl in the book.

Edwards's Class Twenty Yawns

Henry's Class Twenty YawnsKnerr's Class Twenty Yawns

GRA: The Troublemaker

The second week of the Global Read Aloud focused on Lauren Castillo's book The Troublemaker which tells the story of a boy who gets in trouble for taking a toy that belongs to his sister.  Students who were really paying attention to what was going on in the background picked up on another troublemaker in the story!  We then discussed whether or not we would like to have a brother like the one in the book and why.

GRA: Nana in the City

During the first week of the Global Read Aloud, first-third graders read Lauren Castillo's Nana in the City.  The boy in this book is feeling nervous as he visits his Nana in the big scary city.  She makes him a red superhero cape to help him faces his fears.  Students came up with ideas of what their own superhero cape could help them do.

Global Read Aloud 2016

This year all of my 1st-5th grade classes are participating in the Global Read Aloud.  The idea of the Global Read Aloud is that kids all over the world are reading the same books during the same six week period.  Then their teachers and librarians are sharing what they are doing with the books using online connections.

This year's chosen picture book author/illustrator is Lauren Castillo.
Fourth and fifth graders are reading Roald Dahl's classic The BFG.  Great timing as in September we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Dahl's birth!


Follow the link to find out more:

The Global Read Aloud

Check back for more about what we've been learning and how we've been collaborating with other classes who are also participating in the Global Read Aloud.

AGOPPE Research: Amelse's Class

And last, but not least, Amelse's class presentations.  You might notice on all the videos that students have included a slide that lets you know where they got their information.  They may not be writing formal citations yet, but all students should be giving credit to the sources that they use for information and images for every project.  One of the many things I like about Adobe Voice (now Adobe Spark) is that there's a credits slide at the end of the presentation that gives credit for the images used.  This class did a great job - take a look!

Calling All Readers! We want YOU!

We hope to have a Battle of the Books program again next year!  If we do, we hope to see interested 4th-8th graders join us in reading fabulous books and participating in competitions about those books.  (That means if you're going to be a fourth grader next year, you would be able to participate.)

Here's a sneak peak at some of the titles that will be on next year's list.  It's never too early to start reading!

Grade 4-6

                

·         28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World. By Charles R. Smith Jr.  Roaring Brook Press, 2015.

·         Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff.  Puffin Books, 2015.

·         Funny Bones: Posada and his Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, 2015.

• Slacker by Gordon Korman.  Scholastic, 2016.

·         Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford. Candlewick, 2015.

    

Grade 7-8

• Booked by Kwame Alexander HMH Books, 2016.

·         Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle. Atheneum, 2015.

• The Marvels by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press, 2015.
• Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney.  Roaring Brook Press, 2015.
• The Smoking Mirror: Garza Twins Book One by David Bowles. IFWG Publishing, 2015. 

And the winners are: Bluestem Award

Disney's choices for the Bluestem Award:

Third Place: The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

Second Place: Tie
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Sidekicks by Dan Santata

First Place: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Illinois's Bluestem Winners:

Third Place: Sidekicks by Dan Santata

Second Place: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

First Place: The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths