"I forgot that I might see so many beautiful things"

My students and I have been reading Wonder by RJ Palacio as our class read aloud since January. This week we came to a very pivotal moment in the story that brings out a lot of emotions, within the characters and also within the reader. Communities of readers are built on moments like these.

And despite the fact that my future in the classroom is uncertain right now, and despite my perpetual exhaustion since our Spring Forward on Sunday, it's weeks like this one that reaffirm my vocation and tug at me, reminding me why I'm here in the first place.

Besides the emotional catharsis of reading Wonder together, a couple other reaffirming moments happened in the classroom this week:

Moment #1
Earlier this week I had a dream that one of my students was single-handedly responsible for getting one of my favorite authors/illustrators, Adam Rex, to visit our school. When I told her about this dream the next day, she had this look on her face like she was blown away that she could manage to not only infiltrate my dreams, but that she was also able to carry out such an amazing feat as to get a rock star author like Adam Rex to visit our school. Her reaction to this new knowledge was, "Really? I was in your dream? And I got Adam Rex to come here? I could do that. Do you want me to do that? I'm on it."

Then the next day, this same student approached me and said, "Guess what Mrs. Shaum? You were in MY dream last night. Adam Rex did come to our school and for some reason you were wearing a big curly rainbow wig. But then you got mad because he poured caramel sauce over himself since he didn't want to repeat himself by doing chocolate syrup again, but he got it all over the carpet in the classroom so you were not very happy."

So Adam Rex, I apologize if you get a random email from a 6th grader in Michigan. My dream, accompanied by her own, apparently gave her a mission she feels the need to carry out.

Moment #2
Today the 6th grade Skyped with my friend Kellie who works for Walden Pond Press. When I finally met Kellie in person at NCTE in November, we spent a wonderful dinner together and the one thing that really struck me when she talked about WPP's books is how enthusiastic she was about the titles her imprint puts out for kids. I immediately had the idea that what better way to get kids to want to read WPP's books than to have someone directly from the publisher book talk them.

My instinct was not wrong. Kellie book talked four titles today and by the end of the day, this was the waiting list:

Notice that one of the books has a shorter waiting list than the others. Why is that? Because I was the one who book talked that one. So clearly Kellie is a rock star book talker, but also, I was able to reaffirm that it helps if teachers branch out and find other people and methods to get kids excited about books instead of doing the same thing over and over again. I mean, I've had The Fourth Stall in my classroom library all year, but it wasn't until Kellie book talked it that I had kids clamoring for it. When I talked to the kids after Kellie's Skype visit, a large number of them said, just as I did, that she was an amazing speaker and that she knew how to get kids excited about books. That was music to my ears.



*Title quote from the song "Beautiful Things" by Andain, which is also quoted in Wonder.

The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci

I always scratch my head and look dubious whenever I see or hear that a celebrity has "written" a cookbook. But having directed the foodie cult classic Big Night, and seen him on the talk show circuit, I already knew that Stanley Tucci is no slouch in the kitchen.

So I came into this cookbook with much less cynicism than, say, this one or this one, and I have to admit, I was quite impressed with the thoughtfulness with which the recipes were put together and also the desire Tucci has to share his family history in order to prove his credibility. It's as if he's saying, "Hey people, all those other celebs? They're just cashing in. Me? I actually have a legit, storied history here." And, well, let me just say that I love Stanly Tucci so that's part of the reason I give him a pass. He's always seemed above the fray when it comes to all the privilege and antics of the Hollywood crowd. Whether that's only my own perception or the actual truth, I don't know, but to me, he's much more of a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy.

The recipes in this book are quite simple and easily attainable for a home cook, though not particularly new or innovative. But hey, there's nothing wrong with simple, easy and traditional, right?

Unlike my most recent cookbook review, the photographs in this cookbook definitely engaged my salivary glands. In fact, the photographs were so appetizing that I found myself wishing there were more.

I've made a few recipes from this cookbook since checking it out at the library and I have to say they were all successful, but my favorites were the Milanese Risotto and the Egg Tart with Spinach and Potatoes (posted below).


Egg Tart with Spinach and Potatoes
Serves 4

• 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled (I left the peel on because I'm lazy like that)
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 pound fresh spinach, stems removed, leaves washed, coarsely chopped, and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute (I was lazy and used frozen spinach)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped, fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the potato in a pot filled with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and then into thin half-moon slices.

3. In a medium-size bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Squeeze all the water out of the spinach and add to the eggs along with the potato slices, salt and pepper to taste, and parsley. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.

4. Heat a 10 to 12 inch nonstick ovenproof frying pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil. When the butter has melted and is foaming, pour the egg mixture into the pan, sitting well. Continue to cook and stir until the eggs become slightly scrambled, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the eggs are firm but still moist, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the egg tart onto a serving plate. Slice and serve immediately.

Wine pairing: Sparkling, light white, and medium white


The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci
Published: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 400
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

Lucky Leprechaun giveaway hop

For my portion of the blog hop I am giving away an ARC of:

Hide and Seek by Kate Messner
Expected Publication: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery
Audience: Middle Grade

Goodreads summary:
José, Anna, and Henry are junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, sworn to protect the world's most important artifacts. When they discover that the society's treasured Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the trio and their families rush to the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of the real chalice. But when the trail runs dry, new mysteries emerge: Who can they trust? Is there a traitor in their midst? With danger at every turn, it will take more than they realize for José and his friends to recover the cup before it falls into the wrong hands.

Terms and conditions:
Must be 13 or older to enter and have a U.S. mailing address
One winner will be selected
Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter

Habemus Papam

It's not everyday you get to share in the moment of the election of a new Pope with your students. But a little after 2:00 today, our principal came on the PA to announce that there was billowing white smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel and to pray for whoever had been chosen.

My prep period is the last hour of the day so I spent the entire time glued to NBC News's live feed. If the election of the last few Popes was any indication, it was likely we wouldn't see the new Pontiff for another hour. Sure enough, when 3:00 came and it was time to get my homeroom back for the last 15 minutes of the day, that's when things really started to set in motion. The new Pope was announced after the 3:10 bell for prayer, at which time students usually get their backpacks and coats as to be ready to leave at the 3:15 bell. Today, no one left the classroom after the 3:10 bell because they didn't want to miss anything. And we all stayed in the classroom and shared in this historic moment to see Pope Francis I, the first Pope from South America.

I told them they could leave to get their things, but they all stayed to share in this historic moment

a WONDER-ful breakthrough

I'm still amazed at the ways in which the book Wonder by RJ Palacio touches the lives of everyone who reads it.

I'm currently reading this book to both of my sixth grade literature classes, and while one class BEGS me to read everyday, the other class has remained stoic in their emotions about it. They listen attentively and answer questions with pinpoint accuracy during class discussions, but I have yet to really get any sort of emotional response from them.

Until today...

Today was the day I have been dreading because, you see, this was the day where we came to a pivotal part of the story that just happens to be really sad. Like "can't see to read through your tears" sad. And while I've read this book four times already, I still managed to let loose a torrent of tears while reading it in front of both sixth grade classes. My eager class who always begs me to read the book remained stoic in their emotions (or they were just really good at hiding them) while I sat there blubbering through the words on the page. But something magical happened in my usually stoic class: as I struggled to read my way through the sad part, I heard an accompaniment of sniffles and snorts to backup my own tears, along with a few students who got up out of their seats to grab tissues.

It was a moment I will always remember with this class because they allowed themselves to be vulnerable when most of them have spent a great deal of time building up their middle school armor of dispassion and indifference. The only time they generally show emotion is to declare something unjust, unfair, or just plain dumb. Who would've thought that a fictional fifth-grade boy named August Pullman could get them to open their heart and affix it directly to their sleeve.

Cover Reveal: Demon Derby by Carrie Harris

I am so excited to reveal the cover of Carrie Harris's new novel. Not only do I love her previous two books, but she has visited my classroom a couple times so yeah, she's pretty darn awesome. And her author bio is 100% true: she is incapable of being serious for more than 5 minutes. Which is why I think you should put this book on your to-read list today because you know with her sense of humor, this book is going to be awesome.

Title: DEMON DERBY

Author: Carrie Harris

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Paranormal

Age Group: Young Adult

Expected release: March 2014

Casey kicked cancer’s ass. Now a demon wants to kick hers...

Casey hates being known as the girl who survived cancer. She wants people to treat her like her old self, fearless and strong. And after a creepy encounter with a crazy guy in an alley, Casey is all about reclaiming her power.

So when she has a chance to try out for the Apocalypsies roller derby team, she jumps on it. Being a derby girl would prove that she doesn’t need anybody’s pity. It doesn’t hurt that Michael, the team manager, is almost unnaturally hot. Which makes sense when Casey finds out that he’s not even human.

Michael’s got a secret: he trains demon hunters. That crazy guy in the alley? Demon. And the fact that Casey went head to head with evil and lived makes her a threat to demonkind. Casey thought she’d already fought and won the battle of her lifetime. But it’s only beginning...

From Carrie Harris, author of BAD TASTE IN BOYS and BAD HAIR DAY, comes a knockout new read for anyone facing their own demons—inside and out.

Add to Goodreads 

About the Author

Carrie Harris is the author of BAD TASTE IN BOYS and BAD HAIR DAY. Her husband is a cancer survivor and a ninja doctor, and her three kids are already in training to fight evil someday. She collects monster-themed clothing, is physically incapable of being serious for more than five minutes at a time, and isn’t a derby girl…yet.

Carrie Harris | Twitter | Facebook

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-11-13

 

Originally hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, Jen and Kellee  over at Teach Mentor Texts also host a kidlit version of It's Monday! What are You Reading?

So last night I made kind of a big announcement and I have been overwhelmed at the amount of love and support I have received. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a strong, supportive reading community.

But anyway, to the books...

Last week I finished:

Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin 
FANTASTIC! I will definitely be writing a longer review of this one soon but wow! Steve Sheinkin, keep writing nonfiction because kids need these kinds of texts.

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
I will definitely be pairing this text with Wonder by RJ Palacio. Lots to discuss here. Especially the less-than-neat ending. 


Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain 
So I like totally understand myself better after reading this book. And while I can be an abrasive loud mouth on occasion, that's really only when I feel strongly about something. Otherwise, I'm a total introvert. And learning about the way introverts' minds work is definitely going to help me better explain myself when my husband finds it difficult to understand where I'm coming from when I find myself needing solitude.


Currently reading:
 
The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
I know there are some Nerdy Book Club friends right now who are wondering what the heck took me so long to pick up this book and all I have to say is, I defer to the giant TBR mountain where sometimes gems unfortunately get pushed to the bottom of the pile. 


Currently listening:


The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
Again, this is another one that took me too long to get to. 


Last week I reviewed:
 
Tyler Florence Fresh

 
I also posted about:
Skyping with Audrey Vernick on World Read Aloud Day
Students creating their own buttons for "read a button day"


Current Giveaway:
Ruined by Paula Morris (U.S.) ends 3/13