Summer Reading

Greetings!

Have you thought about summer reading? If you are interested in promoting a summer reading project for your students, I would recommend the Scholastic Read for the World Record challenge. We are going to try this program this summer at our school. Teachers need to register for a free account and then sign up their students.

Here’s what to do:

Log onto http://www.scholastic.com/summer/

Step one: Click red button that says “Register your students now”

Step two: a Scholastic.com sign in will pop up. It is bordered in red. You need to sign up for an account if you don’t have one. Click Sign Up Today.

Step three: Click Register Now for Teachers and Educators

Step four: Complete the registration and set up a password that you will remember. Select our school from the list and complete your profile.

Step five: You may have to exit the registration bordered in red at this time and click the red button again that says Register your students now. You should arrive at a blue page that says “Reading Under the Stars.” Teacher registration is now open. Since you are now a registered user, click “View My Dashboard”.

Step six: Now you can add a class. Choose a grade, name your class, and give the number of students. Then click the blue pencil under the column “Manage”. A list of name spaces and generated usernames and passwords will come up. Put the student’s first name in each space and print out your list so you will remember who has which username and password. (Don’t worry if you don’t print the list. You can always come back to this page and find the information here for you.) Don’t forget to save the information.

Set a goal for your school. I counted up the days between May 5 and September 5 and figured out how many minutes it would be if every student read 15 minutes a day. Then I set it a little higher to 500,000 minutes. What kind of goal will work for your school? Only you will know.

Have students begin reading on May 5 and have them keep a record of their reading every day. I recommend that you have students log on to the website and begin to record their minutes at school if possible so they get in the habit of doing this. The minutes the student reads will count toward the world challenge, but in order to count toward your school’s individual goal, parents must give permission so be prepared when students are asked for their parents’ email address or have them register at home with a parent to help. If you have students who don’t have access to the internet there are other options. There is an app for a smart phone with a reading timer and place to log their minutes. Students can also keep track of their reading on paper forms and all the minutes can be entered in at one time in September before the end of the challenge on September 5.

If you have any questions, contact Scholastic. They have been wonderful help to me.

Have a great week.

Audrey

Biblical Narratives

Greetings!

Last week I mentioned a number of titles that are good for older students to read. Most of those titles were appropriate for students in grades 6 – 12. This week I want to focus more on titles for those same grades, but that are published by our SDA publishing houses or Christian publishers.

I have listed a total of 37 books that focus on individual Biblical characters and what their lives and their culture might have been like. Obviously these aren’t biographies, but these stories really help to bring Bible characters to life.

Some of these books will be better stories than others. One example is the book Martha and Mary by Ntihemuka. This was the first of her books that I read and I didn’t really like it much. The story switched between Mary’s childhood and adulthood back and forth and was difficult to follow. I decided not to read any more of her books. One day a student came and was waxing lyrical about Ntihemuka’s Mary book and loved it. After a short discussion, she talked me into reading Mary and I did like it a lot. So I should not have judged an author by just one book.

Another book that is likely on your shelves right now is the book Deborah by Heppenstall. This was printed in 1967 and I see this book in many of our school libraries. This is the story of the little captive maid captured and bought by Naaman. If you haven’t read it, pull it out and read it aloud to your class. You have time to read the book before school is out and you and the students will really enjoy it.

Some have asked where to catalog these books. I know that some of you put them in the 813 section and others put them in the 200’s. We have them cataloged in the 200’s. I suggest that you put the Old Testament people in 221.9 and the New Testament people in 225.9. I have a post on this blog with more information about this dilemma. Take a look at Feb 7 2012.

I hope you enjoy this list and find some great books to put in your library.

Have a wonderful week!

Audrey


Bruno, Bonnie – Secret Journals of Bible-time Kids published by FaithKidz
Vol. 1 – Abigail’s Secret Journal (The Exodus)
Vol. 2 – Rachel’s Secret Journal (King Solomon’s time and peer pressure)
Vol. 3 – Benjamin’s Secret Journal (Feeding of the Five Thousand and the problem of exaggerating)
Vol. 4 – Deborah’s Secret Journal (Zacchaeus and the problem of poverty)

Hawse, Alberta – Vinegar Boy (Christ on the cross)

Ntihemuka, Patty Froese – Zacchaeus, Martha and Mary, Mary (mother of Jesus), Woman at the Well

Traylor, Ellen Gunderson – John Son of Thunder

Gibbs, Noni Beth – Peter Fisher of Men, Malchus

Fivash, Terri – Dahveed series, Joseph, Ruth and Boaz

Morgan-Cole, Trudy J. – Esther Story of Courage (longer book), Esther Courage to Stand (shorter book), Deborah and Balak, Bathsheba, Lydia, Samson

Thomsen, Hester – Hagar

Heppenstall, Margit Strom – Deborah (captive maid of Naaman)

Booth, Bradley – Miracles of the Mantle (Elisha), Escape from Egypt (Israelites), Plagues in the Palace (Moses), Esther A Star is Born, Prince of Dreams (Daniel), Shepherd Warrior (David), Noah Chosen One, Noah End of the World, The Prodigal

Erickson, Lois N – Leah, Hannah

Dickerson, Ed – Torn (Jacob)

Petty, Thurman C. Jr. – Siege at the Gates, Fire in the Gates - Autumn House Publishing

Books for Junior High and High School

I have had some ask for ideas for books for older students. I know this can be difficult because the type of books that our junior high and high school students are reading right now are often not books that are appropriate for our schools. I’m sure most of you have noticed the heavy emphasis on fantasy, vampires, dystopian societies, and more in the young adult literature these days.

Unfortunately, it seems there is very little that is being put out by our SDA church that is interesting to this age group. I see mostly books for adults and books or reprints for the younger children, but we seem to be neglecting our earliteens and teenagers. If I have missed some books, please let me know.

However, I have found some books that I believe would be interesting to this age and also appropriate for our libraries.

If you don’t have the Dahveed series by Terri Fivash in your library, I would highly recommend these books as an immediate purchase. I used this for an advanced reading group of junior high students and they absolutely loved them! They bring the people of Biblical times to life. Written for adults, the books are nevertheless appropriate for grade 7 and above. I have had some younger siblings of the junior high read them as well, but they are also exceptional readers. Trudy Morgan Cole is also a great writer and her Esther book is really good. (Bradley Booth also wrote an Esther book that was used for the programming at a recent Oshkosh Pathfinder Camporee. His book is for the middle grades.) There are quite a number of books written about Biblical characters in recent years. I believe that most of them are well done and appropriate for our school libraries.

These authors are published by our SDA publishers.

Fivash, Terri Dahveed series, Ruth and Boaz, Joseph
Morgan-Cole, Trudy Esther and more
Rizzo, Kay D Chloe Mae series, individual titles (may be out of print)
Robinson, Glen If Tomorrow Comes
Edwards, Josephine Cunnington Swift Arrow, Alice Princess, The Enchanted Pillowcase
Carson, Ben Gifted Hands

These authors are published by another Christian publishing house or are about Christians.

Oke, Jeanette Love Comes Softly series, Canadian West series, other titles
Lewis, Beverly Amish books, other series books on various reading levels.
Jackson, Dave Forty to Life (suitable for guys)
Karon, Jan The Mitford series (novels about Father Tim - an Episcopal priest, his life and the people in his town)
Gulley, Phillip The Harmony series (novels about a Quaker minister, his family, and his congregation)

These books have proved to be popular with students at Rogers. Most of them are higher level reading and would be fine for high school students, as well.

Chicken Soup for the Soul
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abby, etc.
Brink, Carol Ryrie Caddie Woodlawn, Magical Melons, etc.
Hiaasen, Carl Flush, Hoot, Scat, Chomp, etc.
Hobbs, Will Far North, Jason’s Gold, Jackie’s Wile Seattle, Crossing the Wire, etc.
Speare, Elizabeth George Sign of the Beaver, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Calico Captive
Bauer, Joan Hope Was Here, Rules of the Road, Best Foot Forward, Close to Famous, Peeled, Backwater, Stand Tall
Avi Stick to his historical fiction which are excellent. He also writes fantasy, but certain of his books may not be what you want in your library.
Horvath, Polly Everything on a Waffle, Northward to Home, A Year in Coal Harbor (new sequel to the ‘Waffle’ book)
DeFelice, Cynthia Nowhere to Call Home, Wild Life, The Missing Manatee
McManus, Patrick His books appeal to boys and are humorous
Meyer, Carolyn Recently I bought a few of her historical fiction about queens - Mary, Bloody Mary; Beware, Princess Elizabeth; Doomed Queen Anne; Duchessina
Rinaldi, Ann Also writes great historical fiction
Smith, Roland Peak, Storm Runners series, Zach’s Lie, Jack’s Run, Jaguar, Elephant Run, etc.

Right now I am reading a new book that won a Newbery Honor this year. It is called Paperboy and is about a boy that has a stuttering problem. I am about a third into the book and found one line where a neighbor yells at his drunk wife and tells her to get her drunk ass up to the bathtub. I am sorry that that is in the book because it is really interesting how the boy deals with his stuttering problem. So far, I just crossed the word ‘ass’ out. I’m sure that some may have a problem with the neighbors being drunk, too.

That is my list, so far. If any of you have found books that our older students really enjoy reading, please let me know. I have a list that I have complied and would really like to add to it.

Have a great week.

Audrey

Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys

Greetings!

I received a question recently regarding Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books and whether or not to put them in the school library. I know some of you will find this difficult to believe, but I actually have never read them. I have a vague idea of the storylines but really do not know much about the series at all. I went to the popular *Wikipedia to do some quick research.

I learned that the Nancy Drew series began in 1930 and The Hardy Boys began in 1927. Both series were created by Edward Stratemeyer and both were written by ghostwriters that use the pseudonyms Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon respectively. Nancy was portrayed as an independent teenager of about 16 years old and was graduated from high school. The Hardy Boys are also older teenagers. Their lives are fairly similar, they are affluent, and they have exciting adventures.

Big criticisms came from some racism and classism in the books between 1927 and 1959. I know that my parents did not buy Nancy Drew books for us and I suspect now that our SDA schools likely did not use them for those criticisms.

Between 1959 and 1980 both series were revised. The story lines were more modern and racist stereotypes were eliminated. Other revisions happened between 1980 and 2003. Romance for Nancy was included in the story lines and she is portrayed a bit differently. A little more violence is also included. Other teen books in this time period include romance and violence as well, so Nancy is just keeping up with the times. The Hardy Boys series also has become more violent. The boys carry guns and are involved in more violent cases. One writer comments that her instructions for the book she wrote involved a story line and each chapter must be full of action and have a cliff hanger at the end.

My guess is that parents or grandparents read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys when they were young, enjoyed the books and have suggested their kids read them. Then the students come to the library to find more.

I contacted the NAD to ask if they had a stance on Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. Carol Campbell – no relation – responded and said that the NAD has not taken a position on any particular books for Adventist schools. It is left up to the local school, teacher, or conference to determine what is appropriate. She suggested that if there is a question about a particular book, to read it first and judge its merit based on the new standards for literature selection. I will send them as an attachment for you to have.

Based on the information from Wikipedia and from the NAD, I would suggest that you not add these books to your libraries. If the books are a part of your library at this time, and you feel that you need to remove them, just do it and replace them with better books. We need to weed our libraries anyway, so this is just one place to start.

I hope you have a great week.

Audrey

*I know that for research purposes Wikipedia is not the best website to use but if all you want is to get a general overview, it is certainly a great place to begin.