Shhhh...it's a secret!

I have to admit a secret.  I've been keeping it from you for a couple of weeks now.  Promise you won't hate me.  The truth is I have another blog.

It's not that I think this one is a complete failure or that you're not good enough to read the other blog.  In fact I hope you do.  The thing is that my other blog is about a dream of mine that I'm trying to make happen.

As many of you know, I love books.  In fact, Mrs. Riley would probably say I love them too much.  I'm always carrying them around and trying to find new ones.  Well my real dream is to actually write one, and I came across a story that I think is simply irresistible.  It's about an American who lived in Thailand for many years until he mysteriously disappeared in 1967.

Who was this mysterious man?  Well, you can read all about him on my new blog, Tracking Down an American Legend.  You can also get an inside peek into my research process.  Be sure to leave some words of encouragement as I know it will be a long and complicated process.  And remember, you know how good it feels to get positive feedback from other writers.


Image from:  http://ldsfiles.com/clipart/img-image%3A-top-secret-465.htm

Digging Seedfolks

Sometimes things are just meant to be.  You know those times when you and your friends are talking about something and then it appears right before your eyes.  They call it serendipity which means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise" that happens just at the right time.

Well, we just finished Seedfolks as our read aloud, and guess what book showed up on NPR's (National Public Radio) April Book Club Pick?  You guessed it, Seedfolks. Check out the book review here.



What I learned from this review is how close to home this story is for the author, Paul Fleischman.  He has two adopted children from Mexico who have dealt with immigrant issues.  I also learned that several cities in the US have chosen Seedfolks as their community read including Racine, WI, Tampa, FL, and the entire state of VT.  Can you guess why?


Let me know what you think about serendipity, Seedfolks or the idea of a community read.  I wonder what book would be good for SAS.

Book Club Authors Online

I've been really impressed with my students' Book Club discussions that we've been having in class lately.  They've picked up the mini-lessons on social issues and piggybacking so well, it's as if they've been doing this work all along.  Because of their observations and how they're discussing in class, they're really picking up on some important themes and noticing how the characters are reacting to their situations.

Revisiting these great books made me wonder what these authors are up to lately.  It turns out, they've got some pretty cool websites, and with my recent posts on technology, I couldn't help but think that these authors are using captivating techniques that help them connect with their readers including video clips and tweets.

Check out these sites and let me know which one(s) you like the best and why.  Better yet, tell which books of theirs I should buy next for our classroom library.

Gennifer Choldenko (Al Capone Does My Shirts)

Ellen Potter (Slob)

Jerry Spinelli (Maniac Magee)

Sharon Draper (Out of My Mind)

Edward Bloor (Tangerine)

Be Your Own Angel

Me, looking angelic

When Mr. Ruhter first mentioned that I would be a devil and an angel in front of the entire C Side group, I said, "No way!"  You see, I'm not the kind of guy who likes to get up on stage and be silly, but you know Mr. Ruhter and how persuasive he can be.

So a couple of weeks ago, we put on a skit for all of our students about how we all tend to get off track sometimes.  Mr. Ruhter pretended to be a student, and I played his conscience as both a devil and an angel.  The point was that when we make choices, sometimes we forget what is really important and what needs to get done first.  Instead of getting our homework done first, for example, we may chat with friends online which can really get us in a pickle.

To be honest, I don't know which was more fun to play, the devil or the angel, but I do know this:  setting priorities and make good choices really matters when it comes to balancing a demanding workload and after school activities.

I'm wondering if we left any tips out when presenting this topic.  What do you think?  What works for you?

The World We Live In

I've been thinking a lot about the world we live in and how it is so fast-paced. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time keeping up with it.

I think some of it has to do with technology. Don't get me wrong, I love my gadgets as much as the next guy. In fact, everyone in my family has their favorite gadget, Mrs. Riley and me with our iPhones and our girls with their DSs. They're amazing, and they allow us to connect with our family at home, pursue interests online, and create family memories with photo albums and movies.

Having said that, I can't help but think that technology has some downers. It seems to fragment my thinking when I try to process and respond to the overwhelming numbers of emails. During dinner our phones ping with incoming texts. I also find myself behind the computer screen a lot more than I used to. (Of course the irony is that I'm behind the computer screen to write this post!)

Anyway check this video out from youtube on the world we live in. Pretty fascinating. What do you think?

The Wonderful World of Blogging

When I was your age, the word "blog" wasn't even invented yet, let alone Facebook, Twitter, and the internet itself.  But in this day and age, it seems as though there are so many wonderful ways to stay connected with each other and share what's going on in our lives.

Blogger Logo

With this blog, I hope we can expand our own community of writers to go beyond our classroom walls.  It's a new endeavor for me and probably a new one for you, and I've got that nervous/excited feeling.  What I do know as a writer is that by expressing myself through writing, I often come to new ideas and understandings.  Having this blog may help us continue to communicate with each other and express ourselves through writing in a new and interesting way.  Who knows we may even hear from others who are trying out the same thing.

So what do you say?  How about we give it a try and see where it takes us?

[Image from:  http://www.abu-farhan.com/]