Whatcha Readin' Wednesday*

Now that our author visit with Linda Urban is over (we spent  about 3 weeks reading the beginning of Milo Speck, Accidental Agent), it is time to booktalk the Bluestem Award, our state student choice award, to my 3rd-5th graders! Usually, I read all the books on the list in the summer to be ready to booktalk them, but this year I had a very busy summer (Yay Peru!) and also spent all of August preparing for a "What's New in Intermediate Books" presentation for my staff PD. (Book list here and presentation here!) So, I got a little behind in reading for the Bluestem Award and Battle of the Books. I still booktalked the list, but had to be honest that there were a few I hadn't read yet.

Just finished: Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood. Wow, what a great read! This should have made it on

my list for the teachers! Before reading, I thought it was about an African American girl in Mississippi struggling with segregation. Really, Glory is white, although this isn't completely clear at first. She has always lived with segregation and never questioned it. In one scene, she explains to her new "Yankee"  friend Laura that you can't drink from the wrong drinking fountain. However, Glory's world is turned upside down when the Hanging Moss public pool closes to prevent African Americans from swimming there. Suddenly, she is forced to acknowledge some very big things about her town and why the pool is closed. Her new friend Laura helps her understand what isn't right, while her old friend Frankie begins to make it harder.
I also recently finished listening to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos. I chose this because it was immediately available from my public library e-audio book account and I needed something for my 45-minute commute. This one surprised me. I thought it was going to be simply humorous but it had a lot of sad and hard moments. Joey describes that he has "dud meds," so often he gets out of control. He learns the hard way that he shouldn't stick his finger in the pencil sharpener, swallow his house key, or run with scissors. All of these "accidents" lead him to the town special-ed center, and a teacher named Special Ed. I really appreciated the insight into what can cause these types of behavior, and I think students who liked Out of My Mind would also like this "overcoming obstacles" story.

What I'm reading right now: Little Dog, Lost by Marion Dane Bauer.






*I'm not sure who started the phrase Whatcha Readin' Wednesday, but it wasn't me! I'd love to give credit to whomever started it if it can be traced back, but I couldn't find him/her.