Book Swap!

I am so excited about our Book Swap and Summer Reading Challenge! Please note if you child comes home with a book that looks like it came from our classroom, it may have. I will write discontinued on them, so you know they are suppose to have them. I have pulled a few duplicates out of the classroom library and added them to the book swap books.  Thank you to everyone who donated books!

The Second Meeting of the Tuesday Literature and Lunch Club

The Tuesday Literature and Lunch Club held their second meeting today. We discussed the differences between Katie and Emma's houses. Ask your child which house they would prefer and why!

First Meeting of "The Thursday Literature and Lunch Club"!

"The Thursday Literature and Lunch Club" held its first meeting on Thursday, April 2. They are reading The Littles by John Peterson. They were to have read pages 7-21 for today's meeting. Ask your child to share what happened with you in this part!

Wednesday Literature and Lunch Club Meeting Number 2

The Wednesday Literature and Lunch Club met on Thursday, April 2 because of our field trip on Wednesday. We discussed our assigned pages and agreed how much we should read before we meet again on Wednesday, April 8. Ask your child if they think Marty was right or wrong to lie to Judd.

First Meeting of "The Wednesday Literature and Lunch Club"!

The first meeting of "The Wednesday Literature and Lunch Club" was held on Wednesday, March 25. This group is reading Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. For today's meeting the were to have read pages 1-26. Reading along and discuss Marty's adventure with your child!

Introducing "Literature and Lunch Clubs"

What's better then eating lunch with your friends? Why eating lunch with your friends and discussing a good book, of course! Mrs. Sunderman's 4th Graders will be starting "Literature and Lunch Clubs" on March 25. Each day, Monday through Thursday, a club will meet, enjoy lunch in the classroom, and discuss a good book! 

On Friday, March 20th the clubs chose their books and received their first assignment. As a group the club decided how many pages to read by their first meeting and each club member was given a role to complete for the first meeting. Feel free to listen to your child read their book and help them complete their role before their first meeting. In order to attend the meeting the students must have read the agreed upon pages and have completed their role. When the groups finish reading their books, they will take an AR test over them to help them work toward meeting their AR goals.

The roles are:

Discussion Leader: The discussion leader writes questions about the section they read to share with the group.
Summarizer: The summarizer writes a summary of the section they just read and shares it with the group.
Word Wizard: The word wizard is to search for and share unknown, but interesting words from section they just read with the group.
Illustrator: The illustrator is to draw a picture of something from the section of the book they just read and share with group.
Real-Life Connector: The real-life connector is to record how two events in the section they just read remind them of something in their life or of something in the life of someone they know.
Story Connector: The story connector is to record how two events in the sections they just read remind them of something in another story they have read.

I am so excited to begin! Check back often for updates!

Books by John

One of my favorite books is White Fang by Jack London. If you are looking for a good series try The Wings Trilogy by Kenneth Oppel. He also writes great chapter books.

My Favorite Books! by Emily Jetton

I like to read Animal Ark books, Stick Dog, books about science and books about animals. I like to read on my bed at home or at my desk at school.

Mayson's Favorite Book!

One of my favorite books is Jigsaw Jones and the Secret of the Valentines. If you like mystery books this is one you will like a lot. If you read this book you will find out who is Jigsaw's secret admirer.

I PICK

The students are practicing picking good fit books in our classroom this year. They are using the I PICK strategy.  I PICK stands for:

I choose the book
Purpose: Why am I reading this book?
Interest: Does it grab my attention?
Comprehend: Do I understand what I am reading?
Know: Do I know most of the words?

As students pick books they are to be thinking about the above items.  If they are not able to comprehend what they are reading or don't know most of the words then it is not a good fit book.

Book Recommendation by Mrs. Sunderman!

Dear Fourth Graders,

This summer I spent sometime reading the Iowa Children's Choice Award nominees. One of my favorite books was The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki.

Genre: Mystery/Suspense 
Description: Neil and Bree, his teenage sister, are spending the summer with their aunts.  The aunts just happen to live near an abandoned, supposedly haunted state hospital called Graylock. When Graylock was operating it specialized in trying to help people with mental illnesses.  
Being typical kids Neil and Bree decide to explore Graylock.  This is where the spooky twists and turns of the novel begin to appear.  

If you enjoy a good spooky story, I highly recommend you this Iowa Children's Choice Award Nominee.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Sunderman

Fourteenth Book Done: Athlete Vs. Mathlete

I finished reading my fourteenth Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee: Athlete Vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Description: In this book twins, Russ and Owen Evans are as different as night and day or so they think. Russ is the mathlete and Owen is the athlete. This belief is challenged when the new basketball coach insists that Russ, the mathlete, try out for the basketball team and he makes it.

This is a fun read, that will remind you that you can do and be more then you think you can!

Thirteen Books Done: Summer of the Gypsy Moth by Sara Pennypacker

I finished reading my thirteenth Iowa's Children's Choice Award nominee, "Summer of the Gypsy Moth" by Sara Pennypacker.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: Stella and Angel have one thing in common. They live with Stella's great-aunt because they have no where else to go. Read to find out how the cope when Stella's great-aunt dyes. 


Very interesting twist to this story!

Twelve Books Done: The PS Brothers by Maribeth Boelts

The twelfth Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee I chose to read was The PS Brothers by Maribeth Boelts.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: Friends Russell and Shawn really want a dog.  They decide to go into business pooping scoop to earn the money for a dog. Their plan takes an unexpected turn and they have to make a choice.  Read to find out if they make the right choice.  

Eleven Books Done: Pie by Sarah Weeks

The eleventh Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee that I chose to read was Pie by Sarah Weeks. If you enjoy Pie and are interested in learning more  about the author or her books make sure you visit Sarah Week's website.  She provides a lot of cool information there.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: Alice loves spending time with her Aunt Polly in her pie shop.  When Aunt Polly passes away Alice's world is turned upside down!  To make matters a bit worse Aunt Polly leaves her famous pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo! Or does she?

Ten Books Done: The Underdogs by Mike Lupica

The tenth Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee I chose to read was The Underdogs by Mike Lupica.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: Forbes, a drying up small town, has decided to cancel the little league football season to save money. Will, a boy with a passion and talent for football, works to save his season.  Read to find out how it all turns out.  

Sports fans and non-sports fans will enjoy this story!

Nine Books Done: Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

The ninth Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee that I chose to read was Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur. Take a minute and check the author's website for some cool insight into her writing process!

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: A story about struggling with growing up, friends, bullies, and school.  This story is told from the point of view of a 12 year old girl who is being raised by her aunt and uncle. Through her struggles Elise finds herself! Read to find out if she likes what she finds!

Eight Books Done: The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng

The eighth Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee that I chose to read was The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng. Take time to checkout the illustrator, Abigail Halpin's website, also.  

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: Anna, an American born Chinese girl, struggles to fit at school and retain her Chinese heritage.  She learns that life and friendship are complicated.  Read to see how Anna deals with it all.

Seven Books Done: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

The seventh Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee that I chose to read was Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Description: A story about a fourth grade girl who is forced to leave her home in Saigon when the Vietnam war arrives there. Her and her family relocate to Alabama and begin to adapt to a very different way of life. 

Great look and a different way of life and a reminder that different isn't bad!

Check it Out!

Check out the free summer reading resources at Scholastic.