Caitlin

=Book Log=
 * # || =Book Title= || =Author= || =E, JR, C= || =Date Completed= ||
 * ==1== || Liar And Spy || Rebbeca Stead || JR || summer ||
 * ==2== || White Fur Flying || Patricia Maclachlan || E || summer ||
 * ==3== || When Life Gives You O.J. || Erica S. Perl || JR || 8-17-14 ||
 * ==4== || I Survived The Shark Attacks || Lauren Tarshis || E || 8-17-14 ||
 * ==5== || Lions Of Little Rock || Kristen Levine ||  ||   ||
 * ==6== || Silverwing || Kenneth Oppel ||  || beginning of school year ||
 * **7** || Fenway Foul Up || David A. Kelly || E || 9-24-14 ||
 * **8** || The Friendship Matchmaker || Randa Abdel-Fattah ||  ||   ||
 * **9** || Surviving The Applewhites || Stephanie s Tolan || jr/c || 12-15-14 ||
 * **10** || Tortilla Sun ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **11** || Because Of Mr. Terupt ||  ||   ||   ||
 * **12** || The City Of Ember || Jeanne Duprau || jr/c ||  ||
 * **13** || Bad hair day || sarah mylnowski || e/jr ||  ||
 * **14** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **15** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

Mrs. Palmieri recommends...

 * ==#== || ==Book Title== || ==Author== ||
 * ==1== || Just Ella || Margaret Peterson Haddix ||
 * ==2== || Princess Academy || Shannon Hale ||
 * ==3== ||  ||   ||
 * ==4== ||  ||   ||

Hi Caitlin, I just finished reading this AWESOME book called __Doll Bones__ it's a little creepy but otherwise I loved it. Also I think you should read __The School for Good and Evil__. If you like fantasy then I strongly recommend __The Books of__ __Elsewhere__. I loved that book too. Do you like __Tuckernuck__? I think Laurie is a little bratty but I feel sympathy for Bud.

Your friend, Audrey:)

Hi Mrs. Palmieri,

I do think Laurie is bratty and I think Bud is a little bit annoying. Right now I think __The City Of Ember__ is good. I am wondering if some of the parts are like the movie. Like will Lina's grandma die? Will Mayor Cole get eaten by a giant mole? But there are some questions that I have that I haven't found out yet, like how did Lina's mom die? And what happened to Doon's mom. I Love how it started with the instructions! Its a good way to start the book. It really got me intrigued. __**"As they came to a halt in the middle of the street or stood stock-still in their houses,**__ __**afraid to move in the utter blackness, they were reminded of something they preferred not to think about: that someday the lights of the city might go out and never come back on."**__ **I like this part of the book because it is so suspenseful and whenever there is a black out you are wondering "will the lights come back?"** I am excited to find out what will happen next. I am also excited to find out if Bud and Laurie will find the treasure in __The Lost Treasure of__ Tuckernuck __.__ I am thinking of starting __The Hunger Games__. Have you ever read it?

Your friend, Caitlin

Hi Caitlin,

I can't believe how fast this school year is flying! I am so glad that we read __Tortilla Sun__ too, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It reminded me how fun it can be to read a book out loud "cold"- like I have never read it before so I get to ask questions and make predictions right along with you guys. __***I'd like to read another book by this author, Jennifer Cervantes,because I enjoyed the beautiful imagery she created when she described the village with such beautiful colors.**__ **On page 22 she describes Albuquerque from the airplane- "it looked like brown sandpaper stretched between a giant mountain in the east and a long green ribbon of trees in the west. The river beyond the valley curled back and forth across the landscape as if it were looking for a place to rest." That's one of the many beautiful descriptions I enjoyed.**


 * I'm glad that we made the decision to read another MCBA. I like __Tuckernuck__ so far. I wouldn't say I love it, yet. It's hard when a book doesn't grab you right away. I know many students have mentioned that this book is kind of hard to follow- and I agree. This might be another good reason that we are reading it together so that we can talk about and think about everything that is going on and help each other to understannd. Actually, I think one of the parts I'm struggling with most in the book are the main characters. When I read a book, I tend to like something about the main character right away- Ex. I love Shade and Marina.**
 * In Tuckernuck, I like and feel sympathetic to Bud; his mom is gone, dad seems intense, and other kids seem to think he's kiss up. But Laurie, I just don't like her. I feel like she acts bratty like on page 40 where she says, "Sorry Bud no dice. I found it, okay? All you did was act like a klutz. This paper means treasure, and sorry, I'm not giving it up." **


 * Do you this Laurie is bratty? Do you think Bud is annoying? Do you think they will change through this story?**


 * I would love to hear about your guided reading book or other books you are reading too.**


 * I would especially like it if you could find a quote like I did above to back up your ideas.**


 * Your friend,**
 * Mrs. P:)**


 * December 14, 2014**
 * Hello Caitlin!**


 * I'm really enjoying __Tortilla Sun__ ! I enjoy that I am reading this with you guys for the first time- it adds to the adventure for me too! I think the setting of this book, the little village in New Mexico, is important to the story as it's adding to the mystery and fantasy elements of the story. Izzy didn't know that her father had spent time there and that so many people would have known him and I predict that this is going to help her get to know the dad she never knew and maybe solve the mystery of the words on the baseball. **


 * I would like to think that I might get to read a book or two over vacation. It would be a great way to relax, but with the baby I'm guessing I might be too busy :) Sometimes right before Christmas, I like to read my favorite holiday sections of the "Little House" series. Do you know these famous books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? They are the description of her own growing up in the late 1800s in places like Wisconsin, Kansas and South Dakota. I enjoy how simple their life was and I love how she describes their festivities. For example- in**
 * __By the Shores of Silver Lake__, pg. 180, "Frost was thick on the windowpanes and frost furred the cracks around the door. Thickly against the clear upper edges of the windowpanes the snowflakes fluttered. But lamplight was bright on the red-and-white tablecloth, and the fire glowed behind the open drafts of the stove."**


 * __Lions of Little Rock__ sounds so good and I love how you described the girls friendship and how you would feel in the same situation. How sad for Liz that people would start to treat her differently when they realized she was black, Especially when you realize they were treating her one way, then changed their minds even after knowing her. Marlee sounds like a good friend.**


 * Talk to you soon,**
 * Mrs. P**


 * December 8, 2014**


 * Hi Mrs. Palmieri,**


 * Thanks for writing back. I tried reading** //__Capture The Flag__// **but i read the first page and it confused me so i gave up on it. I think i might try reading it again because a lot of people say that it gets less confusing as you go along. Yes, Marlee and Liz are friends. In the story they didn't know that Liz was black at first, they just thought she was very tan. I don't think it affected how people treated her at first because everybody was nice to her. Marlee is a very shy girl and when she met Liz they became friends and did a project together. Since Marlee is shy, she didn't want to speak in the project. Liz promised Marlee a magic square book if she spoke in the project. Marlee then agreed to do the project if she got the book. Marlee and Liz practiced at the zoo so Marlee could get used to speaking in front of living things. Marlee and Liz are very good friends now. When Liz leaves on the day of the project, Marlee is very sad. I haven't really reached another part of the story since a lot of it is just talking about how Marlee is sad and some other small details.** If i were Marlee i would be sad too. Losing your best and only friend must be hard if your very shy. It might be hard for her to make a new friend. **I'm excited to see what happens to Liz and Marlee.**


 * Your friend,**
 * Caitlin**


 * December 3, 2014**


 * Hi Caitlin,**


 * Thanks for writing me back. I only know a little bit about the plot of __Lions of Little Rock__ based on reading the back of the book. Maybe you could tell me a little more? Are Liz and Marlee friends? I know that at this time in history, that places like Little Rock, Arkansas were attempted to be "integrated"- meaning they forced all white schools to let black students attend. This probably even made it harder for these two girls to be friends. I like how you made a connected to __Out of My Mind__. Do you think people don't think Liz is smart because she is black?**


 * __Whatever After__ sounds good too- I think Sam in our class might like that. Now that you've told me about some of these books, I have a few books in mind to recommend to you! Check your log and and your basket!**


 * This story captured my attention right away as I have been to see the flag that they were describing being stolen. The real "Star Spangled Banner" is famous for surviving the War of 1812 and can now be seen at a very cool exhibit at the American History Museum (Smithsonian) in Washington D.C. One thing I really like about this book was how it started out with a lot of action and adventure and pulled you as a the reader right in. One thing I would have changed about the story was that it was slow in the middle and I had to push myself to stay interested and to finish it. I assumed that the author would make this into a series and I was interested to find her next two books are called __Hide and Seek__ and __Manhunt__. I like that her book titles seem to match with games that kids like to play- clever.** This book reminded me of several other series where kids work together to have some awesome adventures- like __Chasing Vermeer__ and __I.Q.__ ** Both books involve stolen famous artifacts or artwork, and if you like creative adventures with kids trying to solve the mysteries you would probably like these books too.

Your friend in reading, Mrs. Palmieri

November 25, 2014

Hi Mrs. P-

Right now I am reading __Lions Of Little Rock.__ It is very good. It is about a girl who is very shy but very smart. This book reminds me of Out Of My Mind because they both involve a girl who is very shy and smart but no one knows it. So far this book is a little challenging for me since their is a couple words that I don't understand. I love what the book is about since back then a lot of people would judge each other about their skin color. I feel I feel that it is a good fit for me. I predict that Liz will come back to school because were I am in the story, Liz got kicked out since she is a negro. I feel that sometimes in the story it is sad and some parts are happy. I love the book so much I cant wait to finish it and figure out what will happen to Liz and Marlee. I like the series __Whatever__ __After.__ Its about a girl and her little brother who have a magic mirror in their house and they go on fairytale adventures. When they go in the magic mirror, they end up in a fairytale (Cinderella, Snow white, etc.) and they have to fix the story because since they came, they messed up the story. It is a very interesting series and I like it a lot. I cant wait to read the books I got from the book fair (did you get any books fro the book fair?) .They seem really good. One that I am most excited to read is __I Even Funnier.__ Its a sequel to __I Funny.__ My brother read __I Funny__ and said it was really good. Its also like __Out Of My Mind__ since they are both paralyzed and their telling it from their point of view. Anyways, I think I should focus on finishing __Lions Of Little Rock.__ I'm planning on bringing it on vacation to read in my free time to try to finish it up.

Talk to you soon, Caitlin

November 20, 2014

Hi Caitlin-

Thanks for recommending __When Life gives you OJ__. It sounds very cute and definitely the kind of book that I enjoy reading. I like how you made a connection to maybe the author wanting a dog growing up. This reminds me a little of funny MCBA from couple years ago called __Guinea Dog__. This book focused on a boy who really wanted a dog, but got a guinea pig instead. Very funny!

Right now I am slowly reading __The Mark of Athena__. I really enjoy Rick Riordan's books (__The Lightning Thief, Lost Hero__, etc.) I have always LOVED Greek Mythology and was excited to discover a series that included it in modern day situations. I say I am slowly reading as I find myself dozing off at night and also that I'm getting a little bored with the series. I typically love books that are in a series (do you like books in a series?) because I like to have characters that I'm familiar with and can get to know over a series of books. Sometimes I think authors who write very popular series (like J.K. Rowling and __Harry Potter)__ start to write books that get too long and maybe could stand to be edited/revised to make them a more concise story. __The Mark of Athena__ feels like it's just a recycled version of his other books. Demi god kids having adventures, fighting monsters, trying to solve some giant quest or task by the end of the book. I dislike these parts of the book because I feel like I'm bored of the same thing happening over and over again. I've been told by other kids that I should stick with this book and the rest of the series, and I probably will. I just feel a little stuck right now.

Talk to you soon, Mrs. P.

September 24, 2014 Dear Mrs. Palmieri,

I think Silverwing is really good so far. *A question I have about the book is I wonder what will happen to Marina because right now she doesn't know were her colony is so she is sticking with Shade. *I predict that Shade will find his dad on there way to Herbernaculum because Zephyr told Shade that his dad was still alive. I also just finished an MCBA called __When Life Gives You O.J.__ Its about a girl named Zelda who really wants a dog and her grandpather Ace comes up with a really crazy way to prove that she is ready for a real dog. *I think the author wrote this book because when sh was a kid i think she wanted a dog of her own. I think you would really like this book. I reccomend it. I hope you try reading it.

Your friend,

Caitlin

September 1, 2014 Dear Caitlin,

I am so excited to be sharing __Silverwing__ with you this year as a read aloud. This is definitely one of my all time favorite books, which is probably why I can’t imagine starting a school year without sharing it with my class. *The genre of this book is definitely fantasy since I don’t believe that bats and owls have wars or detailed adventures together. I also consider this to be a genre of my own invention- called Animal Adventure. I love the character Shade; he’s one of my all time favorites. *If I could talk to Shade, I would ask him if he thinks it was worth it to break the law and see the sun, especially after what happens to his colony as a result. What do you think of __Silverwing__ so far?

Your friend in reading,

Mrs. Palmieri J