Book Title: The Golden Door

Author: Emily Rodda

Publish Date: 2013
Publisher: Scholastic

Series: Golden Door Trilogy

The Golden Door by Emily Rodda

Suggested Grade: 5th & 6th grade

Suggested Format: Independent reading

Synopsis: 

"Three magic Doors
you here behold.
Time to choose:

Wood? Silver? Gold?"

Rye lives a normal life in the city of Weld, or at least as normal a life as anyone can live in a walled city with no gates, no way out, and flying dragons that attack at nighttime. The attacks are getting so bad that the governor is asking for volunteers to leave the city in search of where these attacks are coming from. Fortunately, Rye is too young to be considered for such things. Unfortunately, both of his older brothers are.
When his brothers are declared dead because they have been missing for too long, Rye takes it upon himself to go searching for them, in secret. Standing before three doors, Rye has a decision to make. What door will take him to his brothers in time to rescue them?

Teacher's Notes: 
A fun, fast-paced tale, this is a great introduction to a world where dragons and enemies are more complex than "How to Train Your Dragon", but less violent than some more adult fantasy tales. There is a bit of violence and even death in the book, but it is treated in a respectful manner mindful of the age of readers. I would suggest that teachers or parents consider holding off on this book for students who might not have the maturity to deal with death as portrayed in the story. There is no gore or needless violence, which is what helps it rate so high in my book. Rye learns many lessons in this book, including the true meaning of courage, and when to rely on friends and family for assistance. The end of the book will leave your students wanting to read more!

Overall: 9/10
A perfect introduction to the world of fantasy.

How I Got the Book: Purchased for my personal collection

Suggested Interests: Fantasy, fiction

Fantasy Fiction YA Book Reviews

7:30 AM

Book Title: Shiloh

Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Publish Date: 1991

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Series: Shiloh Trilogy Book #1

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Awards: 1992 Newbery Winner

Suggested Grade: 5th grade

Suggested Format: Small group, class instruction, independent reading

Synopsis: 
Marty Preston lives in a small house in West Virginia, in a time when cars and TVs are common, but the internet has not yet taken hold. While exploring the hills and dirt roads near his rural home, he finds a beagle who follows him home. Suspecting that the dog, whom he names Shiloh, is being abused by his owner, Marty decides to hide him away and take care of him.
Marty faces many hard decisions - is it ever OK to lie? What do you do when a dog is being abused? Can he save the dog he loves? Do any adults even care?

Teacher's Notes: 
A shorter, easier to read chapter book, this is perfect for guided reading or a class book study.
A few parents expressed discontent with the fact that Marty lies to his elders in the book. In my class, we address this by discussing Marty's feelings of guilt and eventual admission and apologies for his behavior. Several characters in this story own or use guns, but in a realistic and historically accurate context (hunting for food and target practice).

Overall: 10/10
The classic "dog and his boy" book with a generic happy ending.

How I Got the Book: Purchased for my classroom

Suggested Interests: Animals, fiction, realistic fiction

Animals Fiction Newbery Realistic Fiction YA Book Reviews

5:54 PM

Can it be possible???  July is nearly over???

I have teamed up with 40 fabulous stores for...

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here's a peek at what you are being treated to...

8:00 AM

It's once again time for the Teachers Pay Teachers Appreciation Sale! 

Starting tonight at midnight and running through the 6th at midnight, you will find that many sellers have their entire stores marked 20% off. On top of that, if you use the code TPTXO, you will get an extra 10% off all your purchases, for a total of 28% off!

I've linked up with Flying Into First and First Grade Nest to help bring you a list of stores that are on sale just for you.

7:01 PM

Working with children and schools, we know that our jobs change all the time. I've taken on a new position, working online with students who can't always make it in the classroom, often due to medical issues. These students work with their parents at home on some curriculum, and spend part of the time online with me in a virtual classroom as well. This year, I have several students who have spent extensive time at Arkansas Children's Hospital and at home due to various medical conditions. Teaching students from home is always a challenging task, and even more challenging is teaching parents how to incorporate all the new and innovative things that we do in our classrooms, like Brain Breaks!

Luckily for me, GoNoodle has that one covered. I signed my families up for GoNoodle accounts and let them go crazy with the Brain Breaks! I use these Brain Breaks in my classes and with my extended home stay students, and I have seen amazing results. In class, students are refreshed and ready to continue studying, and they look eagerly toward our next break. At home, parents and students rave about the options they have to move around. A mix of energetic and calming brain breaks, even my most bedridden students can participate in the various Common Core aligned activities.

My personal favorite is BodySpell-a fun, interactive game where students spell words with their bodies along with the screen. Such a great way to get my reluctant readers thinking about words! My kid's favorite part? The little monster that you get to level up as you complete activities. They love to see the little sayings every time we log in, and beg to work on leveling him up to see what he'll look like next!

Want to use GoNoodle with your students? Check out this link and sign up for your FREE account, available to teachers EVERYWHERE!

Brain Breaks Parent Involvement

7:17 AM

I'm always talking about Close Reading, and I love using it in my classroom. Today, I wanted to share with you this checklist that I created for my students to put in the front of their close reading folders.

You can download the checklist in a variety of background choices HERE.

If you do download the checklist, be sure to come back and leave me some love in the comments section, and feel free to share the freebie with your friends via Pinterest or Facebook!

Enjoy!

-Jillian

3:31 PM