Bat Loves the Night

This is the lovely picture book we are focusing on this week at school.  The writing is just exquisite... We are also reading Bats by Gail Gibbons and comparing the way authors share the same material in different ways.  Hopefully we will get some interesting nonfiction writing about bats as well.  On Thursday I will introduce our own Slice of Life Challenge.  It will be so great to get them motivated to fill up the binder journals that only a few of them have been working on till now.  It is just the right time to work on this.

Slice of Life Challenge 2012

Getting ready for the Slice of Life Challenge by Two Writing Teachers.  There are wonderful prizes to inspire you to write every day for the month of March.  Today I chatted with two students I had last year while volunteering at concessions at a basketball tournament.  It was fun to catch up with them and spend some time with them again.  We were looking at all the interesting coins in the cash box...old pennies from as far back as the 1930s and new quarters with information on Lewis and Clark.  We just studied Lewis and Clark this past week, so I asked my former students if they remembered watching the dvd of the reenactment of their journey, and they did.  I love being able to watch it every year and introduce it to a new audience, even though some of it may go right over their heads.

Books read in 2011

February 2011
Maigret and the Man On the Boulevard-Georges Simonen-very good
The Innocent Mrs. Duff- put off till summer
The Cambridge Theorem- Tony Cape-didn't finish
The Poisoned Chocolates Case-Anthony Berkeley-interesting
The Becket Factor-Michael David Anthony-very well written
Midnight Come-Michael David Anthony-sequel, well done, better than the first one!
A Most Contagious Crime-Catherine Aird-pretty good, interesting history

March 2011
Dark Provenance-Michael David Anthony-good
Inspector Cadaver-Georges Simonen-ok
Kristin Landvatter-Sigrid Unset- tried, didn't like
The Fabric of Sin-Phil Rickman-good, addictive
Death in a Strange Country- Donna Leon-very good
A Going Concern- Catherine Aird-witty, humorous, a good mystery with abrupt ending
Little Knell-Catherine Aird-ok, confusing

April 2011
The Cure of Souls-Phil Rickman-some good writing
Dressed for Death-Donna Leon-excellent
Losing Ground-Catherine Aird-didn't care for
Death and Judgement- Donna Leon-good

May 2011
Quietly in Their Sleep-Donna Leon-Very good
Keeper of the Doves-Betsy Byars-meh
Listening for Lions-Gloria Whelan-good
Niccolo Rising-Dorothy Dunnett-tried

June 2011
The September Society-Charles Finch-ok
Goody Hall-Natalie Babbitt-good
Missing-Karin Alvtegen-not my kind of book
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand-Helen Simonsen-LOVED
Uniform Justice-Donna Leon-stunning,well written
Blood from a Stone-Donna Leon-good
Suffer the Children-Donna Leon-good
About Face-Donna Leon-ok
State of Wonder-Anne Patchett- WONDERFUL

July 2011
A Question of Belief-Donna Leon-difficult end
Tom's Midnight Garden-Phillippa Pearce-good, old fashioned
The Last American Man-Elizabeth Gilbert-ok
Eat, Pray, Love-Elizabeth Gilbert-ok
Jayber Crow-Wendell Berry-beautiful writing
Hannah Coulter-Wendell Berry-beautiful, poignant
The Midas Murders-Margot Arnold-good
Death of a Hollow Man-Caroline Graham-good
Octagon House-Phoebe Atwood- good but dated
Toby's Folly-Margot Atwood-good,fun
The Book Thief-good but depressing
The Catacomb Conspiracy-Margot Arnold-disappointing

August 2011
Dirge for the Dorset Druid-Margot Arnold-interesting
Scent of Water-Elizabeth Goudge-beautifully written
Cape Cod Caper-Margot Arnold-ok
Trustee from the Toolroom-Neville Shute-good in parts
Fellowship of Fear-Aaron Elkins-ok,didn't finish
Cape Cod Conundrum-Margot Arnold-ok
Old Herbaceous-Reginald Arkell-LOVED
Any Shape or Form-Elizabeth Daly

September 2011
A Town Like Alice-Neville Shute-good but odd
The Pied Piper-Neville Shute

October 2011
The Last Detective-Leslie Thompson-couldn't finish
The Life of Charlotte Bronte-Elizabeth Gaskell-started
The Marx Sisters-Barry Maitland-good
The Chalon Heads-Barry Maitland-Excellent

November 2011
Malcontenta-Barry Maitland-ok
The Chief Inspector's Daughter-Sheila Radley-didn't care for
Naming the Bones-Louise Welsh-not my kind of book
Landscape of Lies-Peter Watson-less than ok

December 2011
A Back Room in Somers Town-John Malcolm-nope
Death's Bright Angel-Janet Neel-disliked 2 timing heroine

Slice of Life Challenge

I originally created this blog to track my reading habits, but now take on the challenge of writing daily in the month of March.  I'm going to have my students do it too.  Today I am celebrating a snowstorm that will allow me to work at home.  I am completing an online course Understanding by Design and will be designing  a lesson for next week on bats using Bat Loves the Night, a beautiful literary nonfiction by Nicola Davies and Bats by Gail Gibbons.  Can't wait to get started!