Wombat Waiting (Katherine Applegate)

 

Katherine Applegate is a master of wonderful animal stories. This is in verse - a quick read. It is a beautiful story. 

The cover is perfect....the yellow/red hue in the background is because of the forest fires happening in the story. Wombat is a dog...who looks kind of like a wombat. She follows her heart until she finds her family that is just right for her. Everyone is healed by her determination.

Picked this one for Grade 3 book club. Would also make a great read aloud. It is about hope and how being patient is sometimes needed in the face of loss and rebuilding your life. Kindness and thought for others goes a long way.

Characters

Wombat - a stray dog....people think she kind of looks like a wombat and so she gets named Wombat
Henry - young boy who is part of a family that has to flee their home suddenly. His mom works in an animal shelter. He is nervous around dogs because he was bit by one when he was younger
Barnabas - a fruitbat that was injured and so she cannot fly. Henry keeps her as a pet
Sylvie - Henry's younger sister. She and Henry evacuate with their family during the wildfire.
Mama Ro – Henry's mother, a veterinarian who works at O.W.L. (Orphaned Wildlife). She helps care for rescued animals displaced by the fire.
Mama J – This confused me. It took me a while to realize that she is Henry's other mother, who is a librarian. She supports her family and community during the evacuation. Nothing is said about them being a gay couple. It just is. It is not a major plot focus.
Silas – An older stray dog who befriends Wombat and tells her she may be a "destiny dog" searching for her special person. 
Northern Saw-whet Owl – A young owl rescued by the wildlife center and temporarily housed at the shelter after the fire.
Other Important "Characters"
The Voice - mysterious inner voice that guides Wombat's decisions and encourages her to move toward her destiny rather than away from danger. It isn't a character, but it plays an important role in the story.

Grade 3 book club ideas:

- if you had to pack up quickly and leave because of a fire, what would you for sure bring?
- watch Hatchiko (Katherine Applegate references this story in the afterward)
- write diary entries from the perspective of different characters (Wombat, Henry, Barnabas, another person at the shelter). Prompt: What were you thinking and feeling during your time at the shelter?
- "Waiting for..." Poetry Activity

Since the book is written in verse, students can create their own free-verse poem titled:

"Waiting for..."

Examples:

• Waiting for summer
• Waiting for a friend
• Waiting to be brave
• Waiting for good news

Discuss how waiting can feel hopeful, frustrating, or exciting.
- connect this to our Earth Systems unit in science or Extreme Weather unit in Open Court
Wildfire and Community Research Project

Students can research:

• How communities recover after wildfires
• Animal rescue organizations
• Ways people help during emergencies

They can present findings through posters, slides, or infographics. The book is set in the aftermath of a Southern California wildfire and highlights both community recovery and animal rescue efforts. 

- have a special guest speaker from an animal shelter. Perhaps they could bring some animals
- Theme Discussion Stations

Set up stations with big questions:

• What makes a family?
• Can animals and people help each other heal?
• What does resilience look like?
• Why is community important after a disaster?

Students rotate and add thoughts on chart paper.
- Story Map - Students create a visual map showing:

• The wildfire
• The shelter
• Key events
• Where important characters meet

This helps reinforce plot structure and cause-and-effect relationships.
- Kindness Challenge: Wombat becomes a source of comfort and hope for many people. Challenge students to complete one act of kindness each day for a week and record it in a "Wombat's Kindness Journal."
= Compare and Contrast

Compare:

• Wombat and Henry
• Wombat and a pet dog
• Life before and after the fire
• This book and another Katherine Applegate book such as The One and Only Ivan or Odder

Use a Venn diagram.
- "Destiny Dog" Writing Prompt

In the story, Wombat believes she is a "destiny dog" searching for her special person. Prompt: If you were guided by a mysterious voice toward your destiny, where would it lead you and why?
- Readers' Theatre - Choose several poems or scenes and have students perform them aloud.
- Community Helpers Appreciation Project

Students identify people who help during emergencies:

• Firefighters
• Veterinarians
• Animal rescue workers
• Librarians
• Volunteers

Have students create thank-you cards or a class appreciation wall.
- "Home Is..." Students to create a poster, collage, poem, or presentation answering:

What does "home" mean?

This ties together one of the book's central messages about belonging, safety, family, and hope.

Potential parallel activities with picture books:

(list created with AI)

Wombat Waiting has such a gentle, hopeful focus on resilience, patience, belonging, and the idea that family can be formed through care rather than biology. If you're looking for picture books that echo those themes, these are excellent pairings: Resilience & Perseverance After the Fall by Dan Santat Humpty Dumpty learns to overcome fear after a life-changing accident. Themes: resilience, courage, growth mindset. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires A girl struggles, fails repeatedly, and eventually succeeds through persistence. Themes: patience, problem-solving, perseverance. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall Jabari wants to jump off the diving board but must work through his fears. Themes: bravery, resilience, self-confidence. Patience & Waiting Waiting by Kevin Henkes Five toys sit on a windowsill and discover that good things often come to those who wait. Themes: patience, observation, hope. A House in the Woods by Inga Moore Animals gradually build a community through kindness and generosity. Themes: patience, cooperation, belonging. Found Family & Belonging The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld A child finds comfort through the quiet companionship of a rabbit. Themes: empathy, support, emotional resilience. The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright Kevin the koala learns that embracing change can lead to new friendships and community. Themes: belonging, courage, growth. Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler Based on a true story about finding security and love despite hardship. Themes: resilience, family, hope. Unlikely Friendships A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead Amos and his animal friends care for one another through difficult times. Themes: friendship, kindness, reciprocity. The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc An injured bird and a lion develop a deep friendship built on patience and care. Themes: friendship, compassion, found family. Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris A journey brings together a diverse group of animals that become a community. Themes: friendship, belonging, adventure. Animal Stories with a Similar Feel Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward Explores how animals create homes and care for one another. Themes: family, nurturing, belonging. The Lonely Sea Dragon by Helen Scales A sea dragon finds connection after feeling alone. Themes: friendship, acceptance, belonging. The Journey by Francesca Sanna While more serious in tone, it explores finding safety and community after upheaval. Themes: resilience, hope, found family. Best Matches for a Read-Aloud Pairing with Wombat Waiting If you want books that feel most similar in emotional tone and discussion potential: Waiting by Kevin Henkes The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright A House in the Woods by Inga Moore These pair especially well for classroom discussions around: What does patience look like? How do we keep going when things are hard? What makes someone family? How do friends help us feel that we belong? How can waiting lead to unexpected good things?

Goodreads says:

From the Newbery Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The One and Only Ivan and Odder comes a stunning new middle grade standalone novel about compassion, resilience, and surprising friendships, following a dog named Wombat in the aftermath of a catastrophic fire.

Wombat isn’t actually a wombat—but when the homeless dog is discovered, singed and ash-covered after a terrible fire destroys a community, someone tags her with the nickname and it sticks.

Wombat is a “destiny dog.” Something inside of her (she nicknames it “Voice’) keeps telling her there’s a special someone out there who is meant to be her person.

Surrounded by a devastated town, Wombat takes up residence on bench near the makeshift community center, an old brick warehouse that, for the most part, survived the flames. A small part of the community center evacuation site has been repurposed for the local wildlife rehab sanctuary that burned down. All of the animals were spared, and the temporary quarters include an elderly fruit bat and a young Northern saw-whet owl.

No matter what, Wombat refuses to move from her perch, despite the efforts of many humans. Clearly the dog is waiting for someone. But for whom? And what are the odds they survived?

Fans of modern classics like Because of Winn-Dixie , Pax , and Katherine Applegate’s own Crenshaw and Odder, and timeless tales like Charlotte ’ s Web , will find a friend in Wombat and her story.

Spark (Chris Baron)

 

Wow. This book was an experience. The author did a fantastic job of really helping you feel the fear that is a part of events like devastating fires. I had serious feeling stirred up about how important it is to look after the environment...and being a girl who'd rather stay inside and read - that is something. The whole idea of survival - how the forest realizes that burning is a part of the natural process...and the humans have to learn to understand that as well as they live amongst the forest in areas developed where they weren't in the past.....powerful symbolism.

I'm not sure what age I'd recommend Spark for. Colby Sharp read it to his grade five students (I think anyway....or maybe he just read it himself...not sure). I'm not so sure I'd do that. If I read it aloud, there's definitely be tears and big emotions on my part. It says it's a middle-grade book - but it's one that you'd have to approach carefully because there are a lot of big and difficult issues of trauma. The scenes where they escape the fire are so well written! 

Rabbit figuring out the origin of the fire reminded me of Willowdeen arguing for science and saving the trees. I loved the connection to ancestors. Early on, Finn learns that the portrait of his great-grandfather, Phineas Katz, is important to his family—and that if the fire ever comes they should save it. Finn, the main character, is named after his grandfather. He has traits like his grandfather - liked to keep a journal and write down lists of things.

There is a black-and-white photograph above the fireplace of my great-grandfather, Phineas Katz. Everyone says I look like him: brown hair, green eyes, medium height.  Average, like someone who fits right in. His story is how our family got here. He uprooted everyone, because their home wasn't safe. On the ship, a sailor warned him he should shorten their names, so when he got to the States they could have a "normal life". But is normal, anyway, once everything in your life has changed? He disagreed, but he shortened it from Phineas. I know him as Great-Grandpa Finn. That's me, too. Phineas Katz, but everyone calls me Finn. Mom says that my great-grandfather kept a field journal. He loved to write it all down just like I do, inking everything he could about his journey. Mom says the field journal and the photograph remind us of whah=t is important, where we've come from, and what we've been through. Mom says that if the fire does ever come, we can't forget to take his portrait.

His great grandfather went in search of a "normal life"....which is what they try to get back to after the fire. 

The author is Jewish and the main character in the book is also Jewish. I read this with my Children's Lit book club and one of the other teachers told me about PJ Library...and organization that sends children (ages 0 to 5) a book every month that has Jewish characters or teaches about Jewism.  

Goodreads says:

Finn and his friend, nicknamed Rabbit, live in a rural area that's been hit hard by wildfires. Families were displaced and school was interrupted. Moreover, their beloved forest is suffering -- animals and plants haven't been able to come back, and the two friends wonder if there's anything they can do to help. Rabbit's uncle, a science teacher, is part of a study that may help bring the forest back to life, but Finn and Rabbit wonder if the forest can wait. And what if another fire comes in the meantime? They believe a small part of the forest -- the forest heart -- that survived the wildfire may hold the key to regrowth, but first, they have to find it and then convince the adults around them to listen.

For any young person who's ever felt powerless against the world, here is a story about two kids doing all they can to understand their natural world and preserve it.

Indian No More (Charlene Williams McManis)

 

I'd heard a lot of people talking about having this book on their TBR list. I didn't like the cover and that may have put me off for a while. I also thought the title was kind of odd. However, with so many people talking about it, I figured I should read it. 

I loved the story behind how this book came together (manuscript lost and discovered by someone down the line and then published) but I'm sorry to say that I didn't love it. I found the writing to be uncaptivating and the story was just a little too didactic for me. I do think the topic is important and more people need to know these stories. Perhaps because we are so pushed to learn about these things as teachers, it didn't hit me the same. I actually didn't finish it.

Goodreads says:

Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government signs a bill into law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she was given a number by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that counted her as Indian, even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.

With no good jobs available in Oregon, Regina's father signs the family up for the Indian Relocation program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.

Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights Era. The family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.

In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian? Is she American? And will she and her family ever be okay?

Bear Island (Matthew Cordell)

 

Amazingly, everyone seemed to have a story to relate to this book. We have all experienced loss. The sadness and the anger was something we all knew about. This book beautifully depicts those emotions and also gives a sense of wonder. We don't know what happens to the bear in the end. We chose to believe he (she?) has a happy ending. 

Goodreads says:

Bear Island is a heartfelt picture book about healing after loss by Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell.

Louise and her family are sad over the loss of their beloved dog, Charlie. "Life will not be the same," Louise says, as she visits a little island that Charlie loved.

But on a visit to the island after Charlie's death, something strange happens: She meets a bear. At first, she's afraid, but soon she realizes that the bear is sad, too. As Louise visits more often, she realizes that getting over loss takes time. And just when she starts to feel better, it's time for Bear to bed down for the winter.

Once again, Louise believes that life will not be the same. But sometimes, things can change for the better, and on the first warm day of spring, her family welcomes a new member. Here is a lovely, poignant story about loss and healing that will bring comfort to even the youngest readers.

Option B: Finding Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy (Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant)

 

I read Lean In and quite enjoyed it and this book was the same. I have definitely experienced adversity in life and love the topic of resilience. I could read this book again and again. I think most of us are stronger and more resilient than we realize. Sometimes we need a little help discovering that in ourselves. This book is a great way to do that. I have a few people in my life I'd like to share this book with, but I probably won't. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like most people need to discover their innate ability to bounce back on their own. 

For some reason, the summary on Goodreads is in some Asian language. So Amazon sums up the book like this: 

From Facebook’s COO and Wharton’s top-rated professor, the #1 New York Times best-selling authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks.
 
After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build.
Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy.
Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B.
We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.

Mel Fell (Corey Tabor)

 I love this story! Sometimes others may be horrified by our choices. They may have the best of intentions when they try to save you or stop you. Only you can know what is right for you....take the leap! You just might fly.

Goodreads says:

From Geisel Award–winning author-illustrator Corey Tabor comes a tale about self-confidence and taking a leap of faith, starring an adorable, brave kingfisher.

Sometimes, you might fall

down,

down,

down,

before you learn to fly

up,

up,

up…

A charming and innovative tale about a plucky little bird, from the award-winning author of Fox the Tiger.

After the Fall (Dan Santat)

 

This is well written and actually quite brilliant. Kids like it and it will speak to adults even more.

This speech goes well with this book:

https://youtu.be/tp7TQJ2q5QE?si=rGSqI6G6sDdTkUjb 

Goodreads says:

My name is Humpty Dumpty.
I'm famous for falling off a wall.

(You may have heard about it.)

But that's only half the story...
Because I decided to get back up.
And when I did, something amazing happened.

This story is about my life...
AFTER THE FALL.

Inspiring and unforgettable, this epilogue to the beloved classic nursery rhyme will encourage even the most afraid to overcome their fears, learn to get back up--and reach new heights.
(front flap)

What Happened To You? (Oprah Winfrey and

 

 I listened to the audio book. It's mostly Bruce Perry but now and then Oprah interjects and asks questions as if she is interviewing him. Bruce Perry apparently has done a lot of work for her and with her with different people. One significant group was girls at the school Oprah started in Africa. He has also worked with children who survived cults as well as many other extremely traumatized individuals. It's clear he knows what he's talking about.

The gist of the book seems to be that we shouldn't be asking what is wrong with you, but instead, what happened to you. This brings about more understanding and compassion and leads to healing. 

My favorite part was the last chapter where Oprah shared her story and talked about how what happened to you can lead to your super power. Earlier in the book they had talked about how all super hero stories begin with a crisis. They become super heroes through an accidental tragedy. It's good to think of our trauma as something that can create greatness in us.

Goodreads says:

"Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”
―Oprah Winfrey

This book is going to change the way you see your life.

Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question.

Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.

Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own past, understanding through experience the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma and adversity at a young age. Joining forces with Dr. Perry, one of the world’s leading experts on childhood and brain development, Winfrey and Dr. Perry marry the power of storytelling with science to better understand and overcome the effects of our pasts.

In conversation throughout the book, the two focus on understanding people, behavior, and ourselves. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future―opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.

A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hossein)

 

I first read this book in 2008, before I had even started this blog. The things I said then are still true today. I don't even know how to express how sad it is that there are women who go through things like these women do. I had forgotten much of the story and now, after hearing so much more in the news about Afghanistan, and perhaps being a little older helped me to appreciate it even more. 

A friend of mine that teaches high school English does this book as a novel study with her kids and she says that it is always a significant experience. I can only imagine the thoughts and discussion a book like this could bring out. I'm looking forward to discussing it with my book club.

Goodreads says:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years - from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding - that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives - the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness - are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love - a stunning accomplishment.

Amal Unbound (Aisha Saeed)

Wow! This is a compelling story. I think a theme may be doing what's right, even when it isn't easy and things don't seem fair. Life is not fair for Amal, that is for sure. This would be a great story to do when we talk about segregation. The cover is beautiful. It's a page-turner that I couldn't stop reading and ended up reading in one day. The main character remains a good person despite really difficult circumstances. The afterward talks about Malala and the fight for girls to have a right to education. 


Goodreads says:

The compelling story of a girl’s fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when–as the eldest daughter–she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens–after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal–especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans’ nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams. 

Dare to Lead (Brené Brown)

There is a lot to think about and to go back and re-read in this book. I am going to put it on my books to re-read annually.

Goodreads says:

In her #1 NYT bestsellers, Brené Brown taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.

Leadership is not about titles, status and power over people. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognising the potential in people and ideas, and developing that potential. This is a book for everyone who is ready to choose courage over comfort, make a difference and lead.

When we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don't see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it and work to align authority and accountability. We don't avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into the vulnerability that’s necessary to do good work.

But daring leadership in a culture that's defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty requires building courage skills, which are uniquely human. The irony is that we're choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the same time we're scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines can't do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection and courage to start.

Brené Brown spent the past two decades researching the emotions that give meaning to our lives. Over the past seven years, she found that leaders in organisations ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups and family-owned businesses to non-profits, civic organisations and Fortune 50 companies, are asking the same questions:

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders? And, how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

Dare to Lead answers these questions and gives us actionable strategies and real examples from her new research-based, courage-building programme.

Brené writes, ‘One of the most important findings of my career is that courage can be taught, developed and measured. Courage is a collection of four skill sets supported by twenty-eight behaviours. All it requires is a commitment to doing bold work, having tough conversations and showing up with our whole hearts. Easy? No. Choosing courage over comfort is not easy. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and work. It's why we're here.’

Trumpet of the Swan (EB White)

I read Trumpet of the Swan years ago and loved it. I can't remember exactly when it was: university? when I was younger? I always have wanted to read it with my students and always encourage them to read it. However, I don't think I had re-read it until now. Now that I've re-read it, it may be one that I don't recommend. The father swan (cob) says weird things about having a son with a disability. They may be things that were more acceptable "back in the day" but now, it is kind of shocking. However, I do love Louis' stick-to-itness and problem solving. 

Re-read June 2022: One of my students had read this book aloud with his brother and mom and really wanted to have it as a read-aloud in class and he persuaded the others to vote for it. I would have never chosen it, but it was a good experience. I skipped through some of the long descriptive and repetitive language (oh EB, you can go on and on!)  and changed some words (First Nation's boy instead of indian, happy instead of gay, strange instead of queer, etc.). Since we were doing animal life cycles right now and our Open Court unit, City Wildlife, it fit in quite well!

We also watched the movie and it wasn't a big hit. The kids said it's old-style animation (sheesh!)


Goodreads says:

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love? 

Better Than Before (Gretchen Rubin)

Strangely, I haven't blogged this book! This is a book I try to re-read every six months. I just finished a re-read and I still love it. It is a good review of how to get good habits into my life and to help them be routine...you know, like a habit should be!

What I like about Gretchen Rubin is that she accounts for differences in personalities. Everyone has their own personality quirks (although, she does put people into categories) that make it so that what works for one person does not work for another. The first part of the book is about recognizing what kind of a person you are. She has a sorting called The Four Tendencies but she doesn't just stop there. She talks about other traits:

Larks versus Owls
Marathoners, sprinters and procrastinators
Under buyers and over buyers
Simplicity and abundance lovers
finishers and openers
Familiarity lovers and novelty lovers
Promotion versus prevention focused
Small steps versus big steps.

After that, she talks about many different strategies for implementing habits:
- monitoring
- Foundation
- Scheduling
- Accountability
- Abstaining versus moderating
- Pairing
etc

She also discusses things that we do to sabotage our new good habits....
- convenience versus inconvenience
- safeguards
- loop-holing

The chapter about rewards was really interesting. It really reminded me of a lot of what I've read on children and rewards for behavior. We need to be careful about rewards.

She cites a lot of research and this time I noticed that she organizes her notes about this research in a reader friendly way.

I totally recommend this book!

Goodreads says:

The author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, tackles the critical question: How do we change? 
 
Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.
 
So if habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits?
 
Better than Before answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits—and to change them for good. Infused with Rubin’s compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better than Beforeexplains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. 
 
Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers readers’ most pressing questions—oddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore: 

• Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I love to do? 
• Sometimes I can change a habit overnight, and sometimes I can’t change a habit, no matter how hard I try. Why? 
• How quickly can I change a habit? 
• What can I do to make sure I stick to a new habit? 
• How can I help someone else change a habit? 
• Why can I keep habits that benefit others, but can’t make habits that are just for me? 

Whether readers want to get more sleep, stop checking their devices, maintain a healthy weight, or finish an important project, habits make change possible. Reading just a few chapters of Better Than Before will make readers eager to start work on their own habits—even before they’ve finished the book

Stella Diaz Has Something To Say (Angela Dominguez)

This will be a great book for Grade 3 Book Club. The lessons are quite overt and easy to find, which is a great way for children to learn to discover the theme in a story. We could practice it as a class. This is also the Global Read Aloud book for this year. I am tossing around the idea of connecting with another class and also reading it aloud.  It was also a quick work to find Notice and Note Signposts.

Goodreads says:

In her first middle-grade novel, award-winning picture book author and illustrator Angela Dominguez tells a heartwarming story based on her own experiences growing up Mexican-American.

Stella Diaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Diaz is not a betta fish. Betta fish like to be alone, while Stella loves spending time with her mom and brother and her best friend Jenny. Trouble is, Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels very lonely.

When a new boy arrives in Stella's class, she really wants to be his friend, but sometimes Stella accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. Plus, she has to speak in front of her whole class for a big presentation at school! But she better get over her fears soon, because Stella Díaz has something to say!

Stella Díaz Has Something to Say introduces an infectiously charming new character with relatable writing and adorable black-and-white art throughout. Simple Spanish vocabulary is also integrated within the text, providing a bilingual element.

Resistance (Jennifer Nielsen)

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Nielsen. I always tell my students that are great readers about her books. Last year I had a student who read all of the books in The False Prince series as well as A Night Divided. One day I was walking down the hall and he stopped me and said he had book for me. "Wait right here!" he said. He ran off to where his backpack was, found the book and raced back to me. He said, "You have to read this...but I have to go play now." I had heard about this book, but didn't realize it was out.  It has been so fun to read it. I spent about two weeks reading it and he would often find me at recess and ask what I thought of things so far. He spilled the beans to me about what happened in the ending and it made me want to slow down and soak it all up before the bad news unfolded. As a matter of fact, that's how I felt as I read the entire thing. I couldn't believe the things these kids went through and what they did.

You have to read this book!

May we never forget. May we live with honor at all times regardless of our circumstances. And may we choose love, a weapon that will defeat hate every single time because love is the resistance. 

I can't really recommend this book for students in my grade though. She doesn't hold back on the atrocities of war.

Here is a video of the author with the background on the story:


(Justyna's Narrative is a book I need to find!)

Goodreads says:

Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people. 

Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis' supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya's network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works — in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Though the Jewish resistance never had much of a chance against the Nazis, they were determined to save as many lives as possible, and to live — or die — with honor.

Sweep: The Story of A Girl and Her Monster (Jonathan Auxier)

This is one of those books that I'd love to read with kids. It's a little too much for grade 3 though, I think.  It made me want to read more by this author. It came highly recommended and did not disappoint.

The main character, Nan, really drew me in and had me cheering for her. It made me want to learn more about the history of child labor and sweeps and caring for orphans. A good twist to the lovely Mary Poppins stories. It's kind of a fairy tale, historical fiction book full of good cliff hangers and plot twists.

“ Brooms Up!”

“With brush and pail and soot and song!
A sweep brings luck all season long!”


Goodreads Says:
For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. 
But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire. 
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.


Notes: 

March 30, 2019 – 

page 8

 

 2.17% "Why does before get a capital: The first rule was you never asked another clinber about his life Before."

March 30, 2019 – 

page 32

 

 8.7% "The Sweep had never understood how a person could sleep through a sunrise. "It's like Heaven itself is offering you a gift you're too lazy to open.""

March 30, 2019 – 

page 35

 

 9.51% "...Miss Meyhew's Seminary (?) for Young Ladies"

March 30, 2019 – 

page 72

 

 19.57% "Nan watched Charlie watching his first sunrise. His eyes were impossibly wide.

It's like heaven itself is offering us a gift."

March 30, 2019 – 

page 72

 

 19.57% "Home is a safe place to put your things so burglars don't touch them."

March 30, 2019 – 

page 146

 

 39.67% "The best way to inspire a love of reading is to read something you love...even if it is difficult."

March 30, 2019 – 

page 130

 

 35.33% ""I did not have big arms then," Charlie said. "I used my head to push the bricks away. And then I helped in my Charlie way.:
Nan was surprised to hear how clearly he remembered all this. He was usually quite forgetful. "What do you mean by your 'Charlie way'?" she asked.
The creature shrugged and looked down at his hands. "Um..." Loose soot crumbled from his fingers. "I made it wake up in you.""

March 30, 2019 – 

page 131

 

 35.6% "Nan shook her head. "Made what wake up?"
He looked up at her. "Your heart.""

April 10, 2019 – 

page 131

 

 35.6% "Nan shook her head. "Made what wake up?"
He looked up at her. "Your heart.""

April 10, 2019 – 

page 166

 

 45.11% "Nan told Charlie about the whole thing. How the baby Jesus was born in a basket and how a wicked kind tried to kidnap him but then a big bearded angel named Father Christmas fought the king...he tossed the baby Jesus down the chimney of a girl named Mary, and that was the first Christmas present."....now every year in winter, Father Christmas spends one night bringing presents down the chimneys of good boys and girls"

April 10, 2019 – 

page 180

 

 48.91% "That's how it works, doesn't it? We are saved by saving others."

April 10, 2019 – 

page 212

 

 57.61% "My whole life, folks have treated me like I was nothing-just because of how I looked. And maybe that's the problem. If we all could just ignore the way other people looked, then we could see who they really were."

April 10, 2019 – 

page 234

 

 63.59% "Nan woke from a dream about the Sweep. He had been mending her coat, as he often did, and she had noticed something about his own clothes -how worn and tattered they had become. With every stitch he gave her, he lost one of his own."

April 10, 2019 – 

page 282

 

 76.63% ""It ain't going to happen ma'am," Whittles said. "We're inside their houses every day - right under their noses. It's been this way for hundreds of years. Some folks are very good at not seeing things they don't want to see.""