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#MustReadIn2018 My List So Far…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Book Birthday Bash!
I’ve been waiting for this day for a while now. It’s a “Book Birthday” bash today — lots of new releases for October 3rd! (I wish my wallet could keep up.) Here’s what I’ll be reading in the next few weeks:
After the Fall (Picture Book) by Dan Santat — Oh, how I love Humpty! I hope he’s okay and gets back up again! 
Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably) by Julie Falatko — THE BFF story of the year 
The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea — If you know me, you know I cannot stand standardized testing. Let’s see…
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay — for beauty!
Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar — highly recommended, and a lovely, colorful cover. I can’t wait! 
La La La by Kate DiCamillo — because it’s KATE! 
The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase series continues) by Rick Riordan — it’s a series, people!
Before the Devil Breaks You (YA/adult) by Libba Bray — I’m not sure about this one, but I’ll try.
Talking As Fast As I Can (From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between) (adult) by Lauren Graham — because I’ll need my relaxing, TV fix
Manhattan Beach (adult) by Jennifer Egan — I may never get to this one!
There are so many book releases today. These are the titles I want to tackle. October is the month of great reading this year; I can see that clearly.
What will you read next?
TOP TEN Ways NerdCampMI Saved Our Professional Careers by Jennifer Sniadecki, Melanie Roy, and Kelly Vorhis
NerdCampMI is an “ed camp” annual event where teachers from all over the country (and the world!) meet in Parma, Michigan to learn together with authors, illustrators, and other fabulous educators. We feel that the event is hands-down the best summer professional development out there. Nerd Camp Michigan started 5 years ago and has grown – hosting 1600 teachers, librarians, authors, illustrators, and creators of books this summer! Melanie Roy, a library teacher in Rhode Island, Kelly Vorhis, a high school English teacher in Indiana, and Jennifer Sniadecki, a middle school teacher/librarian in Indiana talked about how NerdCampMI saved their professional careers over a hotel breakfast, anxiously and excitedly preparing for the two-day event.
Jennifer’s Learning:
- NerdCampMI made me a better reader.
I registered for this year’s Nerd Camp in February. I knew it was going to be THE way to meet authors and illustrators of my favorite books. I…
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Poetry Friday: (Golden Shovel) “Dreams”
I continue to pour over the poems in Nikki Grimes’ book, One Last Word. Ms. Grimes is an amazing poet and the “Golden Shovel” poetry is exquisite. This form of poetry is most difficult to create! A Golden Shovel poem takes a line from an existing poem and transfers each word from that line (called the “striking line”) to your own poem, as the last words in each line of your new creation.
I used “I Leave the Glory Days” by Nikki Grimes as my mentor text. The line I pulled was “The past is a ladder that can help you keep climbing.” Here’s my poem:
Dreams
When I’m stuck, I reach for the
lessons from my past.
I want to live my dreams, but it is
so difficult! Longing for a
new adventure, I climb the ladder
of hope that
someday I can
find the right people to help
me succeed. I’d take you with me, but you
don’t have the same dreams as me. Keep
on your own path. I must keep climbing.
Slice of Life Tuesday: Images From Florida
Slice of Life Tuesday: Analyzing Books for Awards Season
I love awards season! The Golden Globes hooked me on Sunday and reeled me into the bedroom so I could watch and not bother the other family members. I love the gowns, the tuxes, the speeches — all of it. I have a passion for awards. I now want to see all the movies and TV shows, and hear all the music that won those awards. It’s only natural, I think, to want to continue participating in the “buzz” that surrounds awards.
This is the same feeling I have when I read books that are considered for awards. I read list after list, recommendation after recommendation, to find the books that I consider noteworthy. I share books with my classes. I read books aloud, I talk about books, I show my students how books affect my life. That “buzz” is the passion that led me to take some time in class to teach a Mock Caldecott unit this year. Wow! What an experience!
My students are actively engaged, in learning! Yes, we are meeting the standards. I can prove it: 6.RL.2.1 (Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text); 6.RN.2.3 (Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text); 6.RL.2.2 (Determine how a theme or central idea is conveyed through particular details…) Wow! Our experiences matter! 
We narrowed the list to six books and we are voting this week. We took the criteria from the ALA/ALSC Caldecott Medal Terms and Criteria. We made lists. We ranked each point: 4 means “absolutely meets criteria”, 3 means “yes, meets criteria”, 2 means “maybe meets criteria”, and 1 means “nope.” (It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences in the two sections/classes, too.)
We will decide a winner on Thursday. Then we will watch on January 23rd as we find out if the real voters for the Caldecott Medal and Honors books will issue the same awards that we did. It’s going to be great! Just like learning should be.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
The year 2016 was a whopper! Each day I read the news and comments on social media, and each day I think to myself, “It couldn’t have been that bad.” No, it wasn’t that bad at all.
- My close family relatives are alive. This is a big deal to me. Hardships with disease and sickness have become standard in our family, but this year we are all still kicking!
- My work situation improved and I still have exciting options for the year ahead. My classes of students are the best, my work team is awesome, and I love being a teacher AND PD teacher leader/facilitator. I added School Librarian to my teaching credentials, which I hope to use in the next year, as well.
- My writing life and professional PLN is fantastic! I attended NeRdCampMI this summer and met so many more authors and illustrators, and now I’m “real” friends (instead of virtual friends) with amazing people. I wrote for the Nerdy Book Club and this blog, which makes me feel like I’m finally a writer. I followed my favorite authors, researchers, and educational speakers around the country again, ending up at NCTE’s Annual Conference with so many friends I didn’t even get to spend time with them all! (Seriously, I need longer than 3 days at NCTE — most amazing conference ever!) And last but certainly not least, I had an amazing journey with my wonderful friends/colleagues at #G2Great (Twitter) — My Good-to-Great team is my teaching hope for the future, focusing on KIDS and LITERACY and LEARNING! All my favorite things!
So as I wrap up 2016, I wish you and yours HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY NEW YEAR! I will see you in 2017, strong as ever!
Small Business Saturday — Used Book Sale/Spread the Book Love
In the spirit of Small Business Saturday and the season of giving, I’m hosting a used book sale. My doubles/triples titles need new homes so they can be re-loved by new people! Books are 3 for $5, 5 for $8, or 10 for $15 plus shipping. “Grab bag” fun! Titles not guaranteed; please let me know which age group you prefer: Toddler/Child, School Age/Student, Young Adult, or Adult. Sale ends when quantities run out. Give books for the holidays! (Disclaimer: All books are used, but in good shape! Most books have my name labeled on them, as they were in my classroom at one time or another. Pictures are samples.) All proceeds go to buying new books for my school students. Payment through PayPal. Shipping via US Postal Service (flat rate shipping $3.99). If you’re interested, send me a note at jdsniadecki@gmail.com. 
Happy holidays!
Thankful for NCTE16 — There Are No Words!
Just…amazing! #NCTE16 was everything I hoped it would be, and more! Happy Thanksgiving to all my family, friends, and colleagues! May peace be with you.
Reading Teacher Writes 
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