Guiding Gifted Readers
Published on Jan 30, 2016
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MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Stephanie Severson
Twitter, Goodreads and Instagram: @sevie_reads
“I try to teach my students that books are a mirror, reflecting their own lives, and a window, giving them a peek into someone else's.”
― Donalyn Miller
Photo by RichGrundy
Here, we say. This story is a map.
Here, we say. This story is a compass.
Here, we say. This story is a sword and a shield and a purse full of coins. It is a physician’s pouch and a very long staff and an intricate machine that will only reveal its purpose when you set the gears just right. It is a bird that will tell you the truth. It is a mirror to help you examine your scars. It is a lantern, to help you find your way.
-Kelly Barnhill
Strange Birds, Nerdy Book Club
12/9/14
Photo by 'S'
What I believe
- Choice, choice, choice
- Best recommendations possible
- Library permission slip
Library Permission slip: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tCfNq6S2hT0q9A9kQaAQP_SQKD1SjkhdwaCxu7I...
Readers enjoy talking about books almost as much as they like reading.
-Donalyn Miller
Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits
Investing in Readers
- Coach self-selection
- Curated deliveries
- Talk, talk and more talk
Middle Grade?
In-between?
Young Adult? Adult?
How to decide?
Middle Grade Windows
Redwall has been my go-to recommendation for years! Wikipedia has a guide so you can read in chronological order or published order.
Gregor the Overlander great for so many ages of kids. Not the Hunger Games! Great action and story building. Suzanne Collins was a screen writer first which is why she is so good at action.
Tuesdays at the Castle tells the story of 11 year old Princess Celie living in a castle that adds a room everyday. What I love is that her siblings listen to her -- her opinions and ideas are listened to!
Gregor the Overlander great for so many ages of kids. Not the Hunger Games! Great action and story building. Suzanne Collins was a screen writer first which is why she is so good at action.
Tuesdays at the Castle tells the story of 11 year old Princess Celie living in a castle that adds a room everyday. What I love is that her siblings listen to her -- her opinions and ideas are listened to!
SERIES KEEP STUDENTS READING
Unwanted -- My 17 year old son was looking over my shoulder while I was making this presentation and he remarked -- The Unwanted! I loved that book.
Neil Gaiman -- I personally am a big fan and I truly think this is an author that will grow with a student. He writes for everyone. Picture books, beginning chapter books, middle grade, young adult, short stories, audio books.
Neil Gaiman -- I personally am a big fan and I truly think this is an author that will grow with a student. He writes for everyone. Picture books, beginning chapter books, middle grade, young adult, short stories, audio books.
More series to love
What I like about these three series is that they are big books that kids love and it is so nice to just hand them the next one. We all have experience the kids that just devour books and it is hard to keep feeding them sometimes.
I would have never read The School for Good and Evil without a school visit from Soman Chainani. He was an engaging speaker and talked to the students about going to Yale and discovering the power of fairy tales. After his visit, not only did the students request his book, but they wanted to read all the nasty Grimm fairy tales I could find.
I would have never read The School for Good and Evil without a school visit from Soman Chainani. He was an engaging speaker and talked to the students about going to Yale and discovering the power of fairy tales. After his visit, not only did the students request his book, but they wanted to read all the nasty Grimm fairy tales I could find.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
I want to say you don't have to read everything! Its okay to hand a book to a child and say, "I haven't read this one, but a friend of mine did and said it was great!"
The Thickity is a tricky book, because it is more than a little scary and creepy. Those kids that loved the REAL Grimm fairy tales -- suggest this book. And its big- almost 500 pages! And there is three in the series so far!
Septimus Heap series -- I won't lie -- I haven't read this one. I bought it for my shelves, and I have barely seen it since. It is passed student to student and they nag each other to hurry up and finish so the next one in the series can be read. There are currently seven books in the series and all are between 500 and 700 pages.
Wonder magical book. It could be a window book, letting kids build empathy for other kids who experience a different school life than they do. It could be a mirror, reflecting an outsider's struggle to fit in. It could also be a lantern, shining light on bullying and how to handle it. This is a beautiful book.
The Thickity is a tricky book, because it is more than a little scary and creepy. Those kids that loved the REAL Grimm fairy tales -- suggest this book. And its big- almost 500 pages! And there is three in the series so far!
Septimus Heap series -- I won't lie -- I haven't read this one. I bought it for my shelves, and I have barely seen it since. It is passed student to student and they nag each other to hurry up and finish so the next one in the series can be read. There are currently seven books in the series and all are between 500 and 700 pages.
Wonder magical book. It could be a window book, letting kids build empathy for other kids who experience a different school life than they do. It could be a mirror, reflecting an outsider's struggle to fit in. It could also be a lantern, shining light on bullying and how to handle it. This is a beautiful book.
Fast paced action and adventure
Go to adventure books with problem solving kids!
False Prince: The Assendance Trilogy: Danger and deceit and hidden identities. Three books in the series, but Jennifer Nielsen started a new series last year, The Mark of the Thief
The Secret Zoo: Five books in the series. Library journal calls it "a fast-paced mix of mystery and fantasy". I read the first one aloud to my daughter when she was seven -- she actually told me she didn't want to read it because the cover looked like it was for babies. She was 7. However, she has gone on to read the the rest of the series. Great example of just acknowledging -- this cover is dumb, read the book anyway.
The Wintersling: Three in this series. Fer has never fit in, again that mirror of feeling like an outsider. I love books with brave, smart children and this book doesn't disappoint.
False Prince: The Assendance Trilogy: Danger and deceit and hidden identities. Three books in the series, but Jennifer Nielsen started a new series last year, The Mark of the Thief
The Secret Zoo: Five books in the series. Library journal calls it "a fast-paced mix of mystery and fantasy". I read the first one aloud to my daughter when she was seven -- she actually told me she didn't want to read it because the cover looked like it was for babies. She was 7. However, she has gone on to read the the rest of the series. Great example of just acknowledging -- this cover is dumb, read the book anyway.
The Wintersling: Three in this series. Fer has never fit in, again that mirror of feeling like an outsider. I love books with brave, smart children and this book doesn't disappoint.
Kids solving problems
Brixton Brothers is a lovely nod to The Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown. Four in the series so far. Plus it features librarians as an elite secret force!
The Westing Game is probably a book that many of us in this room have read. I think it deserves to be on our shelves and highly recommended to students. Turtle Wexler is a fantastic character and when I was ten, she was my hero. I wanted to be the character that figured things out from smarts and to have people listen to me.
The Walking Fish was recommended to me from a parent of a third grader. I found it to be a wonderful book. The protagonist, Alexis finds a strange fish and embarks on a journey of inquiry. Lots of science in this book, backed up by research.
The Westing Game is probably a book that many of us in this room have read. I think it deserves to be on our shelves and highly recommended to students. Turtle Wexler is a fantastic character and when I was ten, she was my hero. I wanted to be the character that figured things out from smarts and to have people listen to me.
The Walking Fish was recommended to me from a parent of a third grader. I found it to be a wonderful book. The protagonist, Alexis finds a strange fish and embarks on a journey of inquiry. Lots of science in this book, backed up by research.
FITTING IN AND FIGURING IT OUT
I have found that fitting in is a issue for all middle school kids. How to relate to others, how to be kind, how to be smart and still be friends. I love all three of these books to help tackle these issues. I've used Ungifted in my room as a read aloud and it was a laugh riot -- but never laughing at the gifted students. Donavon is trouble maker who accidentally is placed in the gifted program at school. He is scared that he will be found out as ungifted. And yet, time and time again he helps to solve problems in a unique way. Yes, there are stereotyped a bit much for my taste, but that is my adult lens, and I have found students rate it very highly.
MYSTERIES INVITE THE READER TO SLOW DOWN
The Mysterious Benedict Society and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler are probably very familiar books for any teachers who help feed the reader. But do you know about Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series? Flavia is an amazing 11 year old chemist, that is fascinated by poison. This is a book for your younger reader and your grandma. I so much enjoyed this series. The vocabulary is high, the writing is outstanding and the mysteries are intriguing.
Lanterns expand our world
Lantern books to help shine light on bigger issues. Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005, and is now part of history lessons. This picture book-graphic novel non-fiction presents information clearly, but is also heartbreaking. Blame is placed on everyone including the storm and the combination of horrible events is a great way to introduce the historical events. I would imagine that students will want to dig deeper after reading this. Know your students -- there are some hard images.
A Long Walk to Water is wonderful and a superb introduction to the plight of Sudan in 1985, and the need for access to clean water in 2005. Watch Linda Sue Park's recent TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xz0afCjnM To date over 1 million dollars has been raised by readers and donated to Water for Sudan. That's 60 wells that provide clean water, so girls like Nya can go to school.
Same Sun Here was published in 2012, but is a recent addition to my shelf. It follows pen-pals Meena and River. Meena is originally from India, but living in New York. River lives in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The beauty is that even though the characters are very different, they worry about the same thing. And the reader probably shares some of those same concerns.
A Long Walk to Water is wonderful and a superb introduction to the plight of Sudan in 1985, and the need for access to clean water in 2005. Watch Linda Sue Park's recent TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xz0afCjnM To date over 1 million dollars has been raised by readers and donated to Water for Sudan. That's 60 wells that provide clean water, so girls like Nya can go to school.
Same Sun Here was published in 2012, but is a recent addition to my shelf. It follows pen-pals Meena and River. Meena is originally from India, but living in New York. River lives in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The beauty is that even though the characters are very different, they worry about the same thing. And the reader probably shares some of those same concerns.
Books build empathy
Another set of window books that help readers build empathy.
Fish in a Tree follows struggling reader Ally who has somehow made it through school without being discovered as a non-reader.
Out of My Mind follows the story of Melody -- a brilliant girl who can not speak or write. This is a wonderful story and makes a great read aloud.
The Honest Truth -- This one is sad. Really sad. But also really beautiful. Mark is dying of cancer. He's been fighting it since he was a child, but it's back now, and he's tired of it. His grandfather had mentioned climbing Mt. Rainier, but his grandfather has passed away. Tired of treatments and always being the sick kid, Mark takes his dog Beau, boards a bus, and makes his way to the mountain.
Fish in a Tree follows struggling reader Ally who has somehow made it through school without being discovered as a non-reader.
Out of My Mind follows the story of Melody -- a brilliant girl who can not speak or write. This is a wonderful story and makes a great read aloud.
The Honest Truth -- This one is sad. Really sad. But also really beautiful. Mark is dying of cancer. He's been fighting it since he was a child, but it's back now, and he's tired of it. His grandfather had mentioned climbing Mt. Rainier, but his grandfather has passed away. Tired of treatments and always being the sick kid, Mark takes his dog Beau, boards a bus, and makes his way to the mountain.
Middle school and up windows
So pictured here are three books that I have handed to third and fourth grade students. These are also books that my eighth graders have read. They have complicated world building and great action and adventure. Know your audience because even though Airborn is safe, the next book in the series is a bit more violent and may not be okay for the next reader.
Adventure and Complicated Stories
Three fantastic authors that students adore.
Rae Carson is the author of Fire and Thorn Series, and recently published Walk on Earth a Stranger. Usually I can not handle the girl disguised as a boy plot trope. But it works here and I was rooting for Lee. This is going to be a great trilogy and a genre bending mix of fantasy and historical fiction.
Six of Crows is a heist novel. I love a great book that expects its audience to think. This is epic fantasy with multi-layered characters that readers will fall in love with.
It is not an understatement to say that Patrick Ness changes the way readers read novels. All the women have died due to a plague. The men and the boys can hear everyone's thoughts. The dialect shows the lack of education, the font and style convey the Noise that Todd hears. I think for gifted readers, this series pushes the way we experience novels.
Rae Carson is the author of Fire and Thorn Series, and recently published Walk on Earth a Stranger. Usually I can not handle the girl disguised as a boy plot trope. But it works here and I was rooting for Lee. This is going to be a great trilogy and a genre bending mix of fantasy and historical fiction.
Six of Crows is a heist novel. I love a great book that expects its audience to think. This is epic fantasy with multi-layered characters that readers will fall in love with.
It is not an understatement to say that Patrick Ness changes the way readers read novels. All the women have died due to a plague. The men and the boys can hear everyone's thoughts. The dialect shows the lack of education, the font and style convey the Noise that Todd hears. I think for gifted readers, this series pushes the way we experience novels.
Smart boys = great stories
Smart boys...
Twerp follows Julian Twerski who has found himself in trouble. His teacher has made a deal that if Julian writes about what happened, he can be excused from writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian is a follower and his writing bring insight to the challenges of middle school.
Insignia is a futuristic thriller. WWIII is upon the world, and the salvation happens to be 14 year old Tom, a video game phenom. A few years ago a young man in my class told me that all my books were about girls with problems. I set out to find more boy books. What I really like about this book is there is no romance, or just a tiny smidge of romance. This book is definitely not about a girl with problems.
This is a know your audience book.... Winger follows Ryan Dean West, a 14 year old boy who is a junior at a private school. This book is written like fourteen year old boys really talk. Parents might be appalled, students adore it. Andrew Smith might be one of the most important YA authors of our time. Unless you are a high school teacher, I would make sure you read his books before they go on your shelf. Grasshopper Jungle is wonderful, and I handed it to my 15 year old son; but it isn't for everyone.
Twerp follows Julian Twerski who has found himself in trouble. His teacher has made a deal that if Julian writes about what happened, he can be excused from writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian is a follower and his writing bring insight to the challenges of middle school.
Insignia is a futuristic thriller. WWIII is upon the world, and the salvation happens to be 14 year old Tom, a video game phenom. A few years ago a young man in my class told me that all my books were about girls with problems. I set out to find more boy books. What I really like about this book is there is no romance, or just a tiny smidge of romance. This book is definitely not about a girl with problems.
This is a know your audience book.... Winger follows Ryan Dean West, a 14 year old boy who is a junior at a private school. This book is written like fourteen year old boys really talk. Parents might be appalled, students adore it. Andrew Smith might be one of the most important YA authors of our time. Unless you are a high school teacher, I would make sure you read his books before they go on your shelf. Grasshopper Jungle is wonderful, and I handed it to my 15 year old son; but it isn't for everyone.
SMART GIRLS = GREAT STORIES
Calpurnia Tate is a book that reads both younger and older. I've handed this to few kids, but I have found that my middle school readers have liked it more, and talked more enthusiastically about this book than my younger readers. Calpurnia is 11 years old in 1899, and is a scientist noticing the world around her. It really shows what life was like for girls at the turn of the century, but there is also a nod to Darwin and the paths available to women.
Ashfall has a secondary protagonist named Darla. Although Alex is the main character, Darla is the brains of the operation. The story follows the premise that the volcano under Yellowstone has erupted.
Counting by 7's follows the story of Willow an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family. This is sold as a middle grade book, but more appreciated by seventh and eighth graders. Willow is 12 and wonderfully weird. She doesn't fit in. But through tragedy she finds a surrogate family where she fits in and overcomes her tragedy.
Ashfall has a secondary protagonist named Darla. Although Alex is the main character, Darla is the brains of the operation. The story follows the premise that the volcano under Yellowstone has erupted.
Counting by 7's follows the story of Willow an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family. This is sold as a middle grade book, but more appreciated by seventh and eighth graders. Willow is 12 and wonderfully weird. She doesn't fit in. But through tragedy she finds a surrogate family where she fits in and overcomes her tragedy.
SMART, BUT NAIVE GIRLS
L.M. Montgomery was writing about strong female characters before it was in style. Both Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon feature smart girls trying to find their place in the world.
Recently published, The Hired Girl, follows in that tradition. It follows 14 year old Joan, who desires to find her way in the world. This book has been getting both positive and negative publicity lately. It features the historically accurate naive opinions of Joan -- which in 2016 aren't politically correct. However, Joan shows growth in her thinking and I appreciate how her characters changes in the novel.
Recently published, The Hired Girl, follows in that tradition. It follows 14 year old Joan, who desires to find her way in the world. This book has been getting both positive and negative publicity lately. It features the historically accurate naive opinions of Joan -- which in 2016 aren't politically correct. However, Joan shows growth in her thinking and I appreciate how her characters changes in the novel.
Lanterns to shine the way
Lanterns....
Enchanted Air is a memoir told in verse following the story of Margarita's childhood. Her summers are spent in Cuba, but she lives the rest of the year in California. It follows the story of the conflict in the midst of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile conflict.
X a Novel is the story of Malcolm X's childhood. It is an eye opening look at an important historical figure. Written by his daughter, this is not to be missed.
This book is a fine example of what is left out of history textbooks. In 1945, a total of 10,582 people, mostly Germans, boarded the the Wilhelm Gustloff to escape the approaching Russian Army. Over 5000 children were on board when the boat designed to hold only 1,465 people set sail. It was 16 miles off shore when it was hit and sunk by a torpedo. Some people were rescued, but close to 9400 people drown in just over 100 feet of water. Why do we not know this story? Ruta Sepetys beautiful novel will remind us that we don't know everything.
Enchanted Air is a memoir told in verse following the story of Margarita's childhood. Her summers are spent in Cuba, but she lives the rest of the year in California. It follows the story of the conflict in the midst of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile conflict.
X a Novel is the story of Malcolm X's childhood. It is an eye opening look at an important historical figure. Written by his daughter, this is not to be missed.
This book is a fine example of what is left out of history textbooks. In 1945, a total of 10,582 people, mostly Germans, boarded the the Wilhelm Gustloff to escape the approaching Russian Army. Over 5000 children were on board when the boat designed to hold only 1,465 people set sail. It was 16 miles off shore when it was hit and sunk by a torpedo. Some people were rescued, but close to 9400 people drown in just over 100 feet of water. Why do we not know this story? Ruta Sepetys beautiful novel will remind us that we don't know everything.
Big Issues
These are three of my most recent reads. These are books that help us to know that the world is bigger, and there are things out there that aren't easy to understand.
Orbiting Jupiter is a sparse heartbreaking tale of love, loss and kids put in impossible situations. I've read this aloud to two classes now. Both begged me each day to stop earlier, read more, tell more of Joseph's story. This doesn't happen very often with eighth graders.
All American Boys is a must read. If I had a high school classroom I had multiple copies of this book and then figure out how to talk about it. I have two copies on my 7th and 8th grade shelf. I tried to do it as a read aloud and out of 47 students, had one parent object. I felt it was an all or nothing -- I'm not going to have one kid sit in the hall. The audio book is amazing.
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky is a great next read after A Long Walk to Water, if you feel the student can handle the war violence. I've had more interest in this one after last year's movie with Reece Witherspoon, The Good Lie.
Orbiting Jupiter is a sparse heartbreaking tale of love, loss and kids put in impossible situations. I've read this aloud to two classes now. Both begged me each day to stop earlier, read more, tell more of Joseph's story. This doesn't happen very often with eighth graders.
All American Boys is a must read. If I had a high school classroom I had multiple copies of this book and then figure out how to talk about it. I have two copies on my 7th and 8th grade shelf. I tried to do it as a read aloud and out of 47 students, had one parent object. I felt it was an all or nothing -- I'm not going to have one kid sit in the hall. The audio book is amazing.
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky is a great next read after A Long Walk to Water, if you feel the student can handle the war violence. I've had more interest in this one after last year's movie with Reece Witherspoon, The Good Lie.
PICTURE BOOKS FOR ALL
Picture books are the great leveler in the classroom. They can be complex or simple, they introduce students to issues that they want to explore more. I'm using them more and more. For great resources on how to use picture books in the middle school follow Pernille Ripp's blog: http://pernillesripp.com/
Recently I had many non-fiction picture books and we had a couple days to explore them. I then asked student to choose an issue that they wanted to know more about. It was a bit of a genius hour week of exploring an issue they cared about, and then evaluating whether or not he picture book was an accurate and fair portrayal. I think every classroom, no matter what age students should have more picture books!
Recently I had many non-fiction picture books and we had a couple days to explore them. I then asked student to choose an issue that they wanted to know more about. It was a bit of a genius hour week of exploring an issue they cared about, and then evaluating whether or not he picture book was an accurate and fair portrayal. I think every classroom, no matter what age students should have more picture books!
Untitled Slide
What books would you include? How will you work to build a community of readers?
ADD BOOK SUGGESTIONS
http://goo.gl/forms/hJ8KKF4Mso
Please add more books that have worked for you. I will be updating with a link to the spreadsheet that is created.
Please add more books that have worked for you. I will be updating with a link to the spreadsheet that is created.
