READING LADDERS

Creating Better and

More Independent ReadersWith

Teri S. LesesneSHSU DOLS

REACHING READERS

Reading Ladders, Podcasts,

YouTube book trailers, Twitter

and much more

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BULWER-LYTTONWORST FIRST LINEANNUAL CONTEST

2009 WINNERS

Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the "Ellie May," a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.

The wind dry-shaved the cracked earth like a dull razor--the double edge kind from the plastic bag that you shouldn't use more than twice, but you do; but Trevor Earp had to face it as he started the second morning of his hopeless search for Drover, the Irish Wolfhound he had found as a pup near death from a fight with a prairie dog and nursed back to health, stolen by a traveling circus so that the monkey would have something to ride.

How best to pluck the exquisite Toothpick of Ramses from between a pair of acrimonious vipers before the demonic Guards of Nicobar returned should have held Indy's full attention, but in the back of his mind he still wondered why all the others who had agreed to take part in his wife's holiday scavenger hunt had been assigned to find stuff like a Phillips screwdriver or blue masking tape.

She walked into my office on legs as long as one of those long-legged birds that you see in Florida - the pink ones, not the white ones - except that she was standing on both of them, not just one of them, like those birds, the pink ones, and she wasn't wearing pink, but I knew right away that she was trouble, which those birds usually aren't.

Melinda woke up suddenly to the sound of her trailer being pounded with wind and hail, and she couldn't help thinking that if she had only put her prized hog up for adoption last May, none of this would be happening, no one would have gotten hurt, and she wouldn't be left with only nine toes, or be living in a mobile home park in Nebraska with a second-rate trapeze artist named Fred.

Towards the dragon's lair the fellowship marched -- a noble human prince, a fair elf, a surly dwarf, and a disheveled copyright attorney who was frantically trying to find a way to differentiate this story from "Lord of the Rings."

On a fine summer morning during the days of the Puritans, the prison door in the small New England town of B----n opened to release a convicted adulteress, the Scarlet Letter A embroidered on her dress, along with the Scarlet Letters B through J, a veritable McGuffey's Reader of Scarlet Letters, one for each little tyke waiting for her at the gate.

WHERE TO BEGIN? New books

2009 award winners

PRINTZ

PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS

PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS

NEWBERY

NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS

NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS

ODYSSEY (BEST AUDIO)

ODYSSEY HONOR TITLES

TOP BBYA BOOKS

BBYA TOP TEN

QUICK PICKS

QUICK PICKS

TEENS TOP TEN

TEENS TOP TEN

TEENS TOP TEN

NEW BOOKS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT…

How do we begin to find the ones we need to share with our students?

GOODREADS.COM Social networking

Book reviews

Discussions

Groups

PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS

COMPARING BOOKS AND REVIEWS

OTHER SITES SIMILAR TO THIS Shelfari

www.shelfari.com

Library Thing

http://www.librarything.com/

LISTSERVS

Yalsa-bk

Adbooks

Middle-lit

BOOKLIST

Booklist-ALA

Adult and children and teen books

Pubs bi-weekly

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Only recs for school

Starred reviews on last page

Articles of interest

HORN BOOK

Oldest of them all

Emphasis on chilren’s

Spanish books

VOYAOnly YA

P and Q ratings

STARRED BOOKS 2009 five stars--

WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson CHARLES AND EMMA by Deborah Heiligman CLAUDETTE COLVIN by Phillip Hoose WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead

MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco Stork TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA by Shaun Tan

MORE STARS four stars--

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne CollinsIF I STAY by Gayle Forman THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard PeckHEROES OF THE VALLEY by Jonathan Stroud THE FROG SCIENTIST by Pamela Turner

A FEW MORE three stars--

THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS by Chris BartonTHE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY by Nick BurdALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann BurgASHLEY BRYAN: WORDS TO MY LIFE'S SONG by Ashely BryanFIRE by Kristin CashoreMISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO by Andrew Chaikin THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamilloTHE LOST CONSPIRACY by Frances HardingeNORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen Headley THE COLOR OF EARTH by Kim Dong Hwa

NOT DONE YET 1968 by Michael Kaufman

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace LinCARBON DIARIES 2015 by Saci LloydYEARS OF DUST by Albert MarrinA SAVAGE THUNDER by Jim MurphyRIOT by Walter Dean MyersBURN MY HEART by Beverly Naidoo THE DEMON'S LEXICON by Sarah Rees BrennanALMOST ASTRONAUTS by Tanya Lee Stone CREATURE OF THE NIGHT by Kate Thompson WRITTEN IN BONE by Sally Walker THE ETERNAL SMILE by Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

NEW BOOKS

With a twist

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READING LADDERS Can be bridges between books

Can be small or large

Can head in different directions from bottom rung

PRINTZ

BRIDGE

PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS

HISTORICAL FICTION

NEWBERY

GHOSTLY BOOKS

NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS

WORD PLAY

ODYSSEY (BEST AUDIO)

NEW AUDIO

FRAMING THE DISCUSSION

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MeaningPlay

EmpathySymphony

StoryDesign

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The punctuation test is today

The punctuation test is today

The punctuation test is today

Woman without her man in nothing

Woman without her man is nothing

MEANING Can be conveyed in many forms and

formats

Nonfiction is a good place to begin.

Graphic novels and GN format is also good for developing meaning in readers.

Hand me downs

Crossing swords

4.6 RL

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"Brevity gets right to the point doesn't dawdle, dicker, or delay always short and sweet whenever there is something to do or say brevity comes in handy when you are subject to a chewing out a bout of the flu a pain in the neck or waiting in line for the loo in fact, this poem has gone on so long that its recital would no longer qualify as an example of its title"

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Flying SoloTime to go. . . solo.

Teacher hops out,open seat huge in its emptiness.

Only comfort, an airplane.Butterflies swarmin her stomach.

Breathe, girl.Courage beats fear.

Taxi down the runway,pick up speed,

pull throttle back,wheels lift off . . .

Flying solo.Breathe, girl.

The air up there is fine.

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SCHOLASTIC

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LITTLE BROWN

LITTLE BROWN

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PLAY

Humor depends on play

Word play is another variation

And do not forget PLAYS in and of themselves

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Civil War

Gettysburg

Maybelline

Road trip

Hollywood

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LEMONY SNICKET IS BACK

WORD PLAY IN POETRY

OBSESSION WITH BUTTS…

SWAN LAKE

THE PLAY’S THE THING

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WHAT IS EMPATHY?

Stronger than sympathy

How many of you…Wished to be something/someone different

at some point in your life?

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WHO HAS…

Mourned the loss of a family member?

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Car accident

Grandma

Mother

Letters

LITTLE BROWN

HAS ANYONE…

Ever been swindled?

There are many ways to describe Ms. Underdorf. She was brilliant and joyous, and she believed-probably

correctly-that libraries contain the answers to everything, and that if you can’t find the information you seek in the library, then such information probably does not exist in this or any other parallel universe now or ever to be known.

 She was thoughtful and kind and always believed the

best of everybody. She was, above all else, a master librarian and knew where to find any book on any subject in the shortest possible time.

 And she was wonderfully unhinged… And so the Amazing Armadillo.

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WHAT ABOUT…

Feeling outcast or different or separate from others?

FSG

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

After school book club

Destiny

Road trip

A fair day

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SYMPHONY CALLS TO MIND

Many voices or instruments blending into one

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Lil J

Kelly

HARPERCOLLINS

SYMPHONY CAN ALSO BE…

A brilliant work of art that begs to be savored

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HARPERCOLLINS

FIRST SECOND

LITTLE BROWN

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WHY IS STORY IMPORTANT?

Oldest form of communication (oral tradition in literature)

Structure provides consistency

Sharing stories brings us closer

STORY LADDER

Moving students slowly and carefully

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Nick

Marta

Mrs. Starch

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Peter

Fortune teller

Magician

Opera house

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Miranda

Zachary

Dracul

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Jack

Tris

Aunt Cheryl

Obsession with reality TV

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Remy

Lisa

West Virginia

Mining

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Emily

Fiona

Summer art school

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Liam

Aunt Pete

Makeover TO a nerd

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Sisterhood

Guardians

Unconsecrated

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DESIGN

Can be visual

Can be within the writing

Can be almost imperceptible

Must be shown to students…..

READICIDE

Overteaching

Underteaching

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Leticia

Dominique

Trina

SCHOLASTIC

HARPERCOLLINS

Terra

Compass rose

Paper towns

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Lia

Cassie’s death

anorexia

Girl (Bug)meets boy at a car wash."Dog," she says."Dude," he says.And probably this would have been a sweet teen romance. . . .If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car.If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car.And to possess her.

David Macinnis Gill delivers the whole enchilada. With a side of soul.

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BUT… How do we get students to pick them up

and read them?

BUT… What can we do about the students who

struggle?

AND… How can we assess the reading?

GETTING STUDENTS TO

PICK UP BOOKSWhat five factors play a role

in motivating reluctant readers?

RELUCTANT READERS

There is no one template

R U N RR?(ARE YOU A

RELUCTANT READER?)

Take this quiz and see…Select A for book on left and B

for book on right of slide…

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

A B

RELUCTANT READERS ARE: Male and female

Young and old

Able and struggling

Overscheduled and overwhelmed

BUT THESE FIVE FACTORS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE: Titles that grab

Catchy covers

Authors they come to trust

Opening paragraphs that hook

Plus a book they cannot put down

TITLES THAT GRAB

TITLES

COVERS THAT DEMAND ATTENTION

COVERS

TRUSTED AUTHORS

OPENING PARAGRAPHS THAT LURE

GRAND OPENINGS

BOOKS THAT DELIVER THE GOODS

KEEP THEM READING BOOKS

WHAT ELSE CAN HELP US

MOTIVATE READERS?

ResearchResearchResearch

Factors that influence choices in books:

School variablesClassroom variablesTeacher and librarian variablesKid variablesBook variables

SCHOOL VARIABLES

Administration that supports reading financially and philosophically (they read) Author visits Professional development (conferences)

Certified librarian with adequate collection

Time set aside each day at school to read

Access to the library

CLASSROOM VARIABLES

Books in the classroomTeacher who readsTeacher who reads aloudTeacher who booktalksPlaces to curl up with booksTime set aside for reading regularly

TEACHER AND LIBRARIAN VARIABLES

Teachers and librarians are readersTeachers work with librarians to schedule

visits to the libraryLibrarians work with teachers to develop

reading lists and other resources for instruction

Librarians know the curriculum of the classrooms

KID VARIABLES

AgeGenderReader status

Avid Dormant Reluctant Struggling

WHAT ELSE?

Book variables that are NOT a factor:Reading level

Lexiles, etc.Length

Book variables that ARE a factor:GenreStyleForm and format

BOOK VARIABLES THAT MATTER Genre

Style

Format

GENRES THEY LOVE Funny books

Mysteries

Nonfiction

NOW THAT THEY ARE READING…

How can we assess them?

Books to tickle the funny bone

HUMOR

HA HA HA: HUMOR IS DEVELOPMENTAL

BASICALLY FUNNY BOOKS

MOVING UP THE HUMOR LADDER

REACHING THE TOP OF THE LADDER

MYSTERIES

who dun it?

NEW SERIES

THAT OTHER STUFFNonfiction

CIVIL RIGHTS

CONNECTIONS

KEEP GOING

Every minute:  A cow can produce 4.2 oz of saliva People spend more than $26,000 on

ringtones 24, 000 tons of carbon dioxide are added

to our atmosphere 5,208 Krispy Kreme donuts are produced

(and eaten?) A-Rod earns $864.20

ASSESSMENT= ACCOUNTABILITY-

ANNOYANCE

What annoys students?Write a new endingWrite a letter to a friendWrite a traditional book reportWrite a news storyWrite anything

SO WHAT DO THEY LIKE TO

DO?Some new ideas

“Watching from the outside, Twitter is like the dumbest thing you’ve heard of: “Why would anyone want to tell others what they are doing in 140 characters?”

And yet to dismiss Twitter is a mistake because it’s an incredibly powerful tool for your personal learning and connecting with others.” (Sue Waters, http://suewaters.wikispaces.com/twitter, @suewaters Original quote: Alan Levine)

FOUR KEY QUESTIONS What are the top 3-5 reasons you tweet? How has Twitter helped you

professionally? What sage advice do you have for

educators wanting to tweet? Who would be the top 5 people you’d

recommend others to follow?

Jo Fothergill

WHY TWEET? Connection Collaboration Collegiality Information Fun

Jo Fothergill

TO CONNECT

Link with people around world with similar interests/global connection

Participate in conversations with other educators

World-wide group of people to bounce ideas off

Connection for isolated people (location/job)

Personal Learning Network

Jo Fothergill

COLLABORATION & COLLEGIALITY

Discussions, controversies, new thinking

Putting concerns into a global/better context

Sharing victories and disasters/low points

Establish connections with other teachers

24/7 access to collaborators

Building connections

Jo Fothergill

INFORMATION

Asking and answering questions

Sharing tips and resources

Online PD

Finding/making recommendations

Problem solving

Sharing own & others blogs

Creating wider audience for class blogs

Jo Fothergill

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SOCIAL/FUN REASONS

Quizzes

Planning fun stuff like Flash Mob @ conference

Games

Comedy acts - Stephen Fry! John Green!

Personal - friends & family

Sharing memorable and humorous events

Interest, curiosity, new things

Jo Fothergill

HOW DOES IT HELP ME PROFESSIONALLY?

Keeps me in touch with the outstanding role models in our (global) education system

Participate in ‘unofficial’ PD

Able to tear down the walls of classroom & give students a chance to connect with people around the world

Jo Fothergill

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Find information & resources to use with students & colleagues

Connected to a wide range of people who are at the cutting edge of education

True networking with teachers around the world

Allowed us to restructure our classes to take advantage of Web 2.0

Jo Fothergill

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I Dream in Twitter

(listen to the podcast http://www.box.net/shared/static/gqkaej08ww.mp3)

I dream in Twitter in 140 characters that cut off my thoughts before they are complete and then I wonder, why 140? Ten more letters would serve me right as I write about what I am doing at that moment in time, connecting across the world with so many others shackled by 140 characters, too, and I remain amazed at how deep the brevity can be.

I find it unsettling to eavesdrop on conversations between two when you can only read one and it startles me to think that someone else out there has put their ear to my words and wondered the same about me. Whose eyes are watching?

Twitter is both an expanding universe of tentacles and hyperlinks that draw you in with knowledge and experience and a shrinking neighborhood of similar voices, echoing out your name in comfortable silence.

I dream in Twitter in 140 characters, and that is what I am doing right at this moment

by Kevin - @dogtrax

140-PEDIAEvening News (local programming)

Nightly show where the hosts tell you “Good Evening” and then proceed to tell you why

it isn’t.

140-PEDIATwilight (Book Series)

1.A book by Stephenie Meyer

2.The death of modern literature.

140-PEDIAWWI (History)

The “War to end all wars” that nobody remembers or makes

films about, because the sequel had Nazis and

Nuclear bombs.

TWEET! TWEET!

Using Twitter as a format for telling about the book

140 charactersCan use txtspk

Summarize chapters Describe a character Indicate the climax Use other strategies such as SAY SOMETHING or

SWBST

BLOG ALL ABOUT IT

MAKE A VIDEO

Animoto

Post to YouTube

Tweet it

Blog it

PODCASTS

Audacity

Headphone and microphone combo

Post to Switchpod or iTunes or elsewhere

As readers, we have rights

AS WE FINISH UP, KEEP IN MIND…

•You have the right never to apologize for your reading tastes.

RIGHTS OF THE READER

You have the right to read anywhere you want—in the bathtub, in the car (preferably

at stop lights if you're driving), in the grocery store, under the porch, or while

walking the dog.

READERS’ RIGHTS

You have the right to read in exotic settings. You have the right to move

your lips when you read. You have the right to laugh or gasp out loud and choose whether or not to explain.

READERS’ RIGHTS

You have the right to throw any book on the floor and jump up and

down on it (the Dorothy Parker Rule).

RIGHTS OF READERS

•You have the right to read anything you want.

READERS’ RIGHTS

You have the right to read the book spine of the person sitting next to

you, even on a plane. And if you can't make it out, you have the

right to ASK.

RIGHTS OF THE READER

READ TO THEMBYSTEVEN LAYNE

Read to them.

Before the time is gone and stillness fills the room again. Read to them.

What if it were meant to be that you were the one, the only one, who could unlock the doors and share the magic with them? What if others have been daunted by such scheduling demands, district objectives, or one hundred other obstacles?

Read to them.

Be confident Charlotte has been able to teach them about friendship and Horton about self worth. Be sure the Skin Horse has been able to deliver his message.

Read to them.

Let them meet Tigger, Homer Price, Aslan, and Corduroy; take them to Oz, Prydain and Camazotz. Show them a Truffalo Tree.

Read to them.

Laugh with them at Soup and Rob, and cry with them when the Queen of Terabithia is forever lost. Allow the Meeker family to turn loyalty, injustice, and war into something much more than a vocabulary lesson.

What if you were the one, the only one, with the chance to do it?

What if this is the critical year for even one child?

Read to them.

Before the time, before the chance, is gone.

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