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You have accessed the blog site for Choosing and Using Books for Children. Throughout the term we'll use our blog to record the books we read and the ideas we have for using them when we're teachers. By the end of March, our class will have read at least 280 books. Happy reading!

Two important protocol actions for EVERY post:
1. Underline or italicize all book titles (choose one formatting style and stick with it--underline OR italicize for all book titles)
2. Add your name in the "label" box before you post each documentation.

One important recommendation:
Create your documentations in a separate Word document, then cut and paste in a blog post.

Basic Documentation

Book Title:

Author(s):

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist:

Publisher:

Copyright Date:

Genre:

Brief Annotation:

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

Readers who will like this book:

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp (you'll link a strategy to at least 10 of your 40 books) :

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age):

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade):
Use book wizard to help with the previous 2 areas


3. List awards

4. Does this book have a book trailer? If so, cut and paste the web address here.

Monday, February 13, 2012

The Whipping Boy

Book Title: The Whipping Boy
Author(s): Sid Fleischman
Illustrator/Photographer/ Artist: Peter Sis
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 1986
Genre: Historical Fiction
Brief Annotation: Jemmy used to be a poor boy living on the streets catching sewer rat’s for a living. He now lives in the castle with fine clothes and fine foods. H e is even learning to read and write. Jemmy is now the prince’s whipping boy. It is forbidden to spank the prince so when the prince misbehaves Jemmy takes the whipping. The two boys are completely different and they despise each other. Things get interesting when they are taken hostage by some thugs. Trusting each other may be the only thing that can save them. They must learn to be like each other and have no choice but to work together if they are to survive.
Your Rating (1-5) and Why: I rate this book a four it was an exciting adventure that gaves us a glimpse of two very different lives of the past.
Readers who will like this book: I think kids who like adventure will like this book.
Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp : Open-Minded Portraits would be a great tool to help students think more deeply about the boys characters. Students first draw the head and neck of a character in the story and color it. Next, the students cut out the portrait and attach several blank sheets of paper to the top of the portrait with a brad. These extra pages are the “thinking” pages. The students use the pages to write down the characters thoughts at key points in the story. Students share their portraits with the class to talk about the words and pictures they chose and what ideas or thoughts they have represented. 
Question to ask about this book before you read aloud: How would your life be different if you never had consequences for your mistakes?
List awards: Newbery Award
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1 comment:

  1. Suzy Kaback & FamilyMarch 31, 2012 at 7:13 AM

    Glad to know you enjoyed this book--along with your sons.

    Add more detail to your "Open Mind Portrait" idea as it relates to this book. For example, what about each boy's character would kids focus on?

    Your pre-reading question is excellent and primes kids to imagine an "every day is Christmas"-type of 'wish'. What are the pluses and minuses of always getting what you want w/out consequences? If you have a tool for holding kids' thinking (a Plus-Minus-Interesting chart, for example), you could track their changes ideas throughout the reading (if you're using The Whipping Boy as a class read aloud).

    The great thing about this book is you can use it to reinforce a message--to teach something--or you can read it just for the fun of the story!

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