Jen Vincent and Kellee Moye cohost It's Monday! What Are You Reading weekly on their blogs. To see what others are reading and recommending each Monday, or to participate, be sure to check out their blogs Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
I came across the "Face to Face with..." nonfiction series a couple of weeks ago in Barnes & Noble and loved it! One of my favorites in the series is Face to Face with Polar Bears by Norbert Rosing and Elizabeth Carney. Within this series, there are books on grizzly bears, whales, dolphins, wolves, elephants, lions, ... and the list goes on! I love how the books are written with both narrative and expository structures to create a hybrid of the two structures. The books begin with national geographic experts observing the animal in their habitat and they make you feel like you are exploring right there with them. Throughout the book, they teach you all about how the animal lives, eats, hunts, survives, etc. In addition, they explain how the animal may be endangered and how people can help. The photographs in the books are amazing, along with the embedded facts in sidebars, bulleted lists, and in the back of the book. There is no doubt that this series will become a favorite in my classroom this year!
One of my former students recommended that I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green this summer. She raved about it and even brought her copy to me this summer so I could read it. I heard great reviews about this book since it was published, but kept putting off reading it for a couple reasons. First, it is not a book appropriate for my 5th graders so I tend not to rush to read books that I can't put in the hands of my students. So those books, even though they are great, usually get put on hold. Second, my grandfather and one of my best friends died of cancer so I have to be emotionally prepared to read books like The Fault in Our Stars. This weekend, I read the book with tears streaming down my face throughout the whole last part of the book. I am so glad that my former student kept persisting that I read this book and make the time to read it - thank you Allie! If you have been like me and you keep putting it off because it isn't appropriate for your grade level, I highly encourage you to move it to the top of your stack and make the time to read it! This is a powerful book for young adults and adults to read - just make sure you have tissues nearby!
Enjoy reading this week! :)
The Fault in Our Stars is such a powerful book - it's an end of the year read for a very few of my sixth graders, but my ex-students 8th. grade and up are all John Green fans, and their love affair with him begins with this book.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter liked Fault, but like you, if a book isn't appropriate for my age group, I find it hard to get into. My son liked Green's An Abundance of Katherines, and it's the only one of his books I have in my middle school library.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the Face to Face series. Looks like a good one for my 5th graders! Fault in our Stars is amazing too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the Face to Face series. It sounds like a great addition to any library. I'm just about to start The Fault in Our Stars. I've got the Kleenex ready!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
After reading A Fault in Our Stars, I ended up reading through every John Green title out there. The hype makes sense! I also loved Looking for Alaska. I know what you mean about reading YA titles - My students are just in Grade 2/3/4 but I like reading for future recommendations for my kids and my students who stay connected. So many books out there - it's hard to keep up!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you loved The Fault in our Stars. Every time someone reads that book and loves it, it makes me smile. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie, I've read nothing but rave reviews of The Fault in our Stars - I heard that it's one of John Green's best novels to date. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it. :)
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