Totally, like, Awesome

I like the word like.
It is, like, the best.
I, like, want to write, like, similies,
But similies, like, already use the word like.
Can I, like, write like a famous poet
If, like, I can't, like, control what I, like, like?

Mr. Kohl

The Last Song

The book, The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks is an excellent book and I enjoyed it. But, the copy that I read was based on the movie and now some questions have arised and I would like some help anwsering them. One of them is, since the book that I read was based on the movie I am wondering if anyone knows if I am missing a lot of the plot line because the the story kept bouncing around and it was hard to tell the setting. Another question that has come into my mind is; Is the orignal version of the story is better than the movie based?

Lisa

Looking for books with Courageous characters...

Mr. Kohl,
I just finished the book Deadline by Chris Crutcher. I have to say that you were correct...this was an awesome book. I am still wiping away the tears. I thought Ben was a very courageous character because he wasn't afraid to look at things that he thought he knew as true and change his idea about them. Even though Ben is dying in the book, he still thinks he can learn new things and do things he has never tried before.

I wonder if anyone else has read any books that have courageous characters in them? Let me know about books with characters that aren't afraid to face what ever obstacles are thrown at them and then come through it as a better person. Mrs. S.

Is There a Fine Line Between Historical Fiction and Fiction?

Blood on the River- James Town 1607
by Elisa Carbone

How can a reader be sure if a historical fiction book is based on enough fact that it can truly be called historical fiction. I have been taught about the Jamestown settlement many years ago. I also had the opportunity to teach it to fifth and sixth graders. The version of Jamestown and the first colonies has changed since I was young, but has it changed enough? Are text books and teachers still holding back on the true story of how Europeans and Native Americans mixed it up in the early years of settlement?

In the book, Blood on the River, Samuel Collier, a juvenile delinquent in Great Britain, becomes the page, or servant boy, to Captain John Smith in the newly formed James Town settlement in the early 1600's. The story does a great job depicting the real purpose of the early colonists, to find gold and riches. It was this greed and lack of foresight that almost lead to the demise of the colony and maybe settlement in the Americas all together. In comes Captain John Smith to keep the Nobles in their place and make peace with the Native Americans. Samuel learns many skills from John Smith and develops his own relationships the the Native Americans. Samuel then becomes an important player in the future success of the early settlements.

The relationship between the Native Americans and the colonists is not described as an all friendly Thanksgiving type relationship. Many of the struggles of communication, ignorance of culture, and diseases are accurately depicted. This is a great book for anyone looking for a true adventure story. The historical images allows the reader to get a good idea of the early colonies and struggles of survival for both the Europeans and the Native Americans.

Are authors holding back? As a reader and a student of history, do you think that there was more to the physical and natural battles between colonist and the Native American people? How should the truth be told?

Mr. Kohl

Breaking the Silence

Sammy ran so fast, the world blew past me.
Running so fast made the wind whistle into my face,
hair whipping my head.
Sammy began to blur.
He looked like a Birch tree except for he was a spirit among them.
Soon, all too soon the wind quit whistling around me,
and then an ear piercing scream.
Sammy's rearing broke all of the utter silence.

Is a Book Always Better Than the Movie?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This book was recommended to me by a few of my students. I'm not sure if they were really recommending the book or they saw the movie and assumed the book was good too.

Percy Jackson is not your typical juvenile delinquent child diagnosed with various disabilities and behavior issues. He has attended seven different schools in seven years. After a run in with various monsters that are out to kill him, Percy learns that his father is really the Greek God, Poseidon. That should explain everything right? Wrong. Percy gets sent on a quest to settle the dispute between the Gods, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades. With his new mythological friends, Annabeth, the daughter of the Goddess Athena, and Grover, a satire who is half man half goat, Percy travels to the underworld to confront Hades and settle this huge misunderstanding. In the process of clearing up the juvenile misunderstandings of the disputing gods, Percy uncovers another possible evil plot of Kronos, the father of the gods and leader of the now banished Titans.

This book reminded me of the Harry Potter series except it involves mythological magic instead of wizards and witches. I enjoyed the fast action and death defying escapes of various monsters just like in Harry Potter. I was frustrated with how many times the characters, for one reason or another, would never finish their thoughts or stories.

I am curious what you think about this book. Has anyone seen the movie, read the book, or both? How do they compare?

Mr. Kohl

Great Read Aloud So Far

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I needed a new read aloud for my seventh grade that would not only help me get my student to reflect and practice their journaling, but one that had the components of a good mystery. When You Reach Me, so far, has not let me down.

Miranda deals with the pressures of living in the inner city of New York City with her single mom and her best friend Sal. A missing key, a man sleeping under the mail box, Sal getting punched by a neighborhood bully, and mysterious letters that contain very personal information about Miranda all come together to a surprising and climactic ending. Rebecca Stead keeps the reader on their tows thinking about the significance of all of these seemingly unrelated events.

As a read aloud I have taken great pleasure in suspensefully ending my reading selection as much as I love reading to my class. The moans and pleas for more let me know that I am onto something big with this book.

Just one question: Is it a mystery? or Science Fiction?

Mr. Kohl

My First Blog

Many people have been telling me that blogging is a new way to get students involved in reading and reading responses. I have sat through numerous speakers on the subject with mixed feelings. In my opinion, some of the speakers were a little over confident in their blogging prowess. It made me wonder if they even taught anything and were in front of their computer all day while their students were silent reading. Betsy Salm and Tod Radke for Kiel, Wisconsin gave a presentation at the Wisconsin Reading Conference in February about blogging in the classroom. I finally felt like they gave me enough information to start my own blogging experience for my students. Here I go.

I look forward to finding different resources to include with my blog and to develop a web page that will keep my students coming back. What do you think? As the first readers of my first blog, can this be an educational resource that will work for you as a student and me as the teacher?

Mr. Kohl