Keeping Up With Kirbys

We just cannot get enough of the book Pictures of Hollis Woods !  Have you read it?  It's been a fantastic book that has generated so many thoughtful and meaningful conversations within my classroom.   Is it bad that I secretly LOVE it when the kids beg me to read....ONE....MORE...CHAPTER...PUHLEEEAAZZE?!   I t makes my teacher heart happy, happy, happy.  We spent some time writing letters to Hollis giving her helpful advice. I have the most thoughtful and kindest kids! We've looked for similarities and differences between Hollis and a close friend of ours. Wow, I learned a lot about their friends! Student partners had jobs that I assigned from my Literature Circle group packet from the fabulous 4th Grade Frolics .  They completed and shared their questions, connections, and favorite parts with the class to create their own discussions. I LOVE this packet! It has been a fantastic unit to use with my literature circles so I just change...

Tomorrow is the last day before the break, it's a half-day, a busy day and a sugar filled day.  This year it actually snuck up on me and I almost didn't make anything for parents.   We have been completely engrossed in our novel, A Single Shard. { check it out} It has been the best book ever!!  I'm so happy my teamie convinced me to read it to the kids.  The kids and I have had so many wonderful conversations.  It's the kind of book that they beg you (yes, beg!) not to stop reading.  We just finished it on Wednesday and I was a crybaby mess!!  It is a tear jerker.  The sweet kids would get up and hug me and then get themselves a tissue to wipe their own eyes.  It is the kind of book that changes the way kids view reading. When we finished the kids could not get enough.  They wanted to know more and they REALLY wanted this book to be a movie.  I think they will be emailing the author soon.  I made a thinglink for the...