Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Another non-DCF book

I borrowed The Big Book of Team Building Games by Newstrom and Scannell from a colleague of mine a few weeks back.  In reading it, I found about a dozen useful activities and games to break the ice, build teamwork, and increase cooperation in different group settings.  I chose a few to use with my team of middle school teachers, and ten or so to use with my TA kids.  Despite finding a dozen promising tools, I was largely disappointed in the book.  The title is quite misleading; I don't think there are more than half a dozen actual games in the book.  It is mostly activities like filling out a worksheet with a peer or a small group, then processing the answers in a reflective group conversation.

DCF # 6

 
I just finished Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel.  This book is about a middle school boy named Ben Tomlin, who is going through lots of typical middle school stuff: liking girls, tangling with neighborhood menaces, moving across the country to be the new kid, struggling with making good marks, fighting with his dad, and learning to live with a baby chimpanzee as a brother.  Well, most of his life is typical except that last part!  It is 1973, and Ben's parents are Canadian scientists interested in studying chimps to see if they can acquire human language when "cross fostered" into a human home.  Pretty interesting stuff.  So, Ben has to get used to pretending this little chimp, Zan, is his baby brother.  Eventually, Ben comes to accept Zan as his brother, and by the end must take great leaps of faith to protect him from those who would hurt him. 

This book held my interest, and I quite enjoyed following the changes in both Ben and Zan as a result of Ben's parents' experiment.  The fast-paced, honest, first person narrative helped me to feel what Ben was feeling throughout the novel.  I do think the designation of YA (or Young Adult) is appropriate for this novel, as it does get a little deep into the realm of Ben's dating life and his fantasy love life.  Because of some of the mature themes, I wouldn't think the book would be appropriate for many students younger than 7th grade, and for that reason alone, I highly doubt this book will win the DCF award. 

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Another non-DCF book

Despite having taught for over a decade, I always feel I can learn more in the area of classroom management. I just read a book that has given me some great ideas ( and reminded me if old ones ) to implement this coming year. "Classroom Management Simplified" by Elizabeth Breaux is full of both time-honored and unique ideas for effectively managing a classroom. She offers solutions for everything from failure to complete homework to constant leaving of the seat to sharpen pencils. Whether you are a newbie or an old fart like me, there will be something in this book for you!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

DCF number 5

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> I have finally finished Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. This book won the
> National Book Award and has been nominated for the DCF as well. It is easy to see why the book won the NBA-- it is well written and gives compelling insight into the mind of a child with Asperger's Syndrome. I would be surprised, however, if the book won the DCF, since it may not be as appealing to young readers as others in the running. As an adult who has worked with children like the protagonist, Caitlin, I was very intrigued by the internal monologue that dominated the book. I was also interested in the overall premise: that of coming to a sense of closure after a devastating school shooting. It was easy to put down for days on end, though, because it lacked the fast paced narrative I have become accustomed to, and was inherently predictable. That being said, it is worth the read, especially if you know someone with Asperger's.
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