Wonder

Wonder
Written by R. J. Palacio
Ages 8-12

Auggie Pullman is about to start 5th grade at a new school, his first school, actually. He has been home schooled his whole life because he was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a normal school. But he is a normal kid in every other way. Convincing all the other kids of that, however, will be a challenge. This heartwarming realistic fiction takes a look at how powerful kindness can be and how much we can each learn and grow from our trials.

I really enjoyed this story. It is a quick read but provides a lot of depth. It actually made me really wish I had a class of my own so I could share it with them. It is funny, relatable, and tackles some big issues like bullying and empathy. It is definitely worth a read and, if you are so lucky as to have a class of your own, worth sharing! Here are a few ideas on how to use it:

Read Aloud
My first thought was that this would be an AMAZING read aloud story. It is full of big important lessons that every teacher and parent wants their children to learn. There are lots of great talking points and interesting subjects to discuss with a class. I would especially use this at the beginning of the year when everyone is trying to figure out who they are going to be and how to act around others. Even if everyone has been in the school for years, the beginning of a new school year is a fresh start and everyone feels kind of new. Some things to discuss:

• Kindness: One of Auggie's teachers challenges the kids, "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind." I love how the quote emphasizes that kindness is a choice. Each of us is capable of choosing to be kind and each of us deserves to be respected by others. Some of the kids in the story were probably afraid to be kind to Auggie because they didn't know how others would react. But they missed out on all the good things that come from being kind. How are Summer and Julian different? How are Summer and Charlotte different? Choosing to be kind can be more than not being mean. It can be more than just being nice. Let students share experiences when others were kind to them and when they were kind to someone else. What happened? How did they feel? One of my favorite things in my 5th grade class was a spotlight jar where students got to highlight the good deeds they saw happening in the classroom. Fostering an environment of kindness and friendship is so important to helping students grow.
• Empathy: One of the strengths of this story is that it is told through several different perspectives. Many characters get to speak to us and we learn a lot about each of them through their own words and thoughts. Since we are kind of stuck in our own minds and only see the world through our own eyes, it is helpful to remember that other people see the world differently. They each have their own problems, difficulties, and concerns. Auggie is so wrapped up in his experiences at school that he doesn't always understand why Via is upset. Via sees the changes making Miranda popular but doesn't understand the problems making her so sad. We often don't see the trials people hide but we all have them. Recognizing that everyone has good things and bad things going on in their life might help us choose to be kind a little more often.
• Bullying: Unfortunately, I don't think bullying will ever go away. It will always be something children (and adults) have to face at some time in some form. Along with kindness and empathy, I believe it would be helpful to discuss how the kids in the story hurt Auggie. Only one time does a bully physically hurt him, but there are many times that he is hurt. How do the kids hurt him with words? How do they hurt him with the things they don't do? What things can your students do to prevent that kind of bullying in their school?

Voice
I love that this story is told from the perspective of several different characters. As a reader, I get more than one perspective on events from the school year which is helpful in seeing the whole picture. And it is done very well! Palacio carefully considers the voice of the character narrating and his or her personality certainly shines through the writing. Some of the "background" characters that we might not really get to know get to speak to us in their chapters with their own quirks about their own concerns. Some, like Justin, even use their own teenage, casual, too-cool-for-capitals writing style. I remember our fifth grade class working a lot on the Six Traits of Writing (and I'm sure this starts in the younger grades). Voice can be a tricky one to show because it is kind of abstract. Wonder is a great example of Voice that can really help young students grasp what it means and start thinking about their own voice.

After talking about Voice and how it is used in this novel, I would want my students to practice. As an exercise, ask students to write about a personal experience from someone else's perspective. Preferably, this would be an event or story that they've already written about (possibly in their journal). They will have to think about the other person's personality, feelings, and opinions. How do they talk? What kinds of words do they use? This would be a fun opportunity to buddy up and share the two versions with a partner who can help identify the differences in voice.

Alternatively, ask the students to write a new chapter for Wonder from the perspective of someone else in the story. There are still many characters we don't hear from that would be really interesting to read. A few options would be Auggie's mom, Charlotte, Mr. Tushman, Miles or Henry. There are lots of new perspectives waiting to be explored.

Mr. Tushman (the principal at Auggie's school) knows there is something special about this fifth grade age. He tells them that this moment in their lives moves him, "because you're at the cusp, kids. You're at the edge between childhood and everything that comes after. You're in transition" (p. 299). We need more stories like Wonder to help inspire our children in that transition to be better, to try to understand others, and to choose kindness.

*Bonus! Here's a link to a great article with lots of stories and behind the scenes from Palacio. If you've read the book, you'll especially find it interesting!

Sausage and Cabbage Soup

We are a soup family. We love soup! We have soup at least once a week and have recently decided to branch out a bit and try a few new ones. My incredibly lucky husband gets delicious catered lunches at work EVERY day. Every night I ask him (with mouth watering) what he had that day and listen as he tells me about the exotic, fun, and fancy meals he was served that afternoon. Being a SAHM definitely lacks some perks... 

Anyway, one night he told me they had this really good sausage and cabbage soup. I was intrigued because I had never even heard of such a thing and, to be honest, it's probably not something I would normally pick out and want to try. But he raved about this soup! So we just had to try to recreate it. 

I searched online and found a few different recipes and decided to (mostly) follow this one. I like that it seemed pretty simple with lots of yummy veggies. All you have to do is:

• Cook 1 lb sausage (I just used Jimmy Dean) and drain on separate plate.
• Heat olive oil in pan and saute 1 cup diced onion and 3 cloves minced garlic with salt and pepper.
• Add 2-3 diced carrots, 2-3 stalks celery, and 2 potatoes (I didn't use celery root or turnips because, well, I've never actually used them before and this is what I had on hand. Maybe next time?) Cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 head of thinly sliced green cabbage and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Return sausage back to the pan and add 8 cups broth, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and 1 tablespoon thyme.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover, and cook for an hour. Uncover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. 

I've made this soup twice now and I always forget that you have to cook it forever. If you're starving and can't wait the whole hour, it's still pretty good. It's best to let some of the moisture cook out though. Otherwise it's too brothy. 

You should also know that this makes a LOT of soup. Definitely too much for two people (and a toddler) because we still have some in the fridge even after a week of eating it for leftovers (remember how my husband doesn't have to eat leftovers for lunch anymore? Spoiled). 

I'm so glad we tried this one because it is so good! Flavorful, filling, and loaded with veggies. So why don't you mix things up a bit and try it out this week? Let me know what you think!

These Is My Words

These Is My Words
Written by Nancy Turner

For the past month, I have been trying to convince just about everyone I have talked with to read this book. So I guess it's your turn now. After half of the characters I was introduced to died within the first twenty pages, I wasn't sure this book would be worth it, but it is. Just keep reading a bit and you will be as absolutely and completely hooked as I was.

This is a snapshot of the life of Sarah Agnes Prine from 1881 to 1901. It begins when she is a 17 year old girl traveling with her family from the Arizona Territories to greener pastures in Texas. This voyage (as well as a few others) and life in the Territories is shared from Sarah's perspective through a novel comprised of her diary entries. It's full of adventure, heartache, and a truly swoon-worthy romance. It's honest and funny. I don't think I have ever read a book that has simultaneously made me long for a life in a different era and also be so glad I don't live in it. Sarah is a lovable, relatable character who is hardworking, down-to-earth, intelligent, and stubborn. She has a thirst for knowledge and a knack for writing that make this novel inspiring and enjoyable.

"It seems there is always a road with bends and forks to choose, and taking one path means you can never take another one. There's no starting over nor undoing the steps I've taken. It isn't like I'd want to... It's just that I want everything, my insides are not just hungry, but greedy" (p. 309).

Since I'm sure you'll wonder how much, if any, of this diary is real, I'll tell you. The novel is a historical fiction, based on the real Sarah Agnes Prine, the great-grandmother of author Nancy Turner. As an assignment at a local junior college, Turner decided to write a short story about her great-grandmother Sarah and thus began These Is My Words. Turner says that while she had heard many stories of her great-grandmother, she didn't know many facts about her life. Turner used the only written documentation of her family's story available - a memoir written by Sarah's older brother, Henry, describing a wagon trip from Arizona to Texas. Turner used real events from Henry's memoir, actual places and dates that correspond with historical events, and real people that lived in Pima County at that time. However, there was no diary from Sarah's life. While many of Sarah's character traits are authentic, the details of her life were imagined by Turner. Many of the main characters were also created for the story. So, though it is based on a real person, it is a work of fiction. A fabulous work of fiction.

"Mama told me to make a special point to remember the best times of my life. There are so many hard things to live through, and latching on to the good things will give you strength to endure, she says. So I must remember this day. It is beautiful and this seems like the best time to live and the best place" (p. 327).

One of my favorite things about the story was watching Sarah grow up. We only see a glimpse of twenty years of her long life (the real Sarah lived into her nineties!), but they are perhaps the twenty years of the most growth, change, and life. She starts as a simple girl and becomes a loving wife, a strong mother, and a wise woman. I enjoyed watching her relationships change as she did, in particular her relationship with her mother. At one point Sarah explains, "I don't think I really knew my own mother until I had children" (p. 370). As a mother myself now, this made me long to really know my mother, for all my child-memories of her seem insufficient. I look forward to the day when I can sit and talk with her and really find out who she is. 

"We are driving away, and I look back over my shoulder with a strange feeling of parting. It is not a lonely feeling, but just as I am always sad to close the cover on a book, I feel I have finished with this part of my life and will have to begin a new book" (p. 286).

This quote is talking about books like These Is My Words. The kind of book that you don't want to finish so you stretch out the last twenty pages over a few days just so you can let it linger a little longer. Let this be your next novel; You won't regret it. Then give me a call so we can chat about it.

Five Books to Read this Halloween

There are hundreds of Halloween stories out there, maybe even thousands. To help you sift through some of the lame ones to find the real treasures, I wanted to share five of my favorites with you today. Since most of the books I read these days were written for people who can't tie their own shoes, you'll probably appreciate this list most if you have children. But even if you don't, I'm confident you'll find something on here to add to your Goodreads list. So without further ado, here is my list of five books you must read this Halloween. And please leave a comment and let me know one of your favorite spooky stories. I need to start my list for next year!


1. Goodnight Goon
Written and Illustrated by Michael Rex

This "Petrifying Parody" of Margaret Wise Brown's classic Goodnight Moon is a must-read this Halloween! Inside the cold gray tomb, we watch as a werewolf tries to go to bed while a naughty goon comes and terrorizes his room. You'll find the same catchy rhythm as the original but with "a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo" and lots of other hilariously Halloween-themed rhymes. No matter how many times you've read Goodnight Moon (in fact, the more the better), you'll certainly enjoy this silly version of the story.

2. Go Away, Big Green Monster!
by Ed Emberley

This is absolutely Leo's favorite story in the bunch. We've been reading it at least one time for every nap and every bedtime story (and usually a few times in between) since we checked it out from the library. This is a simple picture book that uses creative cutouts to build the Big Green Monster one feature at a time. But just as the monster reaches its scariest form, the reader declares that, "You don't scare me!" and the monster disappears just as quickly as he came.

I think his favorite part is the very last page that tells the monster, "and don't come back! ...Until I say so." He giggles every time. You should definitely check this one out for your favorite toddler!

3. Creepy Carrots!
Written by Aaron Reynolds
Illustrated by Peter Brown

Jasper Rabbit is the hungry main character in this story. He is passionate about carrots and loves to snatch up a couple for snacking whenever he passes through his favorite field. That is, until he starts getting the feeling those carrots are haunting him. He starts to see them everywhere and they are really creeping him out. He finally comes up with a plan that he thinks will stop those carrots from scaring him.

This one was a Caldecott Honor Book in 2013, so you know it's going to be just as fun to look at as it is to read. The illustrations are all done in black and white - and orange. The pops of orange make sure the reader thinks Jasper is just as crazy as he sounds. The text is simple, it's a quick read, and the pictures are engaging, which make this one a great story to share with your little ones. Especially if they like slightly weird, scary stories. But don't worry, this picture book parable has a happy ending.

4. The Graveyard Book
Written by Neil Gaiman

This is the story of Bod Owens, short for Nobody, who was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens. He is a mostly normal boy except that he lives in a graveyard and his adopted parents are ghosts. Because of his unique situation, Bod is given the "Freedom of the Graveyard," which means he can walk through walls and graves and is invisible to most humans while he's in the graveyard. And he's supposed to stay in the graveyard. But Bod doesn't always follow that rule so we get to follow Bod through many of his adventures as he learns about his mysterious beginnings, explores the strange world around him, and faces the villain that has been haunting him his entire life.

Both children and adults will love this uniquely spooky Newbery Medal-winning novel. There's something so sacred and alluring about a graveyard. While I enjoy imagining the people connected to the names found on tombstones, I've never imagined growing up in one! In Gaiman's story, you'll find ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves, and other mysterious creatures, but sometimes it's the regular old humans who are meaner and uglier. This is an adventure, a mystery, and a coming of age story all in one. Gaiman's magical writing and curious characters make this one a page-turner and a story that would be a lot of fun to read together with your slightly older kiddos or even your spouse this Halloween.


5. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Written by Mary Roach

When my 5th graders decided to keep a praying mantis as a class pet, I obligingly bought a bag of crickets each week to feed it. Although it was so disgusting, my eyes were glued to the cage every time "Gilbert" carefully watched its prey, snatched it with incredible speed, and then furiously ate the cricket. It was so gross and fascinating! Reading Stiff is a little bit like that. Mary Roach shares all kinds of horrifying ways cadavers have been used (and obtained) throughout history. But she weaves those facts with tons of interesting information about the helpful ways cadavers have contributed to our history as well. While some bodies are used in anatomy labs for future doctors and helped with new surgical procedures, Roach explores some lesser-known uses for cadavers as well: helping scientists study decomposition in order to pinpoint time of death and other crime scene investigation techniques, helping car manufacturers design safety features to save lives, and even helping plastic surgeons practice and perfect their facelift skills.

With so many unknowns about our life after death, it's fascinating to read about all the things we have learned about our bodies after death. And although it's a book with a morbid subject, it's anything but a somber story. Roach skillfully weaves respect and even humor into a book that might easily become depressing. It is a gripping novel that will teach you, disgust you, and amuse you all at the same time. What better way to celebrate the Day of the Dead?

A Pinocchio Halloween

I love Halloween! It's my favorite holiday. I usually feel slightly guilty for saying that because it's obviously not as meaningful as Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. It doesn't have a rich, patriotic history like Independence Day. It doesn't even cause you to reflect and set new goals like New Year's Day. But I can't help it. It's my favorite. There's just something about pumpkin cookies and spooky decorations that gets me really excited. And the costumes! I love a good reason to get creative and dress up. Halloween is the perfect time to dress up and play pretend all day long. And if you've got kids, you can dress them up HOWEVER YOU WANT! I've decided I really need to maximize on the years when I get to choose my children's costumes.

See? Halloween decorations are SO CUTE!

Last year I spent WAY too long browsing blogs and Pinterest for costume ideas but finally settled on a Pinocchio theme. It was just way too cute. It turned out to be quite the project to make his little costume, but it turned out so great. My two main inspirations came from For the Good Days (who breaks down each part of the costume) and Crafting Zuzzy (who helped me make the killer shorts and suspenders).

I'm glad he was as excited about his costume as I was

I like to call this my Goldilocks costume because the shorts took me three tries. I used her free pattern and the first pair were way too small. I tried to adapt the pattern on my own and the second pair came out way too big. I adjusted the pattern again and the third pair came out just right. It was a lot of work, y'all! She has updated her blog and you can now purchase some updated patterns and it might really be worth it!

I added some cool ribbon to the sides of the shorts to make them a bit more like Pinocchio's shorts and loved that it made them more authentic. A couple of large wooden buttons really completed the look.

I used an old white shirt for the collar and followed For the Good Days' DIY description. It took a little fiddling to get the sizing just right, but was pretty simple to sew. I've made lots of little boy bow ties and for the Pinocchio costume, I just made an extra large bow tie. I added some snaps to the collar and tie so I could just snap it on or slip it over his head. I found the yellow onesie for a few bucks at H&M.

The hat was definitely a little tricky. I looked at lots of pictures and costumes before drawing up my own pattern on some yellow felt and playing around with it until I came up with a shape I was happy with. I added some blue ribbon with hot glue and stuck in a single red feather.

I love a good theme so of course we had to play along. Jacob was a good trooper and let me dress him as Jiminy Cricket and I went as the Blue Fairy.

"I dub you Pinocchio's conscience, lord high keeper of the knowledge of right and wrong, counselor in moments of high temptation, and guide along the straight and narrow path. Arise, Sir Jiminy Cricket." It seemed appropriate that Pinocchio's father should be Jiminy.

"Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday, you will be a real boy."
-The Blue Fairy

Our costumes were pretty easy. I had made Jacob's pants a couple years ago for a 20's costume party and he already owned the socks, shirt, tie, and sweater. I sewed a very basic yellow vest (since it wouldn't show much) and hot glued some yellow ribbon on a blue top hat I bought at a Halloween store. I still had this amazing blue dress that I found at DI for a 70's party years ago. I knew it would come in handy again and I'm sure glad I held onto it. I bought the wings on clearance at Joann Fabrics and just added a blue headband.

"What are conscience! I'll tell ya! A conscience is that still, small voice that people
won't listen to. That's just the trouble with the world today..." -Jiminy Cricket

Everything came together so well! Pinocchio is a classic character, but not done very often. And it sure made a cute costume for my happy little guy!

Curious to know what we're doing for Halloween this year? I've got something great up my sleeve, so stay tuned to find out what happens!

LMNO Peas

LMNO Peas
Written and Illustrated by Keith Baker

From acrobats, artists, and astronauts all the way to zoologists, the little green peas in this story introduce themselves one letter at a time. The big, bright letters on each page are accompanied by cute round peas with arms, legs, and costumes that show us what they do best. It's filled with alliteration (which I love!) and great rhyming and rhythm that bounces through the pages.

This is a unique book that shows off some words you don't find in a typical ABC book for children - words like electricians, investigators, and parachutists. There is a wide variety of jobs, hobbies, and interests included, so everyone can find something with which they identify. It's snappy, fun to read, and more interesting than many of the other ABC books I have read to my little guy. Though he's not quite old enough to recite his ABCs yet, it won't be long until he can appreciate this one more fully!

Fun Fact! I learned a new word while looking up some info and pictures for this book! It's a cool one too: An abecedarian (noun, pronounced ay-bee-see-dair-ee-uhn) is a person who is learning the alphabet, or a beginner in any field of learning. It can also be an adjective describing something pertaining to the alphabet or something arranged in alphabetical order. For example, "This abecedarian book shows little green peas doing a variety of jobs to help abecedarians practice each letter of the alphabet."

This would be a great story to share with a classroom! Although its target audience is probably the younger grades, I had a few fun ideas for activities to help you use it in both younger and older elementary grades that I think all will enjoy.

First Day of School (older grades)
After introducing themselves, the story ends with the peas asking, "Who are you?" I was always looking for fun new ways to get students to introduce themselves during the first week of school. I love that the peas in this story introduce so many different roles. There are very specialized occupations like farmers and vets, but there are also many everyday activities, like listeners and readers, that many of us would use to describe ourselves. It would be so fun to see what the kids could come up with to describe themselves. Ask them to list the alphabet vertically on a piece of paper and give them enough time to think through each letter of the alphabet and come up with at least one role for each letter that describes them. They can be as serious as "painters" or as silly as "gigglers." Encourage them to be creative!

Jobs (younger grades)
Younger elementary grades often spend time discussing different roles of members in a community. In Utah, I know first graders identify roles of people in school and in the neighborhood. LMNO Peas can be a fun book to use in a lesson about identifying jobs. As you reread the story with the class, ask them which of these roles they can find in school? Which can be found in their community? Are any of them found in both? You could also make a class list of jobs not included in the book. I'm sure the students will have lots of ideas to contribute to your list.

Career Day
If you have a career day in your classroom, this would be a great story to share with them on that day or as an introduction to the special day. Invite students to dress up in the "uniform" of whatever they want to be when they grow up. Each student could draw his own picture of a pea as someone that he wants to become (or assign each student a different letter of the alphabet and ask them to illustrate one job for that letter). I love the diversity of jobs in the book and the idea of exposing students to careers they've never considered.

If you enjoy this one, be sure to check out Baker's other pea-inspired stories, 1-2-3 Peas (all about numbers) and Little Green Peas (all about colors).

April Fool's Day Cupcakes

Though I'm hardly a prankster, I definitely enjoy a well-played joke every once in a while. April Fool's Day can be a fun day to plan and carry out such a prank. One of my favorite memories of growing up is an April Fool's Day when I taped the sink sprayer "on" so that when someone turned the sink on, it would spray water all over them. My Dad thought it was pretty hilarious, too... And there was the classic prank I think someone in my family tried every year where you put a few drops of food coloring on a new stick of gum and let it dry. After carefully putting it back its foil wrapper, you casually offer your victim a stick of gum. When they start to chew it up (if they don't notice the drops of dye), their unsuspecting mouth would soon turn blue! Oh, those were good times.

I'm excited to start trying silly little pranks on my kids, but my little one is still too young to appreciate the humor. So instead, last year I pulled this one on my husband. I don't think he minded too much.

I also made these adorable TV Dinner cupcakes! We put a bunch in a big pot, put the lid on, and went to "deliver dinner" to a few of our friends. We told them there was a sign-up sheet passed around church that week to bring them dinner (which is often done for new mothers or other families in need of a meal, so it was plausible). It was so funny to watch their reactions of confusion or panic as they had already started to get dinner ready for the night. Ha! My husband is not a very good liar, so I got to do most of the talking...

They were really fun to make and only need a few special ingredients. A few notes:

• The "Peas and Carrots" cupcake looks best if you cover it completely (instead of leaving spaces in between the candies like I did). I used cut up orange Starburst for the carrots and green skittles for the peas. It's really hard to get enough green skittles to cover several cupcakes because there are only so many in a package. You could also use runts, M&Ms, or any other green hard candy.
• The "Mashed Potato" cupcake is probably my favorite. It's just white frosting piled high with a small well on the top. Drizzle caramel sauce on top for the gravy and plop a yellow Starburst in the middle as a pat of butter. Although it looks a little chewed, the secret to the butter is putting the Starburst in the microwave for a few seconds to soften up the corners a bit. Isn't it so cute?
• The "Chicken Leg" cupcakes take a little more work because you have to make the bones out of melted white chocolate, form it into a bone shape on wax paper, and stick them in the freezer for a few minutes. The cupcake is yummy covered in frosting and dipped in crushed up graham cracker crumbs.
• The "Dessert" cupcake is pretty self-explanatory. And very delicious. 

Did you pull any pranks this year? What are some of your favorite ones from past years? I'm always looking for fun new ideas to try!

Inspiration from Our Best Bites and Delectable Edibles: Check out their websites for more instructions and pictures. They also have some cute ideas for other foody cupcakes (I LOVE the spaghetti and meatballs!).