Jen Robinson's Book Page

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 30: #JoyOfReading, #SchoolLibrarians + Happy Labor Day Weekend

August 30, 2019

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics for this light week include #Audiobooks, #ChildDevelopment, #HigherEd, #JoyOfReading, #literacy, #MentalHealth, #SchoolLibrarians, #SocialMedia, magic, parenting, publishing, and schools. Wishing those of you in the U.S. a relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Top Tweet of the Week

Depressing @latimes Op-Ed from #HighSchool teacher: My students don't read any more. Why? "Reading books has been sacrificed to the tyranny of texting and the dizzying array of #SocialMedia platforms." ow.ly/f1VW30pqtU7 #JoyOfReading

Growing Bookworms

#NoSummerSlide Week 13 @TheReadingTub – Abracadabra It’s Magical | #science + #literacy concepts behind #magic ow.ly/BVV130ppKFu

Higher Ed

Facing Criticism, College Board Drops Plans for #SAT Student Adversity Scores - @dougbelkin @WSJ ow.ly/jA0s30pqz4d | There will still be new metrics to track social + economic backgrounds, but no one index

To help first generation college students succeed, schools enlist parents ow.ly/lBpc30ppKE0 @hechingerreport via @MindShiftKQED | #HigherEd

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

Book Publishers Sue Amazon’s @audible_com to Block Coming #Audiobook Captioning Service - @JeffreyT1 @WSJ ow.ly/ekY730ppwik #Publishing

My daughter will not be heard from for a while. Our pre-order of BEST FRIENDS arrived | Thank you @haleshannon + LeUyen Pham + @01FirstSecond + all who make #GraphicNovels for helping give my child the #JoyOfReading [No link, but I thought book-lovers would appreciate it anyway.]

Parenting, Child Development + Play

Study Finds Kids w/ An Older Brother Have Poorer Language Skills Than Those w/ A Big Sister – @ResearchDigest @mattbwarren ow.ly/T5Ll30ppkbL #ChildDevelopment

How Can Parents + #Schools Help Kids w/ Anxiety? | @Kschwart @MindShiftKQED ow.ly/P5t930ppKDm #MentalHealth #Parenting

Youth Sports Have Gotten Too Crazy. They (Meaning Parents) Should Relax - @jasongay @WSJ https://t.co/jbihsLfVLJ?amp=1

Schools and Libraries

Decline in #SchoolLibrarians leaves students without information guides just as they need help w/ web-based info @Cate_M_May @dhnews https://t.co/y2lOkIhCBA?amp=1

Today's @WSJ reports Parents Face a Growing Barrage of Fees (for books, registration, libraries, etc.) as Students Head Back to Public #School. Have you seen this? ow.ly/69iB30pq71H @Tawnell

Posted at 06:15 AM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 23: #BackToSchool Books + Advice for Nurturing #JoyOfLearning

August 23, 2019

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week #Audiobooks, #BookAwards, #BookLists, #Cybils, #DiverseBooks, #EducationalEquity, #FreeRangeKids, #GraphicNovels, #GrowingBookworms, #Homework, #JoyOfReading, #NoSummerSlide, #OutdoorPlay, #reading, #SchoolChoices, #STEM, libraries, publishing, recess, and schools.

Top Tweet of the Week

Hey there, people who blog (incl. non-tradl platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc.) about #kidlit + #YA: It’s the 2019 #Cybils Call for Judges!! | Help select the best-written, most kid-friendly titles of the year ow.ly/pWr130poAMU

Book Lists + Awards

My Favorite Back to School #PictureBooks for 2019 – #BookList from @pernilleripp w/ older + newer titles https://t.co/dk3MrgZcSp?amp=1

Crack the Code! 9 Books About Puzzles and Codes for 9- to 12-Year-Olds | A #BookList my 9 y.o. will love from @denabooks @ReadBrightly ow.ly/rUNV30pnMjN #kidlit

Bridging the Gap Between #MiddleGrade and #YoungAdult: Upper Middle Grade – A useful #BookList from @MGBookVillage https://t.co/qgbmtJwoVk?amp=1

A contemporary, diverse 6th-8th Grade Back To School Reading List that @literacious "can guarantee kids will love" ow.ly/vbIy30pnij7 #BookList #DiverseBooks

Lodestar Award For Best Young Adult Science Fiction Or Fantasy Book Announced, reports @gail_gauthier ow.ly/zset30pnMwa | Congratulations to Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi @MacKidsBooks #SFF #YA

#Kidlit + #YA bloggers: You can find more details about the 2019 #CYBILS Call for Judges @literacious ow.ly/69Vt30poR1X | Identify excellent + kid-appealing titles in #fiction, #nonfiction, #poetry, #GraphicNovels + more

Growing Bookworms

On The Importance of #PictureBooks for babies, toddlers + older children | @vanessalobue @PsychToday ow.ly/VQmK30pmMJS #literacy #LoveOfBooks

Expert Tips for Keeping Busy Kids Connected to Books | Advice gathered by @olugbemisola @ReadBrightly ow.ly/mXMM30pnMlw | I especially liked “Nothing without joy!”

Ten Ways to Get Reluctant Adolescent Readers Reading by Sherri K. Wilcox @nerdybookclub ow.ly/x8DB30pninA #GrowingBookworms #ReadingCulture

#NoSummerSlide Week 12 – It’s a Secret, tips from @TheReadingTub to sneak in some #literacy while running Spy Training Camp! ow.ly/8hUt30pnipE | We did spy camp at our house a couple of summers ago :-)

I like this idea from @100scopenotes for #SchoolLibraries: Kids + Books + Instax (instant prints of kids w/ favorite books) ow.ly/P35M30po61M #JoyOfReading

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

In today's obvious news that I still appreciated, @WSJ reports that #GraphicNovels are taking off w/ young readers ow.ly/EQJA30po5qf #kidlit #JoyOfReading

I’d Rather Read With My Ears - @WSJopinion on the joys of #Audiobooks ow.ly/U33830po5vr | #reading

Breaking Down the Changes to E-Content in Your Local #Libraries: What You Need to Know — @FuseEightmow.ly/HV9930poRek #eBooks #Audiobooks #Publishing

Parenting, Play + Screen Time

RT @RitaPlatt: Free range children. It's hard. It's scary. But, parents, we have to let them play. Walk to the store, ride their bikes, find new friends, explore their world. Without our intervention. @NewYorkTimes11 nytimes.com/2019/08/17/opi

The Lonely Burden of Today’s Teenage Girls - new research by Mary Pipher and Sara Pipher Gilliam suggests many are becoming more anxious, depressed + solitary ow.ly/1LjN30pniEK @WSJ #SocialMedia

#Homework Doesn’t Have to Be a Constant Battle - an educational psychologist shares constructive ways to get kids to do their h/w ow.ly/aFT430poVqM | Clare Ansberry @WSJ #parenting

‘Adult Recess’ Is Booming, Because Being a Grown-Up Is Hard - @WSJ ow.ly/26rR30po5A0 | I say do what you like, as long as the people participating also support plenty of #recess for kids in #schools

Kids may need to learn to love nature - study finds preference for outdoors isn't a given in childhood + seems to increase over time ow.ly/O94930poR73 #OutdoorPlay @FuturityNews @drdouggreen

Schools and Libraries

Novelty and Mystery – ideas from @ReadByExample to capture students' attention + help them find #flow ow.ly/If0V30pnip5 | Engage the senses when #reading, + more

Public Support Grows for Higher #TeacherPay, School Spending and Expanded #SchoolChoice per 2019 @EducationNext Poll ow.ly/2eGN30po5Oh #CommonCore support also rebounding

Growing Advanced Placement in Montgomery County, MD to improve #EducationalEquity: interesting book excerpt @EducationNext ow.ly/DWgh30poRbq | #AP #schools

How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers | Cueing theory / MSV still being used in #ReadingInstruction despite being debunked by cognitive scientists, says @apmreports @ehanford https://t.co/4m414Cw61N?amp=1

Distracted students? San Mateo CA High is locking up cell phones ow.ly/6amI30po5h1 @mercnews #Yondr #schools

This is pretty neat: #Library receipt goes viral after reader saves more than $7,000 (over time) by borrowing books ow.ly/hZy430pmMQk | via @tashrow

STEM

How Revising #Math Exams Turns Students Into Learners, Not Processors | @MindShiftKQED @KaraNewhouse ow.ly/dAZx30poRBR #GrowthMindset

Posted at 06:00 AM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

Literacy Milestone: Sneaking in Amazon Pre-Orders

August 21, 2019

I use Amazon to look up release dates for upcoming books of interest, many of which I add to my daughter's and my wish lists. The other day, after one such check-in, I gave my daughter permission to preorder the upcoming Dork Diaries book (Tales from a Not-S0-Best Friend Forever, due out Oct. 22). I figured, who am I kidding? We're GOING to end up buying it one way or another. That was fine.

However, when I logged in to my Amazon account the next morning, I found four new preorders. In addition to the Dork Diaries book, someone had also preordered:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 14: Wrecking Ball (Nov. 5) by Jeff Kinney
Big Nate Hug It Out! (Sept. 3) by Lincoln Peirce
Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl (Sept. 3) by Ben Hatke

When confronted with this, my daughter claimed that she was only trying to add the others to her wish list and that they had been ordered by accident. I consider this implausible, though not out of the question. Her case is supported by the fact that the only titles that she requested were preorders, but undermined by the fact that further investigation on my part revealed that we had preordered not one but two copies of Guts by Raina Telgemeier (Sept. 17).

As a parenting matter, I have canceled a couple of the preorders and threatened to turn off one-click ordering on my laptop if it happens again. But as a bookworm-nurturer, I must admit that it made me laugh. Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Posted at 01:47 PM in Literacy Milestones, Love of Books, Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (4)

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 16: Preschool Books, Literary Lots + Deep Work in Schools

August 16, 2019

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #AchievementGap, #BookLists, #DiverseBooks, #HigherEd, #homework, #introversion, #JoyOfReading, #NoSummerSlide, #OwnVoices, #play, #SocialMedia, libraries, privacy, reading, schools, and writing.

Top Tweet of the Week

64 #Preschool Books You Didn't Know You Needed, #PictureBook #BookList from @momandkiddo organized by theme: nature, imagination, folklore, etc. https://t.co/1M0SYryBrS?amp=1

BookLists

This week in the @literacious Summer of #Nonfiction: #GraphicNovels ow.ly/Hziu30pmeDZ | Useful #BookList for parents of GN-obsessed kids being nudged to read more nonfiction at school

The First Day and Beyond: 8 #PictureBooks About Kindergarten for Kids | #BackToSchool #BookList by Dena McMurdie @ReadBrightly https://t.co/CV5laYbCC6?amp=1

Diversity + Gender

The Struggle between #DiverseBooks and #OwnVoices – @MGBookVillage ow.ly/KMg730pkhvm | Suggestions per @SaadiaFaruq for "white readers + writers ... who’d rather be on the right side of the #OwnVoices struggle"

Events, Programs + Research

A #college degree still pays off for most students, but not for everyone (inflation, flat wages) ow.ly/ux5230pkhRz @JMitchellWSJ #HigherEd | Not covered in this piece is the people who fail to graduate but incur debt

4 new studies bolster the case: More money for schools helps low-income students, though how the money is spent matters, too ow.ly/MHXy30pmkeL @matt_barnum @Chalkbeat #SchoolFunding

Growing Bookworms

Super cool! @LiteraryLots (temporary, real-life constructions of popular children's book scenes) spread #JoyOfReading in Cleveland neighborhood ow.ly/ypsH30pkKCC @GMA

Creating a #Reading Culture in the Classroom by @annhagedorn @nerdybookclub ow.ly/uMRq30pkyAI | Ideas for #teachers to nurture #JoyOfReading, like student #BookTalks

#NoSummerSlide Week 11 – What’s the Word? #WordGames for developing + older readers ow.ly/46pK30plczs #literacy @TheReadingTub

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

Ideas for Teaching #Writing A Book Review by Carrie Rodusky @nerdybookclub ow.ly/v3x830pkhGg | "The IDEA is the basic skill of writing, NOT sentences" + "Make writing meaningful" for students

A #SocialMedia Guide for #Introverts - @WSJ ow.ly/trM630plbIo | "recent research suggests that it is introverts who benefit most from using social media" even if they find it challenging to do

A call for #teachers by @thereadingzone to look at whether people you follow on Twitter + Instagram are there for their own self-promotion or to share pedagogy? @Medium #SocialMedia https://t.co/QzrUPmVJxX?amp=1

New CEO James Daunt Wants to Make Barnes & Noble Your Local Bookstore, run like collection of #IndependentBookstores ow.ly/qPg130pkk30 @BNBuzz @WSJ @SaabiraC

Parenting + Play

This! We should take a lesson from Finland, follow doctors’ orders + build our schools, homes + communities on the #learning language of children: #play ow.ly/HoY930pki2m @pasi_sahlberg + @williamdoylenyc @WSJopinion

Schools and Libraries

#HighSchools + #Colleges Fight Websites That Sell #Homework Help - @Tawnell @WSJ ow.ly/BA1L30plxuc | This is basically out in the open as a service now

#AchievementGap question still unanswered in #CA despite #LCCF spending | @DanCALmatters ow.ly/lDLl30plxsC | #EducationalEquity

Memphis 3rd grade #reading scores dip as district builds case for retaining students ow.ly/VICI30pki9P @kebedefaith @Chalkbeat

Department of Unpopular Opinions: The Skillful Management of Attention is the Key to Success in a High-Tech Society | @Doug_Lemov shares implications of #DeepWork by Cal Newport for #schools ow.ly/3qYq30pkBEX #Focus

Another review of #TheKnowledgeGap by @natwexler ow.ly/9E7g30plork "Anyone who seeks to understand ... educational ideas in American #schools and beyond should place it on the top of their #SummerReading list" @greg_ashman

Knowledge Only Adds to #Reading; I Don't See How It Subtracts - @Doug_Lemov on how students are enjoying a knowledge-driven ELA curriculum https://t.co/URLme1B6d0?amp=1

Sigh. Amid a #literacy crisis, Michigan’s #SchoolLibrarians have all but disappeared ow.ly/Sj5y30pkKxr @levin_koby @Chalkbeat | The @Scholastic #KFRR, among other studies, showed that librarians help nurture #LoveOfReading

How the New York Public Library Guards #Privacy in the Digital Age - Amber Burton @WSJ ow.ly/ijCm30plc2h @nypl | @TonyAgeh: #Libraries are a "sanctuary of sorts"

Posted at 05:45 AM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: August 14: Summer Wind-Down Edition

August 14, 2019

Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, mainly bookworms, but also mathematicians and learners of all types. The newsletter is sent out every three to four weeks.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have one book review (middle grade speculative fiction) and four short posts in a new series that I'm calling "Bookworm Moments", celebrating reading-related incidents with my daughter. In the first, my daughter badgers me to continue buying her picture books. In the second, she packs a stack of "backup books" for reading by the pool. In the third, I enjoy hearing her giggle to herself as she reads on our balcony. In the fourth, I let her read on her own in the cafe of a small local grocery store. I have also published four posts with literacy and reading-related links that I shared on Twitter. Since there are so many, I've included only the most recent one in the newsletter. You can find the previous three here: July 19th, July 26th and August 2nd.

Reading Update: In the last four weeks I finished one middle grade title and 10 adult titles (six fiction and four nonfiction). I read/listened to:

Robert Beatty: Serafina and the Seven Stars. Disney Hyperion. Middle Grade Fantasy. Completed August 8, 2019, print ARC. My review.
Todd Borg: Tahoe Killshot (Owen McKenna, No. 4). Thriller Press. Adult Mystery. Completed July 21, 2019, on Kindle.
Todd Borg: Tahoe Silence (Owen McKenna, No. 5). Thriller Press. Adult Mystery. Completed July 23, 2019, on Kindle.
Paul Doiron: Almost Midnight (Mike Bowditch). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed July 24, 2019, on MP3. I've enjoyed this series, especially the Maine setting (and the accents of the narrator). But I did feel with this one like the author was veering a tiny bit into agenda-driven territory. I'm sure I'll still read the next one, but if that trend continues I'll be done. (It doesn't matter what the agenda is, the slightest whiff of didacticism can turn me off.)
Robby Soave: Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump. All Points Books. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 1, 2019, on Kindle. In this book, libertarian Robby Soave attempts to explain the actions of "Zillennials" (millennials and Gen-Z), and in particular ways in which they sabotage their own agendas.
Todd Borg: Tahoe Avalanche (Owen McKenna, No. 6). Thriller Press. Adult Mystery. Completed August 6, 2019, on Kindle. I've continued to enjoy this series (clearly), though after this one I decided to take a break. I've downloaded the next one, though, and am keeping it ready for my next reading slump, when I need a "go-to" title.
Ruth Ware: The Death of Mrs. Westaway. Gallery/Scout Press. Adult Mystery. Completed August 7, 2019, on Kindle. I enjoyed this twisty modern gothic mystery, which kept me awake on an airplane ride. Definitely recommended.
Natalie Wexler: The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it. Avery. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 9, 2019, on Kindle. In this book, Wexler posits that the problem with the US education system is a lack of teaching of content in the elementary years, in favor of skills. She presents what I found to be a compelling case. This is a rare book that I believe will change my thinking and actions. I highly recommend it. I hope to find time to write more about it, but meanwhile, here is a good review from Daisy Christodoulou at TES.
Pasi Sahlberg and William Doyle: Let the Children Play: How More Play Will Save Our Schools and Help Children Thrive. Oxford University Press. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 10, 2019, on Kindle. I do believe in the general premise of this book, that schools (particularly those servings Pre-K to 3) should incorporate considerably more play and recess than they do. And I was encouraged by various examples cited by the authors that suggest movement in this direction, after years of going the other way. However, I found the book itself too full of anecdotes and extended quotations for my taste. I skimmed a fair bit. I also thought that the authors lumped together ALL school reform efforts ever as deeply flawed and based on impure motives, without presenting much evidence to that effect. I much preferred Natalie Wexler's book. I hope to write more about this one, too, but in the meantime, here's a review by William Doyle at EducationNext that captures the strengths and weaknesses that I observed in the book.
T. Jefferson Parker: The Room of White Fire (Roland Ford, No. 1). G.P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Mystery/Thriller. Completed August 10, 2019, on Kindle. I enjoyed the characters in this book (about a PI who hunts for missing people, while grieving his deceased wife), but found some of the content (descriptions of torture) too dark. I had to skim, and was glad that I wasn't listening on audio.
Jeanne Safer: I Love You, but I Hate Your Politics: How to Protect Your Intimate Relationships in a Poisonous Partisan World. All Points Books. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 11, 2019, on Kindle. This isn't really something that I struggle with in my family, but I am interested in the general state of discourse in today's partisan environment. This is a fairly quick read, and I agreed with the author's main point that trying to change anyone else's core beliefs is futile and destructive.

I'm reading The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes by David Robson and listening to Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Oddly (or perhaps not), I just read about the same research regarding learning and struggle in both books at the same time. I'm not making a lot of progress with audiobooks because I've been listening to various podcasts, but I am enjoying Range. I haven't been reading aloud to my daughter very much, I must confess (travel, etc.), but I expect to get back into our breakfast reading routine once school starts next week. I need to give some thought to what book to read together next. Harry Potter 6 was too dark for my daughter, I think, but I personally am ready for something a bit more substantive than the Wimpy Kid books. We'll see...

My daughter packed 13 books for a recent vacation to Boston and then somehow coaxed her aunt into buying her four more at the bookstore (I think it was a buy three get one free kind of thing, but still...). Her current obsession is the Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce. I had pointed those out at the library many times, in my quest to keep her supplied with graphic novels, but she was never interested. I'm not sure what sparked her to want them now, but she's happily devouring them. She also quite liked the third book in the Mr. Wolf's Class series by Aron Nels Steinke, Lucky Stars, pronouncing it the best of the series. She has several others for which she is eagerly awaiting preorders.

In general, she seems to be reading more as summer vacation draws to a close. I only hope that I can help her to continue this once school starts and a stronger focus in 4th grade on AR points rears its ugly head. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Posted at 12:17 PM in Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (2)

Serafina and the Seven Stars: Robert Beatty

August 12, 2019

Book: Serafina and the Seven Stars
Author: Robert Beatty
Pages: 352
Age Range: 8-12

Serafina and the Seven Stars is the fourth book in Robert Beatty's Serafina series (and the first book in quite a while to inspire me to write a formal review). I have previously reviewed books two and three: Serafina and the Twisted Staff and Serafina and the Splintered Heart, but you should certainly start with book one: Serafina and the Black Cloak. This review does contain spoilers for the previous books, so stop here if you have not read the others.

The Serafina books feature a girl who is being raised at the Biltmore Estate in the North Carolina mountains around the turn of the 20th century. Serafina, adopted as a baby by the household maintenance man, has the power to transform between girl and mountain lion. With help from Vanderbilt nephew Braeden, her best friend, Serafina has established herself as Guardian of the Biltmore Estate, which is regularly besieged by dark forces.

In this fourth installment, set during hunting season in 1900, Serafina finds herself separated from Braeden and facing her most threatening challenge yet. I read a lot and I always appreciate books like this one in which I can't figure out what's going on any sooner than the main character does. I found Serafina and the Seven Stars to be suspenseful as well as moving. I especially appreciated Serafina's developing relationships with the Vanderbilt family and her own father.

I love Beatty's blend of lyricism, humor, and mystery. Like this:

"She loved to run with her feline brother and sister through the forest, but they were pure mountain lions, not catamount shape-shifters, so she couldn't strategize with them, sneak through the house with them, make secret plans, devise ingenious traps, kill demons, or do any of the things that normal friends did together." (Page 20, ARC)

The Biltmore Estate is essentially a character in all of the books, an attribute (fascinating and complex house) that I always find appealing. If anything, this is even more true in book four, as Serafina moves further out of the shadows and into the household. There's also an engaging new character who promises to play a part in future books.

Like the other books in the series, Serafina and the Seven Stars is a bit dark for middle grade readers. There are desperate battles and violent deaths, as well as a strong atmosphere of foreboding. Although Amazon lists this title as being for ages 8-12, I personally expect to hold off on offering these books to my daughter until she is ten. Perhaps by then there will be a book five, and she can devour them all in a single burst.

In short, I found Serafina and the Seven Stars to be a highly satisfying addition to the Serafina series, and I hope that Robert Beatty will continue to add titles to this fantasy universe. [See also Willa of the Wood, a companion novel.]

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

© 2019 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Posted at 06:12 AM in Late Elementary School, Newsletter, Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 9: Learning Disabilities, Cybils Awards + National Book Lovers Day

August 09, 2019

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #Audiobooks, #BookLists, #Cybils, #EthnicStudies, #FlexibleSeating, #GrowthMindset, #JoyOfReading, #KnowledgeGap, #NationalBookLoversDay, #NoSummerSlide, #Play, #ScreenTime, #STEM, #TriggerWarnings, learning, nonfiction, schools, teaching, and writing.

Top Tweet of the Week

Dispelling Myths Around #LearningDisabilities | Report: 1 in 5 students struggle w/ learning or attention issues. Only 17 percent of teachers feel prepared to support them @YoukiTerada @edutopia https://t.co/tRZK8qspAE?amp=1

Book Lists + Awards

The 2019 #CybilsAwards (for high quality, kid-friendly #kidlit) are COMING soon. Nominations open 10/1 | Get your new logos here: ow.ly/6qAj30pjzTx

The Best So Far: 2019 #PictureBook Biographies Done Exceedingly Well, per @fuseeight ow.ly/K3ZT30pjA5m #BookList #nonfiction

Library Collections: Beginning #ChapterBook Series | Jennifer Wharton analyzes her collection by genre, protagonist, reading level + more. Great resource for #librarians looking for ideas ow.ly/NvGz30pjzSx

Diversity + Gender

Editorial Board @latimes | California's proposed new #EthnicStudies curriculum is jargon-filled and all-too-PC + "is more about imposing predigested political views on students than about widening their perspectives" https://t.co/3LLdFOh3yu?amp=1

Events, Programs + Research

Tomorrow (8/9) is #NationalBookLoversDay. "Sit back, relax and READ! Don’t forget to share the #JoyOfReading w/ the young people in your life." @NationalDayCal https://t.co/1vwi8GmDXw?amp=1

Growing Bookworms

Early August #LiteracyTips Newsletter (excerpt) from @TheReadingTub w/ resources for using #audiobooks w/ kids ow.ly/2MJJ30pjA9f | Yes, listening to books IS #reading

#NoSummerSlide Week 10 @TheReadingTub – Where in the World? Guiding kids in exploring their world + interests more deeply ow.ly/5Xnb30pjzUn #literacy #SummerLearning

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

3 Reasons Your Students Hate #Writing w/ suggestions for what to tell them, from @paul_emerich https://t.co/J8kyKVcCOR?amp=1

Parenting + Play

Moving Grows the Brain + is key to success for #students - "Our mind needs us to move and exercise for its health just as much as our body does." @MarlaSzwast ow.ly/8v7e30pjzWO #OutdoorPlay

Schools and Learning

The case for #teaching about sharks and mummies, not captions and the main idea, to build student engagement + #LoveOfReading ow.ly/lfB830pjAlz @natwexler @Chalkbeat #KnowledgeGap

A Proof Point for the Value of #GrowthMindsets | David Yeager @FutureEdGU ow.ly/Hl2y30pjAnm @nature #learning

The #FlexibleSeating Spectrum – @paul_emerich shares his evolving thoughts after discussion w/ his #PLN ow.ly/35CF30pjzXG | #teaching

Toddler brains resist learning from screens, even video chat. "The best way for infants + toddlers to learn... is through positive interactions w/ an adult" ow.ly/1Z8130pjzN0 @yordygirl @medical_xpress via @drdouggreen

Evolving thoughts from @pernilleripp + her #PLN On #TriggerWarnings for #ClassroomLibraries and Potential #Censorship

#HighSchool Naps May Boost Learning for Sleep-Deprived Teenagers - @SarahDSparks @educationweek https://t.co/xbcpQq8Okw?amp=1

STEM

#STEM Tuesday Spin Off: Oh, Those Summer Nights Edition – @MGBookVillage ow.ly/oCWc30pjRKs | #Kidlit featuring creatures of the night, starry skies, cookouts + more

This is neat: A giant Rube Goldberg machine is being assembled at @TheTechInteract in San Jose. Team is aiming for a @GWR for longest chain reaction. ow.ly/nPw530pjRt7 #STEM #CivilEngineering

Posted at 06:56 AM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

#BookwormMoments: Reading in the Grocery Store

August 06, 2019

This post continues my new series on "Bookworm Moments" experienced with my 9-year-old daughter.

The other day my daughter and I went to the library, where she checked out the two Dork Diaries books that she doesn't already own (though she had read them both before). Naturally enough, she started reading one of them [Tales from a Not-So-Dorky Drama Queen] right away.

She was outraged when I told her that to make a quick stop at the small local grocery store, declaring that this would cut into her reading. I told her that I would let her sit in the little cafe area in front of the store and read while I shopped. Thus I was able to encourage her love of reading AND boost her independence a bit. A bookworm parenting win, I say.

I will admit that as I went around the end of each aisle, I looked over to make sure she was still there. I wouldn't have done it this a bigger store, or one in a less familiar area. This is a store where I run into at least one person I know every time I go there. We ran into two people yesterday, one of whom realized it was us when she noticed a child walking through the parking lot reading.

Thanks for reading! Wishing you all plenty of summer bookworm moments for yourselves.

Posted at 06:05 AM in Bookworm Moments, Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (0)

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 2: Attendance Awards, Rereading, Happiness + Birthday Books

August 02, 2019

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #BookLists, #GraphicNovels, #HigherEd, #JoyOfReading, #KidLitCon, #Math, #NoSummerSlide, #Play, #ReadAloud, #ReReading, #ViewpointDiversity, #VocationalEd, parenting, reading, and writing.

Top Tweet of the Week

Why You Should Put Down Your Phone And Say Hello To A Stranger. Even brief eye contact increases people's sense of inclusion + belonging + thus > #happiness. ow.ly/7VYi30pe4F1 @NicolausWriting @NPR

Book Lists

9 Books to Celebrate #NationalMilkChocolateDay - Delicious #BookList from @literacious ow.ly/SoBm30pezWE | I kind of want to watch the original #WillyWonka movie now

A Roundup of #PictureBooks for a Hot Summer Day ow.ly/W6BM30pe7ON | #BookList from @randomlyreading

Top 30 Picks for Social Emotional Learning #PictureBooks from @thisreadingmama ow.ly/b1gg30pgfR0 | #SEL #BookLists

Diversity + Gender

You’re probably making incorrect assumptions about your opposing political party. That's a recipe for national decline if we can't work to better understand our opponents @arthurbrooks @washingtonpost ow.ly/8jTC30pe4wa #ViewpointDiversity

UC imposes political litmus test on faculty | In the name of #diversity test would make the overwhelmingly liberal UC faculty even less ideologically diverse says @DanCALmatters ow.ly/jU2Z30pezp2 #IdeologicalDiversity #ViewpointDiversity #HigherEd

Events, Programs + Research

Announcing #KidLitCon 2020 in Ann Arbor, MI! – @KidLitCon @alibrarymama ow.ly/8DQJ30pfIhZ | The theme of this year's conference for #KidLit bloggers + authors is "Seeing Clearly" [2020 KidLitCon logo designed by Sarah Stevenson and Heather Pacheco.]

Growing Bookworms

Great stuff on the Benefits ( #JoyOfReading + #literacy skills) for kids of #Rereading this week @Books_Between + conversation w/ @dataquilter from @Scholastic https://t.co/S8fH6bUXPm

Love this! #Reading specialist + #SchoolLibrarian create after-school workshop for #GraphicNovel geeks to read, celebrate + create GNs ow.ly/XqRg30pe4eL | @fitzbtwnshelves + @megangrant87 @nerdybookclub

The Power Of 'Just #Reading' A Good Novel | ow.ly/HhIl30pfaa8 Teachers "might want to try spending less time on “skills” and more on just plunging into a good, long story", boosting #ReadingComprehension + #JoyOfReading | @natwexler @Forbes

#NoSummerSlide Week 9 @TheReadingTub – Let’s Go to the Movies ow.ly/Z2vp30peA3v | I like the Book or Movie Competition idea to include #literacy

Classroom Birthday Book Basket Idea from @growingbbb : Fill a Basket w/ Birthday-Themed #PictureBooks + let birthday child select a #ReadAloud https://t.co/RhjjK0pJ23

HigherEd

Depth Over Breadth: The value of #Vocational Education, including in-depth study, in U.S. #HighSchools @EducationNext ow.ly/YltR30pfwcV #WorkforcePrep #HigherEd

Sigh. College Financial-Aid Tactic / Loophole: Wealthy Parents Transfer Away Legal Guardianship of Their Teens so Kids Get Need-Based Aid - @dougbelkin @WSJ ow.ly/wap030pfdIV #HigherEd

Follow-Up: The College #FinancialAid Guardianship Loophole and the Woman Who Thought It Up ow.ly/v3eX30pghpd @dougbelkin @WSJ #HigherEd

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

Thoughts on children's literature that refers to children's literature (vs. prior references more to classic adult literature) - Clémentine Beauvais @AwfullyBigBlog ow.ly/4XUE30peA4w #kidlit

Why Teachers Should Write, reflectively + for an audience, w/ tips for getting started - @JustinMinkel @EdWeekTeacher ow.ly/uJ3630pggvf | #writing #teaching

Why #Writing Sucks and We Need to Talk About It | @pernilleripp on the need to be direct about issues students have w/ writing ow.ly/nTSW30pdDPS | #WritingIdentity #JoyOfLearning

Parenting + Play

Author #JohnMarsden on the 'toxic' #parenting pandemic: 'By limiting children’s exposure to danger ... we are limiting their ability to mature, develop resilience + independence" @Celina_Ribeiro_ @guardian ow.ly/I8GV30pf9Vo via @gail_gauthier

#FacialRecognition Tech Comes to Schools + Summer Camps - ow.ly/yxD330pggfo @juliejargon @WSJ | As a parent, I intend to steer clear of this for as long as possible, though it's probably inevitable

Schools and Libraries

How Attendance Awards (at least for older kids) Backfire | @UKnowHGSE @leahjshafer ow.ly/35rL30pezhG | Awards intended to motivate can do the opposite | #ExtrinsicMotivation

#EducationPolicy Helped These States Beat the Socioeconomic Curve. @MichaelPetrilli @EducationNext https://t.co/Ao3ZeRjP6r posits that national trends in test scores are driven mostly by economics, but some states transcend that via policies

How Might We Remove the “Floaties” & Give Students “Goggles” Instead? This is, how can #teachers set conditions for students to push themselves forward? #TeacherMom @HonorsGradU ow.ly/gheU30pg6Py

STEM

Using #Play to Teach #Math | ow.ly/mzg030pezYy | @MatthewOldridge @edutopia via @drdouggreen | #Flow #GuidedPlay #STEM

Posted at 06:12 AM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jen Robinson's Book Page

Helping parents, teachers, and librarians to grow joyful learners: bookworms, mathematicians, scientists, artists + more

Posts from August 2019

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 30: #JoyOfReading, #SchoolLibrarians + Happy Labor Day Weekend

August 30, 2019

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 23: #BackToSchool Books + Advice for Nurturing #JoyOfLearning

August 23, 2019

Literacy Milestone: Sneaking in Amazon Pre-Orders

August 21, 2019

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 16: Preschool Books, Literary Lots + Deep Work in Schools

August 16, 2019

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: August 14: Summer Wind-Down Edition

August 14, 2019

Serafina and the Seven Stars: Robert Beatty

August 12, 2019

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 9: Learning Disabilities, Cybils Awards + National Book Lovers Day

August 09, 2019

#BookwormMoments: Reading in the Grocery Store

August 06, 2019

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: August 2: Attendance Awards, Rereading, Happiness + Birthday Books

August 02, 2019