We are always looking for contributors for the blog. The books reviewed at Eat, Sleep, & Read! are those we’d recommend, and we aim to publish reviews the month in which a book is released. If you are interested in reviewing a book, please contact Lisa at fatimagals@aol.com. When submitting your review, please be sure to include a few essential pieces of information: your name, the title of the book, the date of publication, and the publisher.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Morrissey Autobiography
An audiobook of Autobiography by Morrissey is released on CD format in the US. The audiobook is read by acclaimed British actor David Morrissey.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
At the Party: “So What Do You Do?”
by BJ Ward
I say I’m an electriciantrying to connect the wires of the alphabet—
or a non-profit whiskey maker,
distilling to disquiet—
making myself giddy on sounds—
arranging a concert on the page
with a 26-piece band
the world is invited to—
or that Creation sometimes talks to me
and I try to build an ark of ink
that my fellow creatures
might find themselves in—
an admirable admiral animal—
I try to brew it
so that shock of pleasure
floats through it.
© BJ Ward. Both poems found in Jackleg Opera: Collected Poems, 1990 to 2013, IO Poetry Series/North Atlantic Books, 2013.
The Star-Ledger
by BJ Ward
287 was the long road to the newspaper plant
my black-handed father would ride beneath
the weight of a night sky.
A father who works the night shift
knows that weight, how it accumulates from within
when his mistakes and debt
begin to press on his children and wife.
And so went his life—
If the stars spelled something real,
they might spell the equation
that my father never mastered—
the news just ran through his hands
and what slid there left the black residue
of the world’s doings, pressed knowledge
that read like misaligned tea leaves in his hardening palms,
and in his life line and heart line and other lines
that would normally speak a fortune,
the night just accumulated itself—
a little sky he would spread over us
when the world redelivered him in the morning.
287 was the long road to the newspaper plant
my black-handed father would ride beneath
the weight of a night sky.
A father who works the night shift
knows that weight, how it accumulates from within
when his mistakes and debt
begin to press on his children and wife.
And so went his life—
If the stars spelled something real,
they might spell the equation
that my father never mastered—
the news just ran through his hands
and what slid there left the black residue
of the world’s doings, pressed knowledge
that read like misaligned tea leaves in his hardening palms,
and in his life line and heart line and other lines
that would normally speak a fortune,
the night just accumulated itself—
a little sky he would spread over us
when the world redelivered him in the morning.
Let It Snow
I wrote a long short story called “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle” in the book Let It Snow, which also features lovely stories from Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. This book has been published in translated editions as well. (John Green)
Teaching The Scarlet Ibis
·
Film & Literary Analysis, Chapter: “Reading in the Dark”
· geocities website with photo & write ups on the Scarlet Ibis
What Do I Read Next?
- The novel of German author Erich Maria Remarque All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) is a grimly realistic portrayal of experiences of ordinary German soldiers during World War I. Remarque's stance is staunchly anti-war. This novel has become the major classic fiction text relating to World War I for high-school and college students.
- In 1915, during World War I, the French Red Cross asked American novelist Edith Wharton to make a tour of military hospitals near the frontline to publicize the need for medical supplies. Wharton's articles about these visits to the frontline were collected and published in her book Fighting France from Dunkirk to Belforte (1915; reprinted by Greenwood Press in 1975).
- Mental Retardation in America: A Historical Reader (The History of Disability) (2004), edited by Steven Noll and James W. Trent, features essays by a range of authors who approach disability from differing points of view. It covers topics ranging from representations of the mentally disabled as social burdens and threats; the relationship between community care and institutional treatment; historical events such as the legalization of eugenic sterilization; the evolution of the disability rights movement; and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
- Joseph P. Shapiro's book No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement (1994) reviews how society's relations to disabled people has been affected by the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He draws on the stories of disabled people, including polio-afflicted activists, athletes, armed services veterans, and elderly people who owe their survival to medical and technological advances. While the author cites encouraging progress in disabled rights, he notes that disabled people still struggle to be accepted on equal, independent terms.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Teaching Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793
Discussion Activities: Explore and select one or more of these activities to complete.
1. If the primary obligation of historical fiction is to be true to the past and to tell a compelling story that engages its readers, does Fever 1793 meet this criterion? Defend your argument.
2. What separates Fever 1793 (historical fiction) and An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (dramatic narrative)?
3. Below is an edited transcript from Reading Rockets' interview with Laurie Halse Anderson. Read the clip entitled Digging up the facts and connect it to Betty Carter’s “When Dinosaurs Watched Black-and-White TV” in the Sutton book.
4. Teen Ink, a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos and forums posted a book review entitled Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The teen author claimed that “Fever 1793 was the book that led me to challenge myself and go for books outside of my recommended age group.” How might a book like Fever 1793 challenge a YA reader?
5. Matilda's narrative (her story) may be firmly planted in the late eighteenth century, but her prose, along with much of the novel's dialogue is of the twenty-first century. While you might find an eighteenth-century word or phrase thrown in here or there for color, the language has been, for the most part, modernized. (Taken from shmoop) http://www.shmoop.com/fever-1793/writing-style.html Historical fiction is believable as a portrait of the past. How can this novel remain believable despite its often obvious historical inaccuracies?
6. Anderson’s first historical fiction novel, Fever 1793, published in 2000, is used in schools all over the country. After receiving multiple national and state awards, it was adapted into a stage play in May of 2004 and performed at the Gifford Family Theater in Syracuse, New York. (Taken from Anderson’s bio at http://madwomanintheforest.com/laurie/ ) This book speaks to a variety of readers. As a librarian how would you display this book and its historical topic to attract students and adults?
7. Scan the five book praises below for Fever 1793 and decide if historical fiction has the potential to replace realistic fiction as the most popular form of YA fiction.
"Extremely well researched, Anderson's novel paints a vivid picture of the seedy waterfront, the devastation the disease wreaks on a once thriving city, and the bitterness of neighbor toward neighbor as those suspected of infection are physically cast aside. - Publisher's Weekly
"Readers will find this a gripping picture of disease's devastating effect on people, and on the social fabric itself." - Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will find this a gripping picture of disease's devastating effect on people, and on the social fabric itself." - Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will be drawn in by the characters and will emerge with a sharp and graphic picture of another world.” -School Library Journal, starred review
“A gripping story about living morally under the shadow of rampant death.”- The New York Times Book Review
“A vivid work, rich with well-drawn characters.”- VOYA
8. Author Laurie Halse Anderson has created a Pinterest board for Fever 1793. https://www.pinterest.com/halseanderson/fever-1793/ Which of her pins align with the Common Core ELA Standards? Could you see a teacher or a librarian using her board as a resource for this book?
9. According to Aronson and Bartle in the article Wondering how to put Common Core into practice? It’s easier than you think, “Clustering is the art of exploring a topic with a number of related resources, and it typically involves arranging those materials in attractive, student-friendly displays”. Create a cluster that includes Fever 1793.
10. When I researched the topic Fever 1793 and the Common Core, only a few teacher created lesson plans came up. Review the two lesson plans (summarized) below and create your own lesson idea that connects to one of the Common Core Standards.
Teaching Rachel Hartman's Serephina
Discussion Activities: Explore and select one or more of these activities to complete.
1. According to Aronson, “Fantasy was once seen as a lesser form of writing appealing to male social misfits.” View the official book trailer. Do you think that this video would appeal more to the male or female YA reader? Why?
2. Read the blog article “The Evolution of Dragons” and decide whether or not this book should fall under the category of realistic fiction or not. Defend your argument.
3. Listen to Maggie Stiefvater discuss on NPR “5 Young Adult Novels That You’ll Never Outgrow”. Read the introduction to the list and her description of Serephina. Do you think that Serephina is placed appropriately on this list? Explain.
4. Scan the book praises for Serephina and decide if fantasy has replaced realistic fiction as the most popular form of YA fiction. http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/seraphina/reviews.php
5. How does this book echo or treat contemporary issues such as immigration,
race, etc.?
6. At the end of the book there is a note that Hartman wrote Serephina while listening to medieval Italian polyphony, Breton bagpipe, rock, prog metal, Latin American baroque, and Irish sean nos. How does this book use/relate to music?
7. What do these different covers tell us about YA books and their readers?race, etc.?
6. At the end of the book there is a note that Hartman wrote Serephina while listening to medieval Italian polyphony, Breton bagpipe, rock, prog metal, Latin American baroque, and Irish sean nos. How does this book use/relate to music?
Teaching about migrant farm workers during the Dust Bowl using the Common Core Standards
Click here for Pinterest Boards created in alignment with CC ELA standards.
The collection of links provides an overview of the dust bowl years and
offers instructional support for teaching about migrant farm workers.
|
Teaching People of the Civil War with the Common Core Standards
Topic: The following selections are for a cluster on the people of the Civil War. Using these resources, teachers, librarians, and other educators can acquaint students with military leaders, presidents, ex-slaves, abolitionists, etc. to present a full picture of one most of the most important events in United States history. A close look at letters, diaries, speeches, and memoirs, allows them to talk about their experiences in their own voices, providing a personal insight into war. Age: middle school
Robert E. Lee: The Story of the Great Confederate General by Terry Collins, Illustrated by Cristian Mallea- Illustrated in graphic novel format, this text depicts Lee’s leadership in Antietam, Gettysburg, and other major battles as well as his surrender at Appomattox. There is additional information about Lee’s life, a timeline, a glossary, and a bibliography in the back of the book.
Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel written and illustrated by C.M. Butzer- Comic book artist Butzer lets Lincoln speak for himself, setting the 271 words of the Gettysburg Address against images by using primary sources—letters, diaries, and recorded dialogue. Also included are the author’s notes, a prose version of the Gettysburg Address, and a bibliography, with endnotes and a webliography.
Civil War Medicine 1861-1865 by C. Keith Wilbur, M.D.- This book takes you on a detailed tour through the medical history of the Civil War. There are hundreds of illustrations, which allow you to experience the Civil War through the eyes of its physicians and wounded.
Voices From America’s Past written by Steck-Vaughn Company- Through first-person narratives three participants describe the Civil War they witnessed. In his journal Union soldier John Haley shares his experiences at the Battle of Gettysburg. Mrs. Alfred Proctor Aldrich describes what happened when Sherman’s army camped in her Southern town. Ulysses S. Grant writes about the meeting with Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House.
Sojourner Truth: Speaking Up For Freedom by Geoffrey Michael Horn- This book is party of a series of biographies portraying the abolitionist movement and the right to free African-American slaves before and during the Civil War.
Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground Railroad by Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan, Illustrated by James Ransome- A look at artifacts retrieved from archaeological digs, information found in laws, receipts, petitions, letters, journals, and other written sources.
Photos By Brady: A Picture of the Civil War by Jennifer Armstrong- Armstrong tells the story of the Civil War as seen through the lenses of its recorders. This book includes photos from the struggle as it played out in Virginia and the East, and on the activities of the Union Army of the Potomac, President Lincoln, and the photography based in New York City and Washington.
Dear America: A Light in the Storm, The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin by Karen Hesse- Ida Lewis kept the Lime Rock Light burning off the Coast of Newport, Rhode Island, during and after the Civil War, taking over her father’s duties when he became too ill to serve. She saved twenty-two people in her career as Light Keeper. Amelia Martin was created in Ida Lewis’s image, and in the image of the other female Light Keepers.
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt- A story about a family from Southern Illinois and their personal struggles in the War Between the States.
Dear Ellen Bee: A Civil War Scrapbook of Two Union Spies by Mary E. Lyons and Muriel M. Branch- A scrapbook kept by a young black girl details her experiences and those of the older white women.
Websites with audio, video, and visual links:
Robert E. Lee: The Story of the Great Confederate General by Terry Collins, Illustrated by Cristian Mallea- Illustrated in graphic novel format, this text depicts Lee’s leadership in Antietam, Gettysburg, and other major battles as well as his surrender at Appomattox. There is additional information about Lee’s life, a timeline, a glossary, and a bibliography in the back of the book.
Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel written and illustrated by C.M. Butzer- Comic book artist Butzer lets Lincoln speak for himself, setting the 271 words of the Gettysburg Address against images by using primary sources—letters, diaries, and recorded dialogue. Also included are the author’s notes, a prose version of the Gettysburg Address, and a bibliography, with endnotes and a webliography.
Civil War Medicine 1861-1865 by C. Keith Wilbur, M.D.- This book takes you on a detailed tour through the medical history of the Civil War. There are hundreds of illustrations, which allow you to experience the Civil War through the eyes of its physicians and wounded.
Voices From America’s Past written by Steck-Vaughn Company- Through first-person narratives three participants describe the Civil War they witnessed. In his journal Union soldier John Haley shares his experiences at the Battle of Gettysburg. Mrs. Alfred Proctor Aldrich describes what happened when Sherman’s army camped in her Southern town. Ulysses S. Grant writes about the meeting with Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House.
Sojourner Truth: Speaking Up For Freedom by Geoffrey Michael Horn- This book is party of a series of biographies portraying the abolitionist movement and the right to free African-American slaves before and during the Civil War.
Freedom Roads: Searching for the Underground Railroad by Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan, Illustrated by James Ransome- A look at artifacts retrieved from archaeological digs, information found in laws, receipts, petitions, letters, journals, and other written sources.
Photos By Brady: A Picture of the Civil War by Jennifer Armstrong- Armstrong tells the story of the Civil War as seen through the lenses of its recorders. This book includes photos from the struggle as it played out in Virginia and the East, and on the activities of the Union Army of the Potomac, President Lincoln, and the photography based in New York City and Washington.
Dear America: A Light in the Storm, The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin by Karen Hesse- Ida Lewis kept the Lime Rock Light burning off the Coast of Newport, Rhode Island, during and after the Civil War, taking over her father’s duties when he became too ill to serve. She saved twenty-two people in her career as Light Keeper. Amelia Martin was created in Ida Lewis’s image, and in the image of the other female Light Keepers.
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt- A story about a family from Southern Illinois and their personal struggles in the War Between the States.
With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier- “Despite his promise to take care of his family, Johnny embarks on a bold mission to supply the Confederates, only to be taken prisoner by a runaway slave, in a novel that explores the reasons for the Civil War.”- (Amazon)
Dear Ellen Bee: A Civil War Scrapbook of Two Union Spies by Mary E. Lyons and Muriel M. Branch- A scrapbook kept by a young black girl details her experiences and those of the older white women.
Websites with audio, video, and visual links:
Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library highlights two collections at the Library of Congress that illuminate the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alhome.html
National Park Service- http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/people.htm From famous politicians to everyday citizens, people from all walks of life played important, sometimes revolutionary, roles during the war.
In this letter written in 1907, when he was an attorney at the Justice Department, Mosby furiously attacked the men who supported this mindset. Mosby expressed a complex and fascinating set of beliefs about the Civil War at a time when its history was just beginning to be written.
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/reconstruction/resources/former-confederate-officer-slavery-and-civil-war-1907
This 2-minute History Channel video portrays one of the first official black units in the United States armed forces during the American Civil War.
http://www.history.com/topics/the-54th-massachusetts-infantry/videos#gilder-lehrman-massachussetts-54th
Civil War interactive is a daily news source for Civil War related news, events, reviews, etc. and is free.
http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/index.htm
Encouraging Hearts, Strengthening Hands: Confederate Women Support the War Effort
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2flcW_FbnZU
Sound recording of an interview with John Salling, last surviving Confederate veteran: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-war-docs/#documents
Teacher resources:
US Civil War: Selected Resources (Maps, Music and Sound Recordings, Photographs, Resource Guides, For Teachers & Young Audiences, Text, Webcasts)http://loc.gov/rr/main/uscw_rec_links/digital.html
Free Civil War lesson plans designed by teachers for history and social studies teachers. Primary sources, maps, and other related resources are all easily downloaded.
http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers/lesson-plans/
Flocabulary Study Guides: Hip-Hop U.S. History by Blake Harrison and Alexander Rappaport- Chapter 8: Frederick and Abraham Lincoln (Interlude) Chapter 9: Ghosts of the Civil War (Original music and lyrics that brings history to life. This book has a CD inside with 14 songs using today’s music.
Flocabulary Study Guides: Hip-Hop U.S. History by Blake Harrison and Alexander Rappaport- Chapter 8: Frederick and Abraham Lincoln (Interlude) Chapter 9: Ghosts of the Civil War (Original music and lyrics that brings history to life. This book has a CD inside with 14 songs using today’s music.
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