Read Around the Planet

Please enjoy the power point we made to showcase our state, hometown, and school.

5th Grade - Dying to Meet You

The results are in and fifth grade voted to read Dying To Meet You.

Discussion Question #1 (both for Burnett's and Culver's classes)

Do you think Seymour will make enough money to buy Spence Mansion?  Please explain your answer.

5th Grade - Dying to Meet You

The results are in and fifth grade voted to read Dying To Meet You.

Discussion Question #1 (both for Burnett's and Culver's classes)

Do you think Seymour will make enough money to buy Spence Mansion?  Please explain your answer.

Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury

Students in 5th grade are reading Calvin Coconut:  Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury.

Check out Graham Salisbury's web page to read more about Mr. Salisbury and Calvin Coconut:  Trouble Magnet, which is part of a series.

Discussion Question #1 - Burnett

Where and how do you think Calvin is going to find the centipede?

Discussion Question #1 - Culver

Do you think Calvin is going to run in to Tito on his way back to get Darci?  Why?

Discussion Question #2 - Burnett

Do you think Stella and Calvin will become close friends, especially after the "lock" incident?  Why or why not?

Discussion Question #2 - Culver

Would you like for the library to order other Calvin Coconut books?  Why or why not?

Dying To Meet You by Kate Klise

Sixth grade students in 4th period are reading Dying To Meet You, which is Book One of a series titled 43 Old Cemetery Road.  The book was written by Kate Klise and illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise.

Check out Kate and Sarah's web page to read more about Dying To Meet You and these two talented sisters.

If you were Olive C. Spence, what book would you steal from the library?  Why?

Mudshark by Gary Paulsen

Sixth grade students in 3rd period are reading Mudshark by Gary Paulsen.

Check out Gary Paulsen's web page to read more about Mudshark and Mr. Paulsen.

Do you think the parrot will figure out that the custodian stole the erasers and tell everyone?

How do you think Mudshark is going to shut the parrot up?

Highway Cats

Fifth graders in seventh period are reading this book.  To learn more about the book visit our website.  http://www2.esc9.net/smsreading

Discussion Questions

1.  As a good reader we know the kittens are going to show back up in the story.  How do you think the author will bring them back?

Bird Lake Moon

Fifth graders in eighth period are reading this book.  To learn more about the book, you can visit our website.  http://www2.esc9.net/smsreading

Discussion Questions

1.  Do you think Mitch and Spencer are going to become friends?  Please elaborate.

The Underneath

Third period sixth graders are reading this book.  To learn more about the book, you can visit our web site.  http://www2.esc9.net/smsreading

Discussion Questions

1.  Do you think Puck and Sabine are going to misbehave and venture away from the underneath?  Please elaborate.

2.  How is Puck going to free Ranger from the chain?

The Leanin' Dog

Fourth period sixth graders are reading this book.  To learn more about the book, you can visit our web site.  http://www2.esc9.net/smsreading

Discussion Questions

1.  As good readers we all can predict that Dessa will eventually step off the porch and venture out into the yard.  Do you think she will have a daymare when she does take those first steps or do you think she will be just fine?  Please elaborate.

Goodbye Xerox

Kimberly Willis Holt - WebQuest

Kimberly Willis Holt, author of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, will be visiting our school on Tuesday, October 27.  In order to be prepared for such an important event you need to familiarize yourself with the author and her titles.  By completing the web quest below you will gain a lot of knowledge about Mrs. Holt and hopefully, find yourself wanting to read one of her wonderful novels.

Use the following web site to answer the questions found on this web quest.

http://www.kimberlyholt.com/

1. Which book by Kimberly Willis Holt (KWH) is a coming-of-age novel that explores a twelve-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally deficient parents, and the changing world around her?

2. Which book by KWH tells about the summer Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in Toby's sleepy Texas town?

3. How many picture books has KWH written?

4. Which series by KWH is about a girl growing up in a Navy family?

5. How many total books has KWH written (or that are at least showcased on her web site)?

6. What city & state was KWH born in?

7. Where did KWH live when she was five years old?

8. Did she go to the French bakery alone?

9. Where did KWH’s grandparents live?

10. How many generations of KWH’s family lived in the piney woods of Louisiana?

11. What favorite dish of food did KWH put in My Louisiana Sky in honor of her grandmothers?

12. What island was KWH’s baby sister born on?

13. What did KWH dip the mangos from her backyard in?

14. What food item did KWH’s mother make for a school bake sale in Quam?

15. Where did KWH live while in high school?

16. What is another name for fried squid?

17. What is KWH’s daughter’s name?

18. What is KWH’s poodle’s name?

19. Name two other jobs that KWH has had.

20. Which book of KWH’s was nominated for the National Book Award?

21. Was it her 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th book?

22. What did KWH eat after attending the National Book Award ceremony, which her book won?

23. Which three books have been awarded the honor of being on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List?

24. Which book has been a Texas Lone Star book?

25. Name one foreign country that KWH has visited as an author and given a school presentation.

26. Name the university in Texas that KWH has spoke at.

27. KWH created a scholarship for schools in her own “backyard” so that they could afford an author or illustrator visit. What is the name of the scholarship? Who did she name this scholarship after?

28. Where does KWH get the ideas for her books?

29. What two Texas towns does KWH combine in her mind to form Antler, Texas (the setting of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town)?

30. What two books of KWH’s have been transformed into movies?


The following questions are from the same web site, however, you will need to explore the “Writing Tips” section in depth (click on words in diagram).

31. How did KWH use “Possum”, the word she came up with on her writer’s retreat, in her story?

32. What is the first thing KWH does when she is stuck and can’t figure out what to write about?

33. The first words to My Louisiana Sky came to KWH when she was____________________.

34. Where does KWH drive to when she needs to relax and think?

35. Now, do a Google or Yahoo search by typing in “Kimberly Willis Holt”. Go to one of the web sites found and skim the information for something you don’t already know about KWH (you did not learn it from this web quest). Write down TWO pieces of new information you learned.

The Gollywhopper Games

One section of sixth grade is reading The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman.  We have only read the first few chapters, but I can already tell it is going to be an exciting read!

First Question to Ponder:

1.  Do you think Bianca is a true friend or just using Gil for his knowledge of the toy company?  Remember she didn't even know Gil knew all that he does when she first befriended him.  However, now she does.

Post your comment.  Comment on other's ideas.