BOMB : Prologue and Part I

"There is a great deal more to this story. It goes way back," he said. "I would like to tell it all."

Right from the Prologue, Steve Sheinkin throws us into the tension filled moment when Harry Gold, an American spy for the Soviet Union, is frantically destroying evidence and then fielding questions from FBI agents. With such an awesome hook, how could you not keep reading?! I couldn't stop turning pages to find out what events had lead up to this final moment. I forgot that I was reading narrative nonfiction because I was so taken in by the exciting story line.

On the jacket flap, Steve Sheinkin refers to himself as a “story detective.” Doing research often feels like detective work, which is one way to think about engaging in real world explorations and research. 

Within Bomb, Mr. Sheinkin specifically balances three narratives: America’s efforts to build the bomb, America’s efforts to impede the German’s attempts to build the bomb, and the Soviet’s efforts to steal the bomb research from the Americans or the Germans. Often times, we consider events only from one point-of-view... typically the point-of-view of the United States. Maybe we can become "story detectives" like Mr. Sheinkin, and the next time we are researching a single event we can use a variety of perspectives to examine that event from an international, interconnected context. Think about a current or historical event. How does your understanding of the issue change when you look at it from multiple, international perspectives? 

What do you think of the book so far? Leave your thoughts in 'comments'.

Next, read... Part 2 : Chain Reaction by June 28th.

Fiction / Non-Fiction Pairing

I finished writing all the posts for the summer group reading of BOMB by Steve Sheinkin. I had such a great time reading that book and writing the posts (which I'm sure you'll love), that I've decided to try it again.

This time, let's read a pair of books: one historical fiction and one non-fiction on the same topic. For our first pairing, I chose The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration by Shelley Marie Tougas.

By combining these two books, we will get the background knowledge we need to better understand the fictional story, while at the same time exposing us to multiple genres and content. And who doesn't love that? :) 

The Scoop on The Lions of Little Rock:

The Lions of Little Rock takes place in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958--a year after the incident with the Little Rock Nine. It accurately portrays the controversial integration and segregation that occurred in the South. It is a very well-written story about friendship, courage, racism, and overcoming your fears to speak out against what you know to be wrong. Marlee literally finds her voice in this story, and uses it to speak out against prejudice. Ultimately, this is a touching and inspiring coming of age story about a girl trying to make sense of a world that, at the time, made no sense to her. Marlee has a loving and supportive family. Readers of this book will get a little history lesson about racism and the Civil Rights Movement. Real events are mentioned (such as the death of Emmett Till), some of which are very unpleasant. The "N" word is used a few times and a stick of dynamite is thrown into an African-American character's home as a scare tactic (no one is harmed). While this is primarily a story about friendship and courage, it is an excellent book for middle graders to read (age 10 and up) and discuss this important topic. Very beneficial conversations could be had about this dark time in America's past, bigotry, racism, etc. The Lions of Little Rock would make a great choice for a classroom read-aloud, book report, or book club selection.

The scoop on Little Rock Girl 1957:

Little Rock Girl 1957, focuses on the Civil Rights Movement and how a photograph of a high school student brought about changes in public opinion. The famous photograph (as seen on the cover) shows African American student, Elizabeth Eckford, followed by an angry mob of white people as she walks outside Little Rock Central High School on September 4, 1957.

Elizabeth and eight other African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, were supposed to meet and walk into the school together. It would be the first time African American students attended Central High School. Elizabeth arrived at school early and alone. She faced an angry crowd of protestors, and her entry into the school was blocked by National Guard troops. As Elizabeth turned to leave, protestors followed her down the sidewalk as they venomously hurled insults and racial slurs. Will Counts, a local photographer, took photos as the events unfolded.

"But Counts had no idea that a single photograph would become a magnifying glass for race relations in the United States." (pg. 31)

Let's read The Lions of Little Rock first. We will plan to have the book finished by August 9th (I know you'll be busy reading BOMB). Come back to this site on August 9th and we'll discuss what we read. Then we will read Little Rock Girl 1957. Let's finish that book by August 23rd. Same thing: come back to this site and we will discuss what we read.

Then, school will start and you will be ready to jump right in with all your new, awesome information to share.

oh boysenberries

Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre and illustrated by Rafael Rosado is an awesome youth-graphic-novel-comic book.

It may just have one of the best endings ever.

Claudette embarks on a journey to slay a giant. Not just any giant, a baby-feet-eating giant! She takes along her best friend, Marie, and her little brother, Gaston.

I know what you're thinking, "A giant that eats babies' feet! That's awful." I know, but like I said... best ending ever.

This is a book that everyone will love.

ready!

My copy of BOMB by Steve Sheinkin is read for our summer read! Grab a copy from the Library! and join in on the fun. This book does not disappoint.

If you're interested in World War II, be sure to watch one of my favorite authors, John Green, in his Crash Course World History video #38 ... It's possibly the best 13 minutes on World War II you'll ever watch.

more than meets the eye

Do you love the re-telling of fairy tales? Is one of your favorite TV shows Once Upon a Time on ABC? Then... have I got the book for you!

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

From GoodReads:

In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

"Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale." —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven.

Perfect for fans of Ella Enchanted or A Tale Dark and Grimm.

I especially liked Red's grandmother. She sees Rump in a way that no one else sees him. That is, she sees his potential, and knows that there is more to him than meets the eye. 

This book would be a great read aloud. It contains so many lessons (bullying, greed, friendship, loss, bad choices) without being preachy and pushy.

summer reads 2013

Read the books you love.

Summer Reading:

Whether or not you are reading along with the book BOMB by Steve Sheinkin this summer, here's a list of awesome books to help you beat the Summer Slide.

Light & Breezy Reads:

Platypus Police Squad by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis
Justin Case by Rachel Vail
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Stick Dog by Tom Watson

Great Reads:

Navigating Early by Claire Vanderpool
Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
Hold Fast by Blue Balliett
Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey
Rump by Liesl Shurliff
The Center of Everything by Linda Urban
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
Bystander by James Preller
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Classroom: the epic documentary by Robin Mellom
May B by Caroline Starr Rose
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Dark Lord: The Early Years by Jamie Thomson
Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell
Survivors: The Empty City by Erin Hunter
One For The Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt


For a Challenge:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz
The Book Thief by Mark Zusak 
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Every Day by David Levithan
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Non-Fiction:

A Drop of Water by Walter Wick
We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson
BOMB by Steve Sheinkin
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
Wheels of Change by Sue Macy

A great book to read together with your teen is The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much." ~The Age of Miracles 

Summer is the perfect time to read the books you love.

let's read!

Reading is a skill like anything else. Students who continue to read continue to grow their skills. 

If not, like during the summer break, skills come to a standstill, or worse... begin to slide.

Evidence suggests three months of learning is lost for the average student who doesn't read during the summer. 

The bad news is that the summer slide is virtually inevitable unless steps are taken to prevent it. The good news is that your child doesn't have to read mountains of books to keep his or her skills sharp. Younger readers (third grade and below) should aim for 15 minutes of reading a day during the summer. Older students should read five or more books during summer vacation to keep from losing ground.

This summer, I have a great idea... 
Let's all read BOMB by Steve Sheinkin. It will help us all beat the Summer Slide and have fun in the process.  

We'll read a few chapters each week, discuss what we read in 'comments', watch a few cool videos (posted on the blog), learn some new vocabulary, and read some related articles on spies, the Manhattan Project, and atomic chemistry.

If you're game for this, enter your email address in the 'Follow by Email' box on this blog... this way you'll know what we're up to and you won't miss a thing. Then, read the Prologue and Part I by June 14th.

Good Luck! And, have a great - slide free - summer.