Go Ask Alice

Anonymous. (1971). Go ask Alice. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

Age Range: Young adults in grades 9-12 would be able to connect with this story. Readers would, however, have to be on a mature level to grasp the overall text.

Summary: This book is written in a journal format. It is told in a first person point of view from a fifteen year old female who is part of a successful family. The main character who goes without a name throughout the text and is simply referred to as "Anonymous." Anonymous struggles with adolescence, family, friends, school, and growing up in a drug infused era. There are major changes in the character throughout the book that continues to keep readers on the edge of their seats. She basically starts out as a nice, friendly girl who only desires nice friends and to be accepted; however, it seems like in a matter of minutes she is a drug addicted, juvenile delinquent who cannot seem to overcome the growing obstacles that face her in her attempts to recovery.



Reflection: This book is widely known for its graphic storyline and believed truthfulness. It was a book I could not put down, because I was hoping until the end that everything would work out. She tries so hard to just become the person her family wants her to be and eventually who she wishes to be. The style of the book makes it an easy read for any reader. I would not, however, recommend it to any of my students because of its graphic nature. High school students could relate with the main character's struggle to be accepted by her peers and family. This book can even appeal to adults who would understand the difficulty with drugs during the 1960's and 1970's. Overall it clearly shows a main theme of how a desire to be accepted can lead down a dangerous road that can sometimes be difficult to leave. After reading this book, I just couldn't understand how I hadn't picked it up as a teen. I guess teachers were scared to recommend it to me, but I think it really shows how struggles with peer pressure can take a turn. I would have loved to read it as a teenager, because it is just so unbelievable!



Big Question: After reading this book, do you believe that the main character was at fault for her actions? Did she have the ability to change her life or was she stuck in a downward spiral? Did she make a mistake in the end or was someone else at fault? How did the main character's setting impact her life? Is she simply a victim of circumstance?
Answers to these questions would be very interesting, because they all require some sort of opinion, but with something to back them up.

Field Experience Reflection

1. How many hours did you complete?

I completed five hours with teachers from Jones Park Elementary.

2. In a short paragraph spend your time?

· Observation 1 – During this time, a sixth grade math teacher taught a writing lesson over  paragraphs. I was able to see multiple forms of instruction including whole groups and small groups. The teacher modeled the paragraph format. The students used an outline with this model. They wrote a paragraph as a class. Students then went on to write one paragraph as a group that the teacher checked. Students then had the opportunity to write an individual paragraph and complete a peer check over the required parts.  

· Observation 2 and 3 –

I spent time with the teachers on a professional development day while they developed a plan for raising student achievement. The teachers went over implementation of Accelerated Reader in the classroom. Reading and writing across the content areas. They shared plans with other teachers. They also went over a plan for writing in English classrooms. Common assessments were reviewed and modified when needed. I also worked with the Reading teacher and went over the instructional methods she uses to ensure mastery of every standard.

 

· Observation 4 - I spent one observation hour interviewing a sixth grade math teacher on classroom management and organization techniques. The teacher has over sixteen years of experience and high student achievement. So I focused on questions that asked how she did it. According to the teacher, she has a specific plan each day. The rules and procedures are clearly laid out. They use a point system and rewards to motivate students. Students are taught how to organize papers, their desk, and materials in the room. They know the routine for entering and exiting the classroom.  

· Observation 5 - I spent on observation hour interviewing a sixth grade reading teacher on techniques used to teach reading and writing and how to ensure mastery. The teacher stated that the students will focus on one text a week. They have specific targets to master and work on those daily. She emphasized that her students read on a daily basis.  

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky

Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)

One standard that I felt stronger with after working with these teachers is

Standard 4:   The teacher implements and manages instruction. I enjoy hearing what other teachers are doing and learning from them. Both teachers are very experienced and have the results to back up their advice. They are both teachers that I go to for advice when I am struggling and I continue to use all of the help and strategies they have given me.

 

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.

One thing I learned from this experience is to always have a specific plan in place. Both of these teachers did that and they were able to achieve their daily goal. Another thing is that reading should be a daily component of every lesson. This includes reading individually, reading aloud, and listening.

Reading Log

Reading Log for 30 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)

• Instructions: List the titles and authors you read under each Genre, and use checklist below for Wiki posts. Then, highlight this material and paste it into a final blog post. I have already included (in the 30) the ones we read for discussion. Feel free to read more in each genre as you make t
  

 

Genre / Titles you read

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)       Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

2) Nickel and Dimed: On not getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

 

          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)      Witness by Karen Hesse. (required for discussion)

2)       Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

 

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          

1)      The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. (required for discussion)

2)       The Giver by Lois Lowry

 

 

3) The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

 

4) Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

 

5) The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

 

6) The Secret Circle: The Initiation by L.J. Smith

7) The Secret Circle: The Captive Part 1 by L.J. Smith

 

8)The Secret Circle: The Captive Part 2 by L.J. Smith

 

9) The Secret Circle: The Power by L.J. Smith

 

 

 

 

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)

2)       The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spears

 

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

4) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

 

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         

1)      Monster by Walter Dean Myers

2)       The Skin I'm in by Sharon Flake

 

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)      The Last Safe Place on Earth by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)

2)       Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

 

 

3) Listen by Rene Gutteridge

 

4) Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

 

5) Max the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

 

6) Holes by Louis Sachar

7) Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Batman Smells by Barbara Lynne Park

 

    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)      Flossie & the Fox by Patricia McKissack. (required for discussion)

2)      –The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

3)      – Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by Willaim Steig

4)      – The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

5)      – No, David by David Shannon

6)      -By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson

 

 

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories)

 

2 Social Studies

____ Science

1 Math

____ Music

1 Art

____ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

1 Other

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Spears, E. G. (1958). The witch of blackbird pond. Boston: Sandpiper.
Age Group: This book is appropriate for students age nine and up.

Summary: The Witch of Blackbird Pond is set in Connecticut in the late 1600s. She is forced to move from Barbados after her grandfather passes away. She joins her aunt's family whom she has never met. There is a lot culture shock in this book as Kit is placed in a primarily Puritan community. Things become worse for Kit as she befriends a lady referred to as the Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Reflection: This is a widely known book, because of its portrayal of the witch trials and Puritan history. I think it would be appropriate for children learning about history in the United States and great addition to both language arts and social studies classrooms. It provides parts of the history in a narrative format. As a child I loved historical fiction that had characters near my age, so this would be an appropriate text to both challenge students and help them actually have the experience of reading historical fiction. The book has on overall theme of judging others.

Big Questions: Will Kit ever adapt to the life of the Puritans? How would the situation with Prudence Cruff work out?  Would Uncle Matthew ever change? What may happen if the Puritans find out about Kit's friendship with a suspected witch?

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, G. (2006). Hatchet. New York: Simon Pulse.

I was looking to this week's blog, because I chose to read a book that I never finished as a child. I read Brian's Winter over ten years ago and started on Hatchet, but never finished. It has been sitting on my book shelf since then. This is one of Paulsen's most well known books and part of a series that continues to excite readers of all ages. It interests both boys and girls, because of the author's unique realistic survival story.

The book is appropriate for readers twelve and up, according to Amazon. However, this is a text that is generally taught in fifth and sixth grade classrooms. I have seen children as young as ten enjoy this text as long as they have the maturity level to understand it.

The story is told from a third person omniscient point of view focusing on the main character Brian. He is a thirteen year old boy from New York City. The book centers around his struggle for survival alone in the wilderness. Throughout the novel Brian goes through a series of changes in developing into a strong minded survival "guru." In the beginning he is angry and frustrated with his surroundings, but changes into a sound minded individual that learns more than just survival skills. He sees life lesson in his experiences. The Brian in the beginning of the story would have been upset if his plans failed, but towards the end sees failures as a learning opportunity and actually learns from his mistakes. The character development throughout the novel is one of strongest aspects that readers can understand, because it shows the main character's journey into manhood.

 For example, "He did not know how long it took, but later he looked back on this time of crying in the corner of the dark cave and thought of it as when he learned the most important rule of survival, which was that feeling sorry for yourself didn't work. It wasn't just that it was wrong to do, or that it was considered incorrect. It was more than that—it didn't work." This quote from the text shows how Brian's overall thought process changed during his time in the wilderness.  He went from feeling sorry for himself to an individual that was ready to take action. Childlike qualities were fading in him and he was forced to mature quicker than most.

A main conflict in the text is man versus nature, which flows into the one of the major themes. In the text Brian struggles with survival in the wilderness. He is not the Katniss Everdeen we picture surviving in the woods today; however, he was a normal teenage boy from the city before he was forced to survive in the wilderness. He had no training or knowledge of survival before these events. That is what truly makes this story intriguing, because children can relate to embracing the unknown and thriving in it. In the text Brian soon realizes that nature is not intent on harming him and embraces its life and beauty. He comes to understanding with the animals and recognizes the dangers.

This theme also leads into what is truly the main setting of the book, which instead of being the forest like most would guess is Brian's own mind. Brian's overall growth in his ability to behave and think like adult are what truly saves him. Readers see this constant struggle between Brian's child self and his new forming adult mind. Eventually, he sees this importance of positive adult like thinking when he recalls a quote saying "You are all you have."

I believe this book should be a required reading for all students, because young adolescents can relate so closely to the Brian and the changes he undergoes. It can also encourage future reading being part of a series. I plan to read the third book Brian's Hunt soon.

Some major questions that I had after reading this book and questions that would be great for students are listed below.
1. What role does Brian's attitude play in his survival?
2. What influenced the author to write this book?
3. How does the main character change throughout the book?
4. How would you react if you were in Brian's situation?
5. What choices did Brian make that you agree with? What choices do you not agree with?
6. Do you think Brian would be the person he is at the end if he had never been in the plane crash?

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Silverstein, S. (1974). Where the sidewalk ends. New York: Harper and Row.
I spent a little more time this week selecting a book, because I wanted it to be something that I can use in my own classroom and see the connection for others. I chose Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein since I have it in my personal collection and I have found them entertaining since I was a child. This collection of poems are entertaining for both adults and children. They include topics such as anxiety to nose picking with many underlying themes.

One of the poems I really like is the first one in the book titled "Invitation."

Invitation
If your are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, wisher, liar.
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you are pretender, come sit by my fire,
For we have some flax- golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!

In the poem there are several points of repetition. For example, dreamer and come in are repeated. This emphasizes the point of the book being based on the dreams of the poetry and continuously invites others to experience these.

The poem "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" provides examples of alliteration with the s sound being repeated.

I also like how all the poems center around the theme that anything can happen. These poems are inspiring as a whole. I love to read, but reading books based on poetry is sometimes difficult. This is one that I can easily pick up, be entertained, and actually walk away with something.

Coming On Home Soon

Woodson, J. (2004). Coming on home soon. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Age Range: This book is appropriate for children in kindergarten through third grade.
Summary: The main character Ada must face the challenge of her mother leaving to find work. Ada and her grandmother are left alone while her mother heads to Chicago to find work. They help each other while they wait for the letter saying that "mama" will be home soon. Knitting and giving a stray kitten milk keeps Ada going, but for some time no money or a letter arrives. The illustrations by Earl B. Lewis are what make this book unique. They create anticipation throughout the story.

For example, in the picture above the illustrations show how Ada and her grandmother support each
other.


The illustration above shows both characters desire for "mama" to come home.
Reflection: This would be a great book to share on the importance of family relationships, because of how Ada and her grandmother support each other during the mother's absence. It could also benefit children who go without seeing their parents for some time. For example, children who have parents that travel for their jobs or children with parents in the military could relate to this book.

Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Age Range: This book is appropriate for students in grades seven and up.
Summary: "Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster." This quote gives deep insight into one of the major themes of Monster by Walter Dean Myers, which involves introspection. In the book the main character Steve must come to terms with his actions. Steve is 16 year old that is accused of being the lookout for a robbery gone bad and is imprisoned as a result of the murder of the store owner. While awaiting trial for murder he uses a screenplay format and journals to make since of his life; including the things he has done and has not. The justice system and race play a major role in an additional theme as well. Due to the fact that Steve is black the justice system already assumes he is guilty, because the witness and his arrest. The font in the book also plays an important role for the reader. Myers changes the font to make certain words stand out, which makes it easier for readers to distinguish Steve's thoughts. Myers also draws in readers through the script style writing, which helps readers connect with the text and feel as though they are with Steve throughout the trial.
Reflection: I think this book is overall challenging, especially for younger students. It has so many underlying emotions and meanings that it suits older children best because they could relate with Steve's overall focus of questioning who he is. A few of my students have read it and some did not like the script format, because they felt that it was confusing or made it easy to lose focus. I thought that it was good because it's different, but I don't prefer it. I did like how the author put the reader in Steve's shoes throughout the trial and allowed readers to follow him and his thoughts.
Big Questions:  This book raises several questions that I have and that students could focus on about our society. First of all, should people we say are presumed innocent until proven guilty be held in prison? Also, is it okay for every individual to be punished for a crime that they did not actually commit even though they may have been involved?

Life as We Knew It

Life as We Knew It

Pfeffer, S., B. (2006). Life as we knew it. New York, NY: Harcourt Children's Books.

Age Range: This book is suitable for readers twelve and beyond. It can capture the interest of any reader, even adults.

Summary: This book is written in a first person point view from the main character Miranda. She documents her and her family's journey of survival after a world-wide catastrophe in a journal. Miranda is an average teenage girl who begins the book with only boys and sports on her mind, but after the moon is knocked off its axis by an asteroid, food and warmth are all anyone cares about. One of the most important parts of this book is how the setting impacts the characters and the plot. Struggling to survive readers see normal people that they could relate to change into animals and criminals. Things that would have been illegal before the big event are now widely accepted, because of the current situation. There are also several flashbacks to what life was like before the big event. For example, the main character remembers being a child and only worrying about boys, the movies, and ice skating instead of worrying about a can of beans. Miranda also realizes that she has had the opportunities to enjoy life, but her younger brother will never get the same opportunities. Readers can easily relate to this book, because they understand all of the wonderful opportunities they have to be children, and it's scary for them to think of being forced to grow up too soon. It is also so realistic. Knowing that the events in the story could become a reality is what keeps readers going.

Reflection: This book is amazing. It is the first novel that my seventh graders read in my class. I chose it because it can easily draw in the most reluctant readers. It has connections to science, history, family, relationships, and especially survival. What is really important in the book is how characters change throughout the text. Neighborliness is out of the door when stockpiling and wood stoves are the only means of survival. Its journal format makes it an easy read for any reader. There is only one drawback to the book, which is that extreme means of survival only kick in at the beginning and end. The second and third books in this series are strictly devoted to living, instead of the big event. After reading this book or any in the series your whole mindset on preparation changes. I truly felt myself wondering if I should by more canned goods and bottles of water after reading this!



Big Questions: How do the characters change from the beginning until the end? How is staying together a method of staying alive? How does the big event impact the entire world? What will life be like after the big event? How would prepare? What would you do if you were in this situation?

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot)

The Giving Tree

Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. New York: Harper & Row.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a great book for all ages, even students in the older grades. The tree in the story represents more than just an average tree. It does more than just give, it teaches.
The story centers around a tree and a boy who continuously wants more from the tree. As the story goes on his needs grow. The tree wanting to make this boy happy continues giving all that she has. In the beginning the tree is happy about this, but when she realizes this does not keep the boy around, her happiness soon disappears.

Younger children could learn about giving and being selfish from the story. They could also examine plot sequence. Older children can use this story to examine theme. They could look at a themes dealing with sacrifice and greed. Students could simply read the story or analyze its underlying meaning.

The book is illustrated with simple line drawings. It is written in a straightforward language.

This is a great book for all ages.

The Grouchy Ladybug

Carle, E. (2010). The grouchy ladybug. Washington D.C.: Teaching Strategies.
I chose this book because it is timeless. Children loved it when I was a child and continue to love it today. This book is appropriate for children in grades Pre-K to third grade. There are several topics that all grades could examine when reading this story including friendship and sharing.
This book centers around a ladybug who is selfish and brags about himself/herself a little too much. The ladybug attempts to intimidate everyone in sight, but fails. This bad-tempered ladybug eventually becomes well behaved. The summary overall shows why this would be a great book for teaching sharing and friendship. In the story the ladybug is rude to other ladybugs and other animals. Eventually the ladybug returns to the other ladybug and is forgiven. This part shows the theme of finding in friends in odd places.

Another important aspect of this book are the pictures. The other gradually leads up to larger animals. This would be great to use for comparing and contrasting. Pages in the text are also broken up to represent the whale's flapping tale. Pages are also broken up to represent time as the ladybug attempts to intimidate other people.

Overall this is a great book to share with younger children, especially when exploring social behavior.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York: Windmill Books.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig won the Caldecott Medal in 1970. It was one of my favorite books as a child. I love sharing it with my middle school students, because it can be a vital resource for teaching the elements of fiction. It is also such an interesting story; it keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

This book is appropriate for children in kindergarten through high school. There are so many ways to tie this book in with the elements of fiction. For example, students could simply study the plot and character or even analyze how the character changed.

The book centers around the main character, Sylvester. He is a pebble collector, and is specifically interested in pebbles with unusual shapes and colors. He finds a very special pebble that can make wishes, but before he can use the magic to do good, he accidentally changes himself into a rock to escape a lion. The book goes on to follow Sylvester's depressive state due to being separated from his parents and coming to terms with living out his life as a rock.

This is a great story that follows a chronological plot. There are two main types of conflict in the story, which are person versus self and person versus nature. The person versus self conflict is evident in Sylvester's depressive state where he blames himself for being a rock, his family missing him, and his struggle with being separated from his family. This would be an excellent example for middle and high school students to look at when studying how characters struggle in with internal conflicts and change as a result of them. The person versus nature conflict occurs between Sylvester and the lion, which would be an excellent example for elementary students to look at. The conflict between Sylvester and the lion is external, so it is fairly easier for readers to identify it and explain how it changed Sylvester's life.

Unlike most children's book, this book truly lets you understand the characters feelings. The author does this through a strong use of characterization. The author fully describes Sylvester's inner thoughts during his struggle of being a rock and actually hearing his family around him. There are also descriptions of Sylvester by his parents, descriptions of his senseless actions with magic, dialogue from him explaining his feelings, and his physical appearance is shown through the illustrations.

This book is also useful for teaching theme. I used it last year with my sixth graders when we were learning about theme and they really enjoyed it. It was amazing all of the themes they came up with and evidence to back it up. One of the most popular themes across all of the classes was "sometimes people have all that they need, a family that loves them." They felt that they could really relate to this, because like most kids today they always want more. This story is overall a great example of the importance of family.

The story is also an easy read with straightforward language that explains each event; furthermore, the sentences and organization flow easily, which makes it appropriate for all ages. The illustrations in the book are also realistic with a twist. Everything except the animals in clothing is a replica of a real town. For example, the houses, the clothing, the police, and natural elements are represented in a realistic form.


This story has so many details in this story that can be analyzed by students. Some big questions that students can focus on are:
1. How does Sylvester change throughout the story? Give evidence from the text to support your answer.
2. The author uses pigs to represent the police. How does our society use pigs to symbolize the police? (This is a controversial question that is most appropriate for older students. It also relates to how the police in the story react to Sylvester's disappearance.)
3. How does the author show how dangerous power can be in the wrong hands? Give evidence from the text to support your answer.
4. How does the topic of family develop throughout the text?

Common Core Standards that this story connects to are:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

No, David!

Shannon, D. (1998). No, david. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press.

Age Range: This book is suitable for readers four and up.

Summary: This book is full of illustrations that follow a child named David making continuous mistakes. David's mother looks at these mistakes as being naughty and always says "No, David!" There are several events of cause and effect. For example, David tracks mud into the house and the result is his mother scolding him. The illustrations throughout the book help the events become reality and understand the havoc David seems to create in his house.

Reflection: Most children enjoy this book, because they can easily relate to the main character. The illustrations are so realistic they can easily picture themselves doing the same things as David. All children have experienced a mistake with a parent correcting them. Realistic fiction focusing on families, such as this, are great additions to any library. It could even be used with older students (3-5) to show examples of cause and effect. It would be difficult for students in the middle grades and up to relate to the text and get beyond its overall appeal to younger children.

Big Question: Why do you think David's mother continues to scold him? What could David do to not continue to get in trouble? In the end, David's mother says "I love you, David." Why do you think she does this? Have you had any experiences similar to David? If so, explain what happened and why?

By the Light of the Halloween Moon

Hawkes, S. & Stutson, C. (1993). By the light of the halloween moon. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

Age Range: This book is suitable for readers in grades P-3. It could even be suitable for the upper grades when used with a literary concepts.

Summary: This book has a Halloween setting with a twist. There are no trick-or-treaters, simply a girl and for the majority of the book, her toe. The majority of kid friendly Halloween creatures appear, such as a witch, fairy, bat, and ghost. There are some slightly scary parts, but most are amusing. Illustrations are used throughout the book to show the actions of the creepy characters throughout the text and the girl's struggle with the consist conflict of creepy characters interrupting her music. The plot is progressive throughout the story with a clear resolution.

Reflection: I would recommend this book to others. Elementary teachers could use it to teach sequence and conflict easily since the plot is in sequential order and the main character is struggling with multiple conflicts throughout the story. Teachers of grades 4-8 could use it to teach alliteration and repetition. For example, alliteration is used when the author says, "That taps the tune in the dead of night, By the light, by the light, By the silvery light of the Halloween Moon!" The author also continues to repeat these lines throughout the book, "By the light of the Halloween moon!"

Big Questions: Why did the main character wait to stop the creatures that disturbed her? How do the creatures interact with each other? How do these interactions stop them from achieving their goal?

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous. (1971). Go ask Alice. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

Age Range: Young adults in grades 9-12 would be able to connect with this story. Readers would, however, have to be on a mature level to grasp the overall text.

Summary: This book is written in a journal format. It is told in a first person point of view from a fifteen year old female who is part of a successful family. The main character who goes without a name throughout the text and is simply referred to as "Anonymous." Anonymous struggles adolescence, family, friends, school, and growing up in a drug infused era. There are major changes in the character throughout the book that continues to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Reflection: This book is widely known for its graphic storyline and believed truthfulness. It was a book I could not put down, because I was hoping until the end that everything would work out. The style of the book makes it an easy read for any reader. I would not, however, recommend it to any of my students because of its graphic nature. High school students could relate with the main character's struggle to be accepted by her peers and family. This book can even appeal to adults who would understand the difficulty with drugs during the 1960's and 1970's. Overall it clearly shows a main theme of how a desire to be accepted can lead down a dangerous road that can sometimes be difficult to leave. After reading this book, I just couldn't understand how I hadn't picked it up as a child. I guess teachers were scared to recommend it to me, but I think it really shows how struggles with peer pressure can take a turn. I would have loved to read it as a teenager, because it is just so unbelievable!

Big Question: After reading this book, do you believe that the main character was at fault for her actions? Did she have the ability to change her life or was she stuck in a downward spiral? Did she make a mistake in the end or was someone else at fault? How did the main character's setting impact her life?
Answers to these questions would be very interesting, because they all require some sort of opinion, but with something to back them up.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Ciara Wheatley. I currently teach seventh grade language arts at Lebanon Middle School in Lebanon, Kentucky. This is my second year teaching, but my first year in seventh grade. I taught sixth grade last year, which was completely different. I graduated from Campbellsville University with a Bachelor's degree in middle grades education with an emphasis in English and social studies and a minor in psychology. I started graduated school at CU last year focusing on the special education program, but quickly realized that I wanted to focus on reading so I transferred to University of the Cumberlands. I am currently in the Reading and Writing Specialist Program.

My husband and I have one daughter, Makenna. She is a rambunctious six year old. I like to spend time with my family, read, and travel during my spare time. I always like to read books that I could recommend for my students. I just finished up Go Ask Alice, which I would not recommend. I am currently working on the remainder of the Life as We Knew It series and The Secret Circle. I did read The Vampire Diaries, which I loved, but that is about the only vampire book I can get into. I can't wait until this fad is over!