According to Kathy Mears, Executive Director of Elementary Schools:
Our books have been selected and we hope that you will join us in our discussions. Pick one or do both discussions! It is easy to participate!
First, you must join Edmodo (www.edmodo.com), because that will be our platform. After you register, you can follow one of the following links or use one of the following codes.
If you are interested in knowing more about how to transfer our faith to future generations, please consider joining the group reading: Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus by Sherry Weddell. Through the reading of the book and the exchange of ideas, we believe that participants will grow stronger in their faith and their knowledge of how to share the faith, and meet other committed Catholic educators from all over the country! To register for this book study, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/u3vnpq. The code for this book is: 2fdna7.
If you would like to learn ways to implement the best practices outlined in Robert Marzano’s book, Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2001), please consider registering for this book study! We will read, share pedagogical practices and learn new strategies from each other. To register for this book student, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/bk3n4k. The code for this book is: 2w2se8.
These book studies require you to read a little, share a little, and work together to build some common knowledge with your colleagues from across the country. Please consider joining us, as we begin to connect this way!
These two books are excellent choices to kick off the book club. I’ve read both of them, and I can’t wait to discuss them. I’ve already sent my request to join the Edmodo group, and I look forward to seeing you there!
*Ordering your books from this link helps support Catholic School Chronicle.
“Today God still speaks to us as he used to speak to our ancestors at a time when there were neither spiritual directors nor any systems of spirituality. To be faithful to the designs of God then comprised the whole of one’s spiritual life. Religious devotion had not become a science crammed with precepts and detailed instructions” – Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence, translated by John Beever
Spiritual reading is one of the most powerful and oft-recommended Lenten practices. This year, you might consider reading de Caussade’s Abandonment to Divine Providence. Here’s why:
It’s an acknowledged classic of spirituality, providing fruitful material for mediation for hundreds of years.
de Caussade’s simple message is an effective antidote for a world that tends to complicate things unnecessarily.
At 119 pages, the book is a perfect length for the forty days of Lent; 54 short chapters make it easy to divide into daily passages for contemplation.
For teachers, its message can profoundly affect the way we approach our students and our teaching, leading to a deep inner peace.
I count Abandonment to Divine Providence as one of the most influential books I’ve ever read, and have gotten into the habit of reading it each year during Lent. As a member of the Catholic Readers group on Goodreads, I’m very glad that they have chosen it as their Lenten book. If you’re looking for some profoundly inspirational spiritual reading this Lenten season, look no further than this classic by Jesuit Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade.
Let us read to your students this week! In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, many schools will be celebrating Read Across America on March 2, 2011. All Saints Catholic School in Spokane, WA, where I teach, will begin celebrating a little early this year. On Friday, February 25, over thirty students and teachers will take turns reading C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair in its entirety live on the Internet.
Each reader will read approximately half a chapter, and the entire unabridged reading will be streamed live via Ustream beginning at 9:00 am Pacific time. We’d love for you to join us for all or some of the event, which should last between four and five hours. You can leave comments to cheer the readers on, or you can just sit back and enjoy this great story from the world of Narnia.
The Silver Chair is the fourth volume in the Chronicles of Narnia and comes right after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which many students saw in theaters recently. In this exciting tale, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole must rescue a prince from an evil witch. As with all of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, expect great storytelling combined with spiritual themes. Students of all ages will enjoy this timeless classic.
I have the pleasure of leading off the marathon by introducing the book and reading Chapter 1, and I’ll also be moderating the Ustream chat room. This is our first time streaming any school event live, and we’re very excited to share this with all of you.
Please tell all the Catholic teachers and homeschoolers you know so that we can all celebrate together. See you on Friday!
Just this past week, Amazon has implemented a rudimentary lending system for those with Kindles. If the publisher of a book allows, you can lend a Kindle book one time to someone else. They can have the book for no longer than 14 days, and while they have it, you cannot read your copy. It’s not a perfect lending solution, but it’s better than nothing.
I’ve noticed that Goodreads has already started a Kindle Lending group for people who want to exchange books. If you’re not a Goodreads member, I highly recommend it as a place to share with other readers. It’s free, and integrates easily with Facebook and Twitter. I would love to connect with other educators via Goodreads and compare reading lists, so please feel free to friend me.
With his new children’s book Little Star, Anthony DeStefano has created a story that successfully captures the true spirit of Christmas giving. Little Star is “the smallest, loneliest star in the sky,” but he is the only star to recognize the great king that is about to be born. The gift he gives to the king will take all his energy and effort, and will eventually require the ultimate sacrifice.
The book deals with two important themes that are very important for children to grasp: first, the idea that everyone is important, no matter how little; and second, the value of self-giving love. Little Star would be an excellent choice for sharing with students in a classroom or religious education program, and would lead naturally to a meaningful discussion about true generosity.
How good is Little Star? I read it to the two resident experts on children’s books in my house: a daughter in Kindergarten and a daughter in sixth grade. The kindergartner became enamored with Mark Elliot’s beautiful illustrations and immediately began drawing her own pictures of Little Star. The sixth grader loved the story so much she was inspired to spend the rest of the evening writing her own Christmas story.
I have a feeling that reading Little Star has just become a family Christmas tradition in our house.
Little Star, by Anthony DeStefano. Waterbrook Press. Amazon Price: $9.35
From the back cover:
A king is about to be born! The stars in the heavens are competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they see the poor family, the donkey, the shabby stable, the stars all think, That can’t possibly be a king. We’ve been fooled.
All except one. The smallest, loneliest star in the sky, Little Star, is the only one to understand what the king was about to bring to the world. But what can Little Star do for him?
Certain to become a Christmas classic, this delightful tale connects the star atop our Christmas trees to the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, in the hearts and minds of young children.
Anthony DeStefano is the bestselling author of A Travel Guide to Heaven, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, This Little Prayer of Mine, and I Just Can’t Take it Anymore!
Mark Elliott’s brilliant illustrations have appeared in many picture books and novels for young readers, including Gail Carson Levine’s ever-popular Princess Tales series. His acclaimed artwork delivers inspiration, wonder, and timeless beauty on every page.
Here is the promotional video from Waterbrook Press:
Finally, in this excerpt from EWTN’s BookMark, Anthony DeStefano explains the role Frank McCourt played in the writing of Little Star:
I love the book Freak the Mightyby Rodman Philbrick, and I think reading it aloud to 8th graders in September is the perfect way to start the year. If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s the summary from School Library Journal (with spoilers taken out):
“A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss. Large, awkward, learning-disabled Maxwell Kane, whose father is in prison for murdering his mother, and crippled, undersized Kevin are both mocked by their peers; the cruel taunting they endure is all too realistic and believable. The boys establish a friendship-and a partnership. Kevin defends them with his intelligence, while Max is his friend’s “legs,” affording him a chance to participate in the larger world. Inspired by tales of King Arthur, they become knights fighting for good and true causes….The author writes with empathy, honoring the possibilities of even peripheral characters; Kevin and Max are memorable and luminous.”
For the past three years, my eighth graders have found it engaging, entertaining and moving. Here are ten reasons why you should consider reading it to your seventh or eighth grade class:
The main characters are seventh graders going into eighth grade, and they’re portrayed like realistic junior high kids.
Both characters are social outsiders, which does two important things: a) it gives the social outsiders in your own class someone to identify with; b) more importantly, it helps the rest of the kids in the class be more accepting of the differences of others.
There is a strong pro-reading anti-TV message to the story that doesn’t come off preachy, corny or phony.
The novel shows that a person’s value does not come from what they can do or not do, but from their very being.
The book constantly makes reference to Arthurian legends, always a popular subject with 8th graders.
Both boys and girls find the story compelling, from the adventurous antics and kidnapping subplot to concern over the treatment of those with disabilities.
The chapters are short enough to read at the beginning of class without cutting into the period too much.
With only 23 chapters, the book can be read in about a month.
Kevin is a loveable geek, and there aren’t enough loveable geeks in fiction 🙂
Finally, there are at least a half a dozen ways the book can be incorporated into literature, reading or religion class; a few examples:
As an exploration of what writing fiction is – Kevin often talks about the power of remembering, and the control a person has over what he or she remembers
As an example of how writing can be therapeutic – Max writes the story to get over the traumatic events of that year
As a discussion-starter for how to treat people with differences – Both Max and Kevin struggle with being different, and the book offers hope to those who feel left out
In a gesture of great generosity, Rodman Philbrick has made available at no charge a version of Freak the Mighty as a one- or two-act play. To get a copy of the play as a pdf, visit Mr. Philbrick’s website and follow the directions you find there. While you’re at the site, be sure to look at the teacher’s guide.
I also highly recommend the movie adaption, The Mighty, starring Sharon Stone, Kieran Culkin, Gillian Anderson, and James Gandolfini. Even the soundtrack is incredible, with the title song performed by Sting. Be sure to preview the movie before showing it due to some swear words and few “birdies” flying, if you know what I mean.
If you are interested in knowing more about how to transfer our faith to future generations, please consider joining the group reading: Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus by Sherry Weddell. Through the reading of the book and the exchange of ideas, we believe that participants will grow stronger in their faith and their knowledge of how to share the faith, and meet other committed Catholic educators from all over the country! To register for this book study, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/u3vnpq. The code for this book is: 2fdna7.
If you would like to learn ways to implement the best practices outlined in Robert Marzano’s book, Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (2001), please consider registering for this book study! We will read, share pedagogical practices and learn new strategies from each other. To register for this book student, please follow this link: https://edmo.do/j/bk3n4k. The code for this book is: 2w2se8.
