Currently, I have two books on my nightstand, but I will only be writing about one this time!
I've started the "Percy Jackson" series and I must say, it is exciting! I am hooked! I literally read until I fall asleep - which I hardly ever do!
Currently, I'm reading "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief" by Rick Riordan. It is the first book in a series of at least five books. My husband and I watched the book-turned-movie this summer and I have to say, I was not too impressed. I ordered the books through Scholastic for my students and brought the first one home for Mr. Woods to read. He started telling me how great the book was and I was still skeptical - then he said the magic words: "The book is WAY better than the movie!" So, he is now reading/finishing the second book and I have begun the first.
Percy Jackson is a misunderstood sixth grader. He lives with his mother and step-father in New York and has been sent away to boarding schools for as long as he can remember. He is starting to get into more and more trouble at school and his difficulty reading is really affecting his grades. However, strange things began happening around him and now he can't tell if he is seeing things, losing his mind, of if the other students are all playing a trick on him. Even his best friend Grover is acting different. Then, while on a field trip with his class, his teacher transforms into a ------ Did you think I was going to tell you the entire story??? Go get the book and start reading!!!
P.S. Students, I do have two copies of all five books - however, one set is at my house. As Mr. Woods and I finish them, I will be bringing them back to the classroom library. ;-)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Grammar Genius: It's and its
Hello readers!
Today's blog is a "Grammar Genius" blog. Blogs with this title will be related to a common mistake in the grammar world. Even I make these grammar mistakes! This blog is simply reminding us all to let the grammar genius inside shine.
Today I am talking about it's and its. Phonetically, they sound the same: "itz." However, their meaning is different.
"It's" is the contraction for "it is" and "it has." Don't forget, contractions are short, quick ways of joining two words together. You can tell a word is a contraction because there is an apostrophe. An apostrophe is that little upside down comma-looking thing in the middle of the word. So, back to the word... It's means something IS/HAS.... blah, blah, blah...(insert the rest of your sentence here). The contraction is giving the state of being/past state of being to an object.
"Its" is a possessive pronoun. Remember, possessive shows ownership. So, this word is showing that something belongs to something. A pronoun takes the place of a noun. The pronoun it takes the place of objects, not people. So, "its" is showing that something belongs to an object.
If you're ever confused to place that little apostrophe or not, simply stretch the contraction out to two words. If the sentence is correct with "it is" or "it has," then you want to use the contraction "it's." If the sentence is not correct, then you want to use the possessive pronoun.
Let's practice. See if you can determine which word goes in the blank: it's or its.
1. The dog scratched _____ ears.
2. Wow! _____ hot today!
3. _____ been a long time since I've seen you!
4. The cat chased _____ tail.
5. The pencil did not have _____ eraser.
6. I would like to read that book. What is _____ title?
7. The oak tree has lost all _____ leaves.
8. We are going to Florida. _____ going to be a long drive.
Scroll down to check your thinking.....
How did you do? Here are the answers:
1. its ~ The ears belong to the dog
2. it's ~ It is referring to the weather
3. it's ~ It has been a long time
4. its ~ The tail belongs to the cat
5. its ~ The eraser belongs to the pencil
6. its ~ The title belongs to the book
7. its ~ The leaves belong to the oak tree
8. it's ~ It is going to be a long drive
Got it now, Grammar Genius? Until next time, keep reading!
Today's blog is a "Grammar Genius" blog. Blogs with this title will be related to a common mistake in the grammar world. Even I make these grammar mistakes! This blog is simply reminding us all to let the grammar genius inside shine.
Today I am talking about it's and its. Phonetically, they sound the same: "itz." However, their meaning is different.
"It's" is the contraction for "it is" and "it has." Don't forget, contractions are short, quick ways of joining two words together. You can tell a word is a contraction because there is an apostrophe. An apostrophe is that little upside down comma-looking thing in the middle of the word. So, back to the word... It's means something IS/HAS.... blah, blah, blah...(insert the rest of your sentence here). The contraction is giving the state of being/past state of being to an object.
"Its" is a possessive pronoun. Remember, possessive shows ownership. So, this word is showing that something belongs to something. A pronoun takes the place of a noun. The pronoun it takes the place of objects, not people. So, "its" is showing that something belongs to an object.
If you're ever confused to place that little apostrophe or not, simply stretch the contraction out to two words. If the sentence is correct with "it is" or "it has," then you want to use the contraction "it's." If the sentence is not correct, then you want to use the possessive pronoun.
Let's practice. See if you can determine which word goes in the blank: it's or its.
1. The dog scratched _____ ears.
2. Wow! _____ hot today!
3. _____ been a long time since I've seen you!
4. The cat chased _____ tail.
5. The pencil did not have _____ eraser.
6. I would like to read that book. What is _____ title?
7. The oak tree has lost all _____ leaves.
8. We are going to Florida. _____ going to be a long drive.
Scroll down to check your thinking.....
How did you do? Here are the answers:
1. its ~ The ears belong to the dog
2. it's ~ It is referring to the weather
3. it's ~ It has been a long time
4. its ~ The tail belongs to the cat
5. its ~ The eraser belongs to the pencil
6. its ~ The title belongs to the book
7. its ~ The leaves belong to the oak tree
8. it's ~ It is going to be a long drive
Got it now, Grammar Genius? Until next time, keep reading!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
What's on my nightstand: The True Meaning of Smekday
Yes, I haven't been "blogging" in awhile. There were some teaching reassignments at my school, so I am no longer teaching reading. I debated ending The Woods' World of Words, but then decided to keep it. I'm still a teacher and I'm still a reader and everyone can continue to benefit from the blog.
Currently, on my nightstand is the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. This book is on loan from a co-worker, and she will probably never lend me another book because I've had it for over a year! Not because I don't like the book, but because I haven't had much leisure time to read. However, after reevaluating my time, I have vowed to give myself at least 10 minutes to read at night, and so, I return to Smekday!
The True Meaning of Smekday is a sci-fi story set in the future about an alien invasion. There is a writing contest held for students to define Smekday. And so, the reader meets the main character, Tip, who is constantly revising her essay about "the true meaning of Smekday." With each revision, the reader learns more about the strange aliens that have invaded Earth and how Tip and her cat Pig are surviving. It is an easy, entertaining read and if you like a little alien humor, you will enjoy this book. (Really, the alien's name is J.Lo??? Yes, really...) A potentially good read aloud for the older crowd, or a good silent read - it is well written, imaginative, and entertaining.
Check out this site for more info about Smekday:
http://www.smekday.com/
Check out this site for more info about author Adam Rex:
http://www.adamrex.com/
And, SR, I promise you will get your book back soon! After all, it's on my nightstand and it's what I'm reading.
Currently, on my nightstand is the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. This book is on loan from a co-worker, and she will probably never lend me another book because I've had it for over a year! Not because I don't like the book, but because I haven't had much leisure time to read. However, after reevaluating my time, I have vowed to give myself at least 10 minutes to read at night, and so, I return to Smekday!
The True Meaning of Smekday is a sci-fi story set in the future about an alien invasion. There is a writing contest held for students to define Smekday. And so, the reader meets the main character, Tip, who is constantly revising her essay about "the true meaning of Smekday." With each revision, the reader learns more about the strange aliens that have invaded Earth and how Tip and her cat Pig are surviving. It is an easy, entertaining read and if you like a little alien humor, you will enjoy this book. (Really, the alien's name is J.Lo??? Yes, really...) A potentially good read aloud for the older crowd, or a good silent read - it is well written, imaginative, and entertaining.
Check out this site for more info about Smekday:
http://www.smekday.com/
Check out this site for more info about author Adam Rex:
http://www.adamrex.com/
And, SR, I promise you will get your book back soon! After all, it's on my nightstand and it's what I'm reading.
Friday, August 13, 2010
What's on my nightstand: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
I realized that I liked to read when I was in the fourth grade and we read Where the Red Fern Grows as a class. I was hooked with "chapter books," or novels as the big kids called them. From then on, I always had a book on my nightstand that I would read before turning off the light.
This post is one is a series of posts discussing what is on my nightstand tonight. Tonight's book is: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. I know, not what you would expect a grown adult to have on her nightstand. However, it is my daughter's favorite book.
At first, I thought it was me insisting it was her favorite book, so tonight, I did a little reading experiment. I read two books to the Munchkin and she was more interested with the Brown Bear book than the other. She reached out to touch the pages, looked up at me if I stopped reading, and babbled to herself. So you see, even six-month old babies have a preference of books! (The other book, for those who are curious, was a book about counting....maybe the Munchkin doesn't like math?)
So, what's on your nightstand today?
This post is one is a series of posts discussing what is on my nightstand tonight. Tonight's book is: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. I know, not what you would expect a grown adult to have on her nightstand. However, it is my daughter's favorite book.
At first, I thought it was me insisting it was her favorite book, so tonight, I did a little reading experiment. I read two books to the Munchkin and she was more interested with the Brown Bear book than the other. She reached out to touch the pages, looked up at me if I stopped reading, and babbled to herself. So you see, even six-month old babies have a preference of books! (The other book, for those who are curious, was a book about counting....maybe the Munchkin doesn't like math?)
So, what's on your nightstand today?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Invitation
"Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!"
~ Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
When I was in the third grade, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, my teacher (Ms. Shelley) began reading Shel Silverstein poems and I was hooked! I couldn't get enough Shel Silverstein. Ms. Shelley played the accompanying CD and I began memorizing the poems. One day at the book store with my parents and brother, I BEGGED (maybe through a tantrum) for my parents to buy me Where the Sidewalk Ends. It is one of my first memories of being excited to be a reader. The book cover is yellowing, but still there, and on the inside cover I wrote my name so proudly, and promptly added a smiley face afterward. I don't have the CD with Mr. Silverstein himself reading the poems, but I can still hear him in my head. What a wonderful poet he is!
So, I started thinking (and I do a lot of thinking): What is YOUR favorite and first memory of reading? Did someone lead you and inspire you, like my Ms. Shelley? Was there a favorite book that you just couldn't get enough of? Who gave you an "Invitation" to be a reader?
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!"
~ Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
When I was in the third grade, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, my teacher (Ms. Shelley) began reading Shel Silverstein poems and I was hooked! I couldn't get enough Shel Silverstein. Ms. Shelley played the accompanying CD and I began memorizing the poems. One day at the book store with my parents and brother, I BEGGED (maybe through a tantrum) for my parents to buy me Where the Sidewalk Ends. It is one of my first memories of being excited to be a reader. The book cover is yellowing, but still there, and on the inside cover I wrote my name so proudly, and promptly added a smiley face afterward. I don't have the CD with Mr. Silverstein himself reading the poems, but I can still hear him in my head. What a wonderful poet he is!
So, I started thinking (and I do a lot of thinking): What is YOUR favorite and first memory of reading? Did someone lead you and inspire you, like my Ms. Shelley? Was there a favorite book that you just couldn't get enough of? Who gave you an "Invitation" to be a reader?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)