Frank Einstein and the Electro-finger by Jon Scieszka

I'm excited to share the second book in the series which is a mix of science fiction and humor.

Frank Einstein, his best friend Watson, and Klink and Klank the robots compete against T. Edison to unlock the science of energy.  The Electro-finger is a new version of one of Nikola Tesla's inventions that taps into energy anywhere.



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Teacher Shortages 2015-2016

Followers and frequent readers might know that I left my classroom at the end of last school year.  My resignation letter didn't go viral, and I'm really okay with that.  I also notice that there has been some backlash from other teachers writing their anti-resignation letters.

Here are some articles I have been reading about the teacher shortage.  I know the reasons why I left the classroom.  I would love to read your respectful comments about this topic.

Where Have All the Teachers Gone? -- NPR, March 4, 2015

What If Our Teacher Shortage is Really a Leadership Shortage? -- Huffington Post, November 4, 2015 

The Real Reasons Behind the U.S. Teacher Shortage -- Washington Post August 24, 2015

Quote of the Week -- December 27, 2015

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island."

~Walt Disney

Have a good week,

Plan a New Year Party: Story Problems with Multiplication

A group of friends wants to plan a party.  They need to solve some multiplication problems to make sure they have enough supplies for their guests.

To download New Year Celebration, please click here.

Happy Friday!

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I loved the first book with these characters.  Calpurnia Tate lives in a time where women are expected to stay home and take care of the house and children.  Calpurnia wants to go to college, but her family doesn't take this seriously.  Between the antics of her brother who loves animals and a cousin who moves into Calpurnia's room, Calpurnia has many problems to solve.




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Finding the Reading Level: Book Wizard on Scholastic.com

I read and review a book a week for this blog.  Recently another teacher asked me about the reading level for a book I recommended.  I immediately went to Scholastic.com and typed in the title to their Book Wizard feature.  I have used this feature for years to help students connect with books. 

Many of you may already know about this great feature.  Scholastic sells many books and they report the reading level using a variety of measures: grade level equivalent, guided reading (A-Z), DRA, and Lexile.

 

Quote of the Week -- December 20, 2015

"Many of life's failures are experienced by people who didn't realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

~ Thomas Edison

Have a good week,