HAPPY HOLIDAY READING!

This is a fantastic time of the year to sit back, relax and just chill out with a great book - or 10!!  What are you and your families going to be reading these holidays?  Join in the discussion, comment below and recommend some great books.

Don't forget to check out the links to some very cool websites and apps on the sidebar of this blog.  Let me know if there are others you'd like to see on there.

Merging Storylines!

Sahville is wondering...

If you could put two stories together, which two stories would they be and why?

Interesting....

If you could talk to your book, or the author who wrote the book, what questions would you have?

(This is another question from Emma - she's on fire!!)

The Book or Movie Debate

Emma wants to know - "What is better - the movie or the book?"  Why?

Madison Wants to Know...

What are your reasons for loving books?

Capri Has Been Wondering...

Why DO people write?  What motivates us to write?

Persistence in Reading

A question from Emma...

If the book you started reading was one you didn't like, would you keep reading it (Habits of Mind - Persisting) and why or why not?

Here's One to Get Your Brains Ticking Over!

If you could take one character out of a book and put him, her - or it -in another book, what book would you choose and why?
How would they react to being in a different setting and a different plot??????

Books and Movies

If your favourite movie was a book would you still read it if it had less detail?  Explain why you think this?

A question from Timothy on Where and When...

Where and when do you read your Literature Circle books - and other books.  Do you have a favourite place to sit and read?

Why Should We Read Different Types of Books?

A question from Emma

One of the questions for this week is around reading as widely as possible.  Why is this important?  Is it important?  How would it help your learning?  Why should we try a different type of book than we usually read?

Tell Us About Yourself as a Reader

We're keen to find out more about you and what you like to read. 
When you were our age, what books did you like to read?
Did you have a favourite author?  Who is your favourite now?
What differences have you noticed between books then and now?
Why do you like to read books?
How often do you read books?
As writers, what technology did you use to publish your books?
Do you like to read books online or in hard copy?

SUMMING UP

Hi everyone

Your task for this week is to SUMMARISE what you have read to date.  How well can you work together as a Team to do this??

Add your summaries as comments.

Getting Excited About Books and Reading

Hi everyone!
It's nearly the end of the holidays and I can't wait to read about all the great books you've read during this time.  (And everything else you've been reading too!)

I was incredibly impressed with the books you chose - and the number of books! -  in the last week of Term and it would be great for you to share a little bit about what you've read.  We'll really get into Twitter when we get back next week - and also use MyChatPack to do some book sells and upload them onto our Book Reviews page.

See you on Monday and don't forget to comment on the books you've read.

Exploring Our New Books

Hi everyone!
Last week we were very lucky to have some new Literature Circle books arrive in our room.
This post is just for a general discussion on what your books are about.  Please focus on the following:

What is the THEME of your book?
Who are the MAIN CHARACTERS?
Which character has GRABBED YOUR INTEREST THE MOST?  Why - what has the author done to create the character so that this is the one you notice the most?

New Literature Circles Books Are On Their Way Today!!

I can't wait to share the new Literature Circles books with all of you!  I wonder which ones you will choose and why - how are you making your choices? 

Join in the discussion below and add your comments.

Whose Birthday Is It Today??

A famous author has a birthday today.  I wonder who it could be??  How could you find out?  (Hint - check out Google today!)

Post your thoughts about the author below. 

I've grabbed the Google Doodle off Youtube for you!

What Books Have Inspired You?

Lisa Bu has faced interesting challenges in her life and turned to books to inspire her, to keep her passion for life alive and also to find answers.

What books have inspired you?

The Library of the Future

Have a look at this Prezi that shows you what the possibilities can be for Libraries of the Future.  Many libraries are already looking like this.  If you have some fantastic pictures to share showing what your library looks like, we'd love to showcase them on this blog.  Email me to share your passion for all things libraries and books!!

We'd also love to hear your thoughts on the Prezi below.

What Are You Reading During The Holidays?

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all having a fantastic holiday and taking time to read the wonderful books you chose in the last week of term.

Tell us about what you are currently reading - don't forget to include your name, the title of the book, the author(s) and tell us your opinion of the book.

Would you recommend this book to others?  Why?  Who would the book suit - who would be interested in reading it?

I'm really looking forward to reading your thoughts and commenting back to you.

At the moment I'm doing a lot of reading for my university work, but I've also found time to read a lot of interesting articles online and a couple of non-fiction books too.  Making time for reading is always important and it's fantastic to see how important all of you are making it in your lives!!

Remember, the more you read, the more fantastic a reader you will be.  I am so proud of the effort you are putting into your learning and, in particular, your reading!!  Not only is this great for you academically, reading is just one of the best hobbies / interests you can have.

Afterall, what other hobby allows you to escape to other worlds and create your own movie in your head??!!  Fantastic!!!!!

Read anything and everything you can!

New Literature Circle Books

Hi everyone
Today you'll spend a bit of time reading your new Literature Circle books.  Think about the following questions and then add your thoughts as a group.

Remember to add your names to your comments and include the title of the book your group is reading.  Don't forget to think about what your audience needs to know - what you need to include in your comments - so that they understand what you mean.  Please also keep an eye on those surface features - all part of reader courtesy.

• What made you choose your book?  As good readers, what made you decide that this was the book you were going to read?

• Summarise what you've read so far.

• Predict what may happen in the book over the next few chapters.

The First Trial Using MyChatPak to Review a Book

Girl Of Kosovo

By Alice Mead.

Using MyChatPak to 'Sell' Our Books and Get Everyone Into The Reading Habit

This week we're going to be trialling our fabulous new teaching and learning tool - MyChatPak - to encourage other people to read some of the fantastic books we've been reading.

We're going to be creating videos to upload here to tell you about some of these books and some will have a written review to go along with them.

We may also be able to encourage our ESOL students to contribute reviews over the next couple of weeks so please encourage everyone on here by giving us lots of feedback about how we're using this tool.

If you like what you see and are interested in trialling the product, please contact me.

Thinking Critically About Our Books

Think about the book you are reading at the moment.  What would you change in it?  This is the same process when you are writing.  What would you change in your writing to add more impact - to grab the reader's attention and create that vivid image in their heads?

Remember to add the title - copied correctly from the book.  (No excuses for this being incorrect if you have the book in front of you.  If you don't have the book there, then Google the title to get it correct)

If you wouldn't change a thing in the book you're reading, then write about why you wouldn't.  What makes that book work so well for you?  What has the author done to achieve this?

What Is Your Favourite Thing About Literature Circles?

Hi everyone

This is your opportunity to discuss your favourite things about Literature Circles.  You can also discuss what you'd change or add to the programme.  You might even like to suggest some new titles for us. 

I'm looking forward to reading your ideas.

Themes in our Books

Hi everyone.  The discussion this week centres around themes in what we're reading.  We're just starting to explore what a theme is and how we can use our skills as great readers to figure out what the author's message is and the theme they are writing about.

Here are our first thoughts - our initial thinking - so join in the discussion and tell us about the themes in the books you're reading.

New Websites!

Hi everyone - have you checked out the new websites on here??  They have come from suggestions from the students about who they'd like to see on here.  Who else would you like to see on here?

Add your suggestions as comments or email me at:

justine.hughes@hendersonint.school.nz


I can't wait to read your suggestions!

If You Met A Character From Your Book in Real Life...

This could be an interesting discussion!  You're walking along the road and SUDDENLY!! - there, in front of you is a character from the Literature Circles book you're reading at the moment!!  You can't believe your eyes!

What would you say to that character?  What questions would you ask him / her / it about their life and the story you're reading?  How would they respond?

I'm REALLY looking forward to reading your thoughts on this one!!!

Kicking off the Discussion for the New Year

You've just chosen your new Literature Circle books.

How did you choose your book?  What metacognitive thinking went on - the thinking around how you thought about choosing the book.  What thinking did you need to do?

Tell me all about it.