Monsters, Old Things, and Very Large Cats

This week we read:

• Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 2015

• What Makes a Monster by Jess Keating, Illustrated by David DeGrand

• Curious About Fossils by Kate Waters

• “From Surviving to Thriving: Four Research-Based Principles to Build Students’ Reading Interest” (Springer, S. E., Harris, S., & Dole, J. A.)

I began the readings with Curious about Fossils (Waters, 2016). While I grew up not being fond of informational texts, as a teacher, I have learned to love them. This book about the different kinds of fossils that have been found, and the people who found them, makes me think of hunting for arrowheads with my dad when I was young. There was an old field that was rumored to have once been the grounds of a Native American dwelling. While I am not sure that the field actually was, there was definitely arrowheads of all shapes and sizes found there. Many children are fascinated by old things, so teaching with this book could be a really cool way to talk about history, science, and reading all in one.

Next, I read What Makes a Monster? (Keating & DeGrand, 2017). This book was both super cool and made me cringe at the same time! I learned so much reading this book, and thought of 4 students I had in internships that would have LOVED this book. I would love to use this book as a way to teach animals and science, and even have students choose some of these animals as part of a study about a certain country, etc. This book will most definitely gain the interest of student through either an interest that they came into the classroom with, or through building interest once you begin to study the book with them. I know when I first saw this book, it is not one that I would have picked to read unless it was for my instruction or for an assignment. Mostly because I am not into creepy things. However, once I started reading the book and finding out new facts, both good and bad, I was highly interested and more motivated to keep reading. In “From Surviving to Thriving: Four Research-Based Principles to Build Students’ Reading Interest,” the idea of not only allowing students to choose what they read based on their interest, but also being able to build interest in a book through the way the teacher presents it can be very beneficial to the overall success of a student who will inevitably have to read many genres throughout school and their lifetime (Springer, S. E., Harris, S., & Dole, J. A.).

Lastly, I read Crenshaw (Katherine Applegate, 2015). Going into reading this book, I was a little unsure. I had heard very mixed reviews about this book from the students I student taught last year, and the cooperating teacher I worked under. The students seemed to love, or at least like, the book. However, the teacher I worked under called the book, “creepy.” After reading the book for myself, I have NO IDEA how this book could be creepy. I never had an imaginary friend, but I do not think that having an imaginary friend is “creepy.” This book is about a boy, Jackson, and his family. They are struggling financially, and have to move around some in search of affordable housing and work. He has an imaginary friend, Crenshaw, who is a very large cat that walks on his hind legs and down cartwheels. Being a cat mom, I am highly approving of Jackson having a cat as his imaginary friend, especially because the cat acts a lot more like a dog. While my cats do not like (nor have ever gotten) bubble baths, Rory plays fetch and both Rory and Roo role on their backs and scratch them on the carpet like dogs.

As for the theme of food insecurity, it is so real. As I was reading, I could see many of the area of my hometown (Wilkesboro) that are low income and struggle to provide food for their children. In the hyperdoc we looked at, there was an article by National Geographic with a map of the U.S. and the percentage of food insecurity down to each county in the U.S. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/hunger/) . Wilkes County is the darker orange county in North Western North Carolina, that is surrounded by the lighter color. With a large area and not a large amount of income based or low-income housing, many families struggle to pay rent with their minimum wage paying jobs. I have seen first hand the impact that it had on my classmates growing up. Many of the students who came to school hungry dealt not only with academic struggles, but also behavioral issues. Don’t we all get angry when we have no food, or see that others around us are thriving and happy and we have to be the ones on the bottom? I know I do. I am highly concerned about my future students who live with food insecurity, and I know I will be one of the many teachers who provides food for my hungry students. Luckily, in the county I hope to work in, Buncombe County (Asheville, NC), they have a summer food program that takes place at apartment complexes and community centers that are near many low income and food insecure areas. Children up to age 18 can eat for free during certain times every day at these locations. This will help me to leave school every June with a lighter heart, knowing that my students will (hopefully) be able to attend these lunch times daily and not go hungry all summer. Overall, this book really impacted my thinking on the conversations I will have with students and how to go about talking about food insecurity in a classroom where I know some students will be facing that issue. I am struggling with coming up with exactly how I would discuss this with a group of students, and I would love to hear your input! Feel free to comment below.

Resources:

Applegate, K. (2015). Crenshaw. Feiwel and Friends: New York, NY.

Keating, J. & DeGrand, D. (2017). What makes a monster? Ransom House Children’s Books: New York, NY.

Springer, S. E., Harris, S., & Dole, J. A. (2017). From surviving to thriving: Four research-based principles to build students’ reading interest. The Reading Teacher: 71: 43-50.

Waters, K. (2016). Curious about fossils. Grosset & Dunlap: New York, NY.