A New Resource: Reading with Mr. W

Yesterday I announced a hiatus for the #PictYourBooks challenge and said that much of my time would be spent on a new resource for the students in my school and in my district. Today I'd like to share that resource with readers of Help Readers Love Reading as well.

Reading with Mr. W  is a temporary website I'm creating to provide reading experiences with my students during the indefinite school shut down here in Wisconsin due to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). The site includes many of the activities I would be doing with students if school was in session such as novel read-alouds and picture book read-alouds and opportunities to partner-read with me.

More information about the website and its purpose can be found here.

Those of you who follow this website have become familiar with the activities I've done in the past few years including #TheCharacterTournament, the #PBIDchallenge, this year's #PictYourBooks challenge, and all the book reviews. I hope my passion for books and reading has been evident in the activities I've created and shared here, just like I hope that same excitement can be seen with my students at school. Reading with Mr. W is an attempt to connect the two: create an online presence that somehow replicates my students' school experience.

As always, your thoughts and ideas and comments are appreciated. We're all in this together, whether you are a teacher or parent or both, so let's work together to do the best we can for our kids while schools are closed. Stay safe and stay healthy, everyone!

#PictYourBooks Update

A lot has happened since the last time we had a #PictYourBooks challenge update. The COVID-19 (or novel coronavirus) has been declared a pandemic and started spreading through the United States. Like many schools in the U.S. (and many schools in the world) all schools in Wisconsin were closed by our state governor. Then our school district decided to close schools two days before the governor's order.

Which means that last week on Monday you were given a new #PictYourBooks challenge, and by Monday of this week, all of our schools were closed due to the virus.

Things sure change quickly. We have learned a lot of new vocabulary words in the past week like pandemic, quarantine, and social distancing. Here is another new word from the #PictYourBooks challenge:

HIATUS: A pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.

As in, "The #PictYourBooks challenge will be on hiatus for a while." Note that hiatus means a pause or a break. It does NOT mean stop or end! The #PictYourBooks challenge will be back soon, but for now my time will be spent updating other reading resources for the students in my school and district.

Thank you for understanding, everyone. Be safe, be well, wash your hands, and keep reading all those great books!

Week 21 #PictYourBooks Challenge

Time for some teamwork, everyone. Every answer to this week's challenge will take at least 2 books to answer, so you sharing books with each other and putting them together to answer the challenge will show great teamwork. Here's the challenge, followed by an example of how to answer the challenge:

Challenge #21: Create a math problem 

using books where the answer is TEN. 

Numbers are everywhere in books. They might be in the title (like Walk Two Moons or The Three Little Pigs) or they might be part of the book (like four houses at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books or the three kisses that Strega Nona blows into her magical pasta pot). Your job is to take those numbers and put them together somehow to get an answer of 10. Here are two examples:

FOUR houses at Hogwarts PLUS THREE little pigs PLUS Strega Nona's THREE kisses EQUALS TEN. 

4+3+3=10

OR

THREE blind mice TIMES the FOUR sisters in The Penderwicks MINUS Cinderella's TWO wicked stepsisters EQUALS TEN.

(4x3)-2=10

Step 1: Find the numbers in the books you are reading.
Step 2: Put your books (and your brains) together to make a math problem.
Step 3: Share your answer with me!

Good luck!

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 20 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 20 #PictYourBooks Challenge

Last week we shared books that take place far away, so I was thinking that this week we should do the opposite.

Challenge #20: Share a book that takes place close to home. 

However, the closer you get to home, the harder it gets. For example, I don't know any books that take place in my hometown but can name a couple books that happen in central Wisconsin. It gets easier if you include all of Wisconsin, and if "close to home" includes neighboring states, then we could name a bunch, I'm sure.

But don't forget to think creatively. There's a phrase that says "that hits close to home" which means something affects you personally. Just today I read a book with some students about a man who got a new puppy. Even though the book isn't in a place close to me, the book still hits close to home because my family just got a new puppy too! Once you think creatively, this week's challenge becomes:

Challenge #20: Share a book that hits close to home. 

So either way is fine. Share a book that happens in a location close to home or book that connects to you personally, one that hits close to home.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 19 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 19 #PictYourBooks Challenge

This week I'm thinking about traveling. Well, that's not quite right. I'm actually thinking about places that are far away. You see, my daughter is in college, and she is going to be studying in a city that is a loooooong way away. She's traveling to a city that is, get this, over five thousand miles away from home! For real!

So this week's challenge has to do with places that are far away.

Challenge #19: Share a book that takes place far away.

Remember that creative answers are encouraged. If you can explain how the book takes place far away, then it's a good answer. (And, no, it does not have to be over five thousand miles away.) Happy travels, everyone!

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 18 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 18 #PictYourBooks Challenge

May I introduce the newest member of my family? Everyone, meet Hazel!

My family has never had a pet before, so getting a dog is a new experience for us. She's 12 weeks old. Right now she's stretched out sleeping on the floor right by me as I type this. She loves tromping through the snow, chasing tennis balls, and chewing on stuff. She's just learned how to run up and down the stairs, but sometimes her little legs miss a step and THUMP!

So pets are on my mind today which means pets are a part of this week's #PictYourBooks challenge:

Challenge #18: Share a book where a character has a pet. 

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 17 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 17 #PictYourBooks Challenge

I love all kids of books. You probably know that already. But I really like books that make me laugh. Funny books are some of my favorite books to read.

The thing about funny books, however, is that not everyone laughs at the same books. Everyone has a different sense of humor. Books that are funny to kids might not be as funny to grown-ups. Kindergartners might find a book hilarious, but older readers might not laugh at all. Even in a class of third graders, some students might laugh at a book while their classmates don't understand what's so funny.

But I trust you. If you say a book is funny, then IT IS funny! So let's hear about those funny books.

Challenge #17: Share a book that made you laugh out loud.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 16 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 16 #PictYourBooks Challenge

Last Monday the American Library Association announced the 2020 winners for a bunch of awards. Two of the most famous are the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott Medal. The Newbery is awarded to the year's best book for children, and the Caldecott is given to the children's book with the best illustrations. Another award that I really like is the Geisel Award which is given to the best book for beginning readers. Here are the 2020 winners:

2020 Newbery Medal

2020 Caldecott Medal

2020 Geisel Award

These awards have been given for many years. In addition there are honor books which are sort of like runners up for the awards. So there are a lot of award winning books out there, and most of them have a medal on the cover showing the award it has won. Which finally brings us to this week's challenge:

Challenge #16: Share an award winning book that you really liked.

Please don't share just any book with a medal on the cover. It has to be one that you really liked, and I can't wait to see all your favorite award winners.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 15 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 15 #PictYourBooks Challenge

Today is Monday but students (at least in my school district) won't be seeing this video today. Students have a day off. All the teachers will be in meetings today, working with one another and doing some professional learning, but the students get the day off.

Which means it's probably Tuesday now for all of the students reading this message. I hope you enjoyed your day off.

That brings us to this week's challenge:

Challenge #15: Share a book with a day off.

Remember, creative answers are welcome and encouraged. Maybe it's a vacation or a weekend away. Maybe someone just needs a break from something difficult. However you can find a day off in your book, I can't wait to hear it.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 14 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 14 #PictYourBooks Challenge

There are some cool signs that are hanging in my school. Here's the first one:

The sign made me think, "If you don't have superpowers, how can you be a superhero?" But then I noticed these other two signs:

If there are superhero rules or directions on how to be a superhero, I expected things like flying, super-speed, super-strength, or invisibility, stuff like that. But those powers aren't listed. Instead there are actions like "do your best" and "never give up" and "stand up for what's right" and "be kind."

I guess there's a difference between superpowers (like flying) and the power to do something super (like stand up for what's right). Which leads us to this week's challenge.

Challenge #14: Share a book where a character has superpowers OR the power to do something super.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 13 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 13 #PictYourBooks Challenge

It's been a long time since we've had a new challenge. Week 12 started the week before winter break so there was a week of school, a week of vacation, a week of some vacation and two days of school, and finally, here we are with a new challenge. It's been three weeks, and that's a pretty long time!

But what is a "long" time. I think we would all agree that 100 years, for example, is a long time. But there's other ways to think about a "long" time. Waiting in line can feel like a really long time when it's actually only a few minutes. What are some other things that feel like a long time?

The challenge for week 13 of the #PictYourBooks challenge is all about a long time. Make sure you think creatively to answer this one. Some books might happen over a character's lifetime, while other books might be about a short time that feels really long, like waiting for a birthday party to start. Be creative! Any way a book answers the challenge is fine with me!

Challenge #13: Share a book where something takes a long time.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 12 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 12 #PictYourBooks Update

School starts back up again today (Thursday) after winter break for everyone in our school district, but that means it's only a two-day week. Also, there are teachers and students who participate in the #PictYourBooks challenge from schools in other districts who might not start until next Monday. So week #12 will continue through this week, and week #13 will start next Monday. That means there are still a few days left to submit a book for the week #12 challenge:

Challenge #12: Share a book where a holiday is celebrated. 

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 12 #PictYourBooks Challenge

It's the last week of school before the holiday break which means time to read, play in the snow, visit with friends and family, and celebrate the holidays. So whether you celebrate a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanzaa, have a great holiday break from school, and we'll see you in the New Year.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have this week's #PictYourBook challenge! Since the holidays are so important to this time of year, let's do a holiday challenge: 

Challenge #12: Share a book where a holiday is celebrated.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.

Week 11 #PictYourBooks Answers

Week 11 #PictYourBooks Challenge

I remembered!

The last #PictYourBooks post explained how I forgot to share an update with everyone about how Week #10 was actually going to last for two weeks. I was going to post that on Monday, but forgot. Then it was going to be on Tuesday, but I forgot. So it finally appeared on Wednesday.

In that post I said that maybe forgetfulness would be part of the next challenge. Well, the next challenge is here, and I remembered!

Challenge #11: Share a book where something is forgotten or remembered (or both). 

Maybe a thief carelessly left behind a clue, forgetting to cover his tracks. Maybe a detective remembered something important which helped solve a crime. Maybe characters who are up to mischief forgot when Mom was coming home and got caught. Be creative in how you see forgetting or remembering in your books. I can't wait to see what you share.

You have one week to submit your answer. Answers can be submitted three ways. Snap a picture of any book that answers the challenge and:

• text it to (715) 903-6455
• email it to PictYourBooks@gmail.com
• respond to @HelpReaders on Twitter

Please include the week number with your picture. You may also include who the image is from, like a teacher's name, and a description of how the book answers the challenge. Writing information on a sticky note and including it in the picture works great!

To be notified of new challenges and weekly wrap up videos, sign up for email updates. Enter your email address under "Subscribe for email notifications" at the top of the page on the right side.