It's Friday!!!

One month into our new school year, and I'm finally into the schedule! I'm so happy to be back in the routine and teaching students again! My favorite teaching moment so far has been watching students master 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication. It requires a lot of steps, but gosh they are learning!

I really hope that you are enjoying this school year.

Now that we're in the routine, I am having fun and learning a lot. Did you know that? Even as a teacher I learn new things everyday too. With the Chromebooks added to our classrooms, I'm always looking for new learning tools for my students. Gosh, there's a lot out there!

I've also learned a lot about Digital Citizenship. I'm sure you've talked about it a lot in your class. It's important to be a good citizen on the internet.

Well, it's Friday. Time to curl up with my current book.

Have a great weekend.

LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME, WITH A GOOD BOOK IN YOUR HANDS!

Is Anyone Out There? *grin*

It's hard to believe it, but I just realized that this site is still up. Very, very long story short, I thought that when they re-did all the school webpages that this was taken down. I'm so glad to see it's still up! So, how is Summer going for you? Are you reading? Are you writing? Have you been to camp? It could be any kind of a camp, church camp or music camp, or even science camp. Or tons of others that I can't think of at that moment.

Or perhaps you've been on vacation? Where did you go? What did you do? *grin*

I'm not even sure if anyone checks this page, but I'm going to go ahead and post this Summer. Perhaps there will be someone out there reading. *grin*

As for me, I've already read 2 books and spent one week out at a camp for people with special needs. It was a lot of fun, but I was tired when I came back. Now I'm in the routine of tutoring, and well, reading. *grin*

This week I have plans to visit with a friend, tutor, and I'm attending the Sporting KC game tomorrow night with my brother. *grin*

Well, whatever you're doing, I hope it's fun. If you want to write in, you can email me at shannon.springer@lsr7.net. I will post replies with nicknames on here. Yes, that means if you email me, I will post it (if you give me permission) but I won't use your real name. I'll give you a nickname. *grin* I can be creative like that, but in a very positive way.

Well, time to play with my four-legged-furry-kid.

Hope to hear from someone this Summer!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!

GUESS WHAT????

I finished my first book for my reading log! That's right, I have now logged 238 pages tonight on my sheet!!! Hahaha! I'm SO EXCITED! Also, today my younger brother gave me a belated birthday gift, which was a BOOK!!! I'm SO EXCITED!!! *grin*

So, get those books out. I've already got 238 pages logged! And, yes, I'm going to start another book tonight! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME...with a new book in my hands. *grin*

Today We Start...

...our SUMMER BREAK READING!!!

I finished my book last night on purpose so that TONIGHT I could start reading for my reading log. THAT'S RIGHT, teachers are reading too! Of course, I like to read a lot, so it isn't work for me. *grin*

So, what are you reading? Have you read anything good lately? I sure hope so!

So start reading tonight! It's going to be a GREAT Summer! *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Hooked on Books!

Hello!

I have missed blogging, but I have been busy READING. I'm not kidding. I asked for books for the holidays, and I got some! I have been reading, reading, reading. It's been fun.

If you haven't found the right book for you, I encourage you to talk to Ms. Johnson or Mrs. Scott in our library to help you find a series or a book just for you.

You're also welcome to talk to me, but I realize I'm not as easy to find because I'm in a classroom all day long.

I would post some book reviews, but the books I have just finished have been for teens and are not books that we would place in our library.

I would like to encourage you to try a new genre though. That's what I just did.

I walked through a book store in December. I went into a section of the store that I don't normally go into (teens) and found three books that looked interesting.

Now, I'm not saying to go to the teens area. That's NOT my point.

My point is, maybe you typically read Non-Fiction. Maybe you should try fiction for a change. Or, maybe you read fantasy all the time, perhaps you should try adventure for a change.

My favorite thing about books is that there is something for everyone.

So, if you think, "books are just okay" I encourage you not to give up.

I guarantee you that there is a book just for you!

HAPPY READING!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT...WITH BOOKS!

THE PUZZLER'S MANSION *****

I have a book review tonight. Yes, we're on break and I have a book review. I have to admit, part of what I love about break is that I can read! So, I finished the book THE PUZZLER'S MANSION by Eric Berlin. It is the third book that Eric has written with Winston the Puzzler in it, and I HIGHLY recommend this series of books. Well, okay, they all stand alone, they aren't like a series in a row, but they are all GREAT books! This one did not disappoint. I had a gift card and bought it recently and REALLY enjoyed it.

So, perhaps you will get a gift card to a bookstore this holiday season. If you do, check it out! You will be glad you did!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

HAPPY BREAK!!!

I wanted to take a moment tonight and wish all the loyal readers a HAPPY Winter Break! I hope you get to rest up with friends and family, and READ LOTS OF BOOKS!!!

Speaking of which, I had a friend at school give me a new book and I'm SO EXCITED. *grin*

I know this is short tonight, but I'm thinking of all of the wonderful SVE kids and I truly hope you enjoy your break.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID-THIRD WHEEL ****1/2

Today I have a review for you, and also want to let you know that THIS WEEK IS THE BOOK FAIR! *grin* Yes, Monday, November 19, and Tuesday, November 20th are the Book Fair in the orange room! Come check it out! *grin*

Okay, now for the new Wimpy Kid review. *grin*

I give it four and a half out of five stars. It was really enjoyable, and I had it read in NO TIME. That's how I know a book is REALLY fun, is when I read it REALLY fast.

So go ahead, pick it up, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!!!

And, before you ask me, YES, it is in the BOOK FAIR. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF ZOE FLYNN ****1/2

Tonight I have a book review for you. NO, it's not the Wimpy Kid book, that will be my next review. I am one of those readers who likes to finish one book before getting very deep into another one. I'll admit it, I read about 25 pages of Wimpy Kid last night though. It was hard to resist. There's just nothing like a new book in my hands! *grin*

Tonight I finished THE DOUBLE LIFE OF ZOE FLYNN by Janet Lee Carey. I really enjoyed this book. I immediately felt connected to the main character, Zoe. While her journey isn't an easy one, it's a rather touching one with plenty of action, laughter, and heart. I highly recommend this for readers of all ages!

I'll return it to our library tomorrow. Feel free to check it out soon! It will be worth your time. *grin*

BOOK FAIR IS NEXT WEEK TOO!!! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

NEW DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

Didja buy it yet?

I will admit, I got my pre-ordered copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid today, and am about to start reading it tonight. I have a feeling it's going to be a book for older readers, but I will definitely have a review up soon!

Didn't buy it? If not, that's okay, THE BOOK FAIR IS NEXT WEEK! *grin*

Come back soon, as I have a feeling my review will be up pretty quickly!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Trash by Andy Mulligan ***1/2

Tonight I have another book review for you! I have been reading, but you can tell by how long it is in between posts how good a book is because if it's REALLY good, it's not very long in between posts. However, if it's just "ok" it takes a while because I just read it before bed. Well, that's where I'd place my most recent book.

I read TRASH by Andy Mulligan. In this story, three boys are dumpsite kids, who spend their days going through trash to earn money for their families. That's right, they sort through dumpster trash. However, one day one of the boys find something that changes their entire lives. The whole story is the journey of the three boys and their find in the dumpsite.

This book had my attention at first. I really liked it and was really into it. As the book went on, I found myself reading it to find out how it ended, but not because I was REALLY enjoying it. That's why I only gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

If you're into adventures, this may be the book for you! I would state that it is for students in 6th grade and up. The vocabulary is on a higher level, and that's why I think it's better for older students. *grin*

So, go ahead, stock up on books, cold weather is around the corner.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Mr. Terupt Falls Again ***

Tonight I have a new book review for you! I just finished the sequel to the book, "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea. The book I just read was "Mr. Terupt Falls Again" by Rob Buyea.

I was really excited about the book arrival on my porch, as I LOVED the first book! Mr. Terupt's classroom captured my heart, and left me wanting more. My favorite part of the first book was the fact it was written from the perspective of each student's point-of-view. I loved it.

In the sequel, Mr. Terupt has looped with his students to sixth grade, and has fallen for a fellow teacher as well. It makes for an interesting year for Mr. Terupt and his students. Throughout the year, each student has events that happen that show each student maturing in their own way.

While I liked it, I recommend it for 6th graders and above. There is some content that is not appropriate for younger students in this book.

I will also add, I didn't look forward to reading this book each night after the first couple, like I did the last one. My favorite aspect of the first book, several perspectives, was what wore me out in this sequel. At first I liked the various perspectives, but then it got old because I felt like I was re-living the same parts of the story over and over again. I think the writer thought so too, because after a certain point, the perspectives decreased in number, and the story line moved on. The ending was quick and with very few different points-of-view. I was glad, to be honest, as I was ready to be done with the book.

Therefore, I give it three stars. I do encourage people to read the first one, "Because of Mr. Terupt" before the sequel, as there is a lot of ground work in the first one.

My next read is "Trash" by Andy Mulligan. I am intrigued and I'm only 30 pages into it. I'll keep ya posted!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT.

SON by Lois Lowry ****1/2

Tonight I have a book review for you! I finished SON by Lois Lowry this week and I give it four and a half out of five stars! This book is about a mother in a dystopian society searching for her son. In case you're wondering what a Dystopian Society is, it's a society in which the rules are not really good for the people who live there. (The Hunger Games had a Dystopian Society, if that helps. However, this story line is COMPLETELY different.) In this society, the birthmothers give birth to babies, but they can't keep them. So, the journey is a mother searching for her son. That's a really simple explanation of the book, honestly. This book is really tough to describe without ruining the ending. *grin*

So, I recommend this book for sixth graders and up! It's a really cool story with a journey that will leave you on the edge of your seat from page one until the end of the book!

CHECK IT OUT!

*grin*
LIFE. IS. GREAT...WITH A GREAT BOOK IN YOUR HANDS!!!

Stocking Up for Winter!

GREETINGS!

So much has happened this year, and there's so much more to come! Guess what I'm already thinking about? Are you ready for this?

SNOW DAYS!

I know, I know, it's not even cold yet!

But, I LOVE to read, and snow days are a GREAT time to read! So, just as some animals stockpile food for winter, I get books for winter.

I was given some gift cards a little while ago, and I'm using them to get ready to go for winter! Plus, I've pre-ordered some books that will be out, such as The New Diary of a Wimpy Kid and (for 6th graders) the third book in the MATCHED series. I'm so excited!!!

So, go ahead, start thinking about what you would like to have for those SNOW DAYS. I predict that they will be here before we know it! (And, psst, so will our BOOK FAIR!)

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT...with a GREAT book in your hands!

WONDER by R.J. Palacio *****

So, the school year has been underway for a few weeks, and we've been BUSY. We put Mrs. Trigg on the roof (You guys won!), had a back-to-school picnic, and even had a bird show for kids who read enough pages this summer. We keep busy around Sunset Valley Elementary, don't we? *grin*

I have an AMAZING book review tonight. It's a book that Ms. Johnson showed me at the beginning of the year, and I took it home on the weekend it rained on Friday and Saturday. I had it read within 24 hours, which is saying A LOT because I keep busy on the weekends.

The book is WONDER by R.J. Palacio. In this book, the main character is born with a face that is different from everyone else. The kid's name is August, and they call him Auggie. It's his story of life with a face that's a little different from everyone else's.

In fact, he starts school for the first time in middle school and it makes for a REALLY good story. It really touched my heart on so many levels! I laughed, cried, cheered, and was changed by this little character. I'm different because of this little guy in this book. That's when a book is REALLY good. *grin*

We talk at school about making connections with what we're reading. I wanted to share a connection I had with the book. See, Auggie is picked on by other kids because of the way he looks. I won't go into details, because I don't want to ruin the book for you, but people picked on him because he looked different. It wasn't his fault, that was just the way he was born. That's what happened to me too. When I was a kid, people picked on me because I walked different than they did. I made a connection with that character because of the way people judged him because of something that wasn't his fault. It made me cry and smile all at the same time. *grin*

I want to end this post by saying I'm proud of the students at SVE because I don't hear kids pick on other kids who are different than they are. Instead, I see kids accept other kids in the most kind ways around our school. WAY TO GO, SVE! You're an amazing group of young people!

So, check out WONDER by R.J. Palacio!!! It will make you *grin* ear-to-ear!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT...WITH A GREAT BOOK IN YOUR HANDS!!!

What's Your Number?

So, here we are, ready for Meet Your Teacher on August 13, 2012! Are you ready? Are you excited to be back? I am glad you said yes! *grin*

I took time away from the blog to re-charge and serve kids out at Camp Barnabas for a couple weeks, and I have returned! I am SO EXCITED about this upcoming school year!

So, I have a BIG question for you tonight. What's your number?

You're probably thinking, "Ms. Springer, what are you talking about?"

You remember the last day of school when Mrs. Trigg challenged students to read more than staff over the summer? Well, how many pages did you read? What's your number?

I just counted up my pages! I kept my log on my kitchen counter, and I kept up with it all summer so I could help with the STAFF number!

My total number of pages...are you ready for this?

2,421

How cool is that? I read 13 books for a total of 2,421 pages!

I think it's GREAT!

So, what's your number?

Tell me at MEET YOUR TEACHER NIGHT, okay? (Logs due BY August 17th in the library!)

I can't wait to see you!

Welcome back! It's going to be an AMAZING school year!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME...AT SVE!!!

The Whopper by Savannah

GREETINGS!

Gosh, how long has it been since I've been on here? Oh, right, IT'S SUMMER BREAK! *grin*

What have you been doing? READING, I hope! Have you been keeping track of your reading for your reading challenge so that you can get Mrs. Trigg on the roof? I have been keeping track, and I'm at about 800 pages so far. *grin* Plus, we still have several weeks of summer left. *grin*

Today I have an entry that was submitted by Savannah. I actually have two of her entries but will do one today and one this weekend. You'll want to check back and check it out. I'll also post it on THE VAULT page, as that's strictly student writing. I hope you like this story as much as I did! *grin*

THE WHOPPER

When I reeled it in I saw a ten foot fish on my line. It was red and pink together on the fish. Then my Dad got his camera out and took my picture of me with the biggest fish. Then my Dad took it off the line and put it back in the water to have it free. The judges came over and handed me a trophy that said it was the biggest fish ever on it. Then I told my Dad I like fishing now, it is the best ever! Everyone from school came and said good job for catching the biggest fish. I told my Dad I called the fish Amy because that is my name and I caught that big fish. My Dad told me he was happy to see me catch that fish. I told my Dad we can go fishing together all the time now. That was when I caught the biggest fish named Amy.

GOOD JOB SAVANNAH! *grin* I liked it!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Dork Diaries ****1/2

Oh my goodness, has it really been THAT long since I've posted? Well, one might think it's Summer Break or something. *grin*

Last night I finished Dork Diaries, Book #1. I liked it! I like Journal-Style books, and this one was really neat. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I would like it when I started it, but I really did.

There are other ones that I plan to read throughout the summer too. If you're wondering why I didn't give it five stars, well, I liked it, but I wasn't REALLY wanting to read it outside of my usual reading time. To me, that's the litmus test.

I started a new book this morning, and am already on page 93.

I love Summer Break.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

SCRAWL ****1/2

Tonight I have a book review for you! I just finished SCRAWL by Mark Shulman. I REALLY liked it. It was sort of written in a journal form, but not anything like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It was more like a chapter book, which I enjoyed.

Tod is the main character in this story, and he is a bully. He is in trouble, so he's serving time in detention instead of being expelled from school. In detention, he has to write in a journal. This book tells a story through the journal that has enough surprises to keep you reading! I really enjoyed it!

Perhaps you noticed that I have it 4 and a half stars instead of five. I didn't give it five just because I wasn't hooked on it so much that I read it ALL the time. I read it daily, it just wasn't a "five" for me. *grin*

So, go ahead, check it out, you'll be glad you did.

By the way, I put it on my reading log. It was 240 pages toward our STAFF team count. How many have you read? *grin*

HAPPY READING!
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

TIME TO READ *grin*

So, Summer Break is upon us.

Have you cried every day since we got out of school at 1:30 on Monday? *grin*

I'll admit it, I LOVE it because I now have time to read all the books that are on my nightstand. I'll be busy this summer, but I already have two books beside me now, just waiting to be read!

I'm currently reading "Scrawl" and will have a review up soon. I only have a few pages left. I will begin book #1 of Dork Diaries after that! I've read ALL of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid stories but NONE of the Dork Diaries. I'm curious to see how I like them.

So, go ahead, fight the tears. We have a lot of Summer left! Get out those books! Remember, there's a reading challenge between staff and students to get Mrs. Trigg up on the roof of the school!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!