JoanWink.com

Hi WinkWorld Readers,

Happy New Year to us all! Let’s keep on reading this year.  In this WinkWorld, I will share a bit about some of  the books, which I have enjoyed in the last 3 months.

Atall School

Reading with these students is my joy. I learn about so many good  books from the students.  Atall, as many of you know, is a small rural K-8 school on the isolated prairies of South Dakota.

Missy Urbaniak is the teacher and my cousin.  Here she is holding the new Donalyn Miller/Colby Sharp book about building a classroom library.

Books For Kiddos, Tweens, Teens, and Me

The stack of books below are some of the books discussed at Atall.

First, C.S. Lewis: This was the book which the kids found on their desks, when school began in the fall.  Missy is a fabulous Read-Aloud reader, and the kids are mesmerized when she reads.  Second, the younger students will read “The Lemonade War” by Jacqueline Davies.  In the story one student is “word smart,” and another is “number smart,” which took several of us back to Multiple Intelligences. We had a wide-ranging conversation which involved scholars from several states.  Eventually, this discussion led me back to a former student, whom I had not heard from in years.  She now has her doctorate, and we have our first ZOOM scheduled.  All because the Atall kids will be reading this novel.  The third book in this stack below is a page-turner historical novel, “Words on Fire” by Jennifer A. Nielsen about the resistance of  the Lithuanians, when the Russian army marched into Lithuania.  A heart-breaking story of trying to save books written in Lithuanian in order to save the language, culture, and identity of being Lithuanian. I know the students will understand and respect the Ukranians more when they read this book. Fourth, “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett was a new copy with new cover, which Missy gifted me. Finally, “The Christmas Pig” by J.K. Rowling entertained us all.

What’s Whole about Whole Language?

Recently, I have had the joy of ZOOMING with a group of professionals connected to the University of AZ, as we re-read Ken Goodman’s ideas on whole language. 

Hearing Carole Edelsky do Close Reading of the text is pure pleasure.  Carole, as many of you know, is  the author of “With Literacy and Justice for All.”

Adelberto M. Guerrero

I had the pleasure of surprising my favorite prof ever, when he was honored for his book, “Cuando Mis Hijos Sean Grandes.” This pix is dear Profe Beto and his daughter.

https://www.joanwink.com/latest/my-favorite-teacher-update-august-26-2019/

Mary Pipher Books

If you have been following, WinkWorld, you know that I am a great fan of Pipher; I think I have read all of her books.  I made the mistake of talking about her to a group of readers, so now next week I have to share about this book.  Oh dear, I have not touched it since last November.

Books Waiting for Me to Dive In