January 2009

Chalk Talk

A Professional Publication for Irvington Teachers

January 14, 2009

Elementary Student Book Choice of the Month

Hate that Cat

By Sharon Creech

HarperCollins Publishers (September 2008)

160 pages

The honest, observant, and expressive Jack is sure about two things: he hates poetry and cats. His journey begins in Miss Stretchberry's classroom where he faces the challenge of expressing himself through poetry. He encounters problems along the way including his Uncle Bill, who, unlike Miss Stretchberry, insists that good poetry consists of long lines, symbolism and regular rhyme and meter. Jack tangles with the likes of alliteration, consonance, metaphors and onomatopoeia, but by the end of the school year he finds new meaning and purpose for such conventions and learns to appreciate the diverse beauties of both sound and silence. His evolving relationship with poetry mirrors his relationships with cats. Jack's initial aversion to felines transforms one Christmas morning when a tiny, mewing kitten crawls from underneath the wrappings scattered around the tree and straight into his heart. Author Sharon Creech invites emerging poets to commiserate with Jack as he learns to navigate the world of poetry and tempts seasoned poets to appreciate her crafty allusions and creative expression.

Secondary Student Book Choice of the Month

Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table

By Ruth Reichl

Broadway Books (1999)

282 pages

At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted memoir, Tender at the Bone, is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told. Beginning with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes, from the gourmand Monsieur du Croix, who served Reichl her first soufflé, to those at her politically correct table in Berkeley who championed the organic food revolution in the 1970s. Spiced with Reichl's infectious humor and sprinkled with her favorite recipes, Tender at the Bone is a witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist's coming-of-age.

Great news!

1) Following up on a great suggestion we received, the professional books recommended each month in Chalk Talk will be ordered and available for you to borrow at each school.

§ Dows Lane- Library

§ Main Street School- Library

§ IMS/IHS- Campus library office

2) Thanks very much for your suggestions and ideas! Please keep them coming! Which resources would be helpful to you? What would you like to see included?

Joyce Chapnick

Jennifer De Lisi

Teaching-Learning Facilitators

Irvington UFSD