Below is an example review from the Literary Book Club. Attention, Teachers: have your students submit their own book reviews! All grade levels welcome! Instructions are on the site.

This review is about the book Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. 

The story takes place in Jackson, Wyoming. Most of the story happens on grandfather's potato farm and in the nearby city. 

The main character is Willy a 10 year old boy who lives with his grandfather. Grandfather takes care of Willy and runs a potato farm. Searchlight is Willy's dog. They do everything together. Stone Fox is an Indian who has never lost a dog sled race. No one has ever heard him speak. He doesn't like white people because they treated his people poorly. Doc Smith is an old lady who takes care of the people in Jackson Wyoming. Mr. Snyder is a tax collector who comes to take Grandfather's farm. 

The theme of this boook is if you believe in yourself you can do almost anything Willy has to earn $500.00 so the tax collector will not take grandfather's farm. 

Willy decides to enter the dog sled race because the prize is $500.00. The people in the book think he is crazy because he only has one dog and he is going to race against Stone Fox. Willy uses his college fund to enter the race anyway. Willy is sure he can win because he and his dog have raced the path many times before. He knows that Grandfather is depending on him. Will he win? Read the book to find out. 

This is an interesting book that should grab your attention. Watch out for the surprises!!!

News from the Talk website

Activities at the TALK website are practical ways to address literacy in various content areas, and include technology.  They have been aligned with The Classroom Literacy Guide.  This guide is a rollup of best practices in literacy, consistent for all grade levels, that is put into a form useful for instructional planning, self-evaluation, peer-mentorship and staff development.  It is the "how to" for a good literacy-based program. 

Simple Machines 

Make YOUR life more simple - use the lessons at the TALK site already created for you! What if life were just plain EASIER? Actually SIMPLE MACHINES do make our lives easier. This lesson guides students through exploration of three specific websites. Students will view pictures of and read about various simple machines, how they work and the purposes for which they are used. Students can use this Inspiration template to record and organize their findings. 

Teacher Lesson: http://teach.fcps.net/talk/activities/machines/default.htm

Student Lesson: http://teach.fcps.net/talk/activities/machines/student.htm

We would love to include YOUR classroom activities which use technology in support of literacy in any area of the curriculum. Send us ideas and activities you would like to see included in the TALK website. For information on this, or more information on how to use TALK , contact Cathy Brandt via email or at 381-4124.