Fish in a Tree: Burning Questions

We have been avidly reading Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt for the past few weeks. We have many questions that we are still reading to uncover the answers. Our class is wondering if you might be sharing the same experiences. Watch our roving reporters below and please post your reply.

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The Secret of the Old Clock By: Elona

I read The Secret of The Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. I really liked the book because it was my favorite type of genre which is mystery. But, this book was kind of weird though because in every chapter it had a different problem, which made it kind of hard to understand what happened to the latest problem. My main character, Nancy, was a really nice and important part of the book. Because whatever problem that they had she was a detective, she solved every single problem even though she was not old enough. However, whatever she did she never told her family she just did it. In the end she got what she really did deserve. In my opinion I rated this book 4 stars, because yes I liked it, but it wasn’t that awesome because sometimes it confused me. It talked about stuff that never been talked about before or even after in the book. I think that people should read this book, but before you do be aware of misunderstandings  that will happened during the book, otherwise it is good! Enjoy reading it.

Note From Mrs. K. This was one of my all time favorite books growing up! I did have a special spot in my bedroom as a kid for all my Nancy Drew books. Eventually I expanded that super special shelf to include my Sweet Valley Highs and then of course everything that Judy Blume ever published. I'm so happy to see a classic make the list!

Smile By: Aubree

Over the summer, I read the book Smile by: Raina Telgemeier. I have not read a graphic novel in a while, so I was still really nervous to read to because I was not sure if I would like the book. I have got to admit, I loved Smile. It is about Raina’s life in middle and high school. Smile is based on true events. Smile is such an amazing book. I didn't want to put the book down. If you like any books by Raina Telgemeier, graphic novels, or books based on true events, then you will love this book. Raina also wrote the graphic novels, that are also based on true events, called Drama and Sister. They are amazing. Sister is based on true events and Drama is not based on true events. I can't wait to read Sisters and Drama. They are out now. So, try reading this book.  You will love this book.  One last thing, always remember to smile.

May B. By: Javier

The book that I am reading is May B. By Caroline Starr Rose. I started to read  this book because my teacher recommended me to read the book. The setting takes place at May B's  house and at Mr. and Mrs. Oblinger’s house. May is the main character she is brave and a kind girl because she helps out the Oblingers. The genre of the book is realistic fiction. Some other books that are similar to this one are Wonder, The One and Only Ivan and Liar and Spies. This is why you should read May B. by Caroline Starr Rose because it is a great book to read.

Knucklehead by:Addison

I was reading over the week and I was reading a book called Knucklehead it's a hilarious book. I choose this book because some of my friends recommended it to me and insured me I would like it. This book is for people who just love funny books. The author is Jon Scieszka he is really a great author. The setting is in Flint Michigan in Jon’s hometown. Jon’s not the only child he also has 5 other brothers and not one girl! This book is a autobiography he talks about his wackiest stories of his childhood. This book is so funny that you just don’t know what's going to happen next. Hope you enjoyed this little blog.

The Maze Runner Series

Over the past few weeks, I have been flying through my latest favorite book series-The Maze Runner by James Dascher. While I am not the biggest fan of dystopian fiction, I have to admit this series is amazing! I began reading Maze Runner at the insistence of my daughter who assured me I would love it. Not 10 pages in, I simply had to know what would happen to Thomas and his fellow Gladers. This is a book packed with graphic action and so many plot twists and turns a reader just can't guess the end of the book. If you liked Hunger Games or Divergent, you will love reading Maze Runner. If you love watching your favorite stories fill the big screen, movies of this great series are already out!

The One and Only Ivan

There are so many reasons that The One and Only Ivan is one of my all time favorite books. Originally, I read this award winner because it was on the Rebecca Caudill list. This realistic fiction book is based loosely on a real gorilla named Ivan who spent most of his life in a tiny mall zoo entertaining shoppers. What makes this book unique is that it is told from the perspective of Ivan-the gorilla. Yes he talks, and so do his animal friends in the mall zoo. Have you ever wondered what animals in the zoo might say if they could talk back to you? I certainly have and this book's originality and creativity do not disappoint. Get some kleenex ready as this is one sad story, but you will be cheering for Ivan and his elephant pals by the end of the plot line. A quick and beautifully written story; chock full of figurative language, is simply perfect to read in middle school. Check it out today!

My Best School Day parts... By: Jacob

My most favorite part of school is everything about school! I love it because I can get away and think without my siblings bothering me. Also I am able to get help with homework. Plus I go to choir. So those are all the reasons I like school (including getting popcorn).

Social Studies Class at OJH By: Nikolas

My favorite subject is Social Studies because we are learning about the countries of the world and the geography as well. We are also learning of amazing places and cities like the world famous city of Dubai. We also have lots of fun because we play games that help you study like the review game and the winning team gets 3 extra points on the test. We have lots fun and learn a lot of things. Right now we are learning about Japan and the Koreas and one day I want to travel around the world and explore different countries on Earth.

The Outstanding Part of my Day at Orland Junior High! By:Jennifer

My favorite class in school is science. I like science class because we do a bunch of cool experiments usually with students as examples. I also like science class because we don't get a lot of homework. I never dread going to science class, the only thing I dread about the class is tests, who doesn't? I also like passing period. I like passing period because I can talk and hang out with my friends. Those are the highlights of my day at Orland Junior High.

What I like about school By: Devin

What I like about school is eighth period on a Friday because it is the last day of school for the week and its a start of the weekend. Also what I like is step up because it shortens the class periods. What I also like is gym because you get to play sports with your friends.  Also if you are playing games, they actually get very competitive. Finally I love going to lunch because we always laugh and do crazy stuff. These are some of the things I like about school.

Sports Are Fun At School By: Blake

Look at all the trophies we have won. There are a couple of new trophies in the case that we won this year. The one on the top shelf in the middle was the trophy we won. That trophy was for our 8th grade boy’s volleyball team. P.S. I was on the team! My favorite part of our school is all of our different sports that we have. The reason why I love all of our sports is because of our coaches and the support we get from our crowd and our teammates. Our coaches are the best because they take their own time of to help us. For example  my friends and I will go in before our zero hour starts and we have a time where its just a few people and our coach is able to focus just on a couple people so it’s easier to help us out with anything that we need help with. Our coaches know what they're doing when it comes to sports. I have so much fun participating in all of our school activities. Would you participate in any sporting activities in our school?

Amazing Social Studies By: Danny

My favorite part of the school day is in my second hour social studies. The reason that my favorite time of the day is social studies is because I really like social studies and it is my favorite subject in school. Also it’s my favorite subject because we talk about my favorite place in the world, Dubai. Another reason is because we are currently studying Japan and the Koreas and one day I plan on going to Japan. Another great activity we do is a lot of fun study games. That is my favorite part of the school day.

Lovin' Lunch By: Abbie

My favorite part about the school day is going to lunch. I love going to lunch because I sit by my best friends. There is no telling what is going to happen at our lunch table. We always laugh and talk. The seven girls who sit at my table are like my sisters I can tell them anything. I can tell them why I am having a good or a bad day. That is my favorite thing about Orland Jr High

#studentlife By: Jalen

My favorite part of the day is gym because I like to play a lot of sports. My favorite sport in there is handball because I like playing as goalie. I am also like exercising and I am getting a good workout. Plus if I am in a sport and we are doing it in gym it will help me with extra practice. I also like gym  if there is a sport that I don't like and we do it and then when I learn how to play it then I’ll like it in the end. If I am not good at a sport then then my teacher will teach me how to do it.  

#studentlife By: Michal

My favorite part about OJH is Math with Mr.Leib because I really enjoy math a lot. My favorite topic is dividing and multiplying fractions.  I like math because it’s funny how Mr.Leib teaches it. Also math will come in handy in the future. If had to pick out of all of my teachersMr.Leib is the best teacher.

Third Hour German By: Zachary

My favorite part of school has to be third hour. I like that we can work with any partners to do assignments. I work with one of my best friends in this school. We always get a couple assignments done and then study on our computers. So in my opinion Mrs.Jenson is my favorite teacher because she’s really nice. Also she lets us work where ever we want even in the hallway. But my friend and I sit in the class and do assignments.So every day I can’t wait for third hour to talk to my friends and work on German.

My Favorite Period of the Day By: Dominic

My favorite part of the day is gym because I like to play a lot of sports. My favorite sport in there is handball because I like playing as goalie. I am also like exercising and I am getting a good workout. Plus if I am in a sport and we are doing it in gym it will help me with extra practice. I also like gym  if there is a sport that I don't like and we do it and then when I learn how to play it then I’ll like it in the end. If I am not good at a sport then then my teacher will teach me how to do it.  

The Beginning of my Day By: Dan

My favorite part of school would be driving and leaving school because then I

can talk to one of my bestest friends Cameron. My friend is funny, awesome, and nice. If I’m tired he usually wakes me up. He is always on my side in an argument; usually we argue with another friend of mine. But that isn't just my favorite part of school. I love science because it is interesting to me and I learn a lot from science and Mrs.Knight  is fun and nice.

My School Day Experience By: Aubree

My favorite part of the school day is zero hour. During zero hour, I go to Choir. I l love Choir because I love to sing. When I sing, I really let out the real me. Also, I love to hang out with my friend. My friend, Andrea, and I love to hang out with each other. I also like that I have made so awesome new friends. They all love to sing. In Choir, I feel like I have made a new family.   So, that is why zero hour is my favorite part of the school day.

What's your favorite part about your schoolday? By: Emma

The most fantastic thing about being at school is gym. I love being at gym because Ms. Haskett is the best teacher and my whole family knows her. I also love gym because I love sports and I like running and exercising. I also like gym because I can talk to my friends. I like having gym 1st period because when I come to school I’m always tired and and gym wakes me up. That’s my favorite part about the school day, what’s your favorite part?

My favorite part of school By: Baldomero

My favorite part of the school day is when the bell rings after 8th period because that’s when I put my stuff away and go home. I like lunch because it is fun when we can talk to our friends. The fries taste good. I also like gym because its fun.

Favorite School Activities By: Saul

  The best part of my school day is homework lab because I can do my homework there and get help by my awesome teachers.Another thing that I like about homework lab is that I can go home not worried about anything from school and just relax at home and then go hang out with my friends.Sometimes I go home and get my homework out and think, “Man this is hard.”

But luckily I can go to homework lab in the morning and get my homework done on time.Another awesome thing that I love about  my school is the lunch and hanging out with my friends for a while. Also I eat some good food and satisfy my tummy.There are a lot of things that I love about my school but here are two of my personal favorites.What are some of your favorite things about school?

#myschoollife By: Carlos

My favorite part of my school day is walking to school and walking back. This is because I enjoy walking through the snow and by the end of the day it’s fun too because some of my friends like to throw snow at each other. Another reason I like to walk is because I can listen to music. When I get out of school I can walk and talk to my friends. Also walking is a good morning work out. Walking also gives me that advantage of not being tired in school.

My Student Life By: Ahmad

My favorite part about my school is my friends. I have a couple of friends inside and outside the school that support me and also the diversity of students around the school. There are a lot of communities other than American students. Other than students there are teachers that support you all around the school. There is also a homework lab and its pretty nice that you try and finish all of your homework before going to home. We also have a lot of activities outside of school and that’s a good way to say that life is not all about school and getting good grades but also having fun outside of school.

#StudentLife By: Michael

    My favorite thing to do during school is gym. That’s my favorite subject because I can talk to all of my friends, and play games with my friends. It is also my favorite subject because you can exercise. That’s also my favorite thing to do during school because you can listen to music. Also on Fridays there’s fitness Friday. You can listen to music and exercise. You can jump rope and jump over hurdles. At last it’s also my favorite because there are  these cool tools called heart rate monitors.

#studentlife By: Mike

My favorite part of school is gym and lunch. In gym we get to play hand ball for the whole period. We don’t get to pick the teams but we get to play for a long time. Mr. Mason is a really good gym teacher. I like lunch because we get to talk to friends. I like it because we get to eat good food.

#studentlife By: Baian

My favorite part of the day at OJH is when I go to Mrs.Kedzierski’s reading plus class because it helps me with my grades. One other favorite part of my day is when I see my friends. One other part of my day that I really like is when I go to Ms. Doyle’s classroom because we have fun and we learn new stuff. My other favorite part of the day is  when I go to gym because we do fun activities like volleyball and Mr. Mason is the greatest gym teacher. The last part of my day I like is when I get to school.

#Studentlife By: Dan

My best part of my day is gym because some of the units we’re on are really fun like team handball/hockey and volleyball. It’s really fun that’s why I look forward to gym. I also love gym because of my teacher Mr. Mason he’s really cool. It’s so fun in the beginning of gym because we do walk in talk and sometimes its really long it’s awesome. My other  favorite part is reading plus because we don’t get homework. I also like to read in Reading Plus.  

#Studentlife by: Megan

Hello fellow #Studentlife kids! These are my favorite things for #Studentlife at OJH. I like gym because its my time to get rid of all the excitement out of me! Also I can talk to my friends during walk and talk. My favorite thing to do in gym is hockey. I like playing hockey because its a really fun sport! Another thing that I like is literature. My teacher is Mrs. Doyle, she is super funny! In her class we always laugh, and we get treats! Those are my favorite things in #Studentlife at OJH!

#StudentLife By: Griffin

My favorite part of Student Life was taking pictures of the school. We were taking picture of the courtyard and the frozen pond.  My favorite class is my first period teacher because we do a lot of fun things like read. I like gym because we played hand ball. In gym we do a lot of fun things like volleyball. Student life was fun.

#StudentLife By:Anthony

My favorite period of the day is lunch just because I get to talk to my friends and have a good time! But, a real class period that I like a lot would be Mr. Mason’s class just because we do really fun things and just have a good time. Since I've been absent for a couple of days I didn’t know what we were doing in gym. I can always count on Mr.Mason to something in gym that is really fun. We’ve been playing Hand- Ball for the whole week now and I got back yesterday and 1 day is all you need to realize how fun it is. The other reason that I like gym a lot is because I am athletic and like going outside, running, and hand sports!

#studentlife By: Brian

My favorite part of the school day is seeing every one of my classmates.  I love working on fun projects and seeing everyone have fun. My favorite part is to learn from the best teachers like Mrs. Kedzierski. My favorite part of the school is to be in the reading class because it is helping me. My favorite part of the school day is Mrs. Doyle’s class because she lets us sit where ever we want as long as we do our work. My favorite part of the school day is seeing my friends.

#StudentLife By: Erica

My favorite time of school is gym because gym is exciting! You play games and you exercise, which I love! Gym is my favorite because you get to be with your friends. Gym is like a breath of fresh air to me because when you’re in class you’re not really doing anything, but when you go to gym you’re all excited and moving around, a lot of motivation. I also love gym because I love to run around and be athletic. I love gym because I learn new things everyday!  

#studentlife by: Andrea

I love walking into  Reading Plus on Fridays. It is fun walking in and seeing what Mrs. Kedzierski has planned today. Sometimes we blog, watch movies if it is a holiday week, or we do a special craft. Like today (2/6) we are typing what we like to do in the greatest school OJH EAGLES! We are also doing a kid blog and we are doing our book hearts.Other days we would read our novels and read in our small books in our small groups. It is fun that there are 8th graders in our class, too.

The Best Part of My Day at School by: Mohammad

The best part of my day at school is when I get to go to gym. Gym is my favorite part because we always learn in a fun way by playing fun games. Gym is awesome, it’s a social, learning, and fun class. I wish every class was like gym. My favorite part about gym was when we played football in the beginning of the year. One thing to make gym better would be if we got to have a wrestling unit. The reason why I like wrestling is because I’m on a wrestling team, and its fun.

That is the BEST part of my school day!

#studentlife By: Kylie

My favorite part of my day at OJH is my classes with Ms. Meredith Doyle, my literature class and also my class with Mrs.Michelle Kedzierski. With both classes because I have the most fun. We most of the time we never have homework. I love Mrs. Kedzierski, on fun friday we listen to music and just have fun. We still have to work but it’s fun work. In Ms. Doyle’s class we always have the best book reports but even though they’re “book reports” she still makes them really fun. So I really like those two classes they’re my favorite.  That’s what OJH is all about. And P.S who couldn’t LOVE lunch.

#studentlife

Today my classes participated in a social media project highlighting the life of a student-all across the globe. While we delighted in following the twitter feed in class, and checking out the nifty items in other schools; we spent the greater amount of time reflecting on what we wanted to showcase about our home school. Orland Junior High is a pretty amazing place. While my students and I are still longing for items like a classroom couch or a cozier reading corner, we are truly blessed with so many amazing resources in District 135.

This is our first year of a 1:1 pilot of Mac Air books. Instead of being limited by a lack of technology or various firewalls and roadblocks, this year we are encouraged to experiment and dive in headfirst to a world-wide classroom. D135 students practice their writing skills in online blogs, they make science reports in i-movie, when they read a novel, they can chat with the author via skype. As an educator and a parent in the district I am positively blown away by the possibilities for 21st century learning that are coming to life in my very own school. My daughter practices her math skills by watching a video of her own teacher re-explaining the problems online. Gone are the days of solitary learning in Orland Schools-we are becoming truly connected learners.

Watching my students navigate a wider classroom and broader social community presents many challenges and celebrations as well. As teachers we have daily conversations about our online responsibilities and how we should treat each other both in person as well as online. I am so impressed by the care and concern my students show for each other as they learn how to communicate and operate safely online. They help each other out in the classroom as we all try to learn some new technologies and skills for life.

I am most impressed by the kindness and generosity of spirit shown daily by our very own OJH students and staff. When I wake up in the morning, I look forward to seeing both my colleagues and students at school. My students always have a friendly or perky greeting waiting for me when we open up the classroom. Working with such terrific learners makes for an amazing day, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my days with my Orland Junior High family.

One for the Murphys

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is one of my favorites from this year's Caudill list. This positively amazing realistic fiction novel was one we worked on in my class for the Global Read Aloud. We partner read this book with friends in Florida and shared discussion groups all over the world. Universally middle school readers reported out that this was a book to read. 

The plot line focuses on Carley Conners who has certainly fallen victim to bad mothering. Her father is no where to be found in the story and her mother makes some seriously bad choices which lead to Carley being entered into Child Protective Services.  Her placement introduces all of the other main characters-the Murphy family. The Murphy's are seemingly too good to be true, but don't be fooled dear readers! They have some skeletons in their closet as well. I'm not going to spoil this one for you here, so run out and get yourself some kleenex and a copy of One for the Murphys today!

Check out the book trailer to see some of the action in pictures!

This sweet and sad song is from the movie The Rescuers. Just like the main character in the book, this movie is all about finding a family.

All About Me

I am a mother, teacher, and avid reader. I have been passionate about reading since I was a child. Some of my favorite spots are the library, the bookstore, and anywhere a little quiet to get caught up in a great story. 

I have been reading blogs for some time now and had an interesting conversation with one of my students. He wanted to know if I blogged, since I like them so much. I didn't really have a great answer: I just don't have time, I need to do a million things, I have laundry to catch up on.....this list goes on and on but none of my reasons were truly valid. So here is my first blog. I hope it evolves into something spectacular. But I really hope I have more readers than my great friend JM, who is also blogging with his students. I just like winning. (and laughing-I like laughing an awful lot too.)

The Ascendance Trilogy

Over the past few weeks I have been working my way through The Ascendance Trilogy. This book series by Jennifer A. Nielsen begins with The False Prince which is nominated for a Rebecca Caudill Award. I have to admit, I only selected this book because I am working my way toward the Reader's Challenge Party. I love snacks, movies, and great t-shirts so I am driving my way through the list to win a spot at the party. Normally I wouldn't select a medieval times fiction read, I am not generally entertained by the blood, guts, and gore that accompanies a solid sword fighting book. However, after about ten pages I was completely hooked on this series!

In the first book we meet Sage, a rugged, funny, orphan who causes all kinds of trouble. He is disrespectful, relatively criminal, and very creative in his shenanigans.  Not to give away any of the suspense  in this amazing read but Sage undergoes a major transformation from orphan to prisoner to pirate to king. It's an edge of your seat kind of series as Sage is very likable and many harsh situations come his way.

In short four stars for False Prince and four stars for the rest of the series The Runaway King and The Shadow Throne.  

This jam really reminds me of the music in a medieval castle AND the main character of this amazing series occasionally goes by the name of Sage.