This is a JOURNAL not a diary….
For my series book I am reading The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This book is creative and funny, and I really enjoy reading it. The thing I like most is that it really puts you in the perspective of a middle school aged boy. Reading his diary is like a little outlet into his personal life. I feel like I can easily put myself in his shoes when he talks about his family life or little problems like having the stinky cheese touch. This shows that the little problems that children face seem very big to them.
I think that the older elementary grades like 3rd through 5th would enjoy this book. Maybe even 6th and 7th graders depending on their reading level. Kids like reading books about older students because it allows them to visualize their future self.The central character in the book is Greg. He is the author of the diary. Greg’s best friend in the story is Rowley. He is also a middle school aged boy. Rowley is a little strange and sometimes Greg gets embarrassed of him. Two more main characters are Greg’s brothers Rodrick and Manny. Rodrick is older, and Manny is much younger.The assumptions about childhood made in this book are that there are lots of little struggles. Greg does not have to deal with terrible issues, but he does have to deal with siblings, social problems, and school.
I have been loving Miller’s book. Chapter two had so many great ideas that teachers everywhere could use. One thing I liked was that she talked about how to build a library. Everyone tells you that you will need a ton of books as a teacher, but you are never told how to organize them, or what books to kick out of the collection. I also love how she mentioned the method she used to check books out. Booksource’s Classroom organizer app is something that I will be using in my classroom. Also, I love how she mentioned that it is important to make class rules about how to take care of the books. When the students make the rules themselves it holds them accountable for how they treat the books. I have loved this book and am planning on sharing it with my mother who is an English teacher!
One Reply to “This is a JOURNAL not a diary….”
I read all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books when I was in middle school and I loved them! I know I was a bit old to be reading them but my younger brother had the whole series (well I guess they are making more now, so minus the newer ones of course!) and so after he finished the book, I would read it. It wouldn’t take me very long to finish it, but I really loved the humor in it and how it was set up like a journal. I think it is really great that you are enjoying the book and you can really put yourself in Greg’s shoes.
I also really am enjoying Miller’s book. Her thoughts and ideas for her classroom are so interesting and creative that I find it difficult to put Reading in the Wild down! I think it will be a great resource to keep and reference throughout our teaching careers. One thing I really loved from chapter two was the book lottery! I think it is really cool that you are able to share this resource with your mom in her career! I love when we use great books like this in our classes. You know it’s a great resource when you can’t wait to share it with others!