Roderick School Blog

Roderick Review Week 10 (11/2/15 - 11/6/15)

Next week, we have a very special opportunity thanks to the PTO. This year, the fall book fair will be held at Barnes & Noble in Walpole on November 10th AND November 11th. As you peruse the collection, there are a few things that you can be thinking about as you and your child(ren) browse for a new favorite read! There are many ways to select a book. For some of us, we may, quite literally, judge a book by its cover. On the other hand, we may enjoy a specific time in history and enjoy both non-fiction and historical fiction where the story is set in a particular time period. It may be helpful to talk with your child(ren) about the following:

1. What characters have you enjoyed reading in the past?

2. If your child likes a particular series, looking for the next book in the series or another title by the same author might be a great place to begin.

3. What are their friends reading?

4. What books would their teacher recommend?

5. What are the newest award-winning books?

6. Is there a new sequel to a book you've read?

7. What genre have you loved in the past? Are you a fan of mysteries, fantasies, or sports-related stories? Are you a fact fanatic who loves science?

Also, be thinking about the times that your children have stopped reading a book. You can help them to reflect on what got in the way:

1. Was it boring and moved at a slow pace?

2. Was it too hard to read?

3. Were the characters hard to relate to?

4. Was it confusing?

5. Was it just different than expected and s/he lost interest?

Once students think they have found a book, they can assess if a book is "just right" by using the "five finger rule: