Number the Stars

This week we began the pre-reading activities for one of my favorite books to teach from: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.  I haven't taught from this book in several years because I had a few years where most of the class had already read the book.  Alternatively, I taught from The Giver instead.

I cannot express just how excited I am to get their hands, minds, and hearts intertwined with the characters and storyline and I hope that they love it just as much as I do!

What's your favorite book to teach from?

xo,
kvk

Dork and Wimpy Kid Woes

Hey there gang!  I am wondering if I can get some feedback from some many y'all (hey, I live in the south and 'when in Rome', right?).  When you're in the workshop model, do you dictate the type of books that your children read?  I typically have them reading from a chapter book on their level but have run into a lot of Diary (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries) readers.  Do you feel like you're getting well thought out, higher-order-thinking-type responses from your children that actually apply the skill taught in the mini-lesson?  I feel like I'm at a crossroads and am really not wanting them to read those while applying the skill, but then at the same time it means I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth because it is, by definition, a chapter book and they're leveled at or near the child's level (EXCEPT it does NOT follow the five-finger rule).

What are your thoughts?  Do you allow your children to read the comic book style chapter books for mini-lesson application?