Book Review: The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith

Book Review:  The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith

The 13th Gift was the perfect story for me to read this week.  I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review and it came at the right time.  I started reading this two days ago following Christmas and for me this was a time when I was feeling frustrated in how materialistic everything seems to be during the holidays. My kids loved their gifts but are at the point where they need the structure again of school and are starting to needle each other and complain to me "how bored they are."  This book brought my life back into perspective and reminded me to enjoy these moments with my family.

Summary from Goodreads:

For readers of Richard Paul Evans and Greg Kincaid comes The 13th Gift, a heartwarming Christmas story about how a random act of kindness transformed one of the bleakest moments in a family's history into a time of strength and love.

Goodreads.com

After the unexpected death of her husband, Joanne Huist Smith had no idea how she would keep herself together and be strong for her three children--especially with the holiday season approaching. But 12 days before Christmas, presents begin appearing on her doorstep with notes from their "True Friends." As the Smiths came together to solve the mystery of who the gifts were from, they began to thaw out from their grief and come together again as a family. This true story about the power of random acts of kindness will warm the heart, a beautiful reminder of the miracles of Christmas and the gift of family during the holiday season.

About the Author:

Joanne Huist Smith is a native of Dayton, OH. She earned a bachelor's degree in English at Wright State University and worked as a reporter for the Dayton Daily News. She is the mother of three and grandmother of two.

My Review:

The 13th Gift is the true story of how Joanne Huist Smith and her children found the courage to get through their first Christmas without her husband who passed away unexpectedly.  Little by little they began healing with the little help from some anonymous gift-givers who delivered presents to their house for twelve days prior to Christmas.  Each chapter is focuses on one of the twelve days, the gift they received, and the memories rekindled that gave them hope and brought the family back together.  My favorite quote from the whole story was when Megan, Smith's 10 year old daughter, told her mother, "We're not falling apart;  we're just chipped a little bit.  You do what you can, Mom.  We all do." Somehow through the devastation that the family had been through, this young girl was able to bring optimism and spirit to her mother.

What really hit home to me was how this simple act of kindness brought joy and hope to this family.  As they received these gifts, they began to pay it forward to others.  Kindness spreads.  If there is one lesson I take from this story, it is to stop and think about how I can help others, even in the simplest ways.  Who knows - it may change someone's life.  If you are looking for a book to read and read again when you are feeling like the world is a mess, try this one.  It is worth it.

Book Review: Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Book Review:  Boy21 by Matthew Quick

I am a fan of Matthew Quick's adult novel Silver Lining Playbook.  When I saw this in our school library and read the summary, I thought that this would be a hit for many of our sports fanatic boys.

Goodreads.com

Summary by Goodreads:

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in gray, broken Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish Mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, he takes care of his disabled grandfather, and at school he’s called “White Rabbit”, the only white kid on the varsity basketball team. He’s always dreamed of getting out somehow with his girlfriend, Erin. But until then, when he puts on his number 21, everything seems to make sense.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. A former teen basketball phenom from a privileged home, his life has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he now answers only to the name Boy21—his former jersey number—and has an unusual obsession with outer space.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21” may turn out to be the answer they both need.

Boy21 was not what I expected, yet I really enjoyed it.  I originally thought it would be solely about basketball, but when you get down to the meat of the story, it is more about friendships and working through conflict.  In the beginning the focus is on Finley's friendship/relationship with Erin.  They both love each other and love basketball.  They dream that basketball will be their way out of Bellmont. When Russ Washington (aka Boy21) moves to town, coach asks Finley to take him under his wings.  Finley is a loyal person and battles this internal conflict of respecting his coach's wishes and knowing that befriending Russ could cause him to lose his starting spot on the basketball. Throughout Boy21 I fell more in love with the characters, their own individual demons and dreams, as well as how they connected with one another.  This is another one I can't wait to share with students next semester!

Book Review: Frostbite Hotel by Karin Adams

Book Review:  Frostbite Hotel by Karin Adams

I am grateful that I received this ARC from Netgalley and I can't wait to share it with my sons and elementary teacher friends.  

Summary by Goodreads:

Kirby Katz has big dreams of making his fortune as an entrepreneur, just like his role model, hotel magnate William T. Williamson. But Kirby discovers that operating a snow hotel in the schoolyard comes with its own set of challenges: sourcing the best snow blocks, staff team-building, marketing, and competition from Brewster's Best Five-Star Inn run by the Bear and his gang of the meanest kids in Grade 6. Worst of all, when Brewster's gang starts stealing Kirby's best ideas, all evidence points to a mole? among his own staff.

Will Kirby's vision for the Frostbite Hotel survive the cold reality of corporate recess espionage?

Here is what made me love this story so much:

• The characters:  I could picture these students in my former 4th/5th grade classroom.  The students are creative, active, and work together to accomplish a goal.
• How the author handles the issues of bullying: Karin Adams is able to show how elementary school relationships work and how kids deal with bullying on the playground in a very realistic way.
• How the principles of business are taught to the reader:  Kirby shares these principles through everything he reads by his role model William T. Williamson. The writing is not over the reader's head and makes it easy for children to want to create their own business using this formula.  Students may not even realize that they are learning the principles as it just flows with the story.
• The Monday Magic Hour:  This reminds me a lot of "Genius Hour" which is becoming popular in classrooms all over the country.  I loved this idea!  Students need time to be creative and research topics that interest them.  That is the research process in its true form.

Overall, I loved this story!  If you are looking for a clever story that is realistic and teaches students something without even realizing it, then check out Frostbite Hotel.

Book Review: Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter

Book Review:  Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter

A huge thank you goes out to Netgalley for this ARC. 

Summary by Goodreads:

Goodreads.com

Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again.

Creative and complicated, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden growing up in Chapel Springs. When she left, she thought she'd never look back. But now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return.

The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost non-existent, Daniel fit right into the boisterous McKinley family. He's loved Jade for years, but she always saw him as a big brother. Now that she's back, his feelings are stronger than ever.

As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she's hiding secrets from her family, and she's strangely attracted to the man who's always called her "squirt." Finding her way home may prove more difficult than she imagined.

I loved the story Dancing with Fireflies and truthfully I wish I would have picked this up before now. Denise Hunter has a way of creating characters that capture our hearts and reel us in to the story. Jade doesn't give up when times are tough and Daniel is determined to finally make his own decisions in life even if his parents disagree.  Right from the beginning, I was rooting for Daniel and Jade to find their way together. If Denise Hunter's other stories are anything like this one, I will gladly pick them up and read them.

Book Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I had never heard of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry before it was picked for my January Book Club, but now that I have read it, I will be sharing this with readers whenever I can.

Summary by Goodreads:

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

Courtesy of Goodreads

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

This is a story about

• Hope
• Determination
• Luck
• Fate
• Friendships
• Family
• and above all Books....

There are times in life where I just need a "pick me up" - a book that will make me feel good about the world and my belief that good things do happen to good people.  This book made me smile.  The characters gave me hope that even when life is on a downward spiral, someone or something will come along to help us start believing again. The Storied Life was well written and kept me engaged. I loved the storyline, the characters, and how books were the center that brought everyone together. 

Book Review: First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond

Book Review:  First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond

James Patterson has always been one of my favorite authors when I want an action packed adventure, a mystery, or a fun romance.  First Love is another one of those books.  

Summary by Goodreads:

Axi Moore is a "good girl": She studies hard, stays out of the spotlight, and doesn't tell anyone that what she really wants is to run away from it all. The only person she can tell is her best friend, Robinson--who she also happens to be madly in love with.

When Axi impulsively invites Robinson to come with her on an unplanned cross-country road trip, she breaks the rules for the first time in her life. But the adventure quickly turns from carefree to out-of-control...

A remarkably moving tale with its origins in James Patterson's own past,First Love is testament to the power of first love--and how it can change the rest of your life.

If you are a fan of James Patterson's romance books like Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, this one was as fast-paced and enjoyable as the rest. The chapters are short, the writing is simple, and the story always catches me right away. I did feel a little bit like I was reading a different version of The Fault in our Stars since the character's both have had cancer, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Another one I can't wait to share with students after winter break.

Book Love_The Importance of Reading Choice in a Secondary Classroom

Book Love_The Importance of Reading Choice in a Secondary Classroom

As a former 4th/5th grade multiage teacher, I have always believed in using a readers workshop/ writers workshop approach to teaching English, but convincing high school teachers to read books like Donalyn Miller's, Reading in the Wild, and The Book Whisper and try it in their classes was difficult.  They had not been taught high school English in that way and many felt like this was an elementary/middle school approach.  That changed when I came across Penny Kittle's book, Book Love. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.  My book is filled with post-it notes, highlights, and annotations. Here is a high school English teacher who approaches reading and writing in the same way was I taught and is finding success.  I was so excited about this book that I could not stop talking about it in the English office.  I carried it with me all the time and tried to share her ideas anytime I could during my literacy coaching meetings.  I honestly think my department chair thought I was crazy. 

Last spring, the best thing happened - a Heinemann flyer showed up in my mailbox. Penny Kittle was coming to Wisconsin, just an hour or so away from where I live.  My department chair sent me along with another English teacher.  We were so inspired by Penny Kittle's stories that we came back to school and had to share what we learned with our department.  We approached it by sharing clips from her YouTube video with the boys sharing their thoughts on reading.  These boys are like many of the students in our classes and we wanted them to see how this approach can change student beliefs. Once they saw the connections, we were able to share her philosophy and approach to reading and writing in English.

Our Presentation to the Department

Then the magic happened.  One of our junior English teachers asked for the book, read it, and took the plunge both feet in this fall.  He relied a lot on ideas from both Book Love and Penny Kittle's book, Write Beside Them.  Taking the reading/writing workshop approach was not by any means the easy route.  All semester long he felt like a brand new teacher and was spending a lot of time searching for meaningful mentor texts, redesigning lessons, and reading tons and tons of books.  He enlisted other teachers to come to class and share their favorite books too.  I began to hunt down other Book Love followers, like Amy Rasmussan and her crew of teachers who write a blog called Three Teachers Talk.  These teachers inspired me with their posts and I began sharing these posts with him.

Little by little, Book Love started to spread.  In addition to the junior teacher, a few other teachers started adding book talks and independent reading into their daily routines.  By the beginning of second term, two more teachers decided to take the plunge and redesign their classrooms as well.  The conversations these teachers are having with each other is inspiring to me.  Students are reading more books than they ever have before and many are beginning to see themselves as true readers and writers. One of these teachers had over 300 different books read in her classroom during term two. 300! Our students are picking up books that stretch their thinking and challenge them. They aren't just reading "easy" books or only YA.  One student read all of Kurt Vonnegut's books this term. Another junior who has dyslexia and hasn't read a book all the way through since grade school, read over twenty books this semester.  They understand the importance now of building a reading and writing stamina as they prepare for their future.  Above all, these students were thanking their teachers for igniting a passion for reading and writing that they had lost a long time ago. Now if that isn't the best holiday gift for a teacher, then I don't know what is!

Book Review: Get Happy by Mary Amato

Get Happy by Mary Amato

A few weeks ago I read Guitar Notes, by Mary Amato, and loved it so I picked up a copy of her new book, Get Happy, from the library.  

Summary from Goodreads:

In this poignant, realistic, contemporary YA by a state master list star, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman, a young songwriter builds a substitute family with her friends in place of the broken family she grew up with.

A hip high school girl who loves music, writes songs, and is desperate for a ukelele, learns to her shock that her father did not abandon her years ago and has been trying to keep in touch. She begins to investigate him, only to discover that he has a new life with a new family, including the perfect stepdaughter, a girl who Minerva despises. 

  

This book falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars on my Goodreads rating scale.  As a Chicagoan, I was excited to see this story takes place in Evanston and I could picture the setting clearly in my mind.  The characters are ones teens can relate to and connect with throughout the story.  Get Happy has a similar format to Guitar Notes in that the main character loves music and wants to be a songwriter. Amato also includes lyrics and chords to all of Minerva's songs on her website, The Thrum Society.  It was definitely a quick read and one I think some of my students will like. 

Book Review: One Death, Nine Stories Edited by Marc Aronson & Charles R. Smith, Jr.

One Death, Nine Stories Edited by Marc Aronson & Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Goodreads

I came across this book at the library and the premise looked interesting so I grabbed it.

Summary by Goodreads:

Nicholas, Kevin. Age 19. Died at York Hospital, July 19, 2012. Kev's the first kid their age to die. And now, even though he's dead, he's not really gone. Even now his choices are touching the people he left behind. Rita Williams-Garcia follows one aimless teen as he finds a new life in his new job-at the mortuary. Ellen Hopkins reveals what two altar boys (and one altar girl) might get up to at the cemetery at night. Will Weaver turns a lens on Kevin's sister as she collects his surprising effects-and makes good use of them. Here, in nine stories, we meet people who didn't know Kevin, friends from his childhood, his ex-girlfriend, his best friend, all dealing with the fallout of his death. Being a teenager is a time for all kinds of firsts-first jobs, first loves, first good-byes, firsts that break your heart and awaken your soul. It's an initiation of sorts, and it can be brutal. But on the other side of it is the rest of your life.

One Death, Nine Stories is a book of individual stories, each told by a different author, and connected by the the theme of initiation and the death of Kevin Nicholas. The short stories were decent, but I struggled to see the connections between them which made this one difficult to like.  I think the authors tried to show how death can impact those around us near and far, but I never felt like I got to know any of the characters and was left at the end still wondering what lead to Kevin's death.  This one definitely had potential, but just missed the beat for me.

Book Review: Positive by Paige Rawl

Positive by Paige Rawl

Goodreads.com 

When I opened to the first page and saw that Jay Asher had written the forward for Paige Rawl's story, Positive, I knew that this book had the potential to be book review worthy.  

Summary from Goodreads:

In this compelling and compulsively readable memoir, nineteen-year-old Paige Rawl tells the story of how she was mercilessly bullied in middle school...and how she overcame the ordeal to change her world for the better.

In this astonishing memoir, Paige tells a story that is both deeply personal and completely universal—one that will resonate deeply with the thousands of children and adults whose lives have been touched by bullying.

Paige Rawl has been HIV positive since birth…but growing up, she never felt like her illness defined her. It never prevented her from entering beauty pageants or playing soccer or making the honor role.

On an unremarkable day in middle school, while attempting to console a friend, Paige disclosed her HIV-positive status—and within hours the bullying began. She was called "PAIDS," first in whispers, then out in the open. Her soccer coach joked that she was an asset because opposing team members would be too afraid to touch her. Her guidance counselor told her to stop all the “drama,” and her principal said she couldn’t protect her. One night, desperate for escape, Paige swallowed fifteen sleeping pills—one for each year of her life to date. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was only the beginning. 

The gripping first-person account of Paige’s life will pull in even the most reluctant readers of nonfiction, and her call to action to choose compassion over cruelty will stay with them long after they turn the last page.

I can't say enough "Positive" about this book.  This is one of those memoirs that I plan to share with others for a long time.  I was pulled in from the beginning and couldn't stop reading until I got to the end.

My favorite part in the book:

...And that's when I realized something:  Lila hated me for something she couldn't even see.  I mean, my HIV was completely and totally invisible.  Anyone looking at me on the street would think I was just a regular kid.  They would never know -they never do know- that there's anything different about some of my cells.

And if people hate me for something that they can't even see, what chance to other kids-the ones who have things you can see-have?  What about a kid who is overweight, or who has terrible acne?  Who walks with a limp or, God forbid, has some sort of facial deformity?  How about a kid who stutters, or whose clothes don't fit in, or who is too short or too tall, or who wears glasses, or whose skin is a different color?

What about a kid like Louis?

When you stopped to think about it, there were so many reasons that one person could choose to hate another person.

If a completely invisible virus was an excuse to turn me into an outcast, then what about all those other differences that exist between people-hair color and skin color and nose shape and body type and physical challenges and even just plain personal style?  But aren't we supposed to be different?  Aren't we always told that we should be comfortable being exactly who we are?...

...Lila was angry.  She was filled with hate.

There would never be anything I could do about that.  So there was no reason to waste my energy trying to change it. (p. 206-207)

If you are a educator, parent,  or teen, you need to read this story.  What Paige Rawl had to go through throughout middle school and high school is inexcusable.  No child should ever feel that being bullied is their fault.  Even in her darkest hours, when she had almost no hope for happiness left, Paige Rawl finds the strength to survive and speak out against this type of cruelty in the world.  Take a moment and learn more about Paige - her perseverance, her faith in humanity, and her utter will to not let the bad guys win.  I don't hand out 5 stars too often, but this one got my vote!

Patience and Time: The Most Important Aspects of Coaching Teachers

Courtesy of Pixabay

Every year, during the holiday season I like take a moment to reflect on how grateful I am for the job I am allowed to do everyday.  How many people can say that there job is to sit down and get to know their colleagues? I learn about their families, their students, and all the ways they want to be better teachers in the classroom.  There is not a day that goes by where I am doing the same lesson over and over again.  My job is constantly changing as the teachers I work with are growing and evolving themselves.

When I first started in this position, I was asked to help teachers infuse reading, writing, and vocabulary into their content area classes.  In the beginning, I was able to get a few "jumpers" who were ready and willing to become "reading" teachers in their content. Little by little, with a lot of patience and gentle nudging from teammates and me, I have gotten more and more teachers to join the literacy bandwagon. Teachers are thinking about purpose and skills and modeling and scaffolding more than ever before.  And because of this, our students are being asked to read and write and critically think and discuss arguments more than ever before.  I would be lying if I said every teacher in our school has changed.  That isn't realistic.  But what is important is that more and more teachers are now talking about these skills in their daily conversations.  They are asking each other for help and coming to me to create new lessons when they reflect on ones their students struggled with in the past.  They now see the importance of combining skills and content to help push their students to a higher level.

When people ask me how we do this at our school, the first words that come to my mind are patience and time.  This change has taken time - lots and lots of time.  It has taken four years of hard work, weekly meetings, and an abundance of in-house staff development to patiently help teachers see the importance of disciplinary literacy skills.  Now that we have gone 1:1 with Chromebooks, I feel like I am starting all over again with a new focus on digital literacy.  It is never ending, but that is where patience comes in.  Some teachers I work with are able to incorporate the skills into their lessons right away and for others, it has been a slow yet positive and encouraging process.

If I can offer one piece of advice, I have learned, please don't ever give up on the teachers who are not ready to work with you right away or those you meet with each week that don't seem to be doing anything different in their classes.  One day it will click - your voice will pop up in the back of their head as they are planning a lesson and they will take your advice and try something new in their classes.  You may even get a surprisingly email from a colleague who you have quietly been asking to work with you for years, all of a sudden ask, "Can we meet to talk about_____?"  It does happen and I am starting to see it more and more often.  Just be patient, encouraging, and give them time to ask for help in their own accord.

Book Review - The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan

The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi

5 Stars!  A must read!  Unforgettable!  Shocking! 

Summary by Goodreads: 

Goodreads.com

A novel of love during a time of war by NBC's Afghanistan correspondent.

Set in present-day Afghanistan, this is the story of two teenagers, one Pashtun and one Hazara, who must fight against their culture, their tradition, their families, and the Taliban to stay together. Told in three rotating perspectives—the two teens and another boy in the village who turns them in to the local Taliban—this novel depicts both the violent realities of living in Afghanistan, as well as the beauty of the land and the cultures there. And it shows that love can bloom in even the darkest of places.

This is an absolute must read not just for teens but for anyone who has lived during the time of America's War in Afghanistan.
"[The Secret Sky is] a tale of the indomitable Afghan spirit of hope and love. Among the many novels set in Afghanistan for young people or for adults, The Secret Sky stands alone. Unputdownable. Unforgettable." –Trent Reedy, author of Words in the Dust

I finally had a moment to sit down and really think about The Secret Sky.  I finished it a few days ago and haven't been able to put into words how important this story was to read.  This is about more than just a love story.  Yes, there is love, but it is also about threats, mental and physical abuse, and murder.  What drives this story are the consequences and the realities that people face in Afghanistan for choosing to make their own path instead of following cultural, religious, and political beliefs. Afghanistan is a country divided by those who believe in traditions of past and those who want to make something better with their lives.  In many villages, girls are still not allowed to attend school, must stay covered in their homes and in separate rooms from the men, and are told who they will marry.  The Taliban has spread into Islamic religious schools and are brainwashing young boys, turning them into killers.  Samiullah and Fatima are just an example of the real world:  two young adults trying to find their way through these political, cultural, and religious traditions that are set up to tear them apart.

Honestly, I considered this book one of my "stretch" books this fall.  I have not been very "worldy" in terms of books I choose, but I am so grateful that I came across this story.  I will never forget these characters and how they stayed hopeful and in love even when faced with horrific darkness in their lives.

Padlet - An Online Corkboard for Collaboration

Padlet

Padlet is a tool that I have shared with our staff in a few workshops this year.  I originally shared this as a simple formative assessment tool to quickly gauge where your students are at in their understanding of the content.  We had the teachers create a post-it and add a picture that represented who they are:

Created with Padlet

Ideas started flowing, from having them do this one simple post.  Teachers were discussing ideas like:

• students finding images that represent a concept they are learning in class (ie. find real life examples of polygons)
• students posting textual evidence that support an essential question
• students brainstorming ideas about a topic they are learning about
• students sharing their new understanding of a topic and questions they still have about the lesson
• students could list advantages and disadvantages (or pros/cons) in prep for a writing assignment or debate

At our workshop on Thinglink last month, my teammate and I shared another example of how teachers can use Padlet as a place for students to post their projects for everyone to see. This particular Padlet was created by Susan Oxnevad as a place for teachers to share Thinglinks they had created during the Thinglink Teacher Challenge last summer.   

Created with Padlet

As soon as teachers saw this I heard even more new ideas like:

• students posting book reviews
• students posting Infograph/ Thinglink projects
• students posting research links and ideas
• students creating digital portfolios 

Then, I shared Padlet with an English teacher and we decided to have the students create their own Padlets to highlight all of the books they are reading throughout the semester they are in his English class. We plan to start simple.  They will all create a to-read list and then add the book they are currently reading to their page.  As they read more, we will show them how to incorporate book reviews, book trailers, Thinglinks, etc. into their Padlets.  Here is my example:

Created with Padlet

As you can see, there are endless ideas on how you can use Padlet.  The best part?  It is so easy to use!