Mr. Toppit Review

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Mr. Toppit ReviewWhen I got the opportunity to visit with Jen from Devourer of Books in November, we spent a lot of time talking about books we've read and want to read. Shocker, I know. One of the books she mentioned reading in audio was Mr. Toppit by Charles Elton. When she mentioned that it was narrated by Simon Vance, I jumped right on the bandwagon with her. My Audible credits were due to refresh within the next week, so I bought it right away.
In lieu of my traditional review format, I thought I would summarize my thoughts and feelings along with discussion points with Jen in a few bullet points. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do so without revealing more of the plot than I'd normally be comfortable with. If you don't want to run into any spoilers, please jump to My Final Thoughts:
I was hoping this book would have a dark, Gothic feel. You have this mysterious Mr. Toppit for whom the book is titled and a young man living in the aftermath of his father's hugely popular children's books. Sadly, this was not the case. While there were some strange things that happened, namely the entire arc of the story dealing with Laurie, Mr. Toppit was more a curiosity than a mystery. Most importantly, he was never a) a menace or b) truly revealed.
There was not a single, solitary character in this novel that I liked even the least bit. While it's not necessary for a book to have likable characters in order for me to enjoy, it is important to me when the book is more about a concept than a story. Characters are what drive me to explore within a story. After some time spent with these characters, it felt like I was just putting in my time to complete it.
During our reading, Jen pointed out correctly that Mr. Toppit is about celebrity and success. Luke did nothing to to create his own fame, yet he had to live with the consequences because his father named the lead character in his Hayseed books Luke. While discussing this with Jen afterward, it occurred to me that Mr. Toppit was, to borrow from Lady Gaga, a fame monster.
Simon Vance's narration is probably the only thing that kept me interested in Mr. Toppit. I enjoyed hearing his American accents, especially Laurie's. Hands down, that was the most amusing part of the entire novel. Now, there are some novels that I feel would have worked better for me in print than audio. I don't believe this is one of them, though.
Both Jen and I recognized the danger of using Simon Vance to help us through a tough read. We don't want to get to the point where his voice gives us a negative Pavlovian response.
My Final Thoughts
Mr. Toppit was interesting in its look at the way unexpected fame and fortune impacts a family and those involved with them. Perhaps if I hadn't gone into it hoping for Gothic darkness I might have liked it better. Then again, I might not have picked it up at all. Elton's novel is by no means the worst book I've read this year, but it is far from the best. If I had a rating system, I'd give it a 5 out of 10. Since I don't, I'll just close by saying that Mr. Toppit was just okay for me.Mr. Toppit Overview

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Secrets of Droon Box Set Review

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Secrets of Droon Box Set ReviewTony Abbott's Droon series engages kids far more than adults. To an adult the simplified, rather wooden language and characters can seem bland and boring. But events move quickly, odd characters proliferate, and a child is introduced to a land with its own geography, history, and rules. This is a great way to introduce an early reader to the pleasures of fantasy. The books increase in length and (slightly) in complexity, rewarding the child who is growing in proficiency. Droon can be a compelling first chapter book series-- my son has read each of 18 or so books at least three times. One note-- the books are easily appropriate for children younger than nine. Most second graders and many first graders will find them accessible.Secrets of Droon Box Set OverviewWatch the magic unfold in books #1-#4 of THE SECRETS OF DROON.Eric and his two friends, Neal and Julie, discover a secret doorway in Eric's basement that leads to the rainbow stairs.The stairs reach down into the wondrous world of Droon - a land where all kinds of amazing things occur.A cast of magical characters appears to guide the kids on their journeys.And one thing is for sure-magical, fantastic adventure is in store!

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Teaching Argument Writing, Grades 6-12: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning Review

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Teaching Argument Writing, Grades 6-12: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning ReviewI recently attended a conference related to the new and upcoming "Common State Core Curriculum." One of the presenters recommended this book, saying that any teacher charged with teaching argument writing should definitely take a look at this book. It was fabulous. In the beginning it clearly outlines the Toulman Model for writing arguments. The author makes a reading/writing connection throughout the book. This book is packed with easy-to-incoporate ideas, starting from the ground up and building from the basics.
Already I have loads of new ideas for how I might better teach this type of writing with my students. It's written in a fashion that will make modifying these ideas to fit my students' needs very easy to do.
I give this book my highest of recommendations.Teaching Argument Writing, Grades 6-12: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning Overview"In this book, George Hillocks teaches us not only what an argument is, but how to teach it and why we should. Essential reading for those preparing ALL students to think critically, write well, and succeed academically in both high school and college." -Jim Burke, Author of The English Teacher's Companion and What's the Big Idea?

Argument writing can be difficult to teach, but it may be the most important set of skills we teach in English. According to the National Common Core Standards, by the end of high school, students should be able to write arguments to support claims with clear reason and relevant evidence-and they should be able to do so well.
Designed for middle and high school students, the activities in this book will enable students to write strong arguments and evaluate the arguments of others. When they are through, students will be able, as the Common Core Standards ask, to "Delineate and evaluate [an] argument and specific claims...including the validity of the reasoning [and] the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence." Developed by George Hillocks, Jr. and others in diverse inner city classrooms in Chicago, students are easily engaged in the lively problem-solving approach detailed in this book.
Teaching Argument Writing begins with how to teach simple arguments and moves onto those that are more complex, showing step-by-step how to teach students to write and evaluate:
arguments of fact arguments of judgment arguments of policy
Student handouts, activities, and models of classroom discussions are provided to help you bring these methods to your classroom. Among other things, Hillocks guides you through teaching your students:
how judgments are made in the real world how to make literary judgments based on criteria how to develop and support criteria for arguments.


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