Newberry Goal Book 1- Walk Two Moons

So this past week I worked with my kids on making reading goals.  We had a fantastic speaker at school and I have been reading some of the books he has written for educators, and needless to say he is so inspiring!  Who is this fantastic man I am talking about... Steven Layne.  If you don't know who he is, and you are a teacher, you need to find out.  I have known who he is and read parts of his work but now I am sitting down taking notes and incorporating his amazing ideas in my classroom.  One of his ideas which I have done is goal setting but we looked at it in a different way, rather than how much can I read in one day, or I want to read a certain number of books (some still did this goal) we tried to be a tad more specific.  So my goal is to read three Newberry Medal Books by Christmas.  Others focused on a certain author or a series of books.  But anyways, I am so happy with how amazing the kids did this activity and how serious they made their goals.  Happy teacher!

Anyways.... I decided to start my goals, I mean you have to be a role model for kids... RIGHT!  So I decided on my book and I am now reading Walk Two Moons and let me tell you, I have been missing out and so are you if you have not read this fantastic novel.  

So Walk Two Moons is about a girl named Sal and she is going on a road trip with her Gram and Gramps.  They are on their way to visit her month who left around three months ago, her and her father moved to a new town to get off the farm because it reminds her father too much of Sal's mother.  This has me questioning so many things throughout this story about why the mother left, because let me tell you, I am about half way through and still have not learned that answer, and it is making it hard for me to even type this because I want to keep reading to figure this out!!! While on this trip she tells the story of her friend Phoebe and the things that happen with her family.  Phoebe has a family that looks perfect to outsiders but many wild things start happening to them, random strangers 'lunatic' shows up at the door, notes are being left on the front step and they don't know who they are from and Phoebe thinks the neighbor lady is a murderer!  While she is telling the story of Phoebe you start to learn more and more about Sal's life.  So you are reading basically two stories in one.  Seriously amazing!  I can't wait to tell the kiddos at school about this book so they have the opportunity to read it as well!!!!