Document Camera

I finally got a new document camera, and it is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is unbelievable how long it takes to give instructions to the 6th graders, but the document camera can SHOW them exactly what to do so there is very little confusion. I used to think that the students were just trying to annoy me before, but their genuine relief at getting the document camera was a welcome surprise to me. It seems they were just as frustrated as I was. Go figure!

Book Review of The Summer of the Monkeys

Summer of the Monkeys Author: Wilson Rawl

This book speaks to the soul of our human nature, with humor, goodness, and tears of joy flourishing within the pages of this book. Puberty, puppy-love, old-fashioned family, and young adult-hood challenges are all approached with surprise, suspense, humor, and light. This book is perfect for JHS or HS students, as it covers so many issues they are dealing with, and it does it in a positive manner. It is at the perfect reading level for them.

Jay Berry is a 14 year old poor boy growing up in the Oklahoma Ozarks in the early 1900s, and he dreams of getting his own horse and gun. When a circus train crashes nearby and some monkeys and one chimpanzee escape, a reward is offered for their capture. Accidentally, Jay Berry and his dog, Rowdy, happen upon the monkeys hiding out nearby their home.

There are MANY altercations, fights, tricks, and hilarious moments as Jay Berry and Rowdy try to catch those monkeys, get the reward, and get his horse and gun.

Jay Berry and Rowdy have tried every trick under the sun to try and catch those monkeys. They have had incidences involving moonshine, coconuts, slingshots, metal traps, apples, britches, fights and bites, ribbons, his home, his grandfather’s cart, and more. They have also been getting in trouble with his parents and sister (also hilarious) because of the monkeys, and are getting really tired of being bested by what are supposed to be animals with lesser intelligence.

One night at the end of summer, a storm blows in, and it is a terrible storm- trees upended, serious flooding, and tornadoes everywhere. The monkeys surely could not survive the storm.

Will Jay Berry catch the monkeys, get his reward, and get his horse and gun?

Did the monkeys die in the storm?

Here’s a question for you: Who will win when a country bumpkin boy from the Oklahoma Ozarks tries to catch circus-trained monkeys and a chimpanzee living in his backyard? For the punch-line and answer, you’ll need to read the book!