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Blended
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
Eleven-year-old Isabellas blended family is more divided than ever in this thoughtful story about divorce and racial identity from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper. Eleven-year-old Isabellas parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week shes Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son Darren living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week shes Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend John-Mark in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves. Because of this, Isabella has always felt pulled between two worlds. And now that her parents are divorced, it seems their fights are even worse, and theyre always about HER. Isabella feels even more stuck in the middle, split and divided between them than ever. And shes is beginning to realize that being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: its also about switching identities. Her dad is black, her mom is white, and strangers are always commenting: Youre so exotic! You look so unusual. But what are you really? She knows what theyre really saying: You dont look like your parents. Youre different. What race are you really? And when her parents, who both get engaged at the same time, get in their biggest fight ever, Isabella doesnt just feel divided, she feels ripped in two. What does it mean to be half white or half black? To belong to half mom and half dad? And if youre only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole? It seems like nothing can bring Isabellas family together againuntil the worst happens. Isabella and Darren are stopped by the police. A cell phone is mistaken for a gun. And shots are fired.
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review
Daisey
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

I‘ve seen so many glowing reviews of this book, but I didn‘t get around to reading it myself until my niece (going into 6th grade) told me it was one of her favorites. I have to agree that it‘s a great story that deals with both very relatable and important but difficult topics in a clear way. I also loved the musical aspect (Izabella is a pianist) and the vocabulary that made its way in from class discussion.

#MiddleGrade #BookAndBreakfast

Nebklvr It was very good 4mo
aly_the_bean I love that book! Would absolutely recommend. 4mo
Daisey @Nebklvr @aly_the_bean It really was great! So glad I finally picked it up. 4mo
53 likes3 comments
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mandarchy
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

A student drew this of me at work. I'm glad I finally read Blended. I wondered why my students were taking so long to read it, and now maybe I can offer them some more support. It makes a great book club book. Currently #banned in 3 states.

Reggie I like the drawing! 1y
bthegood sweet picture - 1y
50 likes2 comments
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mandarchy
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Slowly reading Blended by Draper. It has been on my to-read list for too long. When my students check it out, it seems to take a lot of time for them to read it, which means they stay with it and don't give up. Now I see where they might need comprehension support. I liked this quote.

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Bookpearl
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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What a beautiful blessing gifted to me by my principal! I‘ll be adding to my class library and can‘t wait to see what student will pick these beauties first. #classroomlibrary #readingislit

review
LiteraryinPA
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Last night I was feeling down and wanted a quick middle grade read to distract me. I picked this one and it was a good choice for what I was looking for. Izzy was a great main character- an eleven year old who goes through family and race-related situations with an inquisitive attitude. A good introduction to many heavy topics that would be great for a young reader. I always like Draper‘s books. 💗

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GuidoParente
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Words cannot express how this book made me feel. A great book for students to learn about so many things, with a breathtaking ending that left me extremely emotional!

6 likes1 stack add
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KellyR
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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I am currently reading Blended as a part of my Book Club and I really enjoyed it This book is about a young girl who is trying to find herself all while her parents are going through a divorce. The young girl also finds herself in a confused place with school when they begin talking about history and this is hard for her since she comes from two different cultures.

3 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Spearsall
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Blended by Sharon M. Draper🍦 An RF-LC chapter book that completely STUNS you. A MUST read especially for students who feel left out or not included in their daily life. A well-written story about an 11-year-old girl with a much blended family. Throughout the story we see how she copes with her parents divorce and what she does to survive during this traumatic time in her life!This book isn‘t a New York Times specialty for nothing. #UCFLAE3414SP21

Spearsall This story includes UDL‘s strategy 2.1 “clarify vocabulary and symbols” by containing vocabulary words and explaining their definition in the book as the narrator figuring them out herself! ESOL strategies: teach questioning for clarification, promote cooperation for LC, and teach technical vocabulary supporting key concepts. https://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75 This link includes Drapers site to all of her books and it contains 4y
Spearsall continued: background knowledge of Blended and all of her other books. A must must read 💗🍡 4y
MFlowers Agreed! This book is a must read. I loved it SO much! 4y
See All 11 Comments
KeanaE Ever since I saw this book I wanted to read it! I will most definitely add this book to my library! 4y
AndreaEfres If this is a must read, then I should definitely read it as well! 4y
Sdemps The cover alone draws you to this book. This novel is a perfect pick for students in intermediate grades as they start to learn about themselves. 4y
Adodd1 This is a book that has been in my TBR pile for a while, even more excited to read it now! Sounds like a book with relevant content which would be great in a classroom library too. 4y
JasmineLangley I haven‘t read this book yet but based on your post it seems like a great read for anyone especially students. And I like the UDL strategies already incorporated in the book. I will definitely be adding this to my library. 4y
ztorres Placing this book on my list of must read. I was interested when it was presented in class. I think it has such a great story line that is a must to have in the classroom library. 4y
PatriciaS I love 💕 your review of this book, 📖 resources too adding to my list of read aloud lessons and activities for teaching emotional content and growth, also a great book for book clubs, literary circles discussion sessions, questions and answers small groupings and community through group work. 4y
DrSpalding It does stun you. Look at all of the support from your peers! Your posts were appreciated not only by me but clearly by many of your classmates. This is what this project is all about. I am so excited about Draper‘s announcement regarding her sequel to Out of my Mind! That will certainly be a book on my TBR list. 4y
9 likes1 stack add11 comments
review
MFlowers
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Wow, this book! This New York Times Best Selling, RF novel is one I will never forget. Our main character, Izzy, stars in a coming of age novel as she tries to navigate how she fits into the world. With a black dad and a white mom, Izzy finds herself struggling with her identity. With the help of her two best friends, Izzy dives into what it means to be yourself and eventually finds out exactly who she'd like to be.
#ucflae3414sp21

MFlowers This book would be best used for literature circles within your secondary classrooms. Within those circles you can reach UDL guideline 3.2 which is highlighting patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships. It also coincides with EL strategy 2 which is promote cooperation (small groups). You can use the following website to achieve both of those goals: https://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewStandard/Preview/5945
4y
MFlowers To find a theme, the students will need to highlight patterns found in the book, and they'll also need to discuss their findings within their small groups. When they look at the words and phrases used to support their theme, the students are connecting big ideas and finding those relationships. 4y
DrSpalding Excellent post! Your passion for this book came through! This is the correct genre and your descriptions along with EL/UDL principles work perfectly! Helpful resource. 4y
7 likes3 comments
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PurpleTulipGirl
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Isabella lives with her white mom one week, her black dad the next. As if 6th grade wasn‘t hard enough, her parents seem incapable of not fighting. When another classmate finds a noose in her locker, when Izzy and another black friend are chased out of a store, Izzy begins to see that her blended life doesn‘t just have challenges at home.

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alisonrose
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
Mehso-so

This could‘ve been a wonderful hard-hitting MG book, except it tried to be like FOUR hard-hitting MG books. The author tried to cram way too much into it, nothing got the depth or substance it needed. The writing had that unfortunate “adult writing as a kid” issue of sometimes sounding too young and others too old. I did really like Izzy and appreciate what this book tried to do, but it missed the mark, and had some problematic aspects too. 2/5 ⭐️

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alisonrose
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

“After they‘d had two or three drinks...or more, they‘d really relax and start talking smack. They‘d say really nasty things about Jewish people and Black people and folks from other countries who lived here—basically, anybody who wasn‘t white.”

[SIIIIIGH. JEWISH IS NOT A RACE. White Jews are white. There are Jews of color but being Jewish doesn‘t always = not white. It‘s parroting antisemitism to say white Jews like me aren‘t white. Damn it 😣]

alisonrose I‘m not calling the author antisemitic, but this just shows the same kind of ignorance I see time and again because people don‘t bother to educate themselves and realize where their thinking is coming from. 4y
16 likes1 stack add1 comment
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alisonrose
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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This cover makes it look like a cute lighthearted middle grade, but it actually sounds quite heavy and emotional. But I do love me a hard-hitting contemporary MG about real-life topics.

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JoslynB
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Living in two worlds is not easy. In this RF book Blended by Sharon M. Draper the mixed Isabella faces difficulties with her parents divorce and being exchanged between the two. A white mother and a black father: where does she fit in? Isabella tries to figure out who she is amid all this with a piano recital along the way. This book is excellent for a LC and fosters good discussion.

JoslynB https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/training-stude... UDL 8.3 foster collaboration and community and ESOL 10 Teach think, pair and share strategies in cooperative groups work well for this book and strategy. #ucflae3414su20 4y
nquintus Joslyn, this is a great book to use when teaching SEL or even a lesson on diverse families! Your UDL choice is excellent for an LC, and your ESOL guideline lines up perfectly as well. Great job! 4y
dbears1 Blended is a great book for LC or IR.The ESOL strategy lines well within the scholastic lesson plan.Students will have the opportunity to choose a role they are comfortable with. Great post ! 4y
DrSpalding I agree. This is an excellent book for literature circles and it certainly does promote collaboration and community. 4y
7 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Nkaufmann
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

#ucflae3414su20 Blended is a RF book by New York Times best-selling author Sharon M. Draper and it has won many awards such as the Pennsylvania Young Reader‘s Choice Award and has been named Bank Street Best Children‘s Book of the Year. This book is about an 11 year old girl named Isabella who is dealing with her parent‘s divorce and her racial identity as her father is African American and her mother is White.

Nkaufmann I am so glad I read this book, it is extremely relevant to today‘s society and Draper doesn‘t shy away from discussing important topics such as school shootings and police brutality. And she does it from Isabella‘s point of view.

This book could be used for a literature circle (LC) or it can also be done as an author study (AS). Teachers could do a whole unit on Draper as she has many great books that have important messages. (I read her book...
4y
Nkaufmann Out of My Mind years back and I loved it.) Moreover, there are many different discussion questions teachers could ask their students about this book.

The UDL principle 2.3 regarding supporting the decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols and the EL principle 6 regarding continually monitoring students‘ comprehension can both be applied to this novel. With novels, I believe it is especially important to check up on students and...
4y
Nkaufmann make sure that they are comprehending the book. Teachers can decode the text to help the students get a better understanding of the book.

Resource: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blended/Sharon-M-Draper/9781442495012
4y
DrSpalding This is an excellent resource. It makes me happy that you made a good choice for yourself. Being able to self select books of interest is important and I hope you will allow this in your future classroom. Literature circles work well to provide the opportunity to truly discuss valuable topics. 4y
3 likes4 comments
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Zelymarie.R
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

This RF novel by Sharon M. Draper is an excellent book for teaching students respect, tolerance, and the reasons why racism is wrong. As a future educator, I will like to use this book for LC along with the discussion questions that Draper‘s website provides (http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75). #UCFLAE3414SP20

Zelymarie.R In that same study guide, there's a suggested activity called ”The Real You” where students need to write a four-paragraph essay about how wonderful they are. This activity uses ESOL #3 encouraging students to do positive thinking and also provide relevance and value to the lesson UDL 7.2. 5y
LizzettM I love Sharon M. Draper after reading her book “Out of My Mind“. I really must read this book! I like the resource you provided it gave a nice intro to this story. 5y
DrSpalding Her website is a fabulous resource and I like the idea of following up the book with a writing activity as noted. 5y
3 likes3 comments
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royallyregan93
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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We were no longer a whole, but three separate pieces. A mom. A dad. A kid sliced in half. Actually, that made us four pieces—‘cause I have to be two people: Mom‘s Izzy and Dad‘s Isabella.

23 likes1 stack add
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Sharpeipup
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Gotta say I‘m loving the fact I can listen to audiobooks while at work these days.
#audiobook #keeplitsypositive

36 likes1 stack add
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Tabitha_H
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

This New York Times Best Seller tells an amazing story about a young girl conflicted not only with her parents divorce but her biracial identity. This Realistic Fiction book is a great LC opportunity, generating discussions on race, racism and divorce. #UCFLAE3414SP20

Tabitha_H To incorporate ESOL strategies #10 would work perfectly. Encouraging students to Think,Pair, Share strategies in cooperative groups. Sharondraper.com offers great resources like constructing a Venn Diagram to compare and Contrast both families. A UDL principle that coincides with this book is 8.3, Fostering collaboration and Community. (edited) 5y
DrSpalding Going straight to the author website is a smart move. Great idea to use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast both families. This is certainly a literature circle option! It is also a great example of what realistic fiction is! 5y
3 likes2 comments
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charlotteclancy
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Blended is a RF novel about a young girl trying to figure out her new life with divorced parents. When something happens unexpectedly at school, Isabella tried to figure out what her racial identity. This book is perfect for LC, because this book can spark many great conversations about different family lives and races. sharondarper.com has some great discussion questions to help prompt the students discussions for their LCs. #UCFLAE3414SP20

charlotteclancy UDL 8.3 Foster collaboration and community, while in the LCs the students can collaborate and understand different backgrounds. EL- 2. Promote cooperation (small group) as they work with their peers in LC groups. 5y
SW-T Welcome to Litsy! #litsywelcomewagon 5y
Tabitha_H I also choose this book for our Lit. Circle!! It was a really good read. I can relate to the book also being mixed with Caucasian and African American. A lot of your students in your classroom will also be able to relate !!! 5y
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RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🥳 5y
DrSpalding This is an excellent example of realistic fiction. Literature circles do promote cooperation and foster collaboration and community amongst its members. Use this teaching strategy in your future classroom. 5y
4 likes6 comments
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Kayla_C
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Blended by Sharen M. Draper is an awesome RF novel that is about a biracial Izzy 🎹 and her battles that she must endure that comes with her parents divorce and racial issues at school. This would be perfect to add to your classroom library, and could be used for LC in your classroom. #UCFLAE3414SP20 The UDL principle 8.3 fostering collaboration and community along and EL #2 promoting cooperation small groups work wonderfully with this book.

Kayla_C This is a article that interviews Sharon M Draper about Blended. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article... 5y
DrSpalding What a lovely image. The article you included is one that I read when the book came out. Excellent choice. This book is a wonderful example of what realistic fiction is all about. 5y
3 likes1 stack add2 comments
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deiacovab
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Blended is about an eleven year old girl named Izzy (or Isabella if it is a 'Dad week') who loves to play piano and struggles with the displacement of having divorced parents. This is a fantastic book for LC and will allow racial social issues to be introduced into the classroom. Something special about Blended is that it provides a windows and mirrors to topics like being biracial, racial injustice, and divorce. #ucflae3414sp20

deiacovab Students will be able to connect to this RF book and relate it to issues going on today. Blended is a New York Times Best Seller. ESOL strategy 2 Promote cooperation (small groups) would be perfect for this book especially in LC groups, students can discuss text to world connections. I chose UDL (3.1) Activate or supply background knowledge to tie the discussion together. 5y
deiacovab p.s I LOVED this book 5y
deiacovab http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75 is a great resource I found to help facilitate these discussions and provide various activities after reading. 5y
Kyleigh_J This sounds like a wonderful book, for children to relate too! I absolutely loved your summary and I immediately added this to my must read list! 5y
3 likes1 stack add4 comments
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carolinem
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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This amazing RF and LC book is a must read for all. This book has been on the New York Times Best sellers list! Isabella, a young eleven year old who often feels torn between her divorced parents. She feels different from others because she is both black and white. An eye opening novel that is extremely important for those who want to learn more about current events!
#UCFLAE3414SP20.

carolinem This book would be great with ESOL strategies 2 which is prompting cooperation (small groups). This book can create great conversations among students about current events that are happening today such as the Black Lives Matter Movement. The UDL principles that go along with this book are 3.1 which activate or supply background knowledge. Students can connect the text to the world by reading this book. 5y
carolinem Here is a great website that has great discussion questions to help guide conversations http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75 5y
Ashley_B Wasn‘t this book great? Honestly, it was an eye opener for me being a white mother, myself, to a “blended” boy. Sometimes, we forget how difficult life can be for those who look different. It really makes me sad. Anyways, I like your resource, I chose a different one so it‘s good to compare. I also like the UDL you provided, good choice for this book. 5y
carolinem @Ashley_B this book is fantastic!! I also read your post and loved the pic that you submitted ! 5y
DrSpalding You put extra effort into your images. The backpack is symbolic here. You do a nice job of elaborating on the English learner and universal design principles. Great job. 5y
4 likes5 comments
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Ashley_B
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Sharing this book with my blended baby. This book is about an eleven-year-old girl, Izzy, who is being torn between divorced parents while experiencing a feeling of not belonging anywhere because she‘s not just one or the other, but she‘s both, black and white. This story is an eye opener for those who are unaware of racial profiling and will allow children to get a better understanding.
#UCFLAE3414SP20

Ashley_B This RF book would go along with ESOL strategy 2 (promote cooperation) during literature circle in the classroom. Students will be able to relate to Izzy‘s struggles and understand her situation more than we know! This book hasn‘t received an award yet, but I know there‘s one coming! UDL 5.2 (use multiple tools for construction and composition)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blended/Sharon-M-Draper/9781442495005
5y
Ashley_B Also, excuse my son‘s battle wounds on his forehead. Boys will be boys, right? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
Madison_swart I love this! Blended is such a great book and sheds light on the struggles that even young kids go through. The ESOL strategy you picked would go great with this book 5y
DrSpalding Ashley, you must tell us what he thought of the book. Excellent job using the publisher website and of course this is an excellent example of realistic fiction that children should be able to relate to. 5y
5 likes4 comments
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victoriamaria
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

This novel would be beneficial in LC. The novel was written by Sharon M. Draper. It was recognized by the Cooperative Children‘s Book Council, Bank Street Best Children‘s Book of the Year Selection Title, Obama Book Award Finalist. teachervision.com/reading%20guide/blended UDL 3.2 (highlight patters, critical features, big ideas, and relationships) and ESOL 16 (integrate speaking and listening activities) #ucflae3414sp20

Keishla.O This was my second pic for my literature circle choice. I can‘t wait to read it once I finish my literature circle book. 5y
victoriamaria @Keishla.O it‘s really good! 5y
DrSpalding Your universal design principle works beautifully with this text. This text can be a mirror or a window into current day society. Highly recommended! 5y
3 likes3 comments
review
KristenScala
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Blended by Sharon M. Draper is a RF novel about an eleven year old girl named Isabella or Izzy (depending on who she is talking to) whose parents are going through a divorce, is struggling with self and racial identity, and so much more. This book would make a great IR or LC for students in fifth or sixth grade. #ucflae3414f19 I would use UDL 2.1 and 3.1 to clarify symbols and vocabulary as well as supply background knowledge that students have...

KristenScala ...on the topics addressed in this novel. EL strategy 2 of promoting cooperation in small groups when attending literature circles. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article... this article is Sharon M Draper being interviewed about Blended.
(edited) 5y
AleciaM This was a great book. I can really relate to this as I have biracial children. 5y
DrSpalding I love the spine picture. This is a powerful story with a shocking ending as you noted in some of your peers posts. Literature circles or independent reads certainly do promote cooperation. Nice alignment to your English learner strategy here. 5y
3 comments
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sbombasi
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

This RF novel by Sharon Draper, is a great story about diversity. This book entails an 11-year-old girl named Isabella who is in the 6th grade. She is half black and half white. She struggles with her identity with being biracial, racial tension among her community, and living with her divorced parents of two separate families that she has to go back and forth to every week. #ucflae3414f19

sbombasi This book is a great LC to discuss many topics like real-life struggles that may be similarly happening with others that they can relate to or bring awareness about different types of families. Having students follow this lesson plan matches perfectly. Distinguishing different roles to each student that they can identify as well.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/literature-circle...
5y
sbombasi The UDL principle 8.3 fostering collaboration and community along with EL #2 promoting cooperation (small groups) work well with this lesson. 5y
DrSpalding I am happy you decided to be involved in this literature circle. 8.3 works beautifully with literature circle strategies. As does English learner number two. 5y
3 likes3 comments
review
Jewelwinkler
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

#ucflae3414F19 Blended by Sharen M. Draper is an awesome RF book that would be perfect to add to your classroom library. It is very relevant to today‘s problems and it gives an insight to the ups and downs of discovering ones identity. This book would be great for literature circle as there are so many great discussion topics that can really get the students engaged.

Jewelwinkler The UDL guideline I would use for this book would be 9.3 (develop self-assessment and reflection. Throughout this book I would have the students assess and reflect upon their thoughts will reading the book and have them share their ideas with their LC group. 5y
Jewelwinkler The EL strategy I would use for this book is number 23 (structure advanced organizers consisting for new terminology that‘s learners will encounter in the new lesson vocabulary to be reviewed) since there is a lot of unique and higher level vocabulary in this book! An awesome resource that has a lot of great discussion ideas is https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blended/Sharon-M-Draper/9781442495005 5y
Mwinship I just finished this book a little bit ago and wow the ending! I agree that this book is great for LC. 5y
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Camrynm Blended is a great book!! I agree that there is higher vocabulary in this book so that EL strategy would be great! 5y
ArianaG I love this! Really looking forward to reading this soon only when heard great things :) 5y
KevinKantola Wow this is such a cool book 5y
Alexush Jewel you are so right! This book has many topics that would be great for a LC and i think it will allow the students to safely talk about the difficult topics in this book. 5y
katiehamlin I love the resource you used! There are so many good things on there. 5y
leximcmillin This looks like a really good book and I will definitely be reading it!! Based on the description you gave, it does sound like it would be a good book for a LC! 5y
DrSpalding This is one of your best posts. This is a valuable piece of realistic fiction that has a wow ending! It would be great for a literature circle and your resource would help you incorporate this well into your intermediate grade classroom. Well done. 5y
6 likes10 comments
blurb
Zoesomerville
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

This book is about a young 6th grader who is battling some of the major problems in her life such as- her parents have a divorce and constantly fight and that puts stress on her and there is drama at school including racism- if you like realistic fiction/ drama you would like this book
-blended

MissYaremcio Awesome! Thank you for the review Zoe! Make sure that when completing List assignments you include all aspects of the assignment (you were missing the tone and the picture)! 5y
tak.ogita funny 5y
3 likes2 comments
review
haleyklein
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

What a great RF! Blended by Sharon M. Draper is a great novel inside Isabella‘s hectic world as her parents are divorced and the two lives she shares with us! This has an amazing twist at the end and shares a strong message of love throughout! #UCFLAE3414F19

haleyklein This book would be good great for a LC. It will bring opportunities for kids to dig deep in topics about the book as well as gain a new perspective of everything around them! A great LC tool is this link to all things that make an LC thrive! It breaks it up in sessions and tools for success for each section! http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/literature-circle... 5y
haleyklein For this novel the UDL‘s that align are; 5.2, 3.3 & 8.3 which all allow for opportunities to express but also stay guided. The EL strategies are 32, 37 & 44 these all express the student to use oral language as well as be in pairs. The pairs will help to guide and support along with the teacher providing extra support if needed! 5y
AleciaM Such a great book that deals with diversity. They is so many diverse children in the schools today, and it's great to see more books that talk about it. 5y
DrSpalding I like your summaries. This is a great book for literature circles and for persisting until the end! High-quality resource. Continue to use this in your future classroom. 5y
6 likes4 comments
review
Alexush
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

“Blended” By Sharon M. Draper is a RF Novel for ages 8-12. This book is about Isabella a Biracial 12 year old navigating the world of blended families, racial issues and her love of music. This book is a great way to broach the subject of racial injustices and the struggles that children in a blended family might face.For this book you can use the LC teaching strategy. https://literaryfusions.com/2019/01/29/book-review-blended-by-sharon-m-draper/

Alexush This website provides kids with various activities to do along with this book. The UDL i would use is “highlight patterns, critical features,big ideas and relationships” (3.2) i can have the kids talk to each other about different relationships in the book in the main ideas of the book such as race and blended families and divorce. The ESOL strategy I‘d like to use is #44 The students can predict before they read and summarize what they read. (edited) 5y
DrSpalding Beautiful job summarizing this book. Nice alignment to the universal design and English learner strategies. I agree with this book being helpful with topics such as relationships, blended families, divorce and even music lessons! 5y
4 likes3 comments
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abbie-cadabbie
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

“Blended” by Sharon M. Draper is an amazing RF novel that upper elementary and lower middle schoolers will enjoy! This story is about an 11-year-old girl named Isabella who is half black and half white. She struggles with ignorant racial comments and understanding who she truly is, especially while her parents are divorcing. This book makes a great LC read that all will enjoy! #UCFLAE3414F19

abbie-cadabbie This lesson plan is great to use because it provides a customizable story map lesson and a reading group guide. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=60378 5y
abbie-cadabbie The UDL Guideline I‘d use for this book would be to have the students foster collaboration and community (8.3) I can have the students form groups and talk about the book as we read it in class. For an ESOL strategy, I would promote cooperation (2) and have the students work together to help one another in their groups. 5y
KristenScala I really enjoyed reading this book for our LC and the ending- wow!!! I like how you described this book and the UDL strategy that you would use. 5y
DrSpalding If you did use this as a literature circle you are right that this teaching strategy encourages community and collaboration which would be perfect for the themes in this particular book. As Kristin said… The ending was wow! 5y
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Mwinship
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

This RF novel written by Sharon M Draper tells the story of Izzy, a middle school girl who is struggling with her identity with being biracial and her divorced parents and extended family. I highly recommend this modern story because to have in your classroom library because it promotes diversity and is a hard book to put down.

Mwinship This book would be a great LC. I would assign LC roles as well using this guideline: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson19/lit-circle-...
The UDL guideline 8.3 and EL 2 about fostering and promoting collaboration could be met using this book.
#UCFLAE3414F19
5y
ChrisC This book looks very interesting. I‘ll definitely pick it up one day and check it out. 5y
DrSpalding This is truly realistic fiction. It is another good choice for literature circles. You have several that you could add to a stack for your intermediate/middle grade students. 5y
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Camrynm
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Blended by Sharon M. Draper is a wonderful RF novel for the elementary classroom that could be used for a LC. Blended shows the real struggles Isabella deals with being a mixed 11 year old girl who is trying to juggle being in middle school and living with divorced parents. Readers will learn the real challenges that race can bring in a school atmosphere and how important it is to put aside our differences and love one another. 💕 #UCFLAE3414F19

Camrynm This novel could be a great LC book for grades 3-7. The UDL principle I would use is 2.1 (Clarify Vocabulary and symbols) and I would make a sheet of vocabulary words to go over with the group before they start reading. The EL strategy I would use would be 4 (Link lesson topic to students‘ prior knowledge). I would go over racial issues with the kids before they started reading so that they would understand that part of the novel. (edited) 5y
Camrynm Here is a resource that has useful discussion questions for LC https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blended/Sharon-M-Draper/9781442495005 5y
DrSpalding Nice use of the publisher as a resource. This book had a surprise ending that I was shocked by! As we discussed in class, sometimes you need to just keep reading! 5y
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DrSpalding
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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In honor on #nationalreadabookday I am currently reading Blended! ❤️📚

HeyMsBowen THE BEST BOOK! 5y
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Abby2
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Mehso-so

Good upper elementary book about divorced parents it was all resolved rather easily and the shooting part seemed a bit unlikely.

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Miadolce
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

“Mom is my legal guardian because she‘s, like, my mom.”

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Miadolce
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

This book covers some very serious issues that exist in society, and is probably not best for young kids at all.

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Miadolce
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
Pickpick

This is a great book for students who may struggle with racial identity issues. The main character is half black and half white and has to switch identities depending on what environment she is in. Teaches really important lessons.

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SW-T
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

Isabella Badia Thornton has a complicated life. She just wants to be a normal kid but has to deal with her parents divorce, joint custody arrangements, her parents dating other people, new stepparents, piano lessons, and the complexities of being biracial when people want you to choose one identity. Then she and her stepbrother are in the wrong place at the wrong time and discover the dangers of racial profiling first hand.

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ha_kaye
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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Pickpick

🎹 Sharon Draper‘s Blended tells the story of Isabella, an 11 year old biracial gifted pianist with divorced parents. Every week, Isabella goes through what she calls the “Exchange Day,” where she meets up with the other parent at the mall and lives with them for that week. Not only does she switches homes every week; she switches nicknames, backpacks, and her identity. It is currently on the New York Times Best Seller list! #LAE3414sp19

ha_kaye It shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of living with divorced parents on top of addressing topics of racism and police brutality. It is one of those books that I wish I could‘ve read as a child to understand that others go through the same thing that I did with my parents being divorced. It would make a great RA for older elementary or middle school students, since there are important topics of discussion inside. 6y
ha_kaye This link provides discussion questions relating to Blended, as well as extension activities. http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75 UDL principle 8.3, foster collaboration and community, would work well with the discussions that this books demands. EL strategy 16; integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing activities; is the perfect fit for Blended since the students would be listening and discussing the story with their peers. 6y
Mmw2478 This book is on my list of books I wanted to read this semester. I love the issues it addresses. You did a good job summarizing it. 6y
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giont I picked up this book at B&N a few weeks ago but haven‘t read it yet. I‘m so excited too. I love how you said you would use it as a RA to discuss important issues. Thanks for sharing :) 6y
ha_kaye Thank you both 🥰 @giont @Mmw2478 6y
Olsonashley19 I just bought this from scholastic and can't wait to read!!! Having divorced parents and switching every week I can relate to how she feels. Thanks for sharing :) 6y
DrSpalding Dr. Vandemark also said that I need to read this book. I have added it to my stack. Sounds like you have a few other peers that will be reading this as well. Excellent choice 6y
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Ariel8Smith
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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“Every Monday I wake up in a different bed than the one I slept in the week before.”

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Ariel8Smith
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

Chapter book that discusses the difficulties of being a blended race. Great theme of understanding who you are and can relate to children who are also dealing with parents divorces.

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Ariel8Smith
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
Pickpick

2018, contemporary literature. Story about an 11 year old girl, Isabella, who has a black father and white mother. Her parents go through a rough divorce and Isabella feels split. She doesn‘t feel as if she can be her whole self by choosing between her parents.

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CassidyCantrell
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
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CassidyCantrell
Blended | Sharon M. Draper

The chapters go by “moms week” or “dads week” since her parents just split up. I think it really explains to the reader how she feels in each place. Great read!

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CassidyCantrell
Blended | Sharon M. Draper
Pickpick

-contemporary realistic fiction
Great book for a young girl who is going through change or something unusual. Books like these help children get through tough times in life. This girl is mixed and her parents just got divorced. She feels as if she is “split”