Author Archives: AJ Cattapan

Monday Book Review: The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

Posted on November 19, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

This book used to be part of the reading curriculum at two of my previous schools. I enjoyed it for a couple reasons. First, it’s science fiction that takes place on Earth. No aliens, no spaceships. Just holophones and mile-high … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: That Vs Which

Posted on November 14, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

Most people probably don’t even think about the difference between that and which. However, they are used for different purposes, and they affect comma usage. That The word that is used to introduce something called a restrictive clause. This is … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Posted on November 12, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

I had heard a lot about this book before I read it. Everyone seemed to love it. My reaction to the first few chapters was “Well, this is good, but is it really as great as everyone says?” Then I … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: What is Progressive Form?

Posted on November 7, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

We all know about the three main verb tenses: present, past, and future. Some of us even know about the three “perfect tenses”: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. However, I’ve seen a lot of talk online about progressive … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Posted on November 5, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

If you keep up with young adult literature at all, you’ve surely heard of Veronica Roth’s dystopian novel Divergent and its sequel Insurgent. Today I’ll give my usual book review, but then I’d like to discuss something that’s been rattling … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: Does the apostrophe go before or after the ‘s’?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

This is a common question/problem for my students. Even published authors bicker about the rules for apostrophes in forming possessive nouns. While the rules may vary from publisher to publisher, the classroom grammar books (assuming they are actually used–but don’t … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Posted on October 29, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

I was first introduced to Maniac Magee over ten years ago. A co-worker was reading it with the seventh graders. Since the book deals with prejudice, she decided to conduct a little experiment and asked me and the other teachers … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: Who vs Whom?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

As requested by my good friend and fellow blogger Ginny Marie, today I’m discussing the difference between “who” and “whom.” First, the easy answer . . . Use who in place of he. Use whom in place of him. Now … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: So B. It by Sarah Weeks

Posted on October 22, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Weeks when she visited one of my previous schools for an author visit. One particular part of her talk really made an impression on me. She was discussing rejection when she reached into … Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday: When do you put a comma before the word ‘and’?

Posted on October 17, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

Welcome to my first Writing Wednesday post! On Wednesdays, I’ll be talking all things writing, including grammar and lessons I cover with my students. As a writer, I belong to numerous online writing communities. This past week, a fellow writer … Continue reading →

Posted in Commas, Grammar | 2 Comments