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The last chapter of this book was so fulfilling! The mystery was finally solved!!! (I'm such a kid at heart.) This book was so fun to read, especially over the course of the class. I looked forward to reading a new chapter each week. I'm actually kind of sad that it is over. This book had many lessons throughout its pages. Life lessons ranging from homelessness, diversity, and believing in yourself filled the novel's pages. My teacher brain had new ideas for each chapter. There are so many lessons across different content areas just waiting to be taught. My "steal" on Amazon will most definitely not go unused. I can't wait to use this in my future classroom. Thanks for bringing actual material that we can use into our methods course, Dr. Wash! I thoroughly enjoyed reading along to this novel. I'm so glad Liza K. solved the mystery and saved Dajun! And they all lived happily ever after...

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Chapter Eight brought up the answer to a long, drawn-out mystery. Liza K. figured out where Dajun has been hiding for the last eight chapters. While the gator has been found, Liza K. has other issues on her hands. The social worker, Mrs. Clara Lee Dade, found out about the woods people. Liza K.'s mom got two new jobs, so the two of them will be moving into a house to avoid any disruption with the social worker. But Liza K. doesn't want to leave the woods people. They have grown to be her family. Chapter Eight also hints at the idea that Priscilla is living in the woods due to some sort of mental breakdown. Both of these topics, homelessness and mental illness, could be prevalent in my future classroom. By using resources such as this book, I could show my students that they should not be ashamed of who they are or where they are from... I can't wait to finish this novel and find out where the gator has been hiding during the day! Still loving this book!!!

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Chapter Seven had raised some eyebrows. Is Dajun really in Gumbo Limbo Hole?! I really want to read ahead to find out, but the anticipation will have to build for another week. I love chapter books, and this one has really helped to "de-stress" me. Usually, for classes, we are working with harder novels or anthologies, and it is a breath of fresh air to bring out my "kid side" when reading this book. Some new vocabulary words were brought about in this chapter that would be beneficial for students to learn. They are: cavern and invertebrates. This is also the chapter where Liza K. comes up with a plan to trap Dajun in order to find him! I also felt like there was an underlying theme in this chapter. James James spoke of Priscilla in saying, "I sure had her figured wrong." He stated this multiple times. I think the underlying them could be, "Don't judge a book by its cover." James James thought he had Priscilla all figured out - when come to find out, he was completely wrong about her. This would be a great time to pause in the book to remind students to accept others for who they are, and not to judge a book by its cover.

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Chapter Six cleared some things up for the readers. Earlier, in my novel blog study, I suggested that it might be a good idea to teach a lesson on predicting. Priscilla is a great character within the book to have students analyze and predict the outcome of her mysterious ways. Chapter Six brought about the truth among Priscilla, her mini bottles, and sugar packets. She was making a mixture to attract hummingbirds! (What a relief!) This would be a great time to talk about hummingbirds in a science lesson and have students make their own hummingbird feeders. As a second grade student, my classmates and I made our own hummingbird feeders and hung them around our school. We placed one outside of our classroom window so that we would be able to watch if any birds came by. We mostly saw different insects. However, we were able to see a few hummingbirds, and we were amazed by how fast their wings flapped. This chapter still did not mention Dajun's whereabouts. Where is that dragon!? I can't wait for Chapter Seven to find out what happens

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Chapter Five offered a lot of insight that could be useful within the classroom. When she was looking at the maps at the County Government Center, Liza K. lied to the Clara Lee Dade, the lady who was working the desk. She told her that she went to Royal Palm School and was in Miss Wilson's sixth grade class. However, when asked for her address, she gave her "1345 Ninth Avenue" - the address of the diner. When reading this story, I couldn't help but think... How do you know if a student is lying? How do you help a student or their family if they don't want help? Do you overstep you boundaries and offer help anyways? Or do you just let them live as they already do? I think the hardest part about education is knowing that you can't save every single student. I am a people pleaser. I am a helper. I like to make people happy, and I like to help people. But I especially like to make people happy by helping them. All I could think when reading Chapter Five was that I hope I am not a Clara Lee Dade in my classroom. I hope that my students can feel comfortable and that our classroom is a home away from home for them - whether they live in a mansion, or shack, a suburban house or their car. I want my students to feel comfortable, and loved, and to know that what happens and what is said inside of my classroom stays inside of the classroom. Chapter Five, just like Chapter Four, ended with Priscilla. Is this foreshadowing??? I wonder what Priscilla is up to - and what is she doing with all of that sugar?

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Chapter Four of this book had lots of lessons embedded within its words. From Social Studies, to Science, to Math… there was a lesson to be taught for each subject. With the being said, Chapter Four activated my “teacher brain.” In my novel journal, I jot things down about each chapter. I jot down new characters and sometimes create drawings to help me remember their importance to the book. I write down interesting and unfamiliar words. I also write down the basic points of the chapter to remind myself of what happened. This is a technique that could be useful in a classroom. In thinking of lessons to be taught with this chapter, I thought about how Liza K had planned to go to the County Government Center to look at the maps, hoping they would have one that could show the caves and tunnels where Dajun may be hiding. This would be a great foundation for introducing maps, or even revisiting maps in the classroom. Students could create their own map of the hall that their classroom is located on and show the halls (tunnels) and rooms (caves). This chapter also brought about the opportunity for a quick math lesson – Area. An ELA lesson? No problem… predicting the outcome à Why did Priscilla have lots of sugar in her “home?” Was it just a coincidence that the solution pit was sweet when it was supposed to be salty? Students could predict what was going to happen in Chapter 5. I am enjoying this book so far… So much, in fact, that I bought the book for myself and my future classroom! ($3.58 on Amazon! SCORE!) I am excited to see what happens in Chapter 5… Is Priscilla being mysterious, just as Liza K describes nature as being??

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Chapter Three dug deep into scientific thinking and discovery. This opens the door and encourages the opportunity to teach scientific vocabulary terms and definitions. The chapter explained the differences in green and blue-green alga, the importance of elevation for plant growth, and introduced many new plant species. This would be a great opportunity for the classroom teacher to have students complete research and submit an assignment. For example, I would have my students create a Facebook page for different species of plants and/or animals. The students would be required to tell "About Me," "Where to find me," "Personal Info," etc. on a Facebook profile template. This activity would demonstrate creativity from each student, as well as provide formative assessment data that demonstrates student understanding. The chapter used Liza K's perspective to show her scientific thinking in order to further the hunt for Dajun's hiding place. Liza K used many of the facts and bits of information that she gained from her Environmental Science class at school. This would also be a prime opportunity to show that the information we learn in our science classes is not a waste of time... Who knows, maybe one day we will need to help find our own "Dajun!"

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Chapter Two really exercised my "teacher brain." The chapter went into detail about a few of the book's characters, which were mostly contrary to popular belief. For example, Caruso and Priscilla are homeless people who live in Limbo Gumbo Hammock and they have jobs, and are college educated. These characters were introduced in Chapter Two. A lightbulb went off for a mini-lesson to execute with this chapter. Students could create a journal to keep throughout the reading of the book (I am currently doing this myself.) and could jot down notes, thoughts, questions or ideas as they read along. As new characters are introduced in the book, students could create and add to a character map. I have also been jotting down words that I don't know, or words that could possibly be used as vocabulary words such as "niche" and "frugally." So far in the book, there have been many life lessons to take into account. In Chapter Two, another life lesson is learned - one that even I needed to be reminded of. The chapter proved a social misconception wrong by introducing educated and job-holding homeless people. It's a great reminder that not all homeless people are in ragged clothes on the side of the road, holding a sign. These people could easily be students in my future classroom. I only hope to eliminate those social misconceptions in my classroom and to encourage a warm and inviting environment that accepts students from all walks of life.

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Chapter One was extremely eye-opening to me. Liza K, the book’s main character, narrates the book in first person. She spoke of her father’s abuse and how scared she was of him. To avoid her father’s abusive behaviors, Liza K’s mother moved herself and her daughter into the woods near Gumbo Limbo. There, they lived in a yellow tent under the prettiest live oak in Collier County. Chapter One has already exhibited many life lessons that are yet to come in the book. In reading the chapter, my heart softened. I thought of all the students whom I will teach in the coming years. How many of them will be homeless? How many of those homeless children will I know about? Will I be able to help them? Will I be able to make a difference in their lives? These questions crossed my mind as I read across the pages of the first chapter. Liza K was so passionate about Dajun, the alligator who lived in the swampy waters near her home under the live oak. When a hunter came in to kill Dajun to make the renters and homeowners comfortable in the newly built apartment complex, Liza K took it personally and tried her hardest to steer him off Dajun’s path. From the chapter, I have gained a more open mind and open heart. In my future teaching endeavors, I hope to reach each of my students on a personal level. I hope to know their home lives and use their interests, strengths, and abilities within my classroom. I plan to incorporate my students’ passions and the things they care about within my lessons, in hopes of grasping their attention and keeping them actively engaged. While the first chapter of this book had many different plant species, and spoke of different scientific lessons woven into the words of the page, the foreshadowing of  life lessons seemed more prevalent and more important, thus far.