Bloom: Intermediate Read Aloud

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 20

Tuesday, May 12th, 2020

Today is the day.  The last chapter of Bloom.  And the story is in no way over.

Sure, there’s some closure, but just enough to leave you slightly satisfied.  I do want to read book two, Hatch, NOW.  Unfortunately, we will have to wait until September 15th… 🙁

In the meantime, here are other incredible Kenneth Oppel stories to tide you over: 

Find Chapter 20 part 1 here:

Find Chapter 20 part 2 here:

Find Chapter 20 part 3 here: 

 

I hope you enjoyed Bloom by Kenneth Oppel as much as I did.  If you can, I would love to hear if you listened to the book; this feedback will help me decide if I should read another 6/7 book in the future and whether enough people listened for it to be worth my time to do again.  I did enjoy reading to you every day!

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 19

Monday, May 11th, 2020

In today’s chapter, we definitely reach the critical part of our story, the climax:

Notice how you feel listening to the story and then the precise moment you feel yourself begin to relax.  As a reader, how you feel when you read a story helps you understand the story and it’s structure.  When you feel you are beginning to relax near the end of a story, that’s one sign you are in the falling action.

Bloom’s story structure has been in the rising action since around Chapter 4.  Remember, we are in the exposition when we are introduced to the characters and the setting at the start of the story, however you could say, the setting (the plants) was part of the problem or conflict and served as a character in the story too!

Find chapter 19 part 1 here:  

Find Chapter 19 part 2 here: 

 

How do you predict the story will end next chapter, considering there are two more books to come in the trilogy?

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 18

Friday, May 8th, 2020

In today’s chapter, we are still climbing towards the story’s climax.  While listening to yesterday and today’s readings, notice if you feel:

  • a rising sense of urgency and anxiety, wanting to know what happens next,
  • an annoyance at the end of the chapter, perhaps because you want me to keep reading?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it mean we as readers have not yet reached the climax – the highest point of conflict in a story.  We are still in the rising action, but we are so close to the peak of our reading mountain.

Find chapter 18 part 1 here: 

Find chapter 18 part 2 here: 

 

I cannot wait for book 2 – Hatch to be released!  If you are enjoying Bloom, we have many Kenneth Oppel books in our school library.  I’ve read them all and they are great!  I love The Nest, it’s creepy and scary like Bloom, but in a different way.  Silverwing is the book Oppel is most known for, and I really enjoyed it.  It reminded me of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm, one of my all time favourite books.

Videos will be up soon.  It’s another long chapter, close to 30 minutes.

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 17

Thursday, May 7th, 2020

Today chapter is the the fourth to last chapter of Bloom!  If you have made it this far, thanks for joining me.  I have really enjoyed sharing this wonderful story with you all.

Today’s chapter is action, action, action, action.  On a story map, we are coming to the climax:

All the events leading up to the climax are the rising action.  What do you predict will happen for the climax after today’s chapters?

Find chapter 17 part 1 here: 

Find chapter 17 part 2 here: 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 16

Wednesday, May 6th, 2020

Anaya has heard the military made contact with her father.  He’s alive.  It means he’s been on an island for two days and has somehow managed to survive the pit plants, grass, vines and sleeping gas.  Or has he?

What do you predict will happen in today’s chapter?  It’s the longest chapter of all the chapters I have read to you thus far and comes in three parts today.  (Darn 14 minute maximum upload on Youtube!)

Remember, a prediction is using what you already know about:

  1. The characters
  2. The problem
  3. The setting
  4. The military and how they operate (experience from your own life and news)
  5. The connections you can make between this book, other stories and real life.

Find chapter 16 part one here:

Find chapter 16 part two here: 

 

Find chapter 16 part three here:  

I cannot wait to share chapter 17 tomorrow!  The story just keeps getting better and better… . The only torturous part is that Bloom is book 1 of three.  Sniff.  We will have to wait for the next two books to be published.

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 15

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

  1. If you could be any animal, what would you be?
  2. Would you be partly you and partly animal?
  3. What human features would you keep?  What parts of you would be animal?
  4. Would you be from this planet?
  5. Would you be a mythical animal?  A magical animal?

Anaya, Petra and Seth are not magical animals, they’re cryptogenic.  They are powerful with the strength that is born to them by their species.  I think.

We will have to keep reading to find out…

Find Chapter 15 part one here: 

Find Chapter 15 part two here: 

I’m not sure what I would be.  Perhaps part wolf.

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 14

Monday, May 4th, 2020

Eeeeeeeeeee!  I am really really loving this book.  The chapters are getting into a rhythm and are taking turns I never expected!    Today’s chapter reveals the connection between our characters.  It’s confirmed.  I had to read ahead.  I couldn’t stop.  And the book gets WILD.   It gets wild with the horror, the metaphysical, the adventure — everything one needs to make an excellent story.

Find chapter 14 part 1 here:

Find chapter 14 part 2 here:

 

Enjoy!

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 13

Friday, May 1st, 2020

Chapter 13 is a loooooooong one but a good one.  It’s a more relaxing chapter than the others and we finally get an answer to a number of our questions about Anaya, Petra and Seth’s connection.  As of this moment, I think it’s definitely supernatural.

In today’s chapter, we discover some of the answers to our questions we have had for a few chapters now.  I have new questions now too:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. Why do you think the characters feel safe with each other?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?
  4. What do the main characters physical changes have to do with the plants, especially if the plants are cryptogenic?
  5. Are there others like Anaya, Petra and Seth?

Find Chapter 13 Part 1 here: 

Find Chapter 13 Part 2 here:

Have a great weekend,

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 12

Thursday, April 30th, 2020

Kenneth Oppel is a good writer.  Today’s chapter gives the reader a chance to relax and breathe.  We find out a little bit more about the characters today and their link.  Dare I predict a supernatural element?

In today’s chapter, we are getting closer to discovering the answers to our questions we have had for a few chapters now:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. Why do you think the characters feel safe with each other?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?

Find Chapter 12 here: 

Yours in fright,

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 11

Wednesday, April 29th, 2020

Chapter 11 is FREAKY scary!  In a good way, but don’t listen to this chapter before you go to bed tonight. That’s all I will reveal.

In today’s chapter, there’s an entity interested in the three main characters and the entity has the same questions we have:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. Why do you think the characters feel safe with each other?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?

Find Chapter 11 part 1 here:

Find Chapter 11 part 2 here: 

Yours in fright,

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 10

Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

I have to say, Chapter 10 jumps back into scary again.

Today’s ideas to think about:

Consider what happened in Chapters 8 and 9.  Now, think about the worst case scenario, keeping in mind that our main characters are seemingly invincible to the plants.   What do you predict could be the worst case in Bloom?  Remember, making predictions is when you take what you already know about the text and blend it with what you already know about life to make an educated and informed guess.

We are still searching for the answers to last week’s questions:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. What do you think may be the cause of Seth’s sudden energy and strength?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?

Find Chapter 10 part 1 here:

Find Chapter 10 part 2 here:

Yours in fright,

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 8 & 9

Monday, April 27th, 2020

Whew!  I found that Chapter 7 last week stirred a lot of anxiety within me – how about you?  A sign of a good writer is someone who can create feelings within the reader and Oppel is doing a fantastic job as I have all the feels of someone reading a good adventure/horror novel!

I found Chapter 8 and 9 equally exciting but a felt a bit calmer, not as anxiety-inducing.   We learn about what happens to victims inside the plants.

Today’s ideas to think about:

We are still searching for the answers to last week’s questions:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. What do you think may be the cause of Seth’s sudden energy and strength?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?

Find Chapter 8 here:

Find Chapter 9 here:

Unfortunately it is looking like my videos are too long and taking up too much data on all the platforms I’m using.  As a result,  I may have to split a chapter in half and post part one and part two.

Have a great day,

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 7  

Friday, April 24th, 2020

I managed to discover that one of my tech issues yesterday was that I had reached my weekly limit for video uploads on Vimeo.  As a result, today’s chapter is on YouTube Unlisted.  You will not need a password but the video is “Unlisted” meaning you can only find it if you have the video link.

What did you think of Chapter 6?  Scary enough for you?  Chapter 7 is much more suspenseful and more terrifying than the last.  Oppel does a fantastic job of creating suspense in the chapter and the book is becoming more and more fast-paced: Chapter 7 takes place in only an hour in the life of the three main-characters.

Today’s ideas to think about:

  1. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  2. What do you think may be the cause of Seth’s sudden energy and strength?
  3. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?
  4. What do you think the link is between Anaya, Petra and Seth?  Why are they seemingly immune to the plants?
  5. What do you think may be the cause of Seth’s sudden energy and strength?
  6. Do you think the plants might be beneficial to our main characters?  How?

Find Chapter 7 here:

 

Oooooooooo!  Enjoy ourselves!  I’ll meet you back here on Monday.

Have a great weekend,

🙂 Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 6 

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

Warning: I’m not going to lie, Chapter 6 is scary.  Chapter 7 is even scarier.  It’s possible that today’s readings may be too scary for you.  We find out the true power of the plants and what they will do to the creatures on planet earth.  Today, the plants begin to attack.

There’s no gore.  The plants just begin to do their thing.  As well, food is becoming harder to get for humans and animals due to the plants taking over the earth.  And the plants need to eat too.

I really liked to be scared when I was younger but not everyone is the same — that’s okay.  If you’re like me and love scary stories, then Chapter 6 is for you!  If you don’t think the books I have in the library are scary enough — you’ve met your match.  Today’s reading is scarier than Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.  Much. Scarier.

I put a warning sign across the screen when the scary part is about to start.

If this story is too scary for you, I will be reading another equally wonderful chapter book about the survival of a robot named Roz, in the read aloud, Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  I will start sharing Wild Robot next week.

Find Chapter 6 here:

Find Chapter 7 here:

Update:  Due to technical difficulties, chapter 7 will be posted tomorrow (Friday).

I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s chapter!  How did it make you feel?  Chapter 7 is three times as scarier as today’s chapter!

Frightfully yours,

:O Mme Zibin

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapter 5

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

Whoa.  Chapter 5 is long.  It takes me 30 minutes to read it to you.  For that reason, I’m only sharing Chapter 5 with you all today.  And it is a GOOD one!

Today’s ideas to think about: Characters, Setting and Problem

We are still in the exposition phase of the story, meaning the characters and the setting are still being developed by Oppel.  In today’s chapter, we learn more about the plant: about it’s anatomy and how it grows.  The plant is also a problem in the story (and a bit of a character too) and is affecting the characters and the way they go about their lives.  As a result, we are beginning to move into the rising action of the story, where the characters begin to face a series of conflicts.

  1.  What do you know about a plant’s life cycle?

Interested in finding out more about a plant’s life cycle?  Check out this awesome website made by Science World.

Find today’s reading here:

Ooooo!  It’s raining and a bit dark today, the perfect day to listen to a scary story about an alien plant taking over the world after a big rain…

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapters 3 and 4

Tuesday, April 21st, 2020

Chapter 3 will be read by Kenneth Oppel and Chapter 4 will be read by yours truly.  🙂

Today’s ideas to think about: Characters, Setting and Problem

Bloom’s storyline is moving fast!  I loved chapter 4 especially – certain events had me already worried about a character’s life.

Questions to help you make connections to the story:

  1.  In chapter 3 we meet the third main character, Seth.  Seth isn’t from Salt Spring Island and doesn’t live with his parents.  He’s often moved from home to home.  Why?
  2. Seth’s guardians, the Antos, are organic farmers.  Farming is an important industry on Salt Spring Island.  Many of the products we enjoy here in Duncan are from Salt Spring.  What products have you enjoyed from Salt Spring Island?
  3. In chapter 4, the problem of the black weeds becomes apparent.  We have invasive plants here on Vancouver Island –though they don’t grow near as fast as the plants in Bloom.  Are you familiar with any alien plants here in our community?  Check out the great exhibit on Alien Plants of British Columbia here at The Royal BC Museum!

Find Chapter Three here:

Find Chapter Four  here:  

I love the picture I was sent from one of our students, listening to Chapters 1 and 2 while working on her school project:

I love this picture I was sent in from one of our students. She is listening to Bloom while working on her school project.

Do you have a story listening spot?  I’d love to see.

À demain!

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel: Chapters 1 and 2

Monday, April 20th, 2020

Bonjour mes amis!  I’m so happy you are joining me for our first read aloud!  Please feel free to access the read aloud chapters at anytime.   Please note: Bloom is considered a middle grades novel (grades 6+) and Bloom is a bit of a scary novel.

Chapters one and two today will be read by Kenneth Oppel himself!  We will be introduced to two of the three main characters.

Today’s ideas to think about: Characters and Setting

Questions to help you make connections to the story:

  1. Bloom takes place on Salt Spring Island, just a ferry ride from Crofton or Swartz Bay in Sidney.  Have you ever been to Salt Spring?  Why?  What did you think of the island?
  2. In chapter 1 we meet Anaya.  She is allergic to everything – and I mean everything!  Food allergies are common and at times can be very severe.  What are you allergic to?  How does it make you feel?  Do you have any food allergies like Anaya?
  3. In chapter 2 we meet Petra.   Petra is gorgeous and also suffers from allergies.  She is allergic to WATER.  Being allergic to water is a true allergy called Aquagenic urticaraia.  How would you feel if you could never take a shower?  Drink water?  How do you think your life would change being allergic to water?

Find Chapter One here:

Find Chapter Two here:

Tomorrow we will read Chapters 3 and 4.

Get comfy, relax and listen.  I hope you enjoy Bloom by Kenneth Oppel as much as I do.

🙂 Mme Zibin

 

Read Aloud – About “Bloom” by Kenneth Oppel

Wednesday, April 15th, 2020

I’m really excited to announced the intermediate read aloud I’ll be sharing with EMP students online:

Bloom” by Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel

I will be posting two chapters a day, right here on this page at 9 am, starting Monday, April 20th.

From the publisher of Bloom:

“The first book in a can’t-put-it-down, can’t-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that’s part Hatchet, part Alien! The invasion begins–but not as you’d expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout–overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom–and release toxic pollens. They bloom–and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom–everywhere, unstoppable. Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies–and yet not to these plants. What’s their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They’d better figure it out fast, because it’s starting to rain again….”

Growing up, my sister and I loved a good campy horror flick.  One of our favourite books – and later movie – was “The Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham.  As soon as I saw the book trailer for “Bloom” by Kenneth Oppel I thought, “Stranger Things mixed with The Day of the Triffids AND the story takes place on Saltspring Island?  Can it get ANY better?”   Once I started reading “Bloom”, I couldn’t put it down.

How You Can Listen to “Bloom by Kenneth Oppel 

  • Each day, by 9 am, I will post two chapters here on this page along with ideas to think about as you listen.
  • Videos will be archived here on this page in chapter order.
  • Listen to the chapters any time before June 30th, 2020
  • Chapters will be password protected as per publisher request.  Password was sent out to your parents from M. Zibin last week.  If you need the password, please email Mme Zibin at dzibin@sd79.bc.ca

Looking for more information on “Bloom”?  Check out the Book Review here by the amazing Colby Sharp:

Let’s make the read aloud nice and cosy; grab some blankets and some pillows, make a mug of tea and settle in to listen to a modern day scary story set on our neighbours, the Gulf Islands.  I look forward to reading with you again soon!

🙂 Mme Zibin

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