Showing posts with label blog birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog birthday. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Blog Birthday: Giveback-Giveaway #1



Hard to believe that we've been blogging for SEVEN years!

This year we'd like to celebrate by giving back to our readers with a Giveback-Giveaway every day for seven days.

We'll choose a random winner from the comments each day and send them the featured book of the day. The books we've chosen are all new(ish) books that celebrate books and reading. (As we were choosing books, we realize that we need to update our Books About Books and Reading list in the sidebar. Are any of your favorites missing from our list?)

Thanks for stopping by to help us celebrate 7 years!

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Blog Birthday Giveback-Giveaway #1 -- OPEN THIS LITTLE BOOK

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Open This Little Book from Chronicle last week.  I was immediately drawn to it and noticed that it was illustrated by one of my favorite illustrators, Suzy Lee.  The author is Jesse Klausmeier and this is her first picture book.  What a treat it is!

This is a book that reminds me of so many books I love, but one that is unique on its own. It reminds me a little bit of Press Here because I can see kids having the same gleeful reaction to this one as they do to Press Here.  And it is a great one to add to my collection of books about books and reading.

When you open this book, you see that the inside pages are smaller than the cover. They are smaller because they are actually a book inside the book. The surprises every time you turn a page, continue. I can't even explain the design but I recommend you open it up because, as I said, it will make you gleeful :-)

Somehow Jessie Klausmeier and Suzy Lee have told a story about the power of reading and books in the simplest, most joyful way I've seen.  It is a simple, yet powerful message. But the details are far from simple. Even the end pages share a message.  It is a colorful book and the design is as important as any other part of the book.   Every time I open the book to reread it, I notice something I missed before. Like I said, a real treat.

Young children are going to love this one. It is definitely a great gift book because it is one parents and children can enjoy together over and over.  And it is perfect for EVERY the classroom and library. I can't wait to share it with my 4th graders.

There aren't many books that meet the needs of so many readers. The flap inside the book says of this author/illustrator team, "Together they have created a book of startling imagination that is not only an entertaining and interactive read for the very youngest reader, but also a stunning showcase of design that will delight even the most sophisticated book enthusiast." They certainly got that right in my opinion. It is not often that a book can do so many things in such a perfect way.

I love when I read a great book early in the new year. This is already one of my favorite books of 2013 and I am sure it will remain on my list of favorites forever.

Comment below for a chance to win this great new picture book!

Sunday, January 01, 2012

A Year of Reading x 6

Tomorrow is our blogiversary.

We've been at this for six years.

In the past, we've done some pretty amazing blogiversary posts: 2007, 2008 2008 2008 2008, 2009 2009 2009, 2010, 2011.

This year, we almost forgot to celebrate.

Franki's getting ready for the Mentor Texts in the Digital Writing Workshop series (with Bill Bass, Katie DiCesare, Troy Hicks, Kevin Hodgson, and Tony Keefer), Mary Lee's getting ready to start round two Cybils Poetry judging (with Julie Larios, Diane Mayr, Laura Purdie Salas, and Andi Sibley), and both Franki and Mary Lee have had recent guest posts at the Nerdy Book Club blog.

Read that last sentence one more time.

There you have it, in a nutshell, in a single Polaroid of words, where we are in the evolution of this perpetual Year of Reading: we have branched out in different directions, and yet we both remain united in our passion for children's books and reading and teaching.

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Happy Birthday to Us!


Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!






A Year of Reading is FIVE YEARS OLD today! We thought we'd share a few sets of "fives" with you to celebrate this half-decade landmark!






TOP 5 (ish) POSTS FROM 2010!



5 TRIVIA QUESTIONS ABOUT A YEAR OF READING


Who did we interview for A Year of Reading's first author interview?
CLICK HERE for the answer

From which blogger did we get the idea for 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature?
CLICK HERE for the answer

When did we expand our social network from just blogging to blogging AND Twitter?
CLICK HERE for the answer

In which year did we have the most blog posts?
ANSWER:  In 2007, we had 423 blog posts! A record for us since we average in the high 300s.
Our highest month was January 2007 with 55 posts!

How many Poetry Friday posts are on A Year of Reading?
ANSWER: 186!


5 (ish) PEOPLE WHO INSPIRED OUR LEARNING IN 2010
(this is in addition to our local community of bloggers/friends/colleagues from whom we learn on a regular basis)

Franki
1-Donalyn Miller(@donalynbooks), Teri Lesesne (@ProfessorNana) and Paul Hankins (@PaulWHankins) inspired me to read more and to remember how much I love YA.  (Plus they have entertained me immensely with their humor, wit and brilliance:-)
2-Chris Lehmann's blogs and online talks have kept me grounded in my beliefs about students and learning. 
3-I was lucky enough to hear Adora Svitak and Zoe Sprankle at BLC 10. Take some time to watch their TED Talks when you can.  Very inspiring speakers.
4-Bud the Teacher continues to connect technology to solid learning theory and I continue to learn so much from his work.
5-Buffy Hamilton (@bufffyjhamilton) shares her brilliant thinking on blog and via Twitter. Her work has helped me to create a vision for our library. 

Mary Lee
1-Amy LV inspires me every day with her amazing year-long poem-a-day project!
2-Brenda Power inspires me with her fabulous weekly essays on Choice Literacy and her incredible generosity!
3-Audible.com inspires me to keep up with my adult reading!
4-Diigo and Delicious inspire me to keep track of my links!
5-Foodspotting inspires me to share the joy of good food!






5 BOOKS FROM 2010 THAT WILL LIVE WITH US FOR A WHILE

Franki
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Before I Fall by Lauren Olier

Mary Lee
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Traveling Through the Dark by William Stafford






5 NEW BLOGS WE FOLLOW

One of the things we love most about blogging is that we find new blogs to learn from every day. We have discovered many new blogs this year. Here are just a few (5 :-) new blogs we began following in 2010.


Saturday, January 02, 2010

BLOG BIRTHDAY!

Four years ago today we started this blog! Hard to believe we've been at it that long, but we are still having LOADS of fun!
Here are some of our blog features that have been going strong all four years:
Newbery Predictions (Clearly, a goal for the next 4 years could be More Consistent Tagging. Here are some posts tagged "Potential Newbery" and here are a few more tagged "Newbery," but I know there are more hiding in the archives...)
New features this year:
Our most commented on (non-Poetry Friday) posts this year:
Our most commented on Poetry Friday posts this year:
THANK YOU, READERS AND FOLLOWERS, COMMENTERS AND LURKERS, FOR A GREAT 4 YEARS AND LOTS MORE TO COME!!! --MARY LEE AND FRANKI

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

THREE: the third of three

THREE years ago (in 2006) on January 2, this blog was born.

To celebrate our third blog birthday, we have prepared for you a THREE day festival of THREEs from our third year of blogging. Let DAY THREE of the triads begin!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THREE great graphic novels (ML)
The Savage by David Almond
Into the Volcano by Don Wood
Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

THREE reviews of a TRIO of books (ML)
Back to School Fears
Cardboard Genius
Stories that Dovetail in the Middle

THREE reviews of a TRIO of books (Franki)
Great Characters
Better Than Leveled Books
Airplane Reading

THREE new books to give at baby showers
If Animals Kissed Goodnight by Ann Whitford Paul
In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck
10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox

THREE times we were interviewed in 2008
At 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast
At Tales From the Rushmore Kid
At James Preller's Blog (okay, that's not an interview of us, but Karen and Bill mentioned us...)

THREE favorite memes we did
THREE Wordles we made
The NCTE Framework for 21st Century Learning and Assessment
Our blog (okay, that's a graphic, not a Wordle. Deal with it.)

THREE favorite videos we shared
And, just in case you want one more from the past...
MOM'S OVERTURE (even though we shared this in 2007, I would repost it every day if I could!)

THREE favorite Poetry Friday posts
THREE elves dancing
This link will eventually expire, as the ones from December of 2006 and December of 2007 have, but ElfYourself will always be one of our favorite times of the year.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards



Thank you, thank you, thank you
1. for joining us for our THREE-day THREE-year celebration
2. for your kind wishes and comments
3. in advance for A (great fourth) Year of Reading!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

THREE: the second of three

THREE years ago (in 2006) on January 2, this blog was born.

To celebrate our third blog birthday, we have prepared for you a THREE day festival of THREEs from our third year of blogging. Let DAY TWO of the triads begin!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THREE favorite wordless picture books (Franki)
SOUTH by Patrick McDonnell
WAVE by Suzy Lee
WELCOME TO THE ZOO by Alison Jay


THREE favorite middle grade novels (ML)
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

THREE favorite middle grade novels (Franki)
GREETINGS FROM NOWHERE

THREE new favorite versions of old favorites

THREE favorite Kidlitosphere events we initiated
Trading (our favorite) Spaces
Summer Goals (setting and reflecting and reflecting)
Central Ohio Blogger get-togethers (summer, fall)

THREE favorite Kidlitosphere events we took part in
Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge
21 Day Comment Challenge
Cybils (we're just cheerleaders this year)

THREE authors we discovered in 2008

THREE other sites that use our name
2008 was The National Year of Reading in the UK
www.ayearofreading.com (a blog that is open to invited readers only)
(My) Year of Reading (Dangerously)

THREE author/illustrator interviews at A Year of Reading
Melissa Sweet
Sarah Prineas
Amjed Qamar

THREE professional author interviews at A Year of Reading
Terry Thompson
Shelley Harwayne
(oops, we only had two)


Monday, January 05, 2009

THREE: the first of three

THREE years ago (in 2006) on January 2 (that was THREE days ago), this blog was born.

To celebrate our third blog birthday, we have prepared for you a THREE day festival of THREEs from our third year of blogging. Let the triads begin!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THREE new book characters (Franki)
Roscoe Riley
The Trucktown Characters
Amy Hodgepodge

THREE new book characters (ML)
Sassy (Sharon Draper)
Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan) [He's new to me, doesn't that count???]
Julia Gillian (Alison McGhee)

THREE new books about characters we already love
(Franki)
WILD BOARS COOK
THE YEAR OF THE RAT

THREE new books about characters we already love (ML)
Chester in Chester's Back by Mélanie Watt
Connie Lionheart in Mines of the Minotaur by Julia Golding
Clementine in Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our district)
Literate Lives (born 2/12/08)
Talkworthy (born 5/17/08)
Authentic Learner (born 3/12/08)

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our city, a nearby city, a poet)
Bestbookihavenotread (born 8/8/08)
My World-Mi Mundo (born 4/11/08)
Florian Cafe (born 9/23/08) [okay, he's not local, but it would sure be fun if he was!]

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our profession)
on the learn (born June, 2008)
Open Wide, Look Inside (born Feb., 2008)
The Stenhouse Blog (born May, 2008)

THREE 2008 picture books we LOVE! (Franki)
DRUMMER BOY by Loren Long
THE DOGHOUSE by Jan Thomas
OFF TO FIRST GRADE by Louise Borden

THREE 2008 picture books we LOVE! (ML)
Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett
THREE great new nonfiction books (Franki)
KNUCKLEHEAD by Jon Scieszka
GO GO AMERICA by Dan Yaccarino

THREE great new nonfiction books (ML)
One Hen by Katie Smith Milway
Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World by Roseanne Thong
Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeannette Winter

THREE great new professional books (plus one more for the obvious reasons)
OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE by Ann Marie Corgill
TEACHING WITH INTENTION by Debbie Miller
ADVENTURES IN GRAPHICA by Terry Thompson
Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop by Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak

THREE favorite adult reads (ML)
The Moon by Whale Light by Diane Ackerman
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
White Teeth by Zadie Smith