Geisel Award Winning Books

I love the (Theador Seuss) Geisel Award books.  And award specific to beginning readers is fabulous!  I think for those of us that have worked with very young children, we know how hard it is to find great books that young children can read and can enjoy. So this award is one of my favorites.

This year, I had to purchase two of the winners. I read a lot in 2014 but I didn't read much for beginning readers.  Of course, I already had the new Elephant and Piggie (Waiting is Not Easy) book that won the award. (I imagine every Mo Willems book is the perfect example of what makes a good Geisel Award winner.)  And both of these new titles will be good for my 3rd grade classroom too!

You Are (Not) Small is the winner of this award this year and it is a picture book. I don't think this book was even on my radar before it was announced as a winner last week.  But I ordered it right away and I loved it! It is a fun story that has lots to say in a fun way. I love when a simple books gives a powerful message.  For me the book was about perspective and identity and acceptance.  The illustrations are fun and the characters are quite engaging--and quite adorable. I know my 3rd graders will like the story and I love that the themes are accessible.  Younger children will love this one as well.

I hadn't read a new Mr. Putter and Tabby book in a long time.  Honestly, I didn't realize Cynthia Rylant was still writing these.  But when I saw  Mr. Putter and Tabby Turn the Page--a book about reading--was a Geisel Honor, I was thrilled!  I had kind of forgotten about this series and I can think of a few kids who these books would be perfect for. I am hoping that having the award winner in the classroom might get some kids reading these.  This new one was quite fun.  Mr. Putter and his neighbor take their pets to story time at the library.  This is a typical Mr. Putter and Tabby book with some fun humor sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed it and am glad to have rediscovered the series.
didn't realize that Cynthia Rylant was still writing these.  So I was happy to see this new one,

I think all of the Geisel award winners and honors are great for K-3 classrooms.  If you haven't kept up on this award, it is a fairly new one. You can find all of the past award winners and honor books on the award page.  Definitely a list worth checking out if you work with young children.

Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmmelman

I get so happy when I find new early chapter books that are perfect for our transitional readers.   I learned about Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny from Donalyn Miller and it's been on my stack for a while.  I wanted to get it to the classroom but wanted to read it first. It was a very quick and fun read.

Isabel is best known as Bunjitsu Bunny.  She was the best Bunjitsu artist in her school. After we meet Isabel, always in her red Bunjitsu uniform, we read lots of stories about her.  Each short chapter is a stand alone chapter starring Isabel and some of her friends.  Each chapter is 5-8 pages long and each tells a story with a lesson.

The stories are perfect for transitional readers because the lessons in each story and the humor are all accessible to kids 6-8 years old.  It's a great book for first graders who are strong readers and need something they can relate too. It is also great for 3rd graders who will catch some of the subtle humor.

I may use this book later this winter when we start working on theme. Each story has a pretty obvious theme of its own and it would be a great book to start the conversation with when we really dig into theme.  

A fun new book that I am glad I made time to read!

Early Chapter Book: Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels

As I've mentioned before, I've been reading lots of books to prepare for my move to 3rd grade in the fall. I've been focusing on series books but I also know that many of my readers will need more support that the popular series chapter books provide.  This week, I found an easier beginning early chapter book series Joe and Sparky published by Candlewick and read Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels by Jamie Michalak.  I'm so glad to have discovered this series--I think it will be perfect for some of my incoming students!

Joe and Sparky are pretty fun characters who are fun to read about. In this story, this turtle (who likes to hide in his shell) and giraffe (who loves an adventure) go out of their cageless zoo on a car ride adventure.  It is full of fun surprises.

The sentences are simple so transitional readers should have lots of success with text. This book supports young readers in lots of ways. The humor is sophisticated enough to keep readers engaged. The characters stay true to character and there is lots of inferring to do. There is lots of picture support but also lots that has to be comprehended from text only.  Readers have to hold onto the plot of the story in a very minimal way so this book is perfect for readers new to chapter books.

I am excited about this series and hope to pick up a few more. My test for books like this is my own engagement--if I enjoy the characters and story well enough to stay engaged, I am set and I truly enjoyed these characters and their adventure. So I am confident, this is a great series for my students. 

Series Books for 3rd Grade: Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford

I read a review of a Violet Mackerel book and added it to my list of series books that I have somehow missed. Well, I read Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot and I am so glad I discovered this series! Violet Mackerel is for sure one of my new favorite characters. I just called Cover to Cover to order the rest of the series.

I fell in love with the book on the very first page.  There were many times in the book when the writing reminded me of Cynthia Rylant, one of my favorite authors of all time.  The story begins like this:

Violet Mackerel is quite a small girl, but she has a theory.

Her theory is that when you are having a very important and brilliant idea, what generally happens is that you find something small and special on the ground.  So whenever you spy a sequin, or a stray bead, or a bit of ribbon, or a button, you should always pick it up and try very hard to remember what you were thinking about at the precise moment when you spied it, and then think about that thing a lot more.  That is Violet's theory, which she calls the Theory of Finding Small Things.

Violet Mackerel is the kind of girl who has lots of important ideas. She is the kind of girl who wears her pajama bottoms under her skirt. She is the kind of girl who creates brilliant plots!

I love Violet Mackerel and can't wait to read more about this great character!

Series Books for Third Grade: Lulu by Hilary McKay

Someone recommended the Lulu series to me and when I noticed that Hilary McKay was the author, I immediately ordered one. I read Lulu and the Duck in the Park (Book 1).  I am happy about this new series as I think it will be a great one for primary students.  There are lots of things I like about this book:

-I love the main character Lulu.  The author lets you get to know Lulu quickly and she is a fun character with lots of spunk.

-I love the supports for readers who are new to chapter books. The print is large and the illustrations support the text.

-The writing is what you would expect from Hilary McKay--well crafted:-)

-Hilary McKay lets you know some of the other characters well which I love.

-The story is well developed and perfect for readers new to following a longer/chapter book length story.

There are only two books out about Lulu but I am hoping we see more about this character soon1

Series for Third Grade: Goofballs by Tony Abbott

I have been spending time reading some series books that I've somehow missed as I get ready to move to third grade in the fall.  One series that was recommended was Goofballs by Tony Abbott.  This is a mystery series. I am not always a fan of mysteries for younger readers because I think they are really hard to do well for this age.  I read the first book in the series: Goofballs #1: The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder last week. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this series and how much I think it is perfect for 3rd graders. There is the perfect amount of humor and enough clues for readers to pick up on their own without making the mystery too obvious.

The Goofballs are 4 kids who work together to solve mysteries.  There are two boys and two girls who work together to find mysteries, wear disguises, and have a fun time together.  There is humor and word play throughout the books that are perfect for this age.

The language is classic detective language. I'm not sure the kids will pick it up but it is very well done and the simple sentences are a great support for readers newer to chapter books.

I am so excited that I discovered this series. It is a great series for readers new to mysteries--I never seem to have enough mysteries to recommend to this age but I'll definitely be recommending these.

This series is fairly new (2012) with 4 books out so far. The 5th is due out in August. I just bought the next three and am thrilled to add these to my classroom collection!

On My TBR List

When I found out I was going to be teaching 4th grade next year, I immediately emailed Tony Keefer (@tonykeefer) to recommend some great books that beginning 4th graders (especially boys) might read--books that I would not normally pick up on my own.  I love having Tony as one of my reading friends--we enjoy some of the same books but overall, our tastes are different. So I can always count on Tony to recommend good books I may not have discovered on my own.  Here are three of the books he recommended that I picked up today. They are series that I have dabbled in but I really need to commit to so I'm ready for lots of different 4th grade readers in the fall.

THE RIOT BROTHERS by Mary Amato

A CHET GECKO MYSTERY by Bruce Hale

FRANKIE PICKLE by Eric Wight

Any other suggestions for great books for early 4th graders?

Tugg and Teeny: Jungle Surprises

Tugg and Teeny: Jungle Surprises
by J. Patrick Lewis
illustrated by Christopher Denise
Sleeping Bear Press, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher

I love this series (and I tell why here)!

The first first book had three stories that were all arts-themed. The second book in the series has three mysteries. In the first story, the friends solve the mystery of Teeny's missing lucky writing hat. In the second, the animals figure out how to tell Zig and Zag (the zebras) apart. (Look closely in the last illustration for the clue you need!) Finally, the pair figures out what kind of a bird has "polka dot wings and a wiggly tail."

This is a great series for beginning chapter book readers.

2 Great New Early Chapter Books

Finding chapter books that are appropriate and engaging for younger readers is often a challenge.  For primary teachers who are looking for a chapter book length book for read aloud or for primary grade readers who are reading far above grade level expectations, appropriate chapter books are often few and far between.  I have been keeping my eye out for chapter books whose content is both accessible and engaging for young readers.  I was happy to find two new ones this week.

 I was soooo happy to recieve a review copy of Nana Takes the Reins from Chronicle Books this week. If you loved NANA CRACKS THE CASE (my blog review here)  when it was released, you'll be thrilled to see that Nana is back! And she is on another adventure with her grandchildren.  This time, they are off to a rodeo.  But they get sidetracked along the way when Nana's car breaks down.  This new book features the same characters we came to know in the first book (Nana, her two grandchildren, their very nervous mother) and we also meet some new characters.  I love the humor in this book and the way the author talks to the reader throughout the book.  At one point in the book, when Nana is very winded from climbing a very high hill, the text reads, "In fact, for your reading ease, all puffing and panting has been removed from the following sentence."  This book is due out in April and I couldn't be happier about this.

I picked up THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS by Doreen Cronin at Cover to Cover. This is a fun story about a retired search-and-rescue dog and his friends, the chickens. Even though J.J. merely wants to relax during his retirement, the chicken family on his farm need his help. They are missing two of the baby chicks and they won't leave J. J. alone until he finds them. From the information on the book, this is the first in a series and it sets the stage for a fun set of books. Kids will love the humor and the spy-like voice of J.J.  There is also another character (the villain dog) who made me laugh too.  You can hear more about the book in the trailer below.