Best of 2007--So Far--Professional Books

I haven't spent as much time as usual reading professional books. But the ones I have read are great. These are the 5 that I have found the most helpful for my literacy teaching. I highly recommend all of them.

Smart Answers to Tough Questions by Elaine Garan, in my opinion, is a book that we all need to have on our shelves. For anyone who is teaching well in this climate of testing and politics, this book reminds us of the reasons we do what we do in our classrooms. Garan also gives us research for further support of our work.
Adolescent Literacy by Kylene Beers, Robert Probst, and Linda Rief gives us the best thinking from the best thinkers in the field on adolescent literacy. Although I teach grades 3-5, this book is applicable to all that I do too.

Mentor Texts by Lyn Dorfman and Rose Cappelli is a great new book on ways to use great children's literature in our writing workshops.

Don't Forget to Share by Leah Mermelstein is a great reminder on the importance of share time in writers' workshops. This is a great book on how to take advantage of the teaching possibilities during share time.

The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell brings us back to the original intent of the readers' workshop. We want kids to fall in love with books and to become lifelong, passionate readers and learners.

Picture Book Carnival

NYC Teacher is looking for submissions for the next Picture Book Carnival at Mentor Texts & More. Deadline is October 5.

Best of 2007--So Far--Middle Grade Novels

This is my longest list. I think it is a GREAT year for middle grade novels. There are some years where I just can't find great new books for my 3-5th graders. But this year, I found lots that I love. I decided not to include YA stuff in my "BEST OF 2007--SO FAR" lists. I don't really keep up on those and I don't really know that age reader as well. So, I am listing these as the best of for upper elementary students. I love every one! For me, every one of these would be a great read aloud and they are all perfect titles to add to classroom libraries and school libraries. (For this list, I am going to link back to the blog entries where I reviewed each book. For the few that I haven't had time to review, I'll add a few words.)

Middle Grade Novels
Larger Than Life Lara
Aurora County All Stars
Castle Corona
Paint the Wind
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Emma Jean
Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Beth at Cover to Cover recommended this book to me. It is a great fairy tale where we come to know favorite fairy tale characters in new ways. Similar to the SISTERS GRIMM series, the reader gets an inside look at fairy tales although this book has a bit less humor and a bit more depth than other fairy tale takeoffs that I've read. The concept of this one is great and the characters are quite believable.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
This one may have been the most enjoyable read for me in terms of middle level novels. It is really a fun book. So much is combined from some of my favorite reads--a child who isn't getting lots of attention from her parents, a mean nanny, magic and friendship. It is a very unique story told in a way that makes it fun and suspenseful.

(I did not include new series books in this list--those will be in a separate list later this week!)

llama llama mad at mama by Anna Dewdney

A New Llama Llama book! So very exciting! I wasn't going to buy it but when I read it and realized that it clearly explained the experience of grocery shopping with cranky children, I had to have it. This one ends a bit pleasant--everyone leaves the grocery store happy, but something to shoot for, I guess.

I want to send a copy to the mom who sold the Pokemon cards that her kids snuck into her cart at the grocery store. Did you read about it? Her blog is quite a hoot too!

FIRST THE EGG by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I am always looking for great books with simple text--predictable text that support new readers. I found a great one yesterday! It is called FIRST THE EGG by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This is a simple text that follows a simple pattern..First the egg then the chicken. First the tadpole then the frog...and so on. The painted illustrations are very engaging and each includes a cut out so that adds a little surprise to each page.

A great addition to any K-1 library as well as a great book to include in a study of life cycles.

Love it!

Best of 2007--So Far--POETRY

I added several poetry books to my classroom library collection this year. The following are my absolute favorites.

Shout!: Little Poems that Roar by Brod Bagert--is a fun book for reading aloud. The colorful illustrations add to the fun. My students have been having a great time reading this one together on Poetry Friday!

Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen--a favorite book for readers of all ages. This one would be a great gift for young children but it also has great poems for older readers. The illustrations are quite happy! This one seems great for all elementary grade levels.

DOGKU by Andrew Clements--I loved this one by Andrew Clements because it is a story about a sweet little dog told in Haiku. I loved the whole concept--it was a great story told completely in haiku--even the author blurb and the front flap follow the haiku theme!

This is a Poem That Heals Fish by Jean-Pierre Simeon--I am sooo happy I found this poem. An amazing book to start conversations with students about what poetry is and what it means to different people.

For more "BEST OF 2007-So Far", visit Mother Reader.

Best of 2007--So Far--PICTURE BOOKS

Mother Reader had another GRAND idea. She's invited us all to think about and post our "Best of 2007--So Far". It is a great opportunity to look back at the reading from this year and reflect on those books that stayed with us, those that we love and those that we hope win some award when the awards come out.

So, this week, I'll be posting one or two lists each day. My Best of 2007-So Far in various categories. Today's category--Picture Books. (I'll link to the blog entry where I reviewed or mentioned the book during the year.)

Best Picture Books of 2007--So Far

THAT SPECIAL LITTLE BABY--I have a hard time finding new books that make great baby gifts--that would appeal to both baby and parents. But this one meets that need. A great story about a new baby and how she grows and how much she is loved.

TAKING A BATH WITH THE DOG -AND OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY-by Scott Menchin--I love this one for lots of reasons. A great story to share with children, a great book to help students think about writing ideas, etc.

THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN by Kevin Sherry--The simple text, bright illustrations, and large size make this a fun book that kids are drawn to. The surprise ending is quite a treat!

ORANGE PEAR APPLE BEAR by Emily Gravett-I think that this book is brilliant. How an author created a book with 4 words and surprising illustration is amazing.

17 THINGS I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANYMORE by Jennifer Offill--This has been a favorite since my daughter introduced it to me. It makes me laugh every time I read it. And the illustrations include real artifacts in the background. I am not sure which age this book would appeal to but I LOVE it!

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS by Caralyn Buehner--I do not usually buy new versions of traditional tales but the cover of this one caught my eye. Something about the bears' expressions makes it a version I needed to have. Goldilocks is quite adorable, in a devious kind of way. And she jump ropes throughout the books which adds to her character a bit.

Poetry Friday, Root Canals, and... a CONTEST!

So I went to the dentist for my regular check up this week. And, yes, the dentist thinks I may need a root canal. She is sending me to a specialist for an
evaluation. So, I started to write these to amuse myself while I was accepting the fact that I am old enough for a root canal. I thought it might be fun to try a FIB and I went from there.

Root Canal Fib

Root
Canal
Old age
Pathetic
X-Ray could be wrong
Don’t want one at all


Root Canal Haiku

Abscess? Is it true?
Is it cuz I’m forty plus?
How much will it hurt?


Root Canal Question Poem
Did you know an abscess is a glob of puss?



Then I wondered if I could write a limerick, or some other form of poetry about root canals. Imagine the possibilities! Then I figured it might be more fun to have a contest. (We have never run a contest, but we have loved the contests that Lisa Yee, Three Silly Chicks, and Mother Reader have run.

The Contest:
So, choose any form of poetry you like. Write a poem in that form about root canals. Submit it in the comments. We will announce and post the winning poem for next Friday's Poetry Friday post so you have until Thursday night--September 13th.

And the prize is.....

an PERSONALIZED, AUTOGRAPHED copy of Lester Laminack's book Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth (okay, so there are not so many children's books about root canals, but this is a great picture book and it IS about an issue with one's teeth!).



So..enter away!
Amuse me before I go to the specialist for a more thorough evaluation!

2 New Picture Books for Early Readers

As you know I am not a huge fan of using solely leveled texts in classrooms of K-1 students who are learning to read. I love leveled books by The Wright Group, Rigby, Seedlings, etc. but I worry when the entire classroom library is filled with ONLY leveled books and no children's literature. But I know how important it is for kids to have books that they can read on their own successfully. So, I have been on the lookout for books that support new readers just as leveled books do, but that aren't published just because they meet certain "level" criteria. Below are two great new books I just found that would be perfect for K-1 classrooms. I know that leveled books fill a need for our new readers but I believe strongly that our youngest readers need more than a diet of leveled books. So here are two new ones I found. Big and Little by John Stadler is a lift-the-flap circus story. The text is simple and the flaps are sturdy. I think this is one of the few lift-the-flap books that could survive in a classroom. The story is fun and the illustrations keep you in suspense. A "big" elephant is trying to dive into a "little" glass of water. Can she do it? You'll find out if you read to the end! The flaps, the predictability, the illustrations, and the simple text make this perfect for new readers. Barn Dance! by Pat Hutchins Pat Hutchins seem to really understand young readers. Her text and illustrations always go together to create an amazing story. In this new one, a barn full of mothers decide to dance a bit while their babies sleep. Lots of trouble comes and the ending is a fun one that readers will like. There is lots of rhyme and rhythm in this story and the illustrations make this a fun story that children will enjoy.

One more read aloud for the beginning of the school

I usually begin my read alouds with picture books and then move to a short easy novel before I start reading books that might be at or above my students' reading levels. Lots of my students haven't read all summer long, and I am modeling what they need to do to rebuild their fluency and stamina: start with lots of quick, easy reads to build confidence and refresh skills.

I just finished a great book for a first-week or early-in-the-year read aloud:
Monday with a Mad Genius (Magic Tree House #38)
by Mary Pope Osborne

It's the first day of school for Jack and Annie, and Jack is his typical worry-wart self. Luckily, time freezes in Frog Creek, PA when Jack and Annie travel with the magic tree house, because 10 minutes before the first day of school, they travel to Florence, Italy to meet Leonardo da Vinci and try to learn another secret of happiness to help Merlin.

At first, da Vinci tells Jack and Annie that the secret of happiness is fame. But by the end of the book, he has changed his thinking. He realizes that the secret to his happiness is curiosity.

Jack and Annie get back to Frog Creek at the moment they left, and they run to school filled with eager questions rather than nervous questions about the beginning of the school year.