Poohsticks Bridge in the Ashdown Forest

Our first night in the UK, we stayed near the Ashdown Forest, which is famous for its association with Winnie-the-Pooh. A.A. Milne was inspired by his son Christopher Robin and his son's toys, as well as the landscape of the Forest. Ashdown Forest is actually an area of open heathland, not a thickly wooded area, as its name would suggest.

Here is a portion of Chapter VI, "In Which Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In," from The House At Pooh Corner, and my photos to illustrate.

"There was a broad track, almost as broad as a road, leading from the Outland to the Forest, but before it could come to the forest it had to cross this river.









So, where it crossed, there was a wooden bridge, almost as broad as a road, with wooden rails on each side of it. Christopher Robin could just get his chin to the top rail, if he wanted to, but it was more fun to stand on the bottom rail, so that he could lean right over, and watch the river slipping slowly away beneath him. Pooh could get his chin on the bottom rail if he wanted to, but it was more fun to lie down and get his head under it, and watch the river slipping slowly away beneath him. And this was the only way in which Piglet and Roo could watch the river at all, because they were too small to reach the bottom rail. So they would lie down and watch it...and it slipped away very slowly, being in no hurry to get there."

What are Shelley Harwayne and Terry Thompson Reading?

From Shelley Harwayne, author of LASTING IMPRESSIONS, GOING PUBLIC, and LOOK WHO’S READING.

I just finished THE WHISTLING SEASON by Ivan Doig

My bookclub members suggested this novel. It is quite a tribute to the one room schoolhouse told by a young boy who grows up to be the superintendent of schools in his childhood locale.

I am also reading FATHER KNOWS LESS by Wendell Jamieson
This non fiction book. It is a collection of real children’s questions with responses offered by experts in the field. The author was inspired by the questions his young son asked.

From Terry Thompson author of ADVENTURES IN GRAPHICA
Professionally, I'm reading 3-MINUTE MOTIVATORS: MORE THAN 100 SIMPLE WAYS TO REACH, TEACH, and ACHIEVE MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED (Paterson, Pembroke), The ORACY INSTRUCTION GUIDE: LINKING RESEARCH AND THEORY TO ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION (Gentile, Dominie Press), THE VOCABULARY BOOK: LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION (Graves), and I'm rereading 6+1 TRAITS OF WRITING: THE COMPLETE GUIDE GRADES 3 AND UP (Culham, Scholastic), .



In children's literature, I'm reading various picture books and Jerry Spinelli's book, MILKWEED (Random House), set in Nazi occupied Warsaw, and Katie DiCamillo's book, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE (Candlewick Press).

I do most of my pleasure reading in the summer, and I'm a big historical fiction buff. So for fun, after I finish reading Elizabeth Kostova's novel THE HISTORIAN (Bay Back Books) about a historian's search for the origins of the real Vlad Dracula (a rather intelligent vampire novel), I plan to read THE EMANCIPATOR'S WIFE, a novel about the interesting life and personality of Mary Todd Lincoln by Barbara Hambly (Bantam Books). Then, if there's any summer left, I want to start reading THE OBSERVATIONS by Jane Harris (Viking) that's set in Scotland in 1863 and is about a hilarious, sharp-tongued Irish maid and her psychotically suspicious mistress.



Yea...well...I left off the JANE AUSTEN CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK!

Sort of embarrassing to admit I'm reading it, but you can't get better mindless summer reading than that!!!

What are Debbie Miller, Jen Allen and Kelly Gallagher Reading?

Every day this week, we'll be letting you in on what some of our favorite literacy educators are reading this summer. We thought it would be fun to get the reading gossip from our favorite experts in the field of literacy education. So, check out the blog each day for the scoop on what people are reading and to get some great new titles for your summer reading!



Debbie Miller, author or READING WITH MEANING
This summer our book club has been reading WHAT IS THE WHAT by Dave Eggers. It's a novel based on the life of Valentino Deng, and thousands of other boys (the so-called Lost Boys) who were forced to leave their villages in Sudan. It's eye-opening and amazing!

Also just started REREADING FLUENCY by Bess Altwerger, Nancy Jordan and Nancy Rankie Shelton. This one, too, is eye-opening and amazing! So much great information in a tiny little book. And so much to think about. I can't wait to share it with teachers.

I'm also reading PUNISHED BY REWARDS by Alfie Kohn. I love his work and this one really speaks to me.

For my birthday my husband gave me the book GRAPHIC WITNESS--Four Wordless Graphic Novels. I'm inferring my little heart out trying to understand this one!

Next up? THE BRIDGE OF SIGNS by Richard Russo and THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski.


From Jen Allen, author of BECOMING A LITERACY LEADER




I just finished reading THE BOOK THIEF. I read this for the book club that I am in. I just picked up THEN WE CAME TO THE END by Joshua Ferris at Powell's book store.


From Kelly Gallagher, author of DEEPER READING, READING REASONS, and TEACHING ADOLESCENT WRITERS

I just finished reading THE COMMISSION: AN UNCENSORED HISTORY OF THE 9/11 INVESTIGATION by Philp Shenon. Great book.
Am currently reading NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL: THE RISE AND RUIN OF A BLACK INSTITUTION by Neil Lanctot.
Next to be read is Tom Perrotta's THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER.

Sunday Garden Tour

I just stopped over at a wrung sponge and swooned when I saw her day lily pictures.

My day lilies are only just on the verge of blooming. I've got ROSES on my mind!

A week ago today we were walking in the rose garden on the grounds of Blenheim Palace near Oxford, UK. While we were staying in Germany, we learned that roses love Salvia. And sure enough, all around the edge of this gorgeous rose garden was a thick border of Salvia.

We have one rose bush in our garden. We got it as a gift, in memory of our dog Bess, a year ago May. It was hit hard last summer, and again this summer by "rose slugs." (Not really slugs, but caterpillars of the sawfly wasp.) Not only do we hate using chemicals on it, the chemicals don't seem to have worked very well.

So, one of the first things I did when we got home was hit the half-off perennial sales at the garden store and get a couple of Salvias to see if they can help. Then AJ went back and got two more that we'll plant this evening. (It sure is good to be home again and puttering in the garden!)

Do you have any tried and true ways to help roses thrive? Let me know. And stop by a wrung sponge and let her know what's going on in your garden this week!

I'm Back!

I know, I know. You didn't even realize I was gone. Didn't Franki do a GREAT job keeping the blog rolling?!?

Where was I? First, we went to Germany to celebrate the 80th birthday of my German "mom" (honorary title earned during my 6-weeks stay as a Lion's Club exchange student in high school).









(The German countryside, seen from the airplane window.)

Then we flew to the UK and drove 755 miles around southern England.









(That's the Thames River flowing into the English Channel.)

Stay tuned for the details of my European children's literature moments.

What Are Our Favorite Literacy Educators Reading?

Next week, we'll be talking to several of our favorite literacy educators--Debbie Miller, Ralph Fletcher, Shelley Harwayne and more. We thought it would be fun to find out what some of them are reading this summer. Kind of like the US WEEKLY of Literacy Teachers--getting the scoop on our favorite mentors and what they are reading.

So, each day next week, stop by to see what people are reading. It is just fun to be nosy and see their summer reading list. But we think we'll also get great titles for our own rest-of-summer reading.

POETRY FRIDAY: HAIKU BABY

I picked up a sweet new poetry board book this week. HAIKU BABY by Betsy Snyder is great fun and a great addition to any baby gift! The book is small--typical board book size. And it has tabs on the side that serve as a simple Table of Contents type thing. The tabs show an illustration of the Haiku topics. When you go to the tabbed page, the word appears (in Japanese and English). Each is accompanied by a very sweet Haiku. The author gives us a Haiku about rain, flowers, the sun. leaves, the moon and more. The illustrations are bright and happy--perfect for young children. This is a great little poetry collection for young children. I can see it in the hands of early elementary students too. These board books hold up well in classrooms and I think this would be a good addition to any poetry collection.


The round up this week is at In Search of Giants.

T is for Tugboat

T is for Tugboat
by Shoshanna Kirk
Chronicle Books, 2008
review copy compliments of the publisher

There are now three books in this series by Chronicle Books. The first in the series is A is for Astronaut. About a year ago, Franki reviewed C is For Caboose. Now that I've had the chance to read one cover to cover, I'll probably have to buy all three for my collection of ABC books.

In T is for Tugboat, there are about three nautical words or phrases per letter, and the illustrations are a great combination of vintage (and vintage-looking) prints like the cover, historical and modern photographs, photos of artifacts, and diagrams. My favorite page is the the two-page spread for K -- 31 knots are illustrated! There's also a great labeled diagram of a sailboat, and the end papers are the International Code of Maritime Flags. Lots to look at and talk about!

2 New Wordless Picture Books

I picked up 2 new wordless picture books this week. I have not collected many of those in my book-buying. Just like graphic novels, they are hard for me. I don't naturally spend time making sense of illustrations and visuals. But I have learned to do a bit better and I have seen the power in these books with readers.

After talking with Katie D (Creative Literacy) and watching a clip of a video she did with Choice Literacy this spring, I realized how important picture reading is for our students. With all of the levelmania happening in the country with leveled books, I worry that kids are not always lingering with books. Really thinking hard about a book in the earliest years of school. So I have been looking for good wordless picture books and I found two that I am quite happy with!

WAVE by Suzy Lee is the story of a little girl's trip to the beach. She has a great time on the beach as told through the illustrations. The illustrations are pretty breathtaking. The illustrator uses only white, blue and black to tell the story and the illustrations draw you in. I also like the shape of the book---a shape that is a bit more long and narrow than most book. Kids will definitely have fun with this one--I notice new details in the illustrations during every read.

I also picked up TRAINSTOP by Barbara Lehman. This one took some focus for me to understand the story. A little girl goes on a train ride and uses her imagination as she steps off the train. It is a fun story that kids will enjoy. There will be lots to ponder as they work through what is happening. The illustrations are inviting-kids love trains and this is a great train. Big and yellow and happy!


So, the first two wordless books I have purchased in a while! I will keep looking as I hope to build up to about 6-10 within the next several months.

LOOKING CLOSELY ALONG THE SHORE

Frank Serafini has two new LOOK CLOSELY books out this summer--the first two in what looks to be a really good nonfiction series.

I picked up LOOK CLOSELY ALONG THE SHORE when I was in Portland last week. The photos are amazing-as I expected. Serafini is a nature photographer so I figured these photos would be good and they were.

The book works like a game--the reader sees a small circle with part of the photograph revealed. The author invites us to look very closely and think about what the photo may be. When we turn the page, we get our answer along with a large photo and more information. I love the set up of this "answer" page. A very large photo that takes up about 2/3 of the 2-page spread. On the left side of each photo, the author provides 2 paragraphs about the object tat we see. He gives us lots of interesting information--things that are interesting to both kids and adults.I was pleasantly surprised with how much information the text provided.

There is lots to love about this new series. I love the photos. They are photos that you can look at for a very long time--gorgeous. I love the gameness of the book. Kids will enjoy guessing the object that they see in the partial photos. And I love the information provided. I am always looking for good nonfiction books and this one provides lots more information than I was expecting on each page. Because Serafini is a photographer and a writer, the writing is crafted well. I can see using it as a mentor text with kids when they are learning to write nonfiction text.

I plan to buy all 4 once they are out. There is another out now (LOOK CLOSELY THROUGH THE FOREST) and 2 new ones are due out in July--one on the desert and one about the garden. Looking forward to those too!