PRINCESS PIGTORIA AND THE PEA by Pamela Duncan Edwards

I love any new version of THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA. I loved it when I was little and I still love it. So, when I saw PRINCESS PIGTORIA AND THE PEA by Pamela Duncan Edwards, I bought it, of course! I was expecting to love it because I love all books about the Princess and the Pea. But this one may make it to my favorites list. It is a GREAT story. A smart, independent princess.

Princess Pigtoria was very poor. So, when she saw that a rich prince was looking for a bride, she went to Porksville to apply. The pig was a little arrogant but she enjoyed her time by hosting a pizza party before she goes to sleep on several mattresses (under which, of course, the Prince has placed a pea). I don't want to give the ending away, but be assured that the princess gets the happy ending she deserves. The alliteration in this book is pretty fun--not so much that it gets in the way of the story, but it just adds to the fun.

This is a princess story I am extremely happy to add to my collection.

SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO: A TRUE STORY OF HOPE AND HEROES by Kelly Milner Halls and Major William Sumner

When I look at the nonfiction books that we weed from our school library, they are often encyclopedia-like books that don't seem to have been written for children. So many older nonfiction children's books are like that. The field of nonfiction books for kids has gotten so much better over the past decade. Now our kids have great nonfiction to read--stories that are interesting and written with kids in mind.

One of my worries is that kids love nonfiction but don't always have the stamina to read anything longer than a magazine article. They check out nonfiction often but when I chat with kids about the books, it becomes clear that they enjoyed the photos but didn't read much beyond the captions.

Stocking our library with great nonfiction on topics that kids can't help but be interested in will hopefully build a stamina for nonfiction and help students find great topics that are interesting to them.

A new nonfiction book I picked up at Cover to Cover this week is SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO: A TRUE STORY OF HOPE AND HEROES. This is a great read. I read it at my kitchen table in one sitting. This is a 60ish page book with great photos spread throughout. It tells the stories of many of Iraq's zoo animals that were saved from terrible conditions. In the introduction, Major William Sumner says, "During my time in Iraq, I was asked repeatedly why we were helping the animals and not the people of Baghdad, but I believe that we were doing both." After reading the stories of rescues throughout the book, this statement becomes so clear to readers. Saving the zoo animals was such an important thing for so many people.

The book begins with some basic history and general information about what was found when people were sent to check out the state of the remaining animals in the zoo. Following the first two chapters, different animals are highlighted. We learn about rescues of a variety of animals over a period of time--bears, Arabian horses, camels, lions and more. Each story can stand alone but together, the stories show the impact of what was done to save these animals.

This is a great story. So often our kids come to the library looking for books about war. I am never sure quite what they want and neither are they. This book does not cover up the tragedies of a war, but doesn't focus on those. Instead this book focuseds on this one aspect of recovery and we get to know the real dangers, the real people and the animals who were involved. And Kelly Milner Halls definitely knows how to write for kids.

This book would make a great read aloud for upper elementary students if you are looking for quality nonfiction that can be read over several days.

Videos for Teaching

One of the big reasons that I have been working with my 2-5th graders on stopmotion and film creation is so that they become critical readers/viewers of information. I believe there is no better way to understand how to analyze information than to learn to create it yourself. The lessons aren't about stopmotion or teaching a certain program. Instead, they are building a conversation about analyzing what you see and deciding whether it is credible.

One of my favorite pieces from AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner is: Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information.

A component of NCTE's Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment is:
Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneously presented information
Students in the 21st century must be able to take information from multiple places and in a variety of different formats, determine its reliability, and create new knowledge from that information.

After 2 quick lessons, student are watching film a bit differently. A few weeks ago, many of the students merely believed what they saw because they saw it. Now, after sharing some video tricks and inviting kids in on the creation process, they are realizing that things are not always as they appear. This week, I plan to show a few video clips to further illustrate the importance of critical viewing of information. Here are a few clips that often work well with kids in upper elementary.


House Hippo

I first saw this clip at a workshop years ago where I learned about Concerned Children's Advertisers. They have other PSAs that are great for teaching kids to think for themselves. As part of their 20th Anniversary, CCA is hosting a Media Literacy Campaign.


Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

BBC Flying Penguins (April Fool!) paired with Penguins April Fool--Making Of

These clips can serve so many purposes in our teaching. They are a great conversation starters about reliable information. Just because it is on a video doesn't necessarily make it true. How do you check your information?

These clips can also serve as great nonfiction mentors for our students. Many of our grade levels write literary nonfiction. and I love using these "fake" nonfiction pieces to really analyze--what language and tone do they use to convince us of the information? How is this "nonfiction" writing different from narrative? It is always powerful to teach students the language of good nonfiction through films like these.

I find that great video clips like this can serve lots of purposes in our teaching. I am on the lookout for lots more!

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

So, I have been noticing that I LOVE Amy Krouse Rosenthal lately. I've loved so many of her new books and SPOON has been quite the hit in the library. Today, at Cover to Cover, I picked up a new poetry book titled THE WONDER BOOK and when I saw that it was written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, I bought it without opening it. The girl doesn't ever let us down. She is quite amazing. THE WONDER BOOK is a great addition to any home, classroom or library. It is a fun book that is all about joy. The inside flap tells us that the book addresses so many things that Amy Krouse Rosenthal often wonders about. (for example, Does Miss Mary Mack have friends who liked other colors? and Who hid something under the tooth fairy's pillow when she was a little girl?) Lots of poems and stories that are just pure fun, a little advice, some reminders about table manners and more. Here is a book trailer with a few words from Amy about her new book.



As often happens when I find an author that I realized I've loved for a while but haven't really paid attention to, I checked out her website, made sure I had all of her books, etc. Come to find out, I would like Amy Krouse Rosenthal even if she weren't an author. She is the best. And it seems that Mary Lee also discovered all of the amazing things that she does which she shared some of on last week's POETRY FRIDAY. If you visit her website, I am sure you will agree too.

First of all, I didn't realize she had so many adult books out. I will need to check those out. But my favorite find was Amy's short videos. How have I not known about this before? Amy is all about joy and has started her own little mission on beckoning the lovely. You need to spend some time watching how it all began in August, 2008. Then go watch what has happened since.. You can visit her site The Beckoning of Lovely to see it all in one place. I would now like to buy a yellow umbrella. Imagine what a great place the world would be if more of us carried yellow umbrellas around and gathered people in this way. She is amazing.

On an aside, I think her films are such fun. Imagine what kids could create if we showed them 14 Things I Love or 9 New Things I'm Excited About


And check out Mission Amy K.R.. I think we should all live our lives like this. If there is no Amy Krouse Rosenthal Fan Club, I think we need to start one soon. We could all carry yellow umbrellas.

Poetry Friday in video and music

This makes me smile. I hope it does the same for you.

Is it poetry? I say YES! It's a list poem, illustrated with video images, and accompanied by music. Amy Krouse Rosenthal is the author and the music is by Elizabeth Mitchell.

I need to remember #5, #13 and #14 as a teacher, but I need to write #20 on the bathroom mirror so that every day I remember to slow down my crazy life just a little bit!

Lee Wind (I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?) has the Poetry Friday roundup this week. Head on over to check out this week's poems.

There are six five four three NO slots open in the roundup schedule for the next few months (see sidebar). Would YOU like to host a Poetry Friday roundup? Stay tuned in June for a new call for hosts!

Two Fables

The Clever Stick

by John Lechner

Candlewick Press, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

This is a story about the power of art.

The stick is clever. He's one sharp stick, making up algebraic equations and poetry in its head. But the stick is silent. He has no voice. No way to describe the sunset or tell the chipmunks where there are more acorns. The stick is so depressed that he drags himself home in the sand...and notices the beautiful lines he makes. The stick creates a beautiful tapestry in the sand that is "the most magnificent sight the forest had ever seen. The animals cheered, the insects buzzed, and the trees swayed their branches in approval." Even though a rainstorm washes the tapestry away, the stick knows it doesn't matter -- he can make another. "He knew at last he had found his voice."

John Lechner's (author*illustrator*animator*designer) website. Be sure you watch the book trailer for The Clever Stick.

Spoon

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

illustrated by Scott Magoon

Disney Hyperion Books, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

This is a story about accepting yourself.

Spoon feels like his friends have it so much better than him. Knife gets to cut and spread, Fork gets to go everywhere and do everything, and Chopsticks are cool and exotic. What Spoon doesn't realize is that his friends are jealous of him. Spoon's mom reminds him that he's the one who gets to dive headfirst into a bowl of ice cream and relax in a cup of hot tea. And in the end, when Spoon can't sleep, there's something he can do with mom and dad that the other utensils can't!

Amy Krouse Rosenthal's website, where I learned that "Chopsticks" (follow-up to "Spoon") is forthcoming in 2011.

AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST VALENTINE by Herman Parish

I don't often focus on events or holidays when I choose books to share with the kids in the library. But I couldn't resist the new Amelia Bedelia book, AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST VALENTINE by Herman Parish. If you don't know these new "little" Amelia Bedelia books, they are quite a treat. . So far, there are two books in this new picture book series. (The first in the series is AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL that I learned about from Katie at Creative Literacy.)

I read this new book to our first and 2nd graders but I think the 3rd graders would also enjoy it. Amelia Bedelia is a little girl in this new book but she has the same issue with language and literal meanings as she does when she gets older. Amelia, as a child, is quite adorableWhat I like about these books is that they are so kid-friendly. The stories are school stories that the kids can relate to and the play on language is done in a way that young children can understand. In many of the instances, when Amelia misunderstands something that someone says, we see her thinking in a thinking bubble. A great invitation to conversations about the literal meaning vs. the intent of the language.

I think these books are a great bridge to the more difficult Amelia Bedelia books for transitional readers. I am looking forward to more to come out in this new series.

Gooney Bird is So Absurd

Gooney Bird Is So Absurd

by Lois Lowry

illustrated by Middy Thomas

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

Gooney Bird and her classmates are learning to write poetry. They write very short three or four-word poems, haikus, couplets, limericks, and list poems. We get to watch Gooney Bird help Barry revise his list poem. At the end of the book, the class is just about to start writing poems for two voices when their teacher's mother dies. Together they write a poem for MANY voices for their teacher.

This would make a great read aloud before or during a poetry writing unit.

Gooney Bird's teacher, Mrs. Pidgeon, (who is on our list of 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature) can remind all teachers of the importance of differentiation. I want to be more like Mrs. Pidgeon, starting tomorrow. And I definitely DON'T want to be like the substitute in this book.

TRICKY VIDEOS (KLUTZ)

We've had a great couple of weeks working with FRAMES and Stop motion. The kids are learning so much and their creativity is so fun to watch. I only have each class every four days so kids have only had about two 20-minute blocks of time to work, but their growth is so amazing. I've even had about 15 kids ask to come in during recess a few days this week so that they could work a bit more. That extra time allowed them to problem solve a few things.

I think if you walk in and see what kids are doing, it looks like it is just a fun thing. But in reality, I think creating video can be a key to becoming critical readers and viewers. As I continue to reflect on documents that help us think about how literacy is changing and growing as the tools change and grow, I am trying to figure out ways to get this into our kids' days. All of the 21st Century Frameworks and Standards (NCTE, ALA, P21) address the importance of visual and media literacies. It is going to become more and more important for our students to be critical viewers of information.

What I am finding goes back to what I understand about the writing process. If kids write regularly, they become better readers. And if they read regularly, they become better writers. The same holds true for any type of media creation. If our students have time to create multimedia projects, they start watching things differently. Just as they learn to "read like a writer", they are already learning to "view like a creator". Already this week, kids are coming in with examples from the real world of TV and YouTube telling me about a commercial they saw and thinking about how and why it was created. For our kids to become critically literate, this includes not only text but visual information. I find that giving them the tools to create is the best way into this kind of thinking.

I happened to find a great book at the Scholastic Book Fair a few months ago. I put it aside not thinking much about it but picked it up again this week. I do believe that books come to you when you need them and this one was perfect for this week. This book meets so many of the needs that I have right now. The Klutz TRICKY VIDEO book was a huge hit this week. In the book, there are 20+ video tricks shown with the how-to for kids to try. The book shares some pretty interesting tricks and makes them very accessible to kids. But the best part is the accompanying website. I couldn't have been happier when I discovered it. The site is www.klutz.com/tv and it is an ad for the book. But it leads you to the page that shows you the 20+ video segments discussed in the book. The clips are short and fun to watch. At the end of each clip, you are directed to the pages in the book where the creation secret is revealed. So, this week's lesson was quite fun. I shared the site and we watched a few together--trying to figure answer the question: How did they do that?

Knowing that lots of kids would want the information from the book, I purchased 3 copies of this book. I kept one in book form and cut apart the other two so that I could post all of the pages on foam board posters around the library. This way, lots of kids could use the foam boards to figure out what was going on. Kids picked them up and took them to their spots near their laptops. Other groups gathered at the foamboards and had great conversations about what was going on. I love the invitation that these foamboards created. I will keep these handy in the library, hoping that kids carry them to their work areas when creating film, etc. A great tool for viewing and creation.

TRICKY VIDEOS is one of my favorite finds of the year. I have been thinking about all of this since September when a student asked, "How did they make that?" after watching the book fair video. When thinking about visual and media literacy skills, Klutz has made it easy for us, as teachers, to get kids thinking about these things. The combination of website with videos and book of explanations was absolutely brilliant of KLUTZ. Such a great learning tool for kids. And a great learning tool for teachers too--so many things made accessible for those of us who don't understand how these things work. I can see so many great benefits of film making for kids and this book helped provided has been a great resource for my own thinking as well as my students'.

Poetry Friday -- What Are You Trying To Accomplish?

image by Ségozyme

YOU BEGIN

by Margaret Atwood

You begin this way:
this is your hand,
this is your eye,
that is a fish, blue and flat
on the paper, almost
the shape of an eye.
This is your mouth, this is an O
or a moon, whichever
you like. This is yellow.

Outside the window
is the rain, green
because it is summer, and beyond that
the trees and then the world,
which is round and has only
the colors of these nine crayons.

This is the world, which is fuller
and more difficult to learn than I have said.
You are right to smudge it that way
with the red and then
the orange: the world burns.

Once you have learned these words
you will learn that there are more
words than you can ever learn.

The rest of the poem is at Poets.org.

After Tai Chi on Wednesday, I was talking to a retired university professor about teaching. It all seemed very casual and surface-level, until he asked me, "What's the most important thing you hope to accomplish in the nine months you have your students?" Whoa. That kind of upped the ante of the conversation all at once!!!

Whether or not you're a teacher, see if you can come up with an answer right now -- what's the most important thing you hope to accomplish this year?

My answer? That my students will love to read. Love to read and CHOOSE to read. And I want them to learn to THINK. To curb their impulsivity and THINK before they speak or act, to know how to store information in their brains and retrieve it when they need it again, to be able to figure out what to do with new information or information in a new format. ...And I guess, come to think of it in retrospect, I also hope they will be good conversationalists. I hope they'll be the kind of people who will either ask thought-provoking questions, or the kind who will be able to come up with a good answer when asked.

Mary Ann has the Poetry Friday roundup today at Great Kid Books.

If you are interested in hosting the roundup, check out the schedule in the sidebar and pick an open week that works for you. Leave your request in the comments, or email me directly at mlhahn AT earthlink DOT net.