Favorite Series: Aldo Zelnick Comic Novels

Cahoots
by Karla Oceanak
illustrated by Kendra Spanjer
Bailiwick Press, May 1, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher


This is the funniest book in the series so far!

Aldo's mother is fed up with the amount of time that Aldo and his older brother Timothy spend inside, on the couch, with their digital gizmos (Game Boy, cell phone, iPod, TV...). She bans electronics before she goes to the grocery store, but by the time she gets back, both boys (and even their dad) are back on the couch in front of the TV. Aldo has grabbed the laptop and is playing Farm Town. Little does he know that all of his misconceptions about farm life are soon to be cleared up.

"I'm level 18 now, so I'm a Master Farer. I have a farmhouse, a giant garden, chickens and a rooster, cows, and lots more farmish stuff. My goal is level 59--Zenith Farmer. That's when you can get a swimming pool because really, what's a farm without a swimming pool? 

One farm lesson I've learned the hard way is to ALWAYS hire other people to harvest your crops. It's way too much work to do it yourself! All that clicking makes your arm sore."

Mom declares that they will be going for a week of vacation to the family farm where she grew up, where her brother, Aldo's Uncle Odin and his wife and twin boys live -- a week of ELECTRONICS FREE vacation.

There are a few good moments -- epic farm breakfasts with lots of BACON -- and lots of bad ones, almost always having something to do with the chores. There is a ghost (maybe) and there is the constant pranking by the twins.

If I had been paying closer attention to the title of the book -- CAHOOTS, hint hint -- I wouldn't have been as surprised as Aldo by the ending. But then again, it was fun to be as surprised as Aldo by the ending!


Why I love this series:
1. Each book features fun words, starred with an asterisk, and amusingly defined in the back of the book. In ARTSY FARTSY, the first book, they were A words, BOGUS had B words, and now CAHOOTS has C words. The definitions are fun enough that if you peek just once, you'll know they are worth your time, either while reading or at the end of the book.
2. Aldo is such a lovable antihero -- very easy to relate to!
3. There are 23 more books in the series to look forward to! One of my students from last year has come back to borrow BOGUS and CAHOOTS, and students from this year's class who have fallen in love with Aldo are planning to come back to my room next year to borrow DUMBSTRUCK and EGGHEAD! Keep them coming, Karla and Kendra!!!

Big Red Lollipop

Big Red Lollipop
by Rukhsana Kahn
illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Viking, 2010
review copy provided by the publisher

Rubina has received her first invitation to a birthday party, but Ami won't let her go unless she takes her little sister, Sana, who's screaming and crying to come along. Nothing will make Ami budge, so Sana goes along. Not only does Sana spoil the party for Rubina, all the other girls know that if they invite Rubina, then Sana will have to come, too. Each child gets a goodie bag with a big red lollipop. Sana gobbles hers down before bedtime, and eats most all of Rubina's in the morning before she gets up, adding insult to injury.

When Sana gets her first birthday party invitation, their youngest sister Maryam screams to go along, and Ami is set to make Sana take her to the party since she was taken to Rubina's party.

Rubina remembers how hard it was to have Sana at the party with her, and how long it was before she got another birthday party invitation, and she convinces Ami to let Sana go alone. Sana brings Rubina a special treat from the party.

This is a perfect book for talking about sibling rivalry, birthday traditions, theme, and character development.

A Great Pink Book: THE QUEEN OF FRANCE by Tim Wadham

Pink books are quite popular in the library.  Sad, but true. Often, kids will check out picture books merely because they are pink and/or sparkly.   So, I pay attention to pink books these days. Because if kids are going to check out pink books, I want them to be the best pink books out there. I want them to be more than an engaging cover.  

I believe FANCY NANCY started this trend and no wonder.  FANCY NANCY is a great book and fans of the book are always looking for something like it that they can fall in love with.  I want kids to take them home and discover a great story just as they are hoping to.

So, I was thrilled to read THE QUEEN OF FRANCE by Tim Wadham.  It is pink and fancy--a crown and a little girl dressed up as royalty on the front. And the endpapers are pink:-)

This is the story of Rose who woke up one day feeling "royal". Rose has quite a few boxes of dress up clothes and accessories in her room and she uses them well.  She becomes the Queen of France.  She then goes off (as the Queen of France) looking for Rose. She asks Rose's mother and she asks Rose's father (the Royal Physician). But, she still can't find Rose.

The Queen of France then takes off all of the dress up clothes and becomes Rose again.  And, Rose goes off, looking for....The Queen of France.  Of course, she can't find her.  This is an adorable story about a clever little girl and a playful mother and father who have as much fun as Rose seems to.

The illustrations are perfect. They have a bit of a royal feel and a bit of a little girl feel--all mixed up. And there is plenty of pink on every page.

This is a great pink book--an enticing cover with great story and a great character inside.

April Mosaic and 3 Fun iPhone Camera Apps

This month, in a seemingly innocent move, Franki rejuvenated my informal Project 365 "Photo-a-Day" (or at least one for every day of the month, if not exactly one every day) Project.  She sent me a link to something like "The Top 30 Camera Apps for iPhone and iPod Touch." (Of course, I no longer have the exact link...)

I picked out three apps: Pano (for making panoramas), AutoStitch (for creating wide-angle and panoramic shots) and camera+ (for playing around with all kinds of fun effects).

The last picture in my mosaic is my best attempt at an AutoStitch. It is the Atlas Building in downtown Columbus. If you look closely at the bottom just left of center, you can see I didn't get quite enough picture for the program to fill in the stitch. Oh well, I can't wait to try it again on a big scene I want to try to capture whole.

Most of the panoramas don't look like much in the little squares of the mosaic. Head on over to Flickr if you want to see how they turned out. My favorite is the Deaf School Ravine.

The app I'm having the most fun with is camera+. You take your photos through the camera+ app, and then you can play with color, focus, borders, effects...PLAY. It's so much fun!! You can even bring photos from your other camera rolls into the app and play with them. SO MUCH FUN!

Thanks, Franki! 

Poem #30 -- With Apologies to Mr. WCW

Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Kevin H.

This is Just to Say

I have written

the poems

that appeared in 

my life

and which

I've gathered like

plums in a bowl

forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

so unexpectedly sweet.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2011

Well. There you have it. Thirty poems in thirty days. 

Thank you, blog readers, for indulging me in this project. For being patient with this shift in our usual blog focus. We'll return to our usual programming next week.

I am relieved to be finished -- I'll gladly let go of the pressure of producing a poem fit for public consumption every single day. And yet...and yet...

Franki said something to me mid-month that has really stuck with me: "Now that you're living like a poet..." That's really what happened this year. Every day I was on the lookout for the words or image or idea that would become that day's poem. It felt very similar to the way I carry my camera with me at all times, looking for the shots that will become my monthly mosaic. It rejuvenated my writer's notebook.

I was going to say that I think this year's poems are better than last year's, but reading back, I think they're just different, not better or worse. Last year I seemed to focus more on forms, finding the words to fit. This year I followed a trail of words, and created or used the form that seemed to fit. I have begun to live like a poet.

Happy National Poetry Month 2011! 

Poem #29 -- Mammogram Twitkus

Luckiest bummer:

cancer found in first mammo...

thirteen years ago.

Thirteen years gone by

and still, test anxiety:

mammography day.

Colonoscopy's

a dream -- you are sedated.

Mammo's a real smash.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2011

Again today, I urge you to take a minute to read David Elzey's twitkus (Twitter+haikus) from

the first week of poetry month
the second week of poetry month
the third week of poetry month

His twitkus have evolved from blues haikus and Burma Shave haikus into quasi-blues and bummers.

Yesterday's trio of haiku bummers were inspired by @delzey's twitkus, and it didn't take too much encouragement from Tabatha to try some more today. I don't like these three quite as much as yesterday's. They're not as punny. But sometimes you have to write about what's on your mind.

Coincidentally, the roundup for today is at Tabatha's blog, The Opposite of Indifference.

Happy Last Friday of National Poetry Month, but mostly, Happy Friday!

BOOKS I COULD READ A MILLION TIMES: LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG DAY by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis

I heard about LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG DAY from @MrSchuReads on Twitter. He always knows the best books. I ordered it right away and LOVE it. I love this character. How can this cover illustration not make you happy? I mean, just look at that face! Katie and Jerry Davis (a husband and wife team) have created an amazing story about a character I love. It seems like a simple story but somehow there is depth to these characters. I had the same feelings reading this book that I did when I first read DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS by Mo Willems. First of all, I knew this book needed to be shared with young children as soon as possible. Somehow the author and illustrator have created a character I came to love almost immediately--one whose personality comes through in what appears to be simple text and simple illustration. (but is so not simple!)  And these authors have an amazing sense of the age they write for. Every time I read the book, I notice some other little detail I missed the first time. I love this Little Chicken more every time I read it. This is the first book that Katie and Jerry have created together and I hope there are more. (A new series, maybe????)

The story is about a little chicken who goes to run errands with his "Big Chicken". She is in a hurry and reminds him to do lots of things, hurrying him along. He lets her know that he hears her with a darling phrase that appears throughout the book, "I hear you cluckin' Big Chicken." A great new story to fall in love with.

I read this book to our Kindergarten kids today. I knew immediately that this one would make my BOOKS I COULD READ A MILLIONS TIMES list. They loved Little Chicken right away and giggled and smiled throughout the book. (Like I said, how could you NOT love this character?) They loved joining in to say, "I hear you cluckin' Big Chicken." Between readings, I had the book sitting on a table near the check out desk and a few teachers walked past. They, too, fell immediately in love with Little Chicken before opening the book.

You probably know Katie's other books (KINDERGARTEN ROCKS and WHO HOPS?) but if you haven't had a chance to check out her website, blog and BRAIN BURPS ABOUT BOOKS (which is now also an app :-) , they are definitely things you must make time for in your life!

Did I mention how much we all LOVED the endpages?

When I first read about this book from @MrSchuReads, I noticed that he had purchased 3 copies at once. Now I understand why. You might as well buy several copies of this book at a time too. You'll want one for your classroom and/or library, one for yourself at home, and extras for any gifts you have to buy for the children in your life. Buy a whole stack :-)

Poem #28 -- Inspired by the #npm #twitkus of @delzey

Take a minute to read David Elzey's twitkus (Twitter+haikus) from

the first week of poetry month
the second week of poetry month
the third week of poetry month

His twitkus have evolved from blues haikus and Burma Shave haikus into quasi-blues and bummers.

He has inspired me to write a trio of haiku bummers.




I went to the bank.
My poetry account's dry.
Need luck to reverse.


Tried to grade math tests.
Fell asleep with pen in hand.
My work multiplies.


It's raining again.
Let's make like the new year and
Wring out this season.




all three ©Mary Lee Hahn, 2011

Favorite Series: Columbus Zoo Books For Young Readers

Colo's Story: The Life of One Grand Gorilla
by Nancy Roe Pimm
forward by Jack Hanna
School Street Media, 2011
review copy purchased for my classroom

Isn't there always one student in your class who wants to be a zoologist when they grow up? If you're lucky enough to live in a city with a fabulous zoo, like the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, that child can fuel his passion with visits to the zoo, zoo camps, and best of all, the possibility of volunteer work when he gets older.

In between trips to the zoo, there are now three books in the Columbus Zoo Books For Young Readers series (see my review of Frenemies for Life and Beco's Big Year). In the newest book of this trio, local author Nancy Roe Pimm has written a fabulous biography of the Columbus Zoo's gorilla matriarch Colo. But it's more than just a biography of one special animal, it is a history of the impact of one gorilla on the growth of the Columbus Zoo into a world-class zoo, research facility and conservation partner. In fact, Colo and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have influenced zoos, gorilla research and gorilla conservation world-wide. Pretty impressive, when you consider her birth -- the first zoo-born gorilla in the world:

"When Warren Dean Thomas found a newborn gorilla barely alive on the floor of her mother's habitat at the Columbus Zoo more than five decades ago, no one really understood the profound influence this tiny baby would have."

Why I love this series:
1. It's about animals at our local zoo.
2. They are written by local authors.
3. They are filled with fabulous photos.

Poem #27 -- I Want To Be

I want to be a goose.
I want to stand on the roof with my neck stuck out, honking and honking.

I want to be a redwing blackbird.
I want to hold onto the cattail with both feet and sing ko-ka-reeeeee out across the ditch.

I want to be a hawk.
I want to drop like a rock from the wire and land sharp-taloned on a field mouse.

I want to be a nuthatch.
I want to run upside down on the trunk of the big oak searching for insects with my bead eyes.

I want to be a bird.
I want to launch myself into the wind and understand aerodynamics instinctively.