Fun Times in Word Study!

Last summer, Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier was my fun new Word Study book for the year. I wasn't the only one who got jazzed up by it. I handed it off to Carol Wilcox when I arrived at the Denver airport so she could use it in PD and then mail it back to me.

Here's this year's fun new Word Study book by Michael Escoffier:

Where's the Baboon?
by Michael Escoffier
illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Enchanted Lion Books, October 2015
review copy provided by the publisher

The entire text of this book is pretty much a series of questions. You can answer the question by looking at the letters in red, or by studying the illustrations. In the first spread, the mice let us know we are heading to school to search for hidden words. Our first question is, "Who is the headmaster? (You guessed it -- hamster!)

It's amazing how much the reader learns about the animals and their school just through a series of questions. And I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I was by the ending. (Hint -- the plot line is circular, and the title is a part of the story. Also, someone is having a birthday...)

This book will have readers and word-lovers looking for words-inside-words and writing stories consisting of questions.

Fun times in Word Study!

The Kids' Book of Simple Machines

I was excited to get a review copy of The Kids' Book of Simple Machines by Kelly Doudna. We are starting a Makerspace at our school and I want to extend Genius Hour and #EdCampKids to include more Makerspace type challenges.  The Educator Collaborative MakerSpace Camp was a great experience and really helped me think about revamping. (If you missed it, the keynotes by Laura Fleming and Troy Hicks are available on The Educator Collaborative Youtube Channel. Our school is implementing a schoolwide Makerspace and I am thinking how to incorporate much of the Maker thinking into the classroom.  I think one challenge for me has always been keeping the exploration  fresh while still making sure the students own the inquiry and thinking.  So I am looking for books and resources that might invite students to try something new or to think about new things.

The Kids' Book of Simple Machines is packed with information, projects and activities. I am not usually a fan of "activity" books as the activities often do the thinking instead of letting the child do the thinking but this book is a good combination of things.  The book starts out sharing information about simple machines, giving basic information about the 6 simple machines.   There is lots of text so I am thinking this book works for grades 3-6.   There are lots of great photos so it is inviting and accessible.

One of my favorite sections is the 4 pages on "What You Need". There is a visual list of the items you need to do the activities in the book but the items can be used for so much more. It is a great list of everyday items that can be used to create and explore.

The rest of the book is divided into chapters--each about one simple machine. Each chapter explains the basics of the machine, shows lots of places we see it in everyday life and then give readers projects to try. The projects give kids a way to explore the machine but the part I like best follows the project.  Following each activity or project, there are sections called "Think About It!" or "That's Notable!" or "Push It Further!" These little sections give readers challenges that push thinking and lead kids into new explorations.  I think they can invite good thinking and they are a good model for exploration.

Overall, I am thrilled with this book. I don't see it as one that kids will read cover to cover but it is one that is packed with lots of opportunities for kids to learn by reading, doing and creating.  The content-specific vocabulary is woven into the text in a way that makes it very accessible to kids and the photos are used in a variety of ways so that readers can make sense of the content.

Overall, a great book that I am excited to add to our classroom library!

#pb10for10--Books to Start Conversation about Kindness

Kindness is something that we talk about all year.  So many books invite conversations about what it means to Choose Kind.  And for young children, building understanding across time is key. I have always used books such as Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson to invite conversations about the importance of kindness.  This book is a powerful one that we read and reread several times during the year. But I want my students to see kindness play out in many ways.  I want them to see kindness played out in a variety of situations.  And I want them to see that it is always a choice. So I am keeping a list of books in which the characters Choose Kind (or not) in different ways. Some are more obvious than others but I think this list of books will be a great list to visit and revisit during the year. Some of the titles focus on being kind to family and friend,s while others focus on choosing to be kind to strangers. Some are big acts of kindness while others are small everyday situations.  Some are new books and some are older titles. These are the first 10 books on my list and I hope to grow it as the year goes on.

Bella and Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson

To the Sea by Cale Atkinson

Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson

Little Elliot, Big Family by Mike Curato

Olive and the Embarrassing Gift by Tor Freeman

The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee

Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long

Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley

#pb10for10 -- New Poetry to Add to Your Collection

First, a huge shout-out to Cathy Mere (@CathyMere, Reflect and Refine: Building a Learning Community) and Mandy Robek (@MandyRobek, Enjoy and Embrace Learning) for creating this 10 for 10 event SIX years ago! Their blog names say it all, don't they? These two ladies are a force for good in the world.

On to my ten picture books for this year...

As you are getting your classroom library ready for the new school year, take a close look at your poetry shelves and see if you might need one or more of these 2015 poetry books to fill out your collection.

MOTHER GOOSE

Over the Hills and Far Away
This is a collection of Mother Goose/Nursery rhymes from around the world that will stand the test of time. It is fun to study each spread and think about the way the collector chose and grouped the rhymes. The illustrations are gorgeous.

A Pirate's Mother Goose
A very fun collection of parodies of traditional rhymes, pirate style! Great mentor text for writing your own version of a well-known rhyme.

Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes
While we're doing this Mother Goose thing, let's have another collection of parodies, this time using monsters and beasts as the characters. Another great mentor text.



ANTHOLOGIES

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects
This collection is incredible. Paul Janeczko has chosen 50 poems, from the Early Middle Ages to Contemporary, each featuring an object, and each very accessible to children. Great introduction to famous poets (and some famous poems) throughout the ages.

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry
J. Patrick Lewis and National Geographic have done it again! Another anthology with spectacular photography that will draw children in and invite them to see the image through new eyes by reading the poems.



CONTENT AREA CONNECTIONS

Presidential Misadventures
Come for the presidential facts, stay for the clerihews (a mentor text if you want to try to write some).

Random Body Parts
Puzzles in verse with factual sidebars and a glossary of science terms and poetry forms in the backmatter.



STORY IN RHYME

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight
A fresh new take on an old rhyme. I have a whole collection of "I Know an Old ____ Who Swallowed a ____" books, and this will be a fun addition!




SINGLE POEM PICTURE BOOK

Sweep Up the Sun
This is an exceptional example of metaphorical writing. On the surface it is a book about birds. Read it again and again and look for more. This might be your go-to book for graduation gifts this coming spring! I used it for repeated/close reading with my fifth graders. Each time they found more and more levels of meaning.



BILINGUAL 

Flutter and Hum
Gorgeously illustrated book of poems in both Spanish and English. Fascinating afterword that tells about Julie Paschkis' writing process. Word lovers will pore over the illustrations and soak up new words in both English and Spanish.

Poetry Friday -- The Lion

Why Nobody Pets the Lion at the Zoo
by John Ciardi

The morning that the world began
The Lion growled a growl at Man.

And I suspect the Lion might
(If he’d been closer) have tried a bite.

I think that’s as it ought to be
And not as it was taught to me.

I think the Lion has a right
To growl a growl and bite a bite.

(read on at The Poetry Foundation to find out what the lion really wants...)

The lion who lives in our house is having trouble keeping food down this week. It's so hard when they can't tell you what's the matter and you have to guess. We're guessing we'll stay with an all chopped poached chicken breast diet for another day, and then maybe change brands of dry food.

Tabatha has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at The Opposite of Indifference.

July Photo Mosaics -- New Possibilities

For years, I've been making a monthly mosaic of my photos using Flickr albums and FD's Flickr Toys.

Recently, I learned about a new mosaic maker that is fun, intuitive, and free! FotoJet won't be good for showcasing 30 photos at a time, but I can imagine using it to make cards and other smaller projects. Here are some flower photos from this June and July:

While I was home in Colorado in July, it was County Fair time! Ever since I was a kid, the businesses around town have purchased ads to support the fair. These ads are painted on the businesses' doors and windows. Perhaps because I haven't seen them for many years, they really caught my eye. I loved finding the painter's sense of humor in them, like in this one at Dorman Renewable Fuels where the clown is filling up his truck directly from the corn plant, and the one at Safeway that incorporated another sign on the window:

The entire set of Fair Ad photos is on Flicker.

I shot a few short clips of video while I was home, too. One day when I was out running errands, I heard the iconic sound of an ag plane, and looked up to see that it was working fields right at the edge of town. My dad was an ag pilot until after I was born (not a safe job for a man with a family), so I always feel a tug in my heart for him when I watch these amazing pilots.

The rest of my videos (carousel, rodeo, locust tree) are on Flickr.

I used some of my photos to illustrate a few of the Haiku-a-Days I wrote in July. They are here, here, and here.

Here is my traditional July mosaic (see Flickr for notes about each photo):

Books I Am Adding to the Classroom Library Part 2 : New Books in Favorite Series

Yesterday, I shared some new series I discovered this summer that I think will be a good match for 3rd graders.  Today, I wanted to share some other series books I'll be adding to the classroom library--new titles in series that I know 3rd graders love.

I Am Lucille Ball by Brad Meltzer

Ranger in Time:  Danger in Ancient Rome by Kate Messner

Owl Diaries: Eva Sees a Ghost by Rebecca Elliott

I Will Take a Nap by Mo Willems

Ballet Cat: Dance! Dance! Underpants! by Bob Shea

The Three Little Pugs by Noah Jones

Ricky Ricotta: Mighty Robots vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus by Dav Pilkey

Ling and Ting: Twice as Silly by Grace Lin

Merlin: Shelter Pet Squad #2 by Cynthia Lord

Books I Am Adding to My Classroom Library: Part 1 New (to me) Series Books

Last year was my second year in 3rd grade. It took me a while to figure out the kinds of books that would best support 3rd grade readers. It took me a while to learn what kinds of books hooked 3rd graders. It took me a while to catch up on series books that were a good match for third graders. By the end of last year, I felt that my classroom library was solid.  I had lots of great picture books, some lots of great nonfiction, good graphic novels and many series that could hook readers.  But I am always looking for new books.  Books for 3rd graders are not so long so kids tend to read through a book or two a week. And I believe in choice so I need to give kids a menu of options every day as reader.  So keeping the library updates is always important.

Here are some of the new series that I'll add to the classroom library this year. I'll get a few in the series to see how kids like them and then add to the basket if they are a hit.

Phoebe Green

Puppy Pirates

Phoebe and her Unicorn

Race the Wild

Dino-Mike

Wow! Surprising Facts About Animals (Wow! Books)

Poetry Friday -- Glimpses of a Journey

I have spent the month of July with Mom, getting her and her home of 60 years ready for her move to assisted living. Besides taking lots of photos, I saved a bit of time each day to take a snapshot in words. Here is a haiku-mosaic of July:


The move

1
the to-do list grows
fills heaping bowls of sadness
tears overflow

11
a childhood filled
with mother's sacrifices
daughter's turn now

21
shelves and shelves of books
multi-storied richness
wealth measured in words

26
going through dresser drawers
layers of memory
the archaeology of a life

two children
visitors at the museum
of their mother

an inveterate archivist
saver of minutiae
savoring each scrap of life

one more time

30
transplanting is tricky
handle roots with loving care
mix old soil with new




Meditations on the cycle of life and my place in it right now

9
midseason lily
surrounded by bud and wilt
enjoy it now

14
leaf breaks free
flutters away from tree
wind brings it back

Being in Eastern Colorado

4
ripening wheat
indiscriminate thunderheads
farmers remain hopeful

7
unseasonably cool
north breeze, low clouds, drizzle
roofer's gun pops

8
typically blue skies
smudged with a grimy haze --
Canada burns

19
antelope grazing --
uncharacteristically
green and lush prairie

Keri has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at Keri Recommends.

2 Nonfiction Picture Books

I am looking for more informational picture books to read aloud early in the school year. I am looking for books that might spark some notebook writing as we launch writing notebooks. I found 2 that I think will work out great for this early in the year.

A Chicken Followed Me Home! Questions and Answers About a Familiar Fowl by Robin Page
The premise of this book is that if a chicken followed you home, what would you wonder? Each page spread focuses on one of those questions and then gives readers an answer about chickens in general and then about the specific chicken that is following you home. This is a great Q and A format and it will also be good to talk about wonderings and questions you have throughout the day or about specific topics.  I love Robin Page's work and she is an author I want my students to know.

I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton is one that will make kid laugh. The author hates spiders and is trying to love them. But she just wants to squish them (and she does squish a few). But as she learns more about spiders, she starts to realize they aren't so bad. A fun way to learn about spiders and a fun type of writing to try in notebooks early in the year, I think.