Children's Literature at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany

We didn't go out of our way to visit the Autostadt. Wolfsburg and the Autostadt are very near Ribbesbüttel, the village where our hosts live. (Ribbesbüttel is about an hour away from Hannover, Germany).

The Autostadt is a mash up of theme park and science museum, all on the subject of The Glorification of Volkswagen and All of the Car Brands Owned By VW. You might not believe me if I told you how much fun it is. Go to YouTube and watch some of the videos. You'll find out what those towers are in the photo to the left, and how the Ritz Carlton figures in.

Here's the children's literature connection. We walked into the Skoda pavilion. It was quite whimsical.



The biggest surprise came when I picked up a brochure on the way out.  It was this cute little accordion-fold booklet, and LO AND BEHOLD, it was illustrated by Peter Sis.  Skoda is a Czech company; Sis is a Czech.

Here is a close up of the cover and another to give you the scale.

Keep your eyes open.  There are children's literature connections in the most surprising places!

Mines of the Minotaur

Mines of the Minotaur
by Julia Golding
Marshall Cavendish, May 2008
Review copy compliments of the publisher

Last summer I reviewed the first two books in this quartet, Secret of the Sirens and The Gorgon's Gaze.

Luckily, this week I had some airport and airplane time with all the requisite delays and reading opportunities. I gave myself permission to bring the books I WANTED to read rather than the ones I NEEDED to read. Work will wait.

Mines of the Minotaur opens with Connie Lionheart, the only universal companion in the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures, calling up a dangerous and violent storm. She's not doing this on her own. She suspects that her dark companion, Kullervo, is responsible.

Running from this dark side of herself takes Connie into the mines near her town and into the world of a damaged Minotaur and other damaged mythical creatures who are in hiding.

Connie must explore and learn to accept all the parts of herself, even the dark and angry and dangerous ones, in order to become whole, heal the damaged creatures, and lead the society.

The society, in turn, must learn to trust and accept Connie and work together with her rather than fear and shun her.

In a subplot that mirrors the hard decisions that Connie and the society are making, the non-society humans in Connie's neighborhood debate, accept, and erect a wind farm to capture the ocean breezes as an alternative energy source.

At the Companions Club website I took the Companion Assessment Test and learned that I am a member of the Company of Winged Creatures. "Congratulations, you are a member of the Company of Winged Creatures. All of us in this company love to take flight. As a High Flyer you will be mixing with creatures as dangerous as the sirens, or as miraculous as the phoenix. Only the most intrepid are selected to join us, so get ready for take off!" After answering a few more questions, I learned that "You have been chosen as a companion to the great eagles. A remnant of the forebears of our everyday eagles, these huge birds nest as far from humankind as possible. Masters of flight, they are so big that a person can ride on their backs or be carried in their claws. But beware: they can be cruel and deadly. Be cunning in all your dealings with your companion."

And at Julia Golding's website, I see that the final (her fans hope not) book in the quartet is out in the UK.

Adult Summer Reading Lists

I read with interest all of the comments on Franki's post about summer reading lists yesterday. Then I looked back at our series last week on the summer reading of our favorite literacy leaders. Here's what I found out about how adult readers make their summer reading "lists." We choose the books we read because

• they are our book club book
• they are another by our favorite author
• we saw them on display in the book store
• they are part of our favorite genre or our "own little reading club" (Katie Wood Ray's term)
• a friend recommended them
• to stay current
• for a project
• we bought them at a conference
• we have lots of airport/airplane time

Just to restate the obvious:

1. Adult readers definitely create summer reading lists. But we create them for ourselves and for our own purposes.

2. Even our youngest students learn to choose books that are just right for them. My fourth graders chose books this past school year for every reason on the above list except the conference one. (I had a student who thought very carefully about what book he would take when his family went to India.)

3. Summer reading lists are not the problem. A list as a mandate rather than a suggestion is the problem.

If You Like Captain Underpants, You Might Like...

I wrote an article/booklist for Choice Literacy that I thought I'd share here. Books for kids who like Captain Underpants--books they might enjoy. It is here if you are interested.

Now, if we are thinking of summer reading lists like this--connecting kids to books based on books they love, kids would have lots of ownership over what they read.

Summer Reading Lists

I have been reading with interest the many posts on Summer Reading lists (for example, here and here and here) and am worried about where we, as a group, are going with this thinking. My biggest problem with summer reading lists is the fact that we, as adults, think that we are better equipped to choose books for kids than they are equipped to choose books for themselves. No one likes a summer reading list that is mandated and by creating one, no matter how good it may be, you are taking choice away from a reader.

I think summer reading is a lifelong habit we want to instill in kids. Summer reading is often the best reading. But kids are not going to become readers if they see reading as an assignment and don't have the opportunity to read the books they choose.

My daughter who will be a senior in high school, was thrilled to have the summer to read the TWILIGHT series. She is holding off on her summer reading list until August and fitting in as much of her summer as possible with the books that she's had on her "to read" list for a while. She is reading like crazy and loving it. Isn't that what we want?

Recommending books that are good for kids and giving our opinions is far different from creating lists of books by grade level or grade range. Creating lists for parents and teachers is far different from creating reviews for kids so that they can DECIDE what they want to read. Creating our own summer reading lists because we don't like the ones out there, only says that we like the idea of summer reading lists if they are lists that WE create. Where is the child as reader in these conversations?

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

It is not every year that readers get a book as wonderful as THE UNDERNEATH by Kathi Appelt. I knew after the first few pages that this was a book that I was lucky to be reading. I have had the same feeling when I read WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech and THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. And I think I felt this way, years and years ago when I read THE SECRET GARDEN. Other people seem to be having the same reaction to this book—feeling the same way when they read a book that has been a lifetime favorite.

I even remember the talk around these books being similar to the talk I am hearing now about THE UNDERNEATH. Lots of my children’s lit friends are telling me that I need to read this book but they don't really say much about it. "It is just worth reading." You can’t really explain the book without actually reading it.

There is lots to this book to love and I am sure that it must be the talk of the current Newbery Committee. Kathi Appelt has woven together a brilliant story and she has crafted in a way that it is more than a story. The writing is powerful. She is able to weave several stories together in a way that tells an even bigger story.

This book is so much more than what the blurb on the front tells us. It is so much more than a dog book. So much more than a book about love and hate. It is so much more than a book about wisdom and innocence.

I am pretty sure that these characters will stay with me forever and that I will read this book again sometime soon. I think there are layers of meaning that I missed the first time through—I kind of thought about them quickly but was too invested in the plot to focus too much on the depth that Appelt has created with this story.

I am anxious to see how kids will respond to this book. I am thinking 5th grade is perfect. Maybe 4th or 6th. I have a few past students in mind who may read this and fall in love with it like I did. If I were teaching 4th or 5th grade next year, I would probably read this one aloud for sure. But I would save it for later in the year, once kids understand the possibilities in books, once they have learned to talk together about books. It would definitely be on my read aloud list but I would have to make sure to read it when they were ready for the depth and the emotion.

I’ve heard this book described as “dark”. I didn’t think so. I found some unpleasant things—some hate and some hateful characters, but the story is a hopeful one and one that I think will be around for a very long time.

This book is a MUST READ! Really, as you read it, you feel so lucky to have found such an amazing story!

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I’m not afraid of animal stories that might make me cry. I’ve read and reread (with tears streaming down my face) Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, Little Britches, and Each Little Bird That Sings.

The Underneath came along at a time when my heart was a little wobbly with pet emotions – our ancient (20 year-old) cat passed away while we were in Europe, and we were in the midst of adopting a rescue cat who had been chewed on by a dog and shot with BBs.

And yet, The Underneath did not make me cry. I was drawn in immediately by the animal characters and completely repulsed by the human characters. I was captivated by the language. (This book is a poem. A long prose poem. I think it would make an amazing read aloud.) I followed the weaving of all of the stories mesmerized, as if in a dream. As the tension in the story built, I read urgently. I raced to the end, and yet when I finished I wanted nothing more than to read it again. Immediately.

There is no easy way to tell what this book is about. Good and evil, hate and love, the piney woods of East Texas, ancient trees and ancient spirits, hummingbirds, life and death. You just have to read it. You must read it. What are you waiting for? Read it!

Reviews with plot summaries and glowing praise abound. This is a book that’s Going Places. Be sure not to miss Kimberly Willis Holt’s conversations with Kathi Appelt here (part one) and here (part two).

Poetry Friday -- Catalogue

Catalogue
by Rosalie Moore

Cats sleep fat and walk thin.
Cats, when they sleep, slump;
When they wake, pull in -
And where the plump's been
There's skin.
Cats walk thin.
Cats wait in a lump,
Jump in a streak.
Cats, when they jump, are sleek
As a grape slipping its skin-
They have technique.
Oh, cats don't creak.
They sneak.

Cats sleep fat.
They spread comfort beneath them
Like a good mat,
As if they picked the place
And then sat.
You walk around one
As if he were City Hall
After that.

(the rest of the poem is here)

I'm going to have to beg to differ a bit with Rosalie Moore. Some cats will never walk thin and will never be sleek when jumping. Case in point, Willie Morris. (After the southern writer, author of My Dog Skip and My Cat Spit McGee.)

Willie Morris is built like a tank, with a broad head, a wide chest, and look at those feet! He fills up the space under my desk (albeit more comfortably than the dog did). He stays true to the poem in that he does spread comfort beneath himself (unless he's trying to curl up on your chest in bed), and you do walk around him as if he were City Hall (although not in the sense the poet had in mind, I'm sure)!

Willie Morris is a +/-2 year-old rescue cat. His right rear leg is still healing from a dog attack, and the base of his tail and his tush are still clipped short from the removal of BBs. In spite of these indignities and injuries, he is loving and attentive and wants to be wherever you are.

The Poetry Friday Round up is at Under the Covers.

What are "The Sisters" and Cris Tovani Reading?

"The Sisters", Joan Moser and Gail Boushey, authors of The Daily Five just started a new website that you might want to check out. Gail and Joan visited Dublin this week and let us know what they are reading.

Gail has 3 daughters and this summer, Gail, her three daughters and Joan are having a family booktalk on the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer. They are all loving it!

Joan is also reading Anne McGill-Franzen's book KINDERGARTEN LITERACY. She is also reading The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Creating Balance, Harmony, and Prosperity in Your Environment. Her book "for fun" is ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN: THE JOURNAL OF MAY DODD.

Gail is reading WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN FLUENCY by Richard Allington. She is also reading COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION: BEST PRACTICES IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION.



Cris Tovani, author of I READ IT BUT I DON'T GET IT and DO I REALLY HAVE TO TEACH READING?

I am reading this really cool book about the brain. It's called BRAIN RULES by John Medina. He's a develpmental molecular biologist but don't let that scare you. The book is very readable. Medina's target audience is the business world and educators. On the plane a couple of weeks ago, I read about the book in USA Today and was intrigued by the author's 12 Principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Rule four happens to be: We don't pay attention to boring things. That alone hits home for my own learning as well as my teaching.

Lyra's Oxford

We had a fabulous day in Oxford. That night we both read Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman. Here is a passage that mentions this building:

"At half-past eight, she [Lyra] and Pan moved out of the shadow of the Radcliffe Camera's great dome and slipped into the narrow alley, overhung with Chestnut trees, that separated Jordan College from Brasenose."

Jordan College is Exeter in real life, but Brasenose exists, as does the narrow alley between them, along with Turl Street, which is the street where Lyra and Pan emerge from the alley in their secret mission to help the witch's daemon. A mission that turns out to be a ruse, but you'll have to read the book to find out the details!

What are Ralph Fletcher and Aimee Buckner Reading?

From Ralph Fletcher, author of BOY WRITERS, THE SANDMAN, WHAT A WRITER NEEDS, and FIG PUDDING:

THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD by Lionel Shriver (finished a month or so ago)

THE MOTHER TONGUE by Bill Bryson

THE SLEEPING DOLL by Jeffrey Deaver (a guilty pleasure)

LUSH LIFE by Richard Price

From Aimee Buckner, author of NOTEBOOK KNOW-HOW:


THE BOOK OF AIR AND SHADOWS by Michael Gruber. I found this book at the bookstore - I liked the title and was intrigued by the blurb. It's about a lost manuscript by Shakespeare. The book starts off as a flashback alternating between two different characters and how they came to be involved in looking for this manuscript. Eventually their lives collide and the book moves from flashback to present day. It's like a literacy treasure hunt with bad guys chasing the good guys, murder, lies, twists and turns. It took me awhile to 'get into' the book, but once I did, I was hooked.




ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY by David Sedaris. This is a collection of essays by Sedaris. He's a humorist who writes about his family and life in general. His essays are funny but do have some 'language.' I first found Sedaris listening to one of his books on my ipod. Now I can't get enough of his work. It's a nice book to read between novels.


LITERATURE AS EXPLORATION by Louise Rosenblatt. Her work is timeless. I'm reading it for a project I'm working on. It reminds me of how kids learn to read - the theories of language acquisition and what it looks like in the classroom. It's a book you'd most likely read for a college graduate course, but I'm loving it.

SHOOTING THE MOON by Frances O'Roark Dowell

WOW! I had a great reading week (and it is only Wednesday!).  I had airport delays and had some extra reading time.  The plane rides were a bit bumpy so I didn't sleep.  Lucky for me, I had great books.  One, that has been on my stack for a while is SHOOTING THE MOON by Frances O'Roark Dowell.  She has been an author I have paid attention to for a while.  I can always count on her books to engage and surprise me.

SHOOTING THE MOON is definitely my favorite for this author. It is a powerful story and, as always, Dowell builds characters that we know and love. I read completely for character--plot is secondary.  And I loved the characters in the book.  The thing that I am always amazed with in her writing is how well we get to know, even the minor characters. I love that about her writing.

SHOOTING THE MOON is about Jamie Dexter and is set during the Vietnam War. Jamie's father is a colonel and she has grown up with a great love of the military. Now, her brother, TJ has enlisted and has been sent to Vietnam. While he is there, he sends Jamie film to be developed--pictures that he takes in Vietnam. The pictures begin to tell the story of the war of of TJ's life there.

This is a powerful story. A story of how war affects a family and how a family deals with a child that is sent to war. It is the story of a young girl growing up and finding herself.  And there is amazing thread of photography throughout the book. 

This is not an easy book to read in 2008--when we are in the midst of a war. I was worried about how it would end. I worried the whole way through the book. I am certainly not going to give it a way, but it was an ending that was satisfying, believable, and..oh, I won't say anymore. But she scored a few more points with me as a writer for the ending. Very brilliantly done, I thought.

I had this on my stack but then decided to move it to the top of my stack after Betsy at Fuse #8 put it on her Newbery Predictions (Spring Edition!) List:-) Betsy has this one as her #1 pick.  Right now, this one is right up there with THE UNDERNEATH. I really lucked out with the 2 books I threw in my carry-on bag this week!  I don't know if I'll be able to top these. You know how reading is after you've read something amazing? But it was well worth it to have read this book. I am pretty sure this one will end up on my Newbery prediction list in January.

What are Katie Ray and Brenda Power Reading?

From Brenda Power, author of LIVING THE QUESTIONS and Founder of Choice Literacy.

For fun - WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES by David Sedaris

It's a collection of his essays - I read many when they were originally published, but he's my favorite author so it's always a treat to see them collected in one place.

Professionally, I'm reading more business books than literacy education books this summer.

From Katie Wood Ray author of WONDROUS WORDS, STUDY DRIVEN, and ALREADY READY.



Funny you should ask... I'm headed out to the bookstore this morning to get THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE. I read a review of it and have heard a good bit of buzz about it and I want to take it on vacation with me next week. It fits into my own little reading club (as Kathy Collins calls them) stack of books about people and dogs that change their lives. As part of this reading journey, I've read A THREE DOG LIFE, MOSTLY BOB, A DOG YEAR, MARLEY AND ME (of course), and 10 SECRETS MY DOG TAUGHT ME. Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Outside of this "canine" reading club, I recently finished a book Ralph [Fletcher] recommended to me, THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD (very interesting way this book is crafted), and I read TWILIGHT so I would know what all the teenagers are talking about. I also have a stack of new professional books I bought while at Lakota that I'm anxious to dig into but haven't started yet.

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!

Little Hoot

Little Hoot
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace
Chronicle Books, 2008
review copy compliments of the publisher

Little Hoot is by the same pair who brought us Little Pea a few years ago. Little Pea was the poor vegetable who was forced to choke down candy for dinner so that he could get to the part of dinner he really wanted -- the big bowl of spinach for dessert.

Now we have Little Hoot, the owlet who is forced to stay up late and play, when all he wants is to go to bed at a reasonable hour like his friends. At one point he grumps to himself, "When I grow up, I'm going to let my kids go to bed as early as they want."

Maybe reverse psychology works, maybe it doesn't. There are no guarantees that this book will get your kid to bed. What it might do, however, is defuse a tense situation with its humor and all of the owl puns scattered throughout. Give it a try. Let us know how it works!

My Pup by Margaret O'Hair

I just returned from a trip to Portland, Oregon (more on that later). While I was gone, I received a box of review books from Marshall Cavendish Publishers. What a nice thing to come home too! I will be reviewing several of the books in the box over the next few weeks but one of them caught my eye right away so I thought I'd share it now!

MY PUP is written by Margaret O'Hair and illustrated by Tammie Lyon. It is an adorable book that I am sure kids will love. The fun of getting a new puppy is shared in this great new picture book. And the author does it in a fun, rhyming chant.

Each spread features an adorable little girl (the puppy's new owner) watches as her puppy engages in a typical new puppy activity--things from eating, taking a bath, playing with the garden hose and more. Each spread has a great illustration that shows the fun that both the puppy and the little girl are having getting to know each other. Smiles are pretty common!

The text is very chanty--only 4 lines per page with every other page rhyming. An example of this is illustrated in the first two pages:

New puppy,
young puppy,
soft puppy,
small.

Grow, puppy,
run, puppy,
chase, puppy,
ball.

Such a fun book! I shared the book immediately with my eight year old daughter. She loved it and told me that I "should blog about this one for sure!". Her favorite thing were the illustrations-she loved the expressions shown by both the puppy and the little girl in each picture.

Choice Literacy-Portland, Oregon

I just returned from Portland, Oregon where I did a Choice Literacy Workshop. It was a great few days and I met so many great people. I love being part of these workshops since they are so professional and always in great locations! I did a bit of shopping at the little shops around the hotel. Portland is such a great shopping city! And, of course I visited Powell's bookstore. (I'll be reviewing a few of the new books I picked up there later this week. I also had time to catch up with some of the other speakers. Joan and Gail (The 2 Sisters), Aimee Buckner, Jen Allen, Ruth Shagory and Andie Cunningham, Karen Szymusiak, and the Queen of Choice Literacy, Brenda Power. It was great to catch up with all of them too! I'll be doing a few more of these workshops next month too and am looking forward to them. (Joan, Aimee, and Gail are in the photo above.)

ALPHABET ANIMALS

ALPHABET ANIMALS by Suse MacDonald is a "slide and peek" book. This is a great new find for new readers--preschool and primary kids who love to have fun with the alphabet.

I have been adding to my collection of alphabet books and I so love the variety that is out there. This was a definite must-have.

Each page is a great, colorful animal--then "slide and peek" and along comes a large letter that tells the first letter of the animal followed by the name of the animal. The animals are, of course, in alphabetical order so kids who are just working on beginning sound will have the support to think about what the name of the animal might be and whether that guess matches the letter that comes next in the alphabet. For older kids who already know their alphabet, the illustrations and the fun of the slide and peek will keep them happy.

This book would make a great baby gift or a great birthday gift for 3, 4, and 5 year-olds. It would also be great in preschool and primary classrooms as well as school libraries. It is pretty sturdy, so even though it is a slide and peek, it should stay together pretty well.

POETRY FRIDAY: Potato Joe

Potato Joe
by Keith Baker
Harcourt, 2008
review copy compliments of the publisher

Shelve this book near Chicka Chicka Boom Boom -- it's a rhyming chant that counts up to ten and back down again using potatoes...and with guest appearances by a crow, some snow, Tomato Flo, and Watermelon Moe.

Here's a sample of the text: "One potato, two potato, hello, Joe! Three potato, four potato, tic-tac-toe!" Perfect for the three year-old in your life who has Chicka Chicka Boom Boom memorized. I'm thinking you might even want to get some potatoes out of the pantry and act it out -- easy props that can take some rough handling and still mash up for dinner!

A Birthday for Cow

A Birthday for Cow
by Jan Thomas
Harcourt, 2008
review copy compliments of the publisher

Your good friends work hard to do something nice for you for your birthday, but it's your TRUE friend who knows just what will make you happy. Pig and Mouse are making a birthday cake for Cow. Duck tries to get them to mix a turnip in, stir the batter with a turnip, or decorate the cake with a turnip. Pig and Mouse want nothing to do with the turnip. Can you guess what Cow's excited to see when she comes to the party? You guessed it, the turnip!

This is a bright, bold picture book with expressive characters and not much text. Young readers will love it, and it will make a fun read aloud if you don't mind your audience shouting, "TURNIP" along with Duck!

OTTOLINE and the YELLOW CAT

OTTOLINE AND THE YELLOW CAT is a GREAT find! At our blogger's breakfast a few weeks ago, I had already checked out when Beth brought over a stack of new books she thought we'd like. I was shopped out and didn't pay much attention, even when Karen from Literate Lives mentioned that it seemed like a great book. I finally took a look at it and had to go to the check out desk one more time. So, Karen gets full credit for this find.

I had forgotten about it until Katie from Creative Literacy mentioned that she and her son were reading it and loving it. So, she gets full credit for me actually reading it!

As I am trying to catch up on reading this week (the story of my life), I spent lots of the day Saturday, reading this book. There are supposed to be 3 in the series, but I am hoping for many, many more.

Ottoline is a fun character--a bit like Pippi Longstocking in that she seems to live alone-her traveling parents seem to love her. She is well-cared for by Mr. Monroe--a funny, hairy character--and a team of people who take care of things at the house. Ottoline is an interesting girl--strong and curious with lots of interesting traits. And she loves disguises! Ottoline has two interesting collections which you will learn about if you read the book. And she loves to solve puzzles.

The book is not quite a graphic novel but the illustrations tell quite a bit of the story. The text combine with illustrations on every page. The illustrations are black and white with a bit of red. The illustrations really bring the characters to life.

I am not usually a big fan of mysteries for young readers. It is a hard genre for kids--figuring out clues that add up to solving a mystery. But this is a PERFECT mystery for elementary kids. The clues are there but they can easily be missed or picked up by 8 and 9 year olds. And it makes sense at the end. I so hate those mysteries that never quite fit together. This one is perfect.

I can see a variety of kids liking this book. I think it will appeal to both boys and girls. It is a fun book with great picture support for kids new to chapter books. It is also interesting enough for older kids. I can see kids reading this from 2nd through 5th grade.

There seem to be 2 more books about Ottoline coming soon. Can't wait!

HOWTOONS: THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS

I have been trying to find and read more graphic novels that are appropriate for elementary age readers. My two main sources for books are Mary Lee and Beth at Cover to Cover. I am running a workshop on Content Reading in a few weeks and was looking for nonfiction graphic novels to share with teachers--nonfiction graphic novels that might help struggling readers make sense of concepts.

What a great surprise when Beth called with this new title--HOWTOONS! This is a How-To Graphic Book--I guess not a novel. It is filled with fun things for kids to make and the instructions to make them. Some are simple and some are complicated.

When I opened the book, I was thrilled to find that even the Table of Contents was in graphic form. Illustrations, titles and page numbers all on a two-page spread. Through the Table of Contents, I found that readers can learn how to do and make a variety of things--from counting with binary numbers to making an "Infamous Marshmallow Shooter". Clearly the possibilities for fun are endless!

The authors put a little disclaimer at the beginning--adult supervision is needed for many of these projects.

I like the idea that there is a book out here like this. I am not sure that I would just put the book on the shelf--it is a bit overwhelming. But, I can see using it bit-by-bit to try some of the activities described. Even though it is in graphic/cartoon form, it is full of lots of the usuals that you see in nonfiction text--labels, diagrams, etc. So, there are possibilities for teaching nonfiction text strategies with this book too.

A fun find! And, even more good news--I just found a great website that goes along with the book--lots of fun How-To Comics along with some games and more. And there is a blog that is written in a more graphic form! Who knew? The site seems very addicting.

Looks like the book has come from the people at MIT!
Fuse #8 reviewed the book in November if you'd like to read that one!

You can even see a video demonstration of the Marshmallow Shooter on the Howtoons website blog.

A New Series That Makes Me Laugh!

I noticed 3 books in a new series at Cover to Cover yesterday. ROSCOE RILEY RULES by Katherine Applegate. I was happy to see that there are 3 books in the series out right away--it is hard to wait for new books in a series after you read the first and love it.

This looked like the typical series book--nothing struck me about the cover except that it had a boy character and I was happy about that. I am loving all of the new series with strong girls but I have had a harder time finding these early chapter book series that highlight boy characters lately.

Well, this book was such a nice surprise. I loved it quickly. The first book is called ROSCOE RILEY RULES #1: NEVER GLUE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHAIRS. Right away, I could tell kids would like the whole idea of the book. The main character, Roscoe, tells each book in the series from his Official Time-Out Corner. Seems that each book will start out with Riley calling you over to his Time-Out Corner and then telling the story of why he is there. Pretty clever, I thought. (Roscoe seems to enjoy his corner well enough and his parents and teachers seem to love and understand him well!)

Chapter 2 in this first book is called "SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE WE GET STARTED". It says, "Here's the thing about Super-Mega-Gonzo Glue. When the label says permanent, they mean permanent. As in FOREVER AND EVER." This may be my favorite chapter in the book.

There are lots of reasons why I like this book. Roscoe tells the story and I like his voice. He is a first grader with a first grader voice. He is very clever, insightful and honest. The book is short--about 80 pages. A perfect length. Chapters are fairly short and there are lots of illustrations throughout. The thing that I think is best is that it is totally appropriate for kids in grades 1 and 2. The humor and the situations seem to be a perfect match. I can see readers of STINK by Megan MacDonald really enjoying this series too.

Looks like there are 3 available now (NEVER GLUE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHAIRS, NEVER SWIPE A BULLY'S BEAR and DON'T SWAP YOUR SWEATER FOR A DOG). #4 is due out in August and it is called NEVER SWIM IN APPLESAUCE.

I am anxious to share this book with my daughter and some of her friends. I think it will make for fun summer reading.