New Year At the Pier

New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story

by April Halprin Wayland

illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

Dial Books for Young Readers

on sale and in libraries now

Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. In 2009, Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of September 18 and continues through September 20. The shofar (a trumpet made from a ram's horn) is blown, apples and honey (for a sweet new year) are eaten, and on the afternoon of the first day, tashlich is observed -- at a service beside naturally flowing water, one's mistakes are symbolically cast away for a fresh start in the new year.

As the the rabbi in New Year at the Pier explains, "Tashlich is the time we apologize for things we wish we hadn't done. Taschlich means to throw...Taschlich is like cleaning your heart's closet. A new year, a clean heart."

So, not only is this a story about a Jewish holiday, it is also a story about the power of apologizing. And if April Halprin Wayland had her wish, teachers would use her new book not only to start conversations about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah in the fall and again in January when talking about New Year celebrations around the world, they would use it any time a discussion about the power of apologizing and forgiving are needed.

In the story, Izzy, who is too young to write down the things he's sorry for, counts his "I'm sorries" on his fingers. He has three...no, four. The fourth one is the hardest for him to admit and apologize for. He broke the trust of his friend. He learns by apologizing, though, that his friendship is strengthened.

Watch the book trailer at April Halprin Wayland's website, and join in the tradition of Taschlich next weekend so that your heart's closet can be clean, too!

POETRY FRIDAY: CELEBRATING TEACHING

It's hard to tell, but this is a picture of a fairly steep hill. If you squint, you can see A.J. down at the bottom by the sign for the park.

About ten years ago, I rode my bike as fast as I could down this hill. It was exciting, exhilarating, and before I knew it, I was at the bottom where the street curves to the left. My turn couldn't quite keep up with the street's curve and I hit the curb and did a spectacular (and painful for days after) dive into the grass.

In the years since that crash, here's the lesson about life that I've learned: as much fun as those downhill-out-of-control times seem at the time, I am not at my best during them. Those are reckless times that result in either a crash or a near miss.

I have come to value the uphill climbs in life. Those are the times that challenge me to do my best. On the uphill climb, I have to work hard and smart and efficiently. I'm going slowly enough to pay attention to my surroundings on the uphill climb, and my tires stick to the road with traction -- I am grounded. On the uphill climb, I use all my gears -- I am willing to take all the help I can get.

Teaching is an uphill climb. It's incredibly hard work every single day, but I value the challenges that each new class brings through my door. At this point in the year, I am careful to glance only briefly and occasionally at the mountain ahead. Instead, I am deeply involved in learning about the pack of travelers that I'm leading up that mountain, and trying to find ways for us all to climb at our own rates and yet somehow stay together.

Based on the minute amount of time that I spend listening to mainstream FM radio, I have to believe that this song was sent to me: Miley Cyrus singing "The Climb." If this song hadn't been intentionally laid in my path, there's no way I'd be sharing these lyrics with you today. That's a little miracle that we can ponder another time. You can listen to the song here, but I encourage you to listen with your eyes closed so that you can think about what the words mean to you.

from "The Climb"

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

The Poetry Friday round up this week is at Wild Rose Reader.

CELEBRATING TEACHING, DAY FIVE: ANOTHER COOL TEACHER

Operation YES

by Sara Lewis Holmes

Arthur A. Levine Books

on shelves this month

Miss Loupe is a cool teacher (the most recent addition to our list) with a tough job. She is teaching on the Air Force base where she herself went to school when her dad was an instructor pilot. She is going to teach 6th grade, but she's also going to teach theater, "...the art of saying yes."

She is teaching the base commander's son, whose Plan A is to have a good year this year so he can meet the Flying Farmer at the base air show this year. She's teaching kids who have moved from base to base so many times that they are hesitant to become engaged. She's teaching a girl who has (reluctantly) come across the country to live with relatives while her mother is deployed to Iraq. She teaches until her brother who is in the Army Special Forces goes missing in Afghanistan.

But that's when her students come together to say, "YES." They use all she's taught them about theater and art and teamwork, and they hatch a plan to help Miss Loupe, her brother, and ultimately their school and community.

This is a fabulous book that sheds light on a culture that has been ignored in children's literature -- the culture of military families, military bases, military schools. This is a must-read. You will laugh, you will cry, and your heart will fill with gratitude and understanding, in a way that it perhaps has not before, for all those who serve for a greater cause.

Reviews and celebrations of OPERATION YES:

Jama Rattigan's Soup of the Day

Everyday Learning

Shelf Elf

Operation YES website

CELEBRATING TEACHING, DAY FOUR: COOL TEACHERS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

(This week, as many of us are in the midst of "beginning of the school year" stuff, we thought we'd spend the week celebrating teaching and teachers in different ways. Each day this week (through Friday), we'll have a post related to teachers--book reviews, reflections, etc.)

Not long after we started our blog, we worked with readers to think about and create a list of 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature. We got the idea from Jen Robinson who had created a list of 100 Cool Girls of Children's Lit. For our list we said "We're looking for thoughtful teachers who understand kids and learning and are active, intelligent people who love their work."

At this time of year, no matter where you are, if there are books, there is a "Back to School" book display. So many books for this back-to-school time of the year. It is funny how in tune I am to "cool teachers" when I read new books these days. What messages are we giving our kids about schools and teaching with the books we read? Does the teacher respect her kids? Is he/she a stereotypical teacher who has to be "in charge" and teaches from the front of the room. As we spend the week celebrating teachers, I spent some time looking back at the list. I thought about which of the books were keys to my own thinking of my teaching--what kind of a teacher do I want to be? I think stories are a great way for us to think about what is possible as teachers. I am not talking about Hollywood stories like Mr Holland's Opus (although I love that story). I am talking about the teachers who do the day-to-day work that makes a difference for kids.

I always love to look over the list of books and remember those favorite teachers from children's lit. Each has taught me something different about the kind of teacher I hope to be. Depending on the day and my mood, different books stand out to me and help me reflect on my own work with students. For me today, these are the books that remind me of what is important for me as a teacher.


I love Mr. Fabiano in Ralph Fletcher's book Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher. Mr. Fabiano is not really even "in" the story. If you don't know this book, it is about a classroom (Mr. Fabiano's classroom) on a day when the substitute doesn't show up. Instead of letting someone know, the kids decide to run the day on their own. I love this story and this teacher because to me, this is the big goal of teaching. Can my kids learn without me? Have I taught them to be independent and engaged that goes beyond them playing the game of school. Mr. Fabiano has definitely created a classroom of independent learners.

Mrs. Olinkski in The View From Saturday by E. L. Konisburg may be one of my favorite teachers of all time. She is brilliant. This is the story of children who are part of an academic team. Each child brings different strengths and weaknesses to the group and they become an amazing team. Mrs. Olinski's gift is for helping each student find his voice and helping the kids build community between them. What they can do together is far more than what each can do on his or her own and that is the lesson I learned from Mrs. Olinski.

I love Mr. D'Matz from The Clementine Books by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine is a great character. One of my favorites. But it is clear throughout the books that Clementine has a bit of trouble staying still in school. She is smart and busy. A child that not all teachers would understand. But Mr. D'Matz does more than understand her. He genuinely like and values her for who she is and celebrates that. And Clementine knows it.


And I like Mrs. Mallory from The Last Day of School by Louise Borden. Mrs. Malloy is not a huge character in this book. But it is clear through the story that she has created an important relationship with each of her students. That even with the excitement of the last day of school, there is sadness in the end to the relationship that has developed between teacher and student.


And a new book that I think deserves to be added to the list is WILLOW by Denise Brennan-Nelson. This book was introduced to me by a teacher in my school who had brilliant conversations with her students after reading it. For me, this teacher reminds me that teachers are learners first. We can and should learn from our students. We can't keep doing things the way we always have. Instead we have to celebrate the things that the kids bring to the community and invite them to be themselves in our classrooms.

DUBLIN LITERACY CONFERENCE-February 20

As part of our Celebrating Teachers Week at A Year of Reading, we wanted to let you know about the 21st annual Dublin Literacy Conference that will be held in Dublin, Ohio on February 20, 2010. This conference (in Dublin, Ohio) has been run by teachers for 21 years. This year, we are focusing a bit on 21st Century Literacies to celebrate our 21st Year. Speakers include professional experts Tim Tyson, Katie Van Sluys, Ann Marie Corgill, and Kevin Hodgson. Children's authors include Melissa Sweet, Patrick Carman, David J. Smith and Denise Fleming. We are excited about the conference. Anyone who is interested in submitting a proposal can find the form on the Dublin Literacy Conference website. A complete program with more speakers and sessions will be released in early December. It is always a great day of learning.

CELEBRATING TEACHING, DAY THREE: SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS BY JEN ALLEN

(This week, as many of us are in the midst of "beginning of the school year" stuff, we thought we'd spend the week celebrating teaching and teachers in different ways. Each day this week (through Friday), we'll have a post related to teachers--book reviews, reflections, etc.)

So much of who we become as teachers has to do with our first few years in the profession. I was lucky to get my first job in a great school with a great staff. My mentor and team of teachers were supportive and I always felt like I had a voice--that my ideas were valued. I started teaching long before we had any formal mentoring program but my mentor was the best--she brought me plants, shared ideas, gave me advice on challenges I was having, helped me get over the mistakes I made, asked for my ideas, and supported my ideas. She treated me as a colleague--a colleague who she enjoyed working with--from Day One. But more important was the fact that she got to know me as a person. She invited me to dinner, stayed after school to chat and shared her own struggles and challenges with me. I really couldn't have had a better mentor those first few years. Now, I oversee the Entry Year Program in our district so I have been thinking back to my mentor and my first team of colleagues. I could not have known then how lucky I was to be able to find my professional voice with such an amazing group of people. I have learned, over the years, that it is the relationships we build and the professional voice we find those first few years that sometimes mean the most in terms of our future as teachers. As a veteran teacher, I hope that beyond the formal mentoring programs that are now set by the district and state, I hope I can be the kind of mentor to new teachers who helps them feel valued, gives them a voice, and supports them along the way.

As part of my thinking about new teachers, I have found books to help me think about my work with them. One of the first books that I loved was TENSIONS AND TRIUMPHS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF TEACHING. Susi Long and the early career teachers who wrote the book spoke at a summer institute that I attended. You can hear a bit of their talk here.

I continue to learn so many valuable lessons from this group of teacher researchers. I learned that we often, unintentionally, silence our new teachers and many of them leave the profession because they don't get the support they need to make the vision that they had when they entered the profession a reality. It has been a book that I go back to as I think about how best to support new teachers.

Another book that I am VERY excited about is a new one by Jen Allen called A SENSE OF BELONGING. If you know Jen Allen's work (BECOMING A LITERACY LEADER), you know that she is a brilliant coach--working for years to learn how best to support teachers at all levels in their teaching. In this new book, Jen Allen focuses specifically on the needs of early career teachers. Jen knows that there isn't one thing that we can do to help teachers find their voice in the classroom. Instead, she has learned that there are several things that can work together to support new teachers and she shares each of these strategies in depth.

Jen starts the book by reflecting on her own first year in the classroom. For many of us, we haven't thought about that first year in a very long time, but for most of us, it was not an easy year. Jen is honest in her struggles and the questions she had about whether she wanted to stay in the profession. Luckily at the end of her second year of teaching, she was invited to join a group teachers who were working together to create a school within a school and was then able to feel energized by her work.

Jen uses her own experiences as well as the experiences of other new teachers and her work as a literacy coach to design routines to support new teachers in her district. She sees the issue of teacher retention as an important one and one that can be fixed with the right supports. This book shares the strategies and stories that have worked for her. She takes us through all of the ways that she supports new teachers--from building relationships to analyzing assessments to planning curriculum. She understands the kinds of things that new teachers are feeling at different points in the year and has learned to support them through some of these stages. Jen believes strongly in beginning teachers and she also believes that they deserve support those first few years in the classroom. She says,

"Teaching is too hard to go about it alone. It is too easy to lose momentum for our new ideas and become discouraged with the profession that at one point were were so excited to join. I believe that built in layers of support within schools can make a difference in our ability to retain new teachers within districts and our profession."

Jen also has a DVD set called LAYERED COACHING that ties into the work in this book. You can view a clip of the book on the Stenhouse website.

Jen Allen is committed to supporting new teachers. She knows that new teachers can't do it all alone and that there are ways to build a community that supports these new teachers in a school. For anyone who works with new teachers, this is a must read. For administrators, teacher mentors, people in state departments who work to design programs for new teachers, this is an amazing resource. We can all learn so much from the experiences she's had learning from and with new teachers in her schools. This book is invaluable.

(You can read Jen Allen's entire book online at the Stenhouse site. You can also join an online study group that Stenhouse is offering on the book.)

CELEBRATING TEACHING, DAY TWO: Lessons For My EYT

(This week, as many of us are in the midst of "beginning of the school year" stuff, we thought we'd spend the week celebrating teaching and teachers in different ways. Each day this week (through Friday), we'll have a post related to teachers--book reviews, reflections, etc.)

I am mentoring an entry year teacher (EYT) this year. We never seem to have time to sit down and talk about who we are and where we've come from. This post is for my EYT.

When I started teaching, there was no formal mentorship program. I went straight from a private university in Denver to a federally listed low-income school in Dallas. Fireplace to fire kind of experience. I remember standing with my across-the-hall neighbor, Jim, looking out at the students walking up to the school on the first day, and saying, "I have no idea what I'm doing." To which Jim replied, "Yes, you do. Just wait and see. You'll be brilliant." Jim became my informal mentor for the first two years of my career. He believed in me. He taught me the importance of caring for each child, meeting the students where they are, and saving time for myself. EYT, I hope to pass these lessons on to you. (Jim also tried to teach me to appreciate a well-made martini. I never got past the olives, so this will be one lesson I won't be passing on!)

In my first year of teaching in Dallas, the Dallas Museum of Art opened its new building, which included an entire wing devoted to educational programming. I asked my grade level team how to go about taking my students on a field trip, and they told me it wasn't done. Luckily, I bypassed them and asked the principal about field trips. He bent over backwards to help me arrange a trip with my students to the new Dallas Museum of Art. EYT, you already know you're not working with that kind of grade level team. What I want you to learn is to take risks. Also, try to connect student learning to local current events and to your passions. Bring yourself and the world into your classroom. Last of all, bask in your ignorance and self-confidence -- when I look back on taking a busload of inner city kids to the Art Museum BY MYSELF (no parent volunteers) I can't believe that nothing went wrong. But what made it a success was that the same was true at the time: I didn't believe that anything would go wrong...and nothing did. Believe in yourself. You'll make great things happen.

After two years teaching in Dallas, I came to OSU and got a Master's Degree in Children's Literature. I was lucky enough to be invited to join a group who reviewed and wrote about children's books for a now-defunct publication called The W.E.B. Sitting around a table month after month, year after year, listening to them talk about books and authors (and eventually being able to join in) was an amazing mentorship. It started me on my mission of reading 52 children's books every year. EYT, I encourage you to read, read, read. There is almost no better way to prepare yourself to teach a reading workshop where the students' independent reading is the key ingredient: know books.

When I started teaching in Dublin, my grade level team, and one key person in particular, Karen, of Literate Lives, mentored me. Actually, we mentored each other. We learned together. We bounced lesson and unit ideas off each other in the morning and got back together after school to see what worked and didn't work. We were a PLC before the term had been coined. I look forward to doing this kind of work with you, EYT. Right now I know it seems like all we're doing is putting out fires, but we'll get to the point where we we share ideas. I may have an overwhelming number of years of experience, but you are the one who is most likely to have really fresh new ideas. (Just for instance, your choice of first read aloud was BRILLIANT! If I had known, I would have so copied you!)

Another landmark mentor for me was a passionate first grade teacher. I would wander down to her room many afternoons at (or after) 5:00 and find her still working there, sorting through student work and happy for someone who would listen to her talk about the amazing thinking that her students were doing, or the amazing writing they were doing, or the amazing conversation they had during read aloud. If there's absolutely nothing else I hope that you will learn, EYT, it is to celebrate your students. Try to remember to be amazed by them every day. And tell them about it. And then come down to my room and let's tell each other about our amazing students.

CELEBRATING TEACHING, DAY ONE: IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES by Mrs. Mimi

(This week, as many of us are in the midst of "beginning of the school year" stuff, we thought we'd spend the week celebrating teaching and teachers in different ways. Each day this week (through Friday), we'll have a post related to teachers--book reviews, reflections, etc. To kick off the series, we want to share a new book by Teacher Jennifer Scoggin that celebrates the joys and challenges of teaching today.)



A while back, I somehow came across the blog IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES. I don't quite remember which post I first discovered but I became quite hooked on reading this blog. I was a little surprised at myself. Mrs. Mimi's tagline for her blog is, "This is a blog for TEACHERS WHO ROCK and are frustrated by the day to day drama that gets in the way of our interactions with children. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but sometimes a girl has gotta vent..." Mrs. Mimi certainly knows how to vent and she is HYSTERICAL when she is venting. And she has an avatar that moves--which I find fascinating on every visit. So, I read the blog for a while. It was my guilty pleasure--not really admitting to anyone that I was reading it. Then I became curious--how does she get away with saying some of the things she says? Come to find out that she is very sneaky about her anonymity. There was no way I could figure out who she was or where she taught. Brilliant girl. I ended up sharing blog posts with lots of friends and everyone who reads her seems to become a fan. So, when I found out that she had a new book coming out (titled IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE), I pre-ordered it right away! My book arrived last week and I finished it on Thursday.

Here's the thing--I usually stay away from negativity and venting. It brings me down. But Mrs. Mimi's venting is often right on--venting about things that are unfair to children and teachers. She manages to stay focused on what is important in teaching and vents about those things that get in the way. She believes that the classroom and the classroom teacher are key and that too many things get in the way of that. She cares deeply about her students and works hard to do the right thing for them, regardless of what gets in the way. She isn't one of those lazy teachers who whines and complains. She is honest about the frustrations of being a teacher and how she deals with the frustrations--how she manages to remember what is important.

I love this book. If you like her blog, you will love this book too, I think. The book is a kind of extension of the blog. In it, Mrs. Mimi (whose name we learn is Jennifer Scoggin who teaches in New York) takes us through a year in second grade. She is honest at the beginning to tell us that names have been changed, characters collapsed and stories have been dramatized. And she is clear that she is not attacking the place that she works. She loves her work and her school but wants to share the frustrations that she deals with. And how it is her students, "her little friends", who are often the ones who save her in the day-to-day of teaching.

You can tell right away what kind of book this will be because the first chapter is called, "Holy Crap, It's August!". (See how hysterical she is!) This is how the book begins. Right away, she dismisses the teacher stereotypes--teachers with theme sweaters who sit around and do nothing all summer. "Well, first we have the stereotypical image of an elementary school teacher who loves terrible thematic sweaters, sensible shoes, and necklaces made exclusively from dried pasta products and Tempera paint. This teacher may be sporting some sort of dangly thematic earring that may or may not blink. Perhaps she is brandishing a pointer as well. I think this teacher's soundtrack might include hits from artists such as Raffi. Fortunately, she exists mainly in the cloudy, and very delusional, childhood memories of the classroom held by many who seem to think they went to school in a Norman Rockwell painting or something." She puts it all right up front when she shares how much work she does to prepare for a new school year. She then continues through the year, sharing the joys and challenges of spending the year as a classroom teacher. The stories of her children are great--all of us who work with children have these stories. The small moments that happen in a classroom that remind us of how lucky we are to do the work we do. Mrs. Mimi shares lots of these. Each one made me smile.

Mrs. Mimi continues to take us through the school year-sharing the struggles she has with balancing home and work, dealing with crazy interruptions to her teaching, paperwork and data overload, and the difficult colleague. She shares the highlights too--"An unsung bonus of the teaching profession is the ability to rationalize the need for back-to-school clothes." She shares those moments when something makes sense to a child--those moments that can keep us energized for months. And she shares this importance of her "Super Colleagues".

This is more than a book about a teacher---it is a book about a teacher in this era of teaching. She says, "Right now, however, it feels like I get paid to be a human shield to protect my friends from all the chaos and drama that happen outside the walls of the classroom." Mrs. Mimi is a teacher who is trying to do all that is being asked of us and to still be the best teacher possible for her students. A teacher who knows that scripted curriculum and crazy mandates make our work so much harder and less effective. Mrs. Mimi understands and celebrates the fact that classroom teachers all have their own ways of doing things--and that there are many ways to be FABULOUS and to meet the needs of your children. She talks about every day stresses (field trips gone wrong, fire drills in the middle of great lessons) and the bigger frustrations that sap our energies.

I imagine this book will offend some people. She is honest and sometimes negative. She complains about some of the people she works with. And she swears a bit. But it didn't offend me. For many reasons. First of all, Mrs. Mimi works hard. She puts her all into the work with her kids and believes in every one of them. She is a champion for teachers and can't understand why the needs of the classroom aren't put first. Most importantly, Mrs. Mimi clearly believes in her kids and never says a negative thing about one of them. Mrs. Mimi is also a learner. Although she makes jokes throughout the book about how arrogant and fabulous she is, she is also the first to admit her weaknesses and to tell readers that she is a learner, trying to figure things out and doesn't have it all figured out. She is the kind of colleague that I love to work with. And, if I am honest with myself, I know that we all have stories like the ones she shares--the frustrating things that happen to us as we work to keep our students' needs first. And, we all (thankfully) have Super Colleagues who keep us energized and keep us focused on the things that are important. We all live similar joys and frustrations every day.

This book is definitely Fabulous. It was a reminder to me, that this work is hard. Really hard. So hard that it is often HYSTERICAL. But, in the end, we know that as teachers, we are lucky to be able to spend our days with children in elementary schools across the country. Love this new voice for teachers. I consider myself an official Mrs. Mimi fan.

THE RUNAWAY MUMMY: A PETRIFYING PARODY by Michael Rex

I just picked up the new book THE RUNAWAY MUMMY: A PETRIFYING PARODY. Last year, Michael Rex wrote another Petrifying Parody--GOODNIGHT GOON that has been quite popular in the library.

I always enjoy parodies that are done well and I love this one. In this parody of THE RUNAWAY BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown, a little mummy wants to run away. But when he tells Mother Mummy, she says, "If you run away, I will get you! For you are my rotten little mummy!" The story continues with the little mummy telling his mother what he will do if she tries to get him. He threatens to become a gargoyle, a ravenous plant, and a humongous beast to name a few. Mother Mummy has a solution for each of these things. The illustrations are done in darker, frightening colors. Compared to the sweet, calm illustrations in THE RUNAWAY BUNNY, I found them quite amusing.

There are a few references to both GOODNIGHT MOON and THE RUNAWAY BUNNY in some of the final illustrations (when the little mummy threatens to turn into a "boy"). They amused me quite a bit too.

Actually, the whole book amused me. It is VERY well done-a great story to enjoy and also a great example of parody to share with students. I think kids will love this one and will see the humor if they know THE RUNAWAY BUNNY. I am excited to have both of these parodies in the library. Hoping that Rex has a 3rd one coming out next fall!

TRUCKERY RHYMES

I just picked up the newest book in Jon Scieszka's TRUCKTOWN series, TRUCKERY RHYMES. The inside flap tells it all:

"For generations, Trucks have been sharing these beloved tales, rowdy rhymes, and honk-along songs. Finally, these classics have been gathered into one big, noisy, high-octane collection!"

This book is filled with rhymes, poems and songs featuring some of our favorite Trucktown characters. Some of the titles include "Jack Be Nimble", "The Wheels on the Truck", and "Pop! Blows the Diesel". (You can see a short video of Jon Scieska reading some of the poems aloud.)

The rhymes are quite clever. The word play is quite fun! And the illustrations are as amazing as all of the others we've seen in the Trucktown series. I continue to be amazed that these illustrations are the result of a group effort by David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon. How they went about the process to pull their artwork together is fascinating. And brilliant.

This is definitely going to be a favorite in the library. Not many poetry books about trucks and this is a fun one. I also think kids who love the Alan Katz books will love this one as well. I have been looking for great new books to use for shared reading and I think this one will be perfect for that. We will have a great time reading them together. I think kids of all ages will love this one!

The round up this week is at Kelly Herold's Crossover. She'll have the new schedule for us, too!

Roscoe Riley #7

Last year was a great year for new series book characters. When I read the first ROSCOE RILEY RULES, I knew this was going to be a hit series. I am thrilled that 2 more books in this series were released this summer. I have had lots of kids in the library asking for more Roscoe Riley.

Book #7 is called "Never Race a Runaway Pumpkin". As with all of the books, Roscoe tells us his side of the story from his time-out chair. Roscoe wants to win a contest at a local bookstore by estimating the weight of a giant pumpkin. But he has become very superstitious and superstitions cause a bit of trouble. Roscoe is as amusing as ever and you can certainly see how he means well. My favorite line from Roscoe in this book: "Big brothers should come with a set of earplugs." No one says it like Roscoe does!

I love the last two pages of this book--actually after the story has ended. Roscoe shares his list of "10 Useful Things I Learned at the Bookstore". It is a great list. My favorite is #7: "The bookstore manager cannot call your favorite author and ask why it is taking so long for her to write another book." Love this character's voice.

So, another great Roscoe book! I don't think I'll ever get tired of this character!

BINKY THE SPACE CAT by Ashley Spires

I think I may have found a character that I love as much as I love Scaredy Squirrel. Actually, I am thinking that Scaredy Squirrel and this new character could become great friends. The character I am writing about is Binky, the Space Cat. He stars in a brand new graphic novel, BINKY THE SPACE CAT, by Ashley Spires and he is one of the best characters ever! Binky is a pet cat who has an odd shape about him (he is shaped like a football.) Binky is introduced to us at the beginning of the book like this:

"Binky is a space cat.
Unlike your average cat,
HE has a purpose.
His mission is to one day blast off into outer space...
To explore unknown places...
and to battle alien criminals.
Actually, Binky hasn't ever been outside."

How can you not love him by page 10? Binky lives with "one big human and one small human" and he works hard to protect them. So hard that he has become an official "Space Cat". He spends his time protecting his humans from alien invasions. And he is busy preparing for his first trip to space.

The book is just too fun. The character is funny and one you will love right away. It is a great beginning graphic novel that even young children can enjoy.

August Mosaic

And so the wheel of the seasons continues turning...

This month, I captured some iconic late summer images. As much as I know that school will soon be out when the Chickory starts to bloom in late May, I know that school will soon start when the Tall Purple Ironweed blooms.

I was weeding in the landlab when I came eye to eye with Mrs. Mantis, and when I stood up, Mr. Mantis was on the next weed over. I took it as a sign to stop weeding.

The skies are spectacularly blue and clear again after a few weeks of wretched humidity, the buckeyes are ready for the squirrels and the football fan necklace makers to gather (yes, Ohio State's mascot is a nut...literally), and a few leaves have tentatively tried on their fall colors.

But fall also brings newness to a teacher. Not pictured here are my 19 new students. Standing in for them are the puppies (no, not this year) and the baby.

Here are all my mosaics so far.

HARRY AND HORSIE by Katie Van Camp

HARRY AND HORSIE by Katie Van Camp may end up being very well-worn by the end of this school year. I saw it on the shelf at Cover to Cover this week and was immediately drawn to it. The cover art and all of the art is amazing--it resembles old comic books/cartoons. You can tell from the cover that this will be a fun adventure story.

This is the story of Harry and Horsie. They sneak out of bed to play with Harry's "Super Duper Bubble Blooper" . They have great adventures until a giant bubble takes Horsie away. Luckily, Harry comes to the rescue for a happy ending! This is a great story that anyone who loves to imagine and play will love!

I love the story of the author and how the story came to be. I didn't realize it at first, but the author was David Letterman's son's nanny and this story was a gift to the family. (There is a small note from David Letterman in the front of the book.."A Note From Harry's Dad")

This is the author's first book and the illustrator's (Lincoln Agnew) first picture book. I don't know if it is eligible but it certainly looks like Caldecott material to me. It is currently on the Autumn 2009 Kids' Indie Next List. And the author/illustrator team are donating a portion of the proceeds to "Free the Children"

Poetry Friday

Poetry tastes like

chocolate.

--Ryan, age 8

photo by eszter

TASTES LIKE CHOCOLATE: Thoughts From Young People is a collection of poetry written by the students of teacher Randi Allison over the course of the past twenty+ years. "Tastes Like Chocolate is a collection filled with delectable moments of joyous wonder that melt and linger, dark musings of loss with a bitter aftertaste of longing, and simple insights filled with gooey luscious surprises." Here's a sample:

We are the children of

the world.

We have voices that

express,

ears that listen,

eyes that blaze.

We are the future.

You are the adults of

the world.

You pave the road of

life for us.

You are our view of the

world.

(the rest of the poem is here, when you click on "...a taste")

--Jennifer, age 12

The round up this week is at Book Aunt.

If you want to host the round up in the future, let Kelly know at Big A little a.

My Reflections of my Kindle Reading

I received a KINDLE as a gift several months ago. Over the summer, I have done more reading on my Kindle and less with "real" books. I have been thinking a lot about it--lots of people have been asking me which I prefer, etc. So, I thought I'd share my reflections.

There are times I LOVE my Kindle. I started out reading only nonfiction, starting with THE ELEMENT by Ken Robinson. I thought it would be hard to get into a novel. But then I read THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO and loved it. Once you get started, falling into a book is the same whether you are reading a "real" book or a book on the Kindle.

Some great features:

I think the highlighting and note taking features are the best thing. I am not sure what the possibilities are with these tools but these are actually the tools that sold me on the KINDLE. When I am reading a book, I can underline and take notes (right on the spot where the notes belong!) Then when I go to my clipping area, all of my notes for each book are compiled. I think the implications for book talks and book study are huge with this. For me, this feature made the KINDLE a different kind of reading for me. Knowing I could highlight and take notes and have those all in one spot, rather than flipping through the book and finding them all, is huge. I think this could really impact student and adult book talks--really allowing us to create new thinking off of a book and sharing it in ways that we really couldn't before.

I can read a sample of almost any Kindle book available for Free. Whenever I hear of a good title, I often order the free sample and read it--often about a first chapter. They send you a lot of text to preview. And then if you like it, you can order the book.

It is sooo easy to carry. That is obvious. But the fact that I can go somewhere and THEN decide if I want to read a novel, something professional, etc. is great. I have all of my reading with me. And if I don't, I can get it pretty quickly.

I can order a book and have it in 30 seconds. I didn't think I would care, but I recently read a sample chapter of THE SLIPPERY YEAR (a great read for anyone in their 40s:-) and loved the sample. I was laying in bed reading one night and decided I wanted to read that book. Even though it was midnight, I could order the book and have it in about 15 seconds. I didn't have to find time to get to the store, etc.

I can email myself PDF files and read those on my Kindle. I wasn't sure I would use this feature, but it has been great. First of all, I don't need printouts of Ali of the things I often print to read. By sending it to my Kindle, it doesn't become part of some huge pile. Instead it just becomes an option for my reading and it is much easier to read than reading it off of the computer.

The books are cheaper.

Some things I am not quite used to and not sure if I ever will be:

I can't loan my books out. When I decided to read THREE LITTLE WORDS, I knew I might want to pass it along. So, I purchased a real copy. It is a little frustrating to tell someone about a great book but not be able to share it with them. And I sometimes, when I find a book I love, I have the urge to carry it around and tell anyone about it who will listen. A Kindle makes this a bit difficult.

It takes a bit of time to get used to the idea of no page numbers. Instead of page numbers the Kindle tells gives you numbers and percentages to let you know how far along you are. For me, I need to know how long a book is and how many "pages" I read each sitting. To combat this, I often look up the page count, then figure out what 10% is, and go from there.

There are not "real" covers on the Kindle. It is a bit odd to walk into a bookstore and see a book you just read but not recognize it. To pick a book up to read every day and not see a cover. For me, covers and previewing are important. Covers tell something big, give us a clue into the theme. I miss that. I also haven't noticed many of the things I often find on the back cover. I miss that.

I LOVE bookstores. Love to shop, carry books, buy books. I have even been known to buy books that I already have because I love them so much. I am worried about bookstores with the increased popularity of the Kindle and other readers. I am having trouble not shopping for books, real books,in real bookstores, with real people. I am not sure anything can replace that experience.

I have a shelf of books that I have read but can't part with. Books that I LOVE. Books that I hope someone sees on the shelf and wants to read. Books I hope my daughters read when they are older. Books that have changed me. I can't really have that physical shelf on a Kindle.

Overall, I LOVE the Kindle. The more time I spend reading Kindle books, the less I find myself needing paper books. I remember a similar experience when I gave up the yellow legal pads for writing and moved to the computer. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to give up the "real" paper. Now, that seems long ago and amusing. Composing on paper almost never happens for me.

And as a teacher, I think it has huge implications for our classrooms. When I think of the amazing book talks my 4th and 5th graders have had--studying a title, sharing notes, etc. I can see this as a way to add even more depth. The notes feature alone can be pretty interesting. There is also a great SEARCH feature. I remember one group that studied the way that the word "soof" was used in SO BE IT. A Kindle would allow them to search all of the places in the book that the author used that word. Can you imagine the conversations? Being able to search a word in fiction in order to think about theme, find evidence for thinking and working through clues can really add to deeper reading. I can only imagine what is possible.

I am pretty sure that soon, the Kindle will be my entire reading life. It will be good because I will have SOOO much extra room in my house. I can see myself falling more and more in love with it and relying on it more and more.

First Day!

When I got home from school yesterday, still floating on the cloud of first day-ness, my next door neighbor asked me how long it would take me to get back into the swing of things. (She obviously didn't notice that I was floating...)

It took me less than 5 minutes, I told her. All I had to do was meet my class.

Teachers are jugglers. The balls and plates and swords and bowling balls and pins are in the air from the very first moment the children step into your line and become your class. We simply cannot afford to "get into the swing of things" later on in the week or the year.

It's such a blessing to be doing the work I was born to do. Let the fun begin!

Counting on Nature

Count Down to Fall
by Fran Hawk

illustrated by Sherry Neidigh

Sylvan Dell, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

This is a GORGEOUS book. You can go on a fall nature walk without leaving the comfort of your home or classroom when you read this book.

It's also a counting book that counts backward from ten to one. It's a poetry book with a rhyming verse on each double page spread. It's a celebration of autumn in the woods. Most of all, it's a tree identification book. Each double page spread is framed around the edge with a different tree's bark, and in the four outer corners is the leaf in summer, the leaf in fall, the shape of the tree and either the seed or the flower of the tree. Here's an example:

Eight beech tree leaves,

like yellow cat's eyes

float gently down

through autumn skies.

Along with the trees, each picture contains animals, birds, and insects that live in the Eastern Woodlands. In the back matter of the book is more information about the trees and the ways that people and animals use them.

Check out this link on the Sylvan Dell website for teaching activities, a book trailer, and an interview with the author.

One Wolf Howls

by Scotti Cohn

illustrated by Susan Detweiler

Sylvan Dell, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

This book is a counting, rhyming, month-by-month wolf book. In January there is a lone wolf howling at the moon. After pups are born, there are six wolves in June, and by December, there are twelve wolves singing together in the winter night.

The back matter of this book gives readers more information and activities that will extend their learning about wolves, and again, the Sylvan Dell website has still more goodies to go with the book.

Both books invite readers to both browse and read with the fun mix of genres and the beautiful illustrations.

Back to School -- Missing Mama

Llama Llama Misses Mama

by Anna Dewdney

Penguin Young Readers Group, 2009

review copy provided by the publisher

"Llama Llama, warm in bed,

Wakey wakey, sleepyhead!

Llama school begins today!

Time to learn and time to play!"

When Mama Llama leaves Llama Llama on his very first day of school, he is suddenly very shy and doesn't want to play, or read, or even eat a snack. The promise by the teacher that Mama WILL come back, and the invitations of the other Llama children to come play are all it takes to break him out of his shell. Mama does indeed come back and Llama Llama realizes he loves Mama AND school.

This is a great book for any reader who might be feeling a little anxious about the first day of school!

Two Great (But Very Different) Animal ABC Books

Beth at Cover to Cover had CREATURE ABC by Andrew Zuckerman waiting for me when I visited last week. And I am so glad that she did. This is a gorgeous animal alphabet book done in photos. It is very simple in concept--a letter, an animal and the animal word for each letter of the alphabet.

This book is a chunky square book. The photography is stunning and is placed against a white background. Kids are going to love it! Each letter is introduced with a photo of an animal. Then upon turning the page, the animal name is revealed (although not really as a surprise), with another picture of the animal/letter word. Most of the letters are represented by animals but some like N is represented with the word "Nocturnal" with a few examples of those.

A simple concept that I think kids will spend hours with. Really unbelievable pictures. (In case you are wondering, the rooster is my favorite.) It is a great book for young children or children just learning animal names. I am pretty sure that it will also be popular with older kids in the library.


I also picked up THE ZOO I DREW by Todd Doodler last week. It is a great book that I am excited about. The cover is unique--red and corrugated. Very bright and engaging. This is an alphabet book of animals. On each page, there is an animal-the drawing takes up most of the page. And the pattern is predictable "E is for Elephant". Following each animal name, there are 4 lines about the animal. The lines are mostly in rhyme and they give some basic information about the animal. For example, we learn that the panda eats bamboo and the rhino has a horn on its nose.

The illustrations are unique--Each spread uses only a few colors or different shades of one color. But the book as a whole uses a huge variety of colors, as each spread uses different colors. If that makes any sense at all....

I love this book--can see lots of possibilities--a great one to use as an ABC book with kids just learning letters/sounds, etc. It is also a great model for writing for older kids who are beginning to write nonfiction. I can see it used in lots of ways.

Library Intro

I have been thinking hard about what I am hoping that the school library becomes for the students at our school. I want the library to be a place where students are in charge of their own learning and where they can learn about the things they love in ways that make sense to them. I know that this will be a yearlong conversation, but I put together a slide show that I'll show several of the classes during the first week. I am hoping that the questions on this slide show begin conversations and invite students to think about their own learning and ways that the library can support them as learners. I know that I am missing lots of questions but I am hoping it gets us all talking about what the library can be for each individual. ( I converted the slide show to a Quicktime movie in order to put it on the blog so it didn't export quite as clearly as the original. But you get the idea.)

FLAGS OF THE WORLD by Sylvie Bednar

Kids love flags and maps and all things related. That is why I think they will love this new book by Sylvie Bednar--FLAGS OF THE WORLD. The introduction to the book says, "A flag can tell you a lot about it country. Flags represent the history, legends and beliefs, and sometimes even the geographic location of a country!" The flags are displayed and organized by continent. Each is against a white background. For each flat, there is some information about the flag--what it tells you about the country. This book is just packed with visuals of flags and information about each. Not lots of information--just enough that kids can read the entire blurb about a flag. I think it will be hugely popular in the library.

Poetry Friday -- A Lifetime of Reading

I Met a Dragon Face to Face

by Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I climbed atop a giant's head,

I found a pot of gold,

I did all this in books I read

when I was ten years old.

Members of the Kidlitosphere,

SHARE YOUR READING STORY ON OUR GALLERY!

Franki and I have started a Gallery for NCTE's National Day on Writing. Here is a description of our gallery:

A LIFETIME OF READING

Members of the Kidlitosphere are invited to submit stories from their reading lives. Your submission can be an anecdote from childhood, a recent experience around books or reading, a memory from school (good or bad), a vignette about learning to read, the impact of a particular book--anything about your life as a reader.

We are looking for a variety of short pieces (think blog post length) from anyone in the Kidlitosphere, including bloggers, authors, illustrators, readers of blogs, etc.

Our gallery is open to everyone who is a blogger, blog reader, author, illustrator, blog reader, blog commenter, etc.

Here is our gallery.

Here's information about submitting your piece of writing.

The Poetry Friday Round Up is at The Boy Reader this week.

Submit a Piece about Your Reading Life to our Local Gallery

We are excited to be hosting a Local Gallery as part of NCTE's NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING CELEBRATION! On October 20, the National Galleries will be open to the public. There are lots of great galleries that highlight the writing that we all do in our daily lives. Mary Lee and I will be curating a local gallery as part of the submission and we are inviting you to join us by writing a piece for the gallery.

Here is the description of our Gallery:

A LIFETIME OF READING

Members of the Kidlitosphere are invited to submit stories from their reading lives. Your submission can be an anecdote from childhood, a recent experience around books or reading, a memory from school (good or bad), a vignette about learning to read, the impact of a particular book--anything about your life as a reader.

We are looking for a variety of short pieces (think blog post length) from anyone in the Kidlitosphere, including bloggers, authors, illustrators, readers of blogs, etc.

We wanted the Kidlitosphere to be part of the National Day on Writing so we started a gallery that went along with the thing we do best--write about our reading lives. Everyone who is a blogger, blog reader, author, illustrator, blog reader, blog commenter, etc. is invited to submit a piece of writing. We hope you'll join us! You can visit our local gallery, "A Lifetime of Reading" to submit a piece and read about guidelines for submission.

Right now, it is empty, but we are excited about the possibilities--a place to share stories of our reading lives! We think the Kidlitosphere can pull together to create a pretty amazing gallery that celebrates the lives of readers!

Setting Up My Desk Area

This is stop-action animation, NOT a video project. We shot about 100 still photos to make this movie!

A big thanks to A.J., my photographer for this project. (He's channeling Ray Harryhausen, whose stop-action animation for Jason and the Argonauts is "still the best.")

The next time I do a stop-action video, I will make sure we shoot at least twice as many photos. I can't wait to show this to my students and to give them a chance to try it, too -- it's quite fun!!

YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES by Lucy Cousins

I love Lucy Cousins and was thrilled to see her new fairy tale collection, YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES. Cousins has retold 8 fairy tales in this collection--Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The LIttle Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, and The Musicians of Bremen.

There is soooo much to love about this book.

*This is a slightly oversized book--quite a fun size that kids will love to carry around.

*Cousins' brightly-colored illustrations make for very fun versions of the fairy tales. The size and colors make this an inviting book for read aloud. Somehow Cousins' illustrations make the stories a little less scary. The characters have smiles and rosey cheeks. They are quite lovable. Even when the wolf eats Granny, the illustrations make it a bit less scary.

*The text is supportive. I am thinking of those readers who are dying to read chapter books. (As you know i think society pushes them to chapter books far too soon...)This book "feels" like a chapter book--but is far more appropriate for younger readers. The text is spaced well with great line breaks. The text is not overwhelming on the page--it is a good amount for kids ready for a longer-type picture book.

*Cousins has fun with font for sound effects, titles and more.

This is a great find This is a great book for K-5, easily. ! I am very excited about it:-)

SPOT THE PLOT by J. Patrick Lewis

SPOT THE PLOT: A RIDDLE BOOK OF BOOK RIDDLES is (in my opinion) a must have for all classrooms and libraries. It is brilliant and fun. I have a huge collection of books about books and books about reading so I was thrilled to see this new book by J. Patrick Lewis. But this one is now one of my very favorite books of 2009! It is quite the treat of a read.

J. Patrick Lewis has written riddle poems about 13 great children's books. The books are a great variety--some classics, some recent, but all well-loved books. On each page, two detectives (children in quite adorable detective clothing) are there to figure out the book in the riddle. The poems are written in ways that give us clues. And the poems are all a bit different--some are rhyming, some are not. The illustrations by Lynn Munsinger also help a bit with the detective work. There are some clues in the illustration but they are quite cleverly done--just enough to think about but not too much information...

Really, this book is too fun. I smiled every time I solved one of the riddles. It was a fun read, figuring out the books in the riddles. But I see this book as one you can visit again and again. My first job as a reader was to solve the riddles, but now that I've done that, I can read it again to see the brilliance in the writing, the thoughtfulness in the word choice. What a fun model for our students! I can see kids going back to this again and again and again.

Confessions of a Series Junkie

I took one look at my to-be-read-before-school-starts (kids start in just over a week -- eep!) pile and I think there's no point in denying it: I am a series junkie.

A Fabumouse School Adventure

by "Geronimo Stilton"

copyright 2009 in the U.S. by Scholastic

#38 in the series

I haven't read all of these, but I thought it would be a good idea to read one to refresh myself on the series. Incoming 4th graders are often comforted to find a tub full of Geronimo Stilton (along with the entire Magic Tree House series in the two tubs next to Geronimo Stilton). That's one of the best things about series reading: the comfort factor. But lest the faithful reader get bored with the series, out comes a variation on the theme. Case in point:

Thea Stilton and the Dragon's Code

by "Geronimo Stilton"

copyright April, 2009 in the U.S. by Scholastic

This seems to be the first Thea Stilton ("Geronimo Stilton Special Edition"), with another coming out in September and another in March. (On a side note, it looks like Geronimo Stilton is going to break into the graphic novel market next week with Geronimo Stilton #1: The Discovery of America.)

Thea Stilton is Geronimo's sister. In this sub-series, she is all grown up and back at her alma mater, Mouseford Academy, teaching journalism. Five of her students make up a mystery-solving, adventure-loving group called The Thea Sisters. In this book, they solve the mystery of a disappearing classmate.

Crown of Horns (Bone #9)

by Jeff Smith

Scholastic, 2009

This is the final book in the Bone series. But end of series does not necessarily mean last book. (see above: "switch it up" factor) Now we've got the series prequel, in which we see how young Princess Rose (later known as Gran'ma Ben) got started:

Rose

by Jeff Smith

illustrated by Charles Vess

The Bone books are enormously popular in my classroom, and because of that, I see it as my obligation to stay current with the series. (or, alternatively, "I am a series junkie.") The first month or two of school, lots of my readers immerse themselves in graphic novels. Some may be "picture reading," but as long as we can talk about the basic plot and the characters, that's okay with me. After these reluctant text-readers have lived in my classroom for a month or two, they've had a chance to see that all kinds of reading is valued there: easy, challenging, graphic novel, wordless, picture book, poetry, and on and on.

With The Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Volume 2

by Keiko Tobe

Yen Press/Hachette Book Group USA, 2008

Back in January of 2008, when I discovered the first volume of this series, I declared it "Required Reading." Recently, I spotted volumes 2-4 on a bookstore shelf, but our public library only has volume 2. I'll be putting in a request that the other volumes be purchased.

These 500+ traditional manga (reads right to left) graphic novels give the reader a glimpse into the struggles and joys of a family learning to understand their autistic child, Hikaru. The first volume was birth through early elementary years. Volume 2 is "Later Elementary Years."

Missing Trilogy #02: Sent

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing

August 25, 2009

(this one is on my to-be-ordered list since it can't be on the to-be-read pile quite yet...)

I had the good fortune to read the first book in this trilogy just last week -- that means I don't have long to wait to read the second book! (unlike the wait for Suzanne Collins' third book in the Hunger Games trilogy...)

So there you have it. Proof positive that I am a series junkie. Excuse me now. I need to dig in and get caught up with my stories!