FRANKLY, FRANNIE by A.J. Stern

I read the first book in this new series, FRANKLY, FRANNIE, last night and laughed out loud. Frannie is a funny new character who wants to be a grown-up. She carries a briefcase and a resume, loves offices and for Christmas last year, she asked for "an assistant". She is a hoot.

But everyone doesn't agree that Frannie is so amusing. She seems to get in trouble quite a bit and seems to need extra supervision. But her heart is always in the right place.

In this first book, Frannie's class goes to visit the radio station. But when the phone rings and no one is at the radio desk, Frannie comes to the rescue--or at least that's how she sees it. In trying to help out and trying to be a grown-up, Frannie causes lots of problems.

Frannie was a mix between Clementine, Roscoe Riley, Junie B. and all of the other spunky characters who seem to get in trouble when they are really just trying to help out. I liked the ending of this one--Frannie apologizes to the people who were impacted and they see the good in Frannie. She also knows that she did the right thing.

I think kids will really like this series. I always love to see new series for transitional readers and this is a fun one--looks like there are 2 out now and one more coming in September. I think this is a great book for kids newer to chapter books but the humor also makes it a good choice for older kids who are looking for a fun read.

One-A-Day

This summer,

Donalyn's going to read a book a day.

Amy's going to write a poem a day. (KEEP writing, actually -- she has been writing a poem a day, since April 1)

I'm thinking about writing a thank you note a day.

(Some of my other favorite one-a-days are Hugh McCloud's daily Gaping Void cartoons, Harry Bliss' daily cartoons, and Garrison Keillor's A Writer's Almanac.)

What will you do once a day all summer long?

Skywriting: Poems to Fly by J. Patrick Lewis

Skywriting: Poems to Fly

by J. Patrick Lewis

illustrated by Laszlo Kubinyi

Creative Editions, September 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

A history of flight, told in poems! Brilliant!

Lewis begins with Icarus, then treats us to three versions of the hot air balloon. He includes ideas that didn't work so well (Ornithopter and Multiplane) and others whose time was brief but brilliant (Zeppelin and Bell Rocket Belt). He ends with the Nighthawk and the Space Shuttle, but a canny reader will realize that with a history like this, it's likely that humans haven't run out of ideas for new ways to take to the sky.

Endnotes give a little more information about each of the airplanes/modes of flight, and a final timeline gives a tidbit of non-flight history for each of the years in which flight history was featured in a poem.

The poems are clever and snappy -- the Ornithopter got a double limerick and the Concorde's poem is shaped like the plane -- and this book is another great example of multi-genre writing, with its blend of history and poetry.

In My Bag From Cover to Cover

I so love the first days of summer vacation as a reader. I love looking ahead to some extra reading time. For the last few years, Mother Reader's 48 Hour Challenge has been at the very beginning of summer vacation for many of us. Although it has not been timed right for me to participate fully in the challenge, I love the 48 Hour Read and participate in other ways as a reader. Today, the Central Ohio Bloggers celebrated the 48 Hour Read by getting together for breakfast and a bit of book shopping. I took this trip as an opportunity to set up my next few weeks of reading. Sally, at Cover to Cover, is always so wonderful about sharing ARCs with us and we are all pretty good about sharing the ARCs with each other. We all leave the store with great piles. I find shopping for books to be as fun as reading them. I have several plane trips coming up so I am hoping to get lots of these read in the next few weeks. Here is what I left the store with.

I was excited to pick up a copy of AMELIA EARHART: THIS BROAD OCEAN by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle. This book was actually released in February but I hadn't seen it. A graphic novel biography of Amelia Earhart. If you read the Satchel Paige graphic novel/biography, this one is very similar.

I also received a copy of WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET by Tricia Springstubb. This book is due out in August and it looks amazing. I hadn't heard about it and am so happy that Sally pointed it out to me. From the back cover, it looks like this is a book about grief and growing up. I read the first paragraph and loved it immediately. And the author is from Ohio. I am very excited to have discovered this one today.

CANDY FAIRIES by Helen Perelman looks like a series that will appeal to all of my Rainbow Fairies fans at school. Love the idea of candy fairies, especially Cocoa, the chocolate fairy. This looks like a fun series. Each book is a little longer than the Rainbow Fairy books so it might be good as those readers once they move beyond those books.

Then I bought a stack:


I was very excited to see the FRANKLY, FRANNIE series. I am always on the lookout for new series books. And, I must say, there are very few characters in children's books with a name like Franki, Frannie, Frances, etc. The cover is definitely engaging and I was happy to see two books already available in this series. From what I can tell, this is another series about a spunky, independent girl. You can never have too many of those.

Two books that I am VERY excited about are AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH by Lynne Rae Perkins and KEEPER by Kathi Appelt. Mary Lee says it is her favorite novel of the year and Monica Edinger reviewed it for the NY Times this week.

Sally suggested WORD AFTER WORD AFTER WORD by Patricia MacLachlan to me and Mary Lee agreed that it is a great one. I wasn't even aware that MacLachlan had a new book out and she is one of my all-time favorites. I am sure I will love it.

I also picked up Andrew Clements' new series BENJAMIN PRATT AND THE KEEPERS OF THE SCHOOL: WE THE CHILDREN. Kids seem to love everything by Andrew Clements and this looks like something a bit different for him. Still a school story and with a great premise.

I was happy to see a new Loud Boy book. DANIEL BOOM AKA LOUD BOY: GROW UP by D. J. Steinberg looks like another that kids will love. I am happy that so many graphic novels are becoming series. This will be a great support for readers--having characters they can read about again and again. Daniel Boom is definitely a character that kids enjoy.

THE SECRET LIVES OF PRINCESSES by Philippe Lechermeir is one I've read about on several blogs. I thought it would be a great one to add to those princess books that I can't keep in the library but after buying it, I think the humor is definitely for an older crowd. I think some upper elementary kids will crack up at this one.

Now if I can just find the time to read all of these before I add to the stack.

48 Hour Book Challenge

I did not officially take part in Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge. But I've participated in spirit.

Today I spent 4 solid hours reading. As I promised myself, I re-read AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. I loved it just as much the second time around.

I spent 3 hours with book/blogger people at NorthStar and Cover to Cover. I have 5 arcs and 2 new books to read and blog about. (Still ignoring the giant piles of Notables for the time being...)

I just spent the last 2 hours reading (or at least skimming) the 522 blog posts that have piled up in my reader the past couple of weeks. (On a happy note, check out Barbara O'Conner's new book trailer. On a more sobering note, see what the BP oil disaster would look like in your backyard.)

In the past 48 hours, I've celebrated the end of the school year with our staff and with close friends. I've napped (twice...hands down the most restorative thing I've done in the past 48 hours). I've weeded a bit, though the tomatoes still need to be staked. I've done a half-hearted job of cleaning the house and I've done a couple of loads of laundry. It feels so good to be released from the to-do lists that have been monopolizing my every waking moment for the past few weeks.

Congratulations to those who have read, and blogged, and challenged themselves, and set and met goals. After sprinting and hurdling (hurtling?) over the finish line of the school year, what I needed most was to slow down and wander through a couple of days with no agenda. Mission accomplished.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

I was so excited to see a new novel by Jennifer Holm. I picked up TURTLE IN PARADISE and was so happy for the time this weekend to read it. I love Jennifer Holm and have loved all of her work so far. Who doesn't love Babymouse? And PENNY FROM HEAVEN made its way around my entire Italian family--mother, grandmother, aunts, etc. Jennifer Holm captures people and life in a way that is humorous, hopeful and real.

TURTLE IN PARADISE is about a little girl named Turtle, who is sent by her mother to live with her aunt. This story takes place during the depression and Holm gives us more information at the end of the book about this era and that it was common for children to go live with relatives. Turtle is sent to Key West and gets to know her cousins and the neighborhood where her mother grew up.

The characters in the book are quite fun. Bill Prosser at Literate Lives described them well--they have a bit of a Little Rascals feel to them. A group of lovable kids who seem to run the town and get in a bit of trouble here and there. Turtle fits right in, although that isn't clear to her at the beginning. And she grows up as she comes to know herself and her family.

It is amazing to me how Jennifer Holm strings together a story of ordinary days to create something bigger. There is a calm rhythm to the story but you realize that in these ordinary days, Turtle is growing up.

From the cover (which I LOVE!), my first thought was that this was a beach book that would appeal mostly to girls. But this is a book that will appeal to a huge variety of readers. I can see it as a GREAT read aloud in 3, 4th or 5th grades. Much to talk and think about but in a way that is very accessible to kids. Such a variety of characters that everyone will find someone to cheer for.

Love the book-so happy it was my first read of the summer! Again, totally amazed at the variety of writing that Jennifer Holm is able to do well.

Poetry Friday -- She's Singing Today!

To My Class

You were a beautiful garden,
And I was the gardener.
I nourished your beauty and helped you grow.
I valued you even when others thought you were wild weeds.
I trimmed you back when you got a little out of control
so that you can grow to be
tall and
straight
and proud
and confident
and true.

My garden is beautiful.
Every plant is different
and lovely in its uniqueness.
If I had more time,
I could straighten the rows,
add more nourishment of knowledge,
help the sharp-edged hearts to soften into the beauty of kindness,
encourage the small and quiet ones to shine with brightness.

Someone else will be your gardener now and forever more.
I can only hope my year of nourishment and valuing
will remain with you as you
grow well,
remember all you’ve learned
(in your heart and your mind), and
stand
tall and
straight
and proud
and confident
and true.

Ms. Hahn
4th Grade
2009-2010

The roundup today is at The Cazzy Files.

May Mosaic

I originally thought I'd go for all flowers this month. You know, the old, April showers bring May flowers sort of thing. But although May did bring on lots of beautiful blooms (it seems like everything is a couple weeks early this year), it was good for more than just that. May brings Teacher Appreciation week, and our wonderful PTO went all out this year, including decorating the front walk with "thank you" in dozens of different languages -- perfect for our school. May brought the new/old cabinet for the kitchen (and hopefully June will bring the time for the floor, walls, and new appliances!!). COFF donated $1000 to CFR, and my Champion ran the Race for the Cure in celebration of me. My "Time With Teacher" in the raffle at our school's Carnapalooza was a river exploration program at Highbanks. My young friend and I didn't catch the water snake, but we were suitably impressed by it. Worthington has their flower baskets hung from all the light poles in Old Worthington. These baskets are a measure of my summer: right now the vines only come to the bottom of the baskets. By the middle of August, they will be touching the ground and it will be time to go back to school! We finish the month with The Hosta Guy's dog under the van at the farmer's market, the spices I used for chicken curry, and Captain Flint (our favorite barista at Stauf's) in "Treasure Island."

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth

by Lynne Rae Perkins

Greenwillow Books, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

Fair warning: I'm going to gush.

This is my favorite novel so far this year, hands-down, no competition.

I can't wait until Saturday for Mother Reader's 48-Hour Read -- I'm seriously considering rereading this book as my first read of the marathon. (And if you saw the pile of novels I need to tackle for the Notables, you'd have a much better appreciation of the enormity that statement.)

You read for plot? This book's got plot in spades -- one outlandishly unbelievably impossibly possible event after another. This book is one long series of unfortunate events that could really happen. (But maybe not in the same chain, to the same person...or could they?)

You read for characters? This book's got a full cast, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Del. I love Del. Who wouldn't? He drops everything to drive Ry across the country to get back home, and then flies in a duct taped airplane with him to an island, and sails with him to another island, only to have some rotten luck with a windmill, but luckily he's taught Ry everything he needs to know in order for complete his mission on his own and live the rest of his life wide open for possibilities the way Del does.

The real reason I love Del? I'm married to him. To a man who can drive all night without sleep, find a way to fix anything (and who'll drop whatever he's doing to fix that thing for whoever asks), fly an airplane, sail a boat (while singing sea shanties), and admit (most of the time, at least begrudgingly) when he's wrong. My point here is not to gloat, but to let those of you who believe that Del is an over-the-top created-by-an-author kind of character know that men like that exist.

Another reason I love Del? I've got a little Del in me, too. I've got a couple of summit photos to prove that prior to arthritis and back problems, I was a rock climber. I've swum two open water swims, driven around the U.S. on my own, learned to make bobbin lace, and baked over 100 cupcakes in 3 days straight. I've had an interesting life. I HAVE an interesting life. And if there's nothing else this book makes you want more than to start over again at page one and reread it, it makes you long for (or proud of) an interesting life.

What else do I love about this book? The dogs. (They crack me up. Especially their conversation in the cargo hold on the way back home.) The chapter titles. Carl's driving. The description of the smell of the air in Florida. The scene where Everett's methane tank explodes. The way this book has stayed with me even though I finished it (for the first time) a week ago.

What are you waiting for? Go get a copy and start reading. Now!

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld

Shark vs. Train

by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld

Little, Brown and Company, 2010

Competition has been a big problem in my classroom this year. For a few of the kids, it's always a race to the door when they're called to line up, with no tolerance for someone getting their place back in line once the order is set. The drama of the soccer field at lunch recess lasts well into the afternoon, and both Connect 4 and Battleship were put away during indoor recess season because of constant (loud) bickering about who won or whose turn it was to play. Grades on papers are not seen as a reflection of one's hard work and progress in learning, rather they are numbers with which to "verse" one another.

Sigh.

I'm adding Shark vs. Train to my stack of beginning-of-the-year books so that we can start the year next year with a conversation about how ridiculous competition can be. (Yes, crazy me -- four days left and I'm thinking about next year already!!)

The set-up to the story is two little boys (sorry, guys, but yes, it's mostly your problem...) diving into a toy box and coming up with a shark and a train. The two toys go head-to-head in some situations where the winner is obvious -- in the ocean or on railroad tracks -- not so obvious -- roasting marshmallows or eating pies -- or downright tricky -- playing hide-and-seek or trying not to get shushed in the library.

In this book, the escalated competition is preempted by a call to lunch. Hopefully, in my classroom next year, it can be preempted by a humorous look at competition from the first day.

BONUS EXTRAS:

How the book came to be -- a peek behind the scenes by editor Alvina Ling at Blue Rose Girls.

7-Imp's chat with the author and illustrator.

Chris Barton's blog.

Tom Lichtenheld's blog.

Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

by Sarah C. Campbell

photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

Boyds Mills Press, 2010

Here's another great pick for your mathematics library -- a book about Fibonacci Numbers that is easy to understand! Campbell's photos of single garden flowers whose petals follow the Fibonacci sequence, along with clearly stated text make this a book that can be shared with even very young children. (I'm thinking of Jone's Kindergartners who wrote Fibonacci poems.)

You can feel Campbell scaffolding your understanding as she moves you from flower petals to the spirals in the bracts of a pinecone, the disc flowers in a sunflower, and the sections on the outside of a pineapple. (Who knew these spirals all go both ways?? -- obviously, not me!)

This is a fascinating book that will have you looking closely at the world around you to find patterns and counting to see if you can find another example of a Fibonocci number in nature.

Sarah Campbell's blog and website.

Author interview by Elizabeth O. Dulemba (and links to other blogs on Sarah's Feb/Mar Blog Tour.)

Franki's review of Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell.

For Good Measure by Ken Robbins

For Good Measure: The ways we say how much, how far, how heavy, how big, how old

by Ken Robbins

Roaring Brook Press, 2010

Franki already reviewed this book along with other great new nonfiction, but it deserves its own spotlight.

All I had to see was that it was by Ken Robbins, and I bought it. I LOVED his book, Food For Thought (reviewed in September 2009). For Good Measure also has stunning photography paired with the interesting facts in the text.

What I love most about For Good Measure is the way Robbins tells the history of the words we use to name our units of measure. Some (many, actually) come from Latin, such as inch (uncia), mile (mille passus), and pound (pondus means weight; libra was the real unit of measure; libra pondo meant a "libra of weight," and although we now call the unit "pound," we still abbreviate it lb. for libra). Others come from Old English (1 fathom is 6 feet, or the distance from finger tip to finger tip of a man's outstretched arms; fæthm meant "outstretched arms," and if we can't fathom why BP is not being held more accountable for the oil spill, it means we can't wrap our arms around the idea.) And still others come from the object that was used to measure them: a rod is 5.5 yd. or 16.5 ft. and "was originally a stick used to prod the oxen that were plowing a field."

I also love the big organizing ideas that Robbins uses: yes, he goes from smallest to largest units in each category of measurement, but he also points out things like "Smaller units of length are mostly based on parts of the body. Longer units of distance are mostly based on actions," and time is "the interval between one event and another -- between one winter and the next (a year), one heartbeat and the next (a second.)"

I read this book aloud to my math class last week. We were just finishing up our unit on measurement -- perfect timing! They loved it! They were engaged by the photographs and fascinated by the facts in the text. This book is a must for every nonfiction collection.

Poetry Friday -- Hurdles and Sprinting and the Finish Line

There are two ways to pass a hurdle: leaping over or plowing through... There needs to be a monster truck option.
- Jeph Jacques

photo by kevin.roberts

"Hurdlers are sprinters with a problem. They're not satisfied just to sprint. Anybody can sprint, some not as well as others of course, but anybody can sprint. Not everybody can run hurdles. There's an extra dimension involved. Hurdlers would make a good subject for a thesis in psychology - they are of a persuasion that just needs an extra dimension."
-Denny Moyer

photo by Ambrosio Photography

IF

by Rudyard Kipling

Especially this part that comes right at the end:

"...If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run...")

Just a few more days to the finish line, and we're sprinting and jumping hurdles, and trying to

"...keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs ..."

You can find the poem in print at Poets.org

Tricia has the round up this week at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Fun New Wordless Book

Chalk

by Bill Thomson

Marshall Cavendish, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

I'm always on the lookout for new wordless books for my collection. They are great for limited English speakers and for small group work on making inferences.

This one tells the story of some children who find a gift bag full of chalk hanging from a playground dinosaur's mouth on a rainy day. The first girl draws a sun on the sidewalk, and lo and behold, the sun comes out.

The kids try out one fun possibility after another, but things get a little out of hand, until someone gets the idea to draw the rainstorm they started out with so that the chalk drawings wash away.

The kids carefully hang the bag of chalk back on the dinosaur's mouth and walk on (with a final, wary glance back -- reminiscent of JUMANJI).

Cheryl Bardoe at Cover to Cover

I went to hear Cheryl Bardoe speak at Cover to Cover yesterday. I am on a mission to find more great nonfiction for kids and I picked up Cheryl's newest book MAMMOTHS AND MASTODONS: TITANS OF THE ICE AGE
a few weeks ago.


I loved it immediately and think the topic, writing and visuals will appeal to kids. As I have said before, I think it is really important that we have lots of nonfiction that kids could read cover to cover. To build stamina for nonfiction and to immerse themselves in topics they love, reading lots on a topic is important. This is one of those great books that upper elementary/middle school kids could read from cover to cover. This book is the story of a recent discovery of a fully frozen baby mammoth. Because the mammoth was so well preserved, scientists learned a great deal from the discovery. This book is the story of the work that the scientists did and the things they discovered that might help us in the future. The book is filled with photos, illustrations and diagrams and is packed with information about mammoths and their disappearance. "Lyuba' as the baby mammoth has been named, is part of a traveling exhibit at the Chicago Field Museum.

There are several articles about the baby mammoth and the traveling exhibit in Chicago:
USA TODAY
DAILY HERALD
ABC NEWS

Bardoe's first book GREGOR MENDEL: THE FRIAR WHO GREW PEAS, is another book that I love. A great biography about the worlds first geneticist. This biography explains the experiments that Mendel did with peas in a way that children can begin to understand concepts related to genes. Told in narrative, we learn a great deal about Mendel's passion for nature as well as his scientific contribution to the world.

So glad I was able to hear Cheryl Bardoe yesterday. She has a gift for writing about complex topics in a way that makes them accessible to kids. If you have not visited her website, she has great resources for teachers.


An aside: To highlight Cheryl Bardoe's books, Cover to Cover had a digital frame on the check-out counter. The books were highlighted on the frame. It caught my eye immediately and I began to think about what a great tool this would be for the library. A frame can hold so many pictures and the images are so easy to change and update. I think I will buy one to use to highlight new books, certain books by an author, etc. Just another way to highlight books for kids--this digital frame idea seems brilliant to me!

2 New Early Chapter Books

I am always looking for good early chapter books. I think kids move from Henry and Mudge to Harry Potter too fast and often lose interest in reading because of it. I am always thrilled when I find great books that help kids build the stamina they need to get through longer books. I also like these books to recommend for teachers looking to add chapter books to their primary classroom read aloud time. Finding books that are easy enough and appropriate for young children, while also giving them real issues to talk and think about is not always easy. These two do both of those things.

LAYLA, QUEEN OF HEARTS by Glenda Millard is one that I just discovered. I like it because it has a bit of depth that you don't often find with earlier chapter books. This is the story of a friendship between Layla and Miss Amelie. Because Layla's grandmother has recently passed away, Layla has no one to take to Senior Citizens' Day at school. With the help of her neighbors, she finds a new friend, Miss Amelie. But Miss Amelie is often very confused and forgetful. Layla isn't sure that Miss Amelie will be able to make it to Senior Citizens' Day after all. The thing I like about this book is the way that it focuses on the relationship between the two characters and the kindness they show to each other. I think it is often difficult for young children to begin to understand the things that often come with aging and illness. This book puts these things into a story that children can understand. I love the characters in this book. The author focuses on the good in each character and the ways in which they support each other. They will stay with me for a while.

And, if you've ever wished your doll would come to life (and who hasn't, really?), you'll want to read THE VERY LITTLE PRINCESS by Marion Dane Bauer. I am a big fan of Bauer and this is a very different kind of book for her, I think. Marion Dane Bauer often deals with hard, real issues in her books. She does so in this one, but cushions it in a tale about a doll coming to life. I so love that. I love this book. It is a short read. About 120 pages. The basic story is like many others--a girl who finds a doll who comes to life. I love this kind of a story--any little tiny people who come to life. But this one is about more than that. It is about pain and loneliness, friendship and abandonment and about living today to its fullest. It is amazing to me that Marion Dane Bauer could pack such big issues into such a fun book. I shouldn't be surprised. She is an amazing author. Again, this would make a great read aloud or a great book for talking about.

(The title of this book is The Very Little Princess #1--could it be that there will be MORE of these coming soon?)

Encyclopedia Mythologica: GODS & HEROES

Gods and Heroes

by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda

Candlewick Press, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

Did you catch that byline? ROBERT SABUDA.

Yeah. This is a popup book. Probably the most amazing popup you've seen to date. And timely -- aren't your students nuts over Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology?!?!

I sat down with my friend Lisa who has taught her fifth graders to make popup books for many years.

The first thing she pointed to was Robert Sabuda's name and said, "Well, all you have to see is his name and you know it's going to be extraordinary."

The first double page spread is Egyptian mythology. Anubis practically jumps off the page into your lap with his jackal-head mask, his palm outstretched, and his ankh held high.

There is information on most corners, and under that text is another popup and more information. (On some corners, there are two layers of small popups! Astounding construction and design!)

On the second spread, Olympus rises from the clouds and the reader quite naturally wants to find each one of the Olympians.

Jason and the Argonauts float out of the third spread, representing the Mortal Champions of the Old World. (There is a flip book of Herakles' Labors that is like no flip book you've ever seen...)

Next, Thor the Sky God lowers his enchanted hammer as the reader learns about the Norse myths.

Pele pops out of a volcano to introduce Eastern Mythology.

Finally, Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent of the Aztec Empire writhes off the page to bring the myths within 10,000 years of the present.

More quotes from Lisa:

"Wow. Wow."

"Sabuda is not just a popup guy, he's a true paper engineer."

"This is not a book that readers will "use up" in one quick look. The popups draw you into the text and you want to keep reading and discovering."

Poetry Friday -- Happiness

HAPPINESS MAKES UP IN HEIGHT FOR

WHAT IT LACKS IN LENGTH

by Robert Frost

Oh, stormy stormy world,
The days you were not swirled
Around with mist and cloud,
Or wrapped as in a shroud,
And the sun's brilliant ball
Was not in part or all
Obscured from mortal view—
Were days so very few
I can but wonder whence
I get the lasting sense
Of so much warmth and light.
If my mistrust is right
It may be altogether
From one day's perfect weather,
When starting clear at dawn,
The day swept clearly on
To finish clear at eve.


(the rest of the poem is at A Writer's Almanac)

Thank goodness for those single days or single moments that give us our lasting "fair impression." If we focus solely on the stormy times, we'll go stark raving mad. Sometimes it seems as if the universe is testing our tolerance for the number of "swirling mist and cloud" days we can tolerate, and during those time we wonder what the universe knows about us that we don't yet know about ourselves. But we are always given a day without shadows, a day where happiness is high, if not long.

May you have one of those days today!

Laura Salas at Writing the World for Kids has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week. (I promise I didn't look at her post before I chose my poem!)

WHAT IF? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I picked up a copy of WHAT IF? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger at the Literacy Connection workshop a few weeks ago. I could tell immediately that it was a great find.

WHAT IF is almost wordless. There are only a few repeated phrases that tell the story. Most of the story is told in the pictures. The book explores the idea of friendship and feelings by helping the reader see how a story might end if people responded differently. This simple book helps us think about what it means to be inclusive vs. exclusive, how our actions impact others and more. Such a great invitation to conversations.

The way that the author tells her story is brilliant. She repeats a scene three times with 3 very different outcomes. The stories are quite similar in that if you merely skim the book and don't really take time on the illustrations, the book may not make sense. This is a story in which the pictures are almost more important than the words.

I almost never pick up a book that I don't see several possibilities for. I can see using this book to talk about life issues such as friendship, exclusivity, and decision-making. I can also see using it in a study of theme or when introducing the idea of cause and effect in a story.

To learn more about this book there is an interview of the author in May's issue of "Notes from the Hornbook"

2 Books for Word Study

I picked up two new books that I love for talk around words. BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST by Nancy Coffelt is not a brand new one and I may even have blogged about it before. I LOVE it and seem to have loaned my copy out or something. This is a picture book that is great to use with kids of all ages. Each section consists of 3 pages with related words. For example the first three pages focus on the words small, smaller and smallest using animals to illustrate the meaning. But the book goes a bit further than that and gives readers other words that mean similar things. For example on the small page, the "smallest" page, the spider says, "I'm smallest. I'm miniature. I'm miniscule. I'm microscopic!" This almost serves as a mini-thesaurus and can also be used to start conversations about how even though the words mean similar things, you'd pick one over the other as a writer depending on the context. This book provides invitations into so many conversations about words. So simple but so packed. (For younger readers, this would be a great one to pair with THE BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST BOOK.)

GUMPTION is a new by Elise Broach that a friend told me about. Sally at Cover to Cover suggested using it in word study. She is so smart! This is the story of a boy who goes on a safari with his grandfather. His grandfather lets him know many times during the adventure that all he needs is a little "gumption". The story is a humorous one that kids will like and they will see how they can figure out the meaning of a word by reading it in the context over and over again. I read the book to a few classes this week. They had a great time saying the word gumption and it was interesting to see their understanding of the word build as the book went on. They had no idea what it meant early in the book, made several guesses early on and then changed their thinking as they heard the word again and again. A fun read aloud even without the word study piece.

FOREST EXPLORER by Nic Bishop

I am a huge fan of Nic Bishop. His work is stunning. Nic Bishop's work is engaging and accessible to children. I was thrilled to see this new book FOREST EXPLORER: A LIFE SIZE FIELD GUIDE on the shelves at Cover to Cover.

This book is a bit different from Bishop's other books. Same size but a different look and a different format. This is truly a field guide for children.

The first pages are a great Table of Contents with photos to support young readers. Following the Table of Contents, there is a page called, "How To Use This Book". Every other 2-page spread is a giant photo (life size) of a part of the forest. Readers are encouraged to study it and notice things before turning the page. Upon turning the page, Nic Bishop has written 2 pages of "field notes" sharing information about the previous scene. Brilliant, don't you think? The field notes include some photos, bold words, labels and information about so many things in each photo. It is amazing how much information each photo holds for explorers. The photos show parts of the forest such as "In the Treetops" as well as times in the forest such as "After Dark" and "The Fall". Such a variety of things to learn about.

At the end of the book, several pages are dedicated to a section called, "Be a Forest Explorer" which gives hints and projects for readers who want to explore the woods. Nic Bishop shares info about keeping a forest journal, safety tips, and things to expect at different times of the year.

The picture index at the end of the book also serves as an invitation to readers to find various animals in photos throughout the book. This will give kids a chance to revisit the book over and over.

I worry that so many of the nonfiction books we share with children are similar in form and purpose. So many of the field guides I have seen are not really accessible to kids. This one is definitely accessible and engaging. A great addition to our nonfiction library!

SPARKY: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz

Last year, I joined Junior Library Guild for our library. I had cancelled the subscription when I started the job in the library because I didn't really understand the service they could provide. After talking to people on their staff, I began to understand how purchasing books from JLG could really help me with collection development.

Junior Library Guild reviews and selects books that would be appropriate for different age groups. But I do so much of that on my own, I didn't see the need. When I read and learned more though, I realized that I could decide which types of books JLG would provide for a discounted fee. I knew that our biographies and mysteries were outdated and those are not two areas that I keep up with myself. So I joined with those two areas, knowing that I'd receive a book each month in those categories. It has been such a great thing for us--we have great books in our library that I may never have noticed since they aren't always my favorite types.

Last month, I received one of my favorite new biographies--SPARKY: THE LIFE AND ART OF CHARLES SCHULZ by Beverly Gherman. This book is a small chapter book. Although it is about 120 pages, almost half of those pages are illustrations, photos and cartoons. This is a perfect biography for mid to upper elementary kids. It was also interesting for me to read as an adult so it is pretty much good for all ages.

The book has a fun look. Colorful with the feeling of The Peanuts Gang. No white pages with black ink that I could find. Instead, there are several colors used for fonts against a variety of backdrops. A fun read. The print is not small and very accessible for students who are just starting to read longer chapter books. Even the Table of Contents is done in a unique way to stay with the Peanuts theme. The book follows Charles Schulz (or Sparky as was his nickname) throughout his life. Photos from his childhood, stories of his family, career information and more are included. You really get to know Charles Schulz in this book. Throughout the book, the author has embedded Peanuts strips that connect in some ways to the information being shared. From the first ideas for the comic strip to the process of creating the first animated TV show of the Peanuts, this book is pretty comprehensive.

I love this book for so many reasons. I loved reading it myself. It was an interesting read about a talented person who I realized I knew very little about. As a teacher and librarian, I love the way that it is written and formatted. I think that it would make a good read aloud for people looking to add more nonfiction to their read aloud time. I also think it is a biography that is better than many chapter book length biographies I've seen. Even for kids who don't remember Peanuts the way we do, with the popularity of comics and graphic novels, the evolution of this artist will be very interesting.

Thanks to Junior Library Guild for this great addition to our Biography Section!

Betsy at Fuse #8 also reviewed this book.

Mother Reader's 48 HOUR BOOK CHALLENGE and Other Summer Fun

Summer is actually right around the corner! With all the stress of the end of the year, it is pretty amazing to realize that in just a few weeks it will be summer. I am pretty busy this summer--probably more busy than I am during the school year. But, summer has always been a time for me to read, reflect and rethink things for fall.

I LOVE that Mother Reader's 5th Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge will happen on the first Saturday after our students are finished with school. Although we have never been able to dedicate the entire 48 hours to reading, and are not really competitive in this challenge, we all try to participate by starting the summer off with lots of reading during that 48 hours. We have found ways to participate in the event even though we can't totally commit. It is one of our favorite events of the year and we love Mother Reader for organizing it. One of these years, we might be able to actually compete. But for this year, we are enjoying our own version of the event.

Just as we did last year, the Central Ohio Blogger's group will be meeting for breakfast and book shopping at Cover to Cover as part of our 48 Hour Read Celebration. We imagine that on Saturday morning, Bill from Literate Lives will have granola, Julie at Raising Readers and Writers will buy too many books :-) and there will be a few tug-of-war situations when Sally shares some ARCS from Cover to Cover. We love any excuse to get together with our book-loving friends and we can't think of a better way to kick off summer. So, look for posts from all of us throughout the 48 hour read weekend.

Another things I am excited about this summer is that I think I get to meet Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Bev Gallagher, an amazing teacher, invited us both to be part of a great day at Princeton Day School called GATHERING WORDS. Our paths seem to cross once in a while but we have never been able to actually meet. As you know I am a HUGE fan of Rebecca's. Bella and Bean is one of my favorite books, and am very excited to get to meet her.

I am also looking forward to attending November Learning's BLC 10. I have never been to this conference and am looking forward to it. The keynotes look amazing and I am excited about the other speakers as well. Plus, it is in Boston and I am sure there is some good shopping!

We've also put a few dates on the calendars for our informal tech learning from each other. Last summer, a group of us from Dublin and area districts, got together at different homes to teach each other the things we had tried, to share ideas and to play with new gadgets. It was some of the best learning I've done. Put some of your favorite people together in a house with some food (Mary Lee often makes cheesecake:-) and how can it not lead to great learning and great fun?

Mary Lee and I are also doing a new workshop for Choice Literacy called "Matching Students and Books". I always learn lots when I think and plan with someone else and I always learn from the Choice Literacy participants. Looking forward to all of the Choice Literacy events.

Between all of these, our district leadership academy, and some other events, I am looking forward to a busy (in a good way) summer. When I add all that I read on twitter and blogs, I am sure my head will be filled with new thinking every day.

And people think teachers take the summer off!?

Poetry Friday -- Drowning

Not Waving But Drowning
by Stevie Smith

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

******************

Here's a poem with interesting connections to the Stevie Smith poem above:

"This is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood

(Thanks, Author Amok!)

Anyone else have poems about drowning to add to our "text set?"

******************

Fifteen more student days.

I'm not waving, I'm drowning.

Toss me a life preserver on your way over to Jama's alphabet soup for the round up. She's got a pot of hot tea and a plate of cookies ready for you. Even her teacups are poetic!

Nabeel's New Pants: An Eid Tale

Nabeel's New Pants: An Eid Tale

retold by Fawzia Gilani-Williams

illustrated by Proiti Roy

Marshall Cavendish, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

I was so excited when I saw the title of this book. At my school, we have at least two boys named Nabeel. We also have Mariams and Yasmeens. We have kids whose mothers wear burqas and dupattas and who make biryani and sheerkorma, kids who celebrate Eid and who go to mosques.

In this folktale, Nabeel buys Eid gifts for his mother, his wife, and his daughter. The shopkeeper convinces him to buy a new pair of pants for himself, but the only pair that fits is too long. Each time Nabeel gives a gift, he asks if the recipient will hem his pants for him, but they are all too busy getting ready for Eid. Finally, Nabeel hems his own pants and sets off to visit the poor and sick and give them money for Eid. Each woman, thinking of how thoughtful Nabeel has been to them, takes a minute away from her work and hems his pants for him. When he gets back and dresses to go to the mosque for Eid, his pants only come to his knees! Everyone laughs, the pants are restored to a proper length, and off the family goes to the mosque.

I had our Arabic-speaking Community Liaison read this book and tell me what she thought of it. She loved that Muslims depicted in this book are not Middle Eastern. So often, she said, the stereotype is that only Middle Easterners are Muslim, when in fact, big chunks of Africa, India and Indonesia are also Muslim.

She also loved that the Muslims in this book are cheerful and laughing, which breaks another stereotype that Muslims are dour and serious.

I KNOW HERE by Laurel Croza

I am not sure how I found out about I KNOW HERE by Laurel Croza--somewhere online via Twitter or blogs or Amazon recommendations. It was a quick link and I immediately knew I had to have this book. I ordered it right away and I am so happy that I did! I think this is going to become one of those anchor books for so many things. First and foremost, this is a powerful story of moving and leaving a place that you love--finding ways to hold onto it after you are gone. If I were in the classroom, it would definitely be one I'd use early in the school year to invite kids to try different types of writing. A great writing mentor text. But it can also start conversations about setting or a sense of place in a story. And the illustrations are unique and stunning.

On the first page of the book, the little girl in the story finds out that she is moving away from the home that she knows to go to another place. But, "This is where I live. I don't know Toronto. I know here." She then goes on to describe all that she knows about the place she loves--the road, the forest, the trailers, the hill, the truck and more. She then asks, "Have people in Toronto seen what I've seen?" and she thinks about the things that she's seen--a moose standing still in water, a five seater airplane swooping low overhead and more.

Finding a way to keep this place that she loves with her when she moves is important to her and she finds a way to do it.

This book reminds a bit of Byrd Baylor's writing, even though the format is much different. The focus, language, and repetition in this book make it stand out as one worth having. So happy I have it. I absolutely love it!

Planning for Summer Reading

It is time to start thinking about summer reading. My pile is so high that I know I'll never get it finished. But I love the idea of more time to read.

This week in the library, we started to talk about summer reading. I know how important it is for kids to read all summer but I want them to love it. Our library offers a great Summer Reading Program with lots of incentives and Mr. George from the Dublin Branch came to Riverside to share some great books with us.

I want a way to encourage kids to read in authentic ways. I want them to see summer like I do--as a time with extra time for reading-a time to get to those books you haven't had a chance to get to yet.

So many readers have a way to keep track of their next-read books. Many people carry little notebooks, scraps of papers, notes on their phones, etc. I keep a list of books on my phone so that whenever I am in a bookstore

or library, I have some titles handy. I want my kids to begin to think ahead too.

As I was thinking about how to go about this this year, I came across these great little notebooks from Oriental Trading Company. I knew they were exactly what I was looking for--and such a bargain! I purchased these notebooks for each of our 2nd through 5th grade students and kids spent time this week decorating and personalizing them. This was nothing fancy--stickers, magazines, etc. But the kids had a great time and are very excited to start using them next week. Next week, I am planning on booktalking some great new books that kids might want to read over the summer. As I share, they'll have their notebooks in hand, ready to add to their list of must read books. I'll take time to have kids share great books and time for book browsing so kids can add to the notebooks.

I am hoping kids leave with an excitement about the books they want to read and I am hoping that this notebook starts a lifelong habit for many of them, a habit of recording those great books they hear about that they want to read sometime soon.

Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer

Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer

by Kathleen T. Pelley

illustrated by S.D. Schindler

Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

This is a fable that will ring true to anyone who needs to find a little more balance in their life.

This is a fable that will ring true to educators who are tired of measuring, measuring, measuring (testing, testing, testing) and who long to get back to the true experience of joining hands with children and learning together.

Magnus Maximus measures "wetness and dryness, nearness and farness, and everything else in between." He counts "clouds in the sky, petals on a geranium, freckles on a nose, measles on a tummy, or raisins in a bun." He becomes the town's official measurer and measures "all kinds of NESSes" (like the wobbliness of a jellyfish) and "all kinds of ESTs" (like the stinkiest socks).

Then one day, he accidentally steps on his glasses and he can't see to count or measure. He goes down to the sea, where he meets a boy named Michael who invites him to play in the waves and make a sandcastle.

The next day, when his glasses are ready, Magnus Maximus begins to measure again as usual. But at 6:00 that evening, he takes his glasses off, makes a pot of tea, and sits in the garden and enjoys the end of his day...without measuring a single thing.

The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching and Learning

I have had a great week of learning. Last Friday and Saturday, I attended a Literacy Connection workshop featuring speaker Samantha Bennett. On Tuesday of last week, I was able to attend Ohio's 21st Century Skills Summit. Even though the topics of the two workshops were different (one on workshop and one on 21st Century Skills), they came together in a way that is helping me think through my own work. Both really helped me get my mind back into what matters in education. It is getting harder, as teachers, in this age of testing, to remember the big picture of our work. Both of these workshops helped me to think hard about being more intentional and prioritizing.

One of the speakers I was able to hear at the Ohio Summit was Christian Long. His talk was on Learning Environments and it was amazing. I had not heard him speak before and was incredibly inspired by his talk. One of the books that he recommended was THE THIRD TEACHER, which I ordered immediately. I spent this weekend reading the book and I LOVED it. I am so happy to have discovered it. I intend to go back to it over the next few months.

I have been struggling a bit with the environment of the library. I have quickly realized that it is a different kind of challenge to create a community for an entire school population than it is to create a classroom community. Thinking about a space that supports all members of an entire school in different ways has been on my mind this year. Much of my thinking during my last several years in the classroom was about creating an intellectual community in the classroom. So much of my thinking comes from moving beyond merely a feel-good environment for kids, but one where a community can come together as thinkers, learners and doers and how to create that sense for every member. I have been trying to figure out how to use the library resources, time and space to create a similar environment for the entire school community. It is my new big question and this book is helping me begin to think differently about these issues. It is a great book if you are thinking about environment of any kind connected to kids and education. Whether you are thinking about classroom environment, school environment, etc. this book gives you lots to think about.

I have too many sticky notes in the book to begin to tell you about, but the book is filled with so many things to think about in the ways we must change the school environment by thinking about design, if we want to meet our students' needs. Many of the case studies in the book are about schools that were started from scratch or schools that were built with a vision in mind. For me, reading this book was more about thinking through making the best of space that is already there and it gave me lots to think about.

Even though I was thinking a bit about space, this book is about so much more than space. We hear from Howard Gardner in the book, who reminds us, "The actual materials, or layout of the spaces are less important than the provision of ample opportunity to use these intelligences."--The book is about being intentional about the environments we create for children based on what we believe. We hear from experts like Raffi, Ken Robinson and others who each bring a different expertise to the conversation.

Some things in the book that have helped my current thinking:

#14 Multiply Intelligences: Allow students time and space to choose what they want to do-their choices will illuminate their individual strengths."

#15 Post learning: Posting student work, both current and past, up on the walls tracks progress in visible ways.

#23 Make classrooms agile: A learning space that can be reconfigured on a dime will engage different kinds of learners and teachers.

#62 Put the fun in fundamentals: Injecting a learning space with playfulness and humor creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The book explores so many aspects of environment including school lunches, playgrounds and the role of technology in schools today. And the design of the book itself is amazing. It is designed in a way that not only invites you in but gives you so much to think about on every page. The combination of text, quotes, photos and case studies creates a unique read.

So many things that I want to learn more about--projects and people I was introduced to in the book. I want to explore THE THIRD TEACHER site and blog a bit more and I also want to go back and find the sites for many of the schools and experts that I read about in the book.

This book has just been put on my "must recommend to everyone I know" list. (And I like it so much that I don't think I am going to be able to lend it to anyone--it is one that I want to have with me for a while!) I have read so many good things lately but this one stands out a bit for anyone who wants a way to think through the ways in which the environments we create in schools impact teaching and learning.

Poetry Friday -- Eh?

photo by Ségozyme

April showers

bring separation of powers.

What's good for the goose

is the summary of the story.

A thing of beauty

is a decimal place value.

An apple a day

comes off one of the three branches of government.

Those who live in glass houses

compare and contrast the theme of another story.

A bird in the bush

is worth a three in the hundredths place.

All work and no play

makes the teacher cross-eyed when she's grading papers.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Diane has the roundup this week at Random Noodling.

(Sorry about the comment moderation -- spammers are becoming annoyingly tenacious.)