The next day I shared THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney (I reviewed it here). The students picked right up on the themes of family and power and helpfulness.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Unit of Study on THEME (beginnings)
The next day I shared THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney (I reviewed it here). The students picked right up on the themes of family and power and helpfulness.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Giving Back, part 2
It is the time of year where lots of people give back to families and organizations. We all have causes that are important to us and we support those causes in many ways.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Poetry Friday -- Happiness
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wow! THANKS!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Giving Back
The Reading Village is an organization that brings books to children in Guatemala. There are many organizations that bring books to kids but this one is a little different. If you visit the website, make sure to watch the video about the founder. Instead of just bringing books to kids, Reading Village is committed to creating a culture of reading in Guatemala. They do this by training teen volunteers and making them leaders in their communities. The things that are happening are amazing as lives are being changed by books.
An organization I just recently learned about is Hannah's Socks. Again, I am in awe of an amazing child making a difference in the world. Hannah began collecting socks for people when she realized that many people in the homeless shelter where she was serving food, had no socks. She is now 9 years old and hopes to donate 60,000 pairs of socks this year.
Hannah's Story - In Images, Words, and Music | Hannah's Socks
These are two of the organizations I will be supporting this season. I would love to hear about the organizations you are supporting this year. I have learned of so many great organizations from blog posts I've read.
live, laugh, celebrate
This is a book about life, and joy, and celebration around the world.
"Humankind just cannot resist a celebration -- whoever we are and wherever on Earth we may be, someone has a reason to cheer..."
This would be a great book to give as a gift, and a great book to put on your coffee table.
- We can study the way he organized his images, and study the essays he includes at the beginning of each section of the book (Cycles of Life, Around the World, Life of the Party).
- We can look at the way each photograph is attributed to the photographer with information about the city, country, photographer and year, along with a short descriptive caption.
- And we can study the photographs themselves, identifying the ones that speak most strongly to us and figuring out what the photographer did with light and composition (and sometimes luck) to capture the moment in a way that makes us want to look, and look again.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
TOFU QUILT and a couple more cool teachers
He reads usa Chinese translation of a storyabout three American boys froma long time ago,who rode a raft on the Mississippi River....And Mr. Hon is the first teacherwho displays my storiesmarked, "Great work!"on the classroom bulletin boardeven thoughIamjustagirl.
Not until her seventh grade teacher does Yeung Ying get encouragement again, when she hears, "Your story really comes to life" and "You write very well./ Keep trying./ You can be a writer someday."
Monday, December 07, 2009
Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Another Winter Book!
SLEEP, BIG BEAR, SLEEP! by Maureen Wright and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand will make a fun winter read aloud. As everyone knows, bears sleep through the winter and it's time for Big Bear to do just that. Old Man Winter keeps telling him to "Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep", but Big Bear doesn't hear very well and he thinks he is hearing different directions--such as, "Drive a jeep." and "Dive Deep." Bear does as he thinks he is being told, but he is very, very tired!
This is a fun book and the repeated phrase, "But Bear didn't hear very well; he couldn't sleep in his den in the dell..." is one that will invite kids to join in on the reading. As always, Hillenbrand's illustrations are wonderful and the feeling of winter is clear. I will add these to my other great new winter books! Kids seem to love to hear stories about the seasons. These will be great to read when we get our first snow. (I do remember that last year, in early March, when we were all sick of snow and cold, one little first grader came in demanding a book about SUMMER! So, I'll read these winter books in the early part of winter when we enjoy winter and snow!)
*This book is a review copy provided by the publisher, Marshall Cavendish Children's Books.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Poetry Friday -- I Praise My Destroyer
Thursday, December 03, 2009
November Mosaic
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
LETTERS TO A SOLDIER
There seem to be a lot of generic books about soldiers and things but none as personal and as geared to children's real questions as this one is. First Lieutenant David Falvey seems to be the perfect person to answer these questions for children in a book. His answers are authentic and respectful and we learn a lot about his life as a soldier.
*This book was a review copy provided by the publisher, Marshall Cavendish Children's Books.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Great Language and Word Play: 3 New Books
I received three books that I'll add to my books to share with kids when we are thinking about words and language. When I think about talking to kids about words, I want a variety of books to share. I want fiction and nonfiction. I want books with strong language and books that just have fun with words. I want my students to look at words and how they are used in many different types of text. Today, I found three books that will be great additions to word study talk.
COOL DOG, SCHOOL DOG by Deborah Heiligman is just plain fun. If you remember the book FUN DOG, SUN DOG, this is a sequel. Tinka is the dog in the story and each page tells us a bit about her . She is "a fun dog, a sun dog, a run-and-run-and-run dog". The pictures and the rhyming, rhythmic phrases help us get to know and come to love this dog! This would make a fun read aloud and kids will love the sing-songiness of the book. With older kids, I might really look at the way the author uses these fun phrases to tell us so much about this dog. Word choice is critical!
THE BUSY TREE by Jennifer Ward is a different type of book altogether. It is not quite nonfiction but it is a close look at one tree-a busy tree. The book starts at the roots of the tree and looks at so many part of the tree. We see how much can go on in one tree. The thing I like most about the book is the language used to tell about what is going on. Each page has 2 lines of rhyming text but I like so much more than the rhyme. What captured me was the way that each thing is described. For example:
"These are my branches, leafy and high,
a sidewalk for squirrels that soar through the sky."
I can see using this book in Writing Workshop and looking closely at the words the author uses to describe the tree.
SNORE, DINOSAUR, SNORE by John Benall-Brunello is a story told in VERY few words. Three little dinosaurs are trying to wake their mother up. But she won't budge. Each page uses only 3 words but the combination of words and pictures tells a great story. Younger kids will love the story and will do lots of picture reading. For older kids, I think this book would start great conversations about the great verbs that tell the story.
*All three of these books were review copies provided by the publisher, Marshall Cavendish's Children's Books.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Books in My Shopping Bag
Sunday, November 29, 2009
NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY by Steve Jenkins
I love this new book. So many of Jenkins' books are difficult to read aloud because there is so much on the page. But I think this new one, NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY: AND 17 OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER would make a great nonfiction read aloud. The premise of the book is that things are dangerous. In his introduction Jenkins says, "What makes these animals dangerous? And what should you NEVER do if you encounter one of them?" He then goes on to tell us.
Each page focuses on one important thing to remember such as NEVER PET A PLATYPUS or NEVER STARE AT A SPITTING COBRA. Following the directive is a paragraph explaining a bit about the animal and why the creature may react to such a behavior. A large illustration of the animal also accompanies the text. There is a lot to learn in this book and kids are always fascinated by animals --especially the dangerous ones. The back of the book includes additional information about the creatures in the book.
So many books are written about a specific animal and I always love the uniqueness of Steve Jenkins' book topics. I think a nonfiction author study on Jenkins would be great. I also think his books have great lessons for our nonfiction writers in writing workshop. I can't wait to see what he writes next!
The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics
I visited my grandparents' house every Sunday throughout my childhood. I tell the story often of going up to her attic each week and choosing a new Nancy Drew book. But, until recently, I had forgotten about the trunk of comic books that they had in the entrance hall. A chest filled to the top with magazines and comic books. I loved going into that trunk to see what I might find. It was packed full with great reads. I was not an avid comic book reader but it was fun to read a few comic books each week at my Grandma's while the adults chatted. I am not sure if it was more fun to hunt around in the trunk to see what I might find or to actually read the books. Either way, I have great memories of many of the comics I read there. Some of my favorite were Little Lulu, anything with Disney Characters, Richie Rich, Dennis the Menace and Archie's gang. I hadn't realized what a role these comics had in my reading life until I discovered the new book THE TOON TREASURY OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S COMICS selected and edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly . So many of my favorite characters as well as some stories and characters I had forgotten about these nearly 350 pages.
The book is divided into sections--giving categories to some of the comics that the editors hope are rediscovered by today's children-especially those who love graphic novels. There is a chapter of comics about kids (the first being Clifford by Jules Feiffer!), a chapter about Funny Animals, Fantasyland and more. So many great comics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Treasury is definitely the right word for this collection!
The introduction to the treasury is by Jon Scieszka and he shares his own experiences with comics as a child and some history of comics. There is also an introduction for grown-ups about the comic book in general, complete with a photo of a Comic Book burning in 1949. The editors make a case for comic books and the that parents might have in sharing our old favorites with our children.
This is a huge book and I am excited to put it on the shelves in the library. I am still trying to figure out how to house more comic books in the library since graphic novels are so popular. I can't keep them on the shelves. So I am sure that this book will definitely be a hit. It would also make a great holiday gift!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem
I loved the first book about this monkey because, well, how could you not? A monkey with a tool belt is a very funny idea and I loved it from the start. But, to be honest, I was worried that a new book about this character might not be so funny since I was already used to the idea of the monkey and the tool belt.
I was pleasantly surprised. As I was reading the book to myself at the kitchen table, I must have laughed a little too loud because my husband asked what I was laughing at. I don't want to give the story away, but Chico Bon Bon (the monkey with the tool belt) can't figure out what it is that is making the loud noise in his tree house. He knows he can fix it if he can just figure out what it is that is making the noise. He uses many tools to investigate. He finally does find the noise and solves the problem (but I can't give this part away.) There are so many things that made me laugh in this book--his tools, his 100-watt flashlight, his earplugs and especially his "hear-a-lot tool". I loved the illustration of his house with a bazillion rooms. And I so loved the 12 steps he used to solve his problem (by using more of his clever tools!).
This is a great story. I keep finding things that I missed during the first read. I am thinking it will make a great read aloud this week. Definitely not a disappointment -this character is definitely one that I hope to see again (and soon) in more books! The author is a genius!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Poetry Friday -- Manners
So Pig reached out and speared the bigger part.
"Now that," cried Prig, "is extremely rude of you!"
Pig, with his mouth full, said, "Wha, wha' wou' 'ou do?"
Thursday, November 26, 2009
2 More Books I Could Read a Million Times
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Blog Tour with Author and Illustrator of JOEY FLY
We feel lucky to be included in the blog tour that the author and illustrator team of Joey Fly, Private Eye are one. We are so happy they stopped at A Year of Reading. If you are like us, you are on the hunt for great new graphic novels to add to your classroom or school library. This new book--that will hopefully become a series--is one of the best new ones out this year. This book is a mystery--full of fun. The story, the language and the art are all quite fun. How could it not be fun when the characters are bugs? You get a good sense of the book and the type of humor when you watch the book trailer.
When my copy of JOEY FLY arrived, it was sitting on the island in the kitchen. My 10 year old daughter, Ana, immediately asked if she could read it. She couldn't stop talking to me about the book and I would hear her laughing aloud as she read. She loved it. So, we thought it would make sense for Ana to ask the interview questions for this blog tour. We were curious as to what a 10 year old would ask the author/illustrator team after reading the book. So, here is Ana's interview:-)
They have made several other stops on this tour. You may want to visit to learn as much as you can about this book and this great team. A few of their stops have included:
November 2--Writing For Kids (While Raising Them)
November 2--Book Nut
November 6--Abby the Librarian
Our 5th grade Graphic Novel Club in the library is well underway and a few of the kids have already read this title. I am thinking I might offer this as a book club title to 3rd and 4th graders this winter. It is a great new book with so many fun things to discuss. I think it is worth buying several copies.
More good news: You can follow Joey Fly on Twitter!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Poetry Friday -- Fear
Thursday, November 19, 2009
2 New Books for Winter
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
WHOSE NEST IS THIS?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
TWIMERICKS: THE BOOK OF TONGUE-TWISTING LIMERICKS by Lou Brooks
Monday, November 16, 2009
NCTE 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Gift of Days: The Greatest Words to Live By
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Call for Poetry Friday Round Up Hosts
In an effort to keep this great good thing we know and love as Poetry Friday running as smoothly as possible until such time as its founder, Kelly Herold, is able to take the reins again, and under the advisement of Greg (GottaBook), Tricia (Miss Rumphius), Susan (Chicken Spaghetti), and Diane (Random Noodling), I am putting out a call for Poetry Friday Round Up Hosts for the next three months.
I will post the schedule on our blog, on the calendar of the Kidlitosphere Yahoo group, and on the Kidlitosphere website. In addition, I will make the code for the schedule available to whoever requests it so that you, too, can have the schedule in your blog's sidebar if you so desire!
EDITED: Dates are filling up fast -- see schedule in sidebar. Thanks to all who have (and will) volunteer!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Poetry Friday -- Veterans' Day Coincidence
CROSSING STONES
"I've created a formal structure to give the sense of stepping from stone to stone across a flowing creek. I think of this kind of writing as painting with words, a process involving hands, eyes, ears, thought, and emotion, all simultaneously working together.The relatively free style of Muriel's poems represent the creek flowing over the stones as it pushes against its banks. Ollie's and Emma's poems represent the stones. I "painted" them to look round and smooth, each with a slightly different shape, like real stones. They are "cupped-hand sonnets," fourteen-line poems in which the first line rhymes with the last line, the second line rhymes with the second-to-last, and so on, so that the seventh and eighth lines rhyme with each other at the poem's center. In Ollie's poems the rhymes are the beginning words of each line, and in Emma's poems they are the end words.To give the sense of stepping from one stone to the next, I have used the middle rhyme of one sonnet as the outside rhyme of the next. You will see that the seventh and eighth lines of each of Emma's poems rhyme with the first and last lines of Ollie's next poem, and the seventh and eighth lines of Ollie's poems rhyme with the first an last lines of Emma's next poem."
Where Else in the Wild?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Making Plans for Newbery Announcement Day
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story From Afghanistan
Monday, November 09, 2009
Thank You Ink Spells!
2) Thank the person that gave it to you and link to their blog. √
3) Write 7 things about yourself we don't know. (gotta pass this time, but here's an old meme that might tell you a few things about each of us that you don't know...)
4) Choose 7 other bloggers to pass the award to. (we'll stick with two...)
5) Link to those 7 other bloggers. (or two, as the case may be...)
6) Notify your 7 bloggers. (or two, as the case may be...)