Reading and the Internet

Good article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Education Online: Bit by bit, computers alter how we read.

Reporter Bill Schackner's ending:

At Penn State University, literature professor Michael Berube said jokingly that thanks to the Internet, he's had no reason to leave his desk since 2002.

Reading a novel on a monitor can be unpleasant, and in fact, Dr. Berube said he knows no colleagues who do. But he's not sure people are any less likely to read.

"The same culture that's given us Google has given us the 800-page Harry Potter novel," he said.

"I try not to be too dour about this," he said. "I have a friend who was an early enthusiast of the Internet, and by that I mean, 1993. I would tell him 'Yeah, fine. Wake me up when you can find specific passages in books I can't even remember.' "

Fifteen years later, said Dr. Berube, "we're there."

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
review copy lent to me by a generous student

This was one of the hottest books at our school book fair. It's a quick read, and it's very funny in an "advanced Captain Underpants" sort of way. The student who lent it to me is now reading one of the R.L. Stine Rotten School books, and he thinks Diary of a Wimpy Kid is much funnier. The humor, he says, is more realistic, and just plain funnier.

In a detailed review at the excelsior file, David explains why this book should be considered an illustrated novel, not a graphic novel. He is spot on about this book traveling at light speed through kid culture and somewhat under the adult radar. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was first published on Funbrain.com. Since its launch in May 2004, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

Pick up a copy so that you, too, can be in the "in" crowd in your classroom, and watch for the next four installments. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: #2: Rodrick Rules is due out in February 2008.

Spelling Expertise Requested

Anna at Blue Rose Girls is asking for some assistance with information about young spellers and spelling bees for a book she's writing that features a bird who loves to spell. Can you help her? She writes:

Here is what I'd like to know:

-At what age/grade do kids switch from phonetic, or sounded-out spelling, to standard spelling? When do teachers start correcting the spelling on their homework? I know this is a very individual thing, I've gotten answers from anywhere from Kindergarden to 2nd grade... what has been your experience?

-Has anyone out there been to a spelling bee in recent past, or had one at your school? If so, which grades participated? Was it part of the curriculum, or an after school/enrichment type of thing?

-I've been looking at word lists for spelling bees (by grade) online, is there a good resource for this that you know of? I've heard the "four blocks" literacy model is a standard one.... but I'd love to know of more!

See How It's Made

DK Publishing has a new book out--SEE HOW IT'S MADE. I picked it up because we are doing a genre study in Writing Workshop on How-To Writing. (I am all about short genres for genre studies these days!) And this book is filled with it!

This is a DK book but looks different from others I have seen by this publisher. I guess once you open the book, there are similarities--white background, great photos, etc. But the cover is bright and inviting in a different way from the other DK and Eyewitness books I know.

This book shares information on how lots of things are made--from ice cream to sausage, to skateboards to t0shirts to rope to soap...and more.

Each item is given 2 two-page spreads. The first page introduces the item, the ingredients and some interesting facts. The second two-page spread goes through the step-by-step process needed to make the product. Each step is accompanied by amazing photographs that show the making in action.

The pages are also filled with "Did you know?" information--just fun connected info. There is also some extra trivia at the bottom of each page as well as an "At a Glance" section on the top border that summarizes the basics of the how-to.

This is a great book. Kids (and adults for that matter) can't seem to keep their hands off of it. At school, it has become quite popular. When I bring it home, it disappears with my 8 year old.

In terms of how-to writing, it is a great one to use as a mentor text. But, it is even better to read because it is just fascinating--great nonfiction for kids. It is everything nonfiction should be--lots of fascinating information packed on each page!

Larger-Than-Life Lara--Read Aloud

This week, our class finished LARGER-THAN-LIFE LARA by Dandi Daley Mackall as our second read aloud. I was a little bit worried. I had read aloud CASTLE IN THE ATTIC as our first read aloud and the kids were glued to every page. I knew LARGER THAN LIFE LARA was a great book, but I was worried that it was too serious after the fun fantasy that we had just finished.

Well, the experience was one of the best read alouds I have done. I am not sure what it was about the book, but reading it to kids was a whole different experience than reading it on my own.

If you have read the book, you know that there is a lot to talk about, a lot to think about, and a lot to be sad about. There is no happy ending. It is satisfying, but not happy. And I think the kids were surprised about that.

The author does an interesting thing throughout the book--connecting the story to the actual elements in a story. It made for a tricky read aloud and some of it was missed by lots of the kids but it was well worth it for the thinking that came from the book.

I have read aloud sad books before but they are usually about a pet dying or something. This sadness was a little bit different. I can't explain the feel in the room when we read the last two chapters. We had good, long talks about how good fiction makes you feel like the characters do and it sometimes helps you understand people in your real life better.

It was a great read. I have decided on something short and light for this week and am pondering a book for next week. I was thinking about EMMY AND THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING RAT but I'd love to find something with the kind of depth that this last one had--short with lots to talk and think about. This one was a depth that was perfect for 8-10 year olds.

Robert's Snow

Every person who is a cancer survivor should be granted their wish to die of old age.

Grace Lin's husband, Robert Mercer, was not granted that wish. He lost his fight against Ewing's sarcoma in August of 2007.

During Robert's first round of treatments, Grace made up and told Robert the story of a mouse who couldn't go out in the snow. This story became the book Robert's Snow. The book became the beginning of a blizzard of fund raising for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over $200,000 has been raised by the sale of the first book, a second book (Robert's Snowflakes) featuring selected 2004 snowflakes and poems by celebrated authors, and the online auction of wooden snowflakes, hand-decorated by children's illustrators.

We are proud to be a part of the multi-blog Event of Support for Grace Lin and for the cancer research of the Dana-Farber Institute. Many thanks and kudos go to the 7-Imps for organizing this event. Let's see what kind of fund raising records we can break with this year's auction! You can see the snowflakes and check the auction schedule here. Watch our sidebar for a weekly schedule of blogs that are featuring snowflake illustrators. This Friday, Franki will feature Jeff Newman.

Another Cure For Drowning

A trip to Pink Moon Cupcake Bakery helped me to leave behind the
stressful week/month/start of school.


Some folks go for an alcoholic TGIF, but I'm all about the sugar rush!

A Balanced Life--Is It Possible for Teachers?

So, I keep thinking about Mary Lee's drowning poem on Friday. It is true--so many of us are feeling that way, and we always do-at this time of year.

Hip Mama Writer's 30 Day Challenge sounded so worthwhile to me, but I couldn't add another thing to my to-do list. Instead, about 10 weeks ago, I started my own personal program that I called "81 Days of Balance". (I realized I had 81 days between out of town trips and decided those 81 days would be dedicated to a more balanced life.) It seemed that work had taken over my life and wanted to make sure I at least spent 81 days being smarter about my time.

Well, I have about 6 days left until that 81 days is over and I can't really say that I am balanced. But I have rethought what balance means for me.

There is lots out there on balance and quality time and simplifying our life. My problem is that I like all of the parts of my life--I enjoy my family, my work, my writing, my down time, etc. My issue with balance is that sometimes it gets to be too much and I feel like I don't do anything well.

So, I was attempting to balance my days during these past 81 days. To make sure to exercise every day, spend quality time with my kids every day, visit friends and family more often, eat healthier every day, read every day, write and work every day.

Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I have discovered, that in my life, I have to balance across the year. I can no longer hold myself to balanced days and I think lots of teachers feel this same way. It seems that these first six weeks of school make us feel a bit off balance because so much of our life revolves around work in the classroom. But the school year cycle becomes part of who we are. There are times when the workload is more manageable and we have more time for our families, hobbies, etc.

So, I did not achieve 81 days of balance. But I learned what balance means for me. It means that my days won't be balanced. It probably means that my weeks won't be balanced. And I can enjoy things that way--because over the course of the year, life is balanced. I spend lots of quality time with all of the people I love, I have great friends, I love my work, I exercise most weeks and I clean my house on a regular enough basis that it isn't embarrassing. September is never a month where I feel balanced but now I see that it is part of the balance of each year.

Next September I am going to try to remember that the drowning feeling is just part of the balance of the life of a teacher. I can't expect more from myself. I am wondering that if with any work that is worthwhile, the drowning feeling is just part of it all.

Snow Day! by Lester Laminack

I know it is a little bit early for a snow day here in Ohio, but with the stress and drowning that we have been feeling for the last few weeks, it is nice to fantasize about the possibility of a snow day in our future. If you have not seen Lester Laminack's new book SNOW DAY, it is a must have--for pretty much anyone who has ever anticipated a snow day.

When I picked up the book, I thought it was going to be about an actual snow day--what kids did on a snow day, etc. But, no! This book is about the anticipation of a snow day! You know, that feeling you get when you turn on the weather and see that a snowstorm is coming your way and has a 90 percent chance of hitting your town just a few hours before sunrise? This book captures THAT feeling and it captures it perfectly.

Reading the book reminds you of the feelings that teachers and kids have when there is a very good possibility of a snow day!

It is one we need to buy and read to kids when that snow forecast comes in. Maybe it will be the new tradition--if we read Lester Laminack's book at bedtime, the snow will come:-)

Poetry Friday -- Drowning

Today I'd like to share my favorite lines from Not Waving but Drowning by Stevie Smith:

I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

During the first six weeks of school, it feels like water we're "swimming" in gets deeper and deeper. I'm hoping that this week the water has been the deepest and the waves have been the highest and now both Franki and I are on our way back to shore. Parent conferences are half done. Interims go out today. We have completed all of our fall assessments (math, reading, spelling) and the database has been turned in.

Deep cleansing breath in...deep cleansing breath out...


(Poetry Friday is being hosted by Two Writing Teachers this week.)

Missed All of You!!

I am sooooo totally bummed that I didn't get to join all of you at the Kidlitosphere conference. It was one of those family/mom decisions--too much going on these days! But I thought of all of you all day Saturday and have been enjoying all of the posts and photos since then. I almost feel like I was there with all of the great sharing and the few (live) chats I've been able to have with Mary Lee! Sounds like a GREAT time and I hope never to miss it again! Can't wait for details about next year!

Homeward Bound

Dear Franki,

Good news, bad news. Bad news first: I have no pictures to share. My camera doesn't shoot fast enough for candid shots that aren't blurry, and I didn't feel like making people pose. But I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures around on other blogs for you to see.

Everything else is good news: great speakers, important and relevant topics, lively conversation, lots of laughs, and most importantly, plans for NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE! Jone will host us in Portland, OR!!! Thank you, Jone!!!!

I 'm bringing you all the handouts (not like being here, I know) and a couple of other surprise goodies. Everyone asked after you and missed meeting you.

Talk to you soon!

ML

Chicago

Dear Franki,

I know it was a hard decision not to come to Chicago, and I'm not trying to make it any harder on you, but this is really a hoot! It's like being inside a story along with some of your favorite characters who have come to life from other books!

We've got a busy day ahead of us! I can't wait!

More later,

ML

Books I've Saved From Childhood

Imagine my happiness and surprise when I saw the cover of SAD DAY, GLAD DAY on Esme's blog this week! I thought I was the only person alive who still had a copy of that book. (I can't find it right now but I know it is in the house somewhere.)I thought it was on my shelf upstairs with a few other books from my childhood--books that I've never been able to part with. After reading Esme's post, I went upstairs to look at the small stack of books I've saved. It got me thinking about what it is about these books that has made me hold on to them and what does that all tell me about myself.

My mother clearly knew how to buy books. I seem to have a book for every major event in my life. She bought me SAD DAY, GLAD DAY when I was 5 and we moved to a new house. I still have a copy of TWO NEW BABIES by Agnesann McRobert. This was a story we read while waiting for my brother to be born. (One baby in the book was the new sibling, the other was a doll for the older sibling.) My parents clearly taught me that books help you make sense of life. What a gift!

I also saved an old favorite--TIME FOR A RHYME by Ellen Wilke. I didn't remember much about it except that I loved it and we read it over and over. When I opened it today, I realized why. It is such a fun book. Each page offers a question about a rhyme like "Let's try to guess what rhymes with spoon. An easy word is..." and then you turn the page. A fun interactive book. (By the way, it is very scary when you find your favorite books from childhood on a site called goantiques.com!?)

A PRESENT FOR THE PRINCESS by Jane Lowe Paschall was a big favorite of mine. It is about a beautiful blonde princess who gets a thoughtful gift from a blind boy. I remember it as a very sweet and happy story. Not a bad princess story, I must say. She wasn't saved by any male character and was a good, kind person.

I also kept a few fairy tales--THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA being my favorite--it has always been my favorite version until last year when Lauren Child's version was published.

I think I had all of THE WITCH NEXT DOOR (Norman Bridwell) books. We got them from the book orders and I loved the idea that a witch could live next door. Between these books and the TV shows I Dream of Jeanie and Bewitched, it seemed possible!

And I had JIGGERS (Joy Muchmor Lacey) A book about a girl and her puppy. (This one seems to be on a site that calls it "vintage". UGH!)

As I got older, I loved THE SECRET SEVEN by Enid Blyton (It totally stresses me out now that these kids got in strangers' cars to solve mysteries!?) and all of the BETSY (Carolyn Haywood) books. I think BETSY and the BOYS was my favorite although I liked when she got to name her sister herself! And of course, there was NANCY DREW! It looks like these books are still in print!

What does this tell me about my childhood reading--I had a ball. Obviously, the quality of the books didn't matter because most of these books would not pass our quality literature tests today. Oh, I still have my copy of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and other classics, but for some reason, these other books were also important enough that I haven't tossed them. I have been a reader for as long as I can remember--I won't even tell you the copyright on some of these.

And I found this great source for all of your childhood books! Childhoodbooks.com specializes in books from 1950 until now. You can search your favorite titles and purchase copies of those you've lost track of. (And I must say, I think Childhood Books is a much better name than anything with the word ANTIQUE or VINTAGE in it!)

This was fun to do. Thanks ESME for reminding me about some of those forgotten books of childhood. It was fun to revisit. What are your favorite books from childhood--the ones that you've kept over the years?

Wicked Cool Overlooked Books

Yes, I'm aware that I'm three days late with this, but that's the story of my life right now, so I'm just celebrating that I've got a book to share this month!

Why?
by Lila Prap
originally published in Slovenia in 2003
First American Edition 2005, Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Inc.

This book is a series of questions about animals: Why are zebras striped? Why do whales spout water? Why do rhinos have horns on their noses? and so on. Each double page spread features a large, stylized picture of the animal in question (pun intended) in the center, with a small paragraph of factual information in the right hand margin. What makes this book so much fun is that the question is answered in silly ways in all of the other margins and even in the center section with the illustration! For example:

Why do whales spout water?

It's their runny noses! They always have colds.
To wash the clouds.
They're watering the sea grass.
For fun.

Why don't snakes have legs?
So they don't have to play football.
Because they'd hate cutting their toenails.
They forgot to grow them.
So they don't fall down.

This book begs to be a mentor text for young researchers to writing a first report. Asking the question forces them to narrow the focus of the research and learn just one thing. The silly reasons encourage them to be creative and entertain their audience. The one paragraph of factual information is just the right size for beginning writers.

There's so much to love about this book! Why haven't I seen it before?

Dear Deer

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones by Gene Barretta

Another great book about Homophones. Since I have been building my collection of word play books, I have been keeping my eye out for new titles. I thought I had plenty of them about homophones but this one is too fun to pass up. It beats the others that I have. I think I would have bought it based on the cover alone. The cover illustration is quite colorful! But the inside is just as good.

The "plotline"of the book is that Aunt Ant has moved to the zoo and is writing to her friend Deer (Dear Deer,) about some interesting animal behaviors. For example: The monkey will tell you a TALE as he hangs from his TAIL.

Kids will love this book and I think it will help them that both words are often part of the same sentence. The illustrations are colorful and inviting.

Time to Nominate!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOOK BLOGGERS KICK OFF KIDLIT AWARDS' SECOND YEAR

CHICAGO--Will Harry Potter triumph among critical bloggers? Will novels banned in some school districts find favor online?

With 90 volunteers poised to sift through hundreds of new books, the second annual Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards launches on Oct. 1 at http://www.cybils.com/. Known as the Cybils, it's the only literary contest that combines both the spontaneity of the Web with the thoughtful debate of a book club.

The public's invited to nominate books in eight categories, from picture books up to young adult fiction, so long as the book was first published in 2007 in English (bilingual books are okay too). Once nominations close on Nov. 21, the books go through two rounds of judging, first to select the finalists and then the winners, to be announced on Valentine's Day 2008.

Judges come from the burgeoning ranks of book bloggers in the cozy corner of the Internet called the kidlitosphere. They represent parents, homeschoolers, authors, illustrators, librarians and even teens. (AND A COUPLE OF TEACHERS, TOO!!!)

The contest began last year after blogger Kelly Herold expressed dismay that while some literary awards were too snooty--rewarding books kids would seldom read--others were too populist and didn't acknowledge the breadth and depth of what's being published today.

"It didn't have to be brussel sprouts versus gummy bears," said Anne Boles Levy, who started Cybils with Herold. "There are books that fill both needs, to be fun and profound."

Last year's awards prompted more than 480 nominations, and this year's contest will likely dwarf that. As with last year's awards, visitors to the Cybils blog can leave their nominations as comments. There is no nomination form, only the blog, to keep in the spirit of the blogosphere that started it all.

See you Oct. 1!

For further info:
Anne Boles Levy
anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net

And the winner is.....

Okay, I am not quite sure what I was thinking, running a contest during the first month of school! I really did mean to announce the winner much sooner than now.

Last month, I thought I needed a root canal. Following my visit to the dentist, I had a little fun with root canal poetry and offered a little contest. Since then, I have seen a specialist and ...no root canal needed. I just need to keep an eye on it! I could have hugged the root canalist:-)

Now that I finally have a minute to breathe--I am semi ready for parent conferences and semi-finished with beginning of the year assessments and semi-ready to start interim reports, I wanted to announce the winner.

Mother Reader is our Root Canal Poetry winner. She crafted a poem that was both amusing and had some depth--she surprised us and made us think. So, Mother Reader will receive a copy of Lester Laminack's book Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth! Personalized and autographed by the author!

Thanks to everyone who entered! We had some GREAT poems-and they all made me feel so much better about my root canal issue.

We promise to be quicker next time we run such a contest. Bad timing on our part!

New YA Novel-The Night Tourist

I don't often review YA books but I've read a few that I thought I'd share this week. I just finished The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh last night. It is a great read, one that I think middle school students will enjoy.

The story takes place in the New York "underworld". When people die in NYC, they become part of this underworld--a world of ghosts under the NY Subway system. Jack, whose mother died eight years earlier, gets into this underworld and tries desperately to find his mother. But he meets Euri instead and the two develop a close friendship. Euri wants to live again and Jack tries to help her do this. The characters are great--both believable and likable. The concept is very intriguing. And the plot has enough suspense to keep the reader hooked.

This story has clear connections to the Orpheus myth and there are many references to mythology throughout. But for readers who are not familiar with the myth, this book would still be a treat.

This book seemed to me a cross between The Wish List by Eoin Colfer and books by Mitch Albom. A story about two characters with lessons about life and death.

Tried and True

Cowboy and Octopus
by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith

review copy compliments of an impulse purchase

"Oh, goody! A new one by Jon Scieszka!" I thought, as I picked up a copy from the display. I thumbed through it. I wasn't amused. The illustrations looked weird, and not at all Lane Smith-ish. But then I remembered my experience with Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. I didn't fall in love with that book until I read it to children. So I bought Cowboy and Octopus, and last week I read it to my fourth graders.

It's hysterical. The illustrations are perfect. The kids were rolling on the floor laughing, and I would have been, too, but I was wearing a skirt. The chapter? story? where Cowboy hits Octopus on the head with a hammer is my favorite. I had to go back and reread it before the kids got it. Octopus says something like, "I'm going to hold all these pieces together and when I nod my head, you hit it." Bad sentence construction results in hilarious confusion over "it."

I think the kids liked the scary tooth fairy Halloween costume the best. Or maybe the page with the photographs of the beans. "Those are real beans!" someone said, and not a half a breath later came, "Beans, beans, the musical fruit..."

Scieszka should win a Pulitzer Prize for his ability to channel his pre-teen self and the accompanying sense of humor.

**Edited to add this from Fuse #8, via bookshelves of doom:



I also read aloud Those Shoes. (I reviewed it here.) It, too, was a hit. I held up the book, and just based on the cover, my students knew pretty much what the story was about. They'd all been there, wanting something they couldn't have, or not having what everyone else seemed to have and feeling left out. They were surprised by, but completely satisfied with the ending, and they were sure that the main character had done the right thing by giving Those Shoes that didn't fit him to his friend whose feet were smaller than his.

The next day, a student in another class came to school wearing a pair of way-cool orange sneakers. I was holding the recess door as the students came in from lunch recess, and as the end of my line passed by me, this kid was leading the next line of students. I complimented his shoes, which caused the last few kids in my line to turn around and look. I looked at my kids and they looked at me. I pointed and said, "Those Shoes!" and they nodded and replied, "Those Shoes." So in one day, this book went from story to insider lingo for a coveted article of clothing. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I also finished Clementine last week. (Last year's 5th graders loved her, too.)

Last week was a darn good read aloud week in my classroom. How to Steal a Dog (review here) is up next.

Tap Dancing on the Roof-Poetry Friday

Tap Dancing on the Roof
SIJO (Poems) by Linda Sue Park

I am TOTALLY in love with this new poetry book by Linda Sue Park. From the inside flap, I learned that sijo is a type of poem that originated in Korea. It is "kind of" like haiku, but not quite. It has a fixed number of stressed syllables and is usually 3 or 6 lines. The big fun is that there is some unexpected twist or joke at the end of each one.

In Tap Dancing on the Roof, Linda Sue Park shares sijos on many topics--October, pockets, long division and breakfast. Each poem is a short thought about something with a little surprise at the end. "The first line introces the topic. The second line develops the topic further. And the third line always contains some kind of twist--humor, irony, an unexpected image, a pun, or a play on words." Such fun! This is a semi-small square book. It is illustrated with mostly black and white drawings with splashes of color. Everything works together perfectly. (The book ends with a great author's note and some tips for writing Sijo.)

I am anxious to share this book with my class. They had SOOO much fun with Haiku once I shared DOGKU by Andrew Clements that I am pretty sure they will have fun with this one too--I am anxious to see what they do with the twist endings. I am all about finding books that help my kids really have fun with words and language. That's was why I was so excited when I found this new one!

Poetry Friday round-up is Amox Calli--enjoy!

Three Months From Today

Christmas.

The catalogs have started to come. The displays are starting to edge out Halloween and dwarf Thanksgiving.

And the Christmas books are rolling out, beginning with
Great Joy
by Kate DiCamillo
illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
review copy compliments of Candlewick Press

This is a simple story of a girl who wonders about and worries about the organ grinder and his monkey who show up on the corner of the street below her window. She questions her mother, Where do they sleep? How do they stay warm?, but her mother is too busy getting the girl's angel costume ready for the Christmas play to give her a satisfactory answer. On the way to the church for the Christmas play, the girl puts a coin in the organ grinder's box and invites him to come to her play. The story holds its breath when the little girl takes the stage to deliver her angelic lines. She surveys the crowd, but does not see the organ grinder. When he enters the church, she shouts, "Behold, I bring you tidings of Great Joy!"

Like I said, it's a simple story. It's a story that mirrors the story of the Nativity -- of the poor outcasts who are invited to be witnesses to the Great Joy. Of the angel who invites all to share in the joy.

The illustrations are what gives this book layering and depth. The setting is WWII. You can see it in the cars, the hair and clothing styles, the fact that there are no young men in the church. The girl's father is in the Navy. His picture is on the dresser. (Is his absence the reason Mother is distracted?) Every picture in this book glows, is radiant, is luminous. Every face in this book is a particular face, every person seems to be caught mid-gesture. After the story is over, you can't help yourself -- you go back and look at the pictures, again and again.

Jonathan Kozol's Partial Fast Against NCLB

I am a huge Jonathan Kozol fan. I had no idea that he has been on a partial fast since July as a way to protest NCLB reauthorization. I read about it this week in the Boston Globe.

I am currently reading Kozol's new book, Letters to a Young Teacher. Like of all of his books, it is quite powerful--whether you are a new or experienced teacher.

CYBILS--Graphic Novels

And Mary Lee is a part of the Graphic Novels nominating committee! (She is becoming quite the expert on this genre that I still don't quite feel comfortable with as a reader.)

For those of you who weren't around for CYBILS last year, it was quite a fun thing! Bloggers choosing award winning books in several categories. The CYBILS list is still one I go back to for great titles. I would highly recommend spending some time on the site as we get ready to go! A really fun thing to be a part of!

Cybils in One Week...and counting...

Poetry Panels have been announced.

Franki is judging. Go Franki!

Blog Reading Blues

I am so pathetically behind in blog reading. How far behind am I, you ask? I just went to Bloglines for the first time in I Don't Know How Long, and I was stunned by the bloggy productivity of you all!

The King of All Bloggy Productivity goes to Sam Riddleburger with 87 posts since the last time I checked Bloglines! It's mind boggling...the alternative Harry Potter endings, the Rubik's Cube solving, the juggling video (great music, and I love the slo-mo at the end), the reviews of obscure books...All I can say is, WOW!

The Candy Blog (82 new posts) just barely edged out Fuse #8 (80 new posts) for first place. Good thing I looked, The Candy Blog has a contest going on -- she's giving away candy! Go check it out! No Video Sunday for Fuse this week, but good for her -- she gets a vacation!

In second place, with 65 posts, is Two Writing Teachers. They have so many great ideas for writing workshop that it almost gives me hives (but in a good way -- in a "stick your neck out and try something new" way).

In a close third, is Jen Robinson, with 56 posts since last I checked Bloglines. Wow, Jen! You've been busy! I can't wait to read The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, and your new photo is smashing! (Dang! You even added another post while I was working on this!)

Blogs in the 40's (number of posts, not necessarily age) are Mentor Texts (45) and Miss Rumphius (44). I love Literacy Teacher's (Mentor Texts) posts about her read alouds. Tricia (Miss Rumphius) has been tagged for a writing meme that you might want to try. (Not me, not now, I'm too busy reading blogs!)

Blogs in the 30's include Big A little a (39 -- Weekend Reviews, Everyday Etiquette, The Edge of the Forest, The Cybils -- come up for air, Kelly!), A Wrung Sponge (37 -- how does she do it with two little boys and her 365 photo project and her school library and her typing classes?), and Robin Brande (30 -- sorry I haven't been back for Tuesday Book Club. School happened. Reading has declined. Paper grading and assessment scoring has increased. The snake training story is a hoot. I DID have time to read that!)

Everybody else who's in double digits, you have my deepest admiration!

Read Roger (28)
Tea Cozy (27)
ReadWriteBelieve (26) (That is some freaky geekery!!!!)
Chicken Spaghetti (26) (Love the news from the coop!)
WildRoseReader (22)
GottaBook (22)
Educating Alice (19)
Mother Reader (17) (I have the same blues you do!)
Liz in Ink (17)
Hip Writer Mama (15)
Read, Read, Read (11)
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (10) (But add to that a hundred important Robert's Snow emails!)

And you, I know what happened to your life! Keep plugging. You'll be able to come up for air in a month or so:

Creative Literacy (5)

If you didn't find your blog in this post, it's not because I don't read your blog, it's because I've come to the end of the hour that I allotted for doing this penance. I'm going to Bloglines as soon as I post this, and I'm going to click the "Mark All Read" button and start over again fresh.

Those Shoes

Those Shoes
by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
review copy compliments of Candlewick Press

I'm not much of a fashion maven anymore. I like what I like, and I buy what fits comfortably. It's my money, so I get to decide when I say I can and can't have something.

But I certainly remember what it was like to want and what it was like when Mom tried to explain away my hunger with talk of need and price. I remember my desire for a shirt with a little alligator on it, for a particular pair of lime green pants, for go-go boots.

Maribeth Boelts captures the struggle between need and want perfectly in Those Shoes. Jeremy wants more than anything a pair of black high-tops with two white stripes. Everybody has them. Everybody except him and his friend Antonio. When Jeremy's shoes fall apart, the guidance counsel0r gives him a pair of shoes that close with velcro and have "an animal on them from a cartoon I don't think any kid ever watched."

Grandma takes Jeremy to shop for the shoes he wants so desperately, even though she's told him, "There's no room for 'want' around here -- just 'need'...and what you need are new boots for winter." Grandma has to sit down hard when she sees the price of the black high-tops with two white stripes. Jeremy holds out hope that they will find a pair in a thrift shop, and they do, but they are too small for Jeremy. He buys them anyway, with his own money, hoping and believing that they will stretch. (Sounds like a dozen or more ill-purchased pairs of jeans in my lifetime!)

Jeremy tries and tries, but he can't make the new shoes work for him. Then he notices that Antonio's feet are smaller than his and he knows he has a way to make his friend happy.

In the end, it snows, and when it's recess Jeremy gets to leave his velcro cartoon shoes in the hall and change into his new snow boots. (Thank you, Grandma!)

In spite of my remembered desperate childhood fashion wants, there are some huge differences between me and Jeremy -- I never wore clothes until they fell apart at school, I was never given a pair of shoes by the guidance counselor (or some equivalent because we didn't have such a thing), and we didn't shop at thrift shops. So I'm wondering if perhaps I only understand this story in a very surface sort of way. And as I look back at the illustrations, I wonder about the other story this book might tell. Jeremy is black and lives with his grandmother. There are blacks and whites and Asians (and a girl) who have those shoes, but Jeremy who is black, and Antonio, who has a Hispanic name, don't. The guidance counsellor appears to be white. Maybe I'm making too much of this. Maybe it's reality, get over it. Maybe it's just a story about wanting versus needing and getting versus giving. See what you think.

Poetry Friday

Here's a possible cure for the AYP Blues in my Monday Poetry Stretch poem. I'm not sure, however, that the politicians would go for this as a proposed solution for NCLB...


The Tables Turned
by William Wordsworth

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless—
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:—
We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.


I found this poem at Poetryfoundation.org.
Round-up this week is at ReadWriteBelieve.

Monday Poetry Stretch

The Monday Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect is blues poetry. Tricia listened to blues music to get in the mood to write. The recommendation from The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms is "think of something that depresses you."

I started to write a self-serving, whiney poem about too many meetings that each generate more work to be done and yet eat up all the time in the day in which that work might actually get done.

Then I decided to write about something far more important and exponentially more depressing. I've got...

The AYP* Blues

No child left behind, brother
No child left behind
No child left behind, sister
No child left behind

Why measure progress with one test
And call it accountability?
The bar's so high it can't be reached
In some parts of the city.

Poor child left behind, brother
Poor child left behind
ELL child left behind, sister
ELL child left behind

Let's tell our leaders what we need:
a model based on GROWTH.
Measure each child's yearly learning
And see who GAINS the most.

No child left behind, brother
No child left behind
No child left behind, sister
No child left behind


*AYP stands for Adequate Yearly Progress. It is part of No Child Left Behind. The name is misleading. AYP does not really measure progress, it measures the ability of children to get a certain score on a single test. Children take the test whether or not they are fluent (or even proficient at a basic level) in English. The bar is the same height for children who have had all the advantages of an affluent home life, and for children whose only two meals of the day are the free breakfast and lunch they receive at school. Researchers are able to predict with 95% accuracy which schools will not make AYP based on such factors as poverty levels, and number of English Language Learners (ELLs).

A more sane approach would be to measure student learning with a pretest at the beginning of the year and a posttest at the end of the year. Teachers should be required to make sure that every child achieves a year's growth in a year. This would actually be more challenging for teachers in schools that easily meet AYP. Their students are already so close to the bar that it's no stretch to make it over. If they had to make a year's gain in a year's time, those students would really have to stretch for once.

Parallel Worlds

I was supposed to be at the health club swimming. I was supposed to be at school putting up bulletin boards and dissecting the Social Studies Standards. I was supposed to be folding laundry.

Instead, I was standing at the sink snipping basil leaves from basil stems. Endlessly. I should have taken pictures so you could see just how many leaves there were on my four basil BUSHES this year. Suffice it to say, I made six batches of pesto. Six food processors full.

Six containers of distilled summer, captured and preserved on this crisp hint-of-fall day.

As I snipped and washed and packed and ground and glopped and slopped, I had a lot of time to think. I thought about summer and photosynthesis. I thought about fall and endings. I thought about winter and snow.

Thoughts of snow turned to thoughts of Robert's Snow, and the enormous amazing outpouring of support for Grace Lin and her family and all those whose lives might be touched by the cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I feel like I live in parallel worlds. In the one that is most tangible, strangers rarely reach out to strangers. Yet in the world behind and beyond my computer screen, connections that start as invisible electronic impulses become a web of heart strings that give me hope for humanity.

Details from the posting at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast:

"This year, more than 200 well-known children’s book illustrators from around the world have been given a five-inch wooden snowflake to decorate at will. Like actual snowflakes, each design is unique. The 2007 online auctions for bidding on these hand-painted snowflakes will take place in three separate auctions, open to everyone, from November 19 to 23, November 26-30, and December 3-7. You can read here for more information.

What we in the kidlitosphere community want to do to help drive traffic to the site for this year’s auctions and help raise money for the cause is highlight at our blogs the illustrators who have created snowflakes for these upcoming ’07 auctions — as well as post the unique snowflakes they have made (one at a time at each blog, which the DFCI has graciously given us permission to do), ultimately driving as much traffic as we possibly can to the Robert’s Snow online auctions."

Constitution and Citizenship Day

Monday is Constitution and Citizenship Day. If you're wondering why you should recognize or celebrate it, consider this point of view from the Teaching Tolerance website:

"In many ways, the nation's history can be read as a struggle to embrace who 'We the People' are."

Here are some books and web links to help you plan your recognition of one of the greatest documents in human history -- The Constitution.

BOOKS FOR CONSTITUTION DAY:

1787 by Joan Anderson
Historical fiction from the point of view of James Madison's aide during the Constitutional Convention.

We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow
The Preamble in kid-friendly language.

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
A fun and fact-filled account of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

D Is For Democracy: A Citizen's Alphabet by Elissa Grodin
An A-Z trip through our country's democratic form of government.

Everyone Counts: A Citizen's Number Book by Elissa Grodin
This tour of U.S. governments is number based. (How many justices on the Supreme Court?)

If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution by Elizabeth Levy
The story of the signing of the constitution in question/answer format.

A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy Maestro
An excellent, well-balanced version of the story of the constitution.

We the People by Peter Spier
This beautifully illustrated 1987 classic is out of print. Check your library for availability.

WEBSITES FOR CONSTITUTION DAY:

Blackwell's Best: Constitution Day
A huge collection of links for Constitution Day.

The Constitution For Kids
From the U.S. Constitution Online comes this EXCELLENT site which translates the Constitution into kid-friendly language. The link is for K-3 students, but you can navigate to versions for older kids from this page.

Teaching Tolerance
Constitution Day activities for the Anti-Bias Classroom.

Constitution Day
Lessons and links from the group that founded Constitution Day.

Teaching With Documents: Observing Constitution Day
Lessons from the National Archives site.

Celebrate Constitution Day
Lessons from The Bill of Rights Institute site.

Poetry Friday -- Special Delivery

Even if you're completely overwhelmed by ARCs and review copies, you gotta admit: your heart beat a little faster this week when the L.L. Bean Christmas catalog came.


Why I Have A Crush On You, UPS Man
by Alice N. Persons

you bring me all the things I order
are never in a bad mood
always have a jaunty wave as you drive away
look good in your brown shorts
we have an ideal uncomplicated relationship
you're like a cute boyfriend with great legs
who always brings the perfect present
(why, it's just what I've always wanted!)
and then is considerate enough to go away
oh, UPS Man, let's hop in your clean brown truck and elope !


The rest is here. Round up is at Hip Writer Mama.

Best of 2007--So Far--New Series Book Characters

Two new series book characters that I LOVE and highly recommend--

MOXY MAXWELL of Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

and

VIOLET BING of Violet Bing and the Grand House by Jennifer Paros


Two new characters you really can't live without!

Remembering September 11

Educating Alice has a powerful post remembering September 11.

Best of 2007--So Far--Professional Books

I haven't spent as much time as usual reading professional books. But the ones I have read are great. These are the 5 that I have found the most helpful for my literacy teaching. I highly recommend all of them.

Smart Answers to Tough Questions by Elaine Garan, in my opinion, is a book that we all need to have on our shelves. For anyone who is teaching well in this climate of testing and politics, this book reminds us of the reasons we do what we do in our classrooms. Garan also gives us research for further support of our work.
Adolescent Literacy by Kylene Beers, Robert Probst, and Linda Rief gives us the best thinking from the best thinkers in the field on adolescent literacy. Although I teach grades 3-5, this book is applicable to all that I do too.

Mentor Texts by Lyn Dorfman and Rose Cappelli is a great new book on ways to use great children's literature in our writing workshops.

Don't Forget to Share by Leah Mermelstein is a great reminder on the importance of share time in writers' workshops. This is a great book on how to take advantage of the teaching possibilities during share time.

The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell brings us back to the original intent of the readers' workshop. We want kids to fall in love with books and to become lifelong, passionate readers and learners.

Picture Book Carnival

NYC Teacher is looking for submissions for the next Picture Book Carnival at Mentor Texts & More. Deadline is October 5.

Best of 2007--So Far--Middle Grade Novels

This is my longest list. I think it is a GREAT year for middle grade novels. There are some years where I just can't find great new books for my 3-5th graders. But this year, I found lots that I love. I decided not to include YA stuff in my "BEST OF 2007--SO FAR" lists. I don't really keep up on those and I don't really know that age reader as well. So, I am listing these as the best of for upper elementary students. I love every one! For me, every one of these would be a great read aloud and they are all perfect titles to add to classroom libraries and school libraries. (For this list, I am going to link back to the blog entries where I reviewed each book. For the few that I haven't had time to review, I'll add a few words.)

Middle Grade Novels
Larger Than Life Lara
Aurora County All Stars
Castle Corona
Paint the Wind
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Emma Jean
Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Beth at Cover to Cover recommended this book to me. It is a great fairy tale where we come to know favorite fairy tale characters in new ways. Similar to the SISTERS GRIMM series, the reader gets an inside look at fairy tales although this book has a bit less humor and a bit more depth than other fairy tale takeoffs that I've read. The concept of this one is great and the characters are quite believable.

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
This one may have been the most enjoyable read for me in terms of middle level novels. It is really a fun book. So much is combined from some of my favorite reads--a child who isn't getting lots of attention from her parents, a mean nanny, magic and friendship. It is a very unique story told in a way that makes it fun and suspenseful.

(I did not include new series books in this list--those will be in a separate list later this week!)

llama llama mad at mama by Anna Dewdney

A New Llama Llama book! So very exciting! I wasn't going to buy it but when I read it and realized that it clearly explained the experience of grocery shopping with cranky children, I had to have it. This one ends a bit pleasant--everyone leaves the grocery store happy, but something to shoot for, I guess.

I want to send a copy to the mom who sold the Pokemon cards that her kids snuck into her cart at the grocery store. Did you read about it? Her blog is quite a hoot too!

FIRST THE EGG by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I am always looking for great books with simple text--predictable text that support new readers. I found a great one yesterday! It is called FIRST THE EGG by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This is a simple text that follows a simple pattern..First the egg then the chicken. First the tadpole then the frog...and so on. The painted illustrations are very engaging and each includes a cut out so that adds a little surprise to each page.

A great addition to any K-1 library as well as a great book to include in a study of life cycles.

Love it!

Best of 2007--So Far--POETRY

I added several poetry books to my classroom library collection this year. The following are my absolute favorites.

Shout!: Little Poems that Roar by Brod Bagert--is a fun book for reading aloud. The colorful illustrations add to the fun. My students have been having a great time reading this one together on Poetry Friday!

Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen--a favorite book for readers of all ages. This one would be a great gift for young children but it also has great poems for older readers. The illustrations are quite happy! This one seems great for all elementary grade levels.

DOGKU by Andrew Clements--I loved this one by Andrew Clements because it is a story about a sweet little dog told in Haiku. I loved the whole concept--it was a great story told completely in haiku--even the author blurb and the front flap follow the haiku theme!

This is a Poem That Heals Fish by Jean-Pierre Simeon--I am sooo happy I found this poem. An amazing book to start conversations with students about what poetry is and what it means to different people.

For more "BEST OF 2007-So Far", visit Mother Reader.

Best of 2007--So Far--PICTURE BOOKS

Mother Reader had another GRAND idea. She's invited us all to think about and post our "Best of 2007--So Far". It is a great opportunity to look back at the reading from this year and reflect on those books that stayed with us, those that we love and those that we hope win some award when the awards come out.

So, this week, I'll be posting one or two lists each day. My Best of 2007-So Far in various categories. Today's category--Picture Books. (I'll link to the blog entry where I reviewed or mentioned the book during the year.)

Best Picture Books of 2007--So Far

THAT SPECIAL LITTLE BABY--I have a hard time finding new books that make great baby gifts--that would appeal to both baby and parents. But this one meets that need. A great story about a new baby and how she grows and how much she is loved.

TAKING A BATH WITH THE DOG -AND OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY-by Scott Menchin--I love this one for lots of reasons. A great story to share with children, a great book to help students think about writing ideas, etc.

THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN by Kevin Sherry--The simple text, bright illustrations, and large size make this a fun book that kids are drawn to. The surprise ending is quite a treat!

ORANGE PEAR APPLE BEAR by Emily Gravett-I think that this book is brilliant. How an author created a book with 4 words and surprising illustration is amazing.

17 THINGS I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANYMORE by Jennifer Offill--This has been a favorite since my daughter introduced it to me. It makes me laugh every time I read it. And the illustrations include real artifacts in the background. I am not sure which age this book would appeal to but I LOVE it!

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS by Caralyn Buehner--I do not usually buy new versions of traditional tales but the cover of this one caught my eye. Something about the bears' expressions makes it a version I needed to have. Goldilocks is quite adorable, in a devious kind of way. And she jump ropes throughout the books which adds to her character a bit.

Poetry Friday, Root Canals, and... a CONTEST!

So I went to the dentist for my regular check up this week. And, yes, the dentist thinks I may need a root canal. She is sending me to a specialist for an
evaluation. So, I started to write these to amuse myself while I was accepting the fact that I am old enough for a root canal. I thought it might be fun to try a FIB and I went from there.

Root Canal Fib

Root
Canal
Old age
Pathetic
X-Ray could be wrong
Don’t want one at all


Root Canal Haiku

Abscess? Is it true?
Is it cuz I’m forty plus?
How much will it hurt?


Root Canal Question Poem
Did you know an abscess is a glob of puss?



Then I wondered if I could write a limerick, or some other form of poetry about root canals. Imagine the possibilities! Then I figured it might be more fun to have a contest. (We have never run a contest, but we have loved the contests that Lisa Yee, Three Silly Chicks, and Mother Reader have run.

The Contest:
So, choose any form of poetry you like. Write a poem in that form about root canals. Submit it in the comments. We will announce and post the winning poem for next Friday's Poetry Friday post so you have until Thursday night--September 13th.

And the prize is.....

an PERSONALIZED, AUTOGRAPHED copy of Lester Laminack's book Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth (okay, so there are not so many children's books about root canals, but this is a great picture book and it IS about an issue with one's teeth!).



So..enter away!
Amuse me before I go to the specialist for a more thorough evaluation!

2 New Picture Books for Early Readers

As you know I am not a huge fan of using solely leveled texts in classrooms of K-1 students who are learning to read. I love leveled books by The Wright Group, Rigby, Seedlings, etc. but I worry when the entire classroom library is filled with ONLY leveled books and no children's literature. But I know how important it is for kids to have books that they can read on their own successfully. So, I have been on the lookout for books that support new readers just as leveled books do, but that aren't published just because they meet certain "level" criteria. Below are two great new books I just found that would be perfect for K-1 classrooms. I know that leveled books fill a need for our new readers but I believe strongly that our youngest readers need more than a diet of leveled books. So here are two new ones I found. Big and Little by John Stadler is a lift-the-flap circus story. The text is simple and the flaps are sturdy. I think this is one of the few lift-the-flap books that could survive in a classroom. The story is fun and the illustrations keep you in suspense. A "big" elephant is trying to dive into a "little" glass of water. Can she do it? You'll find out if you read to the end! The flaps, the predictability, the illustrations, and the simple text make this perfect for new readers. Barn Dance! by Pat Hutchins Pat Hutchins seem to really understand young readers. Her text and illustrations always go together to create an amazing story. In this new one, a barn full of mothers decide to dance a bit while their babies sleep. Lots of trouble comes and the ending is a fun one that readers will like. There is lots of rhyme and rhythm in this story and the illustrations make this a fun story that children will enjoy.

One more read aloud for the beginning of the school

I usually begin my read alouds with picture books and then move to a short easy novel before I start reading books that might be at or above my students' reading levels. Lots of my students haven't read all summer long, and I am modeling what they need to do to rebuild their fluency and stamina: start with lots of quick, easy reads to build confidence and refresh skills.

I just finished a great book for a first-week or early-in-the-year read aloud:
Monday with a Mad Genius (Magic Tree House #38)
by Mary Pope Osborne

It's the first day of school for Jack and Annie, and Jack is his typical worry-wart self. Luckily, time freezes in Frog Creek, PA when Jack and Annie travel with the magic tree house, because 10 minutes before the first day of school, they travel to Florence, Italy to meet Leonardo da Vinci and try to learn another secret of happiness to help Merlin.

At first, da Vinci tells Jack and Annie that the secret of happiness is fame. But by the end of the book, he has changed his thinking. He realizes that the secret to his happiness is curiosity.

Jack and Annie get back to Frog Creek at the moment they left, and they run to school filled with eager questions rather than nervous questions about the beginning of the school year.

Books About Books and Reading -- Revisited

In early August, a post at Creative Literacy caught my eye -- Picture Books About Books.

Our list of Books About Books and Reading has been sitting over there in the sidebar along with 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature just waiting for some new additions.

So, here's the list! Let's look again. Do any new books come to mind? What kinds of conversations do these books spark in your classroom or library?

Picture Books

How a Book is Made by Aliki
Read Anything Good Lately? by Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman
Souper Chicken by Mary Jane and Herm Auch
The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom
The Best Time to Read by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom
Wolf by Becky Bloom
The Day Eddie Met the Author by Louise Borden
Across a Dark and Wild Sea by Don Brown
Arthur and the Race to Read by Marc Brown
But Excuse Me That is my Book by Lauren Child
Petunia by Robert Duvoisin
Book! by Kristine O'Connell George
Check it Out! The Book About Libraries by Gail Gibbons
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Jake's 100th Day of School by Lester Laminack
Book by George Ella Lyon
Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail
Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail
Edward in the Jungle by David McPhail
Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
Amelia Hits the Road by Marissa Moss
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr
The Girl Who Hated Books by Manjusha Pawagi
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Reading Grows by Ellen Senisi
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
The Hard Times Jar by Ethel Footman Smothers
From Pictures to Words: A Book About Making a Book by Janet Stevens
The Library by Sarah Stewart
Library Lil by Suzanne Williams
The Old Woman Who Loved to Read by John Winch
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
Baby Bear's Books by Jane Yolen

Chapter Books

Magic by the Book by Nina Berenstein
The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Seven Day Magic by Edward Eager
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Big Green Book by Robert Graves
Fly By Night by Francis Hardinge
The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup
Looking Back: A Book of Memories by Lois Lowry
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
At the Sign of the Star by Katherine Sturtevant
The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley

Poetry

Good Books, Good Times by Lee Bennett Hopkins
The Bookworm's Feast by J. Patrick Lewis
Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis

Quotations

Quotations for Kids by J.A. Senns

Books For Adults That Could Be Used For Exerpts

Life is So Good by George Dawson
Grand Conversations by Ralph Peterson and Maryann Eeds
The Polysyllabic Spree and Housekeeping vs. the Dirt by Nick Hornby
Better Than Life by Daniel Pennac
How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen


* * * * * *

Check this out, too: A Notes from the Windowsill annotated bibliography of book-books by Wendy E. Betts.