Libraries

One of my earliest reading memories is going to the Library (thanks Mom!).  I thought I might highlight some libraries from my life, as well as fun facts about Libraries.  Happy book hunting!

Blackstone Library in Branford Connecticut - my first library memory.  Located near the "green", I could walk here from school each day and get lost in the musty shelves, marble columns and sit at a walnut table to do homework, read about the adventures of the Bobbsey Twins or just look at a magazine.   A great history of this place can be found in their website. Wonderful memories of reading here!

The Port Jervis Free Library in Port Jervis New York - the Port Jervis Free Library remains as one of the few Carnegie libraries in the United States which continues to fulfill its original purpose.  A small town feel and welcome availability, this library provides a much needed resource for its town's resisdents. 

The Wardsboro Public Library - a recently discovered find located in Wardsboro Vermont, this small library is big in its mission. The Wardsboro Public Library provides access to books and other library resources in a variety of formats and technologies for the enjoyment and enlightenment of its patrons. The Library also provides cultural activities for the community, educates the community about the Library's resources, and upholds the public's freedom of access to information. 
A wonderful addition and necessary resource in this small New England town. 


Add your memories and libraries in the comment section for others to view. 
Happy reading!

Matt Christopher Sports books

For your sports enthusiast - try these Matt Christopher titles, there are many more in his collection.  There is also a biography of this writer Behind the Desk With... Matt Christopher: The #1 Sportswriter for Kids

by Dale Christopher yhat might be of interest to your young 

baseball or soccer star!
Start collecting now for your summer reading list.  

Hailstones and Halibut Bones

A wonderful poetry book for visual imagery.  Check out these descriptions of colors using commonly seen objects.

Blue is a heron, a sapphire ring,
You can smell blue in many a thing:
Gentian and larkspur, Forget-me-nots, too.
And if you listen, you can hear blue
In wind over water.... 

Ideas for writing, art, imagery and more are numerous. First published over 25 years ago, the book is still a classic for the visually impaired, as well as all of us!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is a story about the coming of age of a high school girl.  Follow her unorthodox journey of love, peer relationships and the idea of "fitting in".  Her efforts at non-conformity and uniqueness provide endless opportunities for reader reflection and thoughtfull consideration of social norms.  Many activities and discussion points are available for this novel.  Check them out. A video clip is available as well to present as an introduction to the story. A prolific author,  Mr. Spinelli spins another tale of life, love, experiences and the journey from childhood to adilthood.  Check out his website for the latest titles, interviews and reviews.

Fly Awar Home by Eve Bunting

Fly Away Home is a moving story of a father and his son living in an airport, as they are homeless. It is a heavy subject, not to be dealt with in a quick read, but something to contemplate, consider and talk about with your young learner.  Check out some discussion points, activities and other related books. Take a look at the video of the author sharing her thoughts.

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

A recent Caldecott Award winner - From the moment you see the dust jacket of The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, you know you are in for something special. As you can see from the photo on the right, there are no words, just a fascinating portrait of a lion. When you look at the actual cover of The Lion and the Mouse, you'll notice that the title is not presented in words but in the portraits of a lion and a mouse. The Lion and the Mouse, one of Aesop's fables, has been adapted by Jerry Pinkney as a wordless picture book, It is a stunning book.  Reviewed in the NY Times as well.  Check it out.

Alphabet Books by Jerry Pallotta

Well, where does one start with this?  A, B, C books on almost every topic of interest to children (and adults) imaginable!  From birds to flowers to boat and dinosaurs, these books increase vocabulary, knowledge and have wonderfully detailed pictures. They may even inspire your picky eater to try new foods, like fiddleheads or morels (well, maybe not!). Or perhaps the Icky Bug book for your budding scientist.  Children can even write their own, maybe about their favorite things, family, animals, ideas are endless! Coloring pages, practice with writing and creative other ideas for introducing letters are sounds are many. 
Happy, fun, interactive playtime, while learning!  Love it!

The Door Bell Rang by Pat Hutchins

Here's a start for books about developing math thinking.  This one is great because it involves food, namely chocolate chip cookies and friends.  Who could resist!  A story map will help with identifying the problem and securing the solution, while the ratio charts will help children see the relationships among the numbers. Here's a fun video to give you some more ideas.

Some other Math related stories - How Big Is a Foot, by Rolf Myller is a great story for estimation and beginning measurement. A pod cast of a graphing lesson is available as well.








The M & M Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri McGrath give children a chance to graph results of examining the treats and comparing numbers. Here's a chart to get you started. You'll have to supply the yummies. A podcast is available for this as well.

Love That Dog, Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

For animal lovers, writers and just want some fun reading, check out either or both of these titles.  What fun!  I have used the book Love That Dog with children, teachers, other adults all over the country when presenting workshop sessions on reading and learning.  Whenever a book provokes emotions, it is a wonderful "read".  Check out the author's website. See what you think!

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

The scene is a manor house in England in 1290 and Catherine, the wilful, stubborn and delightful daughter of Sir Rollo and Lady Aislinn, has been asked, by her brother the monk, to keep a journal and these are her daily entries for one important year in her life.
This is a great book to introduce teens to historical fiction.  Mostly considered a "girl" book, check out some discussion questions, activities and thoughts.  If you are intriguied by castles, the middle ages and cooking.  Check it out.

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

When the substitute for Mr. "Fab" Fabiano never shows up and his sixth-grade students are on their own, they set out to prove that they can run the class by themselves. With a little ingenuity and some careful planning, they might just succeed. But when a fight breaks out between Bastian Fauvell and Rachel White over a classmate, Tommy Feathers, who died six months earlier, everything begins to fall apart. Can Rachel deal with the anxieties that plunged her into silence the day Tommy died? Inventive and uniquely constructed, "Flying Solo" follows Mr. Fab's students hour by hour as they tackle the challenges of an unusual school day. Check out the author's website  which includes tips for readers and writers.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

A lesser known book by this wonderful author and illutrator.  Poetic but simple text and lovely collage pictures dramatize the life cycle of all plants, as one tiny seed grows into an enormous sunflower, which then produces more seeds in its turn. These classroom activities could be used to enhance the reading experience. A slide show, computer activities and more  are available as well.  Happy Planting ..................

Tomie di Paola books

Whenever I am searching for a gift for a child, I can never pass up any of Tomie di Paola's books, so of course I could not select just one title to share with you.  Whether it is a love for a grandparent (check out Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs, Tom or Now One Foot, Now the Other), a fondness for drawing (The Art Lesson), legends and folktales (The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush), a new holiday story (Strega Nona or An Early American Christmas) or the stories of Bill and Pete (Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile), his stories and illustrations will be sure to become some of a child's (and your) favorites. He even has coloring pages for readers to share their creativity. All are wonderful read alouds with great opportunities for discussions, sharing and connections.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Ages 2 to 6:  Planting a Rainbow is a delightful book that will show children the wonderful process of growing a garden and recognizing the colors of the rainbow.  They will delight in the colorful and simple pictures as they "travel" from picking flower bulbs in the fall, buying seeds and seedlings and how a garden is planned.  Then they will see the bulbs sprout and the seeds germinate, and in the end they create a beautiful rainbow of flowers.  They learn about different flowers by their colors and how water, soil, and sun are necessary for plants to grow. For some Pre-School activities in Science, Math and Language Arts look at http://www.brighthub.com/education/early-childhood/articles/40846.aspx.  Stay tuned for more books from this writer.

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss

I was first introduced to this book by a wonderfully gifted kindergarten teacher when I happened to stop in her classroom one day to do a  formal observation.  Children learn about counting, rhyming, and different musical instruments in a clever story format.  Some great family activities are jumping off points as well, after reading. This is a fun story for listening to different sounds, identifying the object that makes the sound and developing sound patterns, all precursors to beginning reading, following oral directions and school readiness.  Have fun!

Happy Easter

Spring, Spring, Spring ..................many stories to highlight this holiday!  Whether you are into crafty things, the religious connections or just some great, fun wonderfully illustrated stories, an opportunity to read and spend time with your young sweeties!

Patricia Palacco's story about Rechenka's  Eggs tells about the tradition of beautifully painted eggs and the gift of friendship.  We'll highlight other stories from this wonderful author in future posts.









Jan Brett, too, of course has a great story as well. "Spring is everywhere in gorgeous illustrations framed with pussy willows, flowering vines and flowers. Side borders feature busy rabbits making their unusual eggs and, in a border above, the Robin’s family drama unfolds."  Check out the video.

An of course, there is The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Dubose Heyward, Marjorie Flack (Illustrator).  The quintessential Easter book  The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes, first published in 1939 and is a true classic.