What is your earliest reading "memory"? What are you reading? I am excited to share new (and old) titles, thoughts and ideas about books with your children, students and you! Look for a new title, teaching idea or discussion point every few days. Be sure to add your thoughts, ideas and titles to encourage readers to THINK!
An anonymous valentine candy-filled heart changes the life of
shy, unsociable Mr. Hatch. The note says,"Somebody loves you." This
warmhearted tale shows how, just the thought of someone taking an
interest in him completely changes the way Mr. Hatch interacts with his
neighbors and co-workers. The new sweet Mr. Hatch becomes so much a part
of people's lives that when it is disclosed that the heart was
delivered by mistake, his friends and neighbors rally around him in a
loving demonstration. Mr. Hatch find out that many people love him.Check out this author's site for even more titles - http://www.eileenspinelli.com/heart_001.htm
This is a day that has always baffled me, but it is fun for kids. Visit the "official" site from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania http://www.groundhog.org/
The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Funby Old, Wendie C.
Every February 2nd, people in the United States wait to see if Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog living in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, will see his shadow and predict six more weeks of cold weather. But how can a groundhog predict the weather? And if it's winter, shouldn't he be hibernating? Are such predictions really accurate? Why is February 2nd so special? And do other groundhogs predict the weather? Wendie Old provides plenty of information about groundhogs and the origin of Groundhog Day in this book of facts and fun. Groundhog riddles and ideas for throwing a Groundhog Day party are included.
Great book to share history with children. Eating the Plates, invites you to learn what it was like to come across the Atlantic on the Mayflower and settling in the New World. The book shares the experiences that the Pilgrims had to endure from ship travel on an open vessel to struggle of survival - choice of food, housing, disease, and bugs. Pilgrims had a hard time finding food that they liked to eat. With the help of the Indians, they were introduced to corn, deer and turkey. Trade brought them spices, molasses and sugar.
The ten recipes at the end of the book are tasty and fun!
In this wordless picture book, three young children arrive at the park to find a bag of colored chalk that turns their imaginary drawings into something very real. Enchanting! Check out hte author's website as well - http://www.billthomson.com/
There are so many books to share related to this time of the year - here are just a few, along with some fun links for "things to do". . .
The Halloween Book of Facts and Funby Wendie Old
Here you'll find a history of the holiday, fun facts, some halloween stories, and plans for a children's Halloween party. I LOVE the cat on the cover, don't you? Especially the way his tail curves around the moon. (later I might tell you the story behind this wonderful cover.) And the illustrations inside are not scary at all -- not even the one where Frankenstein and Dracula are sitting side by side near a cozy fire, reading each other's book. (Fun Fact -- did you know that there actually is a Count Dracula? And that he runs the Red Cross blood bank in his country?)
Skeleton Hiccupsby Margery Cuyler The skeleton character is portrayed in a friendly light - non-threatening and non-scary. Suffering from hiccups, the skeleton hopes for a cure. His friend, a ghost, comes up with an ingenious cure. Kids find the story silly and funny. A joy to read aloud!
Picking Apples And Pumpkins by Amy Hutchings, Richard Hutchings (Illustrator)
Spend the day with Kristy, her family, and two best friends as they pick apples and pumpkins at Battleview Orchards in New Jersey. It's a great book to use for fall that doesn't use pumpkins strictly for halloween.
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur, Leslie Evans (Illustrator)
One brief acrostic poem for each letter of the alphabet from acorn to zero follows the fall season from end of summer to chilly conclusion. Each poem describes an aspect of the fall season.
An autumn riddle is presented for each letter of the alphabet. Marvelous hand colored illustrations provide sharp clues to the answers. The answer is spelled out in the first letter of each line.
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro, Giulio Maestro
Apples Have you ever eaten a part of a flower? You have if you have eaten an apple! Find out how an apple grows from bud to flower to fruit--ready for you to pick!
The Story of the Sea Glass is a touching tale full of love and the importance of seeing the good that can come from even sad events. The vivid illustrations evoke the warm sun and fresh sea breeze of a Maine coast summer. Also included are directions for making your own sea glass sun-catchers.
Sea Glass Summer - Eleven-year-old Poppy Ray longs to be a veterinarian, but she's never had a pet. This summer, she's going to spend a month with her uncle Sanjay, veterinarian and owner of the Furry Friends Animal Clinic on an island off the Washington coast. Poppy is in for big surprises. She loves tending to the dogs, cats, and even a bird, and she discovers the fun of newborn puppies and the satisfaction of doing a good job. But she learns that there's more to caring for animals than the stethoscope and cotton swabs in her Deluxe Veterinarian First-Aid Kit. She's not prepared for quirky pet owners, gross stuff, or scary emergencies. With help from a boy named Hawk, a chunk of seaglass, and a touch of intuition, Poppy gains a deeper understanding of the pain and joy of working with animals. With warmth and humor, Anjali Banerjee tells the story of a resourceful, determined girl who can't wait to grow up, but begins to realize just how much she has left to discover.
TO THE BEACH!, is a humorous story sure to resonate with anyone who's ever tried to get a family out the door for a big outing. No sooner have parents and kids piled in the car for the beach than they begin remembering what's been forgotten: dog, ducky pail, beach umbrella, kite, ball and cooler -- and, whew, the list goes on! The liveliness of the text is perfectly matched by Nadine Bernard Westcott's vivacious artwork." Children's BookPage
"TO THE BEACH is a very funny rhyming text that will have you laughing out loud by the end of the story. The hilarious and artfully drawn illustrations, by Nadine Bernard Westcott, go along perfectly with the story. This is a most fun read-aloud." Meridian Magazine
Everyone loves "campfire" songs - try this book for some old (and new) favorites .................
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,
Here I am at Camp Granada. Camp is very entertaining. And they say we’ll have some fun if it stops raining.
The mosquitoes are out and biting, the rain’s coming down in buckets, and there’s poison ivy on the trail. We’re a long way from home and the food here stinks!
Camp wouldn’t be camp without troubles to share. But there are also new friends to make, adventurous trails to be climbed, and toasty evenings by the fire to enjoy (not to mention a fair bit of silliness).
Classic camp-song favorites—from “Rise and Shine” and “Found a Peanut” to “Kum Ba Yah”—and vibrant, folksy illustrations make this offering a musical walk through the campgrounds for generations to treasure. Here is is sung - http://bussongs.com/songs/camp_grenada.php
A little girl and her family are getting ready to go on vacation . . . or at least they are trying to. In the effort to pack everything that will be needed, there's bound to be something overlooked, and what that is provides a funny ending to this meter-perfect "twist" on Clement Moore's classic.
For fun reading activities to keep everyone busy during the summer vacation months, check out -
I have posted alphabet and planting books before, but this one seems particularly timely to highlight at this time of year................have fun digging in the dirt .............
The author has a great website as well - http://www.jerrypallotta.com/
Mother's Day is a week away - here are some titles for your little ones to share with you! The Night Before Mother’s Day – Who’s the greatest mom in the world? Yours, of course! Celebrate her special day!
SpongeBob SquarePants®: The Best Mom – Nothing can be sillier than when SpongeBob celebrates Mother’s Day!
Someday – A heartfelt story about a mother’s unconditional love!
Dinosaur Train: A Surprise forMom! – Join these little dinos as they go to the big pond to find flowers for Mom!
I know it is Spring time - but playoffs are going on - go Flyers!
Get in the game with Crabtree's exciting series on some of children's favorite sports.
Features: -- the history of the sport
-- basic rules of play
-- equipment and safety precautions
-- techniques and quick tips for kids on how to improve their skills
-- action-packed photos showing boys and girls demonstrating moves
-- emphasis on the value of fair play and teamwork
-- how the professional leagues work
Grab your skates and hit the ice with Hockey in Action. This book brings to life the exhilaration of the fastest sport in the world using step-by-step instructions on how to play on the ice. Hockey equipment and rules of play are also described as well as such techniques as: -- how to maneuver on skates
-- stick handling
-- passing the puck and shooting
-- making a save in the goalie's net
Author and illustrator Lois Ehlert’s cut-paper collages are bold and colorful. The story of a father and child’s vegetable garden project is told in rhyme. While the text of the story is brief, each of the plants, seeds, and gardening tools illustrated is labeled, making this a book that’s fun to read aloud and then read through again identifying everything. The story begins with the planting of seeds and sprouts and ends with delicious vegetable soup. (Voyager Books, 1990. ISBN: 0152325808)
Butterfly Birthday finds all the insects awakening to springtime and preparing a celebratory feast for the occasion. But while the wasps and spiders and beetles gather up food (at the direction of the ants), the caterpillars satisfy themselves to munch on leaves.
While to the little ant, it seems as though they're lazy, the other insects know what's up, and let things play out to surprise the little ant when the caterpillars turn into chrysalises (hung like Chinese lanterns around the party) which later hatch open to release butterflies and moths.
Mark Jones' illustrations give Butterfly Birthday a look akin to "A Bug's Life," with insects that are as true to real life as possible while also giving them facial expressions. Harriet Ziefert's story is a gentle one, avoiding much of the natural order of the food chain (in one scene, a return cardinal flies over, but ignores the gathering of insects on this special day out of respect).
Vibrantly colored from edge to edge and filled with a variety of critters, Butterfly Birthday will certainly be enjoyed by young readers (and, in particular, younger readers who count "butterfly" among their first words).
Groundhog Day is February 2nd. It is said that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of bad weather, and if he doesn't, that spring will be here soon. Here are some activities, a quiz and other things to keep your little ones (and not so little) busy.http://holidays.kaboose.com/ground-hog-day/
Fold flour tortillas in fourths and use scissors to cut shapes out pf the folds, just like when you cut a paper snowflake, Brush with melted butter. sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and bake at 350 degrees until crispy.Yum!
"From the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful. His story is gracefully told and brought to life in lovely woodcuts, giving children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance but a clear passion for the wonders of nature. "Of all the forms of water the tiny six-pointed crystals of ice called snow are incomparably the most beautiful and varied." -- Wilson Bentley. SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY won the 1999 Caldecott Medal".
To create your own 3-D snowflake try - http://www.zefrank.com/snowflake/ This would be a great link to keep your creative learners busy on that snowy day.
Thought this would be fun on a snowy, icy, wintery day ..............
In Spring,
Red sings
from treetops:
cheer-cheer-cheer,
each note dropping like a cherry
into my ear . . . Color comes to life in this whimsical, vibrant book. Pink hides, Green floats, Yellow and Purple hold hands, and Red . . . well, you'll just have to see. Follow the white pup as he explores the sight, smells, and sounds of color within each season.
Here are some other ideas as well - So, what do I do with this book? 1. You can ask students to focus only on the colors when you read this book if that is the objective that you are teaching. You can even assign a certain color to certain children, and ask them to be able to tell you objects from the book that are that color when you are finished reading. The fun thing about this book is that sometimes Joyce Sidman does not just come out and tell you what objects she is talking about. For example, the first page of summer says, “White clinks in drinks.” She is talking about ice, but students would have to use the illustrations and their listening skills to figure that out. You can do a shared writing when you are finished reading. Students can tell you things in the book that are red or blue or so on, and then you can add items from your room to the color lists also. 2. Children who are learning the seasons will also benefit from this book. You can ask students to draw pictures of their favorite season and write a sentence about it. They can base their illustrations on the illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski, which are lovely and full of color! 3. One of the 6 traits of writing is word choice. This book is an excellent study in word choice. Joyce Sidman is a master at language and the text sings to the readers. Ask students to pick out some of their favorite phrases and sentences, and discuss why they like these word choices.
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