Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

Just had to post this today as my niece's beloved cat "Winnie" passed away while they were on vacation.  How sad for her.   Bri is a loving child and has now experienced one of the necessary passages of life.

Simple verse and bold, folk-art illustrations, Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant invites readers to visit Cat Heaven, a place where cats have an eternal supply of catnip, tuna, and warm laps. There is also Dog Heaven.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

This series made its debut in 2007 with rave reviews.  Check out the author's website for a blog, news, video and audio, among a few other things.  The movie opened this past Spring and comes out in DVD soon.  Check it out for some fun stories.

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, illustrated by Babara Cooney

A beautiful old story that lends itself to many activities including economics, history and storyline.  Wonderful picutres ehnance this reading.  Check out the many activities - http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/2405, http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=454, www.liveoakmedia.com/client/guides/27971.pdf

Seashells by the Seashore by Marianne Collins Berkes

Little sea creatures build their shell homes in a wonderful variety of shapes and colors. In this lovely lilting rhyme, children walk the beach, counting, naming, and appreciating forever the whelk, olive and other beautiful shells, and the creatures that lived in them. The paperback edition contains a tear-out shell identification card to enhance the hand-on lesson in nature's simple wonders.  Check out the author's website as well. http://www.marianneberkes.com/seashells_by_the_seashore_23318.htm

Here are some of my favorites .................http://www.seashells.org/

Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James

It is vacation time, so Emily has to write to her teacher for help. "Dear Mr. Blueberry, I love whales very much and I think I saw one in my pond today. Please send me some information on whales."
Mr. Blueberry answers at once, pointing out that whales live in salt water, not in ponds, so it can't be a whale. But Emily believes in her whale and replies that she is putting salt into the pond every day before breakfast and that she has seen the whale smile. After several letters, Mr. Blueberry explains more forcibly that a whale cannot live in Emily's pond and that whales are migratory. Emily then reports that her whale has at last become migratory again because of Mr. Blueberry's letter and has left the pond. She is sad. But in her last letter, she has a happy surprise to tell Mr. Blueberry, and all is well.
Emily's very real concern for her whale comes through most convincingly in this delightfully imaginative, childlike text. Children everywhere will sympathize with Emily, and, like her, will learn some basic facts about these great creatures from Mr. Blueberry's letters.
Simon James's full-color illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to this unusual book that gives small children a gentle introduction to the world of nature.

The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Alhberg

I loved using this book for letter writing (a lost art with the texting and email world now upon us!).  Check out these ideas - http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/genre-study-letters-with-322.html , http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/730.html

There is also a holiday version of the story.  Fifteen years ago, long before anyone else thought of tucking actual letters and notes inside a book, Little, Brown published The Jolly Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg. This wonderful book gave children a chance to read letters sent from one fairy tale or Mother Goose character to another. Among the funny notes was one from Jack, who lolled on a sun-drenched island, thanking the Giant for the gold that let him afford such a nifty vacation. All this amusing correspondence was deftly illustrated and the book attracted hordes of eager readers.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

Couldn't resist one more ..................

One Morning in Maine

Taken from Children's Books - In this 1953 Caldecott Honor Book, Sal is several years older and about to lose her first tooth. Everything Sal does that day, from clamming with her father to going by boat to Buck's Harbor for supplies, is affected by her tooth. When Sal's tooth falls out and is lost, she consoles herself by wishing on a gull's feather in place of her lost tooth. By the time Sal, her father, and sister Jane, arrive in Buck's Harbor, Sal is eager to tell everyone that her tooth is out. This book provides a very interesting look at daily life for a family living on an island in Maine. Once again, McCloskey's black and white illustrations create a mood of activity and anticipation.