If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover

The hilarious and terrible consequences of everyone doing his own thing are portrayed by author/artist Jo Ann Stover in If Everybody Did. Children and adults alike will enjoy this precautionary tale with its concise rhyming text, and amusing illustrations. 

Read Aloud of the book - https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=If+Everybody+Did&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002

Friendshape By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

The bestselling creators of EXCLAMATION MARK! introduce a triangle, circle, square, and rectangle who celebrate the gift of friendship.
Friends shape who we are. They make us laugh. They fill us with fun. They stand by us during life's up and downs. And even when we disagree with our friends, if they're tried-and-true, they don't stay bent out of shape for long. That's the beauty of a good buddy.
This joyous book rejoices in the simple beauties of friendship, and reminds readers of all ages that it's good to have a group of pals.


Author's website - http://www.whoisamy.com/

Bear and Bunny by Daniel Pinkwater

From the inimitable Daniel Pinkwater comes a funny and disarmingly sweet tale of two forest friends musing on the nature of a good pet.

The bear and the bunny are friends who like to wander in the woods, look for things to eat, sing songs, and talk things over. One day, the bunny asks the bear, "Why do we not have some kind of pet?" Well, the bear is not sure what a pet is. So the bunny explains that it’s an animal that you take care of and feed, and one that loves you. But a pine cone is not the right pet for a bear and a bunny. And a caterpillar is nice, but it may not be very much fun. After a much-needed nap in the forest, will these two find their perfect pet? Beloved author Daniel Pinkwater and masterful illustrator Will Hillenbrand return with another charming and humorous story starring the sweetest of friends, a bear and bunny.

A Great Quote for Discussion

This would be great to make a whole school listing with reasons why . . . 

The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski

Step inside the pages of a little girl's magical book as she discovers the profound and inspiring notion that we each bring something different to the same story. Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Pamela Zagarenski debuts as an author in this tender picture book about the joy of reading.

20 Children's Books that Teach Empathy

From Common Sense Media -
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/books-that-teach-empathy?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=csm

An A From Miss Keller by by Patricia Polacco (Author, Illustrator)

Set for release on September 29, 2015 -

How did Patricia Polacco become a writer?

A perfect companion to the classic Thank You, Mr. Falker, The Art of Miss Chew, and Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece, this book celebrates a teacher who inspired a young Patricia Polacco to become the writer and storyteller she is today.

Trisha is nervous about being chosen for Miss Keller’s writing class. “Killer Keller” demands that her students dazzle her with their writing, and rumor has it that she has never given an A. The rumors turn out to be all too true—there’s just no pleasing Miss Keller. Then an unexpected loss leaves Trisha heartbroken. Thoughts of teachers and grades forgotten, she pours out her soul in a personal narrative. And when Miss Keller reads it, she tells Trisha, “You’ve given your words wings.”

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg and illustrator Judy Love

From GoodReads - Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn't want to start over at a new school. She doesn't know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.

Fun, energetic illustrations brighten page after page with the busy antics surrounding Sarah Jane. FIRST DAY JITTERS is an enchanting story that is sure to be treasured by anyone who has ever anticipated a first day of school.

Author's site - http://www.juliedanneberg.com/

My Teacher Sleeps in School by Leatie Weiss

From GoodReads - Join the children in Mrs. Marsh's class as they search for clues to prove their teacher sleeps in school, and enjoy their surprise when a mystery bus trip ends in front of a nice white house with a blue door - a house much like the ones they live in themselves.

Maine!

Typically I do not re post - however I had an opportunity to visit the location and setting  for a number of Robert McCloskey books so here you go . . . enjoy!

Bucks Harbor Market August 2015

Bucks Harbor August 2015

Bucks Harbor August 2015

Bucks Harbor Market August 2015

One Morning in Maine - Today is a special day for Sal because she gets to go to Buck's Harbour with her dad. But when she wakes up to brush her teeth with her baby sister, she discovers something shocking.... Her tooth is loose!

And that's just the start of a huge day!

Time of Wonder - "Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores above the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day..." So begins McCloskey's classic story of one summer on a Maine island. The spell of rain, the gulls and a foggy morning, the excitement of sailing, the quiet of the night, the sudden terror of a hurrican, and, in the end, the peace of the island as the family packs up to leave are shown in poetic language and vibrant, evocative pictures.

Blueberries for Sal - What happens when Sal and her mother meet a mother bear and her cub? A beloved classic is born!

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.  Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948.

"The adventures of a little girl and a baby bear while hunting for blueberries with their mothers one bright summer day. All the color and flavor of the sea and pine-covered Maine countryside."
-School Library Journal, starred review.  

A Summery Saturday Morning by Margaret Mahy, Selina Young (illustrator)

We take the dogs down the wiggly track, The wiggly track, the wiggly track. One dog's white and the other dog's black On a summery Saturday morning.In Margaret Mahy's lively read-aloud romp, lots of things don't go quite as planned on one summery Saturday morning. But the children, dogs, cat, and even the geese seem to enjoy themselves, as will any adult and child who share this lighthearted picture book, cheerfully illustrated with Selina Young's boisterous illustrations.

Swimming

Three children's books that Tackle the Fear of Swimming

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2009/06/3-kids-books-that-tackle-the-fears-of-swimming.html

Sergio Makes a Splash  by Edel Rodriguez

Swim, Little Wombat, Swim!  by Charles Fuge










Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London (Author), Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)

America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates, Wendell Minor (Illustrator)

Wendell Minor is an extraordinarily talented fine artist who has received more than two hundred awards for his work. Authors refer to him as a "quiet genius" who creates with simplicity and elegance, a "master" at capturing the essence of the written word in vivid imagery, of creating brilliant paintings that evoke the true spirit of story and place. He has illustrated hundreds of covers for many of the most popular books of the past few decades.
Now, inspired by Katharine Lee Bates's classic verse, Minor gives readers his first picture book-beautiful visual accompaniment for an American standard. Traversing the entire nation, from the Empire State Building to the Grand Tetons, from the Alaskan coast to the Florida Everglades; encompassing multiple eras, from Pilgrims to wagon trains, from the Wright brothers to NASA, Minor takes us on a journey across land and time-literally from sea to shining sea.

Katherine Lee Bates house and Park in Falmouth MA

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Swimming Lessons by Betsy Jay

Although she has found many excuses for refusing to take swimming lessons, Jane finally faces the inevitable and jumps into the water for a very good reason.

The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing

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.

Starring Grace By: Mary Hoffman, Caroline Binch Illustrated by: Caroline Binch

It's summer vacation for Grace and her neighborhood friends, just the time for the fun to begin! Grace remains the imaginative, energetic girl first introduced in Amazing Grace (1991) as she involves all the kids in dramatic play. From helping an isolated older woman to creating a circus, Grace and her chums spend a delightful summer vacation close to home.

Henry's Freedom Box By: Ellen Levine

 A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.

Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.

Visiting Author - Matt Phelan

We are looking forward to welcoming a visiting author to our school soon.  Check out his books and information - http://www.mattphelan.com/

Maple by Lori Nichols

Lori Nichols’ enchanting debut features an irresistible, free-spirited, nature-loving little girl who greets the changing seasons and a new sibling with arms wide open.

When Maple is tiny, her parents plant a maple tree in her honor. She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud—which is often. Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too. Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.

Author's site - http://lorinichols.com/Lori_Nichols/home.html

Some activity sheets - http://lorinichols.com/Lori_Nichols/MAPLE_files/leafidentification%202.pdf

Book Quotes

So we started a new thing at school to encourage reading - we post a quote each day from a book, some a common and other more obscure.  Each day the students write the book title and author, submit their guess  and a little prize is given.  Here are a few of the  quotes with the answers.  We post obviously without the "answers"!  Enjoy!

Draw! By Raúl Colón

Based on his own childhood, beloved and award-winning artist Raul Colon's wordless book is about the limitless nature of creativity and imagination.

A boy alone in his room.
Pencils.
Sketchbook in hand.
What would it be like to on safari?
Imagine

A boy named Leonardo begins to imagine and then draw a world afar&;first a rhinoceros, and then he meets some monkeys, and he always has a friendly elephant at his side. Soon he finds himself in the jungle and carried away by the sheer power of his imagination, seeing the world through his own eyes and making friends along the way.

From the Carle Museum - http://www.carlemuseum.org/studioblog/?p=3276

Spring is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray

Discover the world as it wakes from its winter slumber as the flowers blossom, the animals come out from their resting place, and nature comes alive during this season of renewal. Head outside and play soccer and baseball with your friends while enjoying a wonderful picnic lunch from the food you grew in your garden! Heidi has done it again with this wonderful, wholesome book about the spring season, tying family and nature together in a book that will leave you feeling excited about spring!


Check out the author's blog - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6891636.Heidi_Pross_Gray/blog

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

This is a wonderful book about family and traditions.  Had the opportunity to see and hear the author AND view the actual keeping quilt (well, the original is in a museum, but here is the family's current one)!

A video presentation by the author - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfozE5b22og

Information about the author - http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

!2 Empowering Children's Books to Add to Little Girls' Bookshelves!

This would be a great collection to give as  a baby gift!
http://bust.com/12-empowering-children-s-books-to-add-to-little-girls-bookshelves.html

I would also add A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon.

St. Patrick's Day Books