The Help - just saw the movie

Well, I just saw the movie after having read the book in a book club last year.  See a previous post . . .

http://teachingreaderstothink.blogspot.com/2010/02/help-by-kathryn-stockett.html

While I liked the movie and will be anxious to see what happens at the Oscars tonight,  I must say I liked the book MUCH better!   What did you think?  Add a note in the comments section . . .

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by E. Spinelli

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

A great day to tell someone you care! Check out these puzzles, games, cards, etc.- http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/valentines-day/about.html
For some "kid friendly recipes - http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/recipes/index.htm
Even for the dinosaur lover - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/cards/

National Cookie Day is December 4

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Everyone knows cookies taste good, but these cookies also have something good to say. Open this delectable book to any page and you will find out something about life. Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons is a new kind of dictionary, one that defines mysteries such as "fair" and "unfair" and what it really means to "cooperate." The book is by turns clever, honest, inspirational, and whimsical. Go ahead, take a bite!

Another title by the same author -Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
For many families Christmas is not just a time for parties, Christmas trees, and gifts. It is also a time when children and adults come together to make Christmas cookies. Not only are these treats delicious to eat, but they also offer families the opportunity to step out of their busy lives for a moment to connect in a meaningful way.  Here is a video as well. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-IirbSCfqc

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - by Laura Numeroff, visit http://teachingreaderstothink.blogspot.com/2010/08/if-you-take-mouse-to-school-laura.html for more "if you give a mouse . . . books and activities

Happy baking . . . happy times! 

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

A great "back-to-school" story to help build community - "Farah feels alone, even when surrounded by her classmates. She listens and nods but doesn't speak. It's hard being the new kid in school, especially when you're from another country and don't know the language. Then, on a field trip to an apple orchard, Farah discovers there are lots of things that sound the same as they did at home, from dogs crunching their food to the ripple of friendly laughter. As she helps the class make apple cider, Farah connects with the other students and begins to feel that she belongs.



Ted Lewin's gorgeous sun-drenched paintings and Eve Bunting's sensitive text immediately put the reader into another child's shoes in this timely story of a young Muslim immigrant.

Some awards -

• 2007 -- IRA Teachers' Choice
• 2007 -- CCBC Choices
• 2007 -- Bank Street Best Chldn's Books of the Yr

Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

                                           This is a great book for a "soon to be graduate" of any age ...................

The quotes of encouragements are too numerous to list, but noteworthy to explore.
From goodreads - "In this joyous ode to life, Dr. Seuss addresses graduates of all ages, from nursery school to medical school, and gives them the get-up-and-go to move mountains with the unrivaled exuberance and charm that have made Dr. Seuss's books favorites for years."
For interactive Seuss activities check out - http://www.seussville.com/

Congratulations to all the graduates out there!

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, IT’S A BOOK is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.  There are several very cute videos to share the point of the book.  http://us.macmillan.com/BookCustomPage.aspx?isbn=9781596436060&m_type=2&m_contentid=1635367#video

The usthor has a website as well - http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html 

Here is an interview with the author - http://www.amazon.com/Its-Book-Lane-Smith/dp/1596436069

Common Ground by Molly Bang

"Long ago, a village was built around a commons. The commons was 'common ground' which belonged to everyone in the village." The villagers brought their sheep to the commons to graze, "But there was a problem....There was not enough grass for all of them."
So begins a simple parable to reveal our relationship with everything around us - the water, earth, and air we share and how each individual affects the world.
Molly Bang gives consice understandable historical scenes, each demonstrating the limitations of our resources. "But after cutting down so many trees, there are fewer and fewer forests. This is not good for the trees, or the forest creatures, or the forest soil."
A small book large in its message and illustrations. It invites discussion and stimulates thought. 
Visit the author's website at http://www.mollybang.com/Pages/common.html

You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Brooklyn Bridge by Thomas Ratliff

Very clever and interesting, part of a whole series of non-fiction books, check out the author's page as well - http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=69391
- Humorous "Handy Hints" that relate directly to the text are provided on each spread
- High interest topic for children of all ages
- Draws in even the most reluctant reader with a lighthearted tone and hilarious illustrations
- The cultures and traditions from ancient civilizations through modern times throughout the history of the world spring to life in the pages of this series
- Includes glossary and index - Perfect for struggling readers

So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

This author visited our school today.  She spoke with the children about perseverance and courage. 

A core novel in our 6th grade, all students have read the book.  INSPIRATIONAL!
A fictionalized autobiography in which eleven-year-old Yoko escapes from Korea to Japan with her mother and sister at the end of World War II. Though Japanese, eleven-year-old Yoko has lived with her family in northern Korea near the border with China all her life. But when the Second World War comes to an end, Japanese on the Korean peninsula are suddenly in terrible danger; the Korean people want control of their homeland and they want to punish the Japanese, who have occupied their nation for many years. Yoko, her mother and sister are forced to flee from their beautiful house with its peaceful bamboo grove. Their journey is terrifying -- and remarkable. 
It's a true story of courage and survival

Hanna's Suitcase by Karen Levine

"Once there was a little girl named Hana Brady. She lived in Czechoslovakia with her beloved family. She liked to ski cross-country with her brother and play with her wolfhound and her fluffy, white kittens. She helped her father at the family’s general store. More than 50 years later, a suitcase with her name on it was sent to an education center in Japan. School children learned all about Hana and what happened to her during the Holocaust, a story told with words and photos in Hana’s Suitcase." For some audio - check out - http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/hanas-suitcase-a-tragic-story-from-the-holocaust-with-a-message-of-hope  This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in this time in history.  Powerful!

One by Kathryn Otoshi

An intriguing story - here is the author reading her book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGaDSMAS1E  The author has a fun website as well -  http://www.kokidsbooks.com/  You can listen to the book as well - http://utbtkids.com/2009/08/16/one/
Kathryn Otoshi's One is a great resource for teaching about bullying, but there is more to this book. "If someone is mean and picks on me, I, for One, stand up and say No." It has great watercolor illustrations. Many books about bullying are too preachy and feel false, but One is certainly a clever one that stands out.

Claudette Colvin by Phillip Hoose

A  book by Phillip Hoose, "Claudette Colvin, Twice Toward Justice," describes how the girl stood her ground, yelling, "It's my constitutional right" as the cops pulled her off the bus, threw her into the back of a cop car, and handcuffed her through the window. In Hoose's telling, a teacher named Geraldine Nesbitt had emboldened her students, teaching them about the 14th Amendment. "It just so happens they picked me at the wrong time—it was Negro History Month, and I was filled up like a computer," Colvin tells NEWSWEEK, "I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman, the other".

Check out this biography when you start to intoduce or review the ideas of civil rights.

Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco

Today we had GREAT discussion during our Middle School Advisory session about the difference between "bullying" and "teasing".  We also chatted with the kids about whether or not "bullying" is a one-way street.  They had great insight and thoughts.  This discussion let us to talk about being advocates for yourself and others.   Check out ..............http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleSchoolJournal/Articles/November2006/Article3/tabid/1093/Default.aspx for some titles of adolescent literature.  Here's one .................

Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story
Author: Jodee Blanco
While other kids were daydreaming about dances, first kisses, and college, Jodee Blanco was just trying to figure out how to get from homeroom to study hall without being taunted or spit upon as she walked through the halls. This powerful, unforgettable memoir chronicles how one child was shunned—and sometimes physically abused—by her classmates from elementary school through high school. It is an unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast, how even the most loving parents can get it all wrong, why schools are often unable to prevent disaster, and how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community. You will be shocked, moved, and ultimately inspired by this harrowing tale of survival against insurmountable odds. This vivid story will open your eyes to the harsh realities and long-term consequences of bullying—and how all of us can make a difference in the lives of teens today.

Peaceful Heroes by Jonah Winter

This inspiring book chronicles the biographies of men and women who have acted heroically without using violence. A remarkable volume in both text and illustration, Peaceful Heroes will soon become a favorite on every school and library bookshelf. The entire family can read and discuss it together; teachers will find it great for discussion starters and research. The figures profiled are Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton and nine others. The introduction traces the word “hero” from its historical meaning to today's usage, and challenges readers to develop their own list of peaceful heroes.

Badger's Parting Gift by Susan Varley

The death of a loved family member, prompted me to repost - This book is a great book to share with children in dealing with a loved one's passing away.  A dear story about animal friends and the memories they leave. Read aloud on the PBS show Reading Rainbow, this story is so touching. A teaching plan can be found at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CDsQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fserver.shopdei.com%2F126.0141g.pdf&rct=j&q=Badger%27s%20Parting%20Gifts&ei=sPC6TIfuB4KglAeSuZmZAg&usg=AFQjCNENxNzRAsGaCgoTlby_8GvOVPkoWg&sig2=eDqPWF3_TSxuY155zvjUiw 
When my dad died a few years ago, this was read many times with my nieces and nephews. I keep several of these books and give as gifts to friends with young children when they need a story such as this.

The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt

I happened to stop by a classroom of 7th graders today. 

Here is what they were reading -

"Georgie Burgess has known only neglect and abuse during his seven and a half years of life. His alcoholic mother does little to prevent the bruises and scars inflicted on Georgie by her brutal boyfriend. With each blow, the little boy withdraws further into his dreams. When he winds a small rose bush in a lottery, it seems as if one of his dreams has finally come true. But after a particularly savage beating, he is taken from his mother and placed in a home for boys. Surrounded by strangers and with the rosebush as his only link to the world, both the boy and his treasured plant must learn how to grow and thrive."  Most said they liked it, but it was sad.  It is important to evoke emotion from our children when they read.  Makes the experience meaningful.  Check it out .........................from families.com   http://media.families.com/blog/the-lottery-rose-irene-hunt  Here is the trailer from the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhCQHzcw7gQ

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/missrumphius.htm 









 

This beautiful picture book tells of the life of the author's great aunt Alice, now called The Lupine Lady. When she was little, Alice told her grandfather that she wanted to do as he did: go to far away places and live in a house by the sea. He told her that she must also do something to make the world more beautiful.

She accomplishes all she set out to do: traveling to tropical islands, climbing mountains before she hurts her back falling from a camel and decides to live by the sea. Her need to make the world more beautiful is a source of consternation to her.

Her solution of spreading lupine seeds wherever she walks is at first inadvertent - birds and the wind disperse lupine seeds from some she had planted in her garden before her bad back forced her into a semi-invalided life. When she sees new plants growing on nearby hillsides and cliffs, she spreads the seed herself after she feels better.

The illustrations are exquisite. They have the appearance of watercolors but were accomplished with acrylics and colored pencil. Several pages show a vast expanse of sea, marsh and land. Colors fade into the mist and just the right look of misty mornings by the sea is created.

l

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.

Yellowstone National Park - Born Wild

Born Wild in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks     Henry H. Holdsworth

Fabulous photos of young animals in Yellowstone National Park – bison calves rubbing noses, fuzzy brown moose calf, foxes playing, grizzly cubs following their mom, mule deer fawns in the meadows, and more. (Picture book)

Long hike today - partially in the snow! 
Check out the views .................

Bookstores

Well, with the advent of electronic books, readers, audio and all of that,  bookstores have taken on a new "look".  Whether it is hunting the shelves of a used book store or hunting online, looking for that wonderful story hidden in the pages of a book, hidden in the shelves or eletronic sites, finding that memorable story is exciting.  These are not meant to advertise the store, but share with you some memories. Here are a few fun places for you to "visit" (at least virtually).

Northshire Bookstore - a great shop locasted in Manchester Vermont. First editions, signed copies, a wonderfully, relaxing and fun children's section, not to mention a cafe with great yummy treats!

Eight Cousins - a small shop located in Falmouth Massachusetts, this shop specializes in children's books and other gifts. Visits by authors and illustrators add to the excitement of this shop.  The quintessential New England location, near the green in a small shore town.  Stop by ............

The Doylestown Bookshop - located in Doylestown PA, this shop has everything from Book Clubs, to Educators' Discounts to free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount (gotta love that!).  A neighborhood feel in a great Buck County Pennsylvania town, this shop has everything!  Check it out ................

The Moravian Bookshop - How can one resist this one! Autographed copies of first editions, author's visits and wonderful gifts spill from the shelves of this shop in historic Bethlehem Pennsylvania. Whether you are hunting for that "just right" book for a new mom, a special birthday gift for a friend or a wedding remembrance, this place has it all.  Not to mention great deli snacks and yummy gelato to eat as you walk around this quaint city.   Plan a visit during Musikfest in August.

While all of these shops are in the Northeastern United States, I am sure that you have many in your corners of the world, add a comment and post so that others may visit and keep these businesses alive!

"When you sell a man a book you don't sell just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life.  Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night - there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book." - Christopher Morley