Thanksgiving Time!

Thanksgiving Mice!

By Bethany Roberts

Illustrated by Doug Cushman

This is an adorable book that would be great to use with the younger kids. It help teach them about events of Thanksgiving, and do it in a fun way with mice as the characters.

The mice decide to put on a play for their friends about Thanksgiving. They make the costumes, the sets, and practice all their lines.They call in all their friends, and tell them to take a seat for their play. They show the Pilgrims coming from England on the Mayflower and landing on Plymouth Rock.They talk about the cold, harsh winter. In Act 2, they show them meeting "friendly folks" who give them corn to sow. Once they harvest the food, they feast and dance. At the end of the play, the mice take a bow and all their friends clap and cheer.

The use of repetition and rhyming in this book would also help the young kids learn how to read. The words used in this story are not too big making it and useful tool to teach the kids about Thanksgiving and how to read.

Magic, Magic, Magic!

Strega Nona's Magic Lessons

Story and Pictures by Tomie de Paola

I remember having this book read to me when I was in elementary school. I also used it for my second read aloud assignment, and the kids loved it. The book is about a young girl who doesn't want to be a baker's daughter anymore so she goes to Strega Nona to learn magic. Big Anthony wants to learn magic too, but Strega Nona doesn't let him learn. He tries to work for the baker, but that doesn't end up working out. He dresses up as Antonia and goes to Strega Nona to learn magic. Antonia doesn't do well learning the magic, but Bambolona, the little girl, picks it up really quick. Antonia is jealous and tries to learn magic over night. She messes up really bad, and has to reveal that it's really just Big Anthony. After he learns his lesson not to mess with magic anymore, he goes back to doing his chores. 

This book couldn't be tied in with any specific lesson plans, but it is a fun book that could be used for read aloud. The kids I read it to loved it, and the read aloud time was incentive for good behavior during the day. It would also be a good book to have on a shelf in a classroom. The pictures are interesting, and the kids would love flipping through the book during free time.

Book Blog

My Mommy

By Susan Paradis

This was a very interesting book, and took me by surprise when I read it. I just assumed it would be a cute little book about a mom and a little girl when I saw the cover. Although this book was a story about the daily activities the mother and daughter do together, there were some interesting pieces to it. On every page, there was a picture of a mother animal with her baby animal. One of the pictures shows the mom helping her daughter do her hair, while a mom monkey combs through her babies hair. There were some interesting choices in animals on some of the pages. There were kangaroos, monkeys, geese, giraffes, elephants, tigers, and wolves. I was not expecting the animals on each page, but it was a fun twist to a common story. 

This book is an extremely easy read and would most likely be boring for older kids. If this book is to be used in the classroom, kindergarten would be the oldest group you could use it with. It would probably be best with pre-k in my opinion. It is a great book to remind kids of all the great things their mothers do for them.

Fun With Family

Too Far Away To Touch

By Leslea Newman

Illustrated by Catherine Stock

I really enjoyed this book, and I am not ashamed to admit that it brought a few tears to my eyes. It was a very touching book about a young girl learning how important it is to cherish family while they are still here.

Zoe is a young girl who loves when her Uncle Leonard comes over to take her on an adventure. She always loves playing tricks on him when he comes to pick her up. She wanted to inform her uncle he was loosing his marbles while she held two in her hand, but he was wearing a hat when he came over. Uncle Leonard wasn't taking Zoe to the museum or the zoo, but instead to the planetarium. After seeing the show, Zoe wished she could see real stars. She lived in New York, so the stars were almost impossible to see from her house. After the show, Uncle Leonard took Zoe to get food. She asked him to take off his hat because she wanted to play her trick. When he took it off, she realized a lot of his hair was gone. She asked if he was sick and he said that he was sick but that he was doing well that day. When Zoe and Uncle Leonard got home, he surprised her by putting glow in the dark stars on the roof of her bedroom. It was a long time before Uncle Leonard came to pick up Zoe for an adventure again. But when he did, he brought Nathan, and they all went out to sea side where they could see the stars. When Nathan went back to the car to try to find more blankets, Uncle Leonard informed Zoe that he was very sick. She asked if he was going to die and he said yes. She asked where he would be going after he died. He told her that he would be too far away to touch just like the stars.

 This book does talk about AIDS, which may not be something young kid's parents have discussed with them, so this book may be hard to use with the younger kids. However, most kids have sadly had to deal with losing someone to disease making it a very relate able book. Also, every kid has that one relative that they love to spend time with, so you could take a positive spin on the book. You could have the kids discuss what they do when they spend time with a favorite relative.

LOVED This Book!!

Bea and Mr. Jones

Story and Pictures by Amy Schwartz

Beatrice is tired of going to kindergarten and playing all of the games. Mr. Jones is tired of catching the 7:45 and laughing at all of his bosses bad jokes. At this point, Bea and Mr. Jones decide to switch places for the day. Bea gets on the train and sits with her father's business associate Harvey, and he explains that they have a busy day ahead of them. When they arrive at work, Harvey sends out a memo to the office stating that Bea will be replacing Mr. Jones for the day. When Mr. Jones arrives at kindergarten, he gives Miss Seymour a note excusing Bea from school and informing her that Mr. Jones will be participating in class for the day. Mr Jones loved all the games, and he was an excellent snack monitor because he didn't spill the milk.  He also was able to help get kids unstuck from the trees. Bsck in the office, Bea sent her secratary home for the day and loved all of the bosses jokes. She was also able to help come up with a jingle for the cracker account, and received a promotion at the end of the day. Mr. Jones and Bea decided to permanently switch places. Bea became the president of toy sales and Mr. Jones became a star student.

This was such a cute book, and would be great to use in a classroom. I used it for my read aloud, and the kids absolutely loved it. They all wanted to tell me what their parents did at their jobs and share their experiences when they went with their parents to work. There are many open ended questions you could use with this book that would get kids thinking and sharing their ideas. I also really liked the illustrations. The whole book is in black and white, but the pictures still helped get the story line across.

I was looking online for a picture to add to the blog when I came across a great lesson plan you could use with younger kids. Here is the link to the lesson plan:

http://www.bcpss.org/bbcswebdav/institution/CURRICULUM/Early%20Learning/School%20Year%202011-2012/Kindergarten%20Literacy%20Curriculum/Kindergarten%20Unit%203/Kindergarten%20Unit%203%20Reading/Read%20Aloud%20Templates/Unit%203-%20Bea%20and%20Mr.%20Jones.pdf

Fall Is In The Air!!

Pumpkins

By: Jacqueline Farmer

Illustrated by: Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

This book was adorable, and would be perfect to use in younger classrooms. The book talks about several different kinds of pumpkins and how they are most often used. It shares how other cultures use pumpkins on holidays and in every day life. The book talks about how pumpkins are grown and how many farmers grow in a year. My favorite part of this book was the two stories on why pumpkins are used on Halloween. It then goes into how to carve a pumpkin with the help of an adult and the different foods you can make with the insides of a pumpkin. It gives several different pumpkin recipes in the back, and the translation of pumpkin in many different languages.

PUMKIN

Italy - zucca (ZOOK-ka)

Japan -  kabocha (kah-boh-cha)

Mexico - calabaza (kah-lah-BAH-sa)

Russia - tykva (TEEK-va)

China - nangua (NAHN-gwah)

Germany - Kurbis (KYEER-bis)

Turkey - balkabagi (BAHL-kah-bah)

France - citrouille (sit-ROO-yuh)

Iran - kadu tanbal (KA-doo TAN-bal)

The Netherlands - pompoen (pom-PEHN)

Sweden - pumpa (POOM-pa)

Brazil - abobora (ah-BOH-boo-rah)

I really enjoyed reading through this book, and it would be great  to use to teach history of other cultures or cook food with pumpkins. I think young kids would really be able to get into this book if you make it interactive.

How to carve a pumpkin video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7MJcTY2kfw

My Man Blue Book Talk

My Man Blue

By: Nikki Grimes

Pictures by: Jerome Lagarrigue

This book was much more intense than I expected it to be. I picked it out based on the cover thinking it would be about how you can find someone who is like your family, but isn't blood related. That is what this book is about, but the lessons taught to the little boy by the man were a lot more intense than I thought they would be.

Damon, the little boy, and his mother move to a new place in town. She introduces Damon to her friend Blue. Damon explains to Blue that he is the man of the family and he shouldn't come around his family, all while looking him up and down. Blue explains to Damon that he lost his son to the streets, and he know that Damon's dad left their family. Damon tells Blue that he won't fill the loss of his son, but Blue says they will just be friends. Blue teaches Damon to overcome his fears by climbing a tree higher than he has ever climbed a tree, and reassures him that he will be there to catch him if he falls. Blue explains to Damon that even if he can't participate in games, he can still enjoy certain things. Blue gives Damon a hotdog to help him feel better. Damon's ball goes into the street, and right before he jumps into traffic to get the ball, Blue grabs him and pulls him back. Damon admits that, "At times I think Blue's actually some gold-toothed angel, guarding me". Damon is getting bullied at school by a little girl, but Blue explains to Damon that he is never allowed to hit a girl. Blue does fun stuff with Damon too, like playing one-on-one with him at the basketball courts. Damon cooks dinner so it's ready for his mom when she gets home from work. People make fun of him for it, but Blue explains that he needs to take care of his mom. Blue trains Damon so he knows how to defend himself. A boy at Damon's school got shot. Blue tells Damon that hate and fear hold the gun and fire it. Damon doesn't want fear or hate in his life. The last page was one of my favorites. It read, "One day I'll be like Blue. Not fierce in black leather or built like a heavyweight boxing machine But like that other Blue I've seen the one who says he cares and shows it. The one who flashes gold every time he smiles."

Like I said before, this book was much more intense than I thought it would be. As a young kid I grew up with different lessons. However, there are kids who grew up with lessons similar to Damon's. There are some kids who only grow up with one parent and find someone outside their family to teach them lessons. Blue was not Damon's dad, but he stepped up in the position and helped keep Damon away from the streets. 

I wouldn't use this book with the younger kids because of some of the things discussed. It would be a great book to use with the fifth graders because they are more mature and able to handle some of the topics brought up in the book.

Book 4!!

Momma, Where Are You From?

By: Marie Bradby

Illustrated by: Chris Soentpiet

This story starts off with a little girl and her mother sitting in their kitchen. The little girl asks, "Momma, where are you from? Where are you from, Momma?" Momma explains to her daughter that she is from all the chores she did on a Monday. She explains she is from all the different food she had for dinner. Momma told the little girl she was from giving away her old clothes and ice chips on a hot summer day. THen the little girl asks, "Momma, where is that place? Where is that place, Momma?" The mother tells her little girl that this place is where the town meets the countryside. It's where the bus took Momma's brothers and sisters to school. She explained its where the gum ball tree took up the sky and where she "wondered why Miss Mary cleaned someone else's house". She told her it's where chores took up the entire afternoon. It was where Friday evenings were taken up by fried fish and cherry pie with ice cream. It was where they played games and listened to ball games on the radio. The story finishes up with the little girl asking her mother, "Momma, can I go there? Can I go there Momma?" Here mother responds by saying she will take her daughter down the roads of her memory.

I really enjoyed this story and found it very easy to connect to. I used to love sitting around the dinner table with my family, listening to stories my parents told about their childhood. It always seemed so different from my childhood. It seemed the most different when they talked about money. I also liked hearing about how and where my grandparents grew up. I feel like this story is one that most people could easily relate to.

This would be a fun story to incorporate into the classroom. You could read this story to the class, have them go home and talk to their parents about about their childhood, and then have the kids right about what their parents told them. When they come back to class after these interviews, the kids could share in small groups about where their parents are from.

Week 3 Book Talk

When You Visit Grandma and Grandpa

By: Anne Bowen

Pictures by: Tomek Bogacki

I absolutely love, love, love the way this book was written!! This little girl is telling her new little brother what it is like when they go to visit their grandma and grandpa. She talks about how their mom and dad pack them up in the car in the middle of the night to start their drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house. She talks about what you do in the spring at their house, then back to what you do during the car ride. Then she talks about what you do during the summer at their house, and once again, back to an activity they can do to pass the long car ride. She then describes the leaves and the pumpkins of the fall, and then more things to do in the car. Lastly, she talks about winter at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Then from the car she sees Grandma and Grandpas house and her heart beats faster, and she is so excited to be there. The last thing she tells her brother about visiting their grandparents is, "And you will know, I tell my new baby brother, that ANYTIME is the BEST TIME to visit our Grandma and Grandpa."

This book was enjoyable even at my age. I used to love going to visit my grandparents when I was little, and still do. When we didn't live close to my Grandma and Grandpa, my parents would pack us up in the car in the early morning so we could start our long trek to their house. I remember there were lots of special activities for each season as well. This book is great for any age person because most people have very fond memories of growing up with their grandparents.

This book would be a great starter for many activities in a classroom. You could have your students write about a special time when they went and visited someone close to them. Or, since this book talks a lot about seasons, you could have your students draw a picture about something they do during a particular season and then describe it.

Book Talk Number Two

The Littlest Wolf

By: Larry Dane Brimner

Illustrated by: Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of my family and the relationships I have with my younger sisters. The illustrations were intriguing, but still very simple at the same time. And, the story line was fun to follow with the repetition. 

Little One complains to Big Gray that he can't roll in a straight line like Frankie, run fast like Ana, or pounce high like Tyler. Big Gray reassures him that although he can't roll straight like Frankie, but instead zig-zags that it's just how it should be. Big Gray tells him that although he doesn't run like the wind like Ana, but runs more like a soft breeze that it's just how it should be. He also explains to Little One that although he doesn't pounce as high as the oaks or the clouds, that it's just how it should be. At the very end of the book, "Big Gray looked up at the great gnarled oak above them. 'Remember the acorns, Little One,' he whispered in the little wolf's ear. 'They are just as they should be. And look what they become.'"

My sisters and I have, at times, had a very competitive relationship. We all were very into sports, and we wanted to find one that we excelled at more than the other two. We all tried soccer, we all tried tennis, and we all tried gymnastics. I ended up being better at soccer, my middle sister was better at tennis, and they youngest was by far the better gymnast. Although our parents never had to sit us down and tell us that it was okay that the others were better at what they did, we knew deep down and ended up sticking to what we did best.

For me this was a very relatable book just because I have siblings, and I know how competitive that relationship can be. This would also be a good book to read to young kids because I know I was very competitive with the other kids in my classes at a young age. I used to be jealous of girls who could jump rope better or beat me at tether ball. You could read this book to your students and then have them write something nice about another student that they think they do well. Have them draw a picture to go along with it, and then hang them up on the wall for everyone to see. It could help boost moral in the classroom.

My Book Talk

When Daddy Took Us Camping by Julie Brillhart

This is a wonderful children's book to share with your kindergarten through second graders. Its a book that most kids that age could relate to, and get their parents to do with them. It's a story about a dad who takes his kids on a camp trip. The first thing they must do when they get to their campsite is set up the camp. This can be pointed out to the students that they must take care of their responsibilities before they can go play. After taking care of their responsibilities, the dad takes his kids on a hike and gives both of them their very own supplies; a canteen, a first aid kit, a whistle, a compass, a flashlight, insect repellent, and a bird book. He doesn't get mad at the kids when they spill their dinner, but rather pulls out the marshmallows and helps them make s'mores. My favorite part of this book is the end. "When morning came, Dad said, 'Let's go. We're hiking back today.' We jumped up from bed and headed home -- it wasn't far away!" and the back drop for this page showed that they went camping in their back yard.

Most kids will love the story about these two kids getting to go camping with their dad, and will love the surprise in the end when they find out they were camping out in their backyard. It's something that they might be able to talk their parents into doing with them on a weekend. After reading this book to your students, you can have them either tell you or write about a camp trip or a fun experience they have had with their parents. You can have them share why it was so special, and what they did to make it fun. They can even draw pictures to go along with their responses.

Even as a young adult I enjoyed this story. It got me to thinking about all the times my dad took my sisters and me camping. Sometimes it was in the mountains and sometimes it was in the backyard. This book brought back fun memories for me.