This book has been on my bookshelf for going on 4 years now... the Young Adult Challenge finally prompted me to pull it and read! I can't even begin to explain what I had missed out on by waiting so long to read this title! Amazing! Inspiring! Incredible!
Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. 2004. Random House Children's Books.
Stargirl arrives at Mica High, a burst of color that makes other students stop and watch. She's different - really different. And like most students in high school today, they don't take well to different. Stargirl is teased - made fun of... by almost everyone... among them, Leo Borlock. Leo is captivated by Stargirl and her antics. Throughout the story, Stargirl slowly succumbs to the way of high school students only to discover that once she conforms to their "way," she's not accepted any more than she was being an individual. This story teaches some very powerful lessons and is well worth the read!
After reading Stargirl and doing some research of my own, I have decided to create a "Stargirl Society" as suggested by Jerry Spinelli for middle school girls during the summer! Look back for updates on this!
Here’s the weekly blog plan! Again, please remember this is subject to change and is dependent upon whether or not my materials come in from the library as planned. I realize that this may fall too late for you to use in your classroom this year, but the activities will definitely swing from year-to-year! If you see something you really wante to incorporate into your classroom, leave me a comment on this post or send me an e-mail, kateh12783@hotmail.com. I’d be glad to provide you with the links I have, if nothing more!
Monday, January 19 – Pat Mora’s Birthday (67) o Listen to the Desert = oye al desierto o Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers o The Night the Moon Fell: A Maya Myth Retold
Tuesday, January 20 - Inauguration/Barack Obama/White House o U.S. Presidential Inaugurations o Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope o Barack Obama: Working to Make a Difference o If The Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House
Wednesday, January 21 – Financial Wellness Month o A Chair for My Mother, Vera Williams o If You Made a Million, David Schwartz o Bunny Money, Rosemary Wells
Thursday, January 22 – Rafe Martin’s Birthday (63) o The Boy Who Lived with the Seals o The Storytelling Princess o The Eagle’s Gift
Friday, January 23 – Katherine Holabird’s Birthday (61) o Angelina’s Ice Skates o Angelina’s Dance of Friendship o Angelina’s Lucky Penny
We adults might really enjoy this National Nothing Day if it weren't for the kids in our lives who suffer daily from boredom. Are you tired of hearing your kids or students tell you "There's nothing to do"? Hard to search for books on this topic but I did find one book that really caters to this "nothing to do" idea and I also found another really, really cute picture book catering to expectant moms that I think might make a wonderful shower gift! In place of lesson plans for today, I've found some websites that provide boredom busters for bored children! I hope everyone enjoys the books and the website resources.
Parks, Barbara. Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here!: A Word from Your Baby-in-Waiting 2008. Random House: New York, NY.
I've often heard of a mother-to-be receiving a book at a baby shower. I found a perfect one that should be given out to all expectant mothers! I'm sure that mother's get antsy and excited for the time to pass while they await the arrival of a new baby. This book addresses the same issue from the baby's point of view. It reminds the mother of all that awaits her when the new baby finally does arrive.
"Your Baby" is bored! There's nothing to do inside the uterus - no trees to see, no other kids to play with, no monkey bars, no parks, no zoos. He tries to play hide and seek or tag to keep busy but ends up disappointed because he always has to be "it." The baby questions whether or not Mommy and Daddy are ready for his arrival -a crib, diapers, shampoo, etc. Baby then goes on to remind Mommy about the lack of sleep she'll soon be receiving and decides he's content where he's at for now, as he still needs to get bigger and stronger. The baby sends a special, strong message to mother-to-be at the end!
Wood, Douglas. Nothing To Do. 2006. Penguin Group: New York, NY.
This book brings me back to my own childhood memories and makes me look back on them fondly! Ahh, how my mom had an imagination! As the book opens we're greeted by a young boy who has a day when there's absolutely, positively nothing to do! While most kids today would be complaining that they are bored or that they'll just play a video or computer game, this little boy uses his imagination to come up with something to do. That being said, I recommend this book to anyone! If that's not enough, a very important message is sent to readers at the very end of this book!
No homework? No sports practice? Nothing to do? Rather than complain about having nothing to do, this little boy takes uses his "Nothing to Do" day to remind someone with big shoes that sometimes, doing nothing is the most important thing to do! However, along the way, he gives out wonderful ideas about what people can do to keep busy - catching fireflies, making a paper airplane, building a fort, watching the clouds turn into almost lively objects, making popsicle stick crafts, watching ants or even just walking barefoot through mud.
Here's some winter boredom busters that might keep them occupied so you can sit back and enjoy doing absolutely nothing!
Martin Luther King Jr. was a black civil rights leader, a minister, and an advocate on nonviolence. He was born on January 15, 1929. Although we don't officially celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday until Monday, his real birthday is actually today and I'm going to honor it today, in hopes that you will be able to share these wonderful stories with your children!
Adler, David.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.
1989.
Holiday House: New York
Ages: 5-10
Genre: Biography Guided Reading Level: M
Summary/Review:
Between it's simple, understandable text and watercolor and pencil illustrations, students and children alike will be drawn to this biography of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. The complex life of Martin Luther King Jr. is hard for many children to understand, as they are growing up in a world so different from the very one in which King spent his childhood years. What was most catching about this biography was that Adler really tried to connect the life of today's children to Martin Luther King Jr's own life - describing his childhood interests and how they were impacted by his African-American culture. This will certainly allow for children, perhaps even as young as 5 to understand the text and make connections to their own personal lives.
The biography starts out introducing King as he really was - one of America's greatest leaders and a powerful speaker who's words have lasted a lifetime. After introducing King in this fashion, Adler takes readers back to his birth and early home life. The text quickly takes true form as King first notices the inequalities and injustices that African Americans were facing - two of his best friends would no longer play football with him solely because he was black. Through his growing up years, King faced such challenges daily and this is where his inspiration began. The events leading up to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination are all touched upon in a kid-friendly way without giving too much graphic detail.
Marzollo, Jean
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
1993
Scholastic Inc.: New York
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Biography
Guided Reading Level: L
Summary/Review:
Another biography and this one really caught my attention! Because of the illustrations I felt as though I weren't really reading a biography... this could be a plus with younger children as they tend to be more interested in something that doesn't look so factual. The story is virtually the same as what you hear in A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr., so I guess the real test would be reading them both to children and seeing which they prefer.
The illustrations reminded me of the Crayola Color Explosion that kids seem to love these days and made me come up with a lesson plan all of my own - Martin Luther King, Jr. is perhaps most known for his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in which he speaks of his dreams for the future. Why not give the kids Crayola Color Explosion products (with the black paper, of course) and ask them them to draw a picture of one of their dreams for the future. I do believe that the pictures would turn out very similar to the illustrations in this text! Then, to bring in a little ELA (English Language Arts), why not ask the children to write about their dream. This might be a mighty cool lesson plan for perhaps 3rd or 4th graders!
Children's books about oatmeal are very hard to come by. On that note I have just two reviews for today and one is not so much about oatmeal, but sort of goes along with the topic and is a childhood favorite of mine!
Asch, Frank. Oats and Wild Apples. 1988. Holiday House: New York, NY.
Ages: 4-8 Genre: Fiction, Animal Fantasy Guided Reading Level:
Summary/Review:
Although the story isn't about oatmeal, it does make mention of oats (and one of the purpose of oats), the grain that oatmeal is produced from. This sweet story is a favorite of my from my own childhood. Two baby animals, desperately lonely from the separation from their mothers meet up in the wild and become quick friends, following each other around and sharing bits of their own lives with each other. Fawn introduces Calf to wild apples, and Calf introduces Fawn to oats. Although the story leaves you feeling a bit sad at times, the ending is enough to quickly change the mood! This is a must read for young children who adore baby animals and stories that display the affection between a mother and her child.
Mother Cow is not in the Mood to play with Calf, so Calf sets out to explore on her own and takes off, kicking up her heels and landing flat on her face. In the distance she can hear someone laughing at her - Fawn, also out to explore on her own that afternoon, after she was separated from her mother after a wolf chase the night before. The baby animal pair chases butterflies and watch frogs hop and jump in a nearby brook. Later in the afternoon, although Calf thinks her mother will be worrying, she agrees to go along with Fawn to the place where wild apples grow. Once Calf tastes the wild apples, she agrees with Fawn that they taste better than the grass in the pasture and possibly even better than the oats that the farmer gives Calf and Mother Cow in the barn. As the sun begins to set, Fawn and Calf head back to the farm where Calf returns to her mother. Fawn follows behind and gets a taste of Calf's favorite food - oats from the farmer. Just as Calf is about to suggest that Fawn lives with them (her mother is still missing at this point), a shadow appears at the barn doorway - Mother Deer has found her baby and the two are reunited!
Ford, B.G.
Don't Forget the Oatmeal!: A Supermarket Word Book
1980.
Western Publishing Company, Inc.
Ages: 2-8
Genre: Fiction
Guided Reading Level: N/A
Review/Summary:
This Sesame Street book would be a wonderful resource in an early childhood classroom for a thematic unit on food! Emergent readers can easily look at the pictures and determine what food items are mentioned and begin to make a word-to-text meaning, as the book provides a word wall of sorts. The ending, Bert and Ernie forgetting to buy the oatmeal leaves the opportunity for discussion about how they may handle the situation, as it is never mentioned in the text.
Bert and Ernie have made a shopping list and are headed to the supermarket to make their purchases. Ernie has just one thing in mind to buy: oatmeal! He even goes so far as to tie a ribbon on his finger so that he won't forget to buy the "delicious, nutritious oatmeal." However, their shopping trip soon gets a major distraction in the form of Cookie Monster! Cookie Monster has discovered that there's a cookie sale going on at the supermarket. In his excitement to stock up on a year's worth of cookies, he turns the cookie aisle into a garbage bin - cookie packages and crumbs are strewn about everywhere! Being the friends that they are, Bert and Ernie help Cookie Monster clean up the mess and then guide him out of the store after paying for their groceries and Cookie Monster's cookies. When they get home and begin putting away groceries, Ernie discovers they've forgotten the oatmeal!
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
So, here's my teaser, from page 154 of This Side of Heaven, by Karen Kingsbury...
She reached for her daughter's hand and realized how good it felt to connect with her this way. "Mama's ship has finally come in."
Today is Michael Bond's 83rd birthday. Bond is the English author of the Paddington Bear series, which is debuted over a half a century ago, famous among children. The series was created after Christmas Eve 1956 when Bond bought the bear after seeing it on shelf in a London store and presented it as a gift to his wife. The first book in the Paddington series took just ten days to complete. To this day, Bond has written more than 150 books in the Paddington Bear series. I have reviewed two of them (the most recent written by Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley.
Michael Bond's original story of Paddington Bear, A Bear Called Paddington has been retold by Bond and illustrated by R.W. Alley in this picture book. Mr. and Mrs. Brown wait patiently at Paddington Station to pick up their daughter Judy. While they wait, Mr. Brown notices the small brown creature hidden behind some bicycles. When the Browns go to talk to Paddington and find out what a small bear is doing alone at the station, they discover a note attached to the smock of his jacket. It reads, "Please look after this bear. Thank you." Mr. and Mrs. Brown do just that, taking Paddington (named for the location at which he was discovered) home to live with their family at 32 Windsor Gardens. That's where the story of Paddington Bear really begins!
I honestly can't say that I remember hearing the story of Paddington Bear before, although I'm sure my mom must have read it to me as a child. She must have! My aunt even made her a Paddington Bear and attached that famous note to it's jacket! Children will certainly enjoy this story and be eager to listen to more! I wish I had ordered more than just the two books from the library!
Bond, Michael. Paddington Bear in the Garden. 2002. Harper Collins Publishers.
Summary/Review:
Paddington loves living the Browns' so much, that one morning, he takes a piece of paper and pencil into the garden to make a list of all the nice things he can think about being a bear and living with the Browns'. This story of Paddington begins when Mrs. Bird suggests that Mr. and Mrs. Brown give Paddington, Judy and Jonathan each a piece of the family garden. Judy and Jonathan quickly set to work on their own gardens, but Paddington decides to do a little research before getting started. What ultimately ensues is an adventure for Paddington, but despite all the trials Paddington faces in creating the perfect garden, he does just that and happens to win an award for the best garden.
The story is very cute - attention getting for students with illustrations that will catch their eyes quickly and provide even the youngest readers with enough visual images to tell the story even without being able to read the text! I must say, Paddington has captivated me and I want to read more!
This year, National Clean-Off-Your-Desk Day falls today, January 12, as today is the second Monday in January. It's intentions are to provide one day early each year for every desk worker (students included) to see the top of the desk and prepare for another semester's worth of paperwork (or learning, as the case may be with students). Books about messy desks are somewhat hard to come by, but with some searching, I found a few that focused on the desks and being messy in general! The lesson plans/book activities that go along with these books are all posted together at the end of this post, as none of them relate specifically to any book in particular, but rather organizational and stay-clean strategies for classroom desks!
McKissack, Patricia and Fredrick. Messy Bessey’s School Desk. 1998.
Children’s Press: New York, NY.
Ages: 5-8
Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Guided Reading Level: J
Review/Summary:
The text itself is very simple, focusing on everyday school issues that many of our children surely face – a messy desk and lack of organizational skills! As a teacher, I see this everyday and for sure, nothing drives me crazier! If this book will inspire young students to keep their desks clean, then it’s certainly worth sharing. It might also just inspire them to partake in National Clean-Off-Your-Desk Day!
With rhyming phrases, Messy Bessey guides young readers through the tribulations of having a messy desk – broken crayons, apple cores, misplaced homework assignments, overdue library books, wadded up tissues, dried out markers… the list goes on and on! However, Bessey finally realizes that something must be done and takes on the tedious task of cleaning out that messy desk! She does such a great job, she motivates the other students to clean their desks as well, and is ultimately elected class president!
Viorst, Judith. Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest.
2001. Antheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, NY.
Ages: 5-8
Genre: Fiction, Comedy and Humor
Guided Reading Level: L
Review/Summary:
The story is funny – the pencil drawn illustrations with bursts of color really depict what a mess Sophie can be! The story also shows readers how others people are impacted by someone else’s mess. Might this inspire clean desks on National Clean-Off-Your-Desk Day? Perhaps!
Olivia tells the story of her little sister, Sophie, who is” super-completely and totally the messiest.” Sophie tries hard, she really does, but not being messy is really a job for her. The story shows every aspect of Sophie’s messy life, from trips to the beach, to her desk at school.
I am a Head Start teacher by day and a reader during any/all free time. Being a teacher I am always looking for children's books and products to use in the classroom.
This blog is going to provide parents and educators with books, products and a variety of educational activities to share with preschool and early elementary aged children (ages 3-7). Feel free to steal the ideas for your own classroom/homeschool, reading group, library or children!
Reviews
I am very interested in receiving copies of children's books and educational products for review. If you have a book or product that you are willing to send for review, please email me for contact information at kateh12783@hotmail.com.
Guidecraft Educator
I'm a "Guidecraft Educator." Find out about the program here!
Spinelli, Jerry.
http://k6educators.about.com/cs/classroommanageme2/a/CleanDesks.htm
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