Weekly Blog Plan, September 21-25

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-t0-year! If you see something you really want 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, September 21 - Deaf Awareness Week

• Dad and Me in the Morning, Patricia Lakin
• My Heart Glow: Alice Cogswell, Thomas Gallaudet, and the Birth of American Sign Language, Emily Arnold McCully
• A Button in her Ear, Ada Bassett Litchfield

Tuesday, September 22 - Esphyr Slobodkina's Birthday

• Caps for Sale
• Circus Caps for Sale

Wednesday, September 23 - 2nd Day of Autumn

• Countdown to Fall, Fran Hawk
• When Autumn Falls, Kelli Nidey
• Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic, Steven Schnur

Thursday, September 24 - National Punctuation Day

• Punctuation Takes a Vacation, Robin Pulver
• The Perfect Punctuation Pop-Up Book, Kate Perry
• Punctuation Celebration, Elsa Knight Bruno

Friday, September 25 - First American Newspaper Published - 1690

• Nikki and Deja: The Newsy News Newspaper, Karen English
  
• The Paperboy, Dave Pilkey
• Deadline: From News to Newspaper, Gail Gibbons
  

Talk Like a Pirate Day...

So, it's been brought to my attention that today is Talk Like a Pirate Day. I just happened to have two pirate books on my shelf awaiting review, so I figured, even though its too late to celebrate today, your kids won't mind participating tomorrow, so I've gone ahead and gotten a post in order for everyone! For some more information, check out this website.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

James, Dalton.
The Sneakiest Pirates.
2008.
Outskirts Press.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

A tale of a young boy, Pirate Pete, and his dad, Scurvy James, setting sail on a mischievous adventure on the high seas to find the King's loot, stolen by Peg Leg Chuck. This small boy and his Dad are clearly having the time of their lives. This book is cartoonish, funny and a must-read for little readers.

Oh, Dalton! You have done just what we teachers wish our students will do - become so involved and interested in your writing that you've made a book, an actual book from your story (presumably a writing assignment from school)! If this isn't enough to inspire young children to write - the knowledge that they can actually write and publish a book - I don't think anything will! Definitely a must have for teachers of elementary children trying to inspire the act of writing in their classrooms!

Sobel, June.
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC.
2006.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Plunder the alphabet with a hilarious cast of pirates!

This book is perfect - absolutely perfect for children who are just beginning to learn and recognize the alphabet and letters. Within each illustration, letters are hidden, prompting children to find them...

A mysterious map with an M soon appeared, while one nimble N popped right out of a beard!

This makes a great interactive activity to get children involved in books. After reading, perhaps you could plan a letter scavenger hunt throughout the house. Either hide construction paper letters or prompt children to locate letters on objects throughout the house. It's a great activity to promote letter recognition, not to mention cost-friendly!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

National Honey Month

To honor the US's 212,000 beekeepers and 2.41 million colonies of honeybees, which produce more than 200 million pounds of honey each year, we celebrate National Honey Month from September 1-30.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

While many teachers don't teach units on honeybees until the spring, September makes as good a time as any... and if you'd rather wait until spring, that's cool too, just keep these wonderful books in mind!

Rockwell, Anne.
Honey in a Hive.
2005.
HarperCollins Publishers.
Guided Reading Level: Q

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

In spring and summer, honeybees gather nectar to make into honey. These fascinating insects live and work together in complicated societies, complete with queen bees and workers. Read and find out about honeybees and their creation -- honey!

This is a very information book told in the form of a story - children are clearly learning a great deal from all that is contained in this book, but it won't feel to them as though it's actually "learning." They will likely be mesmerized by these interesting details and many more!

• worker bees make about 400 long flights before they fall to the ground and dies of exhaustion
  
• learning the dance of the worker bee to alert others of a field of nectar
• the ultraviolet markings on flowers that lead honeybees to nectar
• only one queen resides in each hive

This is definitely a book to use when teaching a thematic unit on honeybees!

Gibbons, Gail.
The Honey Makers.
1997.
Morrow Junior Books.
Guided Reading Level: O

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

How sweet it is. Thousands of bees visited more than one million flowers to gather the nectar that went into that one-pound jar of honey. Here's the buzz on how these remarkable insects work together to create this amazing food.

What I absolutely love about Gail Gibbons books is how informative they are! This one will not disappoint. It is chuck-full of scientific terms that are so important when teaching about honey and honeybees... One of my favorite parts of this book were the last two pages - A Beekeeper's Yearbook, which depicts the different stages of honeybees and honey making throughout the course of a year. However, there's so much to be learned on every spectrum of the honeybee... the dances, the anatomy, the beehives, the honey... there truly is something that will appeal to everyone when using this book!

Micucci, Charles.
The Life and Times of the Honeybee.
1995.
Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

This witty and informative salute to the honeybee uses clear, lively text and detailed full-color illustrations to present a wide range of interesting, and sometimes amusing, facts about the life cycle, work, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.

This is another wonderful resource when teaching children about honeybees and honey making! Like The Honey Makers, this is loaded with important, useful information. It is a bit more detailed, so you will have to take that into consideration when using this with children, as there may be a need to modify what's being used, depending on the child(ren) and their level. Definitely worth including in a unit though!

Lesson Plans/Learning Activities:

• Honey Bee Lapbook
• Honeybee Lesson Plan
• News for You: Honeybees are Vanishing
• The Honeybee and the Robber
• Have children create a yearbook entry of their own... assign 2 students to each month of the year. Ask one to write as though they are the Queen Bee and the other to write as if they were one of the worker bees. This will require a bit of research on their part in order to determine what are some key points in each month of year in regards to the honeybee.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Hats off to September!!!

Well, it's mid-September... another summer is (successfully) behind us! Hats off to Fall! There are some fun activities that go along with this post that might be handy through the winter to make time pass more quickly until next summer! Hopefully you'll enjoy them!

Holm, Sharon Lane.
Zoe's Hats.
2009 (2003).
Boyds Mills Press.

Summary from Boyds Mills Press:

Zoe loves hats - floppy hats, flowery hats, and downright funny hats. Some hats look wonderful on her, while others, well... even Zoe has her doubts. But there's no doubt that children will share Zoe's enthusiasm for dressing up. Sharon Lane Holm's lively book introduces children to colors and patterns with bold illustrations and a simple, rhythmic text.

This is a wonderful book that could be used in so many ways! It's perfect for very young children to simply teach them their colors. As for children just a bit older, it makes for a perfect book for beginning readers, as the illustrations allow for children to use context clues to figure out words - if they know their colors, they'll feel confident that they can actually read this whole story!

Kitamura, Satoshi.
Millie's Marvellous Hat.
2009.
Andersen Press USA.

Summary from Amazon:

Millie loves hats, but she can't afford to buy any of the beautiful ones in the hat shop. But the shopkeeper has an idea. He produces a box containing an amazing hat with the most perfect shape and color imaginable - if Millie dares to imagine it. Millie does dare, and soon she sees not only her own marvellous hat, but everyone else's hats as well.

This book is every bit as wonderful as Zoe's Hats. However, the lucky thing about this book is that it's level of appropriateness extends to much older children! Millie's use of her imagination is enough to inspire children to imagine their own fancy hats! Encourage children to draw "their" hat, as they wish they could own. Children of any age love to draw, and this would be tying in literature to the drawing activity! If you so wish, engage them in writing about their hat. What materials would they need in order to create their hat? What steps would have to be taken to create this hat? How much would they be willing to pay for their hat? Have children create an add for their hat, giving the sale price and a brief description of the item. If you're really into the project, allow your child to actually create his or her hat!

Other Teaching Ideas:

• H is for Hat, when teaching children the alphabet. Use the following printable as handwriting practice for the letter "H."
• Invite children to wear their favorite hat for the day to participate in Hat Day!
• Plan a day to clean out your craft cupboard - cover the table with newspaper and fill it with all your scrap crafting supplies. Buy each child a plain hat at the local craft store and then encourage them to be creative and design their own Crazy Hat.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

H.A. Rey's Birthday

Today is H.A. Rey's Birthday... We are all familiar with him as an author due to his Curious George series... I loved them myself as a child, and know that today, children are still fans of Curious George! Hopefully your children/students will have the opportunity to enjoy these latest books!

-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Rey, H.A.
Curious Baby/Curious George: Music Play: A Book and CD.
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

This board book and CD package introduces its young audience to the joy of music, rhythm, and dance. With one page of guidelines on how to best share the words and music with babies and four spreads of rhyming text celebrating the joy of music and movement, this is a perfect gift for expectant and new parents.

I love this new series of Curious George books! I've tagged the posts regarding the books as "baby gifts" and have already passed a few along to some new family members, in hopes of not only providing some enjoyment for the little additions, but also to set them on the path to becoming lifelong readers! These are definitely worth the money and more than baby-friendly!

Rey, H.A.
Curious George: The Perfect Carrot.
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from book cover:

Curious George is growing carrots to feed his neighbor's bunnies. But his prize carrot is so perfect that George wants to save it... until his perfect carrot becomes the perfect thing to save the day!

These new easy reader Curious George books are perfect for beginning readers! They are a step above picture books, making children feel more like "readers." Add this to the fact that this particular series is based off the hit PBS Kids show, and you've got a winning book for children! This particular book would be perfect to include when children are learning about food and the plant life cycle, as we learn alongside George the necessary ingredients for growing plants. The book comes complete with a recipe for carrot muffins!

Rey, Margaret & H.A.
Curious George in the Snow.
2009 (1998).
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

George and the man with the yellow hat enjoy watching the winter sports competition. When they stop to warm up with some cocoa, George's curiosity about the racing equipment leads to some wild rides up and down the slopes. He creates quite a stir at the resort, and may even create a new sport!

Good ol' Curious George - just as we remember him! Always curious beyond his name and sure to cause trouble! This book is perfect to read during those long days of winter! In the end, just like always, things work out for the best for Curious George and the man with the yellow hat! So glad to add this to my Curious George collection!

Rey, H.A.
Curious George: Christmas Countdown.
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Amazon:

Using the format of two previous successful tabbed board books--TV Curious George Good Night Book and classic Happy Halloween, Curious George--Curious George Christmas Countdown has seven tabbed spreads, each with a fun and simple stand-alone poem accompanied by adorable holday scenes inspired by the TV Christmas special. George counts down to Christmas as he fills his days with picking out a tree, baking cookies, admiring holday decorations, singing Christmas carols, and making presents for his friends.

I love this book for several reasons!

1. It's a board book! Appropriate for handling by very young hands! Exposing the youngest of children to Curious George will set them on a life-long path toward reading, as they will next be able to enjoy a familiar character in a picture book and then easy reader setting.
   
2. It's a countdown book! Children are exposed to counting at an early age... the more practice they get, the more comfortable they will be with math activities later on in life!
   
3. As parents, I'm sure you always try to do something special with your children to count down the days until Christmas - rather than spend money on little stuff to fill up an advent calendar, why not purchase this book, and together for each of the six days before Christmas, read a page and partake in the same activity as Curious George. I guarantee, time spent together is much more worthy than any store purchased advent gift!

Rey, H.A.
A Christmas Manger.
September 28, 2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

First published in 1942, this re-discovered H. A. Rey title allows readers to recreate the Christmas miracle using text from Matthew and Luke and vintage punch-out-and-fold paper dolls. No paste or tape required. Pockets are included in the inside front and back covers for easy storage of the dolls. Enjoy them today and for many Christmases to come!

H.A. Rey also has a new book out just in time for this year's Christmas season, that is so perfect for young children! The text is pretty simple, but explanatory enough to keep children's attention while at the same time increasing their understanding of the true meaning of Christmas! The punch out characters allow children to manipulate the nativity scene and actually see the story in motion. Definitely a great gift idea for this holiday season!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

American Girls' Debut: Kirsten, Molly, Samantha

On September 15, 1986, the first three American Girl dolls representing different historical periods debuted. They were joined in later years by Add, Felicity, Josefina, and Kit. More than 11 million dolls and 105 million books about them have been sold.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

As a child, I was never introduced to the series of books or the dolls... I feel very deprived! They are wonderful book - so resourceful and the dolls make great companions for young girls. I think each girl should have at least one doll and the book series to go alongside! They would make a great Christmas gift!

Shaw, Janet Beeler.
Meet Kirsten.
American Girl Collection Series: Kirsten #1.
1986.
American Girls Publishing, Incorporated.
Guided Reading Level: Q

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Nine-year-old Kirsten and her family experience many hardships as they travel from Sweden to the Minnesota frontier in 1854.

Kirsten's American Girl series introduces readers to the lifestyles of an American Immigrant. Children will be surprised to learn just how little an immigrant was able to bring of his or her life on their voyage to America. The book does a wonderful job showing the emotions faced by Kirsten, a young immigrant girl, as she makes the voyage to America and begins to settle into her new life. The information found at the back of the book makes the perfect companion to Kirsten's story, as factual information is provided about America in 1854. This is the first of the American Girl series that I have recently decided to add to my collection, and after reading it, you'll see why a teacher would want this on her bookshelf!

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities:

• Yarn Doll like Kirsten's
• American Girl Kirsten Lesson Plan
• American Girl Lapbook Templates

Other Books in the Kirsten Series:

• Kirsten 1854: A Teacher's Guide to 6 Books about Pioneer America, Peg Hall
• Welcome to Kirsten's World, 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America, Susan Sinnott
• Kirsten Learns a Lesson
• Kirsten's Surprise
• Happy Birthday, Kirsten!
• Kirsten Saves the Day
• Changes for Kirsten
  

Tripp, Valerie.
Meet Molly.
American Girl Collection Series: Molly #1.
1986.
American Girls Publishing, Incorporated.
Guided Reading Level: Q

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

World War Two turns Molly's family upside down. While her father is away, war threatens to break out on the McIntires' home front, too.

This book would be the perfect complement for girls when reading and learning about World War II. I really enjoy the historical information that is shared in the American Girl books. In this particular book, we learn about the Victory Gardens (click on the link to learn more!) that were grown during World War II. While it is historical in that children are learning about World War II, it also shows children how other children their age lived during that time period, allowing them to make connections between life then and life now! Very resourceful!

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities:

• Meet Molly: Saving, Spending and Opportunity Cost (Money Management)
• Revive the Victory Garden
• Girl of the Year: Molly - Teacher's Guide
• American Girl Homepage: Molly

Other Books in the Molly Series:

• Molly 1944: Teacher's Guide to 6 Books about World War II
• Welcome to Molly's World, 1944: Growing Up in World War II America, Catherine Gourley
  
• Molly Learns a Lesson
• Molly's Surprise
  
• Happy Birthday, Molly!
• Molly Saves the Day
• Changes for Molly
  

Adler, Susan.
Meet Samantha.
American Girls Collection Series: Samantha #1.
1986.
American Girls Publishing, Incorporated.
Guided Reading Level: Q

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

In 1904, nine-year-old Samantha, an orphan living with her wealthy grandmother, and her servant friend Nellie have a midnight adventure when they try to find out what has happened to the seamstress who suddenly left her job.

Samantha, to me, was quite different than Kirsten or Molly... She lived an entirely different lifestyle, which I suppose is important to show, especially when depicting different time periods in American history. Her beginning story was well told however, and the historical background provided at the back of the book enlightens readers to the non-fiction aspect of life during the early 1900's. Another wonderfully written historical fiction work!

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities:

• Novel Ideas - Valerie Tripp's Samantha: An American Girl
• All American Girl

Other Books in the Samantha Series:

• Samantha 1904: Teacher's Guide to 6 Books about America's New Century, Roberta Johnson
  
• Welcome to Samantha's World, 1904: Growing Up in America's New Century, Catherine Gourley
• Samantha Learns a Lesson
• Samantha's Surprise
• Happy Birthday, Samantha!
• Samantha Saves the Day
• Changes for Samantha
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

John Steptoe's Birthday

Today is John Steptoe's Birthday! Let's help him celebrate by reading some of his stories!

Steptoe, John.
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters.
1987.
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
Guided Reading Level: T

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Mufaro was a happy man. Everyone agreed that his two daughters were very beautiful. Nyasha was kind and considerate as well as beautiful, but everyone — except Mufaro — knew that Manyara was selfish, badtempered, and spoiled. When the king decided to take a wife and invited "The Most Worthy and Beautiful Daughters in the Land" to appear before him, Mufaro declared proudly that only the king could choose between Nyasha and Manyara. Manyara, of course, didn't agree, and set out to make certain that she would be chosen.

This African "Cinderella" tale is definitely worth sharing! Children love to listen to stories that they can relate to another story they've heard and this book is perfect for that! Just like John Steptoe's other works, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters teaches children a very valuable lesson, one that, in my family has always been relayed "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." That idiom is clearly and easily expressed in this wonderful book!

• Guide for Using Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
• Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters - Mapping the Story
• Comparing and Contrasting Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
• Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters Literature Guide
  

Steptoe, John.
Stevie.
1969.
Harper & Row, Publishers.
Guided Reading Level: M

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

An African-American child resents and then misses a little foster brother. One day my momma told me, "You know you're gonna have a little friend come stay with you." And I said, "Who is it?" and "For how long?" That's when Stevie moved in with his crybaby self. He played with my toys and broke them, and he left dirty footprints all over my bed. But then Stevie left again, and I missed him. I missed playing Cowboys and Indians on the stoop and watching cartoons in the morning. Maybe. . .just maybe, Stevie wasn't so bad after all.

This book was interesting... I wasn't sure what to expect when I initially checked it out of the library to use for this post! I love literature that teaches children a lesson. This book does just that! It really can teach children a powerful message - we don't appreciate our surroundings enough. You don't realize how much something means to you until you lose it. We need to find a way to appreciate what we have from the get-go! Maybe this book will be a start for instilling that important value in children!

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities

• Inferring How and Why Characters Change
• Teacher-Note and Listening Worksheets for Students
• Powerpoint Anthology of Ideas for Teachers
  

Steptoe, John.
The Story of Jumping Mouse.
1984.
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
Guided Reading Level: P

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

"You will reach the far-off land if you keep hope alive within you." The words of Magic Frog give courage to the young mouse on his long and perilous journey to reach the wonderful land of legend. He faces many obstacles on his quest and sacrifices much to help others in need. But the mouse's compassion and faith in himself prove to be a source of great power...and bring him rewards even beyond his dreams.

Wow... now this was a good book! I can see many ways in which this book would be useful in everyday life, as well as a part of the classroom.

1. Character Education - Diligence/Perseverance - Children will quickly see that they can accomplish what they wish, as long as they keep working towards that goal - they will be able to find a way to overcome the hardships to gain what they are looking for!
2. Native American Legends - Here in NY, Native Americans is a big topic for the 4th grade Social Studies curriculum. This book would definitely be useful to include in the Native American unit, as it is one of just many Native American legends, which typically tend to be included in that unit.
   
3. This book would also be appropriate for a family dealing with the loss of a loved one. Jumping Mouse eventually lands himself in "far-off land," which could, in the eyes of a religious family be equal to "heaven," as the passage below shows.

   The next morning Jumping Mouse woke up and crawled from his hole. "I am here," he said. "I feel the earth beneath my paws. I hear the wind rustling leaves on the trees. The sun warms my bones. All is not lost, but I"ll never be as I was. How will I ever manage?" Then Jumping Mouse began to cry.
   "Jumping Mouse," he heard a gavelly voice say.
   "Magic Frog, is that you?" Jumping Mouse asked, swallowing his tears.
   "Yes," said Magic Frog. "Don't cry, Jumping Mouse. Your unselfish spirit has brought you great hardship, but it is that same spirit of home and compassion that has brought you to the far-off land."
   "You have nothing to fear, Jumping Mouse."
   "Jump high, Jumping Mouse," commanded Magic Frog.
   Jumping Mouse did as he was told and jumped as high as he could. Then
   he felt the air lifting him higher still into the sky. He stretched out his paws in the sun and felt strangely powerful. To his joy he began to see the wondrous beauty of the world above and below and to smell the scent of earth and sky and living things.
   "Jumping Mouse," he heard Magic Frog call. "I give you a new name."
   "You are now called Eagle, and you will live in the far-off land forever."

   In that manner, this could be an extremely comforting book to children. It would allow them to understand that there is life after earth, that people (or animals) are looking down on them, and that even though someone isn't with you physically, they're always going to "be there" for you.
   

This is definitely a book worth sharing - in whatever manner you find appropriate for you children or students!

Lesson Plans/Reading Activities:

• Native American Legends - Social Studies Lesson Plan
• Three Different Versions - The Story of Jumping Mouse
• Study Guide (Intended for Theatrical Performance, but easily adapted to book)
• Activity Guide
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

September 26-October 3: Banned Book Week

As I am sure many of you are aware, September 26-October 3 celebrates Banned Book Week. During those days, here at Katie's Literature Lounge, I am going to be featuring double-posts with an emphasis on books featured on the 2008 Banned Book List. I am appealing to my bloggers to head out to your local library, or bookstore (if you're feeling wealthy and in the mood to purchase) and check out these books - bring them home, read them there... Throughout the week, I will be making a daily post regarding one of the books I have chosen and then asking for reader's input on the books...

• Should the book be on the banned book list?
  
• Is it okay to be found on a library or book store shelf?
  
• How would you share this book with your child/children?
• If you are not familiar with the book, based on my post and the discussion of others, would you consider allowing your child to read/be read this book? Why? Why not?

The books I have chosen to feature are:

• September 26 - Walter the Farting Dog, William Kotzwinkle
• September 27 - The Library Dragon, Carmen Deedy
• September 28 - Mommy Laid an Egg, Babette Cole & It's Perfectly Normal, Robie Harris
  
• September 29 - And Tango Makes Three, Richard Parnell
• September 30 - James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
• October 1 - In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak
• October 2 - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Judy Blume
• October 3 - Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
  

So, please, please head out to the local library or book store and pick up a copy - read them... and be ready to share what you think... I've posted these in advance so you have two weeks to get them read and prepare your thoughts!