Some of Adam's Favorites

Some of my suggestions are from my own childhood, some were gleaned from recommendations at school, and one is arguably not a children's book at all!

Dear Mrs. Larue - Letters from Obedience School, Mark Teague, 2002

What a fun book which promotes literacy and visual interpretation, too. Ike the dog has been sent to obedience school, and his letters are reminiscent of the "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" lyrics: what he writes to his owner isn't very accurate. In fact, Ike spins a tale of woe, misery and selflessness regarding his time in detention, his adventures on the lamb, and his explanations about his previous misdeeds. It's entertaining and interesting to see how the illustrations contradict his letters. Sprinkled throughout the book are newspaper stories about Ike and his whereabouts, which might inspire students to realize how papers do update and inform their readers with great tales about their own towns and community.

The Stranger, Chris Van Allsburg, 1986

Last semester I got turned on to Chris Van Allsburg books, and this is one of the favorites I've discovered so far. The story is about a farmer who takes in an injured man, and the man's identity remains a mystery throughout the book (sort of). The fun is putting together an argument about who he is and why he's where he is. The illustrations are photo realistic, warm and telling, complementing the finer nuances of the text. A classroom of sharp listeners should enjoy building and defending their interpretations about the main character.

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl, 1970

Mr. Fox must save not only himself and his family, but his entire community of animal friends from the fiendish farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Mr. Fox reminds me of a classy gentleman burglar, the kind "Lassiter" and "Ocean's 12" feature. He's also a bit of a Robin Hood, sharing his take with his friends while stealing from the most unsympathetic antagonists ever. Mortality isn't kept hidden either, as the farmers want the fox dead!

Skippyjon Jones, Judy Schachner, 2003

This is the first installment in Schachner's Skippyjon Jones series about a Siamese kitten's overactive imagination of wild and absurd dreams of being a superhero chihuahua: Skippito Pepito! The text is strewn about the pages, intersecting a bisecting the illustrations, which are rough yet charismatic in form. Her prose pushes nonsensical rhyme to a delightful edge, which can make your students (especially primary) squeal in amusement. This series is meant to be read aloud.

A Girl Named Zippy, Haven Kimmel, 2001

This book appeared on the Today Show's book club in 2002, and once I heard the subtitle ("Growing up Small in Mooreland, Indiana), I thought it sounded great -- it is! It's author Haven Kimmel's first memoir, and its form is unique and inviting. She defies a linear chronology, instead, joining chapeters around themes. Her tone is both charming and brutally honest, making her voice earnest and credible. For those of us who were kids in the early 70's, this book will stir memories. This would be a productive book for 5th and 6th grade book clubs, as Kimmel asks many questions while offering few answers.

Kara's Book Share

Hey Everyone! I have selected books that I have found to be very helpful in getting Writer's Workshop up and going at the beginning of the year. I have given a brief descrpition of the lesson plans that I use but I would be more than happy to email you specifics if you are interested. I hope you enjoy these books as much as my students and I do! :)

My Map Book by Sara Fanelli is a great book to use to start your writer’s workshop. I attended a professional development a couple of years ago and was introduced to this idea of having students make a map of their heart to store future writing ideas. You start by reading this book which has various maps that appear to be kid drawn such as a map of my bedroom, my neighborhood, my dog and my heart. You then ask students to brainstorm using either words or pictures of things that are important to them in their hearts. From there you give them a heart cut-out and they complete the assignment by making a map of their hearts. I usually stretch this lesson out for the first week of school. The hearts make great displays for Open House then can be pasted to writing folders for folder identification and writing ideas! This book is always a big hit with my students, especially the map of my dog page.

Aunt Flossie’s Hats (And Crab Cakes Later) by Elizabeth Fitzgerald and James Ransome is (surprise) another great book that I use during writer’s workshop. This book is about young children who visit with their great aunt Flossie who has an extraordinary hat collection which she allows the children to explore. The exciting part to them is that each hat comes with a special story that Aunt Flossie will tell. I use this book along with a writing activity we call “My Something Special”. I start by reading the text to my students and talking about how each hat holds a special memory to Aunt Flossie. I then send home a paper bag with directions for students and parents to find something special that they would like to share with the class. Once all the bags are returned we go around and share what we have brought and why it is special. We use these ideas to complete graphic organizers and put together a final writing piece.

When I was Little: A Four Year Old Memoir of Her Youth by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell is a hilarious book about how much a child can change and accomplish in four years. In this book a four year old girl writes about how she does different things in life now that she is a big girl. There is a repeating pattern where she states “When I was little I... now I…” This is another great text that I use for writer’s workshop. It is fun to have students think about things they used to do and how they can do them differently now that they are grown. It is also fun to do with pets. For example I once modeled this writing for my students using our Chocolate Lab (Jocko) as an example. I used lines such as “when Jocko was little he used to chew on the couch, now he just sleeps on it.” It really is an enjoyable book that I think you will find useful in your classroom.

On-Line Resources

Picture Book of the Day: Using Picture Books to Teach the 6 Traits of Writing

address: http://6traits.wordpress.com/


I am a huge fan of the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing instruction and this site gives great ideas for picture books that teach each of the traits. If you want to read more on the 6 +1 Traits check our Ruth Cullham's book which also has ideas for picture books for each trait.

Children’s Picture Books.info

address: http://childrenspicturebooks.info/science_picture_books.htm
This site allows you to search by subject, holiday, genre, collections, author, illustrator…

It is most helpful!

Scholastic

address: http://www.scholastic.com

I am sure that most of you are familiar with this site which allows you to search for books and activities that go along with them. One great thing is that you can also purchase the books from this site as well!

Karalee's Book Share

Punished!, by David Lubar

I absolutely fell in love with this book when I read it and have shared it with everyone I know. It starts out with two boys goofing off in a library, when one of them gets caught by an older man who says he needs to be “punished”. He opened a book and blew dust all over the boy. The little boy thought nothing of this until he started to realize that everything that came out of his mouth was a pun! He sounded like a smart aleck every time he talked. He went back to the library and asked the old man what had happened and the man sent him on a word adventure to get rid of the punishment. The boy was learning all about words as he had to bring the man seven oxymorons, seven anagrams, and seven palindromes. The boy learns a lot about words and using resources in the library. It is a quick and entertaining read! I also found it interesting that the author is also a video game designer!

My Little Sister Ate One Hare, by Bill Grossman

This is an hilarious rhyming and counting book about a little girl who ate all kinds of weird creatures, but would not touch her peas. The children in my class find this hilarious, and I used it as a discussion about brothers and sisters. Here is an excerpt from the book: “My little sister ate 3 ants. She even ate their underpants. She ate 2 snakes. She ate 1 hare. We thought she’d throw up then and there. But she didn’t.” The last line repeats and the kids would read that part with me. You can probably guess how it ends with her eating the peas, but I won’t spoil it for you!

Dogs Don’t Wear Sneakers, by Laura Numeroff

This is a funny story about animals who are doing everyday human things. It is cleverly written and jokes about frogs taking cabs on dates, yaks skiing, and rabbits sunbathing. It was a great book to use for writing your own silly animal stories modeled after the book. If you love other books by Laura Numeroff, such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, then you are sure to love this.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, by Verna Aardema

This is an African folktale that explains why mosquitoes are annoying and buzz in our ears. It all starts with the mosquito telling the lizard about something he saw. The lizard was annoyed and thought the mosquito was lying, so he put sticks in his ears so he couldn’t hear the mosquito anymore. When he had the sticks in his ears, then he couldn’t hear the python wish him good morning, which led to making the python upset and he crawled in a rabbit hole and scared the rabbit. This chain of events kept happening until the Owl was so upset that he didn’t wake the sun and it stayed dark. The King Lion called an emergency meeting and they came to the conclusion that it was the fault of the mosquito. To this day the mosquito buzzes in people’s ears to ask if they are still angry at him. I think we all know the answer to this!




http://www.readwritethink.org/
This is a well known website that has many standards based lessons. There are lesson plans, printable materials, weblinks, and more. This is a great sight if you need a creative way to teach a reading skill.
http://www.carlscorner.us.com/
This website was created by a teacher and has a variety of teaching resources. It is mainly for primary teachers. There are many printable activities, books, games, and more. This is a great supplement to any reading program.
http://childrensbooksforparents.com/
I recently ran across this book and have bookmarked it for use in my classroom. It is a great resource for learning about popular books. It gives book reviews on popular books. You can look by grade level, or genre. This would be a wonderful resource for parents who are wondering what books to get for their children.
http://www.nea.org/grants/13154.htm
This is a link to the teacher’s top 100 books for children. The NEA also has many other resources on its website, including resources for participating in Read Across America.

Alissa's Book Share

Trade Books: Meanwhile by Jules Feiffer

Raymond is so wrapped up in reading his comic book when his mom calls for him that he finds a way to avoid her by "changing the scene" with the words MEANWHILE... just like they do in the comic books. Raymond takes on the roles of a pirate, cowboy and astronaut in his comic book adventure where he is in charge. That is, until things begin to spin out of control. He tries to find the right words to get back to normal.

Oh, the Thinks you Can Think! by Dr. Seuss

This is one of many Dr. Seuss classics kids love to read over and over again. Like all Dr. Seuss books it is filled with illustrations, rhyming and imagination. "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the THINKS you can think up if only you try!"

Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme
by Jack Prelutsky and Meilo So

I came across this book in the poetry section at our local library and thought it would be a great addition to any classroom. The book groups poems by topics then provides readers and writers a poemstart. Also included are suggestions to help the reader/writer get started on a poem. Some reviews I read argue it takes away creativity, but I see it as an additional resource and inspiration to reluctant writers.

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by John Scieszka & Lane Smith

My students couldn't get enough of this book. I always made sure they had plenty of exposure to the real fairy tale prior to reading this book.

Another great book to pair with fairy tales by John Scieszka & Lane Smith is The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. This is a take on classic fairy tale The Three Little Pigs from A. Wolf's point of view.

Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop
illustrated by Betsy Lewin

This is probably more of a personal favorite, but my students always enjoyed it as well. Dumpy La Rue "the pig who knew what he wanted to do" went against the beliefs of all the other animals in the barnyard because he wanted to dance. Children enjoy the rhyming and there are many teachable moments both with vocabulary and character building.
If you haven't already, you should read this book!



Web Resources:

http://www.kidsreads.com/index.asp
KidsReads.com is full of resources for kids, teachers and parents. This site keeps kids, teachers and parents up to date with the latest in Children’s Literature such as: Books made into movies, mysteries, series books, new released books, novels, author interviews, book reviews by both kids and adults. There is a book club, guides for starting a book club, book lists and a section dedicated for books geared for boys.

http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone.htm
I learned about the program Reading is Fundamental (RIF) during my time teaching. Twice a year representatives from the company came to our school to promote literacy. My students were always so excited because they got a FREE book! Under the link for kids there is a link for ages 0-5, 6-12 both in English and Spanish. In the Book Zone there are featured authors and books, stories and songs, multicultural books, book lists, reviews, kid poles, a book search, a Bookshelf where you can make a wish list of books you wish to read and much, much more! Not only is this a great site for kids, but it offers an abundance of resources for teachers – right now they have a free downloadable book for preschoolers in English and Spanish. There are resources for parents as well – now you can download a free audio book. It’s a great nonprofit program with an abundance of resources for kids, parents and teachers.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/bookflixfreetrial/
Book Flix is a program through Scholastic for pre K-grade 3 that pairs fiction and non-fiction books. For example, Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino is paired with the non-fiction book, Animal Babies by Elaine Pascoe. You watch the fiction book and read the non-fiction book, with highlighted vocabulary and help if needed. Additionally, for each set there are follow-up activities, meet the author and other related websites. There is a cost to join. I have access to the site using my public library card number, so if your school does not offer the service check with your public library.

http://www.multiculturalkids.com/home.php
Only recently did I come across Multicultural Kids, inc. I found this site’s list of categorized books helpful. There are books specific to various cultures as well as books about character building and the environment. There are other resources that you can purchase, but I see myself using it more as a reference to a variety of books.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/childrens-books-kids-books/379000120/
Bookstore websites are an excellent way to keep up to date with children’s literature. They allow you to browse by subject, best sellers, new releases, popular books, awarded books, books by age and more. Another great feature about Barnes and Noble to share with your students’ parents are the storytimes. We take our son on occasion and he enjoys the stories, songs and crafts. Plus, it’s a great way to get families into bookstores – to buy or browse books!

Ryan's Book Share

Trade Books:

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - By: Judi Barrett

This was one of my favorite books as a child. This book is full of humor that children will love. I have read this book to many children and they all love it. No matter how old of a book it is, it never loses its humor. This book is set in the town of Chewandswallow, which is an amazing name for the town, based on the book. In this town, the weather is quite different than what we are used to. In this town, the weather is totally based on food. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner, food will fall from the sky. The citizens of Chewandswallow were so excited that they were getting so much food! They would receive cheeseburgers from the sky, and when it would rain, they town would get lots of soup! Could life get any better? Well, what was a good thing quickly came to an end. As time went on, the weather got much worse, which meant that more food was falling and it was falling in larger portions. When it would rain, the town would be flooded with soup! And, the school was flattened by a pancake! Finally, the townspeople left Chewandswallow on boats that were made of bread and moved to a new town where they could not get their food from the sky. They actually had to buy their own food!

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse - By: Kevin Henkes

This is a wonderful story that revolves around Lilly who is a mouse that finds herself in a remorseful situation. Lilly is a student who enjoys school and is also very fond of her teacher, Mr. Slinger. However, one day, Lilly brings a musical purse to school and every time she opens it, it starts to play music during class. After this, her favorite teacher, (Mr. Slinger), takes away the musical purse because Lilly cannot stop playing with it and interrupting class with the music. Lilly is then enraged with anger and decides to get even with Mr. Slinger. She draws a picture of "Big Fat Mean Mr. Stealing Teacher!" and puts it into his bag for him to find. However, when she gets her purse back, she looks inside and finds a generous note from Mr. Slinger. Lilly is then horrified because she just slipped a mean drawing into her favorite teacher's bag, only to find out that he slipped a very nice note into her purse. This is a great story because it shows not to jump to conclusions, to accept responsibility for your actions, and to not let your emotions get the best of you.

Goodnight Moon - By: Margaret Wise Brown

This is an older book that is an absolute classic. This book is in poem form and it surrounds around how a bunny says good night before going to bed. The bunny says good night to many things including, "Good night cow jumping over the moon." Throughout most of the book, the bunny prefaces everything with "Good Night." The repetition throughout the book really makes the book interesting because the reader is wondering what the bunny is going to say goodbye to on the next page. Also, throughout the book, things will disappear and things will appear. There are small details on many of the pages. For instance, on one page, there is a copy of Goodnight Moon on the nightstand. This book is always fun for students because it is calming and the text really stays in your head. I can still repeat many of the lines today, from when I listened to the story when I was a young child.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub - By: Audrey Wood

"King Bidgood's in the bathtub and he won't get out!" is the refrain to this whimsical children's tale about a king who refuses to take on the challenge of his role as king. Instead of leading his country, King Bidgood spends all day splashing in the tub. The royal court is worried about the king and the state of his kingdom. One by one, they visit the king begging him to assume his royal duty and GET OUT OF THE BATHTUB! But the king would rather play and shrink away from his responsibility than to do his job. The king convinces his royal subjects that all of his royal duties (feasting, battling and fishing, etc.) can be done in the bathtub. Finally, a lowly page boy convinces the king to pull the plug on his irresponsible frolicking in the bathtub. This book is very funny and when I read it to the students, they are often mesmerized by the pictures in the book and the details on all of the pages.

Resources:

Readinga-z:

www.Readinga-z.com/more/trade_books.html

This website has many different lesson plan ideas for trade books for grades K-6. With all of these books, there are lesson plans, worksheets and circulation cards that can all help the teacher with teaching with the trade book. The only drawback with this website is that there is a membership fee. However, there is a significant discount when the school buys a membership for a certain number of classrooms. This website seems like a great resource for teachers and students because the website covers so many influential trade books that students and teachers would enjoy. This is also a vocabulary section to this website. Some of the vocabulary words and the references for helping to teach vocabulary supplement the trade books that are listed on the website. This is such a great tool because the website pinpoints some important vocabulary words from the text, thus eliminating some research work for the teacher.

Money Management:

www.moneymanagement.org/education/resources

I came across this website this past semester when I was doing a lesson on money. I remember being dumbfounded that a website named "Money Management" would have a section on children's trade books. However, to my surprise, this website has been a great resource. I am a big believer in using trade books in math. It helps to break up the usual numerical mathematics and allows the children to enjoy a book, while still learning about math.

This website lists many trade books that deal with money. For instance, the Berenstain Bears book The Trouble with Money, deals with the money and the finances. This website provides the teacher with possible activities and projects, in teaching the students about money and clothing. There are also projects and extension activities that are available for each trade book. The website tells the teacher the necessary materials and gives the teacher some guiding questions for the trade book and for the teaching of the math. This is an amazing website to use when implementing trade books into the math curriculum.

Children's Trade Books in Math:

http://math.asu.edu/~bethgn/bibliography.shortened.htm

As stated before, I am a big believer in using trade books when teaching math. This website contains a vast amount of trade books that can be used in teaching math. This list was compiled by professors at Arizona State University. Although there are not any resources on this website, the website does have many great trade books that are broken up into many different categories: counting and number books, number operations, geometry, money, large numbers, and miscellaneous math topics. These lists that are broken up into different categories make it extremely easy to find a good trade book about a certain math topic. With these lists, the author, the published date, and the ISBN number are all listed, which make it even easier to find the book at the library.

Rebecca's Book Share

The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin

As I wrote in my Literary History, this was my favorite book as a kid. It's an extremely compelling, fast-paced murder mystery. A group of people are brought to an apartment building and soon find themselves would-be heirs to the fortune of Sam Westing, a rich business man. In order to claim their fortune, they have to discover his murderer who is also, supposedly, one of the heirs. A fabulous read, most appropriate for grades 4 - 5, but could work for grades 3 - 8.


Avi Author Study

Avi is a prolific writer and has many, many titles to choose from in creating an author study. I particularly like his work because he has written across a range of reading levels, so it's easy to create a reading unit that all students can participate in. I have used the following titles:

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
One of my all time favorites. An adolescent girl travels on a ship from England to America. Along the way, she is accused of murder. Appropriate for grades 5 - 8.

Poppy
A young mouse goes on a quest to protect her loved ones from a tyrannical owl. Appropriate for grades 3 - 6.

Crispin: Cross of Lead
A young, poor boy in the middle ages loses his mother and is declared essentially an emeny of the state, thus fleeing his home town in search of safety. Along his journey he meets some unusual friends and learns things about his parents origins that may change his life forever. A compelling, engaging read that also provides plenty of historical fiction detail. Appropriate for grades 4 - 8.

The Good Dog
A wolf comes to town, upsetting the order and peace among a group of domesticated dogs in Steamboat Spring, Colorado. A fun read, especially great for dog lovers. Appropriate for grades 3 - 6.

The Secret School
When the teacher of a one room school house has to leave unexpectedly, a bright teenage girl takes over. A short, fun read. Approrpriate for grades 3 - 5.


The Pushcart War, by Jean Merrill
When the pushcarts of New York City are finally pushed to the boiling point by the big, hulking trucks who try to take over the streets of the city, the pushcarts fight back. This book is written as an historical account of the war, complete with an introduction by an "historian" and footnotes. It's hilarious, vivid, and a truly unique book. Appropriate for grades 3 - 8.


The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
A coming of age tale told through the poetry and prose of the young girl, Esperanza Cordero. Esperanza lives in the Latino neighborhood of Chicago and explores many social issues as well as her hopes and dreams through the book. This book has enough richness and complexity to be read in a college course, but is simple enough for middle school students to enjoy. My students loved discussing the book and then writing vignettes about their own life. An all around great unit.


Resources

Edsitement
Edsitement is the on-line resource wing of the National Endowment for the Humanities. They have thousands of fabulous lesson plans including many around children's literature. I have found everything I have used from this site to be thorough, engaging, and well-designed. If you're interested in finding new books for your class and also want guidance about how to use them, this is the place to look.

Scholastic Book Leveling
Enter the name of a book and it will find thorough information about the book's reading level using a number of different leveling guides. You can also search for titles using a detailed criteria list. To do that, just click on "Titles" under "Search Books and Quizzes" in the upper right corner.

Beth Newingham's Third Grade Website
Beth Newingham seems to be just about the greatest teacher ever. Her class website is amazing. She records everything she does in her class, which is a lot, and provides tons of resources, lesson plans, and ideas for teachers. Click around on the site and you'll find not only reading lists and links, but organizational strategies for a class library, literacy centers ideas, examples of children's work, lesson plans, and much, much more.

Carrie's Book Share

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers-Karen B. Winnick

From School Library JournalKindergarten-Grade 4. In 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard. Lincoln responded to the letter. On his way to Washington, DC for his inauguration, his train stopped at her hometown and a bewhiskered Lincoln introduced himself to Grace. Too amazing to be true? Well, the letters exist to prove it, and they are reproduced at the end of this interesting picture book. The story is presented simply and with authenticity. Children will identify with this independent young girl. Grace, her large family, and their solid small-town home are depicted in an American folk-art style appropriate to the period. The girl's letter is a perfect example of the manners and speech of that time, and the relationships among the siblings and parents ring true. The greatness and humility of Lincoln are shown as he takes the time to respond to a child and meet her, and, remarkably, accept her advice. Containing a wonderful piece of history beautifully and succinctly presented, this story can be read in groups or individually to entertain and to teach.?Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library System, Orlando.

The End-David LaRochelle

PreSchool-Grade 3—Turning the standard fairy-tale formula on its head, LaRochelle begins his story at the end. The endpapers depict a princess and a knight waving good-bye to a long line of intriguing characters who are marching away from the castle. The text begins, "And they all lived happily ever after. They lived happily ever after because…" and proceeds backward through a madcap chain of events that includes a skittish dragon, a giant tomato, a pack of ferocious bunnies, and a fortuitous bowl of lemonade. Only on the last page are readers rewarded with the anticipated phrase, "Once upon a time." Egielski's illustrations are a triumph. The flattened, static quality of the characters calls to mind Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (HarperCollins, 1995), and the warm, muted tones evoke the fairy-tale art of Trina Schart Hyman, but the fanciful details—a blue, winged pig; a pair of runaway lemons—are completely original. The hand-lettered text, enclosed in streaming banners, consists of terse, declarative statements that are lavishly expounded upon by the illustrations. The tension between the simplicity of the narrative and the richness of the artwork allows this tale to transcend its clever gimmickry. Though the book can be appreciated in one reading, and would work well when shared aloud, multiple perusals are necessary to spot all of the details. When youngsters reach the beginning of The End, they will want to start all over again.—Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library, GA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Bad Case of the Stripes-David Shannon

Kindergarten-Grade 2?A highly original moral tale acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates. Shannon's exaggerated, surreal, full-color illustrations take advantage of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork; close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale. Sly humor lurks in the pictures, too. For example, in one double-page spread the Creams are besieged by the media including a crew from station WCKO. Despite probing by doctors and experts, it takes "an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry" to help Camilla discover her true colors. Set in middle-class America, this very funny tale speaks to the challenge many kids face in choosing to act independently.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA

Mailing May-Michael O. Tunnel

Kindergarten-Grade 2. Five-year-old Charlotte May Pierstorff begs to visit her grandmother, but her parents cannot afford to send her. In Idaho in 1914, the train is the only way to make the 75-mile trip over the mountains. The Pierstorffs come up with an unusual solution?mailing May. Sending her as a package is a third of the cost, and since her mother's cousin Leonard handles the railroad mail car, she does not have to travel alone. Children will delight in the fantasy aspects of the tale even after they discover that the story is true. Tunnell describes his research in an author's note. Rand's watercolor illustrations are masterful, as is the design of the book as a whole. The intriguing cover is made to look like a suitcase. With the tweed of the traveling bag as a backdrop, the title is framed in the shape of a postage stamp, and two other old-fashioned stamps and a "photograph" of May holding the same suitcase are featured. The device of the painted photographs or other pieces of realia such as a postal tag or train schedule appear throughout the book's glowing two-page spreads and add to the story's authenticity. This well-crafted presentation provides a brief, but sweet, glimpse into the past.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Useful Resources

• National Council for the Social Studies website. This site, a professional organization for social studies teachers, contains a database of Notable Trade Books for Young People. These databases are organized by year and contain a PDF file that lists the books, a brief description, the age ranges for each book, the ISBN number, and price for each book. Outstanding resource!

http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable

• Proteacher.net This site is a community message board that allows teachers from all over the country to share teaching tips, resources, and advice. One board has tips on books, book buddy ideas, family literacy nights, etc.

http://www.proteacher.com/070000.shtml

Amanda's Book Share

Caroline B. Cooney does a great job creating novels such as: The Face on the Milk Carton. This is just one example of her page turners that my fifth grade students have enjoyed. We selected this book, in addition to others she has in this series: Whatever Happened to Janie and The Voice on the Radio because she uses a way of reaching young readers.

This book discusses what happens to a little girl, Janie, who was kidnapped by her loving parents. She begins the search to piece together clues that don't seem to make sense of what has happened in her past.

Cynthia Lord puts a great spin on RULES that apply to our society. This award winner provides a laugh for intermediate level students regarding some of the every day things we must be responsible for..."If the bathroom door is closed, knock! (especially if Catherine has a friend over).Say thank you when someone gives you a present (even if you don't like it).Don't stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it.A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.No toys in the fishtank." (Lord) In addition to rave reviews from my fifth grade students, Publishers Weekly states: "The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life.... A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view." Publishers Weekly

This was a great read aloud that is highly recommended!

This selection is by far the most emotional book I've bought for my students. I have had lots of students read this selection, and, in doing so, have a new respect for what things they have in their lives. In this story a young boy discovers how to allow nature to take its course while listening to what his heart's telling him.

What a powerful book...DEFIANCE by Valerie Hobbs

Eleven-year-old Toby Steiner wants to do normal things on his vacation: he wants to hike and race his bike down the hill and learn to fish out on the lake. The last thing he wants is to return to the children’s hospital where his painful cancer treatment finally ended. When Toby starts spending time with Pearl, a spunky old woman who lives on a nearby farm, and Blossom, her broken-down cow, he sees all the more reason to keep the new lump on his side a secret from his parents. From Pearl he discovers the beauty of poetry, and from Blossom he just might uncover the meaning of life.

Useful Websites in finding Trade Books to use in the classroom

www.proteacher.com

This website's a directory to all trade book questions or search items that you might need. It includes series, publishers, authors, and much more!

http://www.socialstudies.org/resources

This site is the National Council for Social Studies. I find it hard to collect helpful trade books that elementary students would be interested in, and this site is helpful at times. It is a supported site, which helps justify the sources.

http://content.scholastic.com/

I have to mention scholastic because I use this site the most. I am able to level all my classroom books through scholastic, find titles, authors, series, and more! This site is awesome, and I hope that you are all using it...I know it's a very common site for educators. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share my appreciation for this site.

http://indiana.statebookawards.com

This is a fun site to visit because it mentions Indiana Hoosier books that have won awards. Our school selects books based upon this site, and I like reviewing it often for new ideas.

Michelle's Book Share

Books I Recommend:


A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry – From the author of The Great Kapok Tree, this book follows the true story of the Nashua River over hundreds of years. It begins with the Native Americans and their careful conservation of the river and nature around them. Then begins the time of settlers taking over and of the progress that transforms the river into a polluted, stinky mess. Thankfully, the river is eventually restored to times past through the action and power of the community changing its ways and cleaning up its act. An especially great book to read on Earth Day or when talking about environmental issues, the book also offers historical information and wonderful illustrations to match the passing years that occur throughout the book.



Cheyenne Again by Eve Bunting – Eve Bunting is a great author and Cheyenne Again is one of my favorites. It depicts the hardship of Young Bull, a young Native American boy, taken from his family and forced to endure a boarding school where he must learn to become part of the white world. It’s a great look into the perspective of a culture not in power and while fiction, it is based on actual events as Native American children were once forced into these schools. However, this book also has a good lesson about being true to yourself when, at the end of the story, Young Bull reclaims his Native American heritage by not letting go of his memories.



The Empty Pot by Demi – Set long ago in China, the emperor announces he will choose his successor based on which child grows the most beautiful flower from a provided seed. Ping, a boy with a natural green thumb, tries everything to make the seed grow but is unsuccessful. He arrives at the palace with the only empty pot. It turns out that the emperor handed out cooked seeds that could not grow. Ping’s honesty and character is applauded and rewarded in this straightforward story.



The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein – This story tells of an apple tree that gives everything of itself in order to help the little boy she loves be happy. While it often makes the tree happy as well, we also see her lonely and sad when all the boy does is take. The pictures and words are quite simple, but it is quite a powerful story.



Web Resources I Recommend:

www.adl.org/bibliography
This website is from the World of Difference Institute, a section of the Anti-Defamation League. It offers recommendations for multicultural and anti-bias books. They feature different books each month but also have the following categories – Biography, Cultural & Religious Groups, Customs & Traditions, Families & Friends, Folktales, Legends, & Poems, and Prejudice & Discrimination - with lists of books associated with each. It also has related links and material such as information from the Anti-Defamation League.

www.bookhive.org
Associated with a North Carolina public library, this part of the website offers “Zinger Recommends,” which gives a book synopsis and a place to add reader’s comments about reviewed books. It also has a spot for children to listen to a storyteller and to make their own stories about Zinger the Bee.

http://readingbooklist.weebly.com/
I tried making a webpage so I hope it works! The Reading Coach at my school gave this list to me, but it was actually created by Chris Leland of Indiana University, IUPUI. It is a social issues booklist that is divided by topic and offers several books under each topic. The books are mostly picture books, but there are a few chapter books as well. I have found this list to be very convenient and helpful to use when I have a specific issue I want to talk about in my classroom.

Kim McMahan's Book Share

Text Set Study: Author Jim Aylesworth

I love teaching using text sets. It is important for student to get attached to an author or authors. It is also important to get them familiar with different authors and different genres of writing. I have found that if a student likes a book, they will typically like another book by the same author. I have also found that if students familiarize themselves with the author they are more intrigued to read more book by the same author. It is also important to show your students the value of reading for authors you love and respect. Students also need to be exposed to different genres of writing. Once a student finds what genre of writing they prefer reading they can look for similar book by the same author. Doing text set studies, allows the students to ask questions about the books they are reading and find the answers by doing research or writing letters to the different authors studied. My students love writing letters to authors to learn more about them or the book. You should see their faces when they get a response back from an author they have been falling in love with. Here is a text set study that I put together that is geared more toward Kindergartners and first graders (maybe even second graders with some alterations). I hope you enjoy.

Monday
Aylesworth, Jim. Illustrated by Eileen Christelow. The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. New York, New York. 1990.

This book completes the story of the classic nursery rhyme about the mouse that ran up the clock. It is filled with wonderful, bright colored illustrations. After reading this book, I would pass out two sheets, one would be a coloring sheet that had the mouse and the clock with the completed version of the rhyme. The class will read the rhyme together by putting their fingers on the words and following along. The second sheet would be a brief description to introduce the author of the week, which is of course, Jim Aylesworth. The purpose of the author sheet is for students to become familiar with the author that they will be learning about and for students to share with their parents their discoveries of this author. This will hopefully allow children to build an interest in authors for future use. I would then direct my class to the library to find some different versions of Hickory Dickory Dock. After reading each one, we would compare and contrast the different versions in an open class discussion. Some questions to look at would be:

• How is Aylesworth's version different from the other versions of Hickory Dickory Dock?
• How is it alike?
• Which one is more appealing to you and why?
• What do you notice about the pictures and the language?

Tuesday

Aylesworth, Jim. Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin. The Full Belly Bowl. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. New York, New York. 1999.

This book is about a very old man who discovers a very small man, whom in return for kindness and generosity gives the very old man a magical bowl. if not used carefully, the magical bowl may cause problems. After reading this book, I would have the children put on a finger puppet performance. I will form groups of five and draw names to see who will be the old man, small man, animals, and clerk. Each child will have a chance to perform each part by rotating roles. Each group will have a chance to perform once in front of the class behind the black curtain. My focus will be to listen for language development and create a deeper understanding of the characters and setting of the story. After the puppet show, I would inform the students about what I have learned about the author. I would have done this by gathering information on his website at http://www.ayles.com/biography.html. I would pass out little facts about the author. I would have the classroom computers set up at the website http://www.ayles.com/ so they could explore for themselves. After the website exploration, the students and I will have a class discussion about Aylesworth's book. Here are some questions that will allow your students to think more deeply about the story:

• How does this book compare to The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock?
• Do you notice any similarities between the two books he wrote?
• Is there a lesson to be learned from this book?
• If so, what kind of lessons?

Wednesday

Aylesworth, Jim. Illustrated by Jo Ellen Mcallister-Stammen. Teddy Bear Tears. Aladdin Picture Books. New York, New York. May 2000.


This book is about a boy who overcomes his fear of the dark. He has four teddy bears that fear something different at bedtime. The boys is able to explain to the bears each sound and shape to comfort them and before long all are asleep. After reading this story, I would have each of the students write a letter to Aylesworth asking him questions they might have about his life or writings. By mid week they generate lots of questions. I would have asked the students on the day before to bring in something that they sleep with to share with the class. I will let each child share their bedtime experiences with the class. I will have them draw a picture of their bedroom at nighttime and share that with the class as well. We would compare Aylesworth's other works to this book while asking thought provoking questions like:

• Is this book like the other Aylesworth's books we read?
• If so, how?
• Can you relate to the boy's bedtime problem? Explain.
• How does the boy in the story finally end up going to sleep?

Thursday

Aylesworth, Jim. Illustrated by Barbara McClintock. The Tale of Tricky Fox. Scholastic Press. New York, New York. March 2001.

This book is about a very tricky, sly fox that fools women into giving him gifts of food until he came across a very smart schoolteacher. After reading this story, the class would create an author bulletin. We would decorate the bulletin board with facts about the author, a list of his books, clip art, and colored pictures that he children created. This book provides a nice recipe for baking cookies. For fun, I would bring the ingredients to make Tricky Fox's Eat-Your-Hat cookies, which is on the back of the book. The students will mix all the ingredients together while practicing measurement, language, reading, and motor skills. I would bake them during lunch and recess hour so we could enjoy a nice treat before going home. I will be focusing on social development as well as group participation. I will be asking myself questions like:

• Do the children communicate well?
• Do they share tasks or do they try talking over the project?
• Is everyone enjoying getting involved?
• Is the community we build in our classroom working?

Here are some reflective questions that could be asked:

• Is there a lesson or moral in the story that Aylesworth was trying to illustrate?
• What are the similarities and differences compared to his other books?
• Was this story fun to read aloud and why?

Friday

Aylesworth, Jim. Illustrated by Judith Friedman. The Bad Dream. Albert Whitman & Company. Niles, Illinois. 1985.

This book is about a small boy who is awakened by a very bad dream. His parents comfort him by telling him that bad dreams are not real. After reading this story, I would gather the students around the reading carpet to discuss some of the ways the children deal with nightmares. After our discussion, I would have the students go to their desks and begin writing a story of their bad dreams and how they overcame them for writing workshop. They will write their stories on some small square sheets that are stapled together to form a paper book. After they have completed their personal stories of their bad dreams, we will hang them up in class. I will focus on completed thoughts and creativeness. On the last day of the week, we would take a class vote between the five Aylesworth books we enjoyed the most. We will concentrate on some questions after the project is completed. Here are some thought provoking questions that could be asked:

• Do you notice something about this book compared to some of the other books we looked at by Aylesworth?
• Is it like one of this other books?
• What is the message that Aylesworth is trying to get across to young readers?
• What do you think about the illustrations?
• Which one of Aylesworth's books did you enjoy reading the best? Why?

Well I hope you have enjoyed my version of an Author Text Set Study. Maybe you will be able to use some of my ideas in your classroom. If so, please leave a comment and let me know how it went.

Here are some of my favorite literacy websites for students to use:

http://www.storylineonline.net/ --all grades

This website is amazing. This is definitely one of my student's favorite websites. It has different celebrities reading different picture books. It is really nice for students to see some of their favorite celebrities reading to them. It also encourages them to read. Some of my students even search the library for the books they see the celebrities reading. The website also offers activities that goes along with the book. For teachers, it offers lesson ideas that goes along with the book. (By the way if you love this website too they are in need of more funding to keep it running......please donate!!!)

http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/ --third grade and up

This website is a news site that is geared toward students. Students can stay current on what is happening around the world by reading articles and listening and viewing videos. It is just like watching the news on TV except it is child friendly. For students it offers interactive games and quizzes for students. For teachers it offers learning activities that go along with the news stories featured on their website. I use this website when I want my students to read something that is important. We tracked the Obama campaign and election using this website.

http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/ --grades third and up

This website is packed full of yucky science fact, games, and activities. Kids love this website. It is a great website to use for science ideas. Students can learn about the grossest things on earth like roaches and worms. It offers students a chance to ask their grossest questions to Wendell the worm. This website is very interactive. It allows students to conduct yucky science experiments, play games, and just simply have fun with science. This website is also located from the website http://kids.discovery.com/. There are lots other great activities for kids to do and read about.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi --third grade and up

This website is a great social studies resource. Students can learn about famous Americans, all the 50 states, and major events and people from the past, history. It offers students an interactive way to get familiar with people who have change our world like, inventors, politicians, or performers by playing games and doing activities that goes along with what they are learning.