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!