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!