Hello!
Last week I told you I would be sharing information from my BER (Bureau of Education and Research) seminar by Judy Freeman. One of you mentioned that you would also be attending the same seminar but in another town a few days after me! So, Shelley, you will have to correct me if I get anything wrong, and also let me know if I leave out something that you loved.
Judy Freeman’s seminar is titled “What’s NEW in Children’s Literature and Strategies for Using it in Your Program (Grades K-6) 2019.” So all of these books will be new books published in 2018. I don’t have copies of all of these books, so I will be sharing titles, and the information Ms. Freeman gave us in the Resource Handbook.
This week I will be sharing a list of easy fiction/picture books.
All Are Welcome. Penfold, Alexandra. Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman, Knopf, 2018. 36p. E (Gr. PreK-2) RL: 2.0.
If you want a book with diversity, multicultural families, and a general ‘melting pot’, you will enjoy this story about all children feeling welcome at school. Written in rhyme, each verse ends in the phrase “All are welcome here.” As the school day progresses, we see the children in different classes, lunch, recess, and story time. The ending is: “You have a place here. You have a space here. You are welcome here.”
Baby Monkey, Private Eye. Selznick, Brian, and Serlin, David. Illus. by Brian Selznick. Scholastic, 2018. 191p. E (Gr. PreK-2) RL: 1.0.
Yes, you read the number of pages correctly. This is a book on a first grade reading level that has 191 pages! If you have other books by Brian Selznick, you will understand. Many of the pages are full page illustrations in typical Selznick fashion and very few words. Brian won the Caldecott medal about 10 years ago for The Invention of Hugo Cabret with a story, but most of the two-inch-thick book was simply illustrations telling the story rather than words. Baby Monkey is a private eye who solves mysteries for people. Each story has the person come for help from Baby Monkey, who takes notes, and then gets ready to go. But first, he puts on his pants. The contortions he goes through to get his jeans on will have your children laughing so hard, it might be a distraction in the classroom. Judy advised us to get multiple copies for our school libraries. This is a great book for those children who want to check out a thick chapter book but may not be advanced enough to read it. However, they WILL be able to read Baby Monkey. I can’t wait until my copies come.
Can I Be Your Dog? Cummings, Troy. Illustrated by the author. Random House, 2018. 32p. E (Gr Prek-3) RL: 1.9
Poor Arfy. He is homeless living in a dilapidated cardboard box in the alley. He writes a letter to residents on Butternut Street asking if he can be their dog. “Woof! Can I be your dog? I am potty trained and I have my own squeaky bone. Also: I love to play. I see you have a cat, but I’m willing to work with you. Whooooo’s a good dog? I am! Sincerely, Arfy.” The family declines, but Arfy doesn’t give up. He writes more letters to other residents on the street. One day Arfy gets a letter. “Dear Arfy, Can I be your person?” It is from the letter carrier and Arfy finally finds a home.
Judy suggests that this is a great start to a persuasive letter unit. In any case, it is a fun book.
The Day You Begin. Woodson, Jacqueline. Illus. by Rafael Lopez. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, 2018. 32p. E (Gr. K-6) RL: 1.8
Jacqueline Woodson is probably an author you already have in your school or library. This is one to add to that collection. This book has many themes that provide discussion points for your students: how to fit in, how to make friends, withstand teasing, and how to believe in your own talents and life experiences. All this in one picture book. The book begins, “There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. Maybe it will be your skin, your clothes, or the curl of your hair.” My favorite line is this one: My favorite line is this one: “And all at once, in the room where no one else is quite like you, the world opens itself a little wider to make some space for you. . .”
Very simply done, but powerful text makes this a wonderful addition to your library.
The Dinosaur Expert. (Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series) McNamara, Margaret. Illus. by G. Brian Karas. Schwartz & Wade, 2018. E (Gr. K-4) RL: 2.4
I am NOT a fan of dinosaurs, but this isn’t really about dinosaurs. Kimmy loves the natural world and collects rocks, shells, leaves, feathers, and much more. She is so excited when the class goes on a field trip to the natural history museum and looks forward to sharing her knowledge of dinosaurs and fossils. Then one boy comments that girls aren’t scientists. Kimmy is silenced by this and notices the photos of all the male paleontologists pictured. Her understanding teacher notices this and gently guides Kimmy over to the recent find of a dinosaur skeleton and points out that the species is named after the fossil hunter Dr. Brandoni de Gasparini – a woman. Kimmy quickly realizes that she CAN be a scientist and begins to share her wisdom with the class after all.
So I am not a fan of dinosaurs, but I AM a fan of encouraging little girls to be scientists.
I Walk With Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness. Kerascoet. Illus. by the author. Schwartz & Wade, 2018. 2p. E (Gr. PreK – 3) RL: 0.0
I love wordless picture books and this is a lovely one. The soft illustrations tell the story of a new girl who arrives at school and is bullied by a boy. Vanessa sits alone at lunch and walks alone during the day. Our little heroine watches all this from a distance and thinks about it. She tries to get her friends to help, but they each walk away. Our heroine thinks about this all evening and the next morning she goes to Vanessa’s house to walk with her to school. Other children join them all gathering around Vanessa until nearly the whole school is walking with Vanessa. The bully looks on, but cannot get near her to continue his bullying. Vanessa is safe and has friends.
The endpapers are very interesting. The front endpapers are in shades of gray, but the final endpapers are bright colors. Judy suggests we ask the children why they look the way they do. What a wonderful supplement to a unit on bullying!
Saffron Ice Cream. Rashin. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2018. Illus. by the author. 40p. E (Gr. K-3) RL: 4.0
This is autobiographical by the Iranian author. She comes to America and is excited to go to the beach. But, not just any beach – an American beach. She remembers her trips to the beach when she lived in Iran where she knew the rules of the beach. Long curtains divide the sand and water into two sections with men and boys on one side and women and girls on the other. Illustrations help show what it is like in Iran for the people. But now, Rashin lives in America – in Brooklyn, NY and doesn’t know the rules of this beach. Things are very different, and they don’t sell her favorite flavor of ice cream – saffron. She is homesick for her beach, her friend, and everything that is familiar and begins to cry. The ice cream seller encourages her to try another flavor and things begin to look up for Rashin.
Judy comments that children in our country likely are unfamiliar with sex-segregated beaches and this opens a teachable moment for us when sharing this book.
Stegothesaurus. Heos, Bridget. Illus. by T. L. McBeth. Henry Holt, 2018. 32p. E (Gr. PreK-3) RL: 2.4
I believe I mentioned above that I am NOT a dinosaur fan. However, I am a fan of words and I like using a thesaurus. The book jacket blurb inside begins: Once upon a time there were three dinosaurs. A stegosaurus. (The dinosaur says, “Hi.”) Another stegosaurus. (This dinosaur also says, “Hi.”) And a stegothesaurus. (THIS dinosaur says, “Hello! Greetings! Salutations!) He was a little different from his brothers.
What a fun way to introduce a thesaurus to children and to help them increase their vocabulary.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates! Higgins, Ryan T. Illus. by the author. Disney-Hyperion, 2018. 40p. E (Gr. PreK-3) RL: 2.0
For a person who doesn’t like dinosaurs much, I bought THREE books about them! Penelope, the little T. rex dinosaur, is excited about her first day of school. The illustrations of her supplies for the day are hilarious. Her new backpack has her favorite on it. Ponies! Because ponies are delicious! She also has a pony lunch box and three hundred tuna sandwiches and one apple juice. When Penelope actually gets to school she is very surprised to find that her classmates are CHILDREN! So. . . she ate them. Because children are delicious. Of course the teacher has Penelope spit them out and they are all mad at her. She tries to make friends but no one wants to be her friend. Penelope was lonely. At home, she cries and tells her dad that no one would be her friend. Penelope’s dad asked her if she ate her classmates. “Well, maybe just a little bit,” was the reply. Dad responds with, “Sometimes it’s hard to make friends especially if you eat them. You see, children are the same as us on the inside. Just tastier.”
So goes the story. Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine when the goldfish bites her finger. She learns what it is like to be someone’s snack and she doesn’t like it one bit. Penelope learns to make friends and stays away from Walter the goldfish! He knows that dinosaurs are delicious.
Well, I think that is enough to get you started. More next time.
Have a great week and safe holiday.
Audrey
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Monday, December 3, 2018
High-Low books ideas needed
Greetings!
High-Low Books: One of you asked me for lists of books for low readers in higher grades; particularly students in middle school who are reading at about 2nd – 4th grade reading levels. I will keep an eye out for titles like this, but I will be the first to admit that this is NOT my specialty. If any of you have found books on these levels that are age appropriate for upper levels, please send those titles to me and I will compile a list that we can all use when needed.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
High-Low Books: One of you asked me for lists of books for low readers in higher grades; particularly students in middle school who are reading at about 2nd – 4th grade reading levels. I will keep an eye out for titles like this, but I will be the first to admit that this is NOT my specialty. If any of you have found books on these levels that are age appropriate for upper levels, please send those titles to me and I will compile a list that we can all use when needed.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Monday, November 26, 2018
Coloring Books and One More Idea
Hello,
I have two short subjects to let you know about. One of them is the subject of coloring books. You will likely have noticed that coloring books are very popular now. There are hundreds of kinds of coloring books; many for adults. I bought a few for the library thinking I would make copies of a particular page each week for students to take and color. As I read the small print, I realized that due to copyright, I was not allowed to make copies. I began to think how I could use the coloring books and decided to try something new and different. I would let the students check the coloring book out and actually color in it! I put a disclaimer in the front of the coloring book telling students that they could color in the book, but I would like for them to try to finish the page and also put their name on the page(s) they colored.
It has been a great plan. Only a few students actually check the coloring books out, but those that do love this plan. You might consider trying something like that. If you are currently copying coloring pages for your students, make sure you have permission to do this.
The second subject has to do with books that you have that you decide to not put in the library. I bought a book from the Scholastic book fair a few years ago that intrigued me. I read the book and really enjoyed it, but decided that it wasn’t worth putting in the library. It was the kind of book that I felt didn’t have universal appeal. I had it on a small bookshelf by my desk and a student saw the book. She had wanted it from the book fair, but was unable to buy it. I lent it to her and asked her to put her name and the date in the front cover of the book. It wasn’t checked out; if she had not returned it, there was no big issue since it was really my personal book. When she returned it, a few others wanted to read it, so I told them the same thing: read it and sign your name and the date inside the front cover. Hand it around and bring it back when everyone has had a chance to read it.
The main thing for me was to share the book with those who really wanted to read it. It’s kind of a special thing to borrow a book that way, so I have tried it with a few others. These are books that aren’t personal treasures so I don’t mind if they are gone a long time or even go missing.
Think about these two ideas. If you have other ideas that you’d like to share with the group, just send them to me and I’ll post them.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are gearing up for the next few weeks.
Audrey
I have two short subjects to let you know about. One of them is the subject of coloring books. You will likely have noticed that coloring books are very popular now. There are hundreds of kinds of coloring books; many for adults. I bought a few for the library thinking I would make copies of a particular page each week for students to take and color. As I read the small print, I realized that due to copyright, I was not allowed to make copies. I began to think how I could use the coloring books and decided to try something new and different. I would let the students check the coloring book out and actually color in it! I put a disclaimer in the front of the coloring book telling students that they could color in the book, but I would like for them to try to finish the page and also put their name on the page(s) they colored.
It has been a great plan. Only a few students actually check the coloring books out, but those that do love this plan. You might consider trying something like that. If you are currently copying coloring pages for your students, make sure you have permission to do this.
The second subject has to do with books that you have that you decide to not put in the library. I bought a book from the Scholastic book fair a few years ago that intrigued me. I read the book and really enjoyed it, but decided that it wasn’t worth putting in the library. It was the kind of book that I felt didn’t have universal appeal. I had it on a small bookshelf by my desk and a student saw the book. She had wanted it from the book fair, but was unable to buy it. I lent it to her and asked her to put her name and the date in the front cover of the book. It wasn’t checked out; if she had not returned it, there was no big issue since it was really my personal book. When she returned it, a few others wanted to read it, so I told them the same thing: read it and sign your name and the date inside the front cover. Hand it around and bring it back when everyone has had a chance to read it.
The main thing for me was to share the book with those who really wanted to read it. It’s kind of a special thing to borrow a book that way, so I have tried it with a few others. These are books that aren’t personal treasures so I don’t mind if they are gone a long time or even go missing.
Think about these two ideas. If you have other ideas that you’d like to share with the group, just send them to me and I’ll post them.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are gearing up for the next few weeks.
Audrey
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Commonsense Media Website
Hello,
This week I want to let you know about a great website that will help you in numerous ways. Do you want to teach digital citizenship? Review digital citizenship? Learn if a book or movie or video game is appropriate for your child or students? You can do all this at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. There is a place to click if you are a parent or an educator. Lesson plans along with activities are available. This week I have had my students working on the Digital Citizenship site. For us, it is a review over some of the lessons we have learned this quarter. It looks like just fun and games, but there is still some learning that can happen.
Another thing I like about this website is that there are book reviews available. If you see that a student of yours is reading a book that appears to be inappropriate for school, you can type the title in and usually a review will come up that gives a lot of information about the content. The books are rated for educational value, positive messages, positive role models and representations, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking/drugs/ and smoking. An age level that the book would be appropriate for is also given. There is a summary of the book and usually reviews from parents who have read the book and also kids who have read the book. Parents can give an age recommendation and kids can give age recommendations, too. Another section gives subjects that families can talk about with their kids regarding the book.
I have been hearing a lot about the game Fortnite, so I looked it up on Commonsense. The age level that Commonsense gives for this game is 13+. Parents say age 11+ and kids say 10+. Here are the other scores for that particular game.
Educational Value 2/5
Positive messages 3/5
Postivie role models 2/5
Ease of Play 3/5
Violence 3/5
Sex not present
Language 1/5
Consumerism 3/5
Drinking/drugs not present
The “What Parents Need to Know’ section has a nice long paragraph telling about the game and the players.
Reviews of the game by one parent says that the game is ‘gun violence sugar-coated’ and give the age for the game as 18+. One 12 year old student reviews the game and grades it as age 6+. It is interesting to read the reviews and see what different opinions people have. It also helps someone who is having questions or issues about a game to know more about it without having to play it for hours personally.
This website also gives articles to read such as “!0 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 (and What to Play Instead).
All in all, I really like this website. It is full of great advice and information. I recommend that you let parents know about this site so they have the opportunity to make better choices for their children.
Have a great week,
Audrey
This week I want to let you know about a great website that will help you in numerous ways. Do you want to teach digital citizenship? Review digital citizenship? Learn if a book or movie or video game is appropriate for your child or students? You can do all this at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. There is a place to click if you are a parent or an educator. Lesson plans along with activities are available. This week I have had my students working on the Digital Citizenship site. For us, it is a review over some of the lessons we have learned this quarter. It looks like just fun and games, but there is still some learning that can happen.
Another thing I like about this website is that there are book reviews available. If you see that a student of yours is reading a book that appears to be inappropriate for school, you can type the title in and usually a review will come up that gives a lot of information about the content. The books are rated for educational value, positive messages, positive role models and representations, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinking/drugs/ and smoking. An age level that the book would be appropriate for is also given. There is a summary of the book and usually reviews from parents who have read the book and also kids who have read the book. Parents can give an age recommendation and kids can give age recommendations, too. Another section gives subjects that families can talk about with their kids regarding the book.
I have been hearing a lot about the game Fortnite, so I looked it up on Commonsense. The age level that Commonsense gives for this game is 13+. Parents say age 11+ and kids say 10+. Here are the other scores for that particular game.
Educational Value 2/5
Positive messages 3/5
Postivie role models 2/5
Ease of Play 3/5
Violence 3/5
Sex not present
Language 1/5
Consumerism 3/5
Drinking/drugs not present
The “What Parents Need to Know’ section has a nice long paragraph telling about the game and the players.
Reviews of the game by one parent says that the game is ‘gun violence sugar-coated’ and give the age for the game as 18+. One 12 year old student reviews the game and grades it as age 6+. It is interesting to read the reviews and see what different opinions people have. It also helps someone who is having questions or issues about a game to know more about it without having to play it for hours personally.
This website also gives articles to read such as “!0 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 (and What to Play Instead).
All in all, I really like this website. It is full of great advice and information. I recommend that you let parents know about this site so they have the opportunity to make better choices for their children.
Have a great week,
Audrey
Monday, October 15, 2018
Books Boys (and Girls!) Like
Note: I wrote and sent this post in March 2015, but the subject comes up fairly often asking for books for boys to read. I am repeating this post simply because it is relevant, but I have also updated and added to it. So, if you read it before, there are some differences this time! amc
Greetings!
Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to find books that boys like and will read? I hate to label books as ‘boy books’ or ‘girl books’, but face it, books about cupcakes and girls being unkind to other girls in school really don’t appeal to most boys. It seems that girls who are readers will read anything – books that appeal to both girls and boys. Boys will seldom pick up a book with girls as the main character. So, I went looking for authors and titles that appeal to many boys in my school. One real plus for purchasing these is that the girls will probably read them, too!
One suggestion was the author Ralph Moody (1898 – 1982). You or your parents may have read his books as young people. Little Britches, Man of the Family, and The Home Ranch are three of his books. Most of his books are set in the American West and the ones I mentioned above are autobiographical. If you like these, they continue with Mary Emma & Company, The Fields of Home, Shaking the Nickel Bush, The Dry Divide, and Horse of a Different Color. You may even already have some of these in your library, but they may look old and dry. I suggest you begin with Little Britches and just start reading that book aloud to your students. This is very likely to get them started and interested in reading more from Ralph Moody.
Another author that was suggested to me is John D. Fitzgerald (1906 – 1988). He wrote a series called The Great Brain which are also loosely based on his childhood. The main character – The Great Brain – is based on his mischievous older brother, Tom. There is a movie of the first book on YouTube with Jimmy Osmond playing the main character.
Roland Smith (1951 - ) is really one of my favorite authors. He writes exciting adventures and I haven’t noticed any problems with language in the ones that I have. Roland lives near Portland, Oregon. He has had some very interesting jobs over his lifetime which translate into his books. He was a zookeeper and also was one of those who worked to save wildlife after Exxon Valdez spill. His book Sea Otter Rescue is the story of his work helping to rescuing sea otters during that particular adventure. He writes both fiction and nonfiction. My favorites are Peak, Jack’s Run, Zach’s Lie, The Storm Runner series, and Legwork (only available in Kindle edition). There are two sequels or companion books to Peak called The Edge and Ascent. Smith has also written a few alphabet books that are beautifully illustrated. Don’t be put off by some of his titles that may appear to be inappropriate. I wondered about Sasquatch, read it, and found it to be a great story.
Will Hobbs is an author I happened upon in the public library. I picked up one of his books and read it, then returned to see what else he had written. Then I bought a bunch of them for our school library. He writes for upper elementary, middle school, and young adult readers. When students need to read an adventure story, I point them to his books. So far, he has written nineteen books for young people and two picture books for younger ones. His goal is to “take young people into the outdoors and engage their sense of wonder” so he sets his stories in wild places he knows from firsthand experience. He has won multiple awards for some of his books and some have been translated into other languages. I suggest Crossing the Wire, Far North, Jason’s Gold, Take Me to the River, River Thunder, and Leaving Protection but there are many more to choose from.
If your boys and girls like to read about war, what about a true story about a Seventh-day Adventist man? The Seventh Escape by Jan Doward will fit that requirement. This is the story of Walter Loge’s escape from a prison camp hoping to reunite with his wife and children and might be a great read aloud when studying World War 2 (or any other time). The Adventist Book Center sells this book and if you go online, to their site, you can read the first chapter.
Another World War 2 true story is the story of John Weidner, a Seventh-day Adventist who helped save the lives of Jews and other who were fleeing the Nazis. Check out Flee the Captor by Herbert Ford.
Don’t forget The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. Desmond Doss’ life is truly exciting and amazing. Older titles about Doss are The Unlikeliest Hero and Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector. I believe all of these are available at the ABC.
If you haven’t read any books by Farley Mowat, you really must find one and get started. I recommend beginning with Owls in the Family. This is the story of Farley’s boyhood and the animals he collected in his Canadian prairie hometown. Be prepared to laugh and even cry as you read it. It is a wonderful read aloud, but I have a difficult time not bawling at the end when I read it aloud. No spoilers here. The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be has a few of the same incidents in it, but focuses more on his dog than the owls. Lost in the Barrens is a wonderful survival story about a Canadian teen and an Inuit teen who decide to go on a quick adventure rather than staying in the spot where they were told.
Keep in mind the classic ‘captured by Indians’ stories. You really must have a copy of Swift Arrow by Josephine Cunnington Edwards and Spotted Boy and the Comanches by Mabel Earp Cason. Countless SDA teachers have read these stories to their students and loved them. Students then check these books out and read them again. (and again!) I used to wonder what I would do if I were captured by Indians, but was pretty sure the chances were slim in Orlando, Florida.
I have a set of books that I can barely keep on the shelves. Students check them out again and again and just love them. I originally bought them for the middle grades, but they have also descended into the 3rd grade and even some 2nd graders love to read them. They are books from the I Survived . . . series by Lauren Tarshis. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii AD 79, I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912, I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens 1980, and more. There is usually a new title out each year. This year the title just published is I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies 1967. Ms. Tarshis researches famous disasters and writes an exciting story of survival from the point of view of a young person who was there. I actually haven’t read one since they are usually all checked out.
Another kind of book that I just can’t keep on the shelves is the Choose Your Own Adventure book. This kind of book is one that you read and get to a point where you actually choose how the story will continue on. You may have read this kind of story years ago, but the children at my school almost fight over these. I often see some very sad faces when they learn that all those books are checked out.
I hope you can find some books here that will appeal to your boys (and girls) and get them started reading. If you have other suggestions, I would love to add them to my list.
Have a great week.
Audrey
Greetings!
Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to find books that boys like and will read? I hate to label books as ‘boy books’ or ‘girl books’, but face it, books about cupcakes and girls being unkind to other girls in school really don’t appeal to most boys. It seems that girls who are readers will read anything – books that appeal to both girls and boys. Boys will seldom pick up a book with girls as the main character. So, I went looking for authors and titles that appeal to many boys in my school. One real plus for purchasing these is that the girls will probably read them, too!
One suggestion was the author Ralph Moody (1898 – 1982). You or your parents may have read his books as young people. Little Britches, Man of the Family, and The Home Ranch are three of his books. Most of his books are set in the American West and the ones I mentioned above are autobiographical. If you like these, they continue with Mary Emma & Company, The Fields of Home, Shaking the Nickel Bush, The Dry Divide, and Horse of a Different Color. You may even already have some of these in your library, but they may look old and dry. I suggest you begin with Little Britches and just start reading that book aloud to your students. This is very likely to get them started and interested in reading more from Ralph Moody.
Another author that was suggested to me is John D. Fitzgerald (1906 – 1988). He wrote a series called The Great Brain which are also loosely based on his childhood. The main character – The Great Brain – is based on his mischievous older brother, Tom. There is a movie of the first book on YouTube with Jimmy Osmond playing the main character.
Roland Smith (1951 - ) is really one of my favorite authors. He writes exciting adventures and I haven’t noticed any problems with language in the ones that I have. Roland lives near Portland, Oregon. He has had some very interesting jobs over his lifetime which translate into his books. He was a zookeeper and also was one of those who worked to save wildlife after Exxon Valdez spill. His book Sea Otter Rescue is the story of his work helping to rescuing sea otters during that particular adventure. He writes both fiction and nonfiction. My favorites are Peak, Jack’s Run, Zach’s Lie, The Storm Runner series, and Legwork (only available in Kindle edition). There are two sequels or companion books to Peak called The Edge and Ascent. Smith has also written a few alphabet books that are beautifully illustrated. Don’t be put off by some of his titles that may appear to be inappropriate. I wondered about Sasquatch, read it, and found it to be a great story.
Will Hobbs is an author I happened upon in the public library. I picked up one of his books and read it, then returned to see what else he had written. Then I bought a bunch of them for our school library. He writes for upper elementary, middle school, and young adult readers. When students need to read an adventure story, I point them to his books. So far, he has written nineteen books for young people and two picture books for younger ones. His goal is to “take young people into the outdoors and engage their sense of wonder” so he sets his stories in wild places he knows from firsthand experience. He has won multiple awards for some of his books and some have been translated into other languages. I suggest Crossing the Wire, Far North, Jason’s Gold, Take Me to the River, River Thunder, and Leaving Protection but there are many more to choose from.
If your boys and girls like to read about war, what about a true story about a Seventh-day Adventist man? The Seventh Escape by Jan Doward will fit that requirement. This is the story of Walter Loge’s escape from a prison camp hoping to reunite with his wife and children and might be a great read aloud when studying World War 2 (or any other time). The Adventist Book Center sells this book and if you go online, to their site, you can read the first chapter.
Another World War 2 true story is the story of John Weidner, a Seventh-day Adventist who helped save the lives of Jews and other who were fleeing the Nazis. Check out Flee the Captor by Herbert Ford.
Don’t forget The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. Desmond Doss’ life is truly exciting and amazing. Older titles about Doss are The Unlikeliest Hero and Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector. I believe all of these are available at the ABC.
If you haven’t read any books by Farley Mowat, you really must find one and get started. I recommend beginning with Owls in the Family. This is the story of Farley’s boyhood and the animals he collected in his Canadian prairie hometown. Be prepared to laugh and even cry as you read it. It is a wonderful read aloud, but I have a difficult time not bawling at the end when I read it aloud. No spoilers here. The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be has a few of the same incidents in it, but focuses more on his dog than the owls. Lost in the Barrens is a wonderful survival story about a Canadian teen and an Inuit teen who decide to go on a quick adventure rather than staying in the spot where they were told.
Keep in mind the classic ‘captured by Indians’ stories. You really must have a copy of Swift Arrow by Josephine Cunnington Edwards and Spotted Boy and the Comanches by Mabel Earp Cason. Countless SDA teachers have read these stories to their students and loved them. Students then check these books out and read them again. (and again!) I used to wonder what I would do if I were captured by Indians, but was pretty sure the chances were slim in Orlando, Florida.
I have a set of books that I can barely keep on the shelves. Students check them out again and again and just love them. I originally bought them for the middle grades, but they have also descended into the 3rd grade and even some 2nd graders love to read them. They are books from the I Survived . . . series by Lauren Tarshis. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii AD 79, I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912, I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens 1980, and more. There is usually a new title out each year. This year the title just published is I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies 1967. Ms. Tarshis researches famous disasters and writes an exciting story of survival from the point of view of a young person who was there. I actually haven’t read one since they are usually all checked out.
Another kind of book that I just can’t keep on the shelves is the Choose Your Own Adventure book. This kind of book is one that you read and get to a point where you actually choose how the story will continue on. You may have read this kind of story years ago, but the children at my school almost fight over these. I often see some very sad faces when they learn that all those books are checked out.
I hope you can find some books here that will appeal to your boys (and girls) and get them started reading. If you have other suggestions, I would love to add them to my list.
Have a great week.
Audrey
Monday, October 8, 2018
Library Club
Hello,
It’s been a while since I sent a post about using student helpers in your library. Most of us are very busy and many of you have small schools or very little help in the library so I knew that we could all benefit from student helpers. It may be that you are already benefitting from student help in your classrooms.
Due to a change in schedules about twelve years ago here at Rogers, I knew that I would be losing some of my help in the library. I did a little research and found that many schools have a Library Club of some kind. I saw elementary students through high school students helping in their school libraries and decided to try it. Here we are in our 13th year with Library Club.
This is a service club. In looking at my schedule, I realized that the best time for me to have students come in to help would be from 11:30 – 11:50. This happens to be lunch recess for our 5th and 6th graders, so that is the group that I started working with. I would like to use 7th and 8th graders, but the timing just doesn’t work at our school.
At first I advertised by mentioning it in library class periods, but I don’t do that any longer. I don’t need to. Students who want to be in Library Club come and ask me about it at the beginning of the school year. Students who were in the club last year come and ask when Library Club starts. They are my commercials for this. I used to have an application form for the students to fill out including a parent signature and a teacher signature, but this year I decided to see what would happen if we just started and didn’t worry about all that. The main thing is that the teacher knows where the students are when they come here to work. Students do need to keep up with their schoolwork in order to stay in Library Club.
I have found that my limit of Library Club members is right around the dozen mark. I really can’t manage more than that easily. If that many are all in the library at the same time, it tends to gravitate toward chaos rather than help.
I ask students to come at least twice a week during their lunch recess, but some of them come every day. The students receive training in shelving books and we can keep up with all the books that are returned each week. They come all week when we are having a book fair and they help with that. They also learn to straighten the shelves, ‘read’ the shelves, and keep the magazines, DVDs, and all other materials in order.
Library Club members receive some little perks such as coming to have lunch in the library once each week, free books at book fair time and Christmas, occasional treats, and a special party at the end of the school year.
This system might work for you, too. Think about it and see if you can train a few students to help you with your work.
Have a great week!
Audrey
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
New Books
Greetings!
I have a few new books to share this week. I know, I know, but I just can’t help it. I see these great books and just have to tell someone about them.
The first two are part of a set called Toy Trailblazers. They are from the Checkerboard Library published by Abdo Publishing. I chose just these two from the set of six books.
American Girl Entrepreneur by Paige V. Polinsky is about the maker of the American Girl dolls, Pleasant Rowland. The story of how Ms. Rowland came up with the idea to create dolls from a historical perspective. She met with a lot of opposition to her idea. People said that the historical themes would be too boring. We know that they were wrong and the dolls were and are a huge hit.
Yo-Yo Maker by Paige V. Polinsky is about the maker of the yo-yo, Pedro Flores. Flores didn’t actually invent the yo-yo; it was a popular toy in his home country, the Philippines. But he is the one who brought the yo-yo craze to the United States.
Each of these books tells a little about the history of the toy and something about the creator of the toy. The other books in the set of toy makers include Mr. Potato Head, Pokemon, Rubik’s Cube, and Monopoly.
Another set of books is about fashion. I bought just two of them, too. Levi Strauss, Blue Jean Genius by Elsie Olson is about Levi Strauss and how he created the blue jeans that became a craze and are worn all over the world today.
Mary Quant, Miniskirt Maker by Rebecca Felix is about Quant who gave customers in London shorter skirts when they asked for them. She herself wore the miniskirts while helping her customers. She gave the shortened skirts the name ‘mini’ after the Mini Cooper, her favorite car.
Both of these books are part of the 1st in Fashion set. Other books in the series include Eddie Bauer Down Jacket Developer, Louis Reard Bikini Designer, Chuck Taylor Sneaker Sensation, and Sam Foster Sunglasses Success. This set is also from the Checkerboard Library published by Abdo Publishing.
When I saw the next set of books, I knew that I had to have the one about ketchup and the one about jelly. Henry John Heinz: Ketchup Developer by Heather C. Hudak is a short biography about Heinz and his persistence in creating his company. He had lots of troubles and lost a lot of money, but was able to persist and make a success of his company. I read this book to the first and second graders and we really enjoyed learning about Mr. Heinz.
Smuckers has had commercials on television using their grandchildren or great grandchildren. I was pleased to realize that real people, a real family, started this business. In The Smucker Family: Jelly Pioneers by Heather C. Hudak we learn about the family and how they began the jam and jelly business.
Other books in the set titled “Food Dudes” include S. Truett Cathy: Chick-fil-A Founder, Oscar F. Mayer: Hot Dog Manufacturer, Henri Nestle: Food Company Creator and Sam J Porcello: Oreo Innovator.
Again, these books are from the Checkerboard Library and published by Abdo Publishing.
Well, that will do it for this week. If you have any questions or need titles for a specific section of your library, I might be able to suggest some titles for you. Enjoy the weekend.
Audrey
I have a few new books to share this week. I know, I know, but I just can’t help it. I see these great books and just have to tell someone about them.
The first two are part of a set called Toy Trailblazers. They are from the Checkerboard Library published by Abdo Publishing. I chose just these two from the set of six books.
American Girl Entrepreneur by Paige V. Polinsky is about the maker of the American Girl dolls, Pleasant Rowland. The story of how Ms. Rowland came up with the idea to create dolls from a historical perspective. She met with a lot of opposition to her idea. People said that the historical themes would be too boring. We know that they were wrong and the dolls were and are a huge hit.
Yo-Yo Maker by Paige V. Polinsky is about the maker of the yo-yo, Pedro Flores. Flores didn’t actually invent the yo-yo; it was a popular toy in his home country, the Philippines. But he is the one who brought the yo-yo craze to the United States.
Each of these books tells a little about the history of the toy and something about the creator of the toy. The other books in the set of toy makers include Mr. Potato Head, Pokemon, Rubik’s Cube, and Monopoly.
Another set of books is about fashion. I bought just two of them, too. Levi Strauss, Blue Jean Genius by Elsie Olson is about Levi Strauss and how he created the blue jeans that became a craze and are worn all over the world today.
Mary Quant, Miniskirt Maker by Rebecca Felix is about Quant who gave customers in London shorter skirts when they asked for them. She herself wore the miniskirts while helping her customers. She gave the shortened skirts the name ‘mini’ after the Mini Cooper, her favorite car.
Both of these books are part of the 1st in Fashion set. Other books in the series include Eddie Bauer Down Jacket Developer, Louis Reard Bikini Designer, Chuck Taylor Sneaker Sensation, and Sam Foster Sunglasses Success. This set is also from the Checkerboard Library published by Abdo Publishing.
When I saw the next set of books, I knew that I had to have the one about ketchup and the one about jelly. Henry John Heinz: Ketchup Developer by Heather C. Hudak is a short biography about Heinz and his persistence in creating his company. He had lots of troubles and lost a lot of money, but was able to persist and make a success of his company. I read this book to the first and second graders and we really enjoyed learning about Mr. Heinz.
Smuckers has had commercials on television using their grandchildren or great grandchildren. I was pleased to realize that real people, a real family, started this business. In The Smucker Family: Jelly Pioneers by Heather C. Hudak we learn about the family and how they began the jam and jelly business.
Other books in the set titled “Food Dudes” include S. Truett Cathy: Chick-fil-A Founder, Oscar F. Mayer: Hot Dog Manufacturer, Henri Nestle: Food Company Creator and Sam J Porcello: Oreo Innovator.
Again, these books are from the Checkerboard Library and published by Abdo Publishing.
Well, that will do it for this week. If you have any questions or need titles for a specific section of your library, I might be able to suggest some titles for you. Enjoy the weekend.
Audrey
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
New Books
Greetings!
I have four new books for you this week.
Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares. The first one is a Christmas book. Look for it now, because the holidays come much too fast! Red and Lulu are cardinals that live in a large tree. The family who lived in the house near their tree would decorate it with lights and gather around and sing “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging. . .” Red and Lulu loved this and sometimes sang along. One day Red flies off to find something to eat and when he returns, his tree had moved! It was tied to a big truck and then the truck drove away. Red flies along trying his best to keep up with the tree that still has Lulu in it. But before long he loses sight of the tree. In a big city, he tries to find his tree, and after a few days, he hears singing. “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging. . .”
He quickly flies toward the music and there is his tree with Lulu still there. The two birds have a happy reunion. Soon workers come and take their tree away, but Red and Lulu stay behind this time in the park surrounded by trees and friends.
There are a number of wordless pages in this book. Students of all ages will enjoy the story.
I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoet. I really like wordless picture books and I found this next one to be just perfect for our school and really any school. Vanessa is the new girl in school and is being bullied by one of the children. A little girl sees this and decided the next day that she can walk with Vanessa and be her friend. Along they way to school, other children join them and when they arrive, there is a large crowd of children walking with Vanessa. The boy who was bullying her the day before, is red-faced to see that everyone else is standing up for Vanessa instead of bullying. What a great lesson to be an upstander!
What’s Your Favorite Color? By Eric Carle and Friends. Many of you may know Eric Carle as a talented artist. If you don’t know him by name, think of The Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, and more. In this book Eric gathered together fifteen children’s book artists and each tells what his or her favorite color is giving an explanation and then illustrates the color beautifully. Some stories are just a few sentences and others have a paragraph or two. I LOVE color and I LOVE children’s books and this has both! What a treat!
Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush’s Incredible Journey by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes. I am in process of collecting the Washington Children’s Choice books for the 2019. This book came just this week and the illustrations were so lush I sat down to read it immediately. A family in Iraq is escaping a dangerous situation and leave. Sura, the mother, decided that they could not leave without their beloved cat, so she hides him in a small carrier basket hoping that he would stay quiet. The different problems that fall to them as they meet smuggler after smuggler helping them. After crossing the sea in a very small boat, Kunkush is left on the sand while the older son helps the rest of the family. Kunkush is frightened and escapes his carrier and runs off. The family is heartbroken, but after hours of searching, finally must continue on to safety. Thanks to a number of kind people, and the magic of technology and Facebook, Kunkush is reunited with his family. There is an author’s note that gives more information plus a map to show Kinkush’s journey and the last few pages have photos of little Kunkush and his family. I have already decided my favorite of the Washington Children’s Choice books. THIS one.
I love that the story is true. The refugee crisis is very real and this book tells just one small story of one family trying to find a better place to live.
Have a great weekend.
Audrey
I have four new books for you this week.
Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares. The first one is a Christmas book. Look for it now, because the holidays come much too fast! Red and Lulu are cardinals that live in a large tree. The family who lived in the house near their tree would decorate it with lights and gather around and sing “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging. . .” Red and Lulu loved this and sometimes sang along. One day Red flies off to find something to eat and when he returns, his tree had moved! It was tied to a big truck and then the truck drove away. Red flies along trying his best to keep up with the tree that still has Lulu in it. But before long he loses sight of the tree. In a big city, he tries to find his tree, and after a few days, he hears singing. “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging. . .”
He quickly flies toward the music and there is his tree with Lulu still there. The two birds have a happy reunion. Soon workers come and take their tree away, but Red and Lulu stay behind this time in the park surrounded by trees and friends.
There are a number of wordless pages in this book. Students of all ages will enjoy the story.
What’s Your Favorite Color? By Eric Carle and Friends. Many of you may know Eric Carle as a talented artist. If you don’t know him by name, think of The Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, and more. In this book Eric gathered together fifteen children’s book artists and each tells what his or her favorite color is giving an explanation and then illustrates the color beautifully. Some stories are just a few sentences and others have a paragraph or two. I LOVE color and I LOVE children’s books and this has both! What a treat!
I love that the story is true. The refugee crisis is very real and this book tells just one small story of one family trying to find a better place to live.
Have a great weekend.
Audrey
Monday, September 10, 2018
MakerSpace, part 2
Hello,
This week I am going back to the MakerSpace information. I had asked you to send me what you are doing in your school for this. Many of you (and me) are not doing anything in the library, but I did find an article that talks about this throughout the curriculum. If you are interested in reading it, here is the URL. https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/09/04/integrating-makerspaces-throughout-the-curriculum.aspx?s=the_in_070918
I did get one response and I thought that her experience would be beneficial to us all. Here is what she is doing in her library at her school.
She has a ‘station day’ about once a month where the students choose a creative or STEM activity to do either on their own or in small groups. Station ideas include Legos, build a marble run, snap circuits, laser maze game, brain teasers, puzzles, string art, origami, geometry blocks, Knex, and more. Many of the games she has are either from garage sales or from her personal stash.
This year she will be adding Madedos (cardboard construction) and is looking for some coding-based games or activities that aren’t too expensive. The school is adding tablets and Kindles this year. Some of the activities she wants to implement are coding, green screen production, and stop-motion animation.
She is starting STEM maker boxes this year and plans to use them in this manner. When students come in to the room, they will sit in small groups. Each group will have a box. In the box will be some items such as cotton balls, straws, string, tape, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, etc. There will be a suggested activity such as “Use the materials to design and build a marble maze”, or “Design and build a parachute” to complete with the materials in the box. Since this idea is new this year she is planning to experiment and find which grade levels this will work best for.
The article above suggests using MakerSpace ideas in the classroom curriculum such as science, history, and more. That actually seems like a great place to do this and probably many of you are already doing this. I know that our junior high science teachers has students build a marble maze and completes other activities that correspond with the curriculum. We also often have classes team together to work on something like Ozobots together.
Have fun with this kind of activity this year.
Audrey
This week I am going back to the MakerSpace information. I had asked you to send me what you are doing in your school for this. Many of you (and me) are not doing anything in the library, but I did find an article that talks about this throughout the curriculum. If you are interested in reading it, here is the URL. https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/09/04/integrating-makerspaces-throughout-the-curriculum.aspx?s=the_in_070918
I did get one response and I thought that her experience would be beneficial to us all. Here is what she is doing in her library at her school.
She has a ‘station day’ about once a month where the students choose a creative or STEM activity to do either on their own or in small groups. Station ideas include Legos, build a marble run, snap circuits, laser maze game, brain teasers, puzzles, string art, origami, geometry blocks, Knex, and more. Many of the games she has are either from garage sales or from her personal stash.
This year she will be adding Madedos (cardboard construction) and is looking for some coding-based games or activities that aren’t too expensive. The school is adding tablets and Kindles this year. Some of the activities she wants to implement are coding, green screen production, and stop-motion animation.
She is starting STEM maker boxes this year and plans to use them in this manner. When students come in to the room, they will sit in small groups. Each group will have a box. In the box will be some items such as cotton balls, straws, string, tape, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, etc. There will be a suggested activity such as “Use the materials to design and build a marble maze”, or “Design and build a parachute” to complete with the materials in the box. Since this idea is new this year she is planning to experiment and find which grade levels this will work best for.
The article above suggests using MakerSpace ideas in the classroom curriculum such as science, history, and more. That actually seems like a great place to do this and probably many of you are already doing this. I know that our junior high science teachers has students build a marble maze and completes other activities that correspond with the curriculum. We also often have classes team together to work on something like Ozobots together.
Have fun with this kind of activity this year.
Audrey
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Grandparents' Day books
Hello!
You probably have some kind of celebration for Grandparents’ Day at your school. At my school, grandparents come visit and each classroom has something special for them. In a couple of classrooms, the teachers check out a number of books about grandparents and the grandparents read to their grandchildren.
So, last year I was weeding out books and discarded a number of them that were almost in tatters. The comment came, “You can’t get rid of these! We don’t have enough grandparent books as it is!” I decided to get rid of them anyway and replace them with new grandparent books. Here are some of my selections.
Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield. A young girl sees her grandfather’s face as he looks at her as very loving. One day he is practicing lines for a stage play and twists his face into an angry, mean face. She sees this and is afraid that he might look at her with that mad, angry face. Grandfather talks with her and explains that he will always love her no matter what.
I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal. When Billy Crystal’s daughter was expecting, he wrote this poem/book to welcome the new grandchild. The artwork is soft and beautiful. I bought this in paperback, but I wish I had known how beautiful it was so I could have chosen hard cover. Be warned; you may tear up while reading this.
How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan. These books are just perfect for kids. The first couple of pages of the ‘grandpa’ one has these lines. “When your mom and dad leave, pat your grandpa’s hand and say, “Don’t worry. They always come back.” Then right away, ask him if he’s hungry. Snacks for a Grandpa: Ice cream topped with cookies, Olives served in fingertips, Anything dipped in ketchup, cookies topped with ice cream.” The end pages give tips on how to say goodbye to a grandpa: Surprise him with a picture, give him a hug and a kiss, a hug and an kiss, a hug and a kiss. Then ask, “When can I babysit you again?” You will enjoy these two titles.
Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements. The children visit their grandparents on a farm in this story. The first few pages say, “When you run into the pasture and step right into a big cowpie, and you yell GRANDMA! Your grandmother could say, I’m pretty sure I told you we have to watch where we walk around here! But she doesn’t. She gets the hose and sprays off your shoes. You put them on the fence to dry, and then go back inside for some clean socks . . . and your boots! That is the basic format. You (do something) and your grandparent could say . . . but he or she doesn’t. They (do something very helpful or kind) and the children are happy.
Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne. I am so glad I happened upon this book. It is the story of a little girl who is being raised by her grandparents, not her parents. There are many families who are in this particular situation and it is really nice to read a book that helps them know that they aren’t the only ones. If you only can get one of these books, I highly recommend this one.
I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen. This is similar to the Billy Crystal book above. A grandmother recounts the waiting for her grandchild to be born and when she finally gets to hold the baby, she says, “I am your grandma and I love you. I loved you before you were born.”
My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls. A young child tells what she and her Nana do. “My Nana and Me had a tea party and all my dolls came. We had tea and cake and ate and ate bread pudding and apple pie.” The illustrations are very sweet.
Bless Our Gramps and Gran by Mike Berenstain. If you like Berenstain Bears books, and they are very popular here, you will like this one about Gramps and Gran. This is the only book that actually talks about the official Grandparents’ Day in September. The cups decide to celebrate Grandparents’ Day with their Gramps and Gran. The family discusses the special day and reminisce about activities and special things they enjoy doing with their grandparents. The toy Noah’s Ark set that Gramps made for the cups brings a Biblical reference in the book. They talk about Noah and his family and the fact that Noah became a grandparent. The family researches in the Bible how many children and grandchildren Noah had. The cubs make a family tree of Noah’s family for their grandparents.
Have a great weekend!
Audrey
Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)
You probably have some kind of celebration for Grandparents’ Day at your school. At my school, grandparents come visit and each classroom has something special for them. In a couple of classrooms, the teachers check out a number of books about grandparents and the grandparents read to their grandchildren.
So, last year I was weeding out books and discarded a number of them that were almost in tatters. The comment came, “You can’t get rid of these! We don’t have enough grandparent books as it is!” I decided to get rid of them anyway and replace them with new grandparent books. Here are some of my selections.
Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield. A young girl sees her grandfather’s face as he looks at her as very loving. One day he is practicing lines for a stage play and twists his face into an angry, mean face. She sees this and is afraid that he might look at her with that mad, angry face. Grandfather talks with her and explains that he will always love her no matter what.
I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal. When Billy Crystal’s daughter was expecting, he wrote this poem/book to welcome the new grandchild. The artwork is soft and beautiful. I bought this in paperback, but I wish I had known how beautiful it was so I could have chosen hard cover. Be warned; you may tear up while reading this.
How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan. These books are just perfect for kids. The first couple of pages of the ‘grandpa’ one has these lines. “When your mom and dad leave, pat your grandpa’s hand and say, “Don’t worry. They always come back.” Then right away, ask him if he’s hungry. Snacks for a Grandpa: Ice cream topped with cookies, Olives served in fingertips, Anything dipped in ketchup, cookies topped with ice cream.” The end pages give tips on how to say goodbye to a grandpa: Surprise him with a picture, give him a hug and a kiss, a hug and an kiss, a hug and a kiss. Then ask, “When can I babysit you again?” You will enjoy these two titles.
Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements. The children visit their grandparents on a farm in this story. The first few pages say, “When you run into the pasture and step right into a big cowpie, and you yell GRANDMA! Your grandmother could say, I’m pretty sure I told you we have to watch where we walk around here! But she doesn’t. She gets the hose and sprays off your shoes. You put them on the fence to dry, and then go back inside for some clean socks . . . and your boots! That is the basic format. You (do something) and your grandparent could say . . . but he or she doesn’t. They (do something very helpful or kind) and the children are happy.
Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne. I am so glad I happened upon this book. It is the story of a little girl who is being raised by her grandparents, not her parents. There are many families who are in this particular situation and it is really nice to read a book that helps them know that they aren’t the only ones. If you only can get one of these books, I highly recommend this one.
I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen. This is similar to the Billy Crystal book above. A grandmother recounts the waiting for her grandchild to be born and when she finally gets to hold the baby, she says, “I am your grandma and I love you. I loved you before you were born.”
My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls. A young child tells what she and her Nana do. “My Nana and Me had a tea party and all my dolls came. We had tea and cake and ate and ate bread pudding and apple pie.” The illustrations are very sweet.
Bless Our Gramps and Gran by Mike Berenstain. If you like Berenstain Bears books, and they are very popular here, you will like this one about Gramps and Gran. This is the only book that actually talks about the official Grandparents’ Day in September. The cups decide to celebrate Grandparents’ Day with their Gramps and Gran. The family discusses the special day and reminisce about activities and special things they enjoy doing with their grandparents. The toy Noah’s Ark set that Gramps made for the cups brings a Biblical reference in the book. They talk about Noah and his family and the fact that Noah became a grandparent. The family researches in the Bible how many children and grandchildren Noah had. The cubs make a family tree of Noah’s family for their grandparents.
Have a great weekend!
Audrey
Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)
Thursday, August 23, 2018
MakerSpaces: Yes or No?
Hello, Everyone! Welcome back!
To start of the new school year, I want to talk about something that I don’t know much about. MakerSpaces. I have seen articles, and ideas galore in library magazines and catalogs, but I don’t have any experience with this at all. However, I got a question about this from one of you, and it is quite a hot topic, so I thought we would discuss this. I will be the moderator.
First, a definition of MakerSpace. It is a “movement that allows students to be creative, innovative, independent, and technologically literate.” http://www.makerspaceforeducation.com/why-makerspace.html In real life, it is a place, or a space where students can go to do something creative, use their inventive juices, or just explore something. I have seen ideas that include Legos, computer games, coding, robotics, coloring station, puzzles, board games, junk creations, and much, much more.
Second, I am not doing any of this currently. I don’t have space or anyone to supervise this kind of activity. I love the idea, but the logistics of putting it into practice is just not an option for me in my library. At least, I don’t think so. However, I am willing to be convinced otherwise.
Do YOU have a MakerSpace or some kind of similar venture at your school? How does it operate? What activities do you have? What are the pros and cons you have experienced? Please send in your comments and answers to these questions. I will collect them and send them out to all of us to be inspired by you and what you do in your schools and classrooms.
The website I cited above has a lot of information for anyone. You can check it out and find out a lot more.
I hope you have a great weekend. Rest, relax, and rejuvenate!
Audrey
Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.)
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)
To start of the new school year, I want to talk about something that I don’t know much about. MakerSpaces. I have seen articles, and ideas galore in library magazines and catalogs, but I don’t have any experience with this at all. However, I got a question about this from one of you, and it is quite a hot topic, so I thought we would discuss this. I will be the moderator.
First, a definition of MakerSpace. It is a “movement that allows students to be creative, innovative, independent, and technologically literate.” http://www.makerspaceforeducation.com/why-makerspace.html In real life, it is a place, or a space where students can go to do something creative, use their inventive juices, or just explore something. I have seen ideas that include Legos, computer games, coding, robotics, coloring station, puzzles, board games, junk creations, and much, much more.
Second, I am not doing any of this currently. I don’t have space or anyone to supervise this kind of activity. I love the idea, but the logistics of putting it into practice is just not an option for me in my library. At least, I don’t think so. However, I am willing to be convinced otherwise.
Do YOU have a MakerSpace or some kind of similar venture at your school? How does it operate? What activities do you have? What are the pros and cons you have experienced? Please send in your comments and answers to these questions. I will collect them and send them out to all of us to be inspired by you and what you do in your schools and classrooms.
The website I cited above has a lot of information for anyone. You can check it out and find out a lot more.
I hope you have a great weekend. Rest, relax, and rejuvenate!
Audrey
Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.)
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)
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