Hello,
This week I thought I would share my list of books I use for American History. Most of these books will work for all ages, but I suggest you take a look at each book before using it in your classes.
Also, you will likely notice that I have more than enough for the school year if I read one a week. This way I get to choose which ones will work and which ones I like best to read.
My table has a column for the spine label where the book is located in my library. This way I can find it quickly. All I have for the book is the title. I am planning to add the author later on. I started this as a table before I had really worked with Excel. I still am learning to manipulate Excel, but this would also be great in Excel format rather than a Word table. If and when I put it in Excel, I would add another layer to show if the book has resources that I can use such as Reading Rainbow, or photos to supplement, maybe a YouTube clip, etc.
I also have included local history. I think it is interesting to know what was happening here during the same time period. For example, when families traveled on the Oregon Trail in the 1840s, early Adventists experienced the Great Disappointment, The Sabbath message was accepted, and the Whitmans and others were killed here in our area at Whitman Mission. When the Gold Rush began, the Review and Herald paper began to be published, and soon after the first SDA church school was established. I really think this is very interesting.
This is an ever-changing project for me. I actually added a few more books this year and took a couple off. What you are getting is the current project, but I am very likely to change it to suit me as books come and go. There are a few books that I will never take off this list. Louise Borden has written some excellent books for historical events and I love them all. Sleds on the Boston Common, Henry and the Cannons, The Little Ships, and Across the Blue Pacific are all her books. I love The Cats in Krasinski Square even though it is from Europe during the war and not American History. Knit Your Bit shows how everyone participated in helping to knit even girls and boys. Yes, boys. The Memory Coat helps to see immigration through Ellis Island from another point of view. America is Under Attack is a little bit long, but tells the story of the Twin Towers and the people who helped others escape. Seven and a Half Tons of Steel is the story of how they used the center beam of the World Trade Center to create the hull of a ship. Amazing!
I am always on the lookout for new titles or new information to add to this to make my lessons even better, so if you have any information that you would like to share with me, I would be happy to know about it.
Have a great week,
Audrey
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Monday, February 4, 2019
In Library Class with Audrey
Hello,
I have had a few people ask about my library classes wondering what happens here at Rogers Adventist School. I thought I would just let you know what a regular library time is like for me.
If you came here to visit me on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, I would most likely be teaching computer classes. I teach all the K – 6 students. Our Junior High teachers handle the 7th and 8th graders. If you are interested in what I teach in our computer classes, I’ll be happy to share this with you, also.
Thursdays and Fridays are Library Days here. Each class has a specific time slot for library class. Students can come at other times during the week to check out, but on these days, we have a scheduled time for a class to come and we try to save that time just for that class. We don’t charge fines for overdue books, instead we don’t allow students to continue to check out until either the book is found and returned or we have heard from a parent. If we haven’t heard from a parent after a while we will call the parents to double check that they are aware of missing library books. I used to have students sit and wait while the others checked out books. They had a box that they could pull books from to read quietly. Only those who had returned all their books were allowed to browse and check out. This year I decided to try something different. I just remind students who are missing their books that they can’t check out, but they can browse quietly so they will know what they want when they bring their books back.
Our Kindergarteners have a unique situation. We have two Kindergarten classes, and one has a library time while the other has a computer time. The next day they switch classes so each will have had a library time and a computer time. On Thursdays I have a 30 minute story time with both Kindergarten classes together. I do author units with them. I pick out authors such as Tomie dePaola, Russell Hoban, Kevin Henkes, and more and I read books by that author with them.
With the 1st and 2nd graders I read to them from a picture book for about 10 – 15 minutes while my assistant checks their return books in and generates a list of those who are missing books. The second half of the library class is time to browse and check out. I use the books from the Washington Children’s Choice list that I feel is appropriate for our school and read one each week until they have all been read. Then we have a voting day and I send out votes to the WCC committee.
Our 3rd and 4th graders begin to learn the kinds of books that are found in each Dewey hundred. I also read from a series of books written by a librarian about using the library and the Dewey Decimal System. Phyllis J. Perry has written a nice series about a mouse named Fribble. I read these books to the students and they try to solve the mystery. Each book has ten chapters and takes about 12 – 15 minutes to read. They then browse to find books to check out. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, I stop the Fribble book and read holiday stories to all the classes. To the 3rd and 4th graders one year I read “The Story of Holly and Ivy” by Rumer Godden and the next year I read “A Certain Small Shepherd” by Rebecca Caudill. These are two of my very favorite Christmas stories. I have a nice display case where I try to recreate the toyshop window from Holly and Ivy. Older students walk by and remember the story from previous years.
The 5th and 6th graders study American History or countries in the world in alternate years. A few years ago I found picture books that supports this curriculum so this year I have books on American History. I read the books in chronological order. So far we are in the mid to late 1800s. Two years ago I decided to add a new component to this unit; I add in what happened in our SDA history around that time period plus local Walla Walla/College Place history. For example: The Statue of Liberty (1875), J.N. Andrews is the first missionary (1874), Pacific Press Publishing begins (1875), and the first Walla Walla SDA church is established (1874). When they study countries of the world, I read picture books about the countries as they are studying about them. I have a great book about the recycled orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay and read it to them when they are learning about South America. I also bring up a YouTube link so they can see the students and their instruments and hear them play. That is just one example of the two dozen or so throughout the school year.
Our 7th and 8th graders are so busy that I only get them every other week. It is hard to read a continued story to students who have two weeks between each segment so I decided to teach some online safety with them. I also do book talks with them.
I hope you enjoyed learning about what I do in library classes. I know this doesn’t work with all schools, but this is what works here for us at this time.
Have a great week! Keep warm.
Audrey
I have had a few people ask about my library classes wondering what happens here at Rogers Adventist School. I thought I would just let you know what a regular library time is like for me.
If you came here to visit me on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, I would most likely be teaching computer classes. I teach all the K – 6 students. Our Junior High teachers handle the 7th and 8th graders. If you are interested in what I teach in our computer classes, I’ll be happy to share this with you, also.
Thursdays and Fridays are Library Days here. Each class has a specific time slot for library class. Students can come at other times during the week to check out, but on these days, we have a scheduled time for a class to come and we try to save that time just for that class. We don’t charge fines for overdue books, instead we don’t allow students to continue to check out until either the book is found and returned or we have heard from a parent. If we haven’t heard from a parent after a while we will call the parents to double check that they are aware of missing library books. I used to have students sit and wait while the others checked out books. They had a box that they could pull books from to read quietly. Only those who had returned all their books were allowed to browse and check out. This year I decided to try something different. I just remind students who are missing their books that they can’t check out, but they can browse quietly so they will know what they want when they bring their books back.
Our Kindergarteners have a unique situation. We have two Kindergarten classes, and one has a library time while the other has a computer time. The next day they switch classes so each will have had a library time and a computer time. On Thursdays I have a 30 minute story time with both Kindergarten classes together. I do author units with them. I pick out authors such as Tomie dePaola, Russell Hoban, Kevin Henkes, and more and I read books by that author with them.
With the 1st and 2nd graders I read to them from a picture book for about 10 – 15 minutes while my assistant checks their return books in and generates a list of those who are missing books. The second half of the library class is time to browse and check out. I use the books from the Washington Children’s Choice list that I feel is appropriate for our school and read one each week until they have all been read. Then we have a voting day and I send out votes to the WCC committee.
Our 3rd and 4th graders begin to learn the kinds of books that are found in each Dewey hundred. I also read from a series of books written by a librarian about using the library and the Dewey Decimal System. Phyllis J. Perry has written a nice series about a mouse named Fribble. I read these books to the students and they try to solve the mystery. Each book has ten chapters and takes about 12 – 15 minutes to read. They then browse to find books to check out. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, I stop the Fribble book and read holiday stories to all the classes. To the 3rd and 4th graders one year I read “The Story of Holly and Ivy” by Rumer Godden and the next year I read “A Certain Small Shepherd” by Rebecca Caudill. These are two of my very favorite Christmas stories. I have a nice display case where I try to recreate the toyshop window from Holly and Ivy. Older students walk by and remember the story from previous years.
The 5th and 6th graders study American History or countries in the world in alternate years. A few years ago I found picture books that supports this curriculum so this year I have books on American History. I read the books in chronological order. So far we are in the mid to late 1800s. Two years ago I decided to add a new component to this unit; I add in what happened in our SDA history around that time period plus local Walla Walla/College Place history. For example: The Statue of Liberty (1875), J.N. Andrews is the first missionary (1874), Pacific Press Publishing begins (1875), and the first Walla Walla SDA church is established (1874). When they study countries of the world, I read picture books about the countries as they are studying about them. I have a great book about the recycled orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay and read it to them when they are learning about South America. I also bring up a YouTube link so they can see the students and their instruments and hear them play. That is just one example of the two dozen or so throughout the school year.
Our 7th and 8th graders are so busy that I only get them every other week. It is hard to read a continued story to students who have two weeks between each segment so I decided to teach some online safety with them. I also do book talks with them.
I hope you enjoyed learning about what I do in library classes. I know this doesn’t work with all schools, but this is what works here for us at this time.
Have a great week! Keep warm.
Audrey
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
New Books from BER, part 3
Hello,
I hope you all had a good vacation and are back ready to go again!
I am continuing the books recommended to us by Judy Freeman at the BER seminar I attended.
Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin. Cusolito, Michelle. Illus. by Nicole Wong. Charlesbridge, 2018. 32. P. Gr. 1 – 5.
Explorers who wish to see what it is like deep down in the ocean, can read this book to learn what it would be like to board the Alvin. Alvin is a deep-sea submersible vessel connected with Atlantis, a research vessel from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alvin is just big enough for three persons to board, dive, and gather samples for research. Students who love the ocean will enjoy learning about this vessel.
Hawk Rising. Gianferrari, Maria. Roaring Brook, 2018. Illus. by Brian Floca. 40 p. Gr. 1 – 5, RL: 2.1.
About a decade ago, I bought a picture book titled Arrowhawk by Lola M. Schaefer and it has become a favorite. I recommend it to nearly everyone. When I saw that this book is about a red-tailed hawk family, I decided to get it. I also really like books that tell more facts or information about the subject and this one does not disappoint. Students are also encouraged to watch for red-tailed hawks and given ideas of where to look for them. Whether or not you are a bird lover, this will be a great addition to your library.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Illus. by Laura Freeman. Harper, 2018. 40 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.5.
This picture book is the basic story from the book for adults by the same name. I’m glad that Ms. Shetterly created this picture book so children can know more about the true background of the space race. I grew up in that time and never knew about these brilliant women and what they did for our astronauts and the space program.
How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine. Guglielmo, Amy, and Jacqueline Tourville. Illus. by Giselle Potter. Simon & Schuster, 2018. 40 p. Gr. K – 6. RL: 4.6.
If you are familiar with Temple Grandin, you will know that she was on the autism spectrum and was a spokesperson for people who are autistic. She became famous for her contributions in humane treatment of cows, and different inventions. Temple did not enjoy being hugged but she did like getting between the couch cushions and having her sister walk on her, so she built what she called a ‘squeeze machine’. The pressure of this invention seemed to feel good to her. Children will learn and maybe understand better what it might have been like for Temple and others who have similar differences.
Imagine. Herrera, Juan Felipe. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Candlewick, 2018. 32 p. Gr. K-6. RL: 3.0.
The author of this book was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 – 2017 which is impressive to me. He wrote this book/poem for young people who may be searching for what they want to do in life. Each page begins “If I . . .” and ends with the word “Imagine”. Example: “If I let tadpoles swim across my hands in the wavy creek, imagine.” As you read the book, you begin to realize that he is telling his own story of his childhood in California with his migrant family and through school. His last few lines of this book/poem are, “If I stood up wearing a robe in front of my familia and many more on the high steps of the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., and read out loud and signed my poetry book like this – Poet Laureate of the United States of America – imagine what you could do.”
I LOVE this! What an encouragement to anyone. Imagine what you could do.
Nothing Stopped Sophie: A Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain. Bardoe, Cheryl. Illus. by Barbara McClintock. Little, Brown, 2018. 36 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.0.
Sophie Germain loved math. Not just loved it, but was completely obsessed with math. Her main problem was that she lived in the 18th century during the French Revolution and women didn’t have the same rights that we enjoy today. First, she had to battle her parents who tried to keep her from staying up all night working on math. They gave up when they found her asleep at her desk by a frozen bottle of ink and allowed her to study inside, in her father’s study. Then she had to battle the university professors who would have nothing to do with a women mathematician. One professor corresponded with her until he learned that she was a woman, then stopped writing.
Eventually, Sophie earned the respect of the mathematicians. She is best known for her work with prime numbers and her name is given to a particular type of prime number.
That does it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend.
Audrey
I hope you all had a good vacation and are back ready to go again!
I am continuing the books recommended to us by Judy Freeman at the BER seminar I attended.
Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin. Cusolito, Michelle. Illus. by Nicole Wong. Charlesbridge, 2018. 32. P. Gr. 1 – 5.
Explorers who wish to see what it is like deep down in the ocean, can read this book to learn what it would be like to board the Alvin. Alvin is a deep-sea submersible vessel connected with Atlantis, a research vessel from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alvin is just big enough for three persons to board, dive, and gather samples for research. Students who love the ocean will enjoy learning about this vessel.
Hawk Rising. Gianferrari, Maria. Roaring Brook, 2018. Illus. by Brian Floca. 40 p. Gr. 1 – 5, RL: 2.1.
About a decade ago, I bought a picture book titled Arrowhawk by Lola M. Schaefer and it has become a favorite. I recommend it to nearly everyone. When I saw that this book is about a red-tailed hawk family, I decided to get it. I also really like books that tell more facts or information about the subject and this one does not disappoint. Students are also encouraged to watch for red-tailed hawks and given ideas of where to look for them. Whether or not you are a bird lover, this will be a great addition to your library.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Illus. by Laura Freeman. Harper, 2018. 40 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.5.
This picture book is the basic story from the book for adults by the same name. I’m glad that Ms. Shetterly created this picture book so children can know more about the true background of the space race. I grew up in that time and never knew about these brilliant women and what they did for our astronauts and the space program.
How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine. Guglielmo, Amy, and Jacqueline Tourville. Illus. by Giselle Potter. Simon & Schuster, 2018. 40 p. Gr. K – 6. RL: 4.6.
If you are familiar with Temple Grandin, you will know that she was on the autism spectrum and was a spokesperson for people who are autistic. She became famous for her contributions in humane treatment of cows, and different inventions. Temple did not enjoy being hugged but she did like getting between the couch cushions and having her sister walk on her, so she built what she called a ‘squeeze machine’. The pressure of this invention seemed to feel good to her. Children will learn and maybe understand better what it might have been like for Temple and others who have similar differences.
Imagine. Herrera, Juan Felipe. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Candlewick, 2018. 32 p. Gr. K-6. RL: 3.0.
The author of this book was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 – 2017 which is impressive to me. He wrote this book/poem for young people who may be searching for what they want to do in life. Each page begins “If I . . .” and ends with the word “Imagine”. Example: “If I let tadpoles swim across my hands in the wavy creek, imagine.” As you read the book, you begin to realize that he is telling his own story of his childhood in California with his migrant family and through school. His last few lines of this book/poem are, “If I stood up wearing a robe in front of my familia and many more on the high steps of the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., and read out loud and signed my poetry book like this – Poet Laureate of the United States of America – imagine what you could do.”
I LOVE this! What an encouragement to anyone. Imagine what you could do.
Nothing Stopped Sophie: A Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain. Bardoe, Cheryl. Illus. by Barbara McClintock. Little, Brown, 2018. 36 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.0.
Sophie Germain loved math. Not just loved it, but was completely obsessed with math. Her main problem was that she lived in the 18th century during the French Revolution and women didn’t have the same rights that we enjoy today. First, she had to battle her parents who tried to keep her from staying up all night working on math. They gave up when they found her asleep at her desk by a frozen bottle of ink and allowed her to study inside, in her father’s study. Then she had to battle the university professors who would have nothing to do with a women mathematician. One professor corresponded with her until he learned that she was a woman, then stopped writing.
Eventually, Sophie earned the respect of the mathematicians. She is best known for her work with prime numbers and her name is given to a particular type of prime number.
That does it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend.
Audrey
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
New Books from BER seminar, part 1
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
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
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
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