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Before I talk about the new TRILINGUAL picture book, My Sister is My Best Friend by Nicole Weaver (Guardian Angel Publishing), I would like to announce the winner of Melissa Goodwin’s book, The Christmas Village. The winner is Beth F.! Thank you, Beth, for your comment, and happy holidays to everyone who left a comment and shared a tradition.

Now on to. . .My Sister is My Best Friend:

*Picture book, contemporary fiction for preschool through 1st graders
*Two twin girls as main characters
*Rating: A sweet book, especially for anyone (young or old!) with sisters. Plus, children can start to learn some Spanish and French while reading the book. It celebrates FAMILY!

Short, short summary:

Nicole Weaver’s book begins with these lines: “I am lucky my sister is my best friend. We do everything together.” And then the Spanish and French are listed neatly underneath the English AND accompanied by super-cute illustrations by Clara Batton Smith. The book goes on (it’s more like a concept book about family/sisters than a story with a problem/solution) to tell the interesting things the sisters like to do together such as playing with their dog, riding the see-saw at the park, and chasing butterflies. Again, each page contains a cute illustration and the text in English, French, and Spanish. A great book for a classroom or for a home library!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. There’s an automatic lesson built into this book, which is always great for any parent, teacher, or librarian. Children can see how English translates into French and Spanish. They can try to pick out the important words like sister and friend. If you know someone who can speak Spanish/French, invite them in to read the book with a proper accent!

2. Your students/child can make a similar book about their sister, brother, mom, dad, cousin, and so on. For example, one child could create: My Mother is My Best Friend; another could write My Cousin is My Best Friend. After children write a few pages (or just illustrate if they are preschoolers), they can share their pages/books with classmates.

3. Nicole Weaver has included some wonderful details and word choice in her picture book. For example, take this page (in English): “Sometimes just for fun, we shriek and run as fast as we can …pretending to be orangutans.” The six plus one traits of writing, Word Choice, celebrates words such as “shriek” or the choice of pretending to be orangutans, instead of just monkeys. Both of these words present clear images in the readers’ mind. What other examples of good word choice can readers find in the book?

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*Picture book, preschool through 2nd grade
* A silly goose as the main character
*Rating: Silly Tilly is my kind of picture book. It is filled with all sorts of fun and rhymes and vibrant illustrations.

Short, short summary:

Silly Tilly is a very silly goose. For example, she takes a bath in apple juice. She took a nap in scarecrow’s pants and packed Piglet off to France. And the other barnyard animals are just plain tired of her silliness. She stops her antics, and then Hetta Hen realizes she hasn’t laughed since Silly Tilly did something silly. So, the animals apologize, and we get to see our lovable goose right back at her silliness.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. You cannot ignore the rhyme in Silly Tilly. Before reading, ask students to raise their hands if they hear any rhyming words. Ask them to remember at least a pair and tell it to you to write on chart paper when the story is over. Students/children can brainstorm more words that rhyme with the ones in the book. For an “advanced” discussion, what is Eileen Spinelli’s rhyme scheme?

2. When Silly Tilly changes whom she is for her friends, everyone suffers. No one is happy. This is a pretty deep concept for kids to understand, but oh so important. Use the characters in this silly book to get kids to see how important it is for each of them to 1. be themselves and embrace their uniqueness and 2. not expect other people, especially their friends, to change to please them.

3. Kids will have SO MUCH FUN making up their own silly things that Silly Tilly can do on the farm. You can either help them with the rhyming words or just do it with creativity–not worrying about the rhyme. Students can write down one of the silly things and illustrate it. Put these together in a class book–a Silly Tilly sequel.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Baby wombat as the main character
*Rating: Another cute book by Jackie French, who wrote, Diary of a Wombat too.

Short, short summary:

When baby wombat is finally finished sleeping, he goes out to play. He finds a friend–a baby human. Soon mother decides they need a bigger hole, and baby tries to problem solve. Eventually their little friend finds that bigger hole. Told in a cute style, such as: Later morning: Ate. Afternoon: Slept.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. If your students/children don’t know what a wombat is, then talk about this and also read them DIARY OF A WOMBAT. You can do a K-W-L chart before reading this book–what do you know about wombats? What do you wonder about them? And then when you are finished reading, what did you learn about wombats?

2. Let students keep a diary of their week. What I like about this book is it makes it look so easy to keep a diary/journal. You don’t have to have large, flowing paragraphs. You can just write: Morning: got on bus, talked to best friend. Got to school, turned in homework, picked as line leader. etc. Students can even include illustrations as part of the journal.

3. Students/children can work on their prediction skills with this book. You can do a day-by-day prediction, such as: “What do you think the wombat will be doing tomorrow morning?” You can also do a prediction when they are digging the big hole. Where are the wombats going to end up at the end of the book? Students should use the illustrations as a guide to help them figure out where the wombats are going to end up.

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*Picture book for preschool through adult
*The THINKS you can THINK as main characters
*Rating: My one-year-old daughter carries Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! around with her and looks at this book all the time. I’m sure it’s the pictures, but I’d love to think it’s the whole concept that she gets.

Short, short summary:

Every now and again, I like to blog about a Dr. Seuss book. I know kids love to read them still and I know many teachers/home school parents/librarians who use them with kids. In this one, Dr. Seuss is celebrating all the excellent ideas our brains can come up with. He is writing about how wonderful imagination is and the sense of wonder that some kids have. Dr. Seuss does it in his special way with made-up creatures and silly rhymes, but that’s what makes this book even more special–it has that Dr. Seuss charm. Example: You can think about red. You can think about pink. You can think up a horse. Oh, the thinks you can think!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Ask students, “What are the THINKS you can THINK?” Ask them to make a list or draw a picture showing some things they are thinking about. They can be real (like soccer practice or a way to fix a problem with a friend) or make-believe (a new creature that people can have as a pet).

2. Read and discuss each page of the book during a second read through. What does it mean “you can think up a horse”? Why does Seuss want you to “think and wonder”? And so on. With students and children, you want to really talk up creativity and imagination!

3. It’s fun to discuss Dr. Seuss’s word choice and his made-up creatures. You can tie the word choice to a 6 + 1 traits lesson on word choice and discuss why the word choice works in this book (or maybe some students think it doesn’t). You can also discuss what some of the words mean such as: Da-Dake, Schlopp, and Guff.

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*Chapter book, realistic and contemporary fiction
*Third-grade girl as main character
*Rating: I’m a huge fan of Sara Pennypacker and the Clementine series. This is book four, and it is as cute as ever. If you are a pet lover, it can be a little sad in the middle–but happy endings all around (even for Margaret.

Short, short summary:

In Clementine’s third grade class, she has been chosen as friend of the week. This comes with all sorts of privileges such as line leader, but Clementine is most excited, well and anxious, about the booklet she’ll receive at the end of the week. All the kids will write a message to her, and she wants to make sure they have something nice to write. She wants hers to be as good as Margaret’s from last year. She spends all week coming up with grand plans, like only Clementine can, so she’ll have the best Friend of the Week booklet ever. However, the importance of this week is put into perspective when Moisturizer, Clementine’s beloved cat, goes missing.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. A fun emotional intelligence activity is to have everybody in the classroom draw the name of another classmate. Then the students have to write something nice about the person whose name they drew. You write/draw it on an 8 x 10 inch piece of construction paper. You can draw students’ attention to how Clementine feels when she reads the nice comments on her Friend of the Week booklet. (If you homeschool, you can do this activity with members of the family and post the nice things on the refrigerator!)

2. In this segment of Clementine, Margaret shows her younger friend just how much she likes her and how important Clementine is to Margaret. Ask students what Margaret does to show her friendship in the novel. How does Clementine react? Then how does Margaret maintain her personality at the end of the novel?

3. There are really two problems in this novel–one is created by Clementine trying to figure out something wonderful to do for her friends, so they’ll write nice things in her booklet, and the other is when Moisturizer goes missing. How are these problems solved in the novel? This is an easy book to talk about problems and solutions because in each case, Clementine does different, obvious tasks to attempt to solve her problems.

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*Easy reader (I’d compare to Amelia Bedelia books, divided into chapters), fantasy
*A loveable giraffe and turtle as main characters
*Rating: I won Joe and Sparky, Superstars in a blog contest at Clara Gillow Clark’s blog, and I am so glad I did What a super cute book for those readers transitioning from having Mom or teacher read them a book to reading on their own. Joe cracks me up!

Short, short summary:

Since Joe is a giraffe, he can stretch his neck from Safari Land and see something fun. He wants to share this something fun with his friend, Sparky the turtle, who only wants to take a nap on his warm rock. But Joe convinces Sparky to go along, and they see little people in a box (this would be a TV). They watch a reality show about entertaining pairs, and so Joe thinks they should join them. They are a pair after all. The problem is. . .what is their entertainment? The pair seems to think Joe has many talents, but they just can’t seem to figure out what Sparky is good at. So, the duo try different talents, such as the Hokey Pokey, trying to find a talent for Sparky that will make him a superstar.

So what do I do with this book?

1. Joe and Sparky are unique animals with their own personalities and characteristics that make each special–just like your own children or all the children in your classroom. First with children, make a list of Joe and Sparky’s character traits based on the book. Then ask students to make a list of their own character traits. If you are working with preschoolers or kindergartners and sharing this book, you can make a general list and then students can choose one or two words to write or illustrate depending on their ability level.

2. Ask students: what is your talent? You discover in the end of the story what Sparky’s talent is and it is great! So, do a think, pair, share activity in your classroom. Ask students to think what their talent (s) is, pair them up with other students and tell them to share with their partners, and then their partners share the talent with the class.

3. What is a superstar? Ask students to draw a picture, write a poem, write their own story, or any other way to describe what a superstar is in their opinion. This could also be a Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/Christmas present idea with something like: My mom is a superstar because_____________. Students fill in the blank and illustrate the sentence. OR My dad is a superstar like Sparky and Joe because_________________________________.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*An un-scareable bear as the main character
*Rating: Scare a Bear is a very cute and fun picture book with wonderful and bright illustrations young children will just eat up!

Short, short summary:

Scare a Bear opens with the question: “Do you know how to scare a bear?” This leads the reader (and the kids in the book) on an adventure first trying to figure out how to scare a bear. The text asks: “Would you bang pots and pans? Would you rattle some cans? Would you shout? Would you yell? Would you ring a loud bell?” From here, several more BIG questions are asked and these include, “What if the bear isn’t easy to scare? What if that bear wants to go for a swim? What if that bear wants to fish from your boat? What if that bear wants to beg for some dinner?” and more. After each BIG question is posed, three more questions are posed as solutions to the first BIG question. Then the BIG question is repeated. At the end of the story, the children figure out how to scare the poor bear (who seems to just want some companionship!). This book reminds me of the circular structure and silliness of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Do a shared writing (or individual for older students) activity where students try to answer the question: “How do you scare a bear?” The repeated sentence beginning would be: I scare a bear by ________________________. Once you have written everyone’s responses, they copy down their sentence on to a piece of paper and illustrate it. You can put these together to create a class book or a nice classroom display.

2. Most of the sentences in here are questions. Students are just starting to write questions and remembering that these must end with a question mark, so drawing attention to this in literature with few words, such as Scare a Bear is helpful for students. As a fun activity, work on changing some of the questions to statements or exclamations and putting the proper punctuation at the end. For example, the question: Do you know how to scare a bear? at the beginning of the story could be changed to: I know how to scare a bear! (and you can discuss whether or not you should put a period or exclamation point and how either would actually work.)

3. Rhyming words are a must with this book! They are everywhere, and these words help beginning readers learn to decode. Make a list of rhyming words on chart paper for them to use in their writing. At home, you can make a notebook of rhyming words!

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I am absolutely thrilled that Julia Platt Leonard wrote to me this summer and asked me if I would like to review her new middle-grade book, Cold Case. Not only is this a well-written book for middle graders, but it is exciting and entertaining and will keep adults intrigued, too. It’s like those cop shows I love to watch, but instead of Jane Rizzoli (Rizzoli and Isles) or Brenda Lee Johnson (The Closer), our hero is 13-year-old Oz Keiller. So, if you like crime dramas or mystery/thrillers by authors like James Patterson, you will love Cold Case and want to share it with a child in your life.

*****Even better news–I have a copy to giveaway! Please leave a comment below with your email address by Sunday, September 25 at 8:00 pm CST. You can say whatever you want in your comment, but I would love to hear if you like to read or watch crime dramas, and if so, which ones? (U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only please.)*******

**Middle-grade book, contemporary fiction
**13-year-old boy as main character
**Rating: Cold Case is a great, action-filled book with an interesting mystery and two likeable young teen sleuths.

Short, short summary: Thirteen-year-old Oz finds a dead body in his family’s restaurant one morning, and the suspected murderer is his older brother Dave. Why is Dave in the hot seat? Turns out, the dead man is a journalist who wrote an article about Oz’s father fourteen years ago and the headline? “Traitor Without a Cause: Leading U.S. Physicist Caught Stealing Nuclear Secrets.” Oz never knew his father had been suspected of being a spy; his mom and brother had kept it from him. Oz is creeped out when finding the dead body; but more than that, he is mad that the truth had been kept from him for so long. And he’s worried that his family’s restaurant will never recover from someone being murdered there. But even more than all of this, he wants to find out what really happened with his father all those years ago and to clear Dave of the murder. There’s no way his brother could have killed that reporter, right? Oz asks his best friend, Randy (a girl), for help; and together, they have quite an adventure in Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Ask students to write in their reading response journals how they would have felt when they saw the headline on the article about Oz’s father. If they were Oz, would they have felt the same way? Do they think his mom and brother did the right thing by not telling him the truth? Ask students to write their opinion and support it. Then ask students with varying viewpoints to debate the issue.

2. While you are reading the book with your child or with students, write down any clues that Oz finds or any guesses he has as to whom actually murdered the reporter. Can students figure it out before Leonard reveals whodunit in the book?

3. One of the 6 +1 traits of writing is Organization, and this includes writing an interesting beginning and a satisfying ending. The beginning of a piece of writing is supposed to introduce you to the story and draw you in. (Cold Case has an AWESOME beginning. ) Ask students if the beginning of this novel does its job. Also, ask them if they felt the ending was satisfying and to support their answer. Finally, talk about how the book was organized besides the beginning and ending.

**Don’t forget your comment for a chance to win this hardcover book!

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*Picture book, fantasy (fractured fairy tales) for preschoolers through third graders
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: The Gold Miner’s Daughter is clever and adorable. One of those “I wish I would have written this” books!

Short, short summary:

Jackie Mims Hopkins writes this adorable tale about Gracie Pearl, who lives in gold minin’ country with her Pa. They are in the midst of hard times, and Mr. Bigglebottom says that they need to give him some gold or else he’ll take Gracie Pearl as his wife. That’s the last thing she wants, of course, and so she goes out to find gold. Instead of finding gold, she finds several fairy tale creatures (imagine an almost Shrek-like romp through fairy tale land), such as Goldilocks who is too busy to help her because she’s got some bears hot on her trail. Gracie Pearl also finds the three pigs tied to railroad tracks and Rapunzel in her castle tower, just to name a few. In the end, Gracie Pearl finds BLACK GOLD and that dastardly Mr. Bigglebottom gets exactly what he deserves. The illustrations by Jon Goodell make this book!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. I love books that have activities built in, and this is one of those. At the beginning of the book, a “key” is shown to students. This key tells them what to do when they see certain symbols throughout the book. So, for example when they see a hand with a finger pointing up, they are supposed to say, “Aha!” Students are involved with the book and having fun while acting out the storyline.

2. There are several fairy tales represented in this book. Ask students to make a list of the characters from fairy tales and then discuss how each of them is being true to their character and playing a role in the plot of this book.

3. Discuss with students what melodramatic means. If possible, show them some footage of a melodramatic movie or scene.

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*Chapter book, fantasy
*12-year-old boy as main character
*Rating: Both children and adults will love Walking Through Walls. For kids, it’s an exciting story that keeps them guessing to the end what’s going to happen and what decisions the main character is going to make. For adults? Well, we all love good writing, and Walking Through Walls is a perfect example of that! WillowRaven’s illustrations add class to the story. (The book is 62 pages–perfect for a summer read at summer school or at home!)

Short, short summary:

(Note: Walking Through Walls is based on an ancient Chinese tale.) Wang is tired of working in his father’s wheat field. It is too much work and not enough money. He wants to get rich and be powerful. So, he decides he’s going to find the magical Eternals because if he becomes one, he can get what he wants. He goes off in spite of making his parents sad, and he finds where other boys are training. He is anxious to learn magic and become rich; but the Eternals are very smart, and training is actually very hard work. Wang is impatient and only focused on greed. How will the Eternals train him? Will he learn what is actually important? Will he become an Eternal?

This book will be available on July 1 from Amazon or RV4 Publishing. You can find out more information here: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com/

So, what do I do with this book?

Besides being a terrific book, the author has included a lot of material in the back of the book for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, and her readers!

She has questions, activities, and more information about the time period of The Ming Dynasty.

Here are a couple of her sample activities:

1. Write a list of five qualities that you think give a person value.

2. Draw a picture of a dragon.

3. Continue the book–write a sequel of what happens to Wang after the book’s end.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders, contemporary
*Young girl as a main character
*Rating: I Miss You Every Day by Caldecott winner Simms Taback is a sweet book with bright, colorful illustrations that kids will want to read over and over again.

Short, short summary:

In this book, a young girl is missing someone who lives far away. After telling the person how much she misses him/her, she decides to wrap herself up like a present and send herself through the mail. Then she discusses what will happen to her on her journey through the post office and once she gets to her loved one. It is told in rhyme with simple text and wonderful illustrations–a true picture book.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Children will want to discuss someone they miss when reading this book. It will most likely be a family member that doesn’t live near them, such as a grandparent or maybe a parent that is in the military. They might also talk about someone that has died (just giving you a heads-up). Missing people is a complex issue, especially for children. It can be very heartbreaking, also, and this book opens up the lines of communication to talk about these emotions. Children can write letters or draw pictures for the person they are missing.

2. This is also a great book to discuss what happens to the mail after you put it in the mailbox. You could have a field trip to the post office as well as discuss the proper way to address an envelope and/or package. Write letters in class and send them on your post office field trip or even just take a walk to a mailbox on a beautiful spring (or fall) day!

3. In a shared writing time, children can write more lines of what the girl and her loved one can do together once they are reunited. Ask them to think about what they would like to do, and then you can decide whether or not you want to help them rhyme the lines or not. Children should write their part and illustrate it. Then you can put these together as a book.

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*Picture book, fantasy, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Penguin and boy (from Lost and Found) are main characters
*Rating: Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers will make you smile and celebrate friendship!

Short, short summary:

Penguin and boy are best friends. Penguin gets the idea that he would love to fly. He has wings, so he should be able to fly, he reasons. But when he tries, nothing happens. He learns that penguins everywhere don’t fly, and this makes him sad. So, he runs away and answers an advertisement for a circus act where he will be shot from a cannon and fly through the air. The boy misses the penguin while he is away and begins searching for him. When Penguin does finally fly (with the help of the cannon), he’s not so crazy about it.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Opposites are a good subject to discuss with the book, Up and Down. You can also ask students why they think Oliver Jeffers named his book Up and Down while you are discussing opposites. Look at the illustrations with your students or children and find more opposites in the drawings. Be creative. The important point is that students name opposites.

2. Penguin and the boy are great friends. You can use this book to discuss the characteristics of a good friend. For example–the way the boy rushes to be at Penguin’s side when he is fulfilling his dream. Students can also compare one of their friendships to the one in the book or compare themselves to either Penguin or the boy.

3. For fun, ask students to make an advertisement for Penguin’s circus act.

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I am happy to tell you about Dripping Blood Cave and Other Ghostly Stories from Crickhollow Books today and to be GIVING AWAY ONE FREE COPY from the publisher. Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m. CST for your chance to win (U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only please). You don’t need to tell us anything special in your comment to enter the contest, but if you want to tell us your favorite ghost/spooky story or why you like spooky stories, then please do. Make sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment. Now on to the book. . .

*Middle-grade novel, paranormal
*Teenage boys as main characters
*Rating: Dripping Blood Cave is full of cute ghost stories and quite a cast of characters. Kids will love these ghostly adventures.

Short, short summary: Here’s another installment in the Hank and Clifford series. Hank is courageous and does everything right. Clifford is a coward and does everything wrong–but in a loveable sort of way. The two find themselves facing several ghosts in this sequel, along with their girlfriends, Rosie and Mary Ethyl. For example, at Dripping Blood Cave, some angry Native Americans are seeking revenge or there’s the Civil War soldiers and the island that people aren’t returning from. What happens when the four friends face these ghosts and more? Find out in this latest installment. (You do not need to read the first two novels in order to enjoy this book.) By the way, Raymond Bial has written over 100 books for kids and adults!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The characters in this book are so strong and unique. This is a great book to do a character study with, especially comparing and contrasting Hank and Clifford. Students can start with a Venn diagram and then write a paragraph or paper about their similarities and differences.

2. Challenge your students to write their own ghost story after discussing how Raymond Bial set up his. How did he create suspense? Why do you believe his stories could actually happen? How did he set up his world? and so on. . .

3. Raymond Bial brings some history into his ghost stories. Students and children can discuss what parts of the book are based on historical stories and what part is completely made up. If students are working on ghost stories, they can bring historical facts into their stories.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win.

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Hello Readers! I am holding a book giveaway contest for this super cute picture book, Pelly and Mr. Harrison Visit the Moon from Kane Miller Publishing. Please leave a comment below for your chance to win–it’s a perfect book for any kid who loves space or wants to explore. (Only U.S. or Canada mailing addresses, please.) Contest goes until Sunday, March 27 6:00 p.m. CST. Winner will be announced on Monday, March 28.

I also wanted to let you know who won the contest last week for WOW!’s blanket tour. Here’s the scoop from WOW!:

Kim G. who commented on A Ponderance of Things, http://rcponders.wordpress.com, won the Everybody’s Talking About Surprises Grand Prize! Her prize includes a personalized copy of Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris, a Big Band CD, Victory Garden seeds, and a few surprises (of course!).

Our Surprise blogger winner was Mason Canyon who wrote about her favorite surprise: envelopes of books being delivered to her mailbox at Thoughts in Progress. (http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/)

We hope you’ll join us for our next mass blogging event and tell your readers about a chance to win The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life by Nava Atlas on our latest WOW Blog Tour.

Now on to Pelly and Mr. Harrison Visit the Moon by Lindsay Ward.

*Picture book, science fiction for preschoolers through second graders
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: Every child will be looking at her/his bathtub differently after reading this book! It’ll spark imaginations for sure.

Short, short summary: Pelly is brushing her teeth, and she notices a rocket engine on her bathtub. So, her dog, Mr. Harrison, jumps into the tub, and they take off for the moon. When they land on the moon, they meet an alien who is very friendly. She takes them to her house, where another alien is making none other than–moon pies! They learn about gravity and about making s’moons. When they get back home, it’s like no time has passed at all–Mom wonders if Pelly is almost done brushing her teeth.

So what do I do with this book?

1. Pelly and Mr. Harrison Visit the Moon can really spark children’s imagination. Ask them, “What could you travel in to the moon from your house?” or “What could you attach a rocket engine to and take off?” Younger students can illustrate their response. Older students can write about it. This is a great home activity for parents and children, too.

2. Use this book to discuss the 6 + 1 traits of writing trait, word choice. Ask students what special words they notice while you read the book and make a class list. Encourage kids to use this list when they are writing.

3. Use this book to open up a science discussion about the moon. What do children know about the moon? Could this story really happen? For fun, bring in some moon pies!

Okay, leave a comment below for a chance to win this book. If you want, tell us what you would travel to space in (a bathtub?) and where you would go.

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*Graphic novel for elementary kids–1st grade through 5th grade
*Young girl and an alligator as main characters
*Rating: Gabby and Gator is a funny book that takes a look at a serious issue for kids–fitting in and bullying.

Short, short summary:

In graphic novel form, James Burks tells the story of Gator and Gabby–an alligator and a girl that have trouble fitting in. Gator has had trouble since the beginning when his original owner had to flush him down the toilet because his mom didn’t want an alligator in her house. He’s lived in the sewer ever since, and he just can’t help himself–sometimes he eats people’s dogs. He gets so hungry. Then there’s Gabby. She doesn’t fit in anywhere, but she is the sweetest girl! (I just love her list of things to-do.) The kids make fun of her, and one boy in particular is a big bully, calling her a freak. She meets Gator in the park, and then the two become friends and have quite an adventure! You will love Gabby and Gator, laugh out loud, and cheer for them both!

So, what should I do with this book?

1. Children can look at Gabby’s to-do list and then make one of their own for a weekend day. What would they put on a to-do list? You can also have them create a to-do list for Gator. Students can pair up with other students and share their lists and explain why they put what they did on their to-do list.

2. Gabby and Gator deals a lot with bullying. In the book, several kids are mean to Gabby. This can make some children uncomfortable and open to talking about a subject they might not usually want to talk about. A book also can open a discussion about bullying because children can talk about the characters in the book and share feelings without having to talk exactly about themselves. How does Gabby feel when kids call her a freak? What does she do? How does she solve her problem? You can ask students if they’ve ever felt like Gabby and talk about that.

3. Gator is a very interesting pet. Pets are always a big part of children’s lives. Ask students to draw a picture of their pet and tell why he is unique or unusual. You can also have them fold a piece of paper in half–on one side they can draw a picture of Gabby and Gator. On the other side, they can draw a picture of themselves with their pet. Older students can write a paragraph about their pets or compare and contrast their pet to Gator.

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*Picture book for all ages
*Donkey and Monkey as main characters
*Rating: This book had me laughing out loud from the first page. I disagree with many adults who say it’s not for kids. I think kids will get it–especially older elementary who still love picture books. It’s a Book by Lane Smith is a hit!

Short, short summary:

Monkey is reading a book–a real, live book–like one you check out from the library! Donkey can’t believe you don’t need to charge it or scroll down to read it. It has no social networking capabilities. You just open it and read it. Lane Smith has written a clever, clever book that speaks to what many people worry about will happen with the popularity of e-readers–we’ll forget what it’s like to hold a real book in our hands and enjoy it. (With young kids (preschool to first grade), you may have to explain some of the technology terms in the book to them.) WARNING: To all adults and parents: you should read this book from cover to cover to see if it is okay for you and your child or classroom. Instead of donkey, the word “jackass” is used. I don’t want to reveal how because it will ruin the great and funny surprise. I was laughing out loud. I would read this to my child, but I understand why some teachers may not be able to. I think it is a great play on words. So, just read it first.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Compare and contrast (you can even use a Venn diagram) an e-book to a hardcover book. Once you have this comparison, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both forms.

2. For older kids whom you want to read this to and have fun!, ask them to write a persuasive paragraph on which is better–an e-book or a hardcover/paperback book. You could actually do this with younger kids, too, as a shared writing experience.

3. The illustrations in this book tell a lot of the story, especially on the pages where Donkey is reading the book. Study these illustrations and talk about how they help tell the story. Then have students draw a picture that tells a story–they can use a few words, but not many.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Bear as main character
*Rating: Ugly Pie is the ideal picture book–cute story, wonderful illustrations and a takeaway activity.

Short, short summary:

Ol’ Bear is hankerin’ for Ugly Pie, but he doesn’t have all the ingredients. All he has is some molasses. So, he goes out looking for Ugly Pie. As he comes to each of his friends, they offer him a kind of pie, but Ol’ Bear really wants that Ugly Pie. They do give him some ingredients each time; and by the time he gets home, he can make his Ugly Pie. He sings a cute rhyme each time, too: “My-oh-my! But I’m still itchin’ for some Ugly Pie.” The very end of the book is a recipe for all the little cubs out there who are hankerin’ for Ugly Pie.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Obviously, kids will want to make the recipe just like Ol’ Bear, but bring some math instruction into it. For advanced students, you can ask them to double or half the recipe. For some students, they just need practice with reading a recipe or even following directions. Look over your objectives you need to teach (at home schools, too) and use this as a fun activity and lesson!

2. Ask students to write about a time they were “hankerin’” for something and what they did to get it!

3. Word choice (one of the six plus one traits of writing) is very strong in Lisa Wheeler’s Ugly Pie from the playful use of language on the first page to the little rhyme Bear sings throughout. Ask students to pick a “favorite” word to tell you when they hear you read it aloud. Make a list on chart paper of these favorite words. Hang in the room for students to use in their own writing. (Personally, my favorite word is “hankerin’”.)

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*Fiction picture book for preschool to third graders
*3 boys as main characters
*Rating: Edgar, Allan, and Poe and the Tell-Tale Beets is a cute take on Edgar Allan Poe’s scary story, “Tell-Tale Heart.”

Short, short summary:

Edgar, Allan, and Poe are brothers who aren’t crazy about their mom’s cooking. Well, who would be when she serves things like beets and liver? But they do love her dessert. The problem is they can’t get any dessert until they finish all their dinner, and that’s impossible until. . .they discover the loose floorboard. The brothers decide to cause a distraction and then put the disgusting food in the floorboard. The plan works perfectly, and they get to eat all kinds of delicious dessert until . . .they start hearing Beet. Beet. Liver. Liver. And the smell! The food stinks under the floor board, and finally, they confess everything they’ve been doing right before a huge explosion occurs.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. You can use this book when also studying nutrition. Talk to students and children about why the boys’ mother was making and serving this food. Discuss alternative healthy foods she could serve. For example, what could she serve instead of liver or beets that have the same vitamins but are tastier? Ask students to write a letter to the mother and suggest these alternative foods.

2. Natalie Rompella does a great job with word choice in this book. There are tons of description words and strong action verbs. Make a list of the strong word choices in this book and post it on the wall. Point it out to students when they are busy writing.

3. Older primary students would be able to learn about Edgar Allan Poe and some of his work. Then talk to students about how this version is similar and different from “Tell-Tale Heart.”

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“Fifty years before Helen Keller, there was Laura Bridgman”–so reads the tagline for this book: She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer by Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander. Here are the facts about this book:

*Middle-grade biography
*Laura Bridgman is the subject
*Rating: This book is an award-winner!

Short, short summary: This book is the story of Laura Bridgman who is known as one of the first American deaf and blind children to get an education in English. Her teachers used tactile sign language and also words printed with raised letters corresponding to objects such as keys, spoons, and knives. The book includes several photos and quotes and spans Laura’s life from the time she is born to her death at 60 years of age.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Before reading, ask students what they know about Helen Keller. Most children in 3rd-5th grades will have learned about Helen Keller before, but probably not Laura Bridgman. Explain the connection between the two to create interest in reading about Laura and her remarkable life and education.

2. Pioneer is a word that has many meanings, but most kids will think of it as the people traveling in covered wagons. After they finish reading about Laura Bridgman, ask them to write a paragraph with specific examples from the text of how she is a pioneer.

3. Ask students to compare and contrast a time they learned something with how Laura learns to communicate.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Four small puppies as main characters
*Rating: Leslie Patricelli’s book will appeal to all those children who have trouble sleeping at night because of the monsters. Super cute illustrations accompany a fun text!

Short, short summary:

Petra had trouble sleeping at night. She was afraid of the dark, noises, and especially the monster. Her brothers and sister always slept through the night, and her parents told her everything was fine and that she should just go back to sleep. The four puppies decide to make the monster some cookies as a peace offering. One night, they write a note and leave the plate of cookies. When they hear the monster, they all get out of bed to go confront it. But are they in for a surprise. The monster is scared of them, and he does love cookies. The four puppies and the monster have a noisy party until Mom and Dad wake up and don’t see any monster. Everyone goes back to bed–even Petra.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The other puppies try to help Petra solve her problem. This is a great book to talk with students about problem solving. What is Petra’s problem? What are some ways the puppies try to solve the problem? What does “solution” mean? What is the solution that finally works for Petra?

2. Many children will be able to relate to Petra’s problem as this is a common childhood problem. If students in your class or your own children have ever felt the same way as Petra, let them share their experiences with you, and compare and contrast them to what happened in the book. Making personal connections with the text helps students with their comprehension skills.

3. Have your own “Midnight Monster Party” at home or school. Children can create monsters out of paper plates, stuffed animals, or even construction paper. Each child can bring one monster and a treat to share. You can do some of the same activities the puppies do in the book during their party.

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My good cyber-buddy, Clara Gillow Clark, has an amazing opportunity on her blog today from author/illustrator Lindsay Barrett George. And some of us bloggers are working together to get the word out. Lindsay is offering a FREE school visit to anywhere as long as the school can pay her travel expenses! To check out details and enter yourself in a drawing to win either Lindsay’s new book or a school visit, make sure to visit the link above to Clara’s blog. You have to leave your comment on CLARA’S BLOG by September 14 to be entered!

If you aren’t familiar with Lindsay’s work, you can check out her website. Here are a couple of her books:

• Maggie’s Ball: Maggie’s Ball is currently out from Greenwillow Books. The description on the website says: “This is Maggie’s Ball. Now all Maggie needs is a friend to play with. Will you help her find one?”
• Alfred Digs: (also Greenwillow Books 2008) Description from website: “What would you do if your pet ant escaped from her ant farm? Would you follow her? Even if you had promised your Mama to eat your pie, and drink your milk, and stay in your cozy burrow?”
• In the Garden: Who’s Been Here?: (also Greenwillow Books 2008) Description from website: Christina and Jeremy have been sent to the garden to gather vegetables for dinner.
  But they quickly realize that they are not the first visitors to the garden today. Keep your eyes open and join
  Christina and Jeremy on a scientific journey in their own backyard!”

So, don’t forget to visit Clara’s site and register yourself to win a copy of Maggie’s Ball or a school visit from Lindsay!

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*Picture book, realistic fiction for preschoolers through second graders
*First grade girl as main character
*Rating: Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) is such a cute picture book and perfect for teachers and parents to share during National Book Week or any time reading needs to be celebrated. (Well, that’s all the time, right?)

Short, short summary:

A first-grade girl tells readers how much Miss Brooks, the enthusiastic librarian, loves books. Miss Brooks dresses up in costumes to share books with her students. As our narrator tells us, ” I think Miss Brooks gets a little too excited. And I bet her costumes itch.” One day, Miss Brooks tells her students that it will soon be Book Week, and they each need to share a book they love with the class and dress up in a costume. The little girl wants to move–her mother informs her there’s a librarian in every town. So, she doesn’t know what book she’ll present until her mother tells her she’s as stubborn as a wart. This gives her a great idea–she loves warts and she’ll read about them! Pick up a copy of Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) to find out exactly which book the little girl chooses. (Kids will love this!)

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Students young and old can write about a favorite book after reading this one. Let students creatively tell about their favorite book with a journal entry as well as a presentation of some kind–maybe even dressing up in costumes like in the book.

2. Create a class book of poems or holidays or anything that you want. The point is to work on something together as a class. The easy way to make a class book is to have each student create a page, illustrate it, laminate these, and then bind them together with a cover of some sort. Children love to get these class- made books out of the library and read them–even your most reluctant readers.

3. Did students know that Shrek was a book before a movie? Discuss with students other books that have been made into movies. Ask students which they usually like better. For a fun Friday afternoon activity, read a book to students that was made into a movie, watch the movie (or part of it), and then compare and contrast them.

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*Picture book, humorous fantasy (tall tale), for preschoolers through second graders
*A rancher and his wife are the main characters.
*Rating: Meanwhile Back at the Ranch is one of my favorite books to share with children. (It’s by the same author as The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash.

Short, short summary: Rancher Hicks is bored on his ranch. Nothing much ever happens. So, he drives the 84 miles to the town of Sleepy Gulch for some excitement. (It’s not called Sleepy Gulch for nothing!) Meanwhile back at the ranch. . . his wife Elna has quite a day. The president comes to visit, she strikes oil, and her aunt leaves her her entire estate. Meanwhile back in Sleepy Gulch. . .a turtle crosses the road and the slowest game of checkers ever is being played. Meanwhile back at the ranch. . .all the cats have kittens and all the horses have colts. Meanwhile back in Sleepy Gulch–well, you get the picture. When Rancher Hicks returns from his big adventure in Sleepy Gulch, he is in for quite a surprise!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by Trinka Hakes Noble is a great book to share with students when you are teaching the 6 + 1 traits of writing–the trait of organization. The organization of this book is very obvious–each page you are either in Sleepy Gulch or at the ranch. The word MEANWHILE is used as a transition. So, you can talk to students about different ways to organize stories, essays, and reports. You can talk to students about using transition words. This book can lead into many discussions and writing exercises for the trait of organization. (It’s perfect for homeschooling lessons on these subjects, too.)

2. Have students write their own MEANWHILE story. One of the most fun is. . .MEANWHILE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM. Students pretend like they are Rancher Hicks and leave the classroom one day to go somewhere they think will be more exciting. MEANWHILE back in the classroom, students create stories where famous people come to visit or they win prizes or the teacher allows recess all day, and so on.

3. Discuss with students: What makes this book a fantasy or a tall tale? Can all of those events happen to Elna in one day? Talk to students about what makes this book a fantasy. Create a list. Talk about hyperbole and exaggeration and how Trinka Hakes Noble uses these to create humor in her picture book. How do the illustrations add to the story?

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Recently, I was sent some books by an exciting educational company, Rubicon. Their slogan is “A Bold Approach to Literacy.” I think kids would really like these books, which can only be ordered by educators, but the lucky things is I have three samples to give away. Let me tell you about the samples, which are all part of their Boldprint series. (To find out more about their BOLDPRINT series, you can go here.)

• Banana Ninja: This is a graphic novel for fourth graders. It’s the story of Banana Ninja and his toughest mission ever! From the book cover: “The legendary hero has to stop an army of rats from taking over the grocery store. But there are hundreds of them and only one of him. Will he be able to stop the rodents in time?” The illustrations in this book are fun and bright, and kids are really into graphic novels these days. I can see boys especially in a classroom excited to read this as part of their curriculum!
• It’s About Science: This is from the Boldprint Talk series at Rubicon. Each Boldprint Talk book is thematically linked to a student book from the Boldprint series. They are designed to get kids thinking and talking. This book is on a 5th grade level, and it’s sooooo cool! It reminds me of a kids’ magazine with the graphics and fact boxes and sidebars. It has articles on athletes, the respiratory system, idioms, the science behind superheroes, and more. It has projects and graphic stories. Any kid would love to study science from this while working on literacy skills. They won’t even know they’re working on literacy skills.
• No Bullies Allowed: This is for junior high, and it’s another Boldprint Talk book from Rubicon. It gives kids a chance to read, think, and discuss bullying. There are story starters, short graphic stories, a quiz, articles about dealing with bullies, and more. Again, this reminds me more of a magazine than a “textbook” you would use in school, and I think kids would really like it and get into it. Nice design and idea by Rubicon!

So, I’m giving away all three of these books. They would be great for home if you have kids or to donate to a classroom. All you have to do is leave a comment below and tell why you would like to win any one of these books. Or you can leave a comment and tell a memory about any book you studied/read in school and why you liked it. Contest goes until Sunday, July 18 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The three winners will be picked randomly from comments, and the first winner will get first choice and so on.

Happy commenting!

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*Middle-grade novel, contemporary fiction
*Eleven-year-old girl as main character
Rating: I fell in love with Eleven by Lauren Myracle when I listened to the audio book. All 11-year-old girls (or anyone who was ever 11) will be able to relate!

Short, short summary:

Winnie is 11. The book starts with her birthday party and how things don’t go quite as she planned when her friends come over and don’t want to put on the play that she wrote. Her fifth-grade year ends, and the summer comes, which is nothing but boring for Winnie because her teenage sister has a job and her friends are all on vacation. When she finally gets to spend the weekend at her best friend Amanda’s beach house, she discovers that Amanda is more interested in her tan and boys than in pretending and playing like she and Winnie used to do. Then the sixth grade school year starts, and the new girl, Gail, takes over Amanda’s friendship. Everything seems to be changing, but Winnie doesn’t want anything to change.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Winnie goes through a wide range of emotions in this book. Children around this age can really relate to Winnie with her emotions such as embarrassment, disappointment, and excitement. Read a scene from Eleven, and then ask students how Winnie is feeling (or Dinah or Amanda) and ask them to write about a time when they felt the same way. They can write these in their reading response journals.

2. Things change–sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Some people can handle change. Some people can’t. Throughout the book, talk about how things are changing for Winnie. Ask children to discuss how Winnie is handling the changes. How does she solve the problem of being in a different class than Amanda and growing apart from her, for example? Children can discuss a change in their life (or write about it) and how they handled it.

3. For a fun journal assignment, ask students to plan their 11th or 12th birthday parties since this book covers both.

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