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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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*Picture book, fantasy (talking animals), for preschoolers through second graders
*Young shark as main character
*Rating: Gilbert the Hero teaches kids a lesson in a subtle way and in the spirit of Finding Nemo. Shark lovers will REALLY enjoy this book!

Short, short summary:

Gilbert the shark must take care of his younger brother, Finn, one day when he and his friend, Rita Remora, are going out to play. The problem is all the games Gilbert and Rita usually play are too scary for Finn. They finally find something he likes and something they like, too. Then a Killer Whale has to ruin all the fun! Will Gilbert be able to save the day (and his little brother, too)? This is truly a deep-sea adventure!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is the perfect book to use with children who have younger siblings and are always complaining about them–tagging along or getting into their stuff. That’s how Gilbert and his friend feel, but when push comes to shove, Gilbert really does love his brother and wants to protect him. You can use Gilbert the Hero at home or school to start a discussion about siblings. Children may relate to either Gilbert or Finn, depending on their situation.

2. Let children discuss if they have ever felt the way Finn did while doing some of the activities with Gilbert. He was scared and he didn’t like it! What did the children do? Did they cry? Did they ask to stop? (If they are having trouble thinking of something, ask if any of them have ever been to an amusement park. Did they ride a ride they didn’t like?) Talk to students about what it’s like to be scared and how to speak up when they don’t feel comfortable. Let them write or draw about the discussion when it’s over.

3. This is a fun book to do during an ocean unit in the classroom. What do students know about Great White Sharks or Killer Whales? Did the author use any of these characteristics in the story? Ask students to find out one more fact–in a book or on the Internet–about one of these animals that they didn’t know before and share it with the class.

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*Middle-grade historical fiction with Christian themes (WWII)
*13-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: Last Page in the Diary will really appeal to girls who like historical fiction and like writing in their diaries. It is a great book to use in a home school or Christian school setting as so many tweens deal with this question: “How can God let bad things happen?” This book is especially great because it also teaches about history!

Short, short summary:

(From the Guardian Angel Publishing website (sorry! I am pressed for time tonight.): “Thirteen-year-old Patricia (Pat) Kelly bargains with God. If He will bring her best friend Mike (Yoshi Mizuki) home from a desert (Japanse Internment) prison camp and make things like they were before the war, maybe she can start trusting Him again. The war ends, but hate and persecution continue.” (There’s also a part of this book written in journal style!)

So what do I do with this book?

1. If students do not know much about the period of history this book covers, then have them research different things mentioned in the book, such as Pearl Harbor Day or the Japanese Internment Camps. Students can write reports, do Power Point presentations, create posters, or some other way to share information with students.

2. Have readers ever felt the way Pat or Mike do in the novel–either with their relationship with God or as a victim of bullying/racism? These are great journal writing topics and discussion topics for tweens. Through the characters in this book, tweens may feel more comfortable talking about and/or writing about these issues and comparing/contrasting their experiences with the ones in the novel.

3. If students were involved in an essay contest, what would they write about? And why? You can even hold your own essay contest if you want to. . .:)

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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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*Picture book, fantasy for preschoolers through second graders
*Bats (the animal) as main characters
*Rating: The strength in Bats at the Ballgame is definitely the illustrative talent of Brian Lies–cute concept and some clever text, like Cricket Jacks!

Short, short summary:

Told in rhymed verse, Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies is the story of the bats’ baseball game against a tough opponent. How could any bat forget?/In all the countless years we’ve met,/it seems the team we’ll play tonight/has beaten us in every fight./ With beautiful illustrations, the reader is treated to the bats preparing the playing field and the spectators buying Cricket Jack, mothdogs, and infield flies–all snacks suitable for bats. When the game begins, the narrator’s team is off to a slow start once again through the 6th inning. In the 7th inning, there’s finally some action, but it’s for the other team. So the rest of the story is about whether or not the bat ballplayers can overcome this action and win the game.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is a great book to share during summer school, in those warm spring months before school is out (or your home school children are ready to have a break), or even in the fall around World Series time. There is quite a bit of “baseball lingo” in here, which your boy and girl baseball players will appreciate. Ask students to make personal connections with the text, as they have all probably at least played baseball/softball in P.E. or at recess. Ask them to write a paragraph about what this book makes them think about in their own lives. (It could be any sporting event, actually.)

2. You can teach word choice and sentence fluency, two of the 6 + 1 traits of writing, with this book. Word choice is an obvious lesson since Lies has written descriptive text, and it rhymes. Don’t you love the way he chose to write Cricket Jacks instead of Cracker Jacks? Even that one simple word makes an entirely different book–this is word choice at its finest. As for sentence fluency, when you read a rhyming book like this out loud, your students can really hear how the text flows. Look at the punctuation, too, and/or transition words to see how these keep the text flowing.

3. Brian Lies has beautiful illustrations. Give your students a chance to study them. What do they notice? How do the illustrations and the text work together to tell the story? If your students really love his work, then share (and compare and contrast) one of his other books such as Bats in the Library.

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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, realistic (?) fiction for preschoolers through 2nd graders (although there’s something for older kids, too)
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: The Great White House Breakout is a clever book with wonderful illustrations and a storyline to get kids and adults talking about the President of the U.S.–in a good way!

Short, short summary:

Sam lives at the White House with his mom, the President and his dad, the First Guy. His cat, Warren, and a rat, Leonard, live there, too. It’s hard to have fun because Sam and his friends have to stay inside and the Secret Service are always there. So, Sam, Leonard, and Warren design an escape plan and discover the adventures of Washington, D.C. Of course, now the president’s son is missing, so people are looking for him. And of course, Sam starts to miss his mom, too. A heartwarming and fun book with lots of Washington D.C. scenery.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Write a letter to the current president at the White House. You will get a letter back and maybe even some goodies–such as a picture of the first pet–to go along with it. In the letter, ask students or your child to tell about this book you read and encourage them to ask questions about being the president or the White House. They can also learn the most famous address in the United States by addressing their own envelopes.

2. Study what there is to do in Washington, D.C. Use The Great White House Breakout as a starting point and then ask students to do some of their own research. Students can work together in pairs to make a Washington, D.C. tourist brochure or even a “Plan for Sam, Leonard, and Warren.”

3. Ask students to imagine they live in the White House and write (or draw pictures if that’s more age appropriate) about their activities. They can be as creative as Sam or just realistically tell what they would like to do!

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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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*Picture book, realistic fiction, for preschoolers through third graders
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: Our Shadow Garden is a beautiful book for a beautiful cause. You don’t want to miss sharing it with children.

Short, short summary:

When Nana gets sick and can’t garden in the sun anymore, her granddaughter gets a marvelous idea. With the help of her Poppa, they create a shadow garden–plants that grow and bloom with the moonlight. They keep it a surprise until it’s already, and then they take Nana out to the garden. Of course, she loves it so much she tears up, and adults reading the book probably will, too. Besides this beautiful and touching story, the illustrations in this book are created by children who are in the Children’s Cancer Hospital at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Proceeds from the sales of the book help to fund activities at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Besides this, the book also has an extensive non-fiction section about shadow gardening–on the sidebars and at the back of the book. Love this book!

So what do I do with this book?

1. Children can draw their own illustrations to go with the words in the book like the children in the Children’s Art Project did. Compare and contrast the different artistic styles in the book. Talk to kids about why children drew the illustrations for this book and how buying a copy of the book helps them and other cancer patients. It is important for children to know about these type of issues in a positive light.

2. Try making a small class shadow garden by using information in the book or going to www.shadowgardenbook.com.

3. Poppa and his granddaughter are making this special surprise for Nana. Students could write about a variety of topics based on this: they could write about something they did for their grandparents, about a surprise they planned for someone, or about things they like to do with their grandparents. Any of these would be great topics and could turn into a descriptive or narrative paper.

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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 preschoolers through first graders
*Young male fish as main character
*Rating: The Pout-Pout Fish will soon become one of your family’s or classroom’s favorites. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!

Short, short summary:

The pout-pout fish has a pout-pout face and is always down in the dumps in the ocean. Several happy sea creatures come by to offer some positive words of wisdom, so Mr. Fish will turn that frown upside down. But each time he explains that he is a pout-pout fish and he spreads the “dreary-wearies.” Readers will think there is no hope for Mr. Fish until a silent silver shimmer fish comes by and gives Mr. Fish a big old SMOOCH! This turns the pout-pout fish into a kiss-kiss fish!

So what do I do with this book?

1. This is a great book to talk about emotions and feelings! Why is Mr. Fish pouting? Is he sad or just stuck in a rut? Children can compare themselves to the creatures in the book and talk about when they’ve felt similar ways.

2. Have fun reading this book aloud! Do some echo reading–maybe even let children pretend to be different parts from the book–almost like reader’s theatre.

3. Pictures tell a lot of this story. Challenge students to tell a short story using only illustrations. Partner students up and have them trade their picture stories with each other.

Tune in Thursday for a picture book giveaway about a mouse violinist!

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*Funny, realistic picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Preschool boy as main character
*Rating: Parts by Tedd Arnold can easily become your favorite book–as a kid and as an adult.

Short, short summary:

This poor boy thinks the glue that is holding him together is not working. He find pieces of hair in his comb. Something fell out of his nose, and he is sure it is his brain. Then there’s the skin on the bottom of his foot, and the last straw–his teeth–how will he eat? He gets some masking tape to try to hold himself together; but finally, his parents remember to tell him that this is a normal part of growing up!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The first time you read it to children see if they think something is really wrong with him or if this is just the body’s way of growing. Ask children if these similar things have happened to them, and give them a chance to tell their stories (so allow for some extra discussion time when reading this book aloud!).

2. We all know at the end of the book that the boy has found ear wax, but can your students make a creative story about what he really found in his ear? For preschoolers, you can do this as a shared writing activity and each student can draw their own illustration. For first graders, they can write a short ending to the story. Encourage them to be creative with what the boy found in his ear!

3. Use this book in a health unit to talk to students about what is really holding our body together–bone, muscles, skin, blood vessels, etc. etc. For younger students (such as two or three-year-old kids), you can talk about the parts they can see!

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*Picture book, realistic fiction for preschoolers through second graders
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: I absolutely love this sweet book In Grandma’s Arms. You can use it for so many lessons, too.

Short, short summary:

In this story, a young girl is sitting on her grandma’s lap in the Storybook Chair, and she says, “We can do anything–, We can go anywhere.” Then she and her grandma have several magical adventures through the pages of a book, including flying on clouds of pink cotton, leaping on a comet, and visiting with a dragon. In the end, she grows drowsy and has sweet dreams.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is a wonderful book to read to students before teaching or talking about the six plus one traits of writing, IDEAS. Where do authors get their ideas? What kind of ideas do they have? Where is the little girl getting all of these wonderful adventures she is having? Why are these potato ideas (ideas you have to dig for)? This is a perfect book to use with young writers in kindergarten and first grade when teaching a six plus one traits of writing lesson on IDEAS.

2. Children will want to share their favorite stories–books and grandparent stories. Allow children to draw pictures of their grandparents and share stories about them. Take a poll of students’ favorite fairy tales or books.

3. This is also a terrific book to talk about verbs or action words with students or your children if you homeschool. In Grandma’s Arms has several strong verbs such as: fly, float, leap, and zoom.

I would also like to draw your attention to another WONDERFUL blog that I hope you will all check out and subscribe to. It is about using picture books in the classroom; and recently, he did a huge post on Civil War picture books and using picture books in high school classrooms. You don’ t want to miss this site if you love picture books. Here’s the link: http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/

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*Picture/chapter book, contemporary
*Two best friends, elementary-aged girls as main characters
*Rating: Super cute and clever book, Bink and Gollie will have fans young and old.

Short, short summary:

Bink and Gollie are best friends, and they are about as opposite as you can get. In the three stories in this book, Bink buys a super loud pair of socks, and Gollie tries to get her to abandon them by compromising. In the second story, Gollie is on a pretend trip, climbing the Andes Mountains; and in the third story, Bink has a fish named Fred, and Gollie might be feeling a little jealous. The illustrations in this book are wonderful, and the text is written by an award-winning children’s writer and a New York Times Bestseller.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Depending on the age of the children whom you read this story with, they can create their own Bink and Gollie adventure. They can write the text and illustrate. If you teach young children or have a young child at home, you can write the story together.

2. Bink and Gollie try to compromise in the first story, but Gollie really just wants Bink to give in. When Bink finally comes up with a compromise, what’s the difference? Ask students to give a definition of compromise. Have any of them ever compromised? What’s another way Bink and Gollie could compromise?

3. In the last story, Bink must sacrifice having Fred as her “marvelous companion” in order to save his life. Ask students what they would have done in this situation. How would they feel? Was there any other possible solution? Why do they think Gollie really did what she did?

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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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*Picture book, fiction, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Two superhero boys as main characters
*Rating: Boys will L-O-V-E Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug, which teaches the importance of recycling without preaching. Great idea!

Short, short summary:

A clean, little town has a big problem–Litterbug Doug, his rotten trash, and his rat friends. Litterbug Doug doesn’t care about his neighbors or the earth until Michael Recycle shows him the error of his ways. Once Litterbug Doug changes his habits, he becomes the litter police. Told with rhyme and bright illustrations, children will love listening to and looking at Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug. The end of the book provides “green” tips for kids and facts about trash.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. After reading about Michael Recycle, allow students to create their own “green” superhero. Students should write about the superhero and draw a picture. Children should also make up a new name.

2. In so many classrooms and even at home, we talk a lot about recycling around Earth Day–but we shouldn’t wait until April to talk about this important subject. Children can take the green tips from the back of the book and create posters for the classroom. Then whenever a child or adult “catches someone being green,” shout it out. For example, you could shout out, “I just caught Alissa being green. She remembered to turn off our light switch on our way out of the classroom. Thanks, Alissa!”

3. Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug is a great example of a picture book you can use to teach word choice, one of the six plus one traits of writing. Ellie Bethel’s word choice really sets the scene and shows readers just how gross Litterbug Doug is.

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