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on 2/11/2013
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This is a book I am EXTREMELY excited to tell you about for several reasons. . .
- I helped to edit this book in its beginning stages in 2009, as part of my Editor 911 business.
- It is a terrific HISTORICAL FICTION book for upper middle grade/tween/younger YA audience by a delightful author.
- Ice Cube Press is a wonderful small publisher that also published DIVORCE GIRL (see my post:http://margodill.com/blog/2012/07/30/the-divorce-girl-blog-tour-and-giveaway-ya-or-adult/ ) which is one of the best books I read last year!
- You can use this book to teach history AND writing lessons such as voice. There are TERRIFIC voices throughout this book.
*Historical fiction, upper-middle grade/tween/younger YA (set during the Orphan Train days)
*Three main characters: a street-smart boy, an older sister, and a younger sister–all three have chapters in their voice
*Rating: Well, is it appropriate to give a rating to a book you helped to edit? 
For the Love of Pete is a very well-written book with an interesting story/adventure that will appeal to both boys and girls–perfect for the classroom and/or home school setting!
Short, short summary:
The book starts out with a bang! Iris and her sister Rosie have to flee their New York tenement when their mother is murdered. This puts them out on the street, where they meet a “street rat”, Pete (love this character!). The three come to rely on each other and become friends. When they are put on the Orphan Train and taken to Iowa, they hope to stay together–but adults have different ideas about where the children should be and with whom. However, you can’t squash a child’s spirit or determination, and Pete, Iris, and Rosie work hard to get back together again.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Compare a nonfiction book, such as Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story by Andrea Warren, to Ethel Barker’s book. What makes For the Love of Pete historical fiction? What true facts can you learn from it about the Orphan Train? Can you tell the author did research to make the characters experience the same things as the actual boys on the Orphan Train? (The back of the book does have a small section on the Orphan Train with a photo of boys living on the street.)
2. As mentioned, this book is told in three different voices–Pete, Rosie, and Iris. Ethel Barker does an amazing job with each voice, and this is a perfect example of voice to use with a six plus one traits lesson. You can read a bit of each chapter to the students, and without looking, they can tell you which character is speaking. Which voice do they hear? What makes that voice unique? Is it word choice? Sentence fluency? Which voice do they like best? Have a discussion about voice using this book as a starting point (since it has such a strong voice!).
3. This is also a great book to study characters, motivation, and feelings. Each character has their own motivation throughout the story (and it changes a bit as the characters develop). For example, ask students what is Pete’s motivation in the beginning of the book for helping the sisters. How does he follow through on this? Why does this motivation fit his character? As for feelings, how does Iris feel toward the end of the book? (Sad and determined) Why?
By:
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on 6/25/2012
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*Picture book, contemporary, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Dan, the Taxi Man and a band as main characters
*Rating: Dan, the Taxi Man (Publisher: Kane Miller) follows a classic children’s book form that I happen to love. There’s sound effects that are easy to read aloud AND there’s repeating text. Think The House that Jack Built crossed with Charlie Parker Played Be Bop.
Short, short summary:
Dan, the Taxi Man is picking up the band. Beep! Beep! He picks up Maureen with her tambourine. Shake-a shake, crash! Shake-a shake, crash! Next comes. . .Tyrone with his saxophone. Squeeba-dee dee, squeeba-dee doo! And so on. Once the entire band is in the taxi, Dan delivers them to their gig on time. But something is missing from a stellar performance. Find out what it is in this cute picture book.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Dan, the Taxi Man begs to be read out loud! Once Dan picks up a musician, that person’s instrument sound is repeated on each page. So, children can repeat the sound with the reader. If you have a large classroom, you can have children divided into groups, and each group can be a different instrument. Have fun reading this book aloud.
2. Before reading the ending to children, ask them to predict what is missing from the band’s performance. Ask children to explain their prediction based on the text or other books they have read.
3. If possible, bring in real instruments or real musicians and have them play the instruments that are mentioned in the story. This is actually a great book for a music teacher to use with young children!
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on 6/18/2012
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Today, I welcome author Maggie Lyons who will talk about her new novel, Vin and the Dorky Duet. Here’s a brief summary of the plot from Maggie’s website before we get on to the questions and her insightful answers!
The moment he walks through the door and sees the sharky grin on his older sister’s face, Vin suspects Meg’s hatching a plot. He’s right. Worse still, he’s central to the outcome. Meg tells him that their music teachers, parents—everyone— expects him to play her duet for trumpet and piano at the upcoming student concert. Vin is horrified. Meg insists that his only escape route is to persuade another trumpet player to take his place. She has the hunky Brad Stewart in mind, and she challenges Vin to introduce her to him. Vin doesn’t know Brad any better than Meg does, but Meg points out that Vin takes a couple of classes at school with Brad’s nerdy brother. Eyeballs Stewart is the last person Vin wants to make friends with until Meg’s promise of a David Beckham autographed soccer jersey changes the seventh-grader’s mind. He has five days to accomplish his mission—Operation BS—before the concert practice schedule kicks in. Vin’s game plan, thwarted by exploding fish tanks, magnetic compost heaps, man-eating bubble baths, and other disasters doesn’t work out exactly as he expects.
Margo: Congratulations, Maggie, on the recent publication of the middle-grade novel, Vin and the Dorky Duet. What was your inspiration for this story?
Maggie: Inspiration wafted in from my love of music and my addiction to challenges—which I don’t always meet, I must confess. I was trained as a classical pianist; and throughout my life, music has been my favorite language, my confidant, my religion. As for challenges, anyone who wants to live—as opposed to vegetating—must try to meet them, don’t you think? Vin and the Dorky Duet is about a challenge that a seventh-grader gamely takes on, though with unexpected results. My challenge in writing the story is to encourage reluctant readers to turn a few pages. I’d be thrilled if the book succeeds on that level because enthusiasm for reading as a child is critical to success as an adult.
Margo: So true! I loved to read as a child, and I bet you did, too. Who would you say is the perfect audience for this book?
Maggie: Children ages seven or eight through twelve.
Margo: Thanks! What themes do you address?
Maggie:
1. Life’s challenges: Challenges in life are often unavoidable and a life without challenges is boring, even for a plant.
2. Music: Learning to play a musical instrument can be fun, and little brain cells love it.
3. Judging others: You shouldn’t make up your mind about people you’ve only just met; some people’s wonderful personalities have to be coaxed out of hiding.
4. Sibling relationships, the good and the bad;
5. Children’s names, nicknames, and shortened names;
6. Endangered species: Many whales are endangered species.
7. Sports: Soccer, rowing, swimming
Margo: What a great list–and a great resource for parents and teachers. I like to tell parents and teachers how they can USE books with children. What could parents use your book to teach children? Can you suggest a couple activities or discussion points that go with it?
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on 4/16/2012
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*Concept book, preschool to kindergarten
*Forest creatures as main characters
*The layout is one of the best parts of this concept book. It’s a cute idea and well executed!
Short, short summary:
Each pair of pages asks, “Who is in the forest, dark and deep?” and then there is a circle cut-out previewing the next page and animal. For example, there’s a bird, squirrel, and fox. Each animal has a page with a rhyming answer, such as: “Foxes on the prowl–creep, creep, creep.” The end talks about nocturnal animals. There’s a lot to look at and explore with this book–especially for young children.
So what do I do With This Book?
1. You can talk to young children about the forest habitat and what plants and animals they would find there. You can also ask questions like, “Would a penguin belong in this book?” You could even do a KWL (Know, Wonder, Learn) chart if you wanted to further the study of this habitat.
2. Ask children to predict what the next page will say based on the cut-out circle pictures and the predictability of the repeating text and rhyming words.
3. Talk about the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals after reading the last page of the book. What animals do children see in the last illustration? Are all of those nocturnal animals? What does this mean?
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on 1/22/2012
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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*A creative cat as the main character
*Rating: Chester is such a great illustrator and author–who needs that Melanie Watt? If you haven’t read any of the Chester the cat series of books yet (with NO HELP FROM Melanie), then you must check one out. So cute and funny!
Short, short summary: Chester the cat has hidden his owner’s, author and illustrator Melanie Watt’s, supplies and has taken over the creation of the book with his red pen. Chester is trying to write a masterpiece. First he steals from Twas the Night Before Christmas, and then he goes through a series of exercises to break his writer’s block. Once he’s ready, he writes some stories about himself and mouse–always ending unhappily with something tragic happening to mouse! In the end, Melanie finds her art supplies in a terrible hiding spot. . .Kids and adults will get a kick out of this hysterical picture book.
So what do I do with this book?
1. This is such a cute book. I love how “Melanie Watt” leaves editorial notes to Chester on “yellow Post-it notes.” Children will LOVE this book, and they will love to leave their own notes to Chester. While reading it, let them have some stickee notes and they can jot a few things down to Chester about his illustrations, his stories, etc.
2. This book has a lot of reading lessons in it. For example, Melanie tells Chester he needs a setting. They both draw a jungle. She asks what type of story he plans to write, and he goes through several genres like humor, action, and romance. They talk about endings, problems, and characters. It is full of things writers need to think about and address when writing a story. You can start a discussion with your class on these topics, using Chester and his masterpiece as a starting point.
3. For fun, let children try to guess where Chester hid Melanie’s art supplies. See if anyone is correct by the end of the book!
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on 11/16/2011
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Today, I am very excited to welcome middle-grade novelist, Melissa Goodwin, who is on a WOW! blog tour with her book, The Christmas Village. AND EVEN MORE EXCITING–I HAVE A PAPERBACK COPY TO GIVEAWAY. One lucky reader who leaves a comment or question for Melissa OR who shares their favorite holiday decoration/tradition in a comment by Sunday, November 20 at 8:00 p.m. CST has a chance to win this book. (United States and Canada mailing addresses only please.)
Quick book summary: In this heartwarming story, Jamie wishes he could live in his grandma’s miniature Christmas Village, where everything seems so perfect. Magically, he gets his wish! But, things are not always what they seem–can Jamie help his friends and still get home in time for Christmas?
What an honor–I have Melissa here today with her guest post: “Every Town Tells a Story.” You can use her ideas here with the 6 + 1 traits of writing, the IDEAS trait.
Every Town has a Story – Ways to Encourage Kids (and Grown-ups! ) to Write
Melissa Ann Goodwin
On April 14, 1755, four-year-old Lucy Keyes tagged along behind her older sisters as they trudged through the woods of Princeton, Massachusetts. Lucy never came home. The townsfolk searched everywhere, but no trace of her was ever found. Lucy’s mother, Martha, searched the woods daily, calling for her missing child. More than 250 years later, people in Princeton swore they’d seen Martha’s ghost and heard her cries echoing through the woods.
In 2005, writer-director John Stimpson lived on land that was once part of the Keyes’ property. He’d heard the Lucy Keyes story thousands of times – it was the stuff of legend in such a small town. The mystery called to him so strongly that he made a movie, The Legend of Lucy Keyes, starring Hollywood actors and using Princeton locals as extras.
We can all take a lesson from Stimpson, who saw the potential for great storytelling literally in his own back yard. Like Princeton, every town has stories, and discovering them is a great way to get kids excited about writing – which is really just the art of storytelling. There are hundreds – even thousands of tales a town might tell; we just have to go looking for them.
So where do we start? Here are some suggestions:
Street names: Streets are often named for people who played a significant role in a town’s history. Why did the town name a street after this person? There’s a story there! Sometimes street names reflect something specific about the area. For example, you’d expect Apple Orchard Lane to be near an apple orchard. But what if it’s not? Was there once an orchard there? What happened to it? There’s a story there, too.
Rivers and other landmarks: The names of rivers and geographic landmarks often reflect whatever the person who named them experienced there. A dry riverbed named “Buzzard’s Roost Wash,” creates a vivid image of vultures perched on bare tree branches, waiting to pounce. Whenever I see a name like that, I think, there’s gotta be a reason!
Statues and monuments: In my book, The Christmas Village, there is a statue in the village square that you wouldn’t expect to find in a Vermont town. The idea for this small detail in my story came from the real town of York, Maine. The town ordered a statue, but the wrong one was delivered. The frugal York townspeople didn’t want to pay to send it back, so they kept the statue and put it in the center of town. What stories do the monuments in your town tell?
Cemeteries:
By:
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on 2/17/2011
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I am very excited to let people know about this book! It is perfect for music teachers and kids who love music. The best part is the author, Mayra Calvani, is giving away one copy of this book to a lucky commenter. So, for a chance to win this book, leave a comment below by Sunday, Feb. 20 at 8pm CST. Please only United States and Canada addresses. Now, on to the book. . .
*Picture book for preschool through second grade, fantasy
*A mouse as the main character
*Rating: What a clever idea for a picture book, and the illustrations by K.C. Snider are so cute, too!
Short, short summary:
Frederico the mouse lives in the workshop of the famous violin player, Antonio Stradivari. He likes to watch Stradivari create his famous Stradivarius violins. He practiced playing the big violins at night when he was alone. One night, Stradivari hears him, but the mouse doesn’t know. After that, the luthier works on a very small and special project, which the mouse is dying to figure out what it is.
So what do I do with this book?
1. Use the material in the back of the book for extension activities. There’s a bio about Stradivari, a search-a-word puzzle, violin vocabulary, and a matching game.
2. Let students predict what they think Stradivari is working on. Ask them to support their predictions with clues from the text.
3. Study instruments in the string family. Ask students to create posters and make a list of distinguishing characteristics. Listen to the string family if possible!
Don’t forget to leave a comment below for the contest!
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on 5/7/2010
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*Contemporary picture book for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*The LOUDS (a very fun family) as main characters
*Rating: The Louds Move In! is a funny picture book full of cute illustrations.
Short, short summary:
The Louds Move In! by Carolyn Crimi starts when guess what? The Loud family moves into a very quiet neighborhood on Earmuffle Street. The Louds walk loud–”stomp, stompity, stomp”–and eat loud–”chomp, chompity, chomp”–and even play loud–”thump, thumpity, thump.” All the quiet neighbors just can’t take the loudness anymore, and so they call and then write the Louds a note. However, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. One night, the quiet neighbors go over to the Louds’ house to talk to them about their loudness, and there is nothing but quiet. They figure the family must have FINALLY gotten the message. However, the neighbors start to hate the quiet, and they have to figure out a way to get the Louds back to being loud again.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. One of the 6 + 1 traits of writing is word choice. This is a great picture book to use with children to discuss word choice. From the sound effects to the characters’ names to the action verbs, Carolyn Crimi has used specific word choices that makes her picture book sparkle. Ask children to tell you some of their favorite words in the story. Point out how she is making the characters shout or bellow or yell, and how these words match her story. Make a list of specific words she uses that children like, and hang these words in the room for them to use in their own writing.
2. Before children discover that the Louds really didn’t change but went on vacation, ask them to predict what they think will happen at the end of the story? Why are the Louds so quiet? Did they listen to the letter? Did they want to change to make their neighbors happy? Ask students to use clues from the illustrations and text to make a realistic prediction.
3. Children can do a fun art and writing project with this book. Take a piece of drawing paper and divide it in half–on one half students draw themselves doing a loud activity they like. On the other half, they draw a quiet activity. Discuss how most people are both quiet and loud, depending on the situation. Then ask students to write a sentence or paragraph (whichever is age-appropriate) explaining their illustrations.
Are you part of the Louds?
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on 3/26/2010
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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Princess Bess as main character
Rating: Little girls who love princesses will love Princess Bess Gets Dressed, especially little girls who love princesses and underwear! (Now, I’ve peaked your interest, right?)
Short, short summary:
Princess Bess has a busy schedule. She has to dine on muffins with the queen, go to dance class, attend a joust, play chess, and much more. For each task or event, she has to change into a different outfit, of course, but she’s got a secret. She really likes to wear one thing best–and she doesn’t tell the reader what it is until the very end of the story. Well, and I’m not going to tell you either!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. This is a great book to practice prediction skills. In the beginning, Princess Bess tells readers that she has a secret about what she likes to wear best. But then she never gets to tell us because she is so busy. So ask students or family members to predict what her favorite outfit is. Write down predictions. Read the end of the book and see who is right.
2. Princess Bess Gets Dressed has a lot of fun rhymes. Ask children which pair of rhyming words is their favorite and then create your own sentences with these words. For example, one pair of rhyming words in the book is chess and dress. You could make up a sentence like: When I wear my blue dress, I like to play chess. Students will have fun making up new sentences with Margery Cuyler’s words as a starting point.
3. Ask students what their favorite clothes are to wear. Do they have a favorite shirt? Pajamas? Shoes? Send a note home to parents and ask them to bring in a photo of their children dressed in a favorite outfit. Children can paste or tape this photo to construction paper, write a sentence or two about their clothes, and decorate the paper for a unique wall display. If children forget photos, have a camera available, so you can take a picture of the student. You can easily do this activity at home with your children, too, if you home school.
Posted on 3/19/2010
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Nickel Shakespeare Girls by Clinton Steeds on www.flickr.com. According to Clinton, these girls can perform any scene from a Shakespeare play that someone in the audience calls out.
*Middle-grade, tween contemporary mystery novel
*6th-grade girl as main character
*Rating: Shakespeare’s Secret is a remarkable book with a wonderful mystery that children and adults will love!
Short, short summary:
An excerpt from School Library Journal review: Hero has always hated her Shakespearean-based name, for, as her new sixth-grade classmates are quick to tell her, it’s better suited to a dog than to a girl. Resigned to their constant teasing, she concentrates instead on her new-found friendship with her kindly, if somewhat eccentric, elderly next-door neighbor. Mrs. Roth tells Hero about the missing “Murphy Diamond,” a precious jewel that supposedly disappeared from the house where Hero now lives. Mrs. Roth has the necklace that once held the diamond, an heirloom that possibly once belonged to Anne Boleyn, and she is convinced that it is still hidden in the vicinity. She and Hero set out to find what the police could not, and, with help from Danny, a popular yet self-assured eighth grader who befriends them both, you’ll have to discover if they succeed–(This last part is from Margo–I’m not going to tell you what happens.)
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Some understanding of who William Shakespeare/Anne Boleyn were and what Shakespeare did for English literature/drama is probably necessary for children/tweens to truly understand and enjoy this novel. Before reading, show students a Shakespeare play that you can rent on DVD from the library or even better (and if possible) would be a field trip to a live performance. You can also assign students different short biographical topics such as Shakespeare’s childhood, first play, and so on or assign various plays to research. Students can share their findings with the class.
2. As Hero and Danny are discovering clues and information about the Murphy Diamond, your students can also try to figure out its location. Where do they think it could be? Ask students to write down clues and make predictions in their reading response journals right along with Hero and Danny.
3. Hero is teased because of her name. Many children who are reading this novel are also teased for one reason or another, so they may be able to relate well with Hero and her feelings–even when Danny, a popular kid, befriends her. Besides asking students to write about and discuss the mystery, historical facts, and plot, give them some writing prompts that allow them to make personal connections with the characters during this often difficult time of adolescence.
This would make a great book club choice or a home school study, too!
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on 1/12/2010
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photo by Stepheye www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Young (and tiny) boy as the main character
*Rating: You might be more familiar with Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels, but this picture book is funny with a terrific voice! A modern-day take on the old-David-and-Goliath theme.
Short, short summary: The Antonellis of Third Street are BIG. Their friends are BIG too. Well, everyone except Little Benny, the tiny Antonelli. The big Antonelli kids like to play WITH Benny, which means they stuff him into snowballs, tape him to toy airplanes, and let the dogs walk him. As you can imagine, Little Benny is very unhappy and tired of being tiny. The way he finds some peace and quiet is to climb up high on top of street signs, fire escapes, and telephone poles. He can climb fast and high. So, the day of the annual Third Street block party, one of the activities is to climb a greased pole and grab a big hunk of cheese. All the big Antonellis and their big “friends” try it. But who do you think can do it?
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Who hasn’t felt like little Benny sometime in their life? Some of the students in your class may be the youngest sibling. Others may be tired of being told, “You can do it when you’re older.” This book is perfect for talking with students about self-esteem and their self-image. Point out that maybe Little Benny is small, but he is the best climber. Give your students some drawing paper and ask them to illustrate a picture of themselves and one activity they are really good at. Older students can write some sentences to go with their illustrations.
2. If you are teaching the 6 plus 1 traits of writing, this is an excellent book to use for voice. The Big Cheese of Third Street has a unique voice. Read the book out loud to students a few times. Talk about Laurie Halse Anderson’s word choice, and the way she sometimes speaks to the reader. You can use this book with older grades as an example of good voice, too.
3. Can students use their prediction skills and predict what’s going to happen when they see the big greased pole in the first scene of the block party? The author tells the reader that everything changed on Third Street after the block party. What do they think is going to happen and why? What evidence is there in the book to support their opinions?
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on 1/7/2010
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Today, in East Central Illinois, I am surrounded by snow and wind and chilly temperatures. So what’s a better Timeless Thursday book to remember today than The Mitten by Jan Brett? I remember when I was studying to be an elementary education teacher in the early 1990s, and everybody raved about Jan Brett–especially The Mitten. In one of my classes, we had to do a cross-curriculum unit on a book where we created activities in various subjects such as math, social studies, science, and reading. I did Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, but one of my classmates did Jan Brett’s The Mitten. And I was smitten.
One of the best things about this book is the art and the border around each page that Jan Brett has become famous for. Not only are her illustrations wonderful and something I could never imagine doing in a million years, the borders are clever and help readers predict which animals might enjoy the boy’s mitten next. For example, the text on one page is discussing how Nicki lost his mitten. The border is showing us mole tracks on one page and a mole on the next. Then the next page’s text is about the mole finding the mitten and resting inside.
This Timeless Thursday Jan Brett classic, which is 21 years old in 2010, can be used in the classroom in so many ways. Many art teachers use her border idea for art projects in elementary art lessons. Teachers use The Mitten to work on predicting or sequencing skills and read tales from other lands (this story comes from a Ukrainian tradition). Parents can share this wonderful book at bedtime, use it to develop an interest in knitting, and even to talk about responsibility with their children. I mean, how many of us have lost a mitten? I have! I should probably have mine tied to my winter coat as we speak.
The Mitten by Jan Brett is a great winter book to share with children at home or at school!
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on 12/22/2009
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Teaching habitats or teaching Christmas can easily be done with this remarkably clever and cute picture book: Who Would Like a Christmas Tree?
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Animals on a Christmas Tree Farm as main characters
*Rating: Who Would Like a Christmas Tree? is one of those children’s Christmas books that can actually be used any time of the year, especially during a science unit on teaching habitats or food chains/webs. Cute! Cute! Cute!
Short, short summary: Who would like a Christmas tree in January? What a great question to start off this book that goes through each month of the year, explaining the animals who like to live on a Christmas tree farm until a family comes and cuts down a tree in December. For example, black-capped chickadees like Christmas trees in January because they find their food there and roost in the thick branches. Who would like a Christmas tree in July? Well, the wildflowers do because they like to grow in the same soil as the Christmas trees and some of them like the shade the trees provide. Who would like a Christmas tree in November? Wild turkeys–of course, and I’m sure they’re hoping not to be Thanksgiving dinner. The author includes some notes from an actual Christmas tree farmer at the end of the book for more educational opportunities. At Christmas time, this is a great book for “teaching Christmas” without teaching anything about the holiday that might get some parents upset. Teaching habitats or food webs is a great idea with this book also! Each page provides details and facts about the animal/plant/human and why they like the Christmas tree.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Make a calendar with the book. The picture for each month would be an illustration of the Christmas tree or Christmas tree farm with the animal/plant/human that would like it for that month. Children can illustrate the calendar, using Anne Hunter’s illustrations as an example. You can laminate these pictures and then put them together with a calendar for each month that you printed from your computer’s word processing program. This is a great activity for preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders who are doing calendar math, learning the order and spelling of the months, and figuring out which months are in which seasons.
2. As mentioned earlier, teaching habitats is super-easy with Who Would Like a Christmas Tree? Once you’ve read this book, your students or children have learned a great deal about a forest/Christmas tree farm. You can then read a book like The Great Kapok Tree, and you can compare and contrast the two books. With The Great Kapok Tree, students are learning about a rainforest habitat, and they are learning the animals, plants, and humans that rely on the tree and make up the habitat around it, just like they are with the Christmas tree book.
3. Since this book has a pattern with repeatable text, children can read along with the book. By looking at the cover, they can also try to predict what animals might like a Christmas tree in a certain month, or they can also predict why. This is a fun read-aloud, and children won’t even realize how much they are learning about an environment!
By:
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on 12/1/2009
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*Chapter book for second to fourth graders, realistic contemporary
*Third-grade girl as main character
*Rating: Clementine’s Letter is laugh-out-loud funny while being touching and so true to life at the same time!
Short, short summary: Clementine is back and in third grade. She is finally “in sync” with her teacher, Mr. D’Matz (be careful how you say his name–you might accidentally say two bad words, according to Clementine). Her principal visits are fewer. But one day, Mr. D’Matz sends Clementine to get the principal who has a special announcement about the teacher. Mr. D’Matz could be selected to spend the rest of the school year in Egypt. But Clementine can’t believe her ears, and she doesn’t think much of this special announcement. Mr. D’Matz promised to do all sorts of fun activities with his third grade students; and if he leaves, he will be breaking his promise. So, when Clementine has an assignment to write a letter of recommendation for her teacher to receive this chance of a lifetime, she decides to write quite a letter. She even asks her parents how to spell, “Menace to Society.” In Clementine’s Letter, Sara Pennypacker writes a funny tale once again with lovable, quirky Clementine in the middle–still searching for vegetable names for her brother and trying to help her mom organize her art supplies.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Clementine is angry at Mr. D’Matz for breaking his promise; but as he explains, he didn’t know that he was going to be up for this award or given the chance to go to Egypt. Ask students to write in reading sreponse journals if they think Clementine should be angry at Mr. D’Matz. Do they agree that he broke his promise? Have they ever made a promise that they had to break? Has someone else ever made a promise to them that was broken? Should people be careful when they use the words, “I promise”? If you are reading this book with your child at home, have a discussion with him or her about promises. This is often a hot topic between kids and parents, and Sara Pennypacker’s book can help you get the conversation started.
2. When Clementine writes her letter, the reader does not know everything that she says, but it is easy to guess that she wrote a lot of bad things about her teacher. Ask students to use their prediction skills and predict what they think will happen to Mr. D’Matz and Clementine because of her letter. Will Clementine’s letter stop her teacher from going to Egypt? Will she get in trouble for writing this letter? Ask students to base their predictions on book details or personal life experiences.
3. In Clementine’s Letter, she visits an Asian-American grocery store to find more vegetable names for her brother. Based on what she calls her brother after her visit, what are some vegetables she found at the grocery store? Ask students to make a list. If you (and your students) are really brave, you could bring in some of these vegetables for children to try. If you are at home with your child, maybe you could visit a grocery store similar to the one Clementine goes to in Boston.
Have you and your child or students read Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker? If so, what are your thoughts? What discussions or activities did you do?
By:
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on 10/30/2009
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photo by Theresa Thompson www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Friday My Radio Flyer Flew is a simple, sweet story with absolutely amazing, amazing illustrations. Your young readers will LOVE it!
Short, short summary: A young boy finds his dad’s Radio Flyer red wagon in the garage. His dad takes him for a ride in the wagon, and a boy notices a plane. He gets an idea that he can make his wagon fly, but the week isn’t working out so great. Rain and several failed attempts bring him to Friday. And by the title, you can tell that somehow on Friday My Radio Flyer Flew. By the way, I am in love with Zachary Pullen’s illustrations!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Let students tell you if they think the boy is actually flying on Friday or if he and his dad are pretending to fly. Ask students to support their answers with clues from the illustrations.
2. This is a good time to talk with students about safety! On Thursday, the boy takes several tumbles in his Radio Flyer. Is it a good idea to build a ramp and try to make the wagon fly without adult supervision? I hate to dampen the spirit of adventure and all, but you can work in some safety education here–especially wearing a helmet with bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades.
3. Since there are so few words in Friday My Radio Flyer Flew, after a few readings, students could read some or all with you–especially when you get to Friday. Here’s the text: “Finally on Friday. . .I focused. . .and my Radio Flyer. . .flew. . .and flew. . .and flew!” With each “flew,” students could read louder!
I am telling you–you have to check out this book and its illustrations, especially if you are a Radio Flyer lover. Are you a Radio Flyer lover?
By:
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on 9/22/2009
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*Picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Little boy and pirate girls as main characters
*Rating: The Night Pirates is a fun read full of imagination and playful language!
Short, short summary: Tom is a nice little boy who is trying to go to sleep. But he hears shadows outside his window, and he wonders if they could be monsters or trolls? Nope, they turn out to be pirates; and what I love about this is that they are LITTLE GIRL pirates!!! And even better, they don’t care that Tom is a little boy. They invite him to come along on their adventure anyway. They have to steal the front of his house to disguise their ship, but no big deal! Who will ever know? This is one of those great, clever picture books with a twist at the end shown through the illustration. Children will ask to have The Night Pirates read to them again and again.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. The language in this book is so fun from page one! “Down, down, down the dark, dark street they came.” “Up, up, up the dark, dark house they climbed.” Children will love to read the book out loud with you, especially the repetitive parts. They may even like acting it out–tiptoe down the street, pretend to climb up the house, and stay as quiet as mice.
2. As a shared writing activity, ask students what else the girl pirates and Tom could disguise their ship as. How about the Empire State Building, Arch, or Grand Canyon? You can get big, silly, small, or funny. Make a list on chart paper, assign one to each student, and ask them to write/draw about disguising the girls’ ship with their place.
3. Teach a prediction lesson with this book. Most people will think when the girls and Tom get to the pirates’ island that the pirates will capture them or be mean to them. But the opposite happens. So, before you read the part about what happens to the pirates, ask students to predict what they think will happen. Ask them what they are basing their predictions on (probably movies or books they’ve read like The Pirates of the Carribean).
If you have read this book with your students, let us know here. We always want to know what your children/students liked about it or what activities you did!
By:
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on 7/31/2009
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Reviewed by Margo L. Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll [at] aol [dot] com
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*Chapter book, realistic fiction, contemporary
*First-grade boy as main character
*Rating: Great book for beginning chapter book readers–funny–with endearing characters. Roscoe Riley is a hoot!
Short, short summary: In Katherine Applegate’s Roscoe Riley Rules series, Roscoe Riley is a first grader who gets himself into a bit of trouble. In book two, Never Swipe a Bully’s Bear, Roscoe is struggling with whether or not he should take his stuffed pig, Hamilton, to school. His older brother says to leave it at home, but Roscoe is just not quite ready for that yet. At school, Wyatt, the first-grade bully, sees Hamilton and makes fun of Roscoe. But guess what? Wyatt has a bear, Bobo, that he brings to school. All of a sudden Hamilton goes missing, and Roscoe is sure that Wyatt has his stuffed pig. So, how does Roscoe solve his problem and find Hamilton? You’ll have to read to find out!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. In Roscoe Riley Rules #2 by Katherine Applegate, Roscoe jumps to a conclusion that Wyatt stole his bear. Your students or your children have probably jumped to conclusions themselves before, but they might not be familiar with the term. Explain what it means, and then ask students to think of a time when they have jumped to a conclusion. Depending on the age of your students or your children, you can either discuss it, draw pictures, or write in reading response journals. Making personal connections between children’s lives and Katherine Applegate’s book will help with comprehension.
2. Before you read the end of Never Swipe a Bully’s Bear, ask students to predict where Hamilton is. What do they think happened? What are some possible things that could have happened to Hamilton? Where could he be? On chart paper or on a piece of paper if you homeschool, make a list of predictions that make sense and are based on events in the book. Then read the end of the book and see if anyone predicted correctly.
3. Roscoe Riley’s teacher has a stuffed animal party. Your students can also have a stuffed animal party to celebrate finishing this book in the Katherine Applegate series. At the stuffed animal party, allow students to pick their favorite picture books or chapters of Roscoe Riley Rules #2, and read to their stuffed animals.
If you have used this book with your students or your children, then please let us know what you did with a comment here. Have you read any more books in the Roscoe Riley series?
