Well Said, and High Time Someone Said It!

This principal has implemented wonderful practices to boost student reading and build classroom libraries. He exemplifies what it means to “do the right thing.”

Read the article, then take a moment to ponder what our schools would be like if every principal followed his example.

Article link

Back to School Scavenger Hunt

If you’re looking for a simple, fun, low-prep BTS activity for grades 2-6, you can’t go wrong with this.

The Tiger Rising

Kate diCamillo is one of today's most popular junior fiction writers - great plots, engaging characters, challenging vocabulary, and abundant opportunities for inference and text connections.

Her best-known book is likely Because of Winn-Dixie, but she's also authored Flora and Ulysses, The Magician's Elephant, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Raymie Nightengale, The Tale of Despereaux, as well as her Mercy Watson and Bink & Gollie series'.

I had the opportunity to hear her speak when she was touring to promote Flora and Ulysses, and she is thoroughly delightful. The audience was filled with all ages and she was engaging to every age and interest level. I've included link to interviews below and this article by her about why children's book SHOULD be a little bit sad is well worth your time.

Tiger Rising has a lot of sad, and it's ok. Rob's mother passed away a year ago. His dad is so grief-stricken that he won't talk about her and doesn't want anyone else to mention her either, including Rob. But their hometown full of people who love them and his mother insists on wrapping their arms around them, so his father decides they have to move.

Rob has an image in his mind of a suitcase, and he puts all of his feelings, thoughts, and memories of his mother into that suitcase and keeps the lid shut tight. He refers back to the suitcase anytime he is tempted to cry or even talk to anyone about his mother.

They end up living in a hotel where his father works as a handyman. Rob is bullied at school, on the bus, everywhere he goes, and adults turn a blind eye. He has a rash on his legs, that to any adult would signal emotional distress, but to other children represents another opportunity to mock and tease him. He adds his feelings about being treated this way to his suitcase.

And then Sistine moves to town. Sistine's parents recently divorced and she is sure her father is coming any day to take her to live with him, so she has no intention of making friends or caring about this place. Rob is drawn to her immediately.

Sistine immediately becomes a target for the other children, but she, unlike Rob, fights back, leaving school each day with dirty, torn clothes, as well as scrapes and bruises. Before she and Rob can get to know each other very well, his principal sends him home until the rash on his legs clears up because some of the other parents are afraid it is contagious. Rob is thrilled!

Sistine brings him the schoolwork he has missed each day and they develop an uneasy friendship that is cemented when he shares that he has found a tiger in a cage in the woods, a tiger that sits squarely on top of his suitcase, holding it closed.

As the mystery of the tiger unfolds, Rob and Sistine come to terms with the truths in their lives - Sistine's father is not coming to get her and Rob must learn to talk about his feelings if he is going to be healthy.

This is a great read-aloud with older children. I recommend reading to together because of some of the intense topics and feelings that are woven into this wonderful story. It opens the door to opportunities to talk about divorce, death, compassion, kindness, mental health, friendship, decision-making, etc...

The ending is satisfying, but leaves enough room for the reader to imagine what the future holds for Rob and his friend Sistine.

Tiger Rising and Kate diCamillo's other works are available on Amazon.



Reading Rockets interview with diCamillo
Candlewick Press interview with diCamillo

Sweet Tooth

Margie Palatini writes witty books, the kind of books adults can enjoy as much as children and Sweet Tooth is one of my favorites to read with my classes.

Stewart has a sweet tooth - a demanding molar that hounds him day and night for goodies. In the middle of movies, class, everywhere he goes, the Sweet Tooth yells for jelly beans, chocolate, licorice, lollipops, cookies, anything and everything containing sugar. Even when Stewart is moaning in pain, saying he's had enough, the Sweet Tooth yells for more, "What are you waiting for, kid? Come on. Cookie. Cookie. Cookie. COOKIE."

But Stewart has a plan - he's going to put the Sweet Tooth on a healthy diet. He feeds his Sweet Tooth peas and broccoli, and no matter how loudly the Sweet Tooth yells, Stewart stays strong.

He brushes the Sweet Tooth and pushes it with his tongue, and the Sweet Tooth realizes Stewart is trying to get rid of him, so he increases the pressure. Stewart responds by grabbing a big old carrot and...crunch. The Sweet Tooth is now the Tooth Fairy's problem.

The illustrations are so fun - vivid and zany, sweets flying everywhere, the bug-eyed kids, and I especially love the way Jack E. Davis has drawn the Sweet Tooth - he looks like a white enamel version of Oscar Madison.

Pick up Sweet Tooth and a few of Margie Palatini's books and enjoy some giggles with your young ones.

Mrs. Serio's Mommy reading aloud Sweet Tooth

The Nevers

Born to Read

Judy Sierra and Marc Brown have collaborated on quite a few children's books, all of them worth reading with your little ones. Today, in the spirit of Back-to-School preparation, here's a story about the wonders of reading.

Judy Sierra's trademark rhyming verse holds true for this book and tells us about Sam, a young reader who truly understands that being able to read is a ticket to success.

From birth, Sam's parents surround him with print and begin reading picture books to him. Unsurprisingly, Sam becomes a voracious reader. He reads in the grocery store, in the car, in the tub, and even while playing basketball. He uses his reading skills to win a bike race and declares that the secret to his win is that "Readers win and winners read."

One day, a giant baby, Grundaloon, lumbers into town and takes away all the toys. When he leaves, everyone else is relieved, but Sam worries that he will return and wreak more havoc. So he ponders and comes up with a clever, fantastical plan to make sure Grundaloon never returns.

This story can open up opportunities to talk with your class or your own children about all the things we are able to do when we can read. Older children could be invited to write a narrative fiction piece about what a day in their life (at school?) might be like if they could not read.

Take note of the books featured in the illustrations: Pat the Bunny, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Arthur, and The Cat in the Hat all make at least one appearance.

Be sure to add Born to Read to your home library collection.

Library of Congress video of Judy Sierra and Marc Brown presenting "Born to Read" at the 2008 National Book Festival

My First Day of School

P.K. Hallinan has written a whole series of special days books - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentines Day, Christmas, Easter, and First Day of School. In fact, he's written and illustrated over 100 books for children, focusing primarily of family relationships, holidays, and character development.

Written in verse, this is the story follows a young boy through his first day of school, and he is excited about it, something we don't see often enough is recent children's literature with so many books on the market trying to address anxiety and fear over a new school year.

He jumps out of bed and gets ready, including having a big breakfast. He notes that the other students are "shined up like diamonds for their very first day," and that the teachers are quick to make them feel welcome - another positive message about school - hooray!

The Kindergarten teacher reassures her students that with their nametags, they won't get lost or get on the wrong bus, more fears addressed - BAM!

They find their tables and cubbies, talk about manners and safety, learned where the bathrooms are, and had a snack. They have a recess, practice some word families, and play some games a great first day of Kindergarten!

He goes home excited to return the next day - teacher win!

Simple, with plenty of opportunities to let children fill in the rhyming words and compare and contrast their first day of school with his. A must-have for your back-to-school collection.

Amazon carries this as a used book. While you're there, take a look at the rest of his oeuvre. His books are always sweet, speak to the child rather than the adult reading partner, have a positive message, and his illustrations are cute and colorful.

Our Children Can Soar

Another of my Friends of the Library purchases, Our Children Can Soar, was inspired by a saying that began circulating during the 2008 presidential election - "Rosa sat so Martin could march. Martin marched so Barack could run. Barack ran so our children can soar!"

Author Michelle Cook elaborates on the theme by taking the groundwork for Barack Obama's run for president even further back. She begins with black Civil War soldiers, moves on to George Washington Carver, followed by Jesse Owens, Hattie McDaniel, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall before reaching Barack Obama. A short bio for each of these pioneers is included at the back of the book, so readers will understand why Cook chose to include each of these pioneers in her book.

Her poetic text is illustrated by THIRTEEN illustrators: Cozbi A. Cabrera, R. Gregory Christie, Bryan Collier, Pat Cummings, Leo and Diane Dillon, AG Ford, E.B. Lewis, Frank Morrision, James Ransome, Charlotte, Riley-Webb, Shandra Strickland, and Eric Velasquez. Each illustrator is profiled at the end of the book, with a thumbnail of the page they created, so that readers will know which famous person that illustrator brought to life on the pages of Our Children Can Soar.

With all of the different artistic styles, this book is a visual feast, and the simple text allows us to enjoy the color and detail of each illustration as we reflect on the contributions these brave people made to the history of our country.

In her foreword, Marian Wright Edelman states, "As families read this book together, I hope parents and grandparents will share their own memories about the people in their family trees who stood strong and laid the foundations for the generations that followed them."

Well said.

I was lucky enough to get this at our FOL sale, but you can find it on Amazon.

Recess Woes

Who doesn't have a memory of being bullied on the playground? Recess is a break from class time, from sitting, from processing, but it's also a time when tempers flare, and bullies have opportunities to inflict pain.

These two gems show children some ways to handle bullies on the playground.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon introduces us to first grader Molly, who is the shortest girl in her class. She also has buck teeth and a voice like a bullfrog. On top of all that, she is clumsy. But her grandma gives her encouragement and great advice such as, "Walk as proudly as you can and the world will look up to you." Molly follows all of Grandma's advice and has become a self-confident young lady. And then...

Her family moves to a new town and she has to leave behind all her friends and her beloved grandmother. Starting at a new school is probably the hardest part of moving for most kids, and poor Molly Lou begins getting teased right away. The schoolyard bully, Ronald Durkin, calls her "shrimpo" while they are playing football in gym class, and she runs under Ronald's legs, scores a touchdown, and the Ronald feels foolish.

But that doesn't stop him from teasing Molly Lou and the next day he calls her "bucky-tooth beaver," so she faces the sky and, with a giant smile on her face, stacks ten pennies on top of her teeth. And Ronald feels foolish, but like most bullies, Ronald still hasn't learned his lesson, so on the third day of school, he tells her she sounds like a sick duck and mocks her voice.

Molly Lou sings out, "Quack!" so long and strong that Ronald falls over, hits his head and has to go to the nurse. Of course, all the other students are thrilled to have a recess without Ronald, and he again feels foolish.

But sometimes bullies are stubborn, and Ronald tries again. Again Molly keeps and positive attitude and proves him wrong, and on the fifth day he finally stops - cue the "Hallelujah Chorus."

David Catrow's illustrations exaggerate the facial features of the characters, 

Interview about Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon with author Patty Lovell

 Sequel: Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon

You can purchase Stall Tall, Molly Lou Melon through Amazon.

Mean Jean rules the playground at her school. She was The Recess Queen and everyone followed her rules. Nobody swings, kicks, or bounces until Mean Jean swings, kick,s or bounces, and if some poor kid messes up, they get smooshed.

Then a new kid moves in and doesn't know about Mean Jean's reign of terror. Katie Sue is a teeny tiny recess-loving kid and when that recess bell rings, she zips outside and PLAYS! Mean Jean gets right up in Katie Sue's face and lets Katie Sue know the rules. Here is my favorite part: Katie Sue just says, "How DID you get so bossy?" and goes off to play again.

This doesn't go over well with Mean Jean and she thunders along behind Katie Sue, ready to smoosh her. Then Katie Sue pulls a jump rope out of her backpack and says, "Hey, Jeanie Beanie, let's try this jump rope out!"

Mean Jean doesn't know what to say, no one has ever asked her to play, so she just stares and Katie Sue jumps and sings her jump rope rhyme, and then the other kids start yelling, "Go, Jean, go!" Jean jumps in and from that day on, she is too busy having fun with her friends at recess to bother with bullying the other kids.

The illustrations in this book are so fun and bright, Laura Huliska-Beith captures Katie Sue's exuberance and Mean Jean's domineering spirit so well.

Author Alexis O'Neill tells the story of Mean Jean with vivid descriptions and fun nonsense words like bouncity, kickity, swingity, and kajammered. Kids will love to listen to them and enjoy saying the refrain right along with you.

The Recess Queen is available on Amazon.

• Bringing Fun Home read aloud of The Recess Queen

The Struggle is Real - Managing Behavior

Like it or not, managing behavior is as much a part of what teachers do as teaching reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. I have a lot of theories about why this is the case, but discussing that is stressful and I might have a rage stroke. On the other hand, discussing books makes me happy, so let's do that instead.

Just look at this cover! It makes me giggle just to see Kirby's mischievous face. Kirby has an active imagination. When his teacher, Mrs. Frost, gives a spelling test, he visualizes each sentence she uses in the most ridiculous ways and gets a fit of giggles. She tires of his laughter and marches him down to the principal's office for not-laughing lessons. The adults’ names are so fitting!

Mr. Gloomsmith runs him through some very depressing scenarios, which affect Kirby to the point that he asks, "Mr. Gloomsmith, don't you ever think of anything happy? Don't you ever laugh?" Mr. Gloomsmith replies, "Young man, I haven't laughed in twenty-nine years. I don't even remember how." And that's when Kirby Kelvin turns the tables on his dour principal.

The illustrations are the best part of this story. Every once in a while, I find a picture book that shows the illustrator "gets" the author's message and Judy Love really understood Ivon Cecil's vision for her story. Seeing what's happening in Kirby's head being brought to life on the page, gives me the giggles, Kirby Kelvin giggles.

We've all known a child who knows 101 ways to sit in a chair. Patrick is that guy. Everywhere he goes, people tell him to sit still. Finally, his teacher asks his mom to take him to the doctor, who is not helpful.

So Mom decides she is going to help Patrick and his life changes - they begin walking to school, building things, bowling, doing yard work, singing in the church choir, helping the crossing guard, basically all the adults in his life help him find ways to use his abundant energy for good.

If you have a Patrick in your life, read this book together and use it as a springboard to come up with ways to redirect all that physical energy.

Sit Still can be purchased through Amazon.

Author Nancy Carlson has written and/or illustrated 60 or so children's books.

MN Original interview with Nancy Carlson

Variations on The Gingerbread Man

Over the next few weeks, Kindergarten students all over America will make gingerbread men. While the children are at recess, the gingerbread man will mysteriously disappear and the intrepid Kindergartners will go on a school-wide hunt to find him.

I don't know who came up with this idea, but it is a clever way to tour the school with those new little students - they will meet the principal, the nurse, the lunch ladies, the custodian, the librarian, and learn where the playground, restrooms, office, library, and other parts of their new school are located. Best of all, they stay alert and are excited about the exercise because they are looking for their gingerbread man in every nook and cranny of the school. My friend Julie, Kindergarten teacher extraordinaire at my former school, has them make cute little headbands with gingerbread men on them to don before they embark on their quest to find their gingerbread buddy.

Usually, this whole extravaganza begins with a read aloud of the traditional version of The Gingerbread Man. Due to the popularity of this activity, variations on the original have been popping up for a couple of decades, and I have quite a few of them in my classroom library. Two that would work particularly well for this activity are: The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School and The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School.

The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School by Joan Holub, is a leveled reader, so I didn't have high hopes when I purchased it. But at the time, I was looking for fractured tales to supplement my folklore unit, so I onto my classroom Scholastic book order it went.

 I was pleasantly surprised when I read it and actually prefer it to the other book I'll introduce today. Debbie Palen's illustrations are hilarious and give readers the feeling of movement as the gingerbread kid runs around the school. They have a golden "glow" that really appeals to me.

Instead of meeting farm animals as he flees, like the traditional cookie does, the gingerbread kid meets school staff and makes a mess as he goes. He is foiled by a child he encounters in the library. He demands that the child chase him, but the child continues to quietly read. Their exchange is wonderful:

GK: What kind of kid wants to read?
Boy: A smart kid.

Though the ending wasn't entirely satisfying, this is a fun addition to any gingerbread collection. This one is unlikely to be found in your local library, but you can purchase it on Amazon.

Be sure to have the children chant the refrain with you each time the GK says it, "I'm the gingerbread kid.

I'm as fast as can be.

You can run, run, run.

But you can't catch me!"

They will love it.

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray is a rhyming journey around the school as the gingerbread man goes to look for his class rather than the class hunting for him.

He gets flattened onto a volleyball, breaks off a toe in the gym, gets patched up by the nurse, lands in the art teacher's lunch, and takes a spin in the principal's chair before he ends up back in class to find his class waiting for him with a gingerbread chair, desk, and house where he can comfortably be part of the class that year.

Mike Lowery gives the book a comic book feel, using a limited color palette and framing the scenes, putting multiple scenes on a page.

Behind the action, he includes and map of the school, showing us where the class is in comparison to the gingerbread man.

Again, the refrain is important, and there are two in this book - let those kiddos chant!

"I'm the gingerbread man,

And I'm trying to find

The children who made me,

But left me behind."

is said to each character he meets. As he leaves each character, he uses this refrain, putting in a new verb each time:

"I'll _____ and I'll _____ , (run, limp, slide, skip)

As fast as I can.

I can catch them!

I'm their gingerbread man!"

This book is also available on Amazon and there are several books in this series: The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Firetruck, The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at the School, and The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas. I'm picturing a year-long gingerbread theme, reading these aloud before field trips to the zoo and the fire station, and for holidays.


You can never have too many gingerbread books, so be sure to take a look at these:

• The Gingerbread Cowboy
• The Gingerbread Girl - this story has sequels
• Gingerbread Baby - this one has sequels as well
• The Gingerbread Boy

Have fun!

Bonus:

• Why Picture Books are Important by Laura Murray
• Debbie Palen's Blog

That Time of Year

It pains me to say this, but it's time to get ready for school to start up again. To get myself mentally prepared, I'm going to share some of my favorite books that I've read to my classes over the years.

Sammy the shark is super stoked for the first day of school. But when Sammy gets excited, he tends to bite things. He gets so excited about breakfast that he bites the table. At school, he gets so excited playing tag, that he swallows another student. He gets so excited about story time that he eats the book. He gets so excited about his painting, he eats it. During creative movement, he gets so excited that he eats the teacher. It's unclear if she survives the shark attack, but kids will get a kick out of Sammy crunching into things that shouldn't be eaten, and giggle at his excitement over everyday things.

British author and illustrator Nick Ward's cartoon version of a young shark is friendly and colorful. Sammy is placed in human settings, but if you look closely, you'll see little bubbles in each illustration to remind us that Sammy is a marine animal and all of this is happening in the ocean.

There is a sequel about Sammy - Don't Eat the Babysitter (yikes), which you can get along with Don't Eat the Teacher on Amazon.

Interesting fact: Ward is a survivor of one of the worst sailing accidents in modern history.

This cute story lists all the thing teachers can't do - use the hall pass to go to the bathroom, finger paint in their good clothes, feed the class pets by themselves, cry if they skin their knee, etc... I laughed out loud at the assumption the child makes that teachers doesn't know the answer to 2+2, otherwise why on earth would they keep asking the students for the answer?!?

Author Douglas Wood ends with this sweet thought, "No one knows why there are so many things teachers can't do. Maybe it's because they're so busy doing the thing they do best of all. Teaching you."

Illustrator Doug Cushman (he has a how-to watercolor series on YouTube) has created vivid, happy illustrations, and though I confess I'm not sure exactly what animal these characters are, the pictures are a spot on portrayal of teacher life.

Other books in this series - What Mom's Can't Do, What Dads Can't Do, What Santa Can't Do. All of these are available on Amazon.

When I opened this book today, I saw this and a wave of love for this student and her sweet family washed over me. She was in my class for 2 years, both of her little sisters were in my class for 2 years as well, and her mom was an AMAZING classroom and school volunteer! I can hardly believe she is married with 2 young children - XO, Ashley!

• Why Picture Books are Important by Doug Cushman
• What Teachers Can't Do read aloud by Missy Monsivais

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Just hearing the word "summer" brings back a rush of childhood memories of camping trips, swimming, playing in the cul-de-sac for hours with my neighborhood friends, picnics at the beach, and trips to the library to check out a giant stack of books that were supposed to last me two weeks and never lasted more than a week.

It's hard to see the end of those relaxing days of late bedtimes and doing waht you want all day long. So with back-to-school days looming ahead, I thought I'd share How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague to get everyone in the mood for school. (Is that possible in August?)

Wallace Bleff (Teague chooses great names for his characters) is set to read his obligatory What-I-Did-Over-Summer-Vacation essay to his class. The entire story is written in rhyme, and begins with him explaining that because of his overactive imagination, his parents sent him to spend the summer on the plains with his Aunt Fern.

He goes on to weave a tale of being captured by cowboys, learning the tricks of their trade, earning his nickname "Kid Bleff." and going on their round-up.

Aunt Fern invites them all to come over for a barbecue after the round-up and they have a great time, until...the herd stampedes. Wallace naturally saves the day with his amazing matador skills and is proclaimed the hero of the round-up.

 Being a teacher, one of my favorite parts is the teacher's reaction.

Before you put away the pool towels and beach toys, head to your library and check out this book to ease into those back-to-school preparations. Your family could even make a list of everything you've done over the summer to refresh the kiddos' memories before they are asked to write it all down on the first day of school.

Get it on Amazon, or at your local library.

Reading Rockets interview with Mark Teague
JRank bio on Mark Teague
NCCIL bio on Mark Teague

Bamboozled

This is FUN book!

A girl visits her grandfather, as she does every week, and they do all of the same things they usually do: play cards, have tea and pastries, look through old photo albums, work in the garden, etc.

As they go about their normal routine, the girl insists that something seems odd. This seems like a simple premise, but UK/Australian illustrator David Legge hs filled the pages with visual incongruities, trompe l'oeil, and jokes children and adults will love, and these make it very difficult for the reader to figure out what, in Grandpa's unusual world, the girl might consider to be odd.

Each page is filled with so many delightful surprises, noting them all could keep a child busy for a looooong time ;) Some of my favorites include: the top half of a partially carved marble statue finishing the carving, Grandpa pouring tea from a watering can into a flower pot, a gnome jailed in a tree stump, and the swan boat that takes the granddaughter across the moat that surrounds Grandpa's house.

While the girl tries to puzzle out what is different during this visit, Grandpa helpfully suggests that maybe it's because he redecorated the hallway, or bought some new fish, but that isn't it. As she is saying good-bye to him on the doorstep, she realizes what has been out of place all day.

While this title is currently out-of-print, it is easy to find on Amazon, and, of course, your local library is always a great place to start.

Personal note: The grandpa reminds me a bit of my dad, who has been gone for 8 years - especially the picture of him cheating at cards ;) In all seriousness, he would have loved to harness his creative energy to design a home like the one in this story, and enjoy it with his grandchildren.