Arthur's Thanksgiving [Week 11]

Arthur's Thanksgiving

By: Marc Brown

This is an "Arthur Adventure" from the television show Arthur. It's time for the big Thanksgiving play at Arthur's school and Arthur is named the director much to everyone's shock and dismay. His first job is to assign parts for everyone and so at school he is getting bribed by his classmates because they all want specific roles. His biggest challenge is finding someone to play the turkey which is the most important role, but no one wants to play it. Even his family turns him down. 

Meanwhile, at rehearsals nothing is going right. People are complaining, forgetting lines, and messing up the set. Everyone keeps asking Arthur if he has a turkey yet and so he rented a live turkey as a last resort-- that didn't work out so well. Francine gave Arthur an ultimatum, either there is a turkey or there is no play. Finally the day of the play came and everything was going smoothly and right until it came time for the part of the turkey. Arthur walked out on stage in the turkey costume and the audience started laughing at him but he still had a speaking part. So he stumbled through "The turkey is a symbol, a symbol of... of..." "Of togetherness and Thanksgiving!" from a chorus of voices behind him.

When he turned around all of his classmates and family were all wearing turkey costumes in support of him.

I loved Arthur the show when I was little, and now I love the books and the show. I think that this is a good story for kids to relate to, because most schools do some sort of play and everyone has to deal with getting a part they might not like. This is also great because it shows the kids that even if you are super brave and you get embarrassed  if you do the right thing than you will be rewarded or at least backed up. That is a bit of a fantasy look, but it will help kids come to terms with some self esteem situations.

My Mom's Wedding [Week 11]

My Mom's Wedding

By: Eve Bunting, Illustrated by: Lisa Papp

This book caught my eye because I have been in 2 weddings for my mom, and I still have my dad in my life, but I also have a great step dad and so I was REALLY able to connect to this story.

It's about a little girl who is getting ready for her moms wedding to her step dad, and she is very excited because her dad is coming to see the wedding because her mom and dad are still friends and he is coming back from Ireland where he moved. The morning of the wedding she comes downstairs in her dress and she feels guilty because she likes her step dad so much (almost as much as her dad). As they are driving to the church she keeps looking out for her dad and when she finally sees him she gets so excited and whispers to him that him and her mom could still get married, they have the rings.

Her dad leans down and says: "Stop it, Sweetie. Your mom and I are just friends now. 'Just friends' don't get married. She loves Jim, he loves her, and we all love you. Don't forget about me. But let yourself be happy for them, Pinky. I am."

Then the service starts and when it's time for her to hand the rings, she hides them behind her back when she sees her dad sitting by himself, but then remembers what he said about being happy for them, and decides it wouldn't be so bad to have a mom, dad, and stepdad.

The last page is a picture of Pinky, her dad, Jim, and her mom.

I think that this would be great book to use in a classroom to talk about families. Every family is different, and there are more and more "unconventional" families and this would be a good introduction to talk about how one family is different than the other.

"HELPING CHILDREN WORK OUT CONFLICTED EMOTIONS ABOUT DIVORCE, THIS UPLIFTING STORY OFFERS A TIMELESS MESSAGE FOR NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILIES"-- The back page of the book.

New Zealand ABCs [Week 10]

New Zealand ABCs

Written by: Holly Schroeder

Illustrated by: Claudia Wolf

I found this book in the non-fiction section of the library and I thought it was really cute. It is an A-B-C book, so it doesn't have a story. However, it is tied together by everything in this book having something to do with New Zealand. A few of the letters are: K is for kiwi, R is for rugby, and T is for the Treaty of Waitangi (why-TANG-ee). I really liked this book because besides just what it stands for, it also talks about how that has to do with New Zealand and a picture of the action or thing. 

For example: J is for jumping.

Thrill seekers from around the world travel to New Zealand to bungee jump off tall towers, bridges, and cliffs. They strap long rubber cords to their ankles, and then leap. Jumpers bounce up and down like yo-yos before they are pulled back up to safety. 

Fast Fact: People in Polynesia have been doing a sport like bungee jumping for centuries. But it was a New Zealander who invented bungee jumping as we know it today.

I really liked this ABC book because kids really can learn something from it besides the ABC's. This would actually be a good book for older students to learn about New Zealand, and I'm sure there are books like this for most every country.

Not every page has "Fast Facts" so it will keep the kids interested to wait for the next fast fact.

http://rwtverio.ncte.org/lessons/lesson_viewf26b.html?id=1134

That is a link for a lesson plan about promoting cultural values through alphabet books.

Cowboy Camp [Week 9]

Cowboy Camp

By: Tammi Sauer, Illustrated by: Mike Reed

I thought this was a very cute book. It's about a little boy Avery who is at cowboy camp. He doesn't fit in because his belt is too big and his hat is too small and his name is all wrong. He first gets fed grits and beans and he doesn't like them. Then they ride horses but he is allergic to horses. Then they twirl and twist their lassos and he gets bad rope burn. Who ever heard of a cowboy who: doesn't like beans, is allergic to horses, and gets rope burn?

That night he is sitting by the camp fire when a scary looking guy comes out of the shadows and wants to put an end to Cowboy Dan's career because he is making it too hard for bad guys to succeed anymore. 

However Avery gets scared and lies and says that it is a space camp and then Black Bart gets mad and says he is lying and then tests him with all the stuff that cowboys should be able to do, and Avery of course fails all of them.

Black Bart then leaves right before Cowboy Dan and all the other campers come out and tell Avery that he is the best cowboy they have ever seen.

I just thought that this was a very cute book that really teaches kids that whatever they are good and bad at is good for some reason. Avery reminds me of a lot of kids I know that just think they are so different and it's a bad thing when it's really a good thing.

Merlin And The Dragons [Week 8]

Merlin and The Dragons

by Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Li Ming

I picked this book for my book talk because it had dragons in the title and on the cover and it was fantasy day. Once I started reading it though I loved it. The story is really hard to explain, but basically a little boy is having nightmares and so he goes to get advice from Merlin, and Merlin tells the little boy a story to explain to him that dreams are important.

The story goes like this:

A little boy is the son of a local princess, but he doesn't know who his father is and is teased because of that. And he becomes known as "devil boy" because he "predicts" the weather, when really he finds a book about the seasons and moon cycle. An evil king comes to the town and wants to build a tower but it keeps crashing down every night and he thinks it's the locals doing. The little boy has been having dreams about dragons and tells him to dig up the ground and that there will be 2 dragon eggs, to kill the dragons, and the ground will be fine. He does just that and there are 2 dragons- one white and one red.

The white one gets away. After that another army comes to destroy the king and his army and defeats him. The evil army's symbol is a red dragon and the good army's symbol is a white dragon.

The hero in the end of this story is a soldier who charged up the tower first to kill the evil king, and he only had 1 son.

I bet you can guess who the 1 son is... 

The boy who this story is being told to. Turns out he is King.

I suggest you read the book, because it is much better than how I described it. I think this is a great book because it would capture boys and girls attention. It is all about the outcast coming and being very important, good triumphing over evil, and about believing in yourself. All things that I think need to be presented to children.

And the pictures are very colorful and descriptive. It is very text heavy, so I would suggest keeping this for the older grades to read to themselves or for you to read to them, but the younger kids will lose focus.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/book-report-alternative-creating-a-958.html

Above is a link to a lesson plan using this book for older kids (middle school).

World Team [Week 6]

World Team

By Tim Vyner

I googled best multicultural children's books to find a book I should use as my book talk and I really liked this one because it isn't just about one cultural, it shows a common thread that all cultures have in common: soccer. Soccer is not as popular in the USA but because it is such a famous sport every where else, I think the author was smart to use it. It also culminates in a big world wide sporting event: The World Cup. In this book each page is a different child in a different country and setting all playing soccer, and most thinking about The World Cup. The illustrations were really what set this book apart, they told a story of their own, and the book could have almost done without the words because the illustrations held everything you needed to know.

I really liked how on each page on the side it had the country's name and the time at which it was, which could tie into time zones if you wanted to use this to teach multiple lessons.

I really loved this book because it doesn't just show one other culture, it shows snippets of lots and it shows how every country is very different in setting and how things are done. But that at the same time we all have a common interest and love: soccer.

I think this is a great book to start an "Around The World" unit about different places, or it could be used with older kids as a discussion about why some things happen in the world if we are all pretty similar. 

Below is a link to a website that is called "World Peace Through Sports" and is really about empowering kids through sports to let them know they can change the world.

http://www.gowpts.com/

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"~ Ghandi

Dog Loves Books [Week 5]

Dog Loves Books

By Louise Yates

I honestly just picked this book because the cover was really simple and cute and so I thought it would be an easy book for kids, and that's exactly what it is.

It's about a dog who LOVES books and so he decides to open a book store, but on opening day he gets lonely because only 2 people came in, neither looking for books. He decides to read to not be as lonely, and soon he is going on adventures with dinosaurs and kangaroos and is flying through outer space, all with the help of words and pictures. At the end a little girl comes in wanting a book and he knows just what to recommend. The last page of the book says "Dog loves books but most of all... He loves to share them!"

I grew up reading and so I have always appreciated books and the adventures one can go on while reading, but I know not everyone experiences that. I think this would be a great tool in a prek and kindergarten classroom to introduce kids that reading is fun and that books are a great tool, especially when you are lonely.

This book is nice because kids can read it themselves as a beginner book because the pictures tell most of the story, the words are very basic and building blocks.

In my lesson plan that I did on this, I talked about really relating this to kids and asking if they have ever felt lonely and what they did when they felt that way. Also, about your favorite book and if it lets you have adventures. 

Below is a link to a little article about reading outloud to your child and why it's important. This concept of reading is important ties a lot into our discussion of reading aloud. I think this book could be read aloud in a young classroom to introduce key concepts, but it's also a good book to teach kids how to read themselves.

http://www.earlymoments.com/Promoting-Literacy-and-a-Love-of-Reading/Why-Reading-to-Children-is-Important/

Z is for Moose [Week 4]

Z is for Moose

By Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky

I was just browsing the library shelves looking for a book that looked cute, and I thought the title was interesting. I absolutely loved this alphabet book. Unlike others where it just says "A is for Apple, B is for Bat, C is for Cat..." this book makes it funny and fun for kids.

It does go through the alphabet but the moose randomly pops into pages asking if it's his turn yet and wreaking havoc in some of the letters. The group I gave my book talk to this week though it would really have the kids laughing and interacting, because like when they watch "interactive" tv shows, they like to tell the characters when it's wrong.

At one point the moose comes in to the page and asks if it's his turn yet, and I could just imagine the kids in my class yelling "No, it's not!!!! Moose starts with an M!!!!!!"

It's a great story that helps kids learn the alphabet while still being entertaining and not so text book. 

http://pbskids.org/games/alphabet.html

This link is to alphabet games I found on PBS KIDS. Kids will be more likely to learn the alphabet if it's in a fun way, and PBS has some great kids shows that make learning fun :)

Stone Soup [Week 3]

Stone Soup

By Ann McGovern, Pictures by Winslow Pinney Pels

This was my FAVORITE book growing up, and rereading it I still loved it! This is a about a traveler who comes to this old lady's house and asks for food but she tells him she doesn't have any. As she is about to shut the door on him, he asks if she has a stone because he can make soup from a stone.

So he gets a stone from the road and then he asks her if she has some boiling water to make the soup, so she boils some water. He puts the stone in the soup, and then to make the soup cook faster they added onions, to smell better they added carrots, to taste better they added beef bones, to make it fit for a king they added pepper and salt, and to make it thicker they added butter and barley.

Each time they added something the traveler would say something like: "It is fit for a prince now. But it would be fit for a king with a bit of pepper and a handful of salt." In the end they ate a feast fit for a king and as he was leaving he took the stone and put it back in his pocket. When the old lady asked why he was taking the stone he said: "Well, the stone is not cooked enough. I will have to cook it some more tomorrow."

One of the many reasons I love this book is just because the story is great for kids. It's catchy, fun, short, but informative. I also love the pictures, especially in this book, they add so much and made me laugh when I was younger. I think this book is a great way to not only teach kids lessons about making something out of the little things and that you always have more than you think you do, but also very basic concepts like list making-- every time they added a new ingredient they listed all the others that were in the pot as well.

I found this blog when looking for a picture of the book. This is a cool idea that you could do in a classroom, even though this blog is for a family. It's how to make "stone soup" and have everyone participate.

http://mess-cipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/stone-soup.html

Another great site the the above one links to is Stone Soup for the World, which is ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

http://www.soup4world.com/

The Tale of Tricky Fox [Week 2]

The Tale of Tricky Fox

Retold by Jim Aylesworth

Illustrated by Barbara McClintock

This is a folk story told to a group of students by a teacher about a very sly fox who makes a bet with his brother that says he can find a pig and bring it back. The brother says if he does that he will "eat his hat", so the fox goes and knocks on farm houses and at each house he spends the night and entrusts the old ladies with his bag but tells them not to look in it. Each night however the lady does before the fox wakes up. When the lady is asleep the fox gets out of bed and takes what was in his bag out. So the next day he tricks the old lady into giving him what he wants, by asking where his ______ is. This story ends with him trying to trick a school teacher. "And Tricky Fox didn't know that teachers are not as easy to fool as regular humans are." The school teacher figures out he is tricky, and instead of putting a pig in his bag, she puts in a dog. So when he goes back [without looking in the bag] his brother eats his hat, and then they open the bag to find a bull dog that chases them.

Sorry, that was a hard story to explain concisely. I think that this is a very good story, I love the illustrations. They really add something to the text. I think that this story would be really great for the younger grades to teach them that tricking people might work at the time, but it will come back to bite you.

You could even use this to talk about folk tales and stories that you might have heard from your families that teach lessons, and what they are.

It would be cool to have each child tell one story that (s)he has heard that taught them a lesson, and make a binded book for the classroom.

I'm so clever- tee-hee-hee!

Trick, trick, tricky! Yes, siree!

Snap your fingers. Slap your knee.

Human folks ain't smart like me!

http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_folktales.html: A website I found that has a bunch of folktales that might be useful when teaching.

So You Want To Be President? [Week 1]

So You Want To Be President?

Judith St. George and David Small

I read this book when I was younger and loved it but never knew it was a Caldecott winner, so to see it on the list and to know that so many other people appreciate it was really a good feeling.

"So You Want To Be President?" doesn't have a plot so much as it is a fun and informational book. The point is to teach children (and adults) all about the presidents and their fun and not so fun facts and quirks. 

The reason that I think this book is so popular is that it really makes all the presidents up until William Clinton very personable and reachable, which isn't always easy to do. They say things like "The President doesn't have to eat yucky vegetables." and "Do you have pesky brothers and sisters? Every one of our Presidents did."

But, besides just random facts like which presidents are tall and which didn't like broccoli, it also covers things like honesty in the presidency, and brings up Clinton and Nixon. 

This book can be used for any age. Because there is no chronological story, if you read it to a younger crowd you can pick and choose which pages to read if they get bored easily. You could also use this for higher elementary school and I would say even middle school for history lessons, or certain parts like maybe a lesson on Presidents Day.