Again offering a comforting cadence of rhythm and rhyme, Bunny School features lyrical prose and charming illustrations. It’s a great read for children looking ahead to the start of the school year. Preschool and kinder students will enjoy this book as a read aloud. 1st and 2nd graders can read it independently. 3rd and above could use the book as a mentor text for writing rhyming-poems of their very own.
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When a fellow educator told me about the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, I wondered why I would ever consider giving such a book to a child. The story involves a young boy abandoned by his greedy parents, a 109 year old ghost who haunts the house where the boy lives, and a grumpy old man who doesn’t like children, telephones, or much of anything else. Needless to say,I had doubts about such writing. But... just as I enjoy books where little bears walk on two feet and make friends with little girls, and meatballs rain from the sky, and spiders save pigs, I decided to dive into the pages and see where the story would take me. It turns out, that teacher who introduced me to the book “Dying to Meet You” was right. Kate and Sarah Klise have created a fabulous story, with fabulous writing, for fabulous readers. Here’s why I recommend these books to boys and girls age 10+: 1) Strong characters in unusual circumstances. Yes, the main character is a ghost. But, that ghost has some fabulous advice. Olive is a strong matriarch with a strong voice and comments on modern-day life in a way that is only possible if you’ve been dead for a century or more. The social commentary is ripe for the pickin’ and the play on words is endless. Part mystery, part comedy, and a tad bit of drama, both my oldest son and I devoured the whole series in one weekend once we were hooked. 2) Storytelling through documents Each of the books in these series is not told in old fashioned narrative, but instead through a collection of written artifacts. Letters, newspaper articles, sticky notes, invoices, television scripts, radio transcripts, and even text-messages lead readers through all the action and even signal who is “talking” based on font style. This type of writing is creative, funny, and truly accessible for a wide range of reading abilities. I imagine this series being a hit with reluctant middle-school readers. (Attention teachers: Rich mentor texts in a wide range of formats!) But wait...
I found more Klise sister magic. The talented author and illustrator also used this style of storytelling in another young adult series beginning with 'Regarding the Fountain'. This series of books also includes storytelling through various documents, but focuses on life at Dry Creek Middle School. The written word of students, teachers, principal, and community members alike, weave together to offer a unique view (and subtle commentary) of schooling in modern day America. The five book series is a delight to both young and old readers with twist & turns and surprises offered by each end-of-the-story reveal of the fountain, sink, trees, bathroom, and bees. My family has long known the amazing work of Judy Blume. We think ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” should be required reading for anyone in 4th grade. We also think that the only thing better than “Freckle Juice” is “Superfudge.” On our recent road trip, we discovered another Blume book series: “The Pain and the Great One!” While listening to the first CD, the two characters of little brother (Age 6) and big sister (Age 8) completely captured my seven year-old’s heart. My boy could relate to the little brother because of the status of second-born child, as well as their shared second grade humor. It’s as if Judy Blume crawled inside my son’s head and deciphered every phrase that could cause him to snort milk out his nose. (Warning: do not allow little boys to enjoy these books while snacking).
Each chapter of the books in this series is told from an alternating sibling’s perspective. Sometimes these narrations overlap and you understand the different perspectives; sometimes they tell independent stories. The raw innocence captured in the writing makes the characters instantly accessible. You know what they are thinking to themselves, as well as what they chose to say to those around them. For both my sons, I think “Jake” asked some of the questions that they themselves have wondered, but were afraid to ask. Added bonus: In every book of the series, the last chapter is told by the pet cat, Fluzzy. In the audio version, these chapters are read by Judy Blume herself and provide both humor and warmth that makes you want to immediately start the next book. We checked out the rest of the series as soon as we returned home from our trip. Looking over Judy’s website, I found that she had an entire section dedicated to discussing the work of being a writer. Perfect for homeschoolers and classroom teachers – Judy’s words encourage writer’s of every age to keep a writer’s notebook, use a personal writing process, and understand that rewriting can be the best part of it all! Mo Willems does it again with this cute book: I'm not sure why it's funny to have the characters
in a book REALIZE they are in a book -- but it is. My youngest son and I used to read Elephant and Piggie books together - but now he breezes through them alone. This one reminds me of one of my favorite books as a child. It's a character-trapped-in-the-book classic! Here’s another series of books for readers practicing their craft. Appropriate for 1st and 2nd graders, James Marshall’s Fox character has countless adventures. Truth be told: I wasn't a fan of Fox after reading the first book. Fox can have a bit of an attitude; He’s not always nice to his younger sibling; He sometimes back-talks his mom. However, in the end (after reading several in the series), I came to understand that the situations in which Fox finds himself are comical; his sister is a bit sly herself; and Mom’s directions are always followed. Each book of the series usually contains 3 chapters. The chapters can be read separately or together as a set (which subtly weave together a larger story). For instructional purposes, these books are also a great way to draw attention to contractions and quotations marks. My youngest son and I took turns using voices to read the words said by each character. Here’s a listen:
Last year my son and I read a variety of books from the Dear America Series. A Picture of Freedom was my very favorite. This first-person narrative of life as a plantation slave was moving, thought provoking, and age-appropriate for my 9 year old. We also checked out the movie from the local library - and were not disappointed. It's a great addition for those studying the underground railroad, the civil war, or cotton plantations of the south.
Last year (after a gracious and generous gift from family friends) my sons became the proud owners of more than 30 Secrets of Droon books! This series became a literary obsession for my youngest son. Book after book, he seemed to never tire of the characters and their ongoing magical adventures. Finally, this week, I checked out the last few books from our public library. It feels a bit like a rite of passage to finally complete the full series. When we first began reading these books – my youngest son couldn’t independently read the text (which is leveled at approximately 2nd or 3rd grade). He waited patiently for me to sit with him or begged his brother to indulge him by reading aloud. In a pinch, I was even known to hand the nine year-old a buck as a bribe to read aloud to his sibling while I cooked-up dinner. Little by little, as my youngest has gained new reading skills, he has independently checked in with these books to see if he can conquer them alone. The series became his great motivator: his personal goal was to read a Droon book on his own before the summer after 1st grade. I think he’ll just make it! I often recommend the series to other families who are looking for something to hook their young reader. Third and fourth grade boys can sit down with these gems and equally enjoy the fantasy Tony Abbot weaves together. Straight forward and high interest: These ain’t no baby-books! I have seen children up to age 10 enjoy this series. When I explain the Secrets of Droon series to other Moms, I always disclose two main points: 1) Droon is like ‘Harry Potter’- but for the younger set. Three young children find themselves in a magical world of adventure, danger, and mystery! There are good wizards and bad wizards. There is a magical door between our world and theirs. You root for the hero and wonder how they’ll ever defeat the enemy. 2) Droon is not great literature. So many twists, turns, characters, subplots, secrets, reveals, and dream sequences -- I can barely keep up. However, the kid-friendly suspense does hook young readers like nobody’s business. Of course, with this series (as with all chapter books), I involved my boy in the ‘reading’ from the very start. Below are a few of the pre-reader activities that I used as soon as we began to enjoy this series. Activities like this can help develop the ‘reading readiness’ skills that will provide a foundation for later success. 1) Explore the Title Page. Toddlers: Point to the title as you read it aloud. Talk about how the Title Page is similar to the book’s front cover. Preschoolers: Point to the name of the author while you say it aloud and show your child a picture of the author (if it is available on the inside of the back cover.) If there is a series logo, draw attention this mark and ask about it each time you read one of the books included. Just as a child can ‘read’ the golden arches of McDonald’s – they can recognize the symbol designate to a book series. Beginning Readers: Now include your child in the reading of the title. They should be able to begin read small words like... the, it, and, or on. You can also model ‘sounding out’ any words that follow simple phonetic rules. As your child’s skills progress, have them take charge of reading the title aloud in full before you begin reading the story. In addition, ask your child to predict what the title and the picture on the front cover might be revealing about the story inside. 2) Investigate the Table of Contents. Toddlers: Point to the title of each chapter as you read them aloud. Count (aloud) the number of chapters and note how you can find the page on which each begins. Preschoolers:Ask your child to count the number of chapters that are in the book. Point to a chapter – read its title out loud – and ask your child to say the number of the page where it will begin. Do this for several of the chapters (in no particular order). Beginning Readers: Now include your child in the reading of the titles. Without pointing at a particular chapter, just read aloud its name and ask your child to identify its page number start. As your child becomes more familiar with this task, turn these questions around and say a page number before asking them to find the corresponding chapter’s title. Ask your child to predict what may happen in the book based on the all the chapter title names. 3) Starting Each Chapter Toddlers: Ask your child to identify the number printed at the start of the chapter. You could also point to the page number and read that number aloud to them. Point to the chapter title as you read it aloud. Preschoolers: Ask your child to identify the page number. Turn back to the Table of Contents and show them where this information is noted. Ask them how many chapter have been read before this one and how many will follow. Beginning Readers: Slowly release responsibility of reading the chapter number and titles to your child. This will soon become automatic. When ready, ask them to start also taking responsibility for the first sentence. This gradual shift is key when your child has enough skill to read the words, but not enough practice to read the text fast enough to enjoy the plot. The act of reading the chapter’s title and first sentence involves them, but doesn’t overwhelm them. They can enjoy the story line, but also become aware of their own progress and growing ability to tackle the words on the printed page. Finally, here’s a video of my son and I talking though many of these same activities. After talking through these activities with my son (month after month), he’s an old pro. It’s proof positive that every bit of reading practice squeezed-in, can help prepare a child for the independent reading that lies ahead. _ What do you buy a boy who has TOO MANY Legos??
He would answer: “More Legos! There is no such thing as too many!” However this past Christmas… I answered: “Lego Books!” There are a variety of great Lego books on the market. These books can spark the animation of a young builder while also providing one more reading opportunity. Here are my son’s favorites: Thank you to Melody who passed on this book title to my family: Generations of children have been throwing a sheet over the dining room table to create a magical club house. This book shows all the variations of that theme while also offering a few new ideas. This book inspired a frenzy of fort building at our place - perfect for the span of nice weather we enjoyed in early March. First came the "lean-to shelter". Made from cuttings off the apple tree, it was covered with a blanket to create a shady spot for an afternoon snack. Next came a "simple remodel" of a large cardboard box and (with additional resources) an "advanced remodel". Scissor work completed by children. X-acto knife commandeered by Mom. Then came the "cover the play structure with all the
blankets and sheets we can find" fort. This seemed to be a big hit because it held the most friends and provided privacy from adults. When I did peek inside, I found the kids sitting inside talking about what to do next. The consensus: the construction phase of a project is the most fun. Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik are not for beginning readers who are looking to reinforce basic vocabulary. Instead, these delightful books (filled with dialogue) help basic readers who are developing their inflection and fluency. In the video here, you'll see my son read one short chapter in this book. Notice his self-corrections, the repetition of phrases and his eagerness to find the rhythm and meaning of the conversation between the animals. These are advanced reading strategies - all within an age appropriate genre that seems to tickle his funny bone. I am always fascinated when I hear my boy read. His progress pleases me. He's done the hard work to make all those letters, and dots and dashes, come together to tell a story. With Little Bear on the page --- that's a story we can all understand and enjoy together.
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