Sunday, June 10, 2012

Always Time To Read!


COME VISIT TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, WITH JEN AND KELLEE WHO ARE HOSTS OF THIS KIDLIT MEME, FROM PRIMARY TO YA.  CHECK OUT THE LINKS TO SEE WHAT SO MANY ARE READING!  

        It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

       Thank you all, Jen, Kellee and Sheila for doing!

Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems – All read to my three year old granddaughter on Saturday. 

Today I Will Fly
She liked this one, epecially Piggie flapping his arms, & understood most of the other jokes. I liked the fact that friends were helpful to Piggie who really, really wanted to fly.
Are You Ready To Play Outside
This is the one she liked most, & laughed at the fun times in the rain. She loves the expressions & can tell when they are sad or happy, & then really wants to know why. I thought again that the book shows such friendship & can imagine having great talks with young students about friendly actions.
I Am Invited To A Party
Great story about Elephant & Piggie’s dilemma about what to wear to the party.  Such fun that they keep changing outfits to meet what they think is the party’s theme.  My granddaughter doesn’t understand the social importance of wearing the right thing, so this wasn’t such a big hit to her, although she laughed at how silly they looked.
Pigs Make Me Sneeze
This too was a little abstract because my granddaughter doesn’t yet know that you can be allergic to something.  It was funny with the big sneezes and even the alarm concerning the friendship might have to end showed Elephant’s usual worries over nothing.  It would be good for checking to see if young students are inferring what Elephant is so worried about.
     A big hit:  the inside back covers always have a drawing somewhere of the pigeon from Mo Willems’ other beloved books. My granddaughter loved looking for Pigeon!





Other Picture Books
Hope by Isabel Monk
Found at the library, a family story that's sweet about a little girl named Hope who visits a beloved Great Aunt Poogee. The story considers the fact the girl is a mixed-race child, & does it well. Her aunt gives her good advice to answer, "I am generations of faith 'mixed' with lots of love! I am Hope!" The illustrations are terrific.











Family by Isabel Monk is
the second book after Hope. These are the same characters, but there's not much plot here, essentially a good memory of a family dinner & the little girl named Hope bringing a new "family" dish. Again, illustrations are good. And if you're doing some fun cooking unit, it would add to the family memory texts.


Picasso and Minou  by P.I. Maltbie  & Illustrated by Pau Estrada
Based on the true story of Picasso and his cat Minou (cat in French) that really did bring him a sausage.  The story is lovely, including the blue, then rose periods, into the abstract.  Illlustrations give much to discuss, as in what pictures are represented in them and the background of the place and time. 

Flotsam by David Wiesner  This marvelous book could be added to any teacher’s collection, but older students will be so delighted with the detail of the art, along with the surprises that the book holds. It concerns a young boy at the beach when an old time-underwater camera washes to shore.  A roll of film inside the camera holds amazing revelations.  The detailed illustrations take your breath away and there is a surprise at the end too.

Chapter Books
The Rag And Bone Shop by Robert Cormier
I just listened to this and was spellbound. It was scary and alarming all the way through to the end. Cormier certainly visits the dark side of the human mind, in this case, children. In this book, as in A Chocolate War, one remains tense all the way through. I would often sit in the driveway for a few more minutes, listening, listening. I want to say that I'm not sure any young child should read this. It is creepy.





And finally, the best!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Wonderful story with exceptional voices in the characters. They are complex, not exactly easy to say who are the bad guys. Applegate made you want to be there, listening to the talk (really the thinking). Shouldn't say more so I don't give away anything.  I want to say that when I read a book like this, I really miss having a class. It will make such a wonderful read aloud.  And, there really is an Ivan, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Favorite quotes from Ivan:
      I could use a few oohs and ahhs myself.
     ‘It’s about me,’ Ruby lowers her voice. ‘It’s about me and how I fell into a hole.  A big hole.  Humans dug it.’
      Right now I would give all the yogurt raisins in the world for a heart made of ice.
It took five men and a forklift.
      But when I climb into that leafy cradle, it’s like floating on treetop mist.
      I can just make out Bob’s little head sticking out of Julia’s backpack.  “You are the One and Only Ivan,” he calls.

Next, in between doing #TeachersWrite:

              Finish Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger. I’m listening to Jesse, an old novel by Gary Soto, and hoping to start Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle.  And I hope to read more of the amazing writers’ work in #Teachers Write.  I haven’t done very much this week.

24 comments:

  1. Wow! I loved what you had to say about the One And Only Ivan. You made the book really come alive just now as I read the short paragraph. Also, I really love that you're reading to your granddaughter. One of my earliest memories is of my mum reading to me and then of me reading to her. I feel like that's what started my love of books. A love that has never left me.

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    1. Thank you Kris. It is fun to read to young children & see the delight in a new book, & then there are the old favorites, too. Hope you get to read Ivan soon!

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  2. I love Flotsam! I avoided reading your comments on Ivan, as I have it sitting in my pile to read :)

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    1. I'm going to look for more books by Wiesner. Flotsam was just awesome. I looked and looked at the illustrations, and found more and more to see! Thanks Maria.

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    2. I will just say ditto (and point out that the end of the year snowed me and I am just now digging myself out of my reader.)

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  3. Rag and Bone is an awesome book - definately one for the upper grades, though, as are all Cormier books in general. Ivan is on my list...how wonderful to have more options for readalouds!

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    1. I'm so glad to hear from someone else about Rag and Bone. I was rather alarmed with it, but I can imagine some of my middle school students lapping it up. Thanks Tara. Hope you get to Ivan soon.

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  4. When my daughter was substitute teaching, prior to getting a job teaching kindergarten, she worked a lot in middle years classroom and her choice for a book to read to them was Rag and Bone Shop. She said she would start the morning, the afternoon, and end the afternoon with chapters and the kids were totally involved and begging for more. On more than one occasion she left it for their teacher to finish and then would return to get it when they were done.It is an incredibly intense and powerful tale to share.

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    1. Great story to hear. I am not surprised at all. It kept me driving so I could hear more! Thanks for telling me.

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  5. Isn't Mo Willems just genius? He conveys so much with his pictures and so few words in those Elephant and Piggie books. Another one I love that's like that is Jez Alborough's Hug. So great for teaching kids to look for facial clues. I too am a huge fan of Flotsam, so creative. I've now added Rag and Bone to my TBR . . . sounds great!

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  6. You are so right-Mo Willems has the right touch for young kids, actually all of us. I love these books, too. Thanks for the other name, Hug. I'll try to find it.

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  7. I needed some picture book recommendations while I was at the library...I needed this post on hand! Luckily I can head back soon :)
    I need to get my hands on The One and Only Ivan so I can see what all the fuss is about for myself.

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    1. There are so many. I just returned from the library-have some new good finds, too. The librarians love to give recommendations, too! Find Ivan and enjoy!

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  8. Oh Linda... I absolutely love Today I Will Fly. It is a favorite! I love the movement lines and the arm flapping! I also enjoy I'm Invited To A Party. I have a friend who reads the story better than I've ever heard it. Great list of books you have here!

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    1. It was a delight to read more of these. Now I need to see if I've covered them all. I loved Today I Will Fly too. And I'd love to share the party one with older kids. It is so funny, but the joke just is too sophisticated for a 3 year old. Thanks Robin.

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  9. Can't believe I haven't read any of these books! More to add to my list that's for sure!

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    1. That's happened to me, too Beverley. There are so many good ones out there! Thanks for saying you'll search for some!

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  10. Linda,
    Love love love Mo! I thought Hope was a beautiful book. I loved the story behind her name. Everyone should have a great story like that. Lots of new titles here as well. Happy reading.

    Cathy

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    1. Thank you Cathy. I love Mo too, obviously! Happy to hear from you!

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  11. Great to see what you thought of Ivan! I loved "The Best!" That's awesome. I think it's great that you were able to read the Elephant and Piggie books with your granddaughter, and yes, there are some that kids seem to "get" more than others. But at the same time, my son and I thought the Ice Cream one was hysterical and my husband didn't get it. :) I have yet to read anything by Penny Kittle but have seen some of her stuff online and think she's great!

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    1. Thanks Jen. Wasn't Ivan great? It's such a wonderful way to tell his story, so creative and beautiful and respectful. Good to hear your take on the Elephant and Piggie books, too.

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  12. I love Ivan - read it to both of my classes at the end of the school year. They loved the characters as well. Such a beautiful book!

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    1. I am jealous (see one of my comments) that you were able to read this aloud. I love that you told me!

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  13. Hi Linda. I'm trying to catch up with a few friends' posts, do bear with me as I revisit some of your older posts. I love seeing a lot of familiar titles here. I believe we've done a review of Flotsam (I think it was Iphigene who wrote the review) when we had our wordless picture book theme. :) I've also heard a lot about The One and Only Ivan - it's written in verse right? I hope I can get to read that one someday soon. I haven't given Mo Willems as much love as I think I should. Must check out the books soon. Now reading Gaiman's Neverwhere while we're doing our travels. :)

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