New Year's Eve

Do you have a goal for the New Year?  A resolution?  A hope of a wish for 2014?  Most people being a new year with loft goals and dreams only to become discouraged after a few weeks, or even few days of everything life is throwing at them.

Well this year when the going gets tough and it seems easier to give up then stick with it I want you to remember The Littlest Tall Fellow by Barry Rudner.  This is a story you can read aloud to your children when talking to them about goals, hard work and determination, or just read it to yourself for a little inspiration.

The Littlest Tall Fellow is the story of a very little boy (no bigger than a goldfish) who had very big dreams.  He would do whatever he put his mind to, he went to school and got good grades.  He even tried playing sports, but the coach just wouldn't let him.  "You're the size of the ball. I want you to play.  You're simply too small.  You must stop having dreams such as these.  People can't always reach what they please, " is what the coach told him when he wanted to play.  After those words from the coach they boy was a little sad, but then he realized that reaching for dreams is not just for the tall.   He began to cry when he heard a voice.  The voice reminded him that he had reached high dreams before and that reaching your dreams is not about size, talent, or brains, but about the courage that you have inside to keep working hard.  Dreams don't come to you, you have to work hard and go to them.  The Littlest Tall Fellow decided to gather his courage and start working towards his dreams.  Everyone else was amazed at all he was able to do and accomplish and he told them, "Reaching for dreams isn't measured by far, the length of your reach or the size that you are. For all that matters is the strength of your heart. The size of your heart will set you apart.  If you reach for your dreams you'll never be small."

So on this last day of 2013 I encourage you to make the year 2014 a year of gathering your courage to reach for your dreams, not matter how big or how small they might be.

Good Luck! Happy New Year!
Keep Reading!
Laura

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Every Christmas day we would pack up the car and head to Grandma's.  Grandpa always fixed something fancy for dinner (duck or veal with asparagus or something).  The table would be set, wine glasses for everyone (even the kids- but ours were filled with sprite).  The blessing would be said and the eating would begin.  There would always be a butterfluff roll eating contest between the cousins (I think my brother always won).  Then for dessert we would have figgy pudding.  We were always so excited about dessert but not to eat it, to watch Grandpa catch it on fire.  Lucky for us there would be something yummy for dessert too like ice cream and cookies!

After the dishes were washed and the kid's table put away it would be time to open up presents.  But before we could open up presents, my grandpa's good friend John had to read Twas the Night Before Christmas.  We would all sit at his feet and listen to the story in earnest, knowing that as soon as he finished presents would be passed out- one of my all time favorite traditions from when I was a child.  There is a video of John reading to us out there somewhere.  If I am able to find it I will update this post with it.

This is the end of my 12 Days of Christmas Read Alouds.  I hope you enjoyed it and maybe found a new book or two to read.  I look forward to sharing with you all the great books Santa will bring us tomorrow night!

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

Laura

Snowmen

There is a great little series of books out right now all about snowmen.  The first book by the husband and wife team Caralyn and Mark Buehner was Snowmen at Night. It was a rhyming book all about what your snowman does at night and why in the morning he looks slouched and droopy.  It plays right to the imaginations of a child, turning the snowman into life, giving him friends and family.  The Buehners decided not to stop at what snowmen do at night but now they have Snowmen All Year, Snowmen at Work, Snowmen at Play and the one I want to share with you today, Snowmen at Christmas. 

This is the perfect book for any child with a wild imagination.  In this story the snowmen come alive on Christmas Eve.  They all gather in the town square to decorate for Christmas.  The snowmen, snowwomen and snowchildren all enjoy "cold" treats like ice cream and snow cones.  They even get a visit from snowman Kris Kringle! It is so fun to see and hear what the snowmen are up to for the holidays!  It is the perfect book to inspire some Christmas and winter writing.  So if you are lucky enough to get a white Christmas bundle up in the cold to make a snowman with your kids then as a family write about all the adventures your snowman will have that night while you are all sleeping!

Then come inside from some hot cocoa and snowman marshmallow treats! YUM!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Gifts

We all do it, look everywhere for the perfect gift for the person we love the most in the world.  Have you ever thought about what you would give up in order to buy that person the perfect gift?  In The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry writes about the sacrifice made all in the name of love.

Christmas is tomorrow and Della wants to buy her husband, Jim, a wonderful present- the only problem is she only has $1.87. Della and her husband do not have much, a live only on $20 a week.  Their prized possessions are Della's long, beautiful hair and Jim's gold pocket watch.  Della knew she wanted to buy Jim a new chain for his watch and also knew the sacrifice she would have to make- selling her hair.

Della worried all evening about what Jim would think about her new look.  When he finally arrived home, "It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror," that he looked upon her with.  He simply looked.  Then when he handed Della her present to open, she saw it was hair combs, beautiful and expensive.  Della then handed her gift to Jim to open.  When he saw that it was the gold chain he said to his wife, "Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while.  They're too nice to use just at present.  I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs..."

You see, both Jim and Della gave up their most prized possessions for one another. "But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.  Of all who give and receive fits, such as are the wisest."

This Christmas season, do not forget the gifts of the Magi and the meaning of each gift that you give.

Have you ever given up your most prized possession for the one you love most?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Traditions

This is the time of year that almost everyone has traditions.  Whether it is baking cookies, shopping on Black Friday or eating Italian on Christmas Eve- traditions are fun and comforting. In Eve Bunting's The Night Tree we hear the beautiful story of a family's unique holiday tradition.

On Christmas Eve the family sets off in their car to Luke's Forest.  Once they are there the family finds "their" tree.  After noticing how the tree has grown, hearing an owl hoot and seeing a deer the family sets down their big box and gets to work.  Inside the box is all kinds of decorations for the tree, but not decorations ornaments, tinsel and other decorations typically used for Christmas trees.  This family has made all edible decorations, a Christmas meal for the animals.  There are popcorn chains, apples, oranges, sunflower seed balls, even nuts and acorns to scatter on the ground.  Once the tree is decorated the family sits on a blanket, drinking hot chocolate and singing songs.  Simply enjoying the time together in the quiet of nature.  You can tell it is a Christmas tradition that the family enjoys because the son says, "Later, in bed I think about our tree, and sometimes, next day, when the aunts and the uncles and the cousins are at our house and it's noisy and happy, I let my mind go back to Luke's Forest."

What a simple and unique Christmas tradition this family has.  Does your family have a unique Christmas tradition?

Even if you can't make it to the forest to decorate an entire tree, you could make some fun snacks to share with the animals in your backyard.

Materials
- peanut butter
- bird seed
- pine cone
- ribbon
- knife

Directions:
1) Tie a ribbon to the top of the pine cone.

2) Use the knife to spread the peanut butter on the pine cone, the more the better!

3) Roll or sprinkle the bird seed onto the peanut butter pine cone.

4) Hang from a tree branch and wait for the birds or squirrels to come for a snack!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Christmas Board Book

Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck is a great Christmas board book for infants and toddlers. The book features several of the main "players" in the Christmas story.  There is the star, several animals, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and of course Baby Jesus.

Each "character" in the story of Christmas is accompanied by a short rhyme and a picture.  The rhymes are very to the point, which makes this book a perfect teaching tool for younger children about the reason for Christmas. One of the rhymes goes like this, "I am the baby asleep in the hay, and I am the reason for Christmas Day."

My little boy loves to read this book. He enjoys finding the shiny star displayed on different pages throughout the book.  We also like to play a "where is game?"  Basically I will say something like, "Where is Baby Jesus?" and he will flip through the pages until he finds what I asked for.

Is there a Christmas board book that you enjoy reading with your youngest readers?

Happy Reading!
Laura

It's Christmas David!

David, from No David! by David Shannon is a favorite of kids 5 and under everywhere.  He is always doing everything they want to do and getting in trouble for it.  

No David is making his Christmas debut.  In It's Christmas David! David is up to his antics again but this time Christmas-style.  David is caught stealing cookies, playing with ornaments, peeking at presents and waiting up for Santa.  All things I am sure our little ones are up to this holiday season.  

If you have a David in your house who loves to take ornaments off the tree, try making this felt tree.  They can take the ornaments on and off as many times as they want and not hurt a thing!

Materials:

- 1 yd. of green felt

- felt squares in multiple colors

- puffy paints or glitter glue

- scissors

- Scotch tape

Directions:

1) Using the green felt cut out a tree shape

2) Using the felt square cut out circles for ornaments

3) Cut out a star for the top

4) Decorate with glitter glue

5) Tape to the door using scotch tape

6) Have fun decorating your tree over and over!

Happy Reading!

Laura

The Grinch

The holiday season is not complete with out the classic rhyming of Dr. Seuss.  This year, instead of watching the TV special, try reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss aloud to your kids.

The Who's of Who-ville love Christmas, but the Grinch does not.  After years of having to hear and see Who-ville's wonderful Christmas cheer the Grinch decides to do something about it.  He dresses up as Santa, puts antlers on her dog Max and steals Who-ville's Christmas.  He takes every present, every ornament, every piece of tinsel, until there is nothing left.

The next morning the Grinch expects to hear the crying of all the Who's when they realize that Christmas has been ruined, but to his surprise he hears them singing.  The Who's know the true meaning of Christmas and come together as a community.  "Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  What if Christmas, he though, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" So the Grinch, "whose heart grew 3 sizes that day, " returned Christmas to Who-ville and is the guest of honor at the Christmas feast!

Children cannot get enough of the touching story of the Grinch, the reformed bully who turns out to love Christmas as much as the Who's.  It is easy to pop in the DVD and just show the kids the story, but this year make sure they know that movie came from a book written by one of the most beloved authors of all times.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thursday- Christmas Style

With Christmas fast approaching I wanted to take some time to share the most important holiday read aloud- the Bible.  There are so many great stories about there about Christmas and the true meaning of Christmas, but we need to make sure that our children actually hear the true story of Christmas. 

Of the four gospels the only two that have the actual story of Jesus' birth are Matthew and Luke. Mark and John both tell the story of John the Baptist proselytizing about the coming of Jesus. I think you should choose whichever one you feel is best for your children, or maybe try reading all of them.  It would be great conversation comparing the different stories of Jesus' birth.  

With all the commercial and materialism surrounding Christmas now, we must stop and refocus ourselves and our children on what the real story of Christmas is.  Santa, his elves and reindeer are so fun to believe in and talk about but we MUST continue to believe in and talk about Jesus, his birth, his service and his sacrifice for us.  

My son is still pretty young but we have started a couple of traditions this year.  First we light our advent wreath at dinner time.  The wreath consists of 4 candles, one is lit each week of advent.  The light of the candles signify Christ and the prayer and preparation going on during this time of waiting. 

We also bought an advent calendar for our son.  He really enjoys adding a different character to the scene each day.  We talk briefly about the angels, wise men, shepherds or Mary and Joseph each day and emphasize that we are waiting for baby Jesus to get here.  Here is a picture of the one that we have.  It came from Fisher Price. 

What traditions do you have in your home to keep the Christmas focus on Christ?  

Happy Reading!

Laura

Holiday Drama

We all know that the holiday season is often filled with busy schedules, crazy to-do lists and drama, drama, drama.  Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney is the perfect read aloud for realizing we need to put all that other "stuff" aside and enjoy the people in our lives this Christmas season.

Llama LLama cannot wait for the holidays in this great story for little ones.  It features the rhythm and rhyming that all the other Llama Llama books have but with a holiday twist.  The holiday drama starts right off the bat with shopping, baking, making crafts, decorating and mostly waiting, waiting, waiting for the big day to get here. Llama can hardly handle it any longer, "All this waiting for one day?  Time for presents right away!" Just like so many other young children Llama Llama just wants Christmas to get here, and it is so hard to wait.  Mama has to take little Llama in her lap and explain to him that, "Sometimes we should take a rest and hold the ones we love the best.  Wishing, waiting wanting things... we forget what this time brings.  GIfts are nice, but there's another-the true gift is we have each other."

So, if you find yourself caught up in the "wishing, waiting, wanting things" take some time out to cuddle up with your little one and read!  What better way to spend time with the ones your love!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Polar Express

I cannot have the 12 Days of Christmas Read Alouds without the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

Just in case you have not read the book or seen the movie I will give you a brief summary of the Polar Express.  A young boy sits awake on Christmas Eve listening for the bells of Santa's sleigh.  Instead of the bells he hears a train pull up in front of his house.  He quickly boards the train, heading for the North Pole.  Once the train arrives at the North Pole, Santa picks him to receive the first gift of Christmas.  The boy knows that he can choose anything he wants but he asks for a bell off of his sleigh.  Santa graciously gives the boy a bell and the boy puts the bell in his pocket.  Once the boy is back on the train he realizes the bell and fell out through a hole in his pocket.  Needless to say the boy is pretty bummed about his luck.

The next morning he is opening gifts with this family when his sister finds one last box under the tree.  The boy opens the box and finds the bell and a note from Santa.  He rings the bell and it makes the most beautiful sound he and his sister have ever heard.  His parents on the other hand could hear nothing.  The last line of the book is the best, "Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe."  I know I am silly but it give me chills every time I read it, maybe because I still truly believe!

So last year my school had Polar Express Day.  We wore pajamas to school, read the book, did all sorts of activities and ended the day by watching the movie.  The kids had a great time and I wanted to share with you a few of the things that we did that would work for you at home or in your classroom.

In First Grade they are learning to memorize double facts so we made Hot Chocolate Doubles.  All you need is the following worksheet, miniature marshmallows and glue!

It is also fun to make hot chocolate.  At school I used a crock-pot to heat the water (not too hot though) and let the kids add the mix to their own cup.  After we made and drank our hot chocolate we wrote "How to Make Hot Chocolate."

Here is a good tip for making plain hot chocolate mixes even yummier.  I do this when I am making hot chocolate at home:  use milk instead of water and add a teaspoon of sugar and a little bit of vanilla extract while the milk is heating.  Just those small additions make the hot chocolate so much better. 

Okay- last Polar Express idea for the day.  I cannot take credit for this one, I owe credit to one of my teacher friends.  I bought each of my students a small silver bell and the weekend before Polar Express day I wrapped them in tissue paper, put them in a big box and stuck them in the freezer so they got nice and cold.  The day of I added a note from Santa Claus, addressed the box and recruited someone from the office to "deliver" the package to our classroom.  When the box was opened to reveal cold bells straight from the North Pole my class was beyond excited.  They held onto those bells so tight and yelled out "Thank you Santa!" It was even better when watching the movie they all started ringing their bells and saying, "I Believe!" 

What fun Polar Express traditions do you have? How do you help others to "believe?"

Happy Reading!

Laura

12 Days of Christmas Read Alouds

Today's Christmas read aloud is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

This is a great chapter book to read aloud to kids ages 7-10.  The chapters are a decent length so you could probably read aloud one chapter a day.  This book is all about a child finding the true meaning of Christmas through some very unlikely people.

The Herdmans are the bad kids in town.  There are a lot of them and they are constantly getting in trouble.  They bully other kids, start fires, lie, cheat and so much more.  Everyone is scared of them.  One day the Herdmans show up to church (they heard they could get free food) and all of the sudden they are the stars in the annual Christmas program.

The entire town is concerned and worried about the Herdmans being in the play, they are convinced that they will single handedly ruin the tradition.  The Herdmans don't even know the story of Christmas.  After telling them the story of Christmas and several practices it the night of the pageant.  The church is packed (mostly with people who want to see what type of shenanigans the Herdmans pull during the program) and it ends up being the best Christmas pageant ever.

You see, the Herdmans were like Mary and Joseph- poor and maybe a little disheveled.  They understood having to use whatever you can for a bed, Jesus used a manger and the Herdmans used a dresser drawer. They also brought a new perspective to the wise men and demonstrated how protective Mary would have been over Jesus.  The Herdmans showed the entire congregation that Christmas was about love, not about everyone looking pretty and perfect.

Here are a couple of quotes from the book that I thought were very fitting:

"After all, that was the whole point of Jesus- that he didn't come down on a cloud like something out of "Amazing Comics," but that he was born and lived... a real person." pg 82

"But Imogene, I guess, didn't see it that way.  Christmas just came over all at once, like a case of chills and fever.  And so she was crying and walking into the furniture." pg 88

Stage One in Louisville has just a few performances of the play.  I believe they are December 15 and 21 at 2 and 5 PM.  Stage One always puts on great performances so if you are looking for a show for your children I would recommend this one.  The theater is smaller so there is not a bad seat in the house and Stage One is geared directly to children and families.

Happy Reading!
Laura

12 Days of Christmas Read Alouds

I am so excited to start the 12 Days of Christmas Read Alouds.  Each weekday for the next 12 days I will share with you one of my favorite Christmas books for kids as well as some of our Christmas season traditions. 

We are going to start off with The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

We all know the story of A Christmas Carol.  Whether we have seen the play or one of the several movies, the story of Scrooge is all too familiar.  It took Scrooge meeting the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future to learn the true meaning of the spirit telling the ghost of Christmas future, "I will honor Christmas in my hear, and keep it all year." The lesson that Scrooge learns is one that we could all take to heart this time of year. 

The copy of the book that I have is illustrated by Brett Helquist and is a great copy to use with younger children.  The pictures on every page are amazing and will really help younger children with visualizing the story in their mind.  So if you are looking for a new Christmas tradition why not start with A Christmas Carol?  As a family you could read a part of the book each night and then when finished watch one of the movies, or even go to the play as a family.  I remember going to the play with my grandparents when they were still alive.  It was always something to look forward to. 

If you live in the Louisville area here is the schedule for  A Christmas Carol at Actor's Theatre.  It starts this weekend so you better get reading!

December 6- 7PM

December 7- 2PM and 7PM

December 8- 2PM

December 13- 7PM

December 14, 15 - 2PM and 7PM

December 17, 19, 20- 7PM

December 21, 22, 23- 2PM and 7PM

I would really love to hear about some of your favorite books and Holiday traditions that go along with the books.  Please feel free to share in the comments.

A Christmas Carol Trailer- staring Jim Carey

Happy Reading!

Laura

Cookies!

Happy National Cookie Day!  Lucky for us Cookie Day comes in the midst of the holidays when we are often baking away anyways! Don't forget about the power of reading a loud a recipe and baking with your child.  It is another type of reading and interacting that is just as important as cuddling up
with a good book.

This week my son and I made our favorite chocolate chip cookies.  I found our favorite recipe on a blog that I read Apple a Day.  The recipe is super easy, super quick and super yummy.  If you are looking for a new chocolate chip cookie recipe visit Kelsey's blog by clicking the link above.  You are in for a real treat!

While the cookies are baking why not pass the time by reading some yummy books about cookies!?

We cannot have National Cookie Day without If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff.

This is the classic tale of "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk."  Each item that the mouse is given reminds him of something else that he wants, until the story ends with him asking for another cookie.  Kids love hearing all of the requests from them mouse and sometimes even try to guess what he will ask for next. 

When finished with this book, grab a cookie to "taste test" and reading The Duckling Gets A Cookie by Mo Willems. 

The pigeon is at it again.  He has asked for puppies, to stay up late and to drive the bus.  Now he wants a cookie and the duckling has one.  In this book the pigeon begs and begs the duckling for the cookie.  Telling him how much he loves cookies and how he never gets what he wants.  The duckling eventually give the cookie (with nuts) to the pigeon and politely asks for another cookie (with no nuts). If your kids like the pigeon books they will love reading this one while snacking on their cookies!

What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Happy Reading!

Laura

Elephant and Piggie

If you are looking for a gift for a 5-7 year old look no further than the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.  There are over 20 books in the series, 5 of which have either won or been honored with the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award.  This award is given to books that are for beginning readers.  Today I am going to share with you the newest Elephant and Piggie book I'm a Frog!

In I'm a Frog! Piggie is pretending to be a frog, it has Gerald very distraught until he realizes that Piggie is only pretending.  Piggie has to explain to Gerald what pretending is, and she wants him to pretend to be a frog.  They get in a "yes, you can, no, I can't" argument until Gerald finally tells Piggie he is pretending to be a cow.

Like in all of the Elephant and Piggie books, Willems uses speech bubbles and very few words to tell his story.  It is a great way for beginning readers to practice reading with expression and smoothness.  Even if you child does not want to read they story they will LOVE listening to Piggie and Gerald's adventures!

For more Elephant and Piggie fun visit Mo Willems webpage The Pigeon Presents.

Hope this helps mark someone off your shopping list!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Cyber Monday

Since today is about all things "cyber" I decided to share with you some of the interactive storybooks we have on our iPad.

One interactive story book that we love is "Goodnight Safari."  In this interactive book you help to put the safari animals to sleep.  You can either read the book yourself or have the narrator read the book to you.  Best of all this app is free!

"Goodnight Mo" is another great interactive book.  It also has to do with going to bed.  It has some great interactive features like flushing the toilet, brushing teeth, popping bubbles and much more.  Not only will your child love the interaction but the rhyming text is great too.  This one is currently on sale for $0.99 in the app store.

"Nighty, Night!" is one of the most popular bedtime interactive storybooks.  It is a lot like "Goodnight Safari" except these are animals you would find around your house or farm.  Together you and your child can put all of the animals to sleep.  What is great about this app is that the update allows you to pick which animals you want to get out of bed.  That way you can save time and not have to put all 13 animals to sleep! This app is not on sale :( and is $1.99 in the app store.

Last interactive storybook to recommend, that does not have to do with bedtime is "Petting Zoo." In this silly book you get to swipe different animals and see how they react.  It will keep your little one engaged.  It is also a $1.99 in the app store.

So while you are clicking away, be sure to check the app store for some great interactive books your kiddos will love! If you are not participating in Cyber Monday ask for an iTunes gift card to stock up on some of these great books!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Black Friday

Are you a Black Friday shopper?  I am not, would much rather sleep in and shop on the Internet than deal with traffic and crowds.  I did however find a book that made me think of Black Friday that you could read to your kids!

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney is all about shopping from the Llama Llama's point of view.  It's shopping day and Mama Llama makes Llama Llama stop playing with his toys and get in the car.  Then to make it worse when he falls asleep on the way to the store Mama wakes him up.  Then once in the store it is crowded and Mama keeps making Llama Llama try on clothes.  Llama Llama keeps getting grumpier and grumpier, he just wants to go home!  Eventually all the shopping gets to be too much and Llama Llama throws a fit tossing everything out of the shopping cart.  Mama calmly talks to Llama (which seems to help him stop being so grumpy) and clean up the mess.  They finish the shopping together and Llama Llama gets a treat at the end. 

So, just remember if you are heading out shopping with your little ones today be patient, they might not like shopping as much as you (but please DON'T reward them with a treat if they throw a fit like Llama Llama!).

Happy Reading!

Laura

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm going to be way too busy tomorrow eating all the yummy Thanksgiving food so I wanted to share my favorite Thanksgiving book with you today.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey is my go to read every Thankgiving.  This book has everything- humor and sweetness.

Using the rhyme and rhythm from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas this tells the story of a few kids who find out what happens to turkeys on Thanksgiving day.  It is the day before Thanksgiving and the class is taking a field trip to a turkey farm.  When the class meets arrives to meet Farm Mack Nuggett's eight turkeys (affectionately named Ollie, Stanely, Larry, Moe, Wally, Beaer, Shemp and Groucho) they fall instantly in love.  The class is distraught when they fine out the fate of their new turkey friends and decide they must do something about it.  Each of the kids "stuffed" a turkey under their shirt and and climbed aboard the school bus.  All of Farmer Mack Nuggett's turkeys were gone! The story ends with each of the children having the turkey to their Thanksgiving feast as a guest.  A true Thanksgiving story of love and thankfulness!

To go along with this book I always make a turkey craft.  The one I am sharing with you is great for a small number of children.  There is just a lot of prep work involved so it does not work well for a full class.

Materials:
- Construction paper or real feathers.
- Clear plastic cup
- Needle
- Thread of string
- Small square of sponge
- Glue
- Scissors

1) Poke a small hole in the top of the plastic cup and thread your string through the whole.  Tie a big enough knot so the string cannot be pulled through.
2) Tie a piece of sponge to the end of the string that is hanging through the cup.
3) I chose to trace my sons hands to use as the feathers.  You can either do that, cut feathers out of the paper or use real feathers.  Glue whatever you are using as feathers onto the back of the cup.
4) On the construction paper draw and cut out a turkey face.  Glue to the front of the cup.
5) Moisten the sponge that is hanging on the end of the string. Reach the sponge to the top of the string and drag it down.  You should hear a sound like a turkey.

Kids love playing with this little "craft".  Below is a video of what it looks and sounds like when finished.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Reading!
Laura

A New Favorite

My kiddo has a new favorite book.  First the obsession was trains, then alligators, now we have moved onto excavators and other construction machines.  Lucky for me, there is a super cute book out there all about excavators, dump trucks, bulldozers and more.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker is the perfect book to indulge in this latest obsession.  The lyrical and rhyming text slowly puts each of the "rough and tough" construction trucks to bed.  The text describes the jobs of crane trucks, cement mixers, dump trucks, bulldozers and my son's favorite, excavators.

Even more than the rhyming text, my son loves the pictures.  Tom Lichtenheld, author and/or illustrator of many other New York Times best selling books like, Duck! Rabbit! and Shark VS Train, does a wonderful job incorporating the artwork with the text.  One of my favorite pages is when the dump truck is falling asleep.  In the picture the sleeping zzzzz's are floating above the truck and continue into the framework of the building.  It is cleverly subtle, I love it!

 My son loves pointing out the different machines that are found in the pictures and telling each of the trucks good night, even though we are currently reading this five or more times a day!  So for now this is our favorite book.  What is your kiddo's favorite book to read over and over these days?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Fairy Tales

We all are familiar with fairy tales, and probably even have our very favorite.  In most fairy tales a handsome young prince comes to the rescue of a beautiful princess and the live happily ever after.  In recent years popular culture has taken to rewriting fairy tales to show the female stepping up to save the day and not needing "Prince Charming" to come to her rescue.  So if you know a little girl who likes to take charge and do her own rescuing The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, is the perfect book for her.

The Paper Bag Princess starts out much like any other fairy tale with a beautiful princess and handsome prince about to get married.  However, before Princess Elizabeth and Prince Ronald could get married a fiery dragon burns Princess Elizabeth's clothes and escapes with Prince Ronald.

Princess Elizabeth immediately took charge and set off to rescue her prince, wearing only a paper bag (everything else had been burned to a crisp!).  She finds the dragons lair and tricks him into performing different tricks until he was too exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.  While the dragon is sleeping Princess Elizabeth finds Prince Ronald who immediately complains about her dirty hair and paper bag clothes, not even thanking her for rescuing him.  Elizabeth is so put off by his rudeness that she promptly leaves him and there is no wedding after all!

What confidence Princess Elizabeth has to not only rescue the prince but to realize she can do better than someone who only likes her for her pretty looks and nice clothes!  Way to go Princess Elizabeth!

What is your favorite girl-power "fairy tale?" I would love to share more!

Happy Reading!
Laura

50 Years Ago...

I am sure that if you have turned on the news today, or really anytime this week, you know that it was 50 years ago today that John F. Kennedy Jr. was assassinated.  I think that often when we talk to children about different presidents we focus a lot on Washington, Lincoln and our current president Obama. Today would be a great day to take time to focus on Kennedy and read aloud to your children about his inspirational life.

Doreen Rappaport has a knack for elegantly writing biographies.  She writes them in a way that keep children enthralled as well as teach them a thing or two about the topic.  In her book Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy, she intertwines her rhythmic text with quotes of his to paint a great picture of the type of man Kennedy was.

Children will get a good idea of his entire life because the book starts in his teenage years and continues on through his presidency.  They will get a good picture of his personality and charm that so many American's appreciated and adored.  As a bonus they will know more about him than the fact that he was assassinated and is known for saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Here is the book trailer, check it out today!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and with it being just one short week away I thought I would share a couple of great Thanksgiving poems for you to read aloud.  

The first poem I want to share with you is "I Ate Too Much Turkey" by Jack Prelutsky.

I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins 

and much too much stuffin'

I'm probably going to die.

I piled up my plate

and I ate and I ate,

but I wish I had known when to stop, 

for I'm so crammed with yams,

sauces, gravies and jams

that my buttons are starting to pop.

I'm full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt,

If I eat just a little bit more!

This poem is a little bit on the sillier side, but who does this poem not describe on Thanksgiving day? I know that I always enjoy eating all the yummy food everyone has brought to the table!  My favorite is the corn pudding and butter fluff rolls.  What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Now for a poem, that is much simpler but hits right to the meaning of Thanksgiving.  This is a short verse from Ralph Waldo Emmerson. 

For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends. 

Sisters- hanging on the porch swing.
Thanksgiving 2006, the first of many at the farm!

What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?  I hope you find the time to read aloud some fun or thoughtful Thanksgiving poems this year!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Dragons

A few years ago the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" was a huge hit.  At the time I was teaching in an elementary special needs classroom and was always looking for good books to read aloud with my class.  I chose How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell so that I could use the movie as a visual for the book.  It was also a great book for a classroom full of boys and I was able to easily adapt the book to meet their needs.  If you are a special needs teacher for students with moderate to severe disabilities click here to see a sample of my How to Train Your Dragon book adaptation.

Needless to say my classroom full of boys loved the book and the movie.  I wish that three years ago I knew about Kate McMullan's series, Dragon Slayer's Academy.  Her first book The New Kid at School  reminded me a lot of How to Train Your Dragon. A young boy, Wiglaf, who is forgotten in his family and ignored by peers, steps up to play the hero in the dragon world, much like Hiccup did in How to Train Your Dragon.  

The great thing about McMullan's series is that they are short easy reads.  I would have been able to easily read aloud a chapter a day to my class, with out having to adapt or omit parts. Plus, I would have been able to extend the dragon theme out that they loved so much.

If you are a teacher, or parent, with boys grades first through fifth I would check out How to Train Your  Dragon and Draon Slayer's Academy as read alouds.  They are funny, creative and packed with action.  As a bonus "How to Train Your Dragon 2" comes out in theaters in 2014.  Going to a movie could make great reward for meeting a reading goal!

Check out the trailer for "How to Train Your Dragon 2."

Happy Reading!
Laura

Who am I?

Here is another book to share with toddlers that either 1) love animals  2) love lift the flap books 3) love guessing what something might be.

City Animals by Simms Taback is dubbed as a "giant fold-out book" because the flaps are huge!  On the left side of every page the book has the words, "Who am I? with just a fraction of the city animal showing.  The right side of the page gives a clue that you can then flip up to reveal another clue and more of the animal.  When you fold out the second clue a full picture of the animal is revealed as well as the animal name.

Here are some pictures of how the book works.

My toddler loved lifting the flaps of this book so much I thought- we should just make our own!

Here is how I did it:

Materials
- 1 piece of 18x11 construction paper
- Glue
- 3 pictures of objects your child is interested (I printed mine from the internet, just make sure they are about a 1/2 page when printed)
- Scissors
- Instruction on how to make a mini-book found here

1) Use the 18x11 piece of construction paper to make the mini-book.

2) Cut the 3 printed pictures into rectangles and then fold into fourths so that your picture looks like this.

3) Cut one slit in the middle of the picture like this:

4) Glue only the bottom half into the book like this:

5) Then you can add the text to your book, like this:

6) Now your book is ready for your little one to enjoy!

You could make this type of book for or with almost any aged child.  Obviously, my toddler could not make the book, but he loves reading it.  If you have an older child they could help with the cutting, gluing and writing!

Happy Reading!
Laura

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Back for round 2 of Informational Fridays.  This week I want to dispel the myth that all informational books are wordy, technical and difficult to read aloud.  Steve Jenkins is a very popular author of children's informational books.  His book What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a great example of informational books that can be used for primary children.

This book has a question and answer format.  On the first two page spread a question is posed and on the next two page spread the question is answered.  For example, on the page, "What do you do with a nose like this?" there are pictures of 5 different animal noses.  It is fun for kids to try to guess which animal the different noses belong to.  When you turn the page it shows each of the 5 animals in full with a fact about how that animal uses its nose, "If you're a hyena you find your next meal with your nose."

The book is perfect for younger children because of the short facts and their ability to interact with the text by guessing what animals the author might be getting ready to teach you about.  It also gives children many opportunities to connect with the book by sharing their own knowledge of any of the over 30 animals that are represented.  As an added bonus, if the child or class you are reading to has a particular interest in one of the animals you can turn to the back of the book to find out more information.

So I will leave you with one question for the weekend.

What do you do with a tooth like this?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thursday

It doesn't get more Throwback than our old pal Aesop.  I know most of you have heard of Aesop's fables but what do you really know about Aesop?  Before I share with you my book today I want to give you a few tidbits of information about Aesop so next time someone tells you one of his fables, you can say-

Did you know...
1) Aesop was a slave who lived in Ancient Greece.
2) His stories have been passed down through many forms of media including the written word, artwork and the most common, word of mouth.
3) Socrates passed his time in jail reciting Aesop's Fables.
4) There is now way to really tell is Aesop was a real person.
5) Many tales that had no literary source were credited to Aesop.

Now onto the book that I want to share with you.  Jerry Pinkney, a Caldecott illustrator of The Lion and The Mouse, has now illustrated a version of The Tortoise and The Hare.

 His version of the fable is mostly told in stunning pictures and he uses very few words.  I like that the words are few and far between so that young children can examine the picture and grasp meaning from them, essentially telling their own fable.  By looking at the picture you can see the difficult time that the tortoise is having and how easy the race is for the rabbit.  Just like in the original tale the rabbit stops (Pinkey has him stopping to gobble up lettuce before he takes his nap) and the turtle is able to pass him to win the race.

Pinkney cleverly chooses his words.  He slowly sprinkles the lesson of the fable onto the pages of the book.  He starts with the word slow and then every few pages adds another word until the phrase reads, "Slow and steady wins the race."  It is such a simple yet effective way to get the message across.

What is your favorite Aesop fable to share with others?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Manana

It is so easy to say, manana, I'll do it tomorrow.  I know we are all guilty of this!  In the book Manana Iguana by Ann Whitford Paul Iguana teaches his friends a lesson when they are always telling her they will help manana.

In the story Iguana and her friends Rabbit, Turtle and Snake, all decide to have a party to celebrate spring.  The party is going to be on Saturday.  Iguana immediately takes charge and starts getting ready for the party.  First she must make the invitations.  When she asks her friends for help they all give her an excuse of why they cannot help no and tell her they will help tomorrow.  Knowing that the invitations cannot wait, Iguana completes the task by herself.  The excuses continue all throughout the week.  Iguana ends up delivering the invitations, stuffing the pinata, cooking the food and hanging streamers all by herself.  When Saturday comes and Rabbit, Turtle and Snake show up to the fiesta to greet the guests Iguana finally speaks up angrily telling her friends that she did everything to prepare for the party so she will greet the guests without them.  Rabbit, Turtle and Snake feel very badly and sit in the corner while everyone else has a great time at the party.  When the party is over Iguana is too tired to clean up and says, "I'll do it manana."  Rabbit, Turtle and Snake decide to clean up the mess for Iguana and the next morning Iguana is happy with her friends again.  "Gracias!" Iguana says and offers her friends leftovers!

Not only does this book have a great story but it also sprinkles Spanish words throughout the books.  Instead of rabbit, the author uses conejo and instead of snake the author uses culebra.  Using the spanish is just another way to interest kids in the book.  Don't worry, if you are reading the book aloud there is a nice Glossary of Spanish words and pronunciations in the beginning of the book.

If you like this book be sure to check out more by Ann Whitford Paul like Fiesta Fiasco or Count on Culebra.  I am sure I will feature them on this blog one day!

In the mean time, don't put of until manana what you can do today!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Abbott & Costello

I know baseball season is over but I saw this book and thought it was too great not to share.  Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" is probably one of the greatest comedy skits of all time and now it has been made into a children's book.

 
The book is the exact script from the comedy skit but includes great illustrations and dialogue bubbles to help children follow along with the conversation.  Some of my favorite illustrations are the maps that show all the players and where they play.  Poor Costello is just not understanding the names of his other teammates and get more frustrated by the minute.  In the end Abbott brings out all the other players and Costello gets to see and meet them all.

A little history about Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.  The skit "Who's on First?" was introduced in the 1930's, roughly 80 years ago.  The duo simply called the famous skit, "Baseball".  Both Abbott and Costello are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame because of this comedy skit.  The skit has been acted out by a variety of different celebrities over the years but no one performs it quite like the creators.

So, if you child likes baseball, comedy or you just want to share with them a piece of history check out this book and before you do so check out Abbott and Costello in action.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Informational Fridays!

I started to realize that I have not posted any informational books (informational books are what we used to call "non-fiction").  I hate that I have totally ignored this genre for reading aloud because it is often the favorite of many children.

One reason we tend to not read aloud informational books is because they can be wordy and technical. It can also be very hard to find a "good" informational book to share with a child or children.  Before I share with you my informational pick of the week I want to offer you some tips for reading aloud informational books.

1) Pick a topic that interests the child.  Think animals, biographies, places or even how-to books.

2) Preview the text.  Before you sit down to read the book to a child or an entire class look at the book.
If it is wordy and technical pick out a few pages that are the most interesting and then leave the book setting out for the child to pick up and look through on their own.

3) Read only a section at a time. There is no hard and fast rule that when you read a book aloud you need to read the entire book.  Begin reading the informational book and when you can tell that interest is lost put it down only to pick it up and resume reading later.

4) Read the text features.  Informational books are known for their great pictures and text features (maps, diagrams, labels, charts etc.) If there are too many words on a page simply read and talk about the text features.  Sometimes that is the part that is the most interesting anyway!

So, now onto my recommendation.  This week I chose a book by Gail Gibbons.  She is a very popular informational text author and has written over 100 book on a variety of topics.  The one I am sharing with you today is Alligators and Crocodiles.  

I chose (actually my son chose) this book because right now alligators are an obsession in our house.  When we arrived at the library he immediately wanted a book about alligators so after setting out a few choices this is the one he decided to bring home. 

At first I was worried because I thought that this book might be a little too much for him but it has the perfect combination of words and pictures to keep him interested and learning about alligators.  Of course since he is only one and a half he mostly likes looking at the pictures but there are some interesting facts in there for me!

The book covers everything from habitats, diets, body features, babies and even threats to the alligators and crocodiles.  Gail Gibbons uses a lot of labels on her pictures to give even more information about the animals.  It is a lengthy book (32 pages) so we have read it in several different sittings but if you were using it in a classroom you could definitely pick out the relevant pages to read aloud.  

So make sure to add some informational books to your daily read alouds!  I am sure your audience will love them!

What are some of your favorite informational books to read to children?

Happy Reading!

Laura

Throwback Thursday

What better book to share on Throwback Thursday than The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, published in 1922.  I think most of us are familiar with the story of the much loved toy that becomes real.  It is such a touching story with a plot that came straight from a child's dream.

This is a particularly special book to me because it was used as the theme for my high school freshman retreat.  The book's theme of "Be Real" spoke volumes to teenage girls, starting out at a new high school just trying to fit in.  The story of the Velveteen Rabbit taught us that being the real you comes from having real love and real friendship.

At Mount St. Francis in 2013, sixteen years after becoming "Real" on Freshman Retreat!

Here are some great quotes from The Velveteen Rabbit:

“It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.” 

“Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you. Sometimes it hurts, but when you are Real you don't mind being hurt. It doesn't happen all at once. You become. Once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand. Once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.” 

"The Rabbit sighed.  He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him.  He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad.  He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him."

"'Give me my Bunny!'he said, "You mustn't say that.  He isn't a toy.  He's Real!' When the little Rabbit heard that, he was happy, for he knew that what the Skin Horse has said was true at last... He was real."

If your child loves Toy Story  read The Velveteen Rabbit.  It was making toys real long before Pixar!

Happy Reading!
Laura