Halloween Throwback Thursday

Happy Halloween!  What better way to celebrate than by leaving white vegetables around the house/classroom and reading Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe!

Bunnicula is the story of a new pet brought into the Monroe's home.  The pet is part bunny, part vampire but the only one who knows this is the Monroe's pet cat Chester.  Through out the entire book each morning the Monroe's are finding white vegetable sitting around their kitchen.  They have no idea what is going on, but Chester does.  Chester DOES NOT want a vampire bunny in his house so he plots different ways to get rid of Bunnicula.  Chester tries to to Harold, the family dog, to help him get rid of the bunny but Harold is not much help and ends up befriending Bunnicula.

The mention of vampires, Dracula and scary vampire bunnies is sure to raise the hair on a child's neck.  To make it even better, be sure to leave some white vegetables laying around the house tomorrow morning!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Halloween 2007

My Favorite

Today I am going to share with you my favorite Halloween read aloud, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams.

This book is great for several reasons, I am only going to name a few. First, it is great because of the plot.  The book tells the story of a little old lady minding her own business on a walk through the woods.  On the walk she encounters different articles of clothing floating in the air trying to scare her, to which she replies, "You can't scare me!" After each encounter she starts to walk a little bit faster towards her home.  In the end all of the clothing and the jack-o-lantern knock on her door and she cleverly uses them to make a scarecrow!

The second reason this book is great is because of the repetition and the sound effects.  It only takes the little old lady meeting a "pair of shoes that go stomp, stomp" to get the entire group of children you are reading to to join in.  They love saying the sound effects and even making motions to go along with the book. 

Last, this book has endless activities, crafts and games to go with it.  My first grade class loved acting out this book.  I would bring in shoes, pants, shirts, hats, gloves and a jack-o-lantern and they would use those props to act out this little story. 

If this book is not already on your shelf pick it up TODAY!  Halloween is tomorrow and there is not much time left for Halloween read alouds!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Beware!

Today I want to share with your a collection of scary stories.  These are perfect for reading around a campfire or as a Halloween read aloud.

Beware by R.L. Stine is a collection of some of his all-time favorite stories.  Not all of the stories are written by Stine himself.  This collection features poems by Shel Silverstein, a story by Ronald Dahl, as well as the famous poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert W. Service.

One of the stories in the collection is called "The Girl Who Stood on a Grave" by Alvin Schwartz.  In the story a group of friends is talking about how if you stand on top of someone's grave they will reach through the ground, grab you and pull you into the grave with them.  One girl in the group of friends did not believe the story so they dared her to go stand on a grave.  They gave her a knife and told her to stick it into one of the graves so they knew she had been there.  Bravely, the young girl went and stood on a grave.  When nothing happened she stuck the knife into the grave and went to leave, but she couldn't!  Something was holding onto her.  She began screaming and then fell to the ground.  When her friends came to check on her they noticed she had stuck the knife through her skirt.  It was only the knife holding her skirt to the grave.

These short stories and poems are perfect to share with young children, probably 3rd grade and up.  Most of the stories end in some kind of humor or irony. Some can be creepy, but not scary enough to give nightmares to anyone.

Check this one out, especially if you have a young one that enjoys the scarier things in life!

Happy Reading!
Laura

It's Finally Here!

It is finally Halloween week!  This week is all about jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, goblins and ghosts!  That means it is time to bring out some scary read alouds.  I will be sharing some of my favorite Halloween read alouds all this week!  Please post your favorites in the comments, especially if I left them off my list!

This week we are going to start with a Halloween version of a children's favorite, Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin.  We all know the troubles that Farmer Brown has on a daily basis at his farm.  Read this book to find out what kind of nonsense the animals cook up on Halloween. 

Farmer Brown DOES NOT like Halloween.  He just wants to be left alone, but not his animals in the barn.  They are ready to PARTY!  The cow is dressed as a skeleton, the chickens are ghosts and the sheep are witches.  We are still wondering what that infamous duck will be dressed as.  The animals are getting ready for the party crunch, crunching through the leaves, tap, tapping on the window, creaking when the door opens.  Farmer Brown does not know about the party and all he hears is scary Halloween noises.  When he checks out the window he sees a dark creature under the tree.  Frightened, Farmer Brown runs to his bed and hides under the covers.  The creature starts making its way toward the house until there is a tap, tap, tap on Farmer Brown's door.  A scared Farmer Brown holds tight to his blankets until he hears a "quack, quack, quackle?" Confused he gets out of bed and runs to the front door.  Where the candy was is now a note "Halloween Party at the Barn," it says.  Farrmer Brown runs to the party and wins the award for best costume!

If you child likes any of the Doreen Cronin books then this one is a must to read to get in the Halloween spirit. 

Don't forget to share your favorite Halloween book in the comments!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Halloween 2008

Make A Difference Day

Today is Make A Difference Day- a day dedicated to doing something small, or big to make a difference in someone's day or life.  I wanted to share with you a book about a class who decides to do something BIG to make a difference in the life of someone half way around the world.

Give a Goat by Jan West Schrock is the true story of a fifth grade class inspired by a read aloud to do something to make a difference.  Mrs. Rowell, a fifth grade teacher, decides to read aloud the book Beatrice's Goat, to her class.  The book was about a girl named Beatrice who lived in Uganda and was too poor to go to school.  One day visitors came to the village where Beatrice lived and gave her family a goat.  The goat made milk and Beatrice would sell the extra milk that the goat made until one day the family had enough money to send Beatrice to school.  

Beatrice's story inspired Mrs. Rowell's class to want to give a goat!   The story then goes on to tell about how Mrs. Rowell's class worked together to research and come up with a plan to raise money to give a goat through Heifer International.  The plan the class came up with was to sell healthy snacks to the teachers and students.  The book goes into detail about all the work the class had to do to make this happen (if you are a teacher it even talks a little about the cross-curricular connections!).  By the end of the month they had made a profit of $180.  That was "enough to buy a goat, a flock of chickens and some ducks." What a difference this class made and it was all inspired by a read aloud from their teacher!

Here are a couple of more quote I like from the book:

"Imagine, a whole bunch of children could go to school because of our math project!"

"But I felt good knowing sometimes a little gift can make a big difference.  After all, our class had made a difference for three families just by selling snacks.  I really like the idea that if we helped one family, they would be able to help another family, then another family, and then another family, in a long chain of passing on the gift."

So what will you do to make a difference today?  If nothing else snuggle up and read a book with a child!

Happy Reading!

Laura

DIY Book

There is nothing more than kids love than themselves.  My little boy loves watching videos and looking at pictures of himself.  He has recently started saying and "writing" his name.  Watching him do all this I thought, he needs a book about himself, so what did we do?  We made one!

The book is simple to read and simple to make.  All we did was take an old book that we had bought for less than a dollar that he does not read anymore and covered it with construction paper.  After we covered the book we added pictures of him that we printed out.  All of the pictures are of him doing different things that he loves (eating, playing, digging etc.).

Next we added the text. I simply wrote the text in the book because it was easier and I think it is important for children to see written text but it could be typed.  Every page just has two words of text, his name and what it is he is doing in the picture.  For example: Anthony reads.  It's important for early literacy skills for the words to go along with the picture because using a picture to determine a word is one of the first strategies readers learn.

Last, we read the book.  He likes to flip through the pages and "read" the book by saying "Annanee." He also likes to examine the pictures as if he is remembering the moment in time when it was taken.

So on the next rainy, snowy or cold day when it is too yucky to go outside, try making a book.  It is something you child will enjoy and treasure.

Here are some pictures from our book:

I would love to hear about or even see a book you have made with your child!  

Happy Reading!

Laura

Bullies

I wanted to include one more book for National Bully Prevention Month.  The book I am going to share today is about a mean bully who has a change of heart.

In Toestomper and the Caterpillars by Sharleen Callicott, Toestomper is the town bully.  He and his gang of friends are always picking on the little caterpillars.  He and his friends even destroy their homes.  Since the caterpillars have no where else to go, they begin to follow Toestomper around.  He tries everything to get rid of them.  He yells at them and is mean to them but they will not leave.  Eventually, the caterpillars begin to grow on Toestomper.  He notices that they are cold and invites them into his own hut.  He even begins to like them.  Toestomper begins to take care of an help the caterpillars.  He has a total change of heart, but his friends have not.  They do not like this new Toestomper because all "he cares about is those dumb caterpillars."  They decide to tie Toestomper to a tree and feed the caterpillars to the birds.  In the end the caterpillars are saved and everyone learns to get a long and be friends.

Kids love everything from the characters to the pictures to the dialogue and mostly the message that it's okay to stand up for what you believe in and the people that you love, even if your friends might not like it at first!

Take time this month to tell the story of Toestomper to a child in your life.  Then talk about how Toestomper changed and why.   Be sure to emphasize the importance of kindness and treating others with respect!

Happy Reading!
Laura

More Fall!

We are right in the midst of fall now.  The temperature has gotten cooler, the leaves are changing colors and its almost time to rake up the leaves that have fallen.  That means it's time for another great fall read aloud!

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger is a sweet story about a little yellow leaf holding on tight, not ready to fall.  Other signs of fall are happening all around the little yellow leaf.  He sees geese flying away, pumpkins growing and leaves being raked into piles, but he is not ready to fall.  Finally, snow falls and it is turning to winter but the little yellow leaf will still not fall, even though he is all alone.  But then, the little yellow leaf realizes he is not alone after all.  There is a little scarlet leaf hanging on tight to a branch above him.  Together, they decide to let go and drift away in the wind.  This is a delightful story that has such vivid language and a calming flow to it.  This book is perfect for an afternoon read aloud after playing outside in the fall weather!

After we read this book we decided to make our own little yellow leaf.  Here is what we did:

Materials:
- Finger paint
-Marble
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Pan or tray

1) Cut out a leaf shape in the construction paper.
2) Lay the leaf in the pan or the tray and squeeze 3-4 dots of finger paint on the tray (I used read, green and yellow)
3) Add the marble to the pan or tray and show the child how to move the marble around on the tray by tilting the tray. (Side note: Since I was doing this with my 18 month old I used a aluminum foil tray with a plastic lid so that the marble would not fly out.  It worked great!)
4) When the leaf is painted to your satisfaction take the marble out and let the leaf dry in the pan.

Ours turned out great!  Here is a picture.  My little boy loved shaking the tray to make the marble move around.

If the weather is nice where you are take the read aloud outside!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Throwback Thursday

Going along with the theme of bullying, feelings and social skills I wanted to share a book that I just found last year, but has been around a lot longer, that I think is really great for reading in classrooms and at home.

We all know that when we see a child doing something they are not supposed to we often hear the excuse, "So and so did it why can't I?" Well here is where the book If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover comes in very handy.

The book starts out defining the difference between somebody (when there's only one) and everybody (when there's one and one and one...).  Then it starts giving examples of when somebody does something and everybody does something.  It is neat because the text is set up where the question is on the left side and the repeated phrase, "This is what would happen if everyone did" is on the right side.  Both are accompanied by a picture that tells the tale.

Here are some of my favorites:

The book ends with going back to each of the situations and showing what would happen if everybody did the opposite like: shutting the door, trying not to cry, going to bed.  Why, if everyone did the right thing we would all be happy!

I think this is a great throwback to share with kids now because the use of the illustrations make the concept of doing the right thing very concrete.  It would be very easy to connect this book to bullying and add pages like what is everybody pushed to get in line or what if everybody called names.  Ask the children you are reading this book to to come up with their own idea and illustrations to go with it.

We need to take all the opportunities we have to teach our children how to do the right thing and why it is important.  Take the time to read this with your child and talk about right and wrong- it could leave a lasting impression on them.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Something to think about

Why reading aloud is so important:

One can arguably state: reading is the single most important social factor in American life today.  Here’s a formula to support that.  It sounds simplistic, but all parts can be documented and while not 100% universal, it holds true far more than not.

     1.     The more you read, the more you know.

     2.     The more you know the smarter you grow.

     3.     The smarter you are, the longer you stay in school.

     4.     The longer you stay in school the more diplomas you earn and the longer you are employed- thus the      

           more money you earn in a lifetime.

     5.     The more diplomas you ear the higher your children’s grades will be in school.

     6.     The more diplomas you earn the longer you live.

The opposite would also be true.

     1.     The less you read, the less you know.

     2.     The less you know, the sooner you drop out of school.

     3.     The sooner you drop out, the sooner and longer you are poor.

     4.     The sooner you drop out, the greater your chances of going to jail.

   This is taken from The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease page xxv.

    Happy Reading!
    Laura

Moods

So kids go through moods just like us.  The only difference is it is harder for kids to verbalize the mood they are feeling. As adults we have to do a lot of guess work and usually by the time we have figured out our child is in a bad mood they are kicking and screaming on the floor in the middle of Target.  Am I right?

Just like anything else, feelings and moods should be something we discuss and READ about with our kids.  Reading a book about feelings will give children an experience to relate to and maybe they will begin to recognize the moods they are in.  

One of my all time favorite books about moods is What are you so Grumpy About? by Tom Lichtenheld.  If you are grumpy when you start reading this book, you will be laughing by the time you finish.

This book goes through all the different reasons a kid might be grumpy.  Maybe you had to pick up your room.  Maybe all the kid cereal was gone and you had to eat grown up cereal.  Maybe all your clothes are in the laundry.  The book goes on and on, and what makes it so great is that the pictures are amazing!  The pictures make this book so funny and help make it a great read aloud.  My favorite pictures is for the page, "Did your brother or sister touch you?" The picture shows a giant finger and labels the cooties and germs going from one finger to the other.  Kids love anything that has to do with cooties!  The book ends with someone trying to cheer you up because you are so grumpy, and that is just what this book will do! You can use it to discuss grumpiness or to cheer up a grump! I know I could have used this book when I was younger because I was queen of the grumps!

What mood are you in today?  Do you have a favorite book about that mood?

Happy Reading!
Laura

Some famous grumps--

Grumpy the Dwarf

Grumpy Bear

Grumpy Cat

Oscar the Grouch

National Bully Prevention Month

It seems like bulling is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in today's classrooms and on the playgrounds.  Bullying is a topic that we need to take the time to discuss with our own children as well as the students in our classrooms.  One great way to start a conversation is through reading a book first.

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill is a great read aloud to start the conversation about bullying with younger kids.  Mean Jean is your stereotypical playground bully.  She controls when everyone plays and if a kid did not listen to Mean Jean she would "push 'em and smoosh 'em," until they do what she wanted them to do, she always got her way.  Then tiny Katie Sue comes to school and she is unaware of Mean Jean's rules on the playground. When Katie Sue ran outside for recess and kicked and jumped and bounced before Mean Jean, Mean Jean made sure to inform Katie Sue of the rules and told her, "Nobody swings until Mean Jean swings.  Nobody bounces until Mean Jean bounces." But Katie Sue did not listen, instead Katie Sue just kept on playing, making Mean Jean madder and madder.   But then Katie Sue did something no one else had ever done, she asked Mean Jean to jump rope with her.  Mean Jean did not know what to do so she jumped with Katie Sue and that was the end of Mean Jean forever.

Not only does this book teach a great lesson about how to respond to bullies but kids love listening to it because of the repetition, rhyming and silly words like "lollapaloosh" and many more.  It is a must read for National Bully Prevention Month.

Here are some questions to start a conversation about bullying:

1) Has anyone treated you like Mean Jean treated her classmate?  What did they do?
2) Have you ever acted like Mean Jean?  What did you do?
3) What made Mean Jean change?
4) What should you do if you see someone being a bully?

Check out the NEA's website for some free resources on preventing bulling by clicking here.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thursday

Choo! Choo!  That is my life right now, trains, trains and more trains.  My toddler's favorite book is a classic and that is why I am sharing it with you on Throwback Thursday.

Freight Train by Donald Crews is a very simply book that will please any young lover of trains.  As an added bonus it uses colors to describe the different train cars.  The text is very simple and so are the pictures, which is one reason why I think my toddler loves this book so much, I am sure it has nothing to do with his train obsession! He requests that is be read to him several times a day by saying, "Choo Choo?" And we must read this book before he goes to bed. 

As you can tell I have read Freight Train enough that I have the book memorized.  I know a lot of parents with young kids are familiar with this.  As parents we often complain about reading the same book over and over and think to ourselves, "If I have to read this book one more time I will scream!"  I want to take this time to ask you to please not give into that voice in your head that wants to throw the book in the garbage so that you never have to read it again but instead take your child in your lap and read the book to them, one more time, again and again and again. 

Repeated readings are so important for learning early literacy skills.  It is through reading familiar books over and over that children begin to recognize letters, words, phrases and sentences.  If you read it to them enough they will have the book memorized and will therefore be able to "read" the book.  The next thing you know they will be able to recognize those same words in a different book.  

So please, as much as it might pain you to read that one treasured book 100 times a day, do it you are helping your child along on the road to literacy and there is not much you can do that is as important as that!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Orange is the New Black

Ok- I just wanted to get your attention.  I am not posting about the show Orange is the New Black on a children's book blog.  I am sticking with my fall theme and sharing a great fall book all about the color orange!

Autumn Orange, by Christianne C. Jones, is a perfect fall book.  If gives kids a chance to talk about all things fall as well as build their vocabulary a little by using the word autumn.  This book of course focuses on finding the color orange in the fall scenery.  Kids love searching the pages for all things orange like orange scarecrows, cats, pumpkins, butterflies, leaves and so much more.  Another plus is the rhyming and rhythm in the books (I know I mention this a lot but that is one trait of a great read aloud!).  

After we read this book we used the color orange to make a pumpkin craft.  Here's how:

Materials:

- black construction paper

- orange tissue paper cut into small squares

- clear contact paper

1) Cut a pumpkin out of the black construction paper.  Then cut out the inside so that you have just the outline of a pumpkin. 

2) Place the pumpkin outline onto the contact paper. Leave sticky side up. 

3) Take the small squares of tissue paper and stick to the contact paper inside the black outline.  Keep doing this until you have filled the entire pumpkin. 

4) Lay a piece of contact paper over the tissue paper. Trim the excess contact paper and here is what you end up with. 

My one and a half year old was able to do this art project so it is great for anyone!  We love to hang ours in the window so that the light shines through!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Friday Quote

Something to think about this weekend...

"In every task the most important thing is the beginning... especially when you deal with anything young and tender."
                                                                      - Plato, The Republic

Read to those kiddos this weekend!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Throwback Thursday

Don't you just love when you find a great book, the text is easy to read, the pictures are beautiful, everything just seems to go together so perfectly, and then on top of that it teaches a reading or writing skill?  That is how I feel about one of my favorite childhood books, Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood. 

When I was a child I loved this book for its simplicity.  I loved looking at the pictures and pretending that I was the child in the book.  I loved listening to my mom read the words and imagining being "as wild as a chimp." It was a book that I always cherished. 

Then I became a 4th and 5th grade teacher and it was time to teach figurative language.  I thought what better book than Quick as a Cricket.  There are similes on every page and an illustration to go with it so that my students could actually see what figurative language was. But the learning with the book did not stop there.  It was used with primary children to find rhymes and it was used with even younger children for opposites.  You will be hard pressed to find a better book that works across ages to teach a range of skills. However, I would recommend just reading the book for pure enjoyment.  After all that is the purpose of a great book!

What book was your favorite when you were a child?  I would love to share in on Throwback Thursday!

Happy Reading!

Laura

Leonardo and the Terrible Monster

It's October first which officially makes it the month of witches, ghost, monsters and all things Halloween.  While I will be sharing some of my absolute favorite Halloween stories to read aloud this month I first want to share with you a story about a not so scary monster named Leonardo.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster is by my all time favorite children's author Mo Willems.  It is the sweet story of a monster, who at first you think is going to be terribly mean and nasty but, soon find out he is just not very good at being a monster. 

Leonardo just wishes for the chance to "scare the tuna salad" out of someone, so he finds the most scaredy cat boy in the whole world- Sam.  When Leonard sneaks up on Sam and scares him Sam starts to cry.  Leonardo is so proud of himself but then he realizes that Sam is crying because of the terrible day that he has had.  At that moment Leonardo discovers that "instead of being a terrible monster, he could be a wonderful friend."

Not only does this book have a sweet message but kids think it is funny.  They like how Mo Willems write Sam's entire bad day on one page with not punctuation so it has be to read all in one breath and how he uses dialogue to move the story along.  When you read this book out loud make it even more fun by coming up with a voice for Sam and Leonardo.

Start out October by reading Leonardo the Terrible Monster to show kids that monsters are not always mean and scary!

Happy Reading!

Laura