Witches

Witches

Cheryl Christian

Wish Williams (illustrator)

August 2011

From preparing a special brew to flying through the skies, this group of witches is preparing for Halloween.  The most creative aspect of this story is the juxtaposition between the text and the pictures.  The text describes the creepy, scary things witches do, and without the accompanying illustrations, might be a bit spooky for a very young audience.  But the illustrations lessen the fright factor by showing readers from the beginning that this is a group of children trick-or-treating and celebrating Halloween.

WITCHES is meant to be read by a very young audience.  It is written in rhyme, and the pictures are gorgeous.  I can imagine my students reading it to their younger prayer partners at Halloween.  

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Fall Mixed Up

Fall Mixed Up

Bob Raccka

Chad Cameron (illustrator)

September 2011

"Every Septober, every Octember..." starts a fun romp through my favorite season.  Everything is mixed up, but the narrator doesn't seem to notice.  It was engaging and I couldn't wait to see what would be mixed up next.  The illustrations were fabulous and added another layer of silliness to the story. 

At my school the 5th graders participate in a year long Nature Scopes program, and this book fits perfectly into the introduction of the Fall section of their journal.  In younger grades, teachers could use this book as a discussion about the changes fall brings; perhaps illustrating a 'mixed up' change as well as a 'true' change and writing paragraphs or captions for their drawings.

I loved this book and will be adding it to my collection as soon as it becomes available!

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Back-to-School Rules

Back to School Rules

Laura Friedman 

Teresa Murfin (illustrator)

September 2011

Percy Isaac Gifford is ready for a new school year.  And he has lots of advice for kids who are or aren't as excited as he is.  Ten rules, things NOT to do, to make the school year stress free.  Told in rhyming stanzas, BACK TO SCHOOL RULES  is delightfully silly and, in my opinion, must be read aloud!

I cannot wait to share this fun book with my students on the first day of school this year and for many years to come.  I am considering turning it into a class book on the last day of school for next year's students, too.  If every child wrote a new stanza specific to our 5th grade class, they would collectively write a great book for the new class!

Love it!

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Earth Day Every Day

Earth Day Every Day

Lisa Bullard

September 2011

"My name's Trina.  I'm an Earthling."  Trina explores and explains what it is to be a good Earthling.  She gets her family and friends and even her neighbors involved in cleaning up the Earth.  She has tons of good advice and follows through with her ideas while encouraging the reader to join in.

Lisa Bullard has created a character that is both passionate and absolutely adorable in EARTH DAY EVERY DAY.  The illustrations by Xiao Xin are super cute and add to the flavor of the story.  Full of lots of attitude and great suggestions, this book would be a perfect addition to any bookshelf.   At the end of the book are an activity, a glossary of new terms, and a list of further resources.  Teachers could easily introduce this story as a springboard for Earth Day or a unit on conservation and recycling.  Because this book is formatted like a non-fiction book, it also lends itself to discussion about using parts of a book, too.  All in all, a great short story that any kid could relate to - and get ideas from!

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Odd Velvet

Odd Velvet
Mary Whitcomb
Tara Calahan King (Illustrator)
August, 1998

Velvet is odd. Instead of bringing a doll for show and tell, Velvet brings a milkweed pod. She has only eight crayons. She brings her lunch from home in a brown bag. The other children don't know what to make of her, so they ignore her. But slowly, Velvet wins her classmates over, and they all become great friends.

ODD VELVET is a great story that is not to be missed. Sweet little Velvet doesn't seem to know she's 'odd' and I loved her strength of character. Wouldn't it be great if we were all a bit more sure of ourselves? Teaching themes of acceptance and staying true to yourself, Mary Whitcomb's lovely story lends itself easily to great lesson plans. The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the story with grace and simplicity.

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Enemy Pie

Enemy Pie 

Derek Munson

Tara Calahan King (Illustrator)

September, 2000

Summer is the perfect time to relax and hang out in your treehouse!!  Until Jeremy Ross moves in.  Jeremy Ross is not a good friend - always bragging and making fun.  Luckily Dad know just the remedy: ENEMY PIE.  An old family recipe that's been handed down for generations, it is sure to get rid of Jeremy Ross - somehow.  The funniest part of the story is the narrator guessing what exactly might happen to his number one enemy when he eats the pie.

In a funny, but sweet, story, Derek Munson explores the theme of friendship.  This beautifully illustrated picture book is a great tale of the trials and tribulations of making and keeping new friends.  Teacher Bonus: there are tons of lesson plans online to teach the themes.  My favorite is from UEN and can be found here.  This would also be a great beginning of the year activity and could be tied into character education and six traits writing.

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