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If you can't tell, I bought every Magic Tree House book that was left at Walmart, but that is not where this week's theme comes from! I was inspired by C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The power that a single character, and in this case, animal, holds can be so intense. While my other two books are not on the exact same wavelength, they do show how strong animals can be nice - an idea that should be relevant in the lives of our students; You can be strong AND helpful; You can be strong AND quiet; Strong does not equal mean. These books are a great way to subtly influence the atmosphere of our classrooms without strict and rigid rules.

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Everyone knows The Chronicles of Narnia. I chose to talk about the second book, Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Maybe I'm basic, but as I have grown older, my appreciation for Aslan, the lion has grown. He is powerful, he can do almost anything he wants, but he uses his power wisely. He chooses to be quiet, to watch and listen to those around him. This book would be fantastic for upper elementary book discussions or "clubs." Reading the book and discussing the nature and attitude of the characters can be very thought provoking. This could be done at an age where your students are starting to figure out who they are, and while we as teachers can't parent them, we can for sure influence their actions by giving them a purpose to think about their own nature and attitude.

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Magic Tree House - Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborn is the first of many Magic Tree House books, channeling the imagination of so many readers. When Jack and Annie find a tree house full of books, they soon realize that they should be careful what they wish for. Wishing they could live in the time of the Pteranodons sent them to the top of a tree in the Cretaceous period. Jack documents every dinosaur he comes in contact with, recording their color, texture, diet, and mannerisms. This can be a great way to introduce the process of research and observation to young students. I am a huge fan of books having a larger purpose than solely reading. Finding ways to cover other subjects makes it so much more worthwhile!

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Magic Tree House- Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osborn starts out swimming on a hot summer day, but takes the Jack and Annie on an adventure to the Ice Age. During this time they are faced with many dangerous animals like a great cave bear, a sabertooth tiger, and a wooly mammoth. Frightened at first however, they find it is the mammoth, the largest animal of them all, that will protect them, guide them on their journey, and get them safely back home. Like all Magic Tree House books, so much information is packed within these pages; the two learn about Cro-Magnon families and the way they survived during the Ice Age. Again, such a great way to sneak in uncommon vocabulary!

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What was Pearl Harbor? by Brennan Demuth includes everything a student would need to know about the event from start to finish! It starts with the event itself, explaining the atmosphere at Pearl Harbor before the attack and the drastic change once the bombs hit. It then discusses how Japan began to become bitter towards America and why. It follows all the way through to the Japanese American camps and the bombing of Nagasaki. There is a lot of information to cover here, but it is done so in a way that makes the reader feel like they were at the event themselves. The pages are full of real images along with illustrations and diagrams. To me, this book seems fit for students starting at a fourth grade level, but even I learned some things reading it!

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Magic Tree House - The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborn
In this story Jack and Annie witness firsthand the culture of Medieval times. Their adventure is full of moats, watch towers, feasts, and of course, knights. The last few pages of the book include more information on nobles and dukes and duchesses. While there is obvious magic and make believe, this book would be a great way to start a unit on the Middle Ages because it includes lots of "old" vocabulary.

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For this week I went with a water theme because its summer, so why not? What started this idea was 100% the book I found about Narwhals. I thought it was adorable and I wanted to share it so I found some more ocean themed books. What I love about this is that the genres were all so different, yet informative at the same time. In two of the three the information was hidden within the storyline. That is so cool because as our students read, they are able to expand their knowledge, in this case, of ocean life. This picture is from Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! While it looks like a simple cartoon, you can see how the information and facts were delivered so playfully!

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Magic Tree House - Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborn takes readers through a magical journey to the sea. Growing up, I loved Magic Tree House books and the imagination they spark. In Dolphins at Daybreak, the kids are posed with a riddle and sent out to the sea to try and solve it. They learn about coral reefs, oceanographers, and fight off a giant octopus all in the same trip. The chapters are short, which makes it easier to read and feel accomplished. I also love the illustrations included every now and then. I think this helps readers develop the use of imagery while reading and that is so important for little ones to learn!

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Dolphins! by Cari Jackson is an Animal Planet book full of dolphin facts. A book like this would be great for teaching research without using the internet. There is 111 pages, making the book complete with a helpful glossary and index. I love the way this book was laid out as well because every page was interesting to look at. I didn't feel like I was "doing research," I was just reading a fun book about dolphins. (Fun fact! The front of a dolphin's head is called its melon!)

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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea! by Ben Clanton is by far one of the cutest books I have found throughout this course. Narwhal the Narwhal makes a jellyfish friend and they explore each others lives together. The book is full of narwhal facts and information, but it has a storyline. I love how this somewhat informational text is delivered because it makes it fun and so interesting especially for young readers!

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Book Blog #2- Imagination and Make Believe

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Book Blog #2- Imagination and Make Believe

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While this seems like a very broad theme, it's something I feel strongly about. The presence of active imagination in today's little ones is getting smaller each year. I would like to blame it on the use of technology, but influence and encouragement towards imagination plays a role in the development of creative brains. I am realizing just how much imagination and thought is subtly shown in children's literary works. This page is from Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise, the second she realizes there's a whole new world that waits outside.

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise by Nathaniel Hobbie is an exciting story to read! It has been raining for days and Priscilla is stuck inside her house and is running out of things to do. She decides that maybe a rain-stopping dance will fix all of her problems. Little does she know, there is a huge world to explore outside with tons of fun things to do in the rain. Along the way she meets fairies and frogs and everything in between. She says "The rain used to seem such a dreary old bore. I understand now it's about so much more!" While the story is cute, it has some awesome features to add, like the use of rhyming and some uncommon vocabulary.

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House by Judy Schachner.
I grew up listening to and reading Skippyjon Jones books. I absolutely love them because of how exciting they are, both visually and within the text. My favorite part of this book is the little songs Skippyjon Jones sings: "Oh, my name is Skippito Friskito (clap-clap), and I heard from a leetle birdito (clap-clap), that the doggies have fled from the gobbling head whoo goes by the name of Bobble-ito!" The voices of the reader always made the story so much fun. I am also a huge fan of the extra detail in every single page, it really makes the book ten times more enjoyable.

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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Theme Book- Imagination and Make Believe

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In The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond, Cornelia Augusta exemplifies the beauty of individuality and caring. One day, it starts raining hearts and Cornelia notices each heart is different in their own way. As she examines the hearts she realizes that there is a perfect person for each unique heart she finds. While it never rains hearts again, in the years to come, she finds other creative ways to keep sending hearts and love to her friends.
This is such a simple story with a strong message. While it obviously will never rain hearts in real life, I believe the importance of uniqueness is a clear message in this story.

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Most people have grown up hearing the classic folk-tale of The Little Red Hen. I remember hearing this story over and over, thinking "that little hen is so rude!" As I grew older, of course, I caught on to the message that story holds. The particular book that I have is a Little Golden Book and I absolutely love the illustrations by J. P. Miller. The animals dress like cute humans and it makes it that much easier to add fun voices to the story!

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Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold can be slightly confusing to unpack right at first. The synopsis at the end of the book describes Tar Beach as a "story quilt by Faith Ringgold (that) combines autobiography, fictional narrative, painting, and quilt making in on art form." In the story, a young African American girl dreams of flying over the buildings and bridges she wishes to own. The synopsis explains that slaves would speak of "flying to freedom" or escaping slavery. Throughout the story, Cassie takes her brother on this journey, claiming buildings for her family.
I think my favorite thing about this book was the unique quilted border on every page. I also LOVE the depth to what seems like such a simple story!

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Growing up as the only child of a single mother, the bond I had with my mother was undeniable. In this blog, I will share three books my mother read to me growing up that exemplify the unconditional love a mother has for her children. The follow picture is from The Kissing Hand, my favorite of the three.

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Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
The entire story is full of relationships from mother to friends, however the guiding force in Stellaluna is the motherly love laid upon her. Stellaluna is a baby bat who is separated from her mother early on. Luckily, she stumbles upon a nest full of baby birds, and is taken in as a bird herself. The baby bat faces some difficulties when the differences between bird and bat start to emerge. However, she gets lucky once again, when she flies into the arms of her true mother, who shows her a whole new world living as a bat.

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The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn comes rushing with warm feelings. Chester Raccoon is starting school soon and is heartbroken that his mother cannot come with him. To ease his fears, she tells him about all the fun adventures he will go on at school. And then, she lets him in on a very special secret called "the kissing hand." His mother opened his hand, gave him a kiss on the palm, and told him to press his hand on his cheek any time he missed her and "that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts." Of course, Chester had a great first day at school.
My mom read this book to me when I was starting school and I loved it. There are still heart-shaped stickers in the front of the book that say "the kissing hand."

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By the Light of the Moon by Sheridan Cain is a simple story of a mother mouse trying to find a good place for her baby mouse to sleep. As she lays her baby down to sleep, Mr. Mole tells Mother Mouse that if they stay there, the farmer will plow right over them in the morning. He suggests they find a place to sleep underground. When the baby mouse says it is far too dark to sleep there, the owl suggests sleeping in the tree. This game goes on and on, until the mother looks in her baby's eyes and remembers to trust her instinct. The two return to field where they first started. Mother Mouse finds the perfect spot near a tree, where she slept when she was a little mouse. Mother Mouse lays her baby down to sleep, knowing things felt "just right" where they were.
I love this story because it emphasizes a mother's instinct in caring for her baby and the baby's trust in his mother.

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Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak; A time and true classic and award winning Caldecott children's book. I remember reading this book as a girl, seeing Max as an unruly kid that dreamed himself to a world of scary monsters. As I reread however, I see that this story about a child's imagination leaves so much room for the reader fill in details. Max uses his imagination to escape his current situation, in which he is sent to bed without supper. Max carries himself through the ocean and to a forest in which he pronounces himself King of the Wild Things. In this forest, Max can be whoever he wants to be and do whatever he wants to do. This escape from reality allows him to calm down from the mischief he was creating in the "real world," and when he is ready, he returns back home, only to find warm dinner waiting for him.
I love the imagination this book allows and how it shows me the way my perspective has changed over the years.

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Required Book- A Book I Loved as a Child

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Required Book- A Book I Loved as a Child

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As I was rummaging through my old stash of children's books, I came across the cover of a red haired girl with a toothy smile. Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae! by Brad Wilcox, was a daily read when I was younger. It is a simple story of an energetic young girl over the course of a few days. The book opens on the first day as she is getting ready for school. She shouts "Howdy, Mom!" Her mom tells her good morning and compliments her on how tidy her room is. As the day goes on, Annie Mae's good behavior is praised, which puts a hop in her step and makes her smile. However, on the second day, she notices that sometimes, people are too busy to tell her she's doing a good job. This really brings her down, but the next day, she decides to flip things around. She learns that even if people are busy, she can still be encouraged. She replaces the words of others with her own, telling herself how great of a job she is doing.
I loved reading this book with my mom. As a shy girl, this book made me feel strong and powerful.