A Lesson on Literacy: the Rocket Books

You have until 6PM EST, Thursday, November 8 to vote for your favorite Halloween story!  Get to Susanna Leonard Hill's site by clicking HERE.

A friend and former colleague recently recommended these books to me.  We taught third grade together and I always looked forward to her latest and greatest picture book finds.  Well, these hit the mark.  Perfect for both teachers and parents, the Rocket stories are endearing, but never preachy.  Literacy can make a great story! 

How Rocket Learned to Read (Tad Hills) - Opening: "Rocket loved to play.  He loved to chase leaves and chew sticks.  He loved to listen to the birds sing."  A lovable dog, doing lovable dog things.  Until he is awakened from a nap by a little yellow bird, insisting that she is the teacher and he is the student!  After which comes my favorite line: "Rocket found it hard to argue with this bird."  Rocket becomes captivated by a read-aloud, but the bird stops on a cliff-hanger!  Rocket arrives early the next morning to find out how the story turned out.  Thus begins Rocket's literary journey.  He learns the alphabet and how to write his name.  "He spelled everything." 

When the little yellow bird returns in the spring, they read, and the book closes with "And when they were done, they read it again.  And again.  And A-G-A-I-N.

The bird is symbolic of the most beloved teacher you have ever had, the most inspiring, the most patient.  Rocket is the most reluctant student who is then reached by a caring and willing teacher.  May this book be shared far and wide!

Rocket Writes a Story (Tad Hills) - Opening: "Rocket loved books.  He loved to read them to himself or to sit quietly by his teacher, the little yellow bird, as she read them aloud."  I love this parallel opening to the first book.  One of my favorite lines in this book comes from the little yellow bird: "Books are inspiring!  They make me sing." 

In this terrific sequel, Rocket collects words.

He decides to write a story.  "But no story would come."  He finds inspiration in pine needles and feathers and tries to make friends with a mysterious animal in a pine tree. He arrives at the tree to find "O-W-L.... It was a present."  Rocket decides to write a story about the owl.  He found his inspiration, overcame writer's block, interviewed the owl, revised to include details, and even illustrated his story.  What better way to teach the writing process than by writing a compelling story about writing? 

Author Resources:
http://tadhills.com/rocket - Author website includes information on the books and iPad App
http://mag.amazing-kids.org/2010/12/01/amazing-kids-interview-with-tad-hills/ - an interview with Tad Hills

I'm a "Halloweensie Contest" Finalist! Please vote for your favorite!

Warning: Shameless self-promotion about to ensue....

I am so thrilled to have had my short, little "Halloweensie" story chosen as one of the eight finalists in Susanna Leonard Hill's contest.  SO, if you'd like to vote for more than president today, head over to her site to vote for your favorite short story.  I'll let you be objective (but if you've been reading my blog, you'll know which one is mine!  Or if you scroll down... Okay, okay, I'll let you be objective :)

Without further ado, VOTE HERE!  (You have until Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6pm EST to vote.)

AND GO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, TOO!

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Title: In November
Author/Illustrator: Cynthia Rylant/ Jill Kastner
Publisher/Date: Harcourt, Inc./ 2000
Genre/Audience: Fiction/Ages 4-7
Themes: Seasonal Changes, November, Senses, Poetic Language, Family, Nature

Opening:
"In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures. The bed is white and silent, and much life can hide beneath its blankets."

Synopsis:

From Booklist - "... Poetic language and lovely oil paintings evoke the traditional and seasonal activities that occur in November. Families gather around the table for a Thanksgiving feast, cats snuggle together in the corner of the barn, "staying birds" bid farewell to "leaving birds" beginning their long journeys. Rylant's words are simple but evocative and filled with wonderful sensory images, similes, and metaphors: the bare November trees are "all sticks and bones . . . spreading their arms like dancers." The smell of November food "is an orange smell. A squash and a pumpkin smell." The verbal images are splendidly captured in Kastner's soft-edged, double-spread paintings, which are rendered in a palette of warm autumn colors and sepia tones. The rich illustrations, done in a painterly style with obvious brushstrokes and texture built up from thick layers of oil paint, are a perfect match for the text. This handsome book is sure to become a new fall favorite. Lauren Peterson; Copyright © American Library Association.

Why I Love This Book:
I love any book by Cynthia Rylant.  She has a way with words that makes me sit up and take notice.  She is my model and inspiration as I look my dream of being a writer in the eye.  November is here and all the nature and family-related aspects of the month are given lyrical time and attention.  Poetic prose allows for a close look at ordinary events that might otherwise be missed.  And the lovely paintings are the perfect complement to the text.

Resources:

Rylant uses the repeating line "In November".  This is a terrific writing exercise.  Use the same line, create your own to repeat, even make it a class-collaboration and put it on display.

Research birds that migrate and "the staying birds".  Identify species for each category in your area.  How do "the staying birds" survive the winter?

Research hibernation.  The line that I want to know more about is: "Bees pile up in deep, earthy holes."

Share family Thanksgiving traditions.  Use the five senses to describe a favorite holiday food.

Take a nature walk in November.  How is the world changing from fall to winter?  Take notes.  Collect artifacts, such as acorns or colorful leaves.

For more links to Perfect Picture Books, a collection of bloggers who contribute at Susanna Leonard Hill’s site, click here.

Pirates and Dinosaurs

Yes, today is Halloween.  I bet you thought that my boys chose to be a pirate and a dinosaur, based on the title of this post.  Nope!  They are going as trains.  Don't they look adorable?

Pirates and dinosaurs are just some popular book themes that have been floating around the house lately, and believe it or not, there is actually a book that combines the two.  Just like my boys' favorite show, Dinosaur Train, the first book on my list is a brilliant combination of two things boys love: pirates and dinosaurs.  Note to my writerly self: just combine two popular topics, preferably unrelated, for story success!  So here it is: a random list of pirate and dinosaur books, starting with the one that brings the two together.  ROAR YO HO!

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs (Author: Giles Andreae; Illustrator: Russell Ayto) - Reminiscent of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Flinn finds himself in a closet, talking to a sobbing pirate captain about his lost ship, when the back of the closet falls away and a pirate ship is waiting.  Flinn is installed as captain (since the captain would rather cook) and the search for his missing ship begins.  Needless to say, when it is found, Flinn is astounded to find the crew are pirate dinosaurs!  With a T. Rex captain, of course.  Hilarious action sequences ensue and Captain Flinn is, of course, the hero.  If you like to read pirate stories, dinosaur books, or just like to daydream, this one's for you!

Portside Pirates! (Author: Debbie Harter; Illustrator: Oscar Seaworthy) - This is a much-loved favorite in my house, perhaps because the text is also a song.  (The book comes with a CD.)  And thanks to the illustrator's conception of a pirate ship manned by child pirates (even a baby pirate, with a bottle!), this book has unending appeal.  There is a terrific diagram at the end which labels all the parts of the ship.  My older son uses this "to count" since it is a numbered list.  My younger son likes to point to all the masts and the ship's cat.  Oh, and the cabin boy.  There are some other pirate facts included and the sheet music for the song.

Brontorina (Author: James Howe; Illustrator: Randy Cecil) - Here's another book that juxtaposes two unrelated ideas: a dinosaur that dreams of being a ballerina.  Madame Lucille, the dance instructor, is unsure, but open-minded, and takes on this strange new pupil.  I enjoyed her character more than the rest.  Howe wrote her with passion for dance, a commanding presence, and a willingness to think outside the box.  Brontorina is a salve for all those dreams that got away (speaking as an adult reader of a picture book).  But they don't have to get away, do they?  The take-away?  Don't be afraid to dream big!

How I Became a Pirate (Author: Melinda Long; Illustrator: David Shannon) - (FROM http://www.melindalong.com/#!home/mainPage) "Pirates have green teeth—when they have any teeth at all. I know about pirates, because one day, when I was at the beach building a sand castle and minding my own business, a pirate ship sailed into view." So proclaims Jeremy Jacob, a boy who joins Captain Braid Beard and his crew in this witty look at the finer points of pirate life by the Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator David Shannon and the storyteller Melinda Long. Jeremy learns how to say “scurvy dog,” sing sea chanteys, and throw food . . . but he also learns that there are no books or good night kisses on board: “Pirates don’t tuck.” A swashbuckling adventure with fantastically silly, richly textured illustrations that suit the story to a T. 

There is also a terrific Pirates Activity Book that complements this story, which teaches you how to make a pirate hat, eye patch, and talk like a pirate, among other things.

Dinosaurs Galore! (Author: Giles Andreae; Illustrator: David Wojtowycz) - Filled with quatrains describing a variety of dinosaurs from sun-up to sun-down, Andreae's text is both educational and entertaining.  My favorite?

Microraptor

I'm as little as a chicken,

but please don't be too hasty!

Although I may be chicken-sized,

I'm nowhere near as tasty!

Halloweensie Contest 2012

The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words witch, bat, and "trick-or-treat". Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie - because it's not very long and it's for little people :)  Click here to read all the other silly, scary, and spooky entries!

Here's my entry!

JACK O'LANTERN

Jack O’Lantern was an orange-headed kid

With a very round face, a stem on his lid.

On Halloween night, Jack met an old witch.

He begged for a spell and presented his pitch.

“I want to trick-or-treat like a regular boy

In spooky attire.  I love Almond Joys.”

Jack guzzled her brew, full of bat wings

And all sorts of other odd, horrible things.

“Jack?” Joe asked.  “You’re as white as a ghost.”

"A witch threw a pumpkin. I thought you were toast!”

“My pumpkin head’s gone! I feel….BOO!” Jack haunted.

“Turning into a ghost was not what I wanted.” 

(100 words exactly!)

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Title: To Market, To Market
Author/Illustrator: Anne Miranda/ Janet Stevens
Publisher/Date: Harcourt Brace & Company/ 1997
Genre/Audience: Fiction/Ages 4+
Themes: Nursery Rhymes

Opening: “To market, to market, to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggity jig!  To market, to market, to buy a red hen.  Home again... Uh-oh!  That pig left the pen."

Synopsis: From School Library Journal - What begins with the traditional serene nursery rhyme turns into a slapstick excursion filled with mishap and mayhem. A "fat pig" is not enough for this ambitious shopper. The elderly woman makes return trips to the market for a hen, trout, lamb, cow, duck, and goat. While she is acquiring more, her earlier purchases are wreaking havoc. Patterned, staccato verses tell the zany tale, but it is Stevens's wonderfully wild illustrations that bring it to life. The conventional home's interior is pictured in flat gray charcoal tones. The woman and her animals are colorful, oversized figures that burst off the pages. The collage technique allows for the contrasting colors and styles that magnify the uncontained boisterous fun of this very imaginative book. Visual format, repetition, and rhyme make this title an ideal choice for sharing aloud. It could also be used as a springboard for writing projects as children start with a familiar rhyme and make it their own. All-in-all, a delightful, albeit raucous, romp.  Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI
 

Why I Love This Book:
Where do I start?  This book is laugh-out-loud funny.  A nursery rhyme with a twist, kitchen mayhem, and exaggerated, colorful characters all make for a fabulous read-aloud.  Be ready to spend a lot of time examining the illustrations, which create a rich understory and the basis for much of this story's humor.

Resources:

As the School Library Journal reviewer suggests, take a nursery rhyme and write what happens next.  What an extra challenge?  Make it rhyme!

A preschool site with musical nursery rhymes: http://www.mothergooseclub.com/

For more links to Perfect Picture Books, a collection of bloggers who contribute at Susanna Leonard Hill’s site, click here.

Silly Spooks

I've been asking myself the question: What kind of Halloween post should I do?  Traditional holiday, witches, monsters?  I just couldn't decide so here is a list of the silly, spooky books that have been floating around my house this month.  With two young children, silliness and spookiness need to balance out.  They are not quite into the 'fright for fun' part of Halloween.  But they love to say "BOO!"  I hope you are able to still find some of these at your library.

Even Monsters Need Haircuts (Matthew McElligott) - Following in his father's footsteps, a boy wants to be a barber.  And once a month, on the full moon, he is... to a very monstrous clientele!  Parents will enjoy this silly monsters book as much as the kids as they recognize the puns and witticisms scattered throughout the text and illustrations.

In the Haunted House (Author: Eve Bunting; Illustrator: Susan Meddaugh) - Rhyming couplets invite the reader into the spooky house.  Clever feet-only illustrations of the two walking/running through the house create their own story.  There are clues throughout to alert the reader as to the nature of the mysteries in the house, so this one is to be read as much for the illustrations as the text.  A twist ending has the readers (and a revealed character) wanting more!

The Little Old Woman Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (Author: Linda Williams; Illustrator: Megan Lloyd) - This classic read-aloud gets readers involved as they "CLOMP CLOMP" with the shoes, "WIGGLE WIGGLE" with the pants, "SHAKE SHAKE" with the shirt... well, you get the idea.  This haunted being has come to scare the old woman and is dejected when she refuses to be afraid.  But not to worry!  She knows exactly what to do with this spook.

Guess What? (Author: Mem Fox; Illustrator: Vivienne Goodman) – Who is Daisy O’Grady?  Is she just a crazy old lady?  This is another book where the illustrations demand careful examination.  Through a series of yes/no questions, Daisy O'Grady's identity is gradually revealed.  The illustrations are bizarre and may be a bit scary for the youngest set, but there is so much to explore (a bit of “I Spy”) for children thrilled with Halloween and mysteries.  And guess what? There is a surprise ending!

Hampire! (Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; Illustrator: Howard Fine) -  The rhyming text makes the reader feel as though they are tiptoeing along, trying to stay away from the Hampire!  Duck's need for a midnight snack gets him into trouble when he comes face-to-face with the dreaded swine.  Another silly/scary story...until the final twist!

Room on the Broom (Author: Julia Donaldson; Illustrator: Axel Scheffler) - Don't forget this one from last week's post!