You Have to Write

This is the title of a very powerful book by Janet Wong. I was talking with one of our teachers who does an amazing job of teaching writing and she was sharing her students' poems on being thankful. I love to share too so out came "You Have to Write". What I think is so absolutely wonderful about this book is the way it addresses "voice".

"You want it to be good, to make us cry or bust up laughing when the room is quiet".

Students are encouraged to look around and write about what they have seen and what is meaningful to them. In the author's words; "Reach inside. Write about the dark times. Write about the bright times. Take your mind for a walk back to this morning, back to yesterday".

... and lots more.

Thank you

"Thank You, Miss Doover" by Robin Pulver is a must for all those boys and girls who write (or should write) thank you notes for presents they receive or for their teachers!

In this story Miss Doover is the teacher who is diligently trying to teach her class the art of writing thank you notes. Jack is writing to his Great-Aunt Gertie and thinks he will be done in a flash.

"Dear Great-Aunt Gertie, Thank you for the present! Love, Jack". Done!

Not done.... as Miss Doover keeps giving her students more and more tips to add to their letters with Jack trying to follow her advice, sometimes with success, sometimes not. Editing is the key word here! (Note the "drafts" on the cover).

When I was little I remember sending thank you notes for all the wonderful presents my grandparents sent to me. "Thank You, Miss Dover" brought back those memories. Thank you.

Winston Who?

Anytime is a good time to talk about our saving our environment.

Winston is a polar bear in this very wonderful story called "Winston of Churchill, One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming" by Jean Davies Okimoto. Winston lives near.... Churchill, Manitoba and he bears a striking similarity to another famous Winston. He fears global warming is melting the ice so he uses the stirring words of his namesake to rally the troops. (We will fight them on the beaches...) He and his fellow bears make signs that read "Solar Power" and "Turn Down the Furnace" etc. for the tourists who come to watch them. He even gives up his cigars to do his part! But in the end it is the message that counts and while young ones will not fully understand the parallel to another place and time they will understand that they must do their part to in making the world a better place.

It's Coming...

Christmas is coming and it does sneak up on you so get ready. I found two Christmas books this week that I love.

"A Porcupine in a Pine Tree" by Helaine Becker is a Canadian Twelve Days of Christmas and is wonderful. Did you see the Olympics Closing Ceremony? This reminds me of that! In this book Mounties frolic and squirrels curl. Love the pictures by Werner Zimmermann too.


And who can resist David? "It's Christmas, David!" by David Shannon is another hilarious look at naughty David who is trying very hard (sometimes) to be very good so he doesn't get coal in his stocking. Hmmm , can David be good?

My favourite David story so far...

It's a Book

Laugh out Loud! "It's a Book" by Lane Smith is so timely. We seem to be surrounded by computers and technology and we have all the buzz words to go along with it. In this wonderful book as one character is reading his book the other has all sorts of questions;
can you scroll down? no... it's a book.
can you blog with it? no... it's a book!
can it tweet? no....

you get the idea.... very cute and I think our tech savvy kids will love it!

Thank you, Kimberly, for this wonderful present.