My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil

I love finding amazing books... and I love "My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil" by Hanoch Piven. How could you not love a book where our creative kid asks....

"What is the most fun part about school?

Going to the library!

Listening to Mrs. Sheila, the librarian is as exciting as rubbing a magic lamp.

She is as interesting as a book full of stories.

When she reads them, her eyes shine like marbles.

She can be as funny as a clown

or as scary as a monster."



The very creative kid describes all sorts of things at school with such wonderful comparisons... this is a book that all teachers should have at their disposal all the time! Listening teachers?

Some Helpful Tips for a Better World

This is simply wonderful!

"Some Helpful Tips for a Better World" by Rebecca Doughty is about making the most of your life. Sounds easy and it is. We just have to take the time to remember them and of course create a few of our own. Here is a sampling...

Begin each day by making funny faces in the mirror.

Why?

I think because it reminds us not to take things too seriously. It makes us laugh and laughter always helps us to feel better.


Invent occasions for celebrations.

Why?

Who doesn't like to celebrate? If sure beats complaining!

Be a hero.

You are a hero if you help a chick across a path (or a lost dog find its owner). Easy and doesn't it make you feel better?

Can hardly wait to share this one. And I adore the pictures.... redheaded girl plus grey cat = Alison and Lulu

Say Something

Very powerful.

"Say Something" by Peggy Moss is so true in that by ignoring a problem we see happening to someone else we are contributing to it. This picture book is great for all ages but I think our older students should hear it, feel it and ask themselves - is this them?

Listen...

A girl who rides on my bus always sits alone. Sometimes kids throw things at her and call her names. The girls who sit behind her laugh.
I don't laugh.
I don't say anything.

But when the narrator is the one being teased and after those teasers leave, she notices all the other students around her..... looking at her.... feeling sorry for her....
but saying.....

nothing.

And when her brother hears her say she was mad at those other students around her...

He shrugged and said , "Why? They didn't do anything."

"Right," I said.

Guess who she sits beside on the bus the next day?

"One person speaking up makes more noise than a thousand people who remain silent." Thom Harnett - Civil Right Attorney

Very powerful.

I'm the Best

Lucy Cousins of the Maisy notoriety has this delightful picture book "I'm the Best" where dog lets all his friends know that he is the best at things - for example he is a better swimmer than Donkey so he won and he is the best swimmer. But wait a minute - what about Duck?

His friends help Dog to realize that he has been bragging and hurting their feelings. But they forgive him and tell him he really is the best.. at having fluffy ears and that it is all ok.

Press Here

Do you know this book "Press Here"by Herve Tullet? My primary teachers and all their kids adore it. They have had so much fun with this very simple book that has them pressing and shaking to see what is going to happen next!

A Taste of Thanksgiving

A couple of winners just right for Thanksgiving!

In "Turkey Trouble" by Wendi Silvano a hilarious turkey tries to hide on Thanksgiving by disguising himself as the other animals on the farm. You should see his disguises!


And another new favourite is "One is a Feast for Mouse - A Thanksgiving Tale" by Judy Cox. What a treat to read aloud. My kindergarten students and I loved it!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Back to School

Back to school and I have 2 new books tailor made!

"The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School" by Laura Murray is a delightful rhyming book where the recently baked gingerbread man is off to find his classmates. It turns out they are trying to find him and have posted missing posters all over the school.

"With spectacular speed, I slid to the floor
and bounded right in through a large wooden door.
I leapt for a table but landed inside
a brown paper bag with its top open wide."

Very cute and I think you will like the ending especially.


And another great choice - "How to Teach a Slug to Read" by Susan Pearson.
Really? Absolutely! Great imagination and great advice - like;

1. Attach labels to Little Slug's favourite things. (like carrot and bug)

2. Read out loud to him. (Rhymes from Mother Slug is his choice!)

3. Point out words that repeat (like bug and rug)

4. Sound out words. (sl - uh - uh - g)

5. Make a vocabulary list. (new words like curds and whey)

6. Be patient.

See I told you it had great advice. It is just perfect for beginning readers and their parents!

The Good in Me from A-Z by Dottie

"The Good in Me from A-Z by Dottie" by Lisa Blecker is adorable! Check out the simple rhymes that highlight social responsibility and virtues paired with those terrific pictures all done in clay. Sing along to the ABC song for even more fun.

This is a winner...

the secret box

A perfect square is transformed!


The secret box is found and opened...



A purple little bird finds the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence....



Three hens and a peacock discover what it is like to walk in each others shoes....

and "if a cub grows and becomes a bear... can a stool grow and become a ........"

What Fun!

I had the pleasure of going to the bookstore yesterday just to browse but quite a few I could not resist. Some are fun, some are serious, most are for those wonderful emerging readers with a couple intended for teachers who love books too!

I think this one is my favourite.... "This Plus That - Life's Little Equations" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is simply a treasure. Simple, clever and for all ages. Listen...

"1 & 1 = us"

"yes & no = maybe"

and this....
"laughter and keeping secrets and sharing = best friend"

or "good days and bad days = real life"

Do you see the possibilities? I love it!

Fortunately..... I Read this Book

"Fortunately, Unfortunately" by Michael Foreman in another wonderful book to inspire thinking and writing. For every fortunate there is an unfortunate. Let me show you...As Milo is heading off to his grandmother's house

"Fortunately it was a lovely day and Milo liked going to Granny's house because she always had cakes for tea. Unfortunately a dark cloud appeared and it soon began to rain... Fortunately he had Granny's umbrella... Unfortunately he didn't look where he was going....." and so on....

Marianna, you would love this!

The Loud Book!

"The Loud Book!" by Deborah Underwood is perfect for thinking and writing about all the different kinds of loud....

...for example there is the "alarm clock loud " (just five more minutes) but also the "dropping your lunch tray loud", (is everybody staring at you?) the "Home Run loud" (cheers!) and the "snoring sister loud" (shhhh).

Can you think of some louds in your life? I can.... my husband is very loud - he talks loud and laughs even louder and he doesn't even know it.

I simply must get "The Quiet Book".

In the Garden

Do you know "In the Snow" by Peggy Collins? One of my favourite snow books for young readers and listeners.

I was delighted to see "In the Garden" on my last trip to the bookstore. The delightful humour of this story shines through as our young hero plants a truck and a bus.... and some seeds too, waters and waters and waters his seeds, ( can you spell puddle?) and finally enjoys lots of tasty treats that he squishes and squirts.

Very bright and colourful and I think I will put out a garden display soon with this book at the centre!

You Are What You Read

Do you ever get caught up so much in a book that it changes you or opens up the doors of your imagination? That is the power of reading.

In this book "Lola Loves Reading" by Anna McQuinn, Lola is the impressionable young child who goes with her dad to the Library for a week's full of books. After reading the first story about a princess the very next day Lola is a princess with a fancy dress and a sparkly crown. And when she reads about an amazing journey, the very next day she whisks her friends off to Paris and Lagos.

And so on and so on till another trip to the Library and another wonderful story about a wild and wicked monster. Who do you think Lola will be the very next day? Let me give you a hint.... his name is Max.

The Scarcrow's Hat

It takes a very smart chicken to get "The Scarecrow's Hat" by Ken Brown, for her very own nest.

In this story, which reminds me of one of my old favourites, "Hugh Can Do" by Jennifer Armstrong, a chicken compliments Scarecrow on his hat. Yes, but what Scarecrow would really like is a walking stick to lean on. Chicken knows where to find one.... Badger has a walking stick but what he really wants is a ribbon. Chicken knows where to find one.... Do you see the pattern?

There is a whole chain reaction of animals trading what they don't want to get what they do want. And the best part? Chicken is not trading his hat for anything!

Three Bears....... of the Pacific Northwest

There are three bears in this story "Three Bears of the Pacific Northwest" by Marcia and Richard Vaughan but not like in Goldilocks. In this story one bear is black, one is brown and one is blue. Blue? Yes, blue!

It is the beginning of the story, which is set in the Cascade Mountains all the way down to the Pacific Ocean, when a little blue teddy bear bounces and falls out of the window in a traveling RV. This is a disaster as his little boy is asleep and has no idea. Black Bear, just about to cross the road to his favourite berry patch, is willing to help Blue Bear find the RV and home. On their way they wander through a paradise called The Pacific Northwest where all the flora and fauna, that is the plants and animals, become an amusing and educational part of the adventure.

Another book where the pictures are just delightful!

Three by the Sea

First of all the illustrations of "Three by the Sea" by Mini Grey are absolutely wonderful. Look at those faces of these 3 friends.... Cat, Dog and Mouse. How can you not love this book?

The 3 are happily ensconced in a hut by the sea each with his own special contributions to the household. The dog tended to the garden..... of bones, the cat took care of the housework.... but usually slept instead and the mouse who cooked.... did you say cheese????

Until one night when a stranger arrived announcing they were the winners of a visit from.... the Winds of Change. Our stranger began to stir up trouble... mentioning the garden of bones was odd - no veggies, pointing out the cat was sleeping a lot and simply asking if they had cheese fondue every single night? Well of course this got our friends upset with each other but sometimes it takes a crisis to make you really think about what you can do to make things better .... even perfect.

Amazing ....

If you are looking for some outstanding picture books here are the covers of some that I absolutely love!

Miss Tutu's Star

I am not sure what I love best about this book, "Miss Tutu's Star", by Leslea Newman with pictures by Carey Armstrong-Ellis.... the story or the pictures. Just look at that cover!

I love the rhyming ( see I told you I loved rhymes!) but just listen to how this story begins and you will know why.

"Selena was a little girl

Who did not walk so much as twirl

Who did not skip so much as prance

Because Selena loved to dance. "

However after signing up with Miss Tutu, the ballet teacher....

"Selena took some steps with flair

And landed on her derriere.

She sighed and said, I'm such a klutz.

Miss Tutu said, But you've got guts."

And guts she has as well as passion and perseverance till she makes her debut. Watch out!

Rain Brings Frogs

A Little Book of Hope is the sub title of this simple and sweet book "Rain Brings Frogs" by Mayann Cocca-Leffler. I love it because it is about how you look at things and I think we all need to be reminded from time to time to look on the bright side of things.

I know I do.

Let me give you an example;

" When Mom says, I hate rain. Nate says, Rain brings frogs!"

or

"When his sister says, It's so ugly! (about a scarf she has been given) Nate says, It's so warm!"

Get it?

What the Ladybird Heard

"What the Ladybird Heard" is a sweet story by Julia Donaldson about a ladybird who saves the day! I can hear you asking yourself.... HOW? Can a ladybird loudly moo or cluck like the other farm animals who are her friends? Can she hiss or quack or oink or baa?

Nooooo but, after she hears two thieves who are intent on stealing the prize cow, she makes a plan and her very quiet whisper has all the animals helping to fool the thieves.

Lovely to read aloud with all the rhymes... I do love rhymes...

The Secret Cave

"The Secret Cave - Discovering Lascaux" by Emily Arnold McCully did something beautifully that I tried many a time to have my Grade 7 students do and that is to write about what it must have been like to be the first in 17,000 years to see the stunning art work done in caves by prehistoric man almost 35,000 years ago.

Just think of a group of children literally stumbling down into a small narrow passage, not knowing where it will lead, and finding amazing pictures of all sorts of animals painted and etched high onto the walls of the caves. It was the discovery of a lifetime.

This book indeed is a fictional story but based on the anecdotal accounts of those young boys and the stunning illustrations lay out clearly the excitement of that time.

Giant Steps to Change the World

Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee have written an amazing book; "Giant Steps to Change the World". Quotes, ideas and inspirations taken from men and women who have had a dream, who have persevered, who have overcome great obstacles and who have succeeded. People like Harriet Tubman who said "every dream begins with a dreamer" or Albert Einstein "a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new" .

This book challenges the readers to dream and dream big and never give up even though...

"there will be dark days and lonely nights. Press on through the darkness and keep going - "

Read this, read this every morning at the start of each day.... to all children....and encourage them to take that first step. Wouldn't the world be a better place?

13 Words

13 very random words ( at least they seem to be very random but of course who knows) is the premise of Lemony Snicket's picture book.

Words that seem to have no connection at all, but that is what is so brilliant is that our author takes those words and weaves a tale that indeed does connect all 13. Words like bird, despondent, cake, convertible and even panache are brought together in a wild and wacky story with wonderful illustrations that also spark our imagination.

Writing 101 here we come!

Splinters

Who is Kevin Sylvester? I have never heard of him before and now he is everywhere... first 2 books with the amazing Neil Flambe as the main character and now a picture book..... "Splinters", a charming Cinderella story about a poor young girl named Cindy who loves hockey and whose big dream is to play for a real team.

But the costs of hockey are a lot for our heroine so off she goes in her mothers old equipment only to be the brunt of jokes from the mean Blister Sisters. However hardwork and talent pay off with a little help from Cindy's fairy goaltender!

Read and Enjoy