Eating Fractions

Written and Photography by: Bruce McMillan

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Math, Character Education

Summary:

     Eating Fractions illustrates the story of two friends who share their food by cutting it up into fractions to share amongst one another and with their dog. The children enjoy cutting up the food into halves, thirds and quarters. McMillian has used pictures of the friends dividing up there food along with simple drawings of each food with fractions displayed on each fraction of the food to show that the real portions of food are in fact a portion of the whole.

     Children will love the simplistic way in which the book is written and in which it displays dividing up a whole into equal parts to make a fraction. The pictures in this book really do tell the story, making it easy for children to go back to it on there own with little assistance from an adult while maintaining their ability to understand the story and concept.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     Eating Fractions is a wonderful book to use with young children to introduce fractions as being parts of a whole. It is also a great book to open up discussions with children about sharing and how all members of a group should get equal amounts in order to be fair when sharing.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Tell the students brought in a special treat which you would like to share with them in class today: bananas. However, you were quite sleepy when you packed your bag today and did not bring enough for everyone. You only brought 12 bananas with you and there are 24 children in the class today. Tell students that you are very sad, because you wanted to share and are not sure how you can do it fairly so that everyone gets some. Tell that you are going to read them a book while you try to figure out what to do to solve your problem.

*During Reading: Point out to students how the two boys were able to cut up their the different parts of their meal so that each of them could have some. Ask the students if the boys were getting the same amount of each food?

*Post-Reading Activities: See if any of them come up with a solution to your problem and whether or not it could work for the amount of bananas that you have so that they can be shared equally. Carefully cut the bananas in half and count them with the children to see if you now have enough for everyone to get an equal share (you may want to have someone put paper towels down on the students desks ahead of time, if you can, to save time once you begin cutting). To extend this activity, after the students have finished eating their snack, give them a contruction paper template of a pizza. Ask the students to show you how they could share their pizza with three friends equally, between the four of them, so that each of them would get an equal amount.

About the Author/Photographer:

     Bruce McMillan was born in Boston, Mass but grew up and attended school in Maine. He began his love for literature as a young child, riding his bike into town each week to spend his hard earned allowance on books while he made his way through the Hardy Boys Series. McMillian always loved to take photographs, with a professional camera given to him by his dad at the age of 9, and sold his first one as a teenager (a photograph of his former home, now the summer residence of George H.W. Bush). He describes that while he has always loved reading and the spoken word, it wasn't until he was a "big kid". He states that he taught himself about writing while working as a island caretaker on McGee Island one summer. By the end of that summer he wrote his first published work, an article for the DownEast Magazine. During his last few weeks on the island, McMillian had also taken the photographs for and outlined his first book, Finestkind o'Day, which featured his own child.

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Ten Seeds

Written and Illustrated by: Ruth Brown

Recommended for: Children Ages Birth-5

Themes: Science, Math, Character Education (Responsibility)

Summary:

     Ten Seeds tells the story of a little boy who has planted ten flower seeds in his garden. However, throughout the story the the seeds, seedlings, shoots and plants are picked out or trampled by a slue of animals and people one by one until just one flower is left. At the conclusion of the story the flower drops ten seeds so that the whole cycle may start again.

     Children will enjoy this counting book, counting down from ten to one, and watching the seeds as the grow into a flower. They will be sad to see some of them do not make it but will be able to make connections to this process and what they may have seen in their own gardens or those in their neighborhoods. The pictures are simple yet realistic, and will really draw the children into the story.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This story is wonderful to use with children when discussing plants and how the grow from seeds. It will be interesting for them to see that not all seeds will make it to being made into plants and that even though many animals help them to survive, there are also accidents that keep them from maturing.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students all of the things that plants need to grow: food, water, light, and oxygen. Explain to them that most plants make their own seeds, and with help from the wind and bees they are able to spread these seeds to help new plants grow. Tell them, that they are going to listen to you read a book today and learn more about how plants grow.

*During Reading: Discuss with students the changes that are taking place among the different plants as they grow. Give them opportunities to make connections with times that they have seen plants grow as well as time where they have seen plants get trampled.

*Post Reading: Give students an opportunity to plant their own flower seeds in a cup. Explain to them that we are going to keep them in a safe place to keep them from getting trampled so that they can grow into flowers. Ask them what other things the plant may need: food, water, sunlight, and oxygen. Explain how we can give them these things: oxygen: all around us in the room; light: we will put them in the window to get sunlight; food: we will plant them in potting soil which will feed them the nutrients in the soil; and water: we will have someone in the class water them each day as a job.

Let the students take their flowers home once they have sprouted to share with their families, remind them to keep them in a safe place.

About the Author/Illustrator:

     Ruth Brown was born in England, her family moved to Germany after the war but Ruth returned to England in 1953. She was always talented when it came to drawing, and began attending Art College at the age of 16. She earned a National Diploma in Design in 1961, and then became an Asssociate at the Royal College of Art in London, where she met her husband, Ken Brown, also a student at this college. She orignially worked for BBC doing children's programming but eventually got her start illustrating children's books for other writers. In 1978 she published her first children's book, which she authored, through the encouragement of a friend (Crazy Charlie).

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Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Written by: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by: Josee Masse

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-10

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Fairy Tales/Fantasy

Summary:

     This book is filled with wonderful poems about Fairy Tale characters, such as: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Ugly Duckling. Each poem is acompanied by an second poem writen in reverse.

     Children will enjoy reading each poem and then reading it then in reverse, often in the perspective of another character from the same fairy tale. In one poem you hear about Red Riding Hood's thoughts as she picks flowers, when the poem is them told in reverse you get the wolf's thoughts as he sees the young girl picking flowers. The illustrations are beautiful and not overly elaborate, reminicent of those from the fairytales that they know and love. The will be drawn to both the style of the poems and the characters of the poems.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful selection to use to introduce young children to poetry through the use of familiar fairytale characters. It is also an exciting twist on poetry to use with children in grades 2-5 to challenge them as writers.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Explain to children that not all poems have to have rhyming patterns. Often, we also refer to poems as a verse. Tell the children that today you are going to read them some unique verses that star some familiar characters. Tell them that you want them to see if they can figure out what is so special about the poems that you are going to read.

*During Reading: Refrain from asking the students questions, give them time to listen and see if they can identify that the second poem is written in reverse.

*Post-Reading: Ask if anyone has figured out what makes these poems special, if they are having trouble then show them the page as a hint. Once they get that the poems are written in reverse, share with them a few more of the selections (have them identify from which character's perspective each version is being told). You can then follow up this activity by challenging your students to write a reversible poem of their own.

About the Author:

     Marilyn Singer writes picture books, novels for kids, poetry, non-fiction, fairy tales, fiction for young adults, and mysteries. She grew up on Long Island and has received dergrees form both Queens College and New York University in English and Communications. She began her career teaching High School English in New York City Schools but quickly began to making a career in writing and has since writen over 80 books for children and young adults. She feels that writing in so many different genres challenges her and keeps her from getting bored.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

About the Illustrator:

     Josee Masse lives in the country near Montreal, where she studied Graphic Arts. Josse has been drawing almost all of her life and worked as a Graphic Designer for three years before becoming an illustrator for children's books. She enjoys her job and tackling the challenges of conveying difficult subjects.

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All the World

Written by: Liz Garton Scanlon

Illustrated by: Marla Frazee

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Multi-culturalism, Character Education

Summary:

     A wonderful rhyming poem that points out that all around the world there are people doing similar things. While the words in this poem are beautiful, it is really the pictures that tell the story. Through each section, children are able to see different cultures and different places.

     Children will enjoy the illustrations and making connections to them as they listen to the poem. Each and every illustration help the children with their comprehension as they go hand-in-hand with the words of the poem. The illustrations aide the children in making connections to the theme of the poem: that we are all living under the same sky and are the same despite our differences.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a beautiful book to use to discuss with children that although our classroom is filled with children from differnt cultures, we all have many similarities. It will also help them to connect to children all around the world who also go to school, visit the beach, and watch the birds fly by.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show students two pictures of children of different culture who are in different places, for example: one being of a white child sitting on the beach playing in the sand and another being of a mexican child standing in an outdoor market. Ask children to tell you what is the same or is similar about the two pictures (both are children and they are outside). Record their anwers using a Venn Diagram. Now ask them what is different or is a difference between the two pictures (the color of their skin, and one is in the sand while the other is on a street). Again, record their answers on the Venn Diagram.

*During Reading: Allow time for students to take in the illustrations as you read the poem. Ask some questions to the students, pointing out the different characters/cultures included in the illustrations. Give them opportunities to share connections that they make: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.

*Post-Reading Activities: Give students a piece of white paper and ask them to draw a picture of something that is the same everywhere in the world (they can use examples from the book). Model this for them by drawing a sunset. Use the story starter: All over the world ____________ (All over the world the sun sets), and encourage them to write a sentence to go with their picture.

About the Author:

     Liz Garton Scanlon grew up in Wisconsin and Colorado, but currently lives in Austin, Texas. She describes herself as a mother, and author and a teacher. Scanlon says that she has always loved reading and traveling, that and her daughters have been her inspiration for writing childrens books. Which she says that she enjoys because it makes her happy, gives her hope, and she feels that writing for children brings out the best in her. When she isn't writing or traveling, Scanlon enjoys playing cards on the floor, spending time with her children, yoga, and taking her old white dog for walks. She also maintains her own blog which she invites her fans to visit.

About the Illustrator:

     Marla Frazee currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, three sons, a dog and a cat. Frazee states that this is the town where she was born and where she has lived her whole life, as many people insist that she must be from New York. Not only did she graduate from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, she has also taught children's book illustration there for 20 years. She works out of a small studio cabin under an avacado tree in her backyard.

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The Carnival of the Animals

Created by: Camille Saint-Saens

Verses by: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by: Mary GrandPre

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-11

Themes: Fiction, Poetry, Science

Summary:

     A set of animal poems created to amuse and bemuse children. Complete with wonderfully ornate illustrations, The Carnival of the Animals is a wonderfully entertaining selection of poems. Each poem integrates facts about the animal with fanciful tales of excitement and fantasy. This book comes complete with a CD where children and adults alike can listen to the poems read aloud as well as the compositions put together by Saint-Saens to portray each animal (following each poem). This book also includes a note to parents and teachers in the back to explain Saint-Saens idea for the book, to expose children to classical music in an interesting way, as well as a list of possible activities to accompany the book.

     Children will enjoy both the poems and illustrations in this book. The author of the verses uses a complex vocabulary, which may make it difficult for them to read independently, however the CD will help the students to follow along and not struggle with unfamiliar vocabulary. Each poem is unique and amazing in its own right; children will be left wanting more as they read and listen about each animal.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book can be used in a varitey of different grade levels, as a read aloud for younger children and independently for older and more experienced readers. This book could be used for Music teachers to discuss the mood of the music or instruments that are being played. It could also be used with young children to practice the skill of visualizing. Pre-school children may enjoy acting out the animals as the music plays. Lastly, this book would be wonderful to use with students in upper-Elementary grade levels to practice fluency and in performing using poetry.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students the importance of using adjectives when writing poetry. Explain that adjective are describing words and that they help others to visualize your characters within your story or poem. An example of an adjective would be: obnoxious. Obnoxious means: offensive or unpleasent. I may say: The donkeys are both obnoxious and absurd (ridiculous). Both obnoxious and absurd are adjectives that describe the donkeys. Today we are going to listen to a poem and I want you to close your eyes as you listen.

*During Reading: Monitor students to see if they follow the direction to keep their eyes closed as they listen to the first poem: The Lion.

*Post-Reading: Ask students to open their eyes. Explain that you will have them listen to the poem once again, followed by a piece of music. Tell them that you would like them to draw a picture of the Lion using both the poem and the music as a guide. Give them some time, you can decide on what specific amount due to your time constraints and each class differs in how long they will work before getting bored. After the students have finished you could extend this activity in a few different ways: (1) give students an opportunity to pick one of the poems from the book and practice it, they can all perform them at a later date and maybe even draw an illustration to go along with their performance; and (2) ask the students to write their own animal themed poem making use of adjectives, have them read it to another student who will then illustrate the poem for them.

About the Composer/Creator:

     Camille Saint-Saens was born in Paris in 1835, and began piano lessons at the age of two-and-a-half. He composed his first musical piece at the age of 3 and by the time that he was 7 he was studying with Pierre Maledin. While his work was not given justice in his homeland, in England and the United States, Sait-Saems was considered Frace's greatest living composer well into the Twentieth Century. Though he is known for his compositions for The Carnival of Animals, he only allowed the pieces to be played twice while he was still alive; for fear that the all-to-human characteristics and humor of the pieces would ruin his reputation as a serious composer. Sadly, Saint-Saens passed away in 1921 but his music still lives on and is available to young children through this CD and book.

About the Author:

    Jack Prelutsky admits that as a child he never did like poetry and he likens it to a teacher who made it "about as exciting to liver". Instead he loved to draw pictures and later in his life began to write poems to go with his pictures. While others fell in love with his poems, they unfortunately did not fall in love with his pictures. He has proudly written poetry for 30 years and continues to inspire children with his poems (I imagine that this is his audience due to the experience he had as a child with poetry) Prelutsky maintains and interactive website that caters to both children and adults, complete with: poems, letters he has received, a biography, pictures of his family, sports trading cards that he has made which are complete with poems, and lesson plan ideas for teachers.

 

About the Illustrator:

     Mary GrandPre is most widely recognized for her work illustrating the Harry Potter series, however she has also worked on six childrens books and is currently working on her seventh. Her work is widely recognized and has also been used for magazine, advertising, and editorials. Mary GrandPre also as a visonary in the environmental/scenery department for the animated movie Antz. Her illustrations are beautifully ornate and are anything by simple.

 

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Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School

Written by: Herman Parish

Illustrated by: Lynne Avril

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Character Eduation, Children with Special Needs

Summary:

     Young Amelia Bedelia embarks on her exciting first day of school. Unfortunately, young Amelia gets herself into all sorts of sticky situations as she takes everything she hears literally, such as: glue yourself to your seat Amelia. Young readers can follow Amelia as she confuses name tag; sit wherever you like; when you hear your name, say it; keep your nose in a book; sing like birds; and many more school experiences gone wrong.

     Children will enjoy pointing out Amelia's mistakes as seeing the silly pictures that show Amelia's foolish actions. The illustrations are fun, engaging, and humorous and should keep the young readers actively engaged and wanting more.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful book to use to talk with students about how some children may have more trouble following directions than others. It also is a wonderful way to introduce that we can help others to do the right thing through being careful and thoughtful in what we say.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Talk with students about the rules that you have within your classroom. Explain to the students that sometimes it is easy to do what your being asked to do and sometimes it is more difficult. Explain to them that sitting on the carpet can be difficult to do for a long time, after a while you start feeling uncomforable and you want to move around or you see something interesting and you sit on your knees to get a better look. Explain that some children have more trouble with this than others. Tell the students that you are going to read a story today about a child who has trouble finding directions.

*During Reading: Have students point out some of the mistakes that Amelia Bedelia makes on her first day of school. Have them make some connections as they read to times where they too have been confused or excited and had trouble doing what it was they were supposed to be doing.

*Post-Reading Activities: Discuss with the students ways in which they can help each other in a kind way and record them on a chart/board. Some examples are: someone is sitting on their knees and you can't see-tap them on the sholder and ask them to sit on their bottom; or Hector keeps yelling out-tap him on the sholder and ask him to raise his hand and wait his turn; etc. Emphasize that it is best to be patient and to use your manners when helping others to do the right thing.

**Within our classrooms we all have the impulsive student that can be a constant disruption. It is important that we teach our students to be tolerant and kind and to help that student to make the right choices. While Amelia Bedelia makes mistakes and takes things literally, she is also impulsive and can teach the children about this problem. It is important to point out how patient her classmates are with her and that everyone makes mistakes.

About the Author:

     Herman Parish is the nephew of Amelia Bedelia creator, Peggy Parish, and has continued her legacy of Amelia Bedilia books.  He has added 19 children's books to the Amelia Bedelia series with his most recent additions being set in Amelia's childhood, in contrast to his aunt's books about her adult life. He currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey and enjoys speaking at conferences to librarians and educators.

About the Illustrator:

     Lynne Avril has illustrated over 65 childrens books, and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her dog Stetson. She has spent most of her life working as a freelancing graphic artist, and continues to also do magazine work, and creatiepainting which she displays in the Paulina Miller Studio Gallery in Pheonix.

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In the Wild

Written by: David Elliott

Illustrated by: Holly Meade

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Poetry

Summary:

     In the Wild is a wonderful collection of poems about wild animals. They will find poems about: the lion, the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the rhinocerous, the sloth, the jaguar, the panda, the tiger, the orangutan, the kangaroo, the buffalo, the wolf, and the polar bear.Each poem gives the reader more details about each animal using rhythm and rhyme.

     Children will love the symplistic and wonderful illustrations of each animal and their habitat. They will be interested in learning about the natural habitats of these animals that they are used to seeing at their local zoo. They will enjoy looking for and finding the rhyming patterns and reading the poems aloud to one another.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This would be a wonderful book to share with students when discussing poetry as well as for discussing the habitats of animals and making distinctions between domesticated animals (pets) and wild animals. This book would help children to understand that a zoo is not the natural habitat of these animals, but is instread used as a tool to teach us about these animals and to protect and preserve their species for future generations.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students the term habitat; explain to students that a habitat is the natural home environment of a plant or an animal. Explain that we describe animals that live outside of homes and farms as wild animals. Tell them that we will be visiting the zoo, where we will be able to see some wild animals, that are kept there so that we may learn more about them and to keep them safe. Explain to the students that the zoo tries to make the homes for their animals as close to their natural habitat as possible. Tell them that we will be reading today about some of the animals that they may see at the zoo and ask them to listen for words that describe their habitat within the poems.

*During Reading: Have students tell you what words they can use to describe the habitats of the different animals using what they heard in the poem as well as through the illustrations.

*Post-Reading Activities: Give the children an opportunity to draw a picture of their favorite animal from the sotry and to write a sentence about their habitat in their writing journals. Use the story starter: ____________ live where it is____________ (ex: Lions live where it is warm and grassy).

About the Author:

     David Elliott originally wanted to become an opera singer, but after many years of practice and schooling her realized that he just wasn't that good at it. He has worked as a singer in Mexico, an English teacher in Libya, a cucumber-washer in Greece, and a popsicle-stick-maker in Israel. These days he works writing children's books, something he came about by chance as everytime he sat down to write his character always seemed to be around nine years of age. He states that his work is usally funny and imaginative and he hopes to inspire and transport children to new placesby sparking their imaginations through his work.

About the Illustrator:

     Holly Meade has provided the illustrations for over 30 children's books. She enjoys attending workshops in areas such as: drawing, painting, printmaking, basket making, and fabric design. Over the past seven years she has been working with woodcuts, a medium that she became interested in after attending a workshop at Haystack Mountain School in 2002.

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Bears! Bears! Bears!

Written and Illustrated by: Bob Barner

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science

Summary:

     A wonderful and informative book about bears from around the world. Gives children some insight into the lives of bear cubs, their relationship with their mothers, and what it is that they eat. This books gives information to children about: Polar Bears, Sun Bears, Giant Pandas, Spectacled Bears, Black Bears, Moon Bears, Sloth Bears, and Grizzly Bears.

     Children will love the wonderful illustrations and learning that young bear cubs come in many different types and they do some of the same things that young children do. They also enjoy the map located a the back of this text that shows them where each type of bear lives within the world.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This text could be used in several different ways within the classroom: to aid in teaching students about mammals; to teach children more about bears; to show children that there are several different species of bears; as a pre-cursor to a zoo trip; and as a non-fiction pair to fictional text such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Bear Snores On.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss with students that there are many different types of bears. Show them pictures of some different types of popular types of bears and see if they are able to identify the names of each (Polar Bear, Brown Bear, Black Bear, etc.). Begin filling in a KWL chart with the students about bears. Ask them to tell you diffent things that they know about Bears, write this under the K section of the chart. Then ask them to come about with a couple of questions about Bears that they may have (select only a few, 3-4, as I am sure that many questions will come up), record these under the W section of the chart.

*During Reading: Ask the students to tell you some of the different foods that the bears eat during the book? (honey, bamboo, fish, seals, etc.) Do they all have the same diet? (no) What are some of the activities that the bears completed in the book? (climbing, sleeping, cuddling), etc.)

*Post-Reading Activities: Show the students the map at the end of the book and discuss with them that each bear is located in different regions around the world. Give them pictures of Polar Bears, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears and a Map of North America to color. After the students finish coloring the pictures, model for them how to paste them onto their map to show where you can find each type located in North America (leave your map displayed for the children to refernce to). Give them time to paste their bears on their map, just as you had done.

About the Author/Illustrator:

     Bob Barner is the author and illustrator of many children's non-fiction books, including: Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!; Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere!; Stars! Stars! Stars!; Dinosaur Bones and Bug Safari. He has enjoyed drawing since the age of three and throughout his life he has written and illustrated over 25 children's books. He graduated from The Columbus College of Art and Design and has held jobs as a comic-strip Illustrator, and has worked as an art director in advertising agencies and in art studios. He now enjoys visiting schools and sharing his experiences and books with young children. He maintains his own website where visitors can learn more about him, complete jigsaw puzzles, view student work samples, and where teachers and administrators can contact him to speak at their schools.

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Mostly Monty: First Grader

Written by: Johanna Hurwitz

Illustrated by: Anik McGrory

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Character Education, Special Needs

Summary:

     Mostly Monty is the story of first-grade student Montgomery Gerald Morris as he struggles with trying to make friends and fit in with his classmates. Monty has asthma and this keeps him from doing the things that other students enjoy, like: running outside, owning a pet, and joining in sports teams. Monty is very bright and loves to read, in fact he reads at a fourth grade level. Monty struggles a bit, at first, with the perceptions of being a first grader; as he tries to check out a non-fiction book at the library and not a picture book and the librarian tells him that he will have to wait a few years. Monty finds that it is easy to make connections with the adults at the school and learns more about himself through these relationships. Throughout the book, Monty learns to be more comfortable with himself and to celebrate all the wonderful things that he can do. He is able to embrace what it means to be Monty and ends up making friends by sharing his wonderful learning techniques.

     Children will enjoy this story because they will find that it is easy to make connections to Monty and his experiences within the first few pages. The book is split into sections, which makes it manageable for young students to maneuver throughout the chapters. Children will enjoy learning about Monty and his struggles to manage his asthma and to connect to his peers and be comfortable with himself. They will also enjoy celebrating with Monty when he finally finds a way to make friends through doing what it is that he enjoys, reading.

Suggestions for Classrooms:

     Mostly Monty would be an excellent selection to use for a classroom Read Aloud, covering a small section with the students each day. Monty also explores the lifecycle of a caterpillar as it turns into a moth and facts about kangaroos, integrating some Science into this selection. Children will also learn a great deal about how responsible Monty is as he begins his quest to retrieve lost objects which were forgotten an left behind by his peers and his insights into lying and wasting food.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss the medical condition of Asthma with the students. Explain to them what and inhaler is and that it is used to help children who have trouble breathing by making it easier for their lungs to take in oxygen. Tell them that as a class, we are going to be reading about a student who has asthma.

*During Reading: Read through a section of the book each day and allow the students to make connections with what you are reading: text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world.

*Post-Reading Activities: After reading each section, have children complete a Reader's Response in their writing journals. Day 1: How would you feel if you came to school on your first day of school to find out that your teacher's name is Mrs. Meany?; Day 2: How would you feel if you had to use an inhaler in front of the class and everyone was staring at you?; Day 3:Write about a time when someone told you that you could not do something that you really wanted to do, how did that make you feel? Continue to do this with each section to encourage the students to make connections to the text and to Monty as a character. When you finish reading the book, encourage the students to write their last entry as an advertisement for the book, encouraging others to read it too by explaining why they like it.

About the Author:

     Johanna Hurwitz cannot think back to a time where she did not enjoy reading books. She explains that she also began her love for writing early on and wrote her first book at the age of nine, complete with illustrations that she ellicted from a classmate. However, Hurwitz was married with children of her own before she had any of her work published. Her first series, The Riverside Kids was loosely based on her own family. While she, and noone else in her family, ever had asthma she chose to write about a child with asthma because she saw that noone else had. Monty bears some of her own characteristics, including her love for reading and researching.

About the Illustrator:

     Anik McGrory lives with her husband, children and two dogs in Tarrytown, NY. She enjoys traveling and has lived in many different parts of the world. On her website she talks about the process that she takes when making her illustrations, from stick figure-like sketches to her finished paintings. Her step-by-step layout of how she makes her illustrations is very detailed and would be helpful for children who are interested in learning more about the process.

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Mighty Monty: More First-Grade Adventures

Amazing Monty: More First-Grade Adventures

The Carrot Seed

Written by: Ruth Krauss

Illustrated by: Crockett Johnson

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Science, Character Education

Summary:

     A story about a young boy who plants a carrot seed and is hopefully that it will grow, even though everyone else tells him that it won't. He continues to protect his seed by picking the weeds around it and keeping it watered and watching with hope that it will grow. Then one day the carrot grows, just as he thought it would.

      Children will enjoy the simple and predictable pattern of the story. This pictures are also simple and will allow children to feel as though they can read the story independently. They will enjoy the happy ending and the wonderful picture of the gigantic carrot that grows from the little seed.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a wonderful book for teaching children about persistence and believing in themselves. It teaches them to keep working hard and believing in themselves, even when others may put them down. This book can also be used to assist with teaching a Science lesson about plants and what they need to grow.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Discuss the parts of a flower with students (stem, roots, leaves and flowers) and what all living things need to grow in comparison to what all living plants need to grow (food, water, shelter and sun).

During Reading: While you are reading the book give students opportunities to make connections with the little boy (modeling for them ways in which to make good connections. Such as, Have you ever grown something? (I like to grow flowers in my garden, I plant new seed and small flowers each year just like the little boy: text-to-self)  and Have you ever felt that you could do something, even when other people told you that you couldn't? (I read a book called Amazing Grace, the other children told her that she couldn't be Peter Pan because he is a boy but she practiced anyway and got the part: text-to-text)

Post-Reading Activities: Have students plant a seed, tend to it, and watch it grow (using a clear plastic glass, soil, seeds, and water). The students will enjoy taking care of their plant and watching it grow. This will teach them to be responsible for their plant in order to help it grow.

About the Author:

     Ruth Krauss and Crocket Johnson were married in 1941 and collaborated on several children's books, including: TheCarrot Seed, How to Make the Earthquake, Is This You?, and The Happy Egg. Krauss wrote many children's books but also was an author of theatrical poems targeted for an adult audience. 

About the Illustrator:

     Crockett Johnson was the pen name of David Johnson Liask, who worked both as a writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is also famous for being the creator of the Barnaby cartoons that were in the daily newspaper but did hand over this job to Jack Morely and Ted Ferro in 1946. In the later part of his career, Johnson found a love for geometric shapes and painted over 100 canvas paintings using these shapes.

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Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia

Written by: Sy Montgomery

Photographs by: Nic Bishop

Recommended for: Children Ages

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science, Social Studies

Summary:
      This book chronicles the journey of several widlife experts as they work to catch and track the white leopard in an attempt to save them from extinction. This book also give wonderful information about the country of Mongolia, as this is where this section of their expedition takes place. The author adds in information about the culture, lifestyle, topography and wildlife of Mongolia as he describes the mission of these experts.
     Children will enjoy learning about the culture of Mongolia. This book will give them a glimpse into what it would be like living in this Asian country. The book gives maps, to help children to understand where Mongolia is, as well as wonderful photographs of the people, animals and land in Mongolia. The information is presented in a way where it is interesting and not overwhelming to children, however, it would be best to break this book up into different sections in order to make it more manageable.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This book would be best used to support instruction on the cultures of Asia, that of Mongolia in particular. In addition, the book provides information about the wildlife of Mongolia, including: snow leopards, goats, camels, takhi (wild horse),yaks, etc.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show children a map of the world. Point out to them where Mongolia is. If possible, show them a short video about Mongolia to peak their interest:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abKtXa-UCP8 or http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/planet-earth-camels-of-the-gobi-desert.html

*During Reading: In small groups, reading groups, create a book club where you will read with students different sections of the book each day (Chap. 1- Where is Mongolia, Chap. 2- About the Experts, Chap. 3- Culture of Mongolia, Chap. 4 - Trapping and Tagging, Chap. 5- Topography, etc). With the children, point out the important details (Book Talks) from each section using a graphic organizer. *You may want to select different books to go with different Book Club groups to give students opportunities to work with different levels and to provide a greater variety of information to be shared at its conclusion.

*Post-Reading Activities: At the conclusion of the Book Club have the students prepare some sort of visual representation of what they have learned, a poster, using the information that they have collected on their graphic organizers during your Book Talks.

About the Author:

     Sy Montgomery a graduate of Syracuse University, with three degrees in: Magazine Journalism from the Newhouse School of Public Communication; the French Language and Literature; and in Psychology. She has traveled extensively to do research for her books which center around the preservation and protection of animals. She has received several awards for her writing, including: the 2009 New England Independent Booksellers Association Nonfiction Award, the 2010 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, the Henry Bergh Award for Nonfiction (given by the ASPCA for Humane Education) and dozens of other honors.

About the Photographer:

     Nic Bishop moved around a lot as a child, the son of a Biology professor he was taught to love and respect the animals found around him in each place that they traveled to and lived in. He began taking photographs at the age of 9 and as an adult decided to pursue his degree in Biology as well. He decided to travel after receiving his degree and took his cameras with him to chronicle his journey around the world, which he later turned into his first book Untouched Horizons. He decided to get into providing photographs for children's books after seeing how children responded to his work and thinking back to his love for non-fiction books as a child.

The Bear Snores On

Written by: Karma Wilson

Illustrated by: Jane Chapman

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Fantasy, Science, Character Education

Summary:

     This is a story about a bear who is hibernaing for the winter. While he is sleeping in his den, several animals come in to get out of the storm to get warm and dry again. They make a fire, tea and popcorn and even begin to dance but the bear continues to sleep. The bear finally wakes up, after a tiny flake of pepper flys onto his nose. He is very grumpy about being woken up but mostly about being left out of all of the fun. His new friends quickly explain that they will be happy to make more and they stay and enjoy the fire and snacks together.

     Children enjoy being introduced to the new animals throughout the story and the anticipation about the bear waking up. The enjoy making connections to the characters and talking about: how the smell of food wakes them up so why does it not wake the bear? and sleeping through all of the fun. They also enjoy the part of the book where the bear finally wakes up and are surprised when he does not yell at the other animals. young children enjoy the repitition, as they start to feel that they can read the book on there own after hearing it several times. The illustrations are beautiful and make it easier for the children to understand what is going on in the story and to make predictions.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

*Pre-Reading Activities: Show the students the cover of the book, pointing out what you see on the cover (bear, mole, gopher, raven, mouse, rabbit and badger) in order to point out the characters which will be introduced throughout the book. Explain to students that this book is a Fantasy book, that the events in the story tell us this because they can not really happen.Tell them to look for details that tell you that this is a fantasy as you read.

*During Reading: Ask students questions as you read about the events that are happening in the bears den. Who made the fire? What are they eating? Where is the bear? Why is the bear sleeping so much? etc.

*Post-Reading Activites: Ask students to tell you what happened in the story. Ask them to give you details from the story that tell you that it is a fantasy. Ask students to write a sentence about the bear in his cave and include a picture.

About the Author:

     The Bear Snores On is just one of the Karma Wilson's Bear series, which also include: Bear's New Friend, Bear Wants More,Bear Feels Sick, Bear Feels Scared and Bear Stays up for Christmas. Karma Wilson grew up in the wilds of Northern Idaho with her mother, who was also a writer. She explains that she spent her days outside playing and reading and often doing both at the same time. While she didn't plan on being a writer, something she though boring, her interest in children's picture books and her children inspired her to give it a try. The Bear Snores On became her first published children's book and has paved the way for many more. She now lives on a small ranch in  Montana with her husband, their three children, a cat, two dogs and four horses.

About the Illustrator:

     Jane Chapman has illustrated The Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More, both by Karma Wilson, and Mommy Mine by Tim Warnes. She currently resides in Southwestern England with her husband, Tim, and their son Noah.

Hopper's Easter Surprise

Written by: Kathrin Siegenthaler and Marcus Pfister

Illustrated by: Marcus Pfister

Recommended for: Children Ages 7-12

Themes: Fiction, Holidays, Seasons, Science

Summary:

     A young Artic Hare, Hopper, struggles with wanting to be something other than an Artic Hare. His mother explains to him that in the Spring his hair will turn brown like the Easter Bunny, sparking Hopper's interest. After his mother tells him more about the Easter Bunny, (that he is fast as the wind, and brave, and leaves eggs as gifts) Hopper longs to be like the Easter Bunny. He decides to prove to his mother that he too is brave by looking for a fox, and lucklily he escapes this problem by camoflaging himself in the snow. His quest leads him to making a new friend, a brown hare, who also decides that it would be fun to be an Easter Bunny. They decide to ask the hens for some eggs to take home and decorate. However, they end up falling and cracking the eggs and going home feeling sad and defeated. To their surprise, the Easter Bunny has left them a large egg and Momma says that he wanted them to decorate it. They go to sleep and dream of all the wonderful ways that they can decorate their egg.

     Children will enjoy this story and Hoppers quest to become the Easter Bunny. The pictures extend the story by giving the children opportunites to see how Hopper out-smarts the fox and how being both brown and white works to his advantage. They will feel connected to Hopper and his feelings about wanting to try something new, to be somethings else. Young children are very adventurous and curious about other animals and will enjoy learning more about hares and why they change color.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This is a wonderful book to use in conjunction with the early days of Spring and in preparation for Easter. However, it also lends itself to teaching children about how some animals are able to camoflage themselves in order to protect themselves from predators, a connection to their Science curriculum.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Ask students to share what they know about Spring: The snow melt, grass begins to grow, flowers bloom, birds sing, butterflies fly around, Easter is coming, etc. Record their answers on the board/chart paper.

*During Reading: Focus on the pictures as you read, give children a chance to talk about what they see. Why do you think that the hare has white hair? Point out that hares change color to camoflage themselves, to protect them from predators. How does being brown help the Easter Bunny hide from the hawk? Point out that the dirt below is brown and that from up high it is hard for the hawk to see the bunny, just as people look like ants when looking down from an airplane. How did Hopper hide from the fox? Try to get children to use the word camoflage which they learned earlier in the lesson. Also, encourage children to make connections as you read.

*Post Reading: Give students a blank Easter Egg template and some crayons, markers or paints. Ask them to create their very own Spring themed Easter eggs using ideas that they came up with before reading the book, using chart as a reference and the last two pages of the book (Easter egg pictures).

About the Author/Illustrator:

      Marcuse Pfister  and Kathrin Siegenthaler collaborated to write Hopper's Easter Surprise which is one of many of Hopper's tales: Hopper, Hopper Hunts for Spring, Hopper's Treetop Adventure, Hang on Hopper. Pfister is also the author of the very popular children's book The Rainbow Fish. Pfister lives in Berne Switzerland with his wife and three children, the same town where he was born and raised. Not only is he a well accomplished write, but Pfister also illustrates many of his own books, including Hopper's Easter Surprise. He creates many of his illustrations by using water color paints and uses a transparent overlay to indicate where he would like foil stamping, if any, added to his illustrations during the production process.

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The Little Red Hen

Illustrated by: Linda McQueen

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Fiction, Folktales, Character Education

Summary:

     In this version of the folktale, the little red hen spends her days busy caring for the home which she shares with a goose, a cat, and a dog. Red Hen finds some wheat which she plants in the garden and tends to all on her own. She asks for help throughout the story but the goose is always too busy gossiping, and the cat is too vain and busy preening, and the dog is always to tired. Each time that the Red Hen asks for help the others refuse or ignored her. So on top of doing all the cooking and cleaning, little Red Hen ended up doing all of the work herself. However, after the Red Hen has finished making a cake out of the flour made from the wheat, the goose, the cat, and the dog all want a piece. The Red Hen tells them that she will eat it all herself since noone wanted to help to tend the wheat, or cut it, or hall it, make it into flour, or bake the cake. After this, the cat, the goose and the dog are all much more helpful in doing the chores.
     Children will enjoy this folktale and comparing the different characters. They will be able to follow the pattern of the story with the Red Hen asking for help and her friends always saying no. The illustrations are simple and help with understanding of the story. Children will enjoy how little Red Hen develops as a character and the lesson that she teaches her friends at the story's conclusion.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This book would be a wonderful selection to use when teaching children about folktales, in discussing ssequence of events, plot and character development. For my sample activities, I will discuss using this version of the folktale in comparison to another version of the same tale which is illustrated by Amy Rosenburg in order to show children that when stories are handed down from generation to generation they often change a little, a characteristic of folktales.
*Pre-Reading Activites: Remind children that folktales are stories that are passed down from generation to generation and sometimes the story changes depending on who is telling it. Demonstrate this quickly with the students by playing the game of telephone (works best if they are in a circle). Whisper a sentence to the first child and have them whisper it to the child on the right of them until the last child whispers the sentence back to you (for example: The gray bear had a bug in his hair). With any luck the sentence will have changed by the time it gets back to you (The bear had a bug on him). Write on the board/chart paper what sentence you started with and what you finished with. Discuss if the new sentence changed the meaning even though some of the words change (this will vary in your descriptions.
*During Reading: Read the version of The Little Red Hen illustrated by Linda McQueen to the students.
Point out as you read what the dog, the cat and the goose are doing in comparision to the Red Hen.
Read aloud the version of The Little Red Hen illustrated by Amye Rosenburg to the students. Point out as you read what the gog, the cat and the goosse are doing in comparison to the Red Hen.
*Post-Reading Activities: Have the students compare the characters in the first version of the story to those in the second version using a Venn Diagram. Point out to students that the differences in the story do not change the meaning or the ending to the story. Explain that often Folktales are told in different versions as they are told by one person and then to another and another just as we did before we read the book (when we said "The gray bear had a bug in his hair" and it changed to "The bear had a bug on him").

George Washington Carver: Teacher, Scientist, and Inventor

Written by: Lori Mortensen

Illustrated by: Niamh O'Connor

Recommended for: Children Ages 4-8

Themes: Non-Fiction, Science, Social Studies

Summary:

     A wonderful picture book that tells the life of young George Washington Carver, starting with his separation from his mother as a baby when they were both taken by slave steallers. This book shows children that since George was a boy he was always facinated with plants and helping people. Children are able to follow George's life through school and college and even as he bagan working at the Tuskeegee Institute in order to help poor black farmers. The book chronicles his reasons for making the peanut plant popular and what type of work he did testing out products to introduce all the ways that the peanut plant could benefit American farmers.

     Children will enjoy the opportunity to not only learn more about Carver's impact on the American society through his work with peanuts, but also in learning more about him as a man and why he chose to do the work that he has done. They will be sad to hear about how he how he was separated from his mother and how difficult it was for him to go to school. However, they will be very inspired by how he persevered to get the education that he always wanted and how he used his education to help other people. The illustrations in this book are beautiful and colorful. They are simple and follow the storyline, making it easier for the children to follow along with the story.

Suggestions for the Classroom:

     This book could be used in several different ways within the classroom: 1) as a resource when covering the achievements of famous African American's during Black History Month; 2) in discussing Plants, Peanuts, and Crops within a Science lesson; and 3) when discussing Slavery within America in conjunction with the Civil War.

*Pre-Reading Activities: Make a web with the class discussing all of the different things that you can eat that have peanuts in it (peanut butter, snickers bars, peanut brittle, etc.). Tell students that today we are going to read a stroy about George Washington Carver. He is the man who showed Americans all of the wonderful uses that a peanut has. Until he had invented it, peanut butter did not exist. People only used peanuts to feed their animals at the time. Review vocabulary on page 23 with the students before reading to introduce to them terms which they may not be familiar with.

*During Reading: Stop periodically to review with the students what is happening in George Washington Carver's life.Give them opportunities to give feedback about what is going on and how George may be feeling. Review the timeline and Did You Know? facts with the students which are on pages 22 and 23 in the back of the selection.

*Post-Reading Activities: Complete a Graphic Organizer with the students as you discuss the plot (StoryMan would work). Start with details about the main character. Make a new web with the students. Ask them this time to tell you character traits that they could associate with George Washington Carver. Them discuss the setting, and jot down ideas as the students provide them. Finally, add in the Problem and the Solution (farmer's crops weren't growing so George Washington Carver showed them that you could rotate crops and then the field's would produce plentiful crops again. Also, people could produce peanuts but there were not uses for them so George Washington Carver invented different uses for the peanut so that farmers would be able to get people to buy them).



About the Author:
     Lori Mortensen lives in Northern California with her husband, three children and her cat, Max. She graduated with her Bachlor of Science degree from Bringham Young University with a major in Dance and a minot in Art and she later received her Master's degree in Dance Education. However, Mortensen states that she has always been an avid reader enjoying the way that reading a book had helped her to escape into many different adventures. She adds that writing is her true passion and she enjoys writing both picture books and chapter books for children and juvenilles. She has also written stories and articles for popular children's magazines, such as : Highlights, Ladybug, and The Friend. Check out her website to learn more about her and her books.