Getting ready for 2012

The kids return back to school on a Wednesday. Since I will only have two days of classes I don't want to jump into anything new.

I'm looking forward to sharing Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller with them! I got the book and CD from Scholastic Book Club and if I remember correctly there are some comprehension questions on the CD. It turns out this book made the cover of Library Sparks January 2012 cover. Since squirrel, and probably a lot of our students, don't know what a resolution is they head to the library (where else!) to begin their search.

To librarians the name Pat Miller may sound familiar. She is the author of library related books including one of my kindergarten favorites, We're Going On a Book Hunt. She also write the Stretchy Library Lesson books. A must have for any librarian.

Check out Pat Miller's website. It contains a lot of great information and activities about her books along with a biography and "Writing lessons learned over a lifetime". I also plan on checking out some of her handouts on the homepage.
http://www.patmillerbooks.com/index.htm

Holiday Favorites

My holiday read-aloud favorites.

Kindergarten
What is Christmas without Gingerbread Men! There are a lot of great gingerbread books out on the market and they provide a great opportunity for the kids to compare and contrast the story. I also found a gingerbread man glyph. I enlarged the gingerbread man and then read the directions. It's a good listening and following directions activity.


Printable Glyph w/directions
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm


Favorite Stories
* Gingerbread Baby and Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett (www.janbrett.com)
* Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires
* Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski (takes place in the big city)
* Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
* Gingerbread Girl and Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers by Lisa Campbell Ernst
* The Library Gingerbread Man by Dotti Enderle

First Grade
We are doing a Jan Brett author study and reading some of her gingerbread and winter books. I created a PowerPoint about her that I shared with the kids then showed them what books we have of hers. I also showed them how to identify her call number so that they could find her books on their own.


Fabulous Website - www.janbrett.com

Second Grade
I probably look forward to this set of books the most during December.


Favorite Books
* The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza by David Shannon (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one!)
* A New Improved Santa by Patricia Rae Wolff.
* If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff
- I few years back I bought this with a CD. Jason Alexander, from Seinfeld, is the reader. It comes with 2 popular Christmas songs that have mouse related lyrics to them. Very cute!

I will continue the Jan Brett author study when we return from school and include second grade in the unit.

How I Use Scholastic Book Clubs

Bonus Points, Bonus Points, Bonus Points…Being a Scholastic Book Club member offers lots of bonus point opportunities.

http://clubs.scholastic.com/

Become a new member and earn 350 Bonus Points. Please use my referral code 511467482. 

Each book that is ordered has a point value attached to it. You accumulate the points and "cash" them in on anything in their inventory.

I use my funding or bonus points

* To purchase hardcover books. They have the latest and greatest

* To purchase paperback books with CD’s (very cheap)

     - Great for days when I’m sick and don’t want to talk much.

     - Great for teachers to use at listening centers in their room.

     - They have seasonal sets of books with CD's. You get a small discount when buying the pack.

* They have fabulous teacher guides that I purchase for our professional library.

 What Scholastic Book Clubs offers for teachers

• Some teachers may not get enough, or any, orders when they send the flyers home. So by placing an order through me they can still get books they want for their classroom.
• I pass flyers out to our intervention teachers, resource teacher and school guidance counselor. I ask them to return their order to me by a certain date.
• When the books come in I organize each persons order and pass the books out. I also submit a total to our bookkeeper.

 What is offers for parents

• Parents can submit orders online using your special teacher code.
• You can go in your teacher account and set up the flyers you want parents to shop from.
• By doing this they have access to more books to purchase.
• Their credit cards get charged when you log in and request the order to be shipped to you.
• They get free shipping.

Anytime a parent places an order on the web you get a $3 book voucher. Send out a letter to the parents and share your code. You get bonus points for orders placed on the web too. This is a great way to get orders because not all teachers participate in the book clubs.

If a book is ever on back stock and it ships later then you usually get a $3 voucher for the inconvience.

I have even created my own parent account and I go in and buy books for my boys. School gets $3 J

Become a new member and earn 350 Bonus Points. Please use my referral code 511467482. 

"To the Book Fair and Beyond"

I had a great time with this years book fair theme..."To the Book Fair and Beyond"! Thanks to a great EA and some parent volunteers I was able to replicate some of the decorations on the guide. What an entrance!

Styrofoam plates that were spray painted silver then stapled together. Alien was photocopied from the Book Fair online toolkit.

Oriental Trading product hanging down from the ceiling over one of the product tables.

Oriental Trading never lets me down. www.orientaltrading.com
I got some great space themed decorations from there including planets, space bouncy balls and planet note pads. I will have various contests during Family Night.
* McDonald's lunch with our principal
* Announcements every morning for 1 week
* Space Bouncy Balls
* Planet Note Pads
That night you get a ticket for every BOOK that you buy. You then go over to a table and write your child's name and teacher's name on the back of the ticket and drop it in the bucket of the contest you want to try to win.

I also have a contest that doesn't require a purchase. I usually pose a trivia question. The first student I find that answered the question correctly wins $25 worth of free books from the Book Fair.

We also sell food that night so that families can come eat. Typically it's pizza and then I have teachers donate drinks, desserts and paper products. We also sell popcorn. It's a great way to encourage the families to come. I sold out of 8 pizzas within the first hour and probably could have sold a few more. We were open from 5:00 - 7:00 pm and the whole book fair was moved to the gym.

Blog name change

I have decided to change the name and address of my blog since there was another blog with a very close url. I am now "What Kids Are Reading" and the address is
http://www.whatkidsarereading.blogspot.com/

My "Back to School" Library Books

So after 10 years of teaching I have my set of library favorites. Here is a list of books I do with each grade level. They are good "intro to library" books that allow the kids to learn about the library and our procedures while listening to a great book.

Kindergarten
- During the first class I always read the Library Dragon by Carmen Deedy.
I substitute the school and teacher name in the book with our school name and the name of the classroom teacher.
- Mr. Wiggle's Book by Carol Thompson
I have a "Yes" and "No" box. I have various pictures or items that I pass out to the students. They come up in front of the class and we decide if it's good or bad for a library book.
- The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins
I like to tell the kids that the shelf elf hides in our library and watches the children as the check out.
- We're Going on a Bookhunt by Pat Miller
I love the cards and guide that I bought with it. I have done a remake of the song and I teach the kids and dance and we stand up and sing. We check out books for the first time that day.

First Grade
- Manners in the Library by Carrie Finn.
- The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins
- What Happened to Marion's Book? by Brook Berg
- A Book for Cheser by Elizabeth Bennett
- Stella LouElla's Runaway Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst.
- The Library Doors by Toni Buzzeo
I got a teacher's guide with this one so I like teaching the kids the signs that go with it.
Each book is a separate library class. I am expanding on the information included in the stories.

Second Grade
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child.
I LOVE this book. The things that Herb did to his book are very realistic and start a good conversation with the students. It's also good for identifying fairy tale characters.
- Library Jeopardy
I found  template on the internet and we play that for our second class. It's a fun way for the kids to learn some basic library rules and things about me.
- Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child
Another cute one with Herb in it.

Harry Potter Photo Prints

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two hits theaters and will wrap up the 8-movie series. Millions of fans are buzzing about the final battle, and to help share in the excitement, Uppercase Living is offering three exclusive Photo Prints™ of the movie’s heroes: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Now you can add larger-than-life décor to your library or "Potter Parties", and on the bedroom walls of the littlest fans in the house. These prints will only be available until August 31 at 11:59 p.m., so don’t wait! 

The new adhesive features a patented technology that adheres well once applied, yet peels off easily to minimize the risk of wall-damage sometimes associated with prints of this size. 

http://shannonm.uppercaseliving.net/ShopLanding.m
Click on "Special Offers" to order the three prints.

Harry Potter Item # 700121

Size: 47"x 13.5"

Price: $49.95

Ron Weasley
Item #700122

Size: 47"x 15.5"

Price: $49.95

Hermione Granger Item #700123

Size: 47"x 11"

Price: $49.95

Downloading eBooks from the public library

You will need to see if your public library has the R.E.A.D.S. system. You also need a public library card.

You will have to create a R.E.A.D.S. account. You might have to choose your local library type in your library number on the back of your library card.

You will need to download Adobe Digital Editions on your computer. You can get it here
http://reads.lib.overdrive.com/84D8F863-66E9-4684-94C2-807DA3717A10/10/337/en/Help-QuickStartGuide.htm
Scan down on the page and it's under Step 1.

Once you haev downloaded the program you  can browse the books. The Nook supports
* e-Book - EPUB files
* e-Book - PDF files

When you are on the main R.E.A.D.S homepage you can see those choices in a dark blue box on the left.

I will usually click on one of those so I don't waste my time looking at audio books.

Once you finds a book she wants she can click on "add to cart". I also put a hold on a lot of books to because you have to wait in line for them. They will e-mail you when it becomes available.

To download on your computer...
Click on the "My Cart" tab on the top.
Click "Proceed to Checkout".
At the top choose 7,14, or 21 days from the Lending Period drop down box.
Click "Confirm Checkout'.
Click "Download".
Save the file on your desktop.
Once it's there you can open Adobe Digital Editions and drag the book into it.

To get it on your Nook...
Plug in your Nook to the computer using the USB cord that came with it.
You'll have Adobe Digital Editions open and on the left under the Bookshelf you'll see "Media"...that's the Nook.
Drag the book over to that file and it will download it on your Nook.

There is also a Facebook group called,  "I have a Nook and I'm willing to share books". I've borrowed 4 of my books that way. People post what they have to share under the Discussion board there. If you are the first person to post that you want the book and you send that person a message then you'll typically be the one who gets it.

I've also sent a form and $15 to join the Philadelphia Free Public Library. (Not free to TN residents). They have a boatload of ebooks. It may have been money I didn't need to spend because I have found enough through my local library.

Be on the lookout for "Free Friday". B&N offers a free eBook on Friday's. Titles will vary. They also have a section of eBooks that cost under $5. Some titles change each month.

Grant #2 - "We're Nooked on eBooks"

The students are getting 6 Nook Colors from Barnes & Noble! I got mine for Christmas 2010 and I absolutely LOVE mine. I find that it is more convenient than carrying a book with me everywhere I go. The Nook fits nicely in my purse. I also set it up on the treadmill and read while I run. Makes the time go by much faster.

With the grant money I will also be purchasing some science and math related eBooks. Another good think about Nook's is that if you buy 1 book you can share that book across 6 Nooks. So I get to buy the book once and all the Nook's will have access to it.

Other great things about the Nook Color
- You can borrow books from the public library (with your library card).
- It's in COLOR - children's books still show the gorgeous illustrations.
- You can get Apps on it now.
- "LendMe" feature. You can share the eBooks that you purchase with other Nook owners. Actually you can also lend it out to a Kindle owner but I'm afraid they can't return the favor.
- The screen can be turned either horizontal or vertical.
- "Read and Play" Interactive books
- Exclusive "Read to Me" feature which reads the text to your young child or beginning reader.
- Build in Wi-Fi
- Lighted display screen that you can adjust. This is very handy for reading in bed at night.
- Adjustable text size.

I'm excited to bring these features, and Nook Colors, to my students.

Grant #1 - "Go Research Science"

So I said I would talk about the two grants...and then school started. It's the busiest time of year for a teacher.

Grant #1 - "Go Research Science"
A few years ago I learned about PebbleGo, an on-line database for K-3 students, and I fell in love with it! Unfortunately with budgets the way they are I couldn't afford a subscription. I am so happy that I was awarded the grant to purchase a 1-year subscription. It also turns out that you can get a discount if you purchase a subscription to all three databases so my students are in luck! This year we will have access to
* PebbleGo Animals
* PebbleGo Biographies
* PebbleGo Earth/Space
I know I already have one second grade teacher in mind for her animal research project.

What I love about this database:
* It is designed for emergent readers
* Fully narrated text which is perfect for students who can't read
* Citation help. It's never to early to teach students about how to cite their sources!
* Audio and video clips
* Text highlighting

For more details visit http://www.pebblego.com/login.php
You can find a rep and request a temporary password to get access to the databases to look it over.

Grant Winner

I am pleased to announce that I have been awarded the funding for both, yes that's 2, of my City School Foundation Grant applications! I am honored and excited to bring some really cool things to the students at my school.

The grants I won are named "We're Nook'ed on eBooks" and "Go Research Science".

In the next week I will share the basics of my two ideas.

Elephant & Piggie Series

2007 - Today I Will Fly!
           My Friend is Sad!
           There is a Bird on Your Head!
           I Am Invited to a Party!

2008 - I Love My New Toy!
           I Will Surprise My Friend!
           Are You Ready To Play Outside?

2009 - Watch Me Throw the Ball!
           Elephants Can Not Dance!
           Pigs Make Me Sneeze!

2010 - We Are In a Book!
           Can I Play, Too?
           I Am Going!
2011 - I Broke My Trunk!
           Should I Share My Ice Cream?
           Happy Pig Day!

These beginning reader books are great for ages 4-7. The good thing about a series of books is that if your child likes them you know more titles for them to read. They are a safe choice and children like the familiarity of the characters. If you are looking for some popular series for specific age groups check out this section at Barnes and Noble.com

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Childrens-Book-Series/379001911/

On the left you will see a breakdown of four different age groups.

The Elephant & Piggie Party Kit – 28 page guide

http://www.pigeonpresents.com/teachersguides/EandP_eventkit11.pdf

There is really enough books and lesson plan ideas in this guide just to focus on Elephant & Piggie for the week.

Elephant & Piggie Dance Game

Goes well with Elephants Cannot Dance!

http://www.pigeonpresents.com/DanceGame/

Please remember that if you are finding the information on this blog useful and would like to make a donation to go towards paying off my student loan you can make a donation via PayPal to murphy1620@yahoo.com Make sure to click on the "Personal" tab so that I won't incur fees. Thank you!

Knuffle Bunny Books

2004 – Knuffle Bunny; A Cautionary Tale

2007 - Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity

2010 - Knuffle Bunny Free: an Unexpected Diversion

If you have a child and they have a favorite stuffed animal than you fear what happens to the little girl, Trixie, in these stories. She looses her Knuffle Bunny (pronounced with a hard k)! Since Trixie can’t talk her attempts to tell her dad go unnoticed but when mom figures out what sh is saying you can see the dread in the characters faces. The other stories in the series find Knuffle Bunny missing in action again.

I love the illustrations in this book. Mo Willems combines pictures that he took of his neighborhood with his ink drawing illustrations over the top. Rumor has it that the first book is based on a true story. As a parent you will enjoy this book as much as the kids do, just from a different perspective.

Classroom Activities

http://pigeonpresents.com/teachersguides/knuffle_teachguide.pdf

* Consider allowing your class to bring their favorite stuffed animal when you read the book.

Cat the Cat Series

OK, busted! I forget to post one the day before. I'm trying to be punctual, I promise. My hope is just to have 5 ideas for you. One of each day of the school week. So with that said, let's focus on the Cat the Cat series

This series of books is for the youngest reader and listener. Don’t forget it is never too early to read to your child. You should start when they are babies. They just love the sound of their parents’ voices.

2010 - Cat the Cat, Who is That?
Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!
What’s Your Sound, Hound the Hound?
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep!

Classroom Activities
http://www.gomo.net/assets/catthecatactivites.pdf

Event Kit
http://www.gomo.net/assets/catthecateventkit.pdf
* Contains indoor and outdoor activities along with a bedtime activity.

Mo Willems talks about the Cat the Cat books.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

The name of this animal alone will get your kids attention. Oh my goodness you said, “Naked!”. One of my kindergarten teachers did a Mo Willems author study over the course of a week and she ended with the book Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. As the librarian I offered her class a themed activity. Her class came in and I read the book. I then divided up the students so they could rotate around to four different stations. I go the ideas for the stations from this guide
http://pigeonpresents.com/teachersguides/molerat_event_kit.pdf

Don’t miss the “Dress Wilbur” computer game found here.
http://pigeonpresents.com/moleratgame/
Now that you have piqued the interest of your students or child with this book make sure you pair it with a non-fiction book about naked mole rats. A good book for the young children is Naked Mole Rat by Jody Sullivan Rake.

The Pigeon Series

Pigeon books and website http://www.pigeonpresents.com/
2003 – Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
2004 – The Pigeon Find a Hotdog!
2005 – The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too! and The Pigeon Loves Things That Go!
2006 – Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
2008 – The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

Young children love to respond “No!” every time the pigeon asks, or begs, to drive the bus. The pigeon books are rarely on our library shelves for long.

Pigeon Curriculum Guide
http://www.pigeonpresents.com/teachersguides/pigeon_teachguide.pdf
Illustrated by Mo Willems and written by Judy Freeman, whom I just love, this guide is FULL of ideas!

Here is a link to some cute Pigeon products.
http://mowillemsstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/Pigeon
Some of the products include bilingual books, DVD’s, puzzles, plush dolls, and a matching game. Some of these items would make for a fun center in your classroom.

Mo Willems Week

I am focusing on author and illustrator Mo Willems books this week. I hope to be punctual and give you an idea a day focusing on specific titles.The students at my school just LOVE his books and I have a hard time keeping them on the shelf.

If you decide to start a unit of study about an author it is always a good idea to introduce the author to your students/child. I love to create and share an author poster with my students. I make it on a half sheet of poster board and include a picture along with some basic facts about the author. Students like seeing what the author looks like and learning a little something about them. I always try to include a fun fact and information about their family.

Now on to Mo Willems, author and illustrator. His awards include

- Six Emmy’s

- Three time Caldecott Honor Medal winner

- Two Geisel Medals winner

- A Geisel Honor winner

- New York Times bestseller

Website: http://www.mowillems.com/

Barnes & Noble Interview of Mo Willems

Authors and Illustrators on the Web

A lot of authors now have their own websites and blogs. All you have to do is search for their name on your favorite search engine. You'll even find that some of the book characters “Tweet” and have fan pages on Facebook.

If an author doesn’t have a website than a great place to check is the publishing company’s website. There you will find information about their authors and teacher’s guides for specific book titles.

Author websites are great for teachers, children and parents. Many of them will have sections for each specific visitor. Always make sure to preview the website ahead of time so you can see what sections are best for your child.

Teachers

• Lesson Plan Ideas – Need I say more? Make a unit of study based on the books of a specific author.

Parents

• List of authors’ books and a link to purchase them.
• Parent section containing helpful tips
• Printables that you can work on with your child.

Children

• List of authors’ books. Discover what else this author writes that you might like to read.
• Fun & games sections

Summer Reading

Avoid the "Summer Slide". Scholastic reports that, "by reading 4 or more books kids can avoid the summer slide". You want to help your child retain their knowledge from the previous school year.

There are some great FREE programs out there to encourage children to read over the summer.
* Check your local library
My local library lets children of all ages, including adults, participate. By reading a certain number of books participants will earn prizes halfway through and a goody bag and free book once they reach their goal. Call or check the website of your local library for details.

* Local book stores
For example, Barnes and Noble, requires children to read 8 books. Log the book titles on their printable list and you can earn a free book. Once again you can check the website of your local book store or call the store.

* http://www.scholastic.com/summer/
Scholastic is offering a summer challenge. Log on to their website to record the minutes you read each day. Parents can also find a special section just for them. This area recommends reading lists, a printable certificate of completion and other activities.

Welcome!

Welcome to my "What They're Reading" blog! My name is Shannon and I have been a primary school librarian for the last 9 years. I teach at a K-2 school in Middle Tennessee and am the mother of two boys. I love children's picture books and would one day like to write a few on my own. I'm hoping this blog will also give me the "excuse" I need to write more often.

The purpose of my blog is to share some good books for young readers in grades kindergarten, first and second. I will also share some of my lesson plans and ideas I have for specific books. This blog will be great for kids, parents and teachers

I am asking that if you find this blog really useful that you consider making a donation that will go towards paying off my student loan debt. Thanks to Dave Ramsey's baby steps this is my final and largest debt, next to my house. If you wonder who I'm talking about check out his website http://www.daveramsey.com/ Thanks to his teachings we have paid off over $150,000 in debt over the last 6 years. I paid out-of-state tuition for my Master's Degree so any donation would be appreciated!

You can send a donation via my PayPal account - murphy1620@yahoo.com