At Ellis Island : a history in many voices May 7, 2008

Title: Ellis Island: A History of Many Voices

Author: Louise Peacock

Reading Level: 5.0

Schu’s Rating: 4 out of 4

Notes: The perfect book for an Ellis Island unit and for teaching students about quality journal writing.

 

In this historical fiction picture book, Sura, 10,  writes letters to her dead mother about her journey from  Armenia to Ellis Island. It brings to life a girl’s struggle to join her father in America.  Also, a modern day girl shares her grandfather’s journey through Ellis Island and brings to life the voices that dropped off their baggage in a chaotic room filled with a variety of languages. Immigrants proceeded to the great stairway where many were pulled from the line and tested for physical staminia. If you were lucky enough to make it to the Great Hall, you went through a medical exam,  a mental exam, and, at times, further questioning.  Of the nearly 12,000,000 people who passed through Ellis Island, an estimated 2% were sent back to their homeland. Too many found out the roads were not paved with gold. :(  My students are becoming Ellis Island experts and preparing for an Ellis Island simulation. The most poignant story I read was of a young girl who was asked, “Do you wash the stairs from top to bottom or bottom to top?” She replied, “I did not come to America to wash stairs.” The girl was sent back to her home country. 

 

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Hillary signed Grace for President May 4, 2008

This weekend I held, not shook, President Clinton’s hand for about one minute. He focused so intently on my friend’s statement that he stood discussing No Child Left Behind and did not realize that he still had my hand. 

 

On Saturday night I stood just feet from Sean Astin, Rob Reiner, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, John Mellencamp, Senator Evan Bayah, and HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON!

This afternoon Hillary Clinton made my year when she signed Grace for President  (see 4/7/08) at Indiana Tech University in Ft. Wayne. Thank you, Hillary!

 

 

 

 

The winner is… May 1, 2008

 

A group of third graders voted and the winner is…KNUFFLE BUNNY! Refer to Wanted: Travel Buddy  for more details!

Woolbur April 24, 2008

Title: Woolbur

Author: Leslie Helakoski

Published: 2/2008

Reading level: 2.3

Schu’s rating: Four out of four

First of all, I hope Woolbur applies for the open road trip position, as he meets almost all of the requirements. Woolbur reminds me of Molly Lou Melon and Grace Campbell. Woolbur expresses his individuality by fleeing the sharing station, getting “strange” hairdos, riding the spinning wheel, and doing just about anything to drive his parents to  pick  themselves bald with worry.  Whenever Maa and Paa point out Woolbur’s differences, he proudly utters, “I know…Isn’t it great?” Woolbur’s attitude reminds us of the beauty and importance of free-spiritedness.

Wanted: Travel Buddy April 24, 2008

A dear friend and I started the best tradition–SUMMER ROAD TRIPS! Debbie tagged along last year, spending most of her time hidden in pockets and bags. She loved Temple Square and Cadillac Ranch. We are accepting applications for Road Trip ‘08! Applicants must meet at least five out of the six requirements: 

* Smaller than 14 inches

*Appear in at least two books  

*Make children laugh

* Celebrate freedom and differences

*Ready to campaign for HRC

 *Willing to travel 5,000 plus miles

Here’s who submitted an application today:

 

                                                        

 

                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

Exploding Ants! April 21, 2008

Exploding Ants!, originally uploaded by Litandmore.

Title: Exploding Ants: amazing facts about how animals adapt

Author: Joanne Settel

Publication date: 1999

Dewey: 591.5 (I am obsessed with Dewey numbers…yikes)

Reading level: 6.3 ( I use it with 3^rd graders and it is just fine.)

Schu’s rating: Four J out of four

A dear friend introduced me to this book last year. She found out that my students were interested in exploding ants and ran out to her public library to check it out. My students loved it and talked about it for weeks! It tells about the ways that various animals adapt to survive. For example, worms live in dogs’ noses… some ticks take in so much blood, they swell nearly four times their  normal size…ants explode to defend the colony…birds eat throw-up!  Appetizing,eh? The perfect addition to your library or classroom collection!

 

Willy’s Pictures April 20, 2008

Title: Willy’s Picture

Author: Anthony Browne

Reading level: 2.8

Schu’s rating: Four out of four

Notes: It should be in any art teacher’s collection.

Willy’s Pictures was published in 2000 and I just discovered it on Friday night. Willy, the chimp, creates paintings that resemble those of famous artwork. Each human subject is replaced by a chimp. Inspired works include The Herring Net, Mona Lisa, Vase with Twelves Sunflowers, The Birth of Venus, and more.  I think adults  will realize the differences between the original artwork and Anthony Browne’s creations more than children.

Mama Robot April 16, 2008

                              

Title Mama Robot

Author: Davide Cali

Reading level: 2.0

Schu’s rating: 2 J out of four

A latchkey kid feels sad that he never sees his mother after school. He envisions a robotic mother who makes all of his favorite foods and never tells him to do chores or brush his teeth. The robot ends up looking like a huge vacuum, and the boy soon realizes that a robot does not give soft hugs or smell very good. In the end, he decides on a robot dog! J  

 

Celebrate Poem in your Pocket Day (4/17/08) April 16, 2008

Tomorrow my students and I are celebrating Poem in your Pocket Day. My favorite children’s poem is Shel Silverstein’s ”Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out.” I hoped to include Tori Amos’ reading of the poem but I’ll settle for this! Enjoy!

Now, go find your poem for tomorrow!

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! April 11, 2008

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!, originally uploaded by Litandmore.

 Title: The Pigeon wants a Puppy

Author: Mo Willems

ISBN: 978-1-42310-960-0

Interest: K-3

Reading Level: 1.2

Notes: Add to your Pigeon series! J

Schu’s rating: Four J out of four

 

Pigeon really, really, really, really, really, really WANTS A PUPPY!!!! He promises that he’ll water it for a month. (The first sign that Pigeon does not know the first thing about a puppy.) There are not as many fun, creative examples of Pigeon’s persuasiveness as in the other books, but I still enjoyed every moment of it! J

 

Mary had a Little Lamp April 11, 2008

Title: Mary had a Little Lamp

 

Author: Jack Lechner

 

ISBN: 978-1-59990-192-3

 

Schu’s rating: Four J out of four

 

The structure of this book follows the traditional verse of Sarah Hale’s “Mary had a Little Lamb.” However, this time, “Mary had a little lamp…The bendy, gooseneck kind…And everywhere that Mary went…She dragged the lamp behind.” Mary takes her lamp everywhere until she attends summer camp. Mary outgrows the lamp while away but grows dependent on another object upon her return. The perfect book to teach children about security blankets; I see it especially helpful for a child psychologist. I got the biggest chuckle while reading the reviews written by fictional characters. Here is my favorite:

                                               

The Dangerous Book for Boys April 9, 2008

I am not the biggest fan of the book but I know kids will be excited that The Dangerous Book for Boys is coming to the big screen. Information found at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6548879.html.

The 2007 runaway best-seller The Dangerous Book for Boys is about to hit the big screen and the tube.

British authors Conn and Hal Iggulden were determined to woo boys away from their electronic, couch-potato lives. And they did so with their tongue-in-cheek how-to manual, which offers step-by-step instructions about treehouses, paper airplanes, fishing, and other traditional boy past-times. A new “factual” television series based on The Dangerous Book for Boys, (HarperCollins, 2007) is now in production and will feature celebrity fathers and their sons. The show will air on Britain’s Channel 5, with a possible spinoff for the United States.

Disney and U.S. producer Scott Rudin also have acquired the film rights to Dangerous Boys—following a bidding war. But we’ll have to see if the movie will appeal to British kids or their American cousins. When the book made its leap across the Atlantic to the U.S. market, various British boy staples had to be replaced for the American edition. 

Thus conkers was replaced with stickball. And Britain’s kings and queens historical list gave way to baseball’s “most valuable players.” Cricket was cut, along with Admiral Horatio Hornblower and the history of the British Empire. Added were the Wright Brothers, the Navajo code talkers of World War II, and Gettysburg and the Alamo.

Grace for President April 7, 2008

Title: Grace for President

Author: Text by Kelly S. Dipucchio and pictures by LeUyen Pham

ISBN: 978-0868-3819-3

Reading level: K-4

Schu’s notes: The perfect book for teaching about primary elections, the electoral college, and politcal sexism.

Schu’s rating: Four out of Four  

I would recommend and pass along Grace for President, even if Hillary Clinton were not my number one Democratic nominee for President.  Grace reminds me of the star of Molly Lou Melon,–a character who stands up for her beliefs and represents the common person.

When Grace’s teacher shows pictures of all of the presidents, spunky and fun Grace shouts, “Where are all of the girls?” Her teacher explains that America has not had a female commander in chief. After much thinking, Grace decides that she can be an effective president. Grace ends up running against Tom, the “smartest” boy in her grade. Grace and Tom run a full fledged campaign that beautifully parallels Hillary and Barack. In the end, the candidate who is the most prepared and ready from day one is delcared the winner! J J J J J J J J

I plan to give many copies as gifts. Thank you, Kelly DiPuchhio and Leuyen Pham!

Visit the author’s website @ http://www.kellydipucchio.com/ 

Flat Stanley Visits Chicago April 4, 2008

My students love partcipating in the Flat Stanley Project each year. Although one of my students did not submit this video, it is one of the most creative Flat Stanley journeys I’ve ever seen!