Monday December 31st, 2012

Posted on December 31, 2012 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Ring in the new year with books! Link up with Jen and Kellee and participate in this weekly meme that celebrates reading (from picture books to young adult titles).

Of course the best thing about the holidays for a book lover is . . . books and the time to read them! I enjoyed lots of late night page turning and even better, early morning caffeine fuelled reading marathons while the rest of the house slept.

This week I will start with the novels I completed:

I finished Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein just in time to name it one of my 12 favourites of 2012. I am so reluctant to write anything about this book for fear of giving anything away. It’s a story of storytellers and oh, what stories. . . Stories that shock, that crush you in one moment and fill you with hope in another, stories about friendship that will make you rethink what it means to be a friend. An amazing read. If you haven’t read it yet, put it to the top of your must read list.

Words that Start with B by Vikki VanSickle This book was passed to me by the Teacher Librarian at my children’s school who happens to have an amazing blog (check it out for a variety of great book recommendations/many Canadian titles) I tried to capture my thoughts about this book and inspired by VanSickle, started them with B . . .

Best friends that make one smile just to know that friends like that matter
Bullies and some bystanders that in the end, don’t stand by
Bumps of the health and growing up kind that are so well handled
Believable characters that could just as well live down the road or around the corner

I am now on the lookout for the next title in this eventual trilogy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth So I was ready for this book to be fast paced and carved out a good chunk of reading time so that I didn’t really need to put it down for long. It certainly was an adventure. I liked it. I fell right in to the world Roth delivers. I’m sure I will go on to read Insurgent. There are certainly characters I want to follow. It filled my dystopian craving (haven’t read a dystopian title lately) But . . . it’s a few days later and . . . it’s not totally sticking with me. I wrote on my Goodreads review that I felt like I was reading a movie and that is still how it feels. Much of it just did not go deep enough for me. I found the reviews on this book really extreme. People loved it or really didn’t and I can kind of see why.

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats Fantastic historical fiction in a time and a place I knew little of – Wales in the late 1200s. Two girls with very different lives yet who share much of the same day to day experiences while Gwenhwyfar works in Cecily’s home. Narrated in turn by these two characters with very distinct voices and struggles. Gripping. Brace yourself for the end. Highly recommended.

Picture Books:

It seems I have a thing for books with bears or there are so many books out there that feature bears in starring roles that I just cannot help coming across them . . . Not sure. What do people think? Regardless, again I found some lovely books with bears!

Leaves by David Ezra Stein This is a wonderful book that reminds us how amazing nature is as it takes us through the changing seasons from the perspective of a young bear who marvels and worries over the falling leaves.

Little Bear’s Little Boat written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter I have been on the lookout for some more board books ideal for sharing when our kindergarten reading buddies come to read with us each week. This title is so sweet with themes of growing up, being kind and accepting change.

Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland Saving the forest one hug and one tree at a time. You’ve got to meet this bear.

Then I went on a bit of an Elephant and Piggie reading spree. Mo Willems can do no wrong. I read Should I share my ice cream?, Listen to my Trumpet, Elephants Cannot Dance and I Broke my Trunk. All wonderful. No wonder these are consistent favourites in my class always!

I loved this title in particular – as always it is an ode to friendship but I love also how it exposed the anxiety of indecision. And melting ice cream just can’t wait . . .

My children and I read many of our favourite holiday picture books leading up to Christmas. A new one for us this year?

A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea We loved how Pyn decorated her tree with found objects from nature and how the finding and setting up the tree linked the little girl and her father even in their sadness of a missing Mama.

A beautiful non-fiction title my family enjoyed was Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin A simply gorgeous book detailing the birth of the Galapagos islands over millions of years and the fascinating creatures that inhabit them. This is a book we will return to often to further study the illustrations and explanations.

May your 2013 be full of happiness, health and many books 🙂

My favourite twelve titles of 2012 are shared here.

2012 Favourites

Posted on December 29, 2012 by carriegelson

What a wonderful year of books! Quickly before I change my mind, my twelve favourites of 2012 (I divided the love evenly between picture books and novels)

Yes, I am aware that Jon Klassen takes a starring role in this list 🙂

My personal challenge here is to do no more than 12 words of raving about each book. Possible? Let’s see . . .

Extra Yarn written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen

A town styled out in multi-coloured knitwear. Justice and magic win out.

This is not my Hat by Jon Klassen

Hat thievery in the big ocean. Much humour, little hope (sorry fish)

House Held Up By Trees written by Ted Kooser and illustrated by Jon Klassen

The trees are persistent and protective of life travelling on. Stunning illustrations.

Virginia Wolf written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

A dark mood, a hopeful sibling, and the magic of imagination.

Little Bird written by Germano Zullo and illustrated by Albertine

A book that celebrates finding joy in the smallest of things.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

Become swept away and entangled in book love.

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

Choosing a friend can be an incredible act of bravery.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Be kinder than is necessary; a story to remind us how.

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The power of unconditional love, the magic of resiliency . . .

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

A story of stories. Flies you through a myriad of emotions.

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

A world of prophecy, desperate searches for magic, the real and unreal.

Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Funny. Brilliant. Sad. No sappy. All wit.

Please share your own favourites of the year . . .

The Grandparent Effect

Posted on December 25, 2012 by carriegelson

This post was first published on The Nerdy Book Club Blog December 14th, 2012. I am sharing it here on Christmas day as a gift to all of those who share the joy of reading with friends, family and anyone who needs it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Two years ago, I taught a little boy named Emilio in Grade 3. In his first week of Grade 4, Emilio showed up at my door every day at 3 p.m. He would stand there and give me a big smile, sometimes a hug and tell me quite seriously, “I really miss this class.” When I asked him what he missed, I thought he might say that he missed choices time at the end of the day or the picture books we shared together or maybe even that he missed me. Nope. “I miss Mr. and Mrs. Gelson.” He didn’t even need to think about it. Mr. and Mrs. Gelson are my parents. They come in every Tuesday afternoon to listen to my students read. They sit outside my room at a long table that holds two big baskets of carefully selected picture books. Children take turns having their reading time throughout the afternoon. This reading time with two very special volunteers is what Emilio missed.

When Emilio started Grade 3, he recognized seven letters and knew two sounds. He was not a reader. But he loved books. Every week, Mr. or Mrs. Gelson, read to Emilio. Often, once he was out in the hallway, he wouldn’t come back in. He sat and listened to other children read stories. He asked questions. He got Mr. Gelson telling him about his life and had Mrs. Gelson laughing as he asked for favourite books to be read and reread. They all giggled over silly stories, pretended to scare each other on a spooky page and shared quiet moments when a book touched their hearts. Out in my hallway, on any given Tuesday afternoon, Emilio was gifted by what I have come to call the “Grandparent Effect.”

I teach at an inner city school in Vancouver, B.C. characterized by high child and family poverty. Many of my students have not had early literacy experiences. Nobody read to them at bedtime. They never attended library story times. There are few, if any, books in their homes. Families have limited income and limited time. Many parents are working multiple jobs, learning a new language and caring for a family with limited resources. Read aloud time is a luxury many families cannot afford.

Many of my students also do not have grandparents around. Grandparents live in another city or another country and visits are few and far between. I have students in my class being raised by a grandparent so their grandparent is in a parental role. The lovely experience of story time with Grandma and Grandpa that my own children were raised with has not been experienced by most of my students.

Fortunately, I have two amazing parents who have brought their grandparent love to my classroom. They share it through the magic of books with each of my students every week. As teachers, we know that it is a rare moment when we can just sit with one child and enjoy the experience of having a story read to us by an eager little reader. We are always scanning the room to make sure others are on task, we are taking mental or physical notes about the child’s reading skills and needs, or we are thinking about which book we are going to recommend next to this child. It is hard to turn off our teacher brain. We have a job to do with these little readers. Grandparents, though, have the gift of time. The time to give to each child with their full focus and attention. The time to go off on a tangent and answer a million questions or share connections. The time to read a story again and again just because it was that great. The time to joke and cuddle and coax and smile.

Last year, when I told Mr. and Mrs. Gelson that Emilio missed them (missed them so much, he showed up every day at my door to tell me so) they started coming in a half an hour earlier to read to Emilio, grabbing him from his new class before they began with my students. This year, in Grade 5, half an hour of reading with Mr. and Mrs. Gelson is still part of Emilio’s Tuesday routine. In these past few years at our school, Emilio has been getting daily direct instruction in decoding skills. Slowly but surely, Emilio has been learning to read. This Tuesday, Emilio read The Enormous Potato (written by Aubrey Davis) two times through. How do I know this? Two excited “grandparents” cannot stop gushing about it. “Emilio read the whole thing!” “Twice!” “He can sound out anything!” “He really perseveres.” “I just can’t believe it. He has come so far.” “Remember where he started?” “Emilio is a reader!”

I do my best to promote a love of reading in my room: daily read alouds, buddy reading, book talks, library visits, reading instruction, free choice reading . . . . But, one of the best things I do is to stand back and be in awe of how the “grandparent effect” helps associate reading books with love and happy experiences. I believe if we want to create lifelong readers, anything we do to make this association is a gift we give to our students.

I have shared this story of Emilio and my other little readers to remind us all that the magic of reading shared between generations does not just need to happen in our homes. And if it never happened, it isn’t too late. Find your students some eager seniors to come in and create your own “Grandparent Effect.” Everyone benefits.

**Emilio delivered a special card to my parents for Christmas. He gave me permission to share it here.

Monday December 24th, 2012

Posted on December 24, 2012 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join a fabulous group of readers who share their weekly reads from picture books to young adult novels by participating in Jen and Kellee’s meme. If you are looking for new book ideas, this is a fantastic place to start! Especially if you are looking ahead to some lazy reading days over the holidays!

I read a lot of picture books this week, but I must confess, I didn’t love them all. Those titles are not included here. Instead, below are the ones that stood out for me as being titles I would recommend/read again/read aloud.

The Man in the Moon by William Joyce (A Guardians of Childhood book) Confession: I don’t often know what is going on in mainstream media. Ask me about hip songs and the latest and greatest movie and I likely can’t tell you. So I did not connect these Guardians of Childhood books to the slight movie buzz I was hearing with this same title. Many of you are probably cooler than me and knew all about it.

Wow! Does William Joyce create visually stunning books! I shared this as a bedtime read aloud and the next night my children were begging me for the next title that we had just received from a lovely book gifting friend (The Sandman). I loved the images and how magical the stories felt. My children were intrigued by the whole concept of the Guardians watching over children – how they were brave and majestic yet at the same time teeny and odd. Very interesting.

The Sandman: The Story of Sanderson Mansnoozie by William Joyce (the second picture book in the Guardians of Childhood series)

If you, like me, are not so up on this series here is more information. It seems there are so far, two picture books and a handful of novels featuring different Guardian characters.

Singing Away the Dark written by Caroline Woodward and illustrated by Julie Morstad This book is absolutely lovely and a new favourite of mine. Typically I am wary of books with rhyming text but this one is done so well. A little girl, all of six years old has an early morning walk through snow banks and spooky trees on a cold winter morning to catch the school bus.

“When I was six and walked a mile and sang the dark away.”

Woodward recalls images of her own childhood walks in the Peace River region of B.C. Some of us really do have childhoods that included long walks to school and this book takes me back to all the small moments of bravery that once seemed so huge on my own walk to school on my journeys of childhood. Beautifully illustrated by Morstad.

The Golden Rule written by Ilene Cooper and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. This book explores this simple rule of childhood that seems so difficult for so many to follow. It is pointed out that a version of “”Do Unto Others . . . ” is in every religion for people all over the world. A little boy and his grandfather discuss what the world could be like it everyone actually followed this rule. A lovely format to make this concept accessible to children.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter The true story of Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and the green landscapes that she returned to Africa. A book in the biography genre that explores ecology, environment and inspiration.

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills I adore books that promote the love of literacy and the magic of reading. Hills captures the delight of putting sounds together to make words and the lure of a story in this lovely little book that features Rocket as student and the little yellow bird as enthusiastic teacher. I would pair this title with How to Teach a Slug to Read, a book I have used in the past to explore the process of learning how to read.

Rabbit and Robot The Sleepover by Cece Bell. A fun little story but what excites me most is that it is a fun little story in early chapter book format that can be enjoyed by students just beginning to dive into this genre There are not enough of these titles out there that have this kind of interest, humour and unique characters while still exploring familiar territory: navigating the complications of friendship. Can’t wait to get this book into the hands of students!

I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, an adult novel. I rarely read adult novels anymore and quite honestly, I am happy to dive back into the land of middle grade and young adult novels full force. This book was just too full of ugliness. Well written but what characters . . .

I am close to finishing Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I cannot put it down.

Monday December 17th, 2012

Posted on December 17, 2012 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? Celebrate your weekly reading by joining Jen and Kellee’s meme and link up with other reading enthusiasts sharing their reads from picture books to young adult reads.

I enjoyed many great books during this past week and tried to fit in some last minute Nerdy Book Club nominations 🙂

Picture Books I loved:

Neville written by Norman Juster and illustrated by G. Brian Karas I read this book with my reading group and we shared questions we had before, during and after the story. An amazing book to inspire questions and discussion. A boy moves to a new town and heads out for a walk, unhappy about his move and convinced he will be friendless. When he begins to yell the name “Neville!” interesting things begin to happen. I adored this book.

Jangles, a BIG fish story by David Shannon Part folklore, part mystery, part adventure – all good 🙂 Gorgeous oil paintings give this book an eerie aura.

Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills I agree, of course, with many other readers that this book is an ideal story to share when highlighting the writing process. Love the little yellow bird and the big tree of inspiration.

Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan Stunning art helps narrate this story of a nighttime adventure in the forest. Perfect for teaching about nocturnal animals.

Chopsticks Amy Krause Rosenthal Scott Magoon A fun story about friendship, independence and loyalty with just the right dose of humour “mixed in.”

A few holiday stories shared with my class:

Home for Christmas by Jan Brett My students loved paying attention to the detailed illustrations for hints of what was coming up next in the story. I have many holiday books by Jan Brett on my bookshelf. Always so festive and sweet.

Just Right For Christmas by Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw This book was shared in my class this week, more details here. A story with elements of Phoebe Gilman‘s Something from Nothing or Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Some non-fiction themed books:

The Journey: Stories of Migration written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Lambert Davis I have been sharing sections of this book all term with my class as we learn about migration. The illustrations were vivid and detailed and the stories very easy to follow for my Grade 2/3 students. Lots of learning!

A Strange Places to Call Home written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Ed Young The pictures in this book are incredible and I really enjoyed reading more about each creature and their strange habitats at the back of the book. Did I love all of the poems? Some more than others . . .

The novel I finished this week was a young adult read called Ask the Passengers by A.S. King. Great characters and beautiful writing. I quickly requested other titles by this author from the library. Astrid Jones holds her feelings and questions close as she tries to navigate small town life and big world questions with a family not really along for the ride. Everyone in her two parent, two kid family feels very much on their own and so Astrid connects with the unknown passengers on the planes that fly overhead. A story that explores love, friendship and family dynamics.

Just Right for Christmas

Posted on December 13, 2012 by carriegelson

Maria brought in a sweet little holiday story for us today: Just Right for Christmas written by Birdie Black and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. Thanks to the generosity of the BLG law firm, we have a beautiful new book every week to listen to! This one will make a great addition to Seymour library’s holiday collection!

On Christmas Eve, the King brings home a beautiful roll of bright red cloth and his sewing maids snipped and sewed until they had made a beautiful cloak for the princess. What a perfect gift! The scraps were put outside at the back door. The cloth is discovered by Jenny, an employee from the castle who takes it home to make a jacket for her mother. She places her scraps at her back door and Bertie Badger delights in his discovery of the perfect fabric for a hat for his pa. And on it goes.

There was some discussion about whether it was okay to take cloth left out behind a house. “Are they robbers?” someone asked. Other children understood that this was a great way to pass on things that weren’t needed so that there was no waste. We enjoyed the part of the story that repeated: “snipped and sewed. . . snipped and sewed . . .” One little boy whispered part way through, “Psst! This book is for the Rhyme and Repetition bin!”

As students noticed that the cloth scraps kept getting passed on there were these question: “How will it end?” “Will it ever stop?” Gracie made a great prediction here: “There will be no more scraps finally and everyone will see that the gifts are made out of the same fabric.” Someone else suggested,”Maybe the last scrap will be for the top of the tree! A red star!”

Students noticed other things: “Oh I know! It went from big to small. The scraps!” “It’s the same cloth into different things!” “The cloth went from people to the animals as it got smaller.”

The final page of the book has everyone skating on the ice decked out in their new gifts made from the beautiful fabric with nothing wasted!

A story with elements of Phoebe Gilman‘s Something from Nothing or Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Student reviewers respond:

Kelvin: The girl snipped and sewed. Everyone snipped and sewed! The raccoon tried to steal stuff that was valuable. They made gifts with a cloth.

Pheonix: They each made something for someone. I like that book so much.

Shereese: I like when they are skating on the ice. The princess had the cloak on.

Ava: When the King got the cloth, he passed it around the town. The King got cloth and passed it on. It was pretty darn good.

Kassidy: I like the part when all the animals take the fabric. Tehy used it for presents. A princess is in the story.

Ashley: I like this book a lot. My favourite part was things going on and on and on and on. I like the pictures a lot.

Giovanni: I liked it when they snipped and sewed.

Vicky: My favourite part was when the king bought the cloth. I was thinking about Christmas. Marian, why did you choose this book? I noticed the cloth got smaller and smaller.

Heman: My favourite part was when Bertie Badger made a hat. I noticed that the creatures were getting smaller. They all used the same fabric for the gifts.

Kala: It was neat when Badger found the red cloth and decided to make a hat for his Pa. I also liked when the maid left the red scraps on the steps.

Brian: My favourite part was when they passed it on and on and on. I love Maria. She is the best. She is a good reader. I like when she reads to us. I wish that she can stay forever.

Gracie: My favourite part is when they are skating. I liked the book a lot. I think the animals are cute.

Arianne: I like when they make a red jacket for the princess. Squirrels make gloves for his wife.

Kevin: My favourite part was when Bertie Badger made a hat. I like when the animals stole the hat. I noticed that the creatures all used the same fabric for the gifts.

Ethan: My favourite part was when they took the cloth. That was so hilarious. The animals are so cute.

The Snow Day

Posted on December 11, 2012 by carriegelson

The Snow Day by Komako Sakai was our inspiration for some reflective writing today. It is getting cold and blustery outside and forecasts of snow are hinted at in the weather reports and imagined by eager snow enthusiasts who sense those chilly mornings. This book let us explore those images of when a very snowy day seems to stop the world.

What is it like to wait for a chance to explore the snow? Better yet, what does it feel like to walk out into a snowy world with nobody else around?

Little Rabbit observes, “Mommy, we are all alone in the world.” Some snow days do feel that way.

We loved the image of Little Rabbit getting to step into that big expanse of white and did some brainstorming about what snow looks like when it is covering the landscape. Some students included these images in their writing.

This book was certainly about anticipation. And excitement. But also about the quiet, the calm and the wonder of snow.

Some Monday afternoon writing shared:

Gracie: I like making snowmen. It’s fun! And after I play outside, I like having hot chocolate. It’s gooooood! 🙂 Snow looks like white cotton candy.

Ava: I like when you are the first one to step in the snow.

Heman: I like it when it is snowing because I can have snowball fights with my brother. I dress up warm in the snow. The snow looks like clouds. It is quiet in the snow. It feels calm in the snow. Snow is so slippery!

Arianne: I love snow because I like to make snow angels and snow bunnies. when it snows, it is like white paint everwhere. We dress up in warm clothes. I throw snow!

Shereese: I like the snow because we could make a snowman and a snowball fight. It feels so cold. When we are cold, we ask for hot chocolate. I like when my Mom makes hot chocolate and whip cream on it.

Kevin: I like when snow is calm. I like to make a snow castle to play in it. Snow looks like white paper. You have to dress warm for a snowy day,

Monday December 10th, 2012

Posted on December 10, 2012 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

Join Jen and Kellee’s meme on Teach Mentor Texts to share your weekly reads from picture books to young adult novels. Especially with the holidays approaching, reading all of these blogs and book lists will help to build your lists of fantastic must read titles!

I did a LOT of reading this week and had a hard time narrowing it down to which books I would share. So many fantastic titles – some brand new and others that have been around for some time. Finally, I picked my ten favourite picture book titles of the week and here they are . . .

Picture books I loved:

hello! hello! by Matthew Cordell A fantastic little book that highlights the wonder of nature and all that it has to offer if we can drag ourselves away from our devices . . . I think this is an ideal companion book to Blackout by John Rocco – another title that reminds us to be in the moment with our families. I loved that book as well and wrote a Picture Book Love post about it here.

I saw A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva on a best of 2012 list somewhere. Having a kind of thing for Antartica, I was intrigued. I ordered it on a whim thinking my class would enjoy it as we are learning about continents and they are fascinated by the thought of exploring that frozen land down at the bottom of the globe. This is a Toon Book and so comes in a lovely tiny size. Great colours, graphics and relevant images (my favourite is the spread of four types of penguins). Perfect for younger readers to read independently and for more accomplished readers just to savour.

I realized I hadn’t explored Frank Viva’s other title Along a Long Road and picked it up at my public library. Again, wow! I love the colours with large amounts of solid black on a page. I kind of wish I was at school and could grab one of our little K buddies to share this with. I would love to watch a young child follow this tempting yellow road as it winds through the pages. Only problem with this book? Now I want to own it too.

Millie Fierce by Jane Manning This book explores finding an inner strength in a very honest way. It is not a simple thing to go from quiet to confident and the transformation is not always smooth. I have had students who when they finally shed their shy personas need some guidance about being polite and not hurtful with their words. Sometimes the words come before the social filters kick in. I thought of those children as I read this book about Millie. Millie doesn’t want to be ignored, she is tired of being “barely there” and unnoticed. So she becomes fierce. As she tries on this new found ferocity, she certainly gets noticed. But nobody wants to be with a Millie that puts getting noticed above being considerate or properly behaved. She even realizes that being fierce can be cruel. Finally Millie understands that she can be noticed for her kindness and consideration. This kind of attention is what feels right to her. I think this book could be quite powerful shared with a class and I look forward to the discussions that it might prompt.

A Balloon for Isabel written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Laura Rankin I have seen this on many Monday reads posts in the last few weeks and so was delighted when I found it in my school library. How can little Isabel the porcupine get a balloon for graduation? Obviously giving a balloon to a prickly porcupine is just asking for trouble. And so the rule at her school is no balloons for porcupines. But Isabel demonstrates some extremely creative problem solving and we all celebrate her perseverance and optimistic spirit. A sweet little book.

Z is for Moose written by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky I have seen this book on so many latest and greatest lists and have just not sat down and read it. This week I did and also shared it with my class. Sometimes a book’s gift is just that it can’t help but make you laugh. This is one of those books. I now see the reason for all of the hype. A book to share with children (and adults) of all ages when you need a smile and a tiny dose of kind.

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold Wow! What an amazing title to help explore fear and courage. A black dog is spotted outside the window of the Hope family residence. As it is described and worried about, it “becomes” larger than life – the size of a tiger. . . no, an elephant . . . maybe a T-rex? These illustrations are beautifully odd. But in the best of ways. From the full page spreads with the huge menacing dog to the little sepia coloured boxes surrounding the text that reveal close ups and clues from the story. I am nowhere near finished exploring these images and I have read this book countless times. But back to the storyline . . . Small (the littlest Hope) finally braves the outdoors to confront this creature. What ensues is absolutely delightful – a visual treat to tickle our imaginations. Small becomes large and large, small. Fear and courage intermix into teasing and challenge and joy. This is a book to gift to adults who may have forgotten the magic of the picture book. The wonder of this book seems impossible to resist.

Atlantic written by G. Brian Karas I found this book at my children’s school library while I was waiting for my daughter to finish her library monitor shift. Lyrical text, and narrated by the ocean itself, it gives the reader an interesting perspective on the ocean’s vastness. A book to use in a lesson about oceans. Not sure if children would pick up everything independently but as a read aloud with discussion, this is a wonderful way to add wonder to a geography lesson.

A Home for Bird by Philip C. Stead What a wonderful story about friendship, persistance and devotion. Vernon, the toad never gives up trying to find his new strange friend, Bird, a home. Yet, all along the way, there is no guidance or help from Bird himself. When he finally discovers where Bird belongs it is . . . just as it should be :-)This would be great to share along with Mem Fox‘s Hunwick’s Egg (one of my favourites that I rave about in this post) – another story of faith and commitment to a silent friend.

Bear has a Story to Tell written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead. Text and illustrations that match perfectly to create a quiet and calm book about the change of seasons and a small group of friends. There is so much space in this book to question and reflect. It begs to have its pages turned slowly and to just revel in each scene. On some pages it was the phrasing, others the muted colours of a forest sky that asked to be enjoyed before moving on. It isn’t possible to move quickly through this book just as we have no power over the pace the seasons come at us. Beautiful.

An exciting accomplishment this week – I met my personal reading goal of 75 new to me novels (not including adult reads which I do occasionally fit in) for 2012. My list, with covers and ratings, is here. Last week I met my Goodreads goal of 500 books so I am on a bit of a roll!

Novel #75 was Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor

An emotional read. I always love books with friendships that span generations and this books delivers relationships in a big way. Raine and her mother, her grandfather, the new people she meets at Sparrow Road, someone she was meant to meet . . . Love and sorrow and art and long summer days all tangle up into a story that had me in tears through the last few chapters. But peaceful tears.

My next read? Ask the Passengers by A. S. King. And of course a towering pile of picture books that I plan to dive into!

The Magical Life of Mr. Renny

Posted on December 9, 2012 by carriegelson

Our BLG reader Magnus brought us a story that celebrated magic and prompted us to think about what really makes us happy: The Magical Life of Mr. Renny by Leo Timmers.

Mr. Renny is an extremely talented artist. But he cannot sell any of his work at the market. He is so hungry and desperate that he wished his painting of an apple didn’t just look real but was real so that he could eat it. (“I’ll pay him a hundred if I could,” one student muttered) A stranger appears and poof, the apple was real. Mr. Renny looked around, all of his paintings sprang to life. So imagine what this meant . . .

First, Mr. Renny fed his belly. He painted a hotdog, a milkshake and a multi-layered cake! “He could paint himself a restaurant,” suggested one student. But soon, Mr. Renny started to think beyond. A car to help him travel Europe. “Whoa, that car became alive!” And then a ship to sail the sea. But soon he wanted to get back to shore to paint more. He couldn’t stop thinking of all the things he could make real. Paint, paint, paint. Mansions, limousines, a silk suit, cavier, a blimp . . . (Magnus had to explain a lot of words new to us “What’s a canvas?” “. . . cavier?” “. . . a mansion?”

But then Mr. Renny had a visitor. Rose from the market came to see him and wanted to buy a painting. He had nothing to sell her. It seemed he was no longer a painter. But rather a collector. Rose inspired Mr. Renny. He brought back the stranger and made a request.

“I want to paint an ordinary picture again. One that doesn’t come to life.”

The stranger isn’t surprised. Maybe Mr. Renny isn’t the first to recognize that getting everything you want is not the route to happiness. 🙂 Mr. Renny gets his wish and all of his riches disappear. He happily sits down at his easel and paints Rose the perfect painting.

“You’re back!” Rose smiled.

And he was.

While this book did allow us to recognize that things do not make us happy, it also let us imagine for a little while some things that we would love to draw and have come to life. It gave us the chance to dream. A few moments of wishing on a Wednesday morning felt kind of fun!

Student Reviewers Respond:

Kala: When it was almost at the end he made all the real things disappear. After when he painted nothing came back alive.

Arianne: I like when he made a rose. I would have painted a kitten. I will paint a horse. I will paint a dog. I will paint a pig and a barbie.

Andrew: My favourite part was when all Mr. Renny paint came to life. A stranger came. It was not real. Why did no one buy Renny’s paintings? I would have painted a gelato store because I love ice cream!

Kevin: My favourite part was when Mr. Renny give a rose for Rose. I wouldn’t paint a monster because it is too scary.

Ashley: Whatever he painted came to life. I would paint a house and it would have five rooms. He could paint skipping rope and a school and shoes, a bike, a big car and a big Christmas tree.

Vicky: My favourite part was when Mr. Renny painted a rose for Rose. A strange man turned Mr. Renny’s paintings in to life. I would have painted a limo because I could drive in it.

Kelvin: When the man had real magic powers that is my favourite. When the man snap his fingers the painting came to life. Rose said you are not a painter anymore. That was sad.

Ava: Whatever he painted came to life. The man snapped his fingers and all of his paintings came to life. It was magical.

Heman: My favourite part was when Mr. Renny’s paint came to life. I would have painted my own castle because I could have my own room. Why did nobody buy Mr. Renny’s paintings?

Jorja: He is painting a rose to Rose. The paintings came to life and the painting was magic.

Kassidy: I like when things came in to life. I would have painted a dog and a cat if my paintings came to life. I like when he painted a rose for Rose. It was silly when the elephant had a stoller with some water melons.

Pheonix: My favourite part was the part that was he turn all his paintings to life.

Giovanni: I like the part that made things made to life. I would paint a monster truck. I want to play one.

Brian: My favourite part was when whatever he painted came to alive. Why are paintings so expensive? I would paint a Ms. Gelson because I like her.

Dragons Love Tacos

Posted on December 4, 2012 by carriegelson

How delighted we were to have Maria bring another Adam Rubin/Daniel Salmieri book to share with us. Dragons Love Tacos had us at the cover. A delighted looking dragon surrounded my piles of tacos and sporting a very full tummy (tacos?) lounges across the landscape. This looked like a perfectly silly book! We are big fans of silly! We were in!

First of all, it must be noted, that we as a group did not have a lot of background knowledge to support our understanding of this book. Many of us actually haven’t tried tacos. We certainly don’t know any dragons and so can’t really fathom why dragons would be such fans of eating tacos! A few of us though were taco fans or wanted to be taco fans. So while this story was being read, there was a certain degree of mumbling going on: “I’ve never tried a taco.” “My Mom makes the best tacos.” “Do dragons really love tacos? “I think I want to try a taco . . . ”

However, we did have a previous appreciation of the Rubin/Salmieri brilliance. And . . . we are big fans of funny. This book delivered. It was a delight.

In this story we are introduced to a kid and his dog. He is warned that if he wants to feed dragons tacos, which they happen to love, he must be very careful not to give them any spicy salsa. Mild toppings on the menu? Super! Spicy stuff? Absolutely no go! So . . . it didn’t take long before one clever student guessed, “I bet if those dragons eat the spicy stuff, they will breathe fire.” The next thing we know the book is showing us preparations for a huge taco party! The kid is advised to bury any spicy salsa in the backyard and to fill his house with tacos. All seems good until . . . Tiny jalapeños are discovered in a salsa jar mislabelled mild.

“Oh no!” “Uh oh!” “There are going to be some sick dragons . . . “

There is a page of extreme fire breathing. And then, a bunch of ill looking dragons stand amongst the ruins of a home. “They are all homeless now!” someone shouted.

But there is a happy ending in sight. Turns out dragons are quite good at house construction as long as there are tacos at break times!

Student reviewers respond:

Shereese: It was funny when the boy put the spicy salsa in the backyard.

Arianne: I liked when the dragons breathed out fire and when they had to rebuild.

Ashley: I like a lot that they breathed out fire. I love that book! Where are they going to live now? Do you wonder where they are going to live?

Vicky: My vavourite part was when they rebuilt and cleaned up the house. I remembered Those Darn Squirrels Fly South!

Kevin: I like when the dragons breathed fire. I like when the dragons blow fire at the house. Then they rebuild it and clean up all the house.

Kelvin: When the dragons had a crush on tacos was my best part. The dragons burned the house. The boy planned to drop spice on the tacos. My Mom makes the best tacos. They taste great!

Kala: I liked when the dragons breathed fire.

Ethan: I liked when the dragons blew fire. It was funny. I only like candy. Not tacos.

Heman: My favourite part was when the dragon breathed out fire. I thought the boy will hide the salsa in the cupboard. Why did the dragon eat the salsa? The dragons breathed fire on the house!

Kassidy: I liked when the boy put salsa on the tacos. I liked when the dragons burned the house. The dragons helped the boy.

Pheonix: My favourite part was when the dragons built the house back to normal.

Grace: Do dragons really love tacos? I liked when the dragons breathed fire. So why do dragons love tacos? I liked that the dragons don’t like spicy salsa. I liked the boy’s dog. It’s cute!

Andrew: When the boy buried the salsa and the house got burned down were the best parts. I thought the dragons will burn the whole house down. Where will the boy live? I never tried tacos. Now I want to try tacos!