Must Read Titles in 2014: Spring Update

Posted on March 31, 2014 by carriegelson

My #MustReadin2014 list has 30 titles on it. As of today, I have read 13 of these books. Since I have read 26 novels so far in 2014, half of my reading has been from my #MustRead list. Sometimes these titles lead me off to read the rest of the series (after Legend I read Prodigy and Champion within weeks) or a sequel (after Better Nate than Ever, I read Five, Six, Seven, Nate!)

Here are the books I’ve read and the rating I gave them on Goodreads.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Read January 3rd, 2014) Rating: 5/5

Legend by Marie Lu (Read January 7th, 2014) Rating: 4/5

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick (Read January 11th, 2014) Rating: 5/5

Forgive me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (Read January 25th, 2014) Rating: 4/5

The Living by Matt de la Pena (Read January 31st, 2014) Rating: 4/5

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (Read February 15th, 2014) Rating: 5/5

Listening for Lucca by Suzanne Lafleur (Read February 23rd, 2014) Rating: 4/5

Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy (Read March 6th, 2014) Rating: 4/5

Every Day After by Laura Golden (Read March 6th, 2014) Rating: 5/5

Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle (Read March 19th, 2014) Rating: 5/5

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech (Read March 20th, 2014) Rating: 5/5

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Read March 23rd, 2014) Rating: 2/5

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Read March 31st, 2014) Rating: 5/5

More details of my favourite 4 from this list:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

If you are no longer 18 years old, you might forget that fact while reading this book. All the vulnerability, fear, brutal soul searching and life lessons will come hurtling back at you as you experience the characters of Fangirl. Rainbow Rowell writes characters that are all about raw and true. Brilliant.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

I read this aloud to my children and we adored it. It is such a fantastic book to read aloud. We savoured the quirky, the hilarious and the eccentric. We smiled at the characters. We were lulled by the whimsy. And we were charmed by the brilliance of DiCamillo. 5 stars: all glowing and magical!

Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle

Add me to the long list of readers who has been utterly charmed by the character Nate Foster. I loved his small town inexperience. His candor. His charm. The fact that he talks about his parent’s marriage problems, personal problems and parenting problems. I love that he talks about not knowing who he might like in the future and that he hasn’t got a gender all picked out yet. I love his friendship with his best friend. And then there is his audition. Okay, I basically just loved all of it. And I continued to love him in the sequel Five, Six, Seven, Nate!

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I have had the pleasure of reading this entire trilogy to my children and this final book certainly did not disappoint. Adventure. Intrigue. Battles and Heroes. Everything a MG title needs to be fully engaging and engrossing! Highly recommend the entire trilogy if you haven’t read it yet.

Some things I’ve learned along the way:

Matthew Quick is a must read author!
Dystopian series go downhill fast or remain exciting throughout. If on book 2 you have figured out which of these categories you are reading, remember this and either jump ship or keep reading.
There are so many Middle Grade titles to be excited about!
I am so glad I made this list because it has ensured that I have discovered some favourites!

How is your To Be Read list treating you?

If you have been participating in #MustReadin2014 and written an update post, please share using the #MustReadin2014 hashtag!

Want to know more about #MustReadin2014? Read here This post also includes links to all of the bloggers who wrote Must Read lists.

Monday March 31st, 2014

Posted on March 30, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. One of the very best ways to discover what to read next!

These are the the picture books I really enjoyed:

Some perfect for little readers or story time sessions:

Wait! Wait! written by Hatsue Nakawaki and illustrated by Komako Sakai

Perfectly captures the awkward and adorable exploration of a toddler out in nature.

I Love my New Toy! by Mo Willems

Always brilliant – Willems captures friendship dynamics like no other.

Somewhere in the World Right Now by Stacey Schuett

Set up like a soothing bed time story, this title could also be used in the classroom to inspire interest in geography and other cultures. The perfect text to practice visualization.The message is that all over the world, different things are happening. Some moments are full of busy city life while someplace else, everyone is quiet and asleep.

A Mammoth in the Fridge written by Michaël Escoffier and illustrated by Matthieu Maudet

I am more and more charmed by the absurd humour of Escoffier (he wrote Brief Thief which is a favourite in my class). In this story, a mammoth turns up in the fridge. How on earth did he get in there? Pay close attention and it all comes clear 🙂

Dog and Bear: Two Friends – Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I had the pleasure of listening to Laura Vaccaro Seeger talk about her Dog and Bear titles at a recent conference. Reading this book, I could hear her voice. Simple, sweet stories of friendship.

The Good Ship Crocodile written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Monique Felix

A crocodile helps many creatures cross the river when the water is high. His good deeds have a chance to be repaid when he needs help finding home. Beautiful illustrations and I enjoyed the African setting.

Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield Martin

Absolutely stunning images of dream like adventures. An ideal bed time book.

Some titles for older readers and for discussion:

I dreamt . . . A book about Hope by Gabriela Olmos

What would a world look like without violence? This book imagines just that. All of the illustrations were created by Mexican artists. A powerful title to spark important discussions about children’s rights, about peace, about safety.

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan written by Mary Williams and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Based on true events of the boys walking to safety and security in southern Sudan during civil war. I read this aloud to my own children and they had many questions. Imagining the role these boys had to play to support each other was heartbreaking.

I also finished two novels:

Five, Six, Seven, Nate! written by Tim Federle

I loved jumping back into Nate’s life and his adventures on stage in New York. Nate is a character the middle grade fiction world needs.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect written by Linda Urban

You could describe this book as: “It’s about a girl who plays the organ but really wants to play the piano.” But . . . then you would be missing the vulnerability, the complexity of family, the power of people in your corner and the pure brilliance Linda Urban has with words on a page. One of the best things about this title is how Urban handles the parents. So many authors write stories where parents are either absent, missing or have died. Other times they are just plain mean. In this book, Zoe’s parents are far from perfect but in the end, they are far more than just the source of her troubles. So well written.

Reading Goal updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 25/100 novels complete

Goodeads Challenge: 165/650 books read

#MustReadin2014: 12/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 47/65 complete

Happy Reading to all of you!

* A reminder for anyone out there with a #MustReadin2014 list, think about sharing an update on your blog for April 1st, 2014. Share using the #MustReadin2014 hashtag. I plan to share a list of the titles I have read so far and a highlight of some of my favourites. So excited to see what everyone has been reading and loving.

Celebration: Time to . . .

Posted on March 28, 2014 by carriegelson

Celebration honoured. This is the loveliest of reasons to share. Join Ruth Ayres who shares a Celebration Link up on her blog each week.

I am now at the end of a two week Spring Break holiday and I am happy to celebrate time to . . .

Do the things I don’t always have time to do! Like:

Reclaim my garden from winter’s coverings and a few years of post-reno neglect. I know that the gardening bug has bit me again full force because my head is full of thoughts like this:

“If I make a big fruit salad, I will have more peels to put into the compost . . . “
“This rain is so good for the plants I just divided and transplanted.”
“How should I mark where I want to put bulbs in this fall?”

Tackle the to do list This week I cleaned my closet, organized kitchen drawers, compiled receipts and sorted clothes my children have outgrown.

Visit the bookstore! I love nothing more than hours at the bookstore (Kidsbooks here in Vancouver is one of my very favourite places) to explore. I inevitably lose my children numerous times. My daughter is pretty easy to find. She is usually nestled into a corner reading – lost only in a book that has captured her.

Read a novel with my children and keep reading when they beg for one more chapter 🙂

We are now just chapters away from finishing the highly engaging final book in the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen – The Shadow Throne.

Write posts that have been swirling about in my head. This week I wrote a post called What also happens here? This post addresses what we don’t often write about as teachers – the upset in the room.

What have you celebrated this week?

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Dirt, Roots & Shoots and Ladybugs

Posted on March 26, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

I have spent all week in my garden. So much so that I am dreaming about compost and worms and transplanting plants. This lead me to some titles I am adding to my class nonfiction collection next week. As I have been conferencing with kids about what they would like to see more of in our nonfiction areas of our classroom library, books about plants, gardens and growing have come up a lot. So these four books will be new additions (although they are not all recent releases) and hopefully of interest to my little gardening/plant enthusiasts.

Dirt: The Scoop on Soil written by Natalie M. Rosinsky and illustrated by Sheree Boyd (published in 2002)

Lots of information on the different parts of dirt: humus, silt, rocks and pebbles, clay and sand. Each of these parts is talked about in some detail. I enjoyed the sections on the decomposers who eat dead plants and how insects and animals help loosen the soil as they crawl through it. The book does mention keeping our soil healthy but it doesn’t go into much detail. Thee are some experiments in the back of the book to try. A nice addition, in my opinion, would have been a section on how to make and maintain a compost bin/pile.

How Does a Seed Sprout? And other Questions about . . . Plants by Melissa Stewart A Good Question book (published in 2014)

Organized in a question/answer format this is a book for stronger readers (late primary/early intermediate) or great to use as a read aloud – even just a few questions at a time. I appreciated the detailed drawings of the six stages of a bean plant sprouting and the pictures of a pine tree’s life cycle. There is an index in the back and more information for further reading and websites to visit. This would be a great resource for a plants/seeds unit.

Grow with me Ladybug by Kate Riggs (published in 2013)

This Grow with Me series published by Creative Paperbacks is an ideal reading level for upper primary (and older) students to be reading independently. Full of lots of photographs (including many magnified close ups), detailed information and nonfiction features such as an index, glossary and fact boxes. While the focus of this book is to talk about the lifecycle of the ladybug, there is a lot of other interesting information shared:

Protective Measures
Living to Eat
A Bug for all Seasons

Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons (published in 2012)

The illustrations here are incredible and give so many specific details about how ladybugs grow, what they eat and how they survive in different seasons. This book would make a fantastic read aloud. I loved the page that explains that there are many different kinds of ladybugs – possibly up to 5,000 different types world wide with 475 different kinds in North America. The illustration depicts ten different types with different colours and spot patterns. Children will come away with an excellent understanding of the life cycle of a ladybug, how they help keep the population of garden pests down and how each of their body parts function.

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2014! Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction titles.

My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 47/65 complete!

What also happens here?

Posted on March 25, 2014 by carriegelson

Just over a month ago, I wrote this post: The Part That is True It is about a boy named “Harry” and how he learns, what he needs and how he is viewed. It is about how we honour each child. About adult judgement. About asking ourselves as educators: Is my classroom safe and inclusive for all learners?

I wrote this post because I needed to write it. I needed to put what I was feeling into words and I needed to strengthen my resolve to continue advocating for all of the children like Harry who will walk through my classroom door and be a part of my life. That this post spoke to so many others was more than encouraging. The comments and feedback gave me hope and allowed me to engage with so many about how we work with the children in our classrooms.

But something else happened. Some teachers contacted me privately and talked about their struggles to support some of the students in their room. It wasn’t about the child so much as the system. The lack of supports. Other staff who didn’t share their philosophy. They talked about overwhelming needs, safety concerns and children who are experiencing a lot of stress.

Two things struck me. One, always the frustration was not about the child. Two, we don’t often talk about this. At least not out in the open.

Why?

Part of it is that so many of us who are sharing about what happens in our classrooms and schools, focus on the positive. And so we should. We highlight and showcase the wonderful. This speaks to our optimism. Our ability to find joy in the everyday landscape of a learning community. It is where we start each day and what we carry with us to be able to keep doing and loving this work.

Another part is that by talking about our struggles with upset and behaviour, we are cautious. We want to protect privacy. We don’t want to judge. We don’t want to tell the story that sometimes things are really hard. Because even though it is about what children do, we know it is about so much more.

And I think we also feel in some ways like it is an admission of not being able to cope. That if things are challenging, we are not managing. It takes large amounts of inner strength to take a breath in the middle of a child’s “outburst” and say, “This is about so much more than me.” And then to take charge, ensure safety, and help to keep everyone’s self worth intact.

It is easy to think this isn’t happening in other classrooms. I consistently share moments of happiness and joy and celebration. But the truth is that there is also drama and trauma.

Honestly, sometimes I read blog posts from other educators and think, wow. Wow, but how do they do that? I can’t get there because of things that are going on. Like the challenges transitioning back in from recess. The child who can’t manage change and is under the desk. The child who won’t come on that beautiful nature walk and so we all need to go back inside because we don’t have the staff to supervise everyone. From the conversations I have been having with other educators, other people are feeling exactly the same thing. They are also making the assumption that the struggles are not happening in these other classrooms that are so full of learning and passion.

My classroom is where beautiful learning happens. Joy. Happiness. Growth.

But, what also happens here?

Sometimes large amounts of upset. Aggression. Crying. Screaming. Hiding. Under the table. Behind a shelf. In the cloakroom. Running out of the room. Refusing to come in from outside. Games get thrown to the ground. A carefully constructed tower is kicked over. There has been biting. Pushing. Pinching. A few times we have had to get everyone out of the room and call for help to deescalate a child.

Those things also happen. In my room.

This post is not about all of these questions: Why? Who is responsible? How do we fix it? Those are big questions that I am not tackling now.

This post is just to remind us all that we are not alone. As we teach and learn and work with children – through the joy and the challenges, we are all in this together.

Monday March 24th, 2014

Posted on March 23, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I read some wonderful picture books this week. Here are my ten favourites:

Sparky! written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans

Okay, Wow. This book is so absolutely charming. And wonderfully slow – yes, like a sloth. There are giggle worthy images – like the sloth in a box having just arrived by Express Mail. Or when we see that Sparky (the sloth) can win at a game – if it is Statue where you need to stand very still. It is about our desires and vulnerabilities. Why else post a sign about a Trained Sloth Extravaganza where you plan to prove that your pet sloth is really quite amazing? And spend days teaching him tricks . . . ? If you make it through the book and aren’t sold, the last page will get you. And then you like me, will have to buy this book or . . . send away for it to be delivered by Express Mail.

The Promise written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Laura Carlin

When I saw that Nicola Davies – my go to author for nonfiction titles had written a fiction title, I had to find it. And read it. And own it. I plan to read this book to my students along with The Curious Garden by Peter Brown and The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Basil Ering. All three titles share similar messages – nature is essential, being part of a growing landscape is transformative and filling the world with more green can enrich our lives and build our communities. Only criticism – I love all of the images in the book, except the cover. Wish they had chosen a different illustration to feature. But peek under the book jacket for another gorgeous image.

The Boy and the Airplane by Mark Pett

I really wasn’t prepared for how funny I found this book. Funny as in completely amusing – it caught me off guard in the best of the ways. A little boy loses his airplane on the rooftop. He tries in vain to get it down. His eventual strategy works – but it might not be what we all might choose. Another title I now want to own for my wordless collection.

Soccer Star written by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated by Renato Alarcão

This book is set in Brazil and tells the story of young children living in poverty. Their days are full of work while their heads are full of dreams. Maybe they will be future soccer stars like Garrincha, Pelé and Ronaldo and find a way to lift their families out of poverty. The dreams give light and energy to the hardships of everyday and the evening soccer game is a treasured, shared time daily. I reviewed this book with my students responses in more detail here.

Lila and the Secret of Rain written by David Conway and illustrated by Jude Daly

I am always on the lookout for folktales and stories set in other places. I am excited to add this to my classroom collection. Lila’s village in Kenya is experiencing drought. Her grandfather whispers the secret of rain to her. Lila sets out on a quest to bring rain to her village. She does this by sharing her sadness with the sky. A beautiful book.

Letter Lunch by Elisa Gutierrez

Love the stores full of letters, letters scattered in plants, the bottles of vowels and the Z on the top of the mountain. The fact that it is wordless makes it even more powerful. Perfect for a reader who loves to get lost in the details. So much to explore in this book.

Cave Baby written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Emily Gravett

A celebration of children’s art and colourful pictures. A rhyming read aloud title with the talented Gravett as illustrator. Can see this being a read and reread aloud for persistent toddlers who will be delighted by it!

Friends by Eric Carle

Lovely for story time. Reminiscent about a lost childhood friend, Carle celebrates a best friend and his imaginative search for her over time and distance after she moved away.

Eric the Boy who Lost his Gravity by Jenni Desmond

What happens when we get really angry? An interesting take on how it feels. Highlights the sibling wars of early childhood and the blame game of the parents. Interesting. Pair it with When Sophie gets Angry- Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang. Anger and managing our emotions are things we should be talking about with children. These books give us a jumping off point.

Running with the Horses by Alison Lester

What a book. This is a longer picture book set in WWII. Nina and her father must rescue Lipizzaner stallions that they look after at the Royal Academy of Dancing Horses in Vienna. Nina rides Zelda, an older mare, who her father suspects is not up for the journey into the safety of the countryside. Courage. Adventure. History. Alison Lester has written and illustrated a beautiful book. She does note that while the story was inspired by the rescue of the Lipizzaner stallions, it is not meant to be a historically accurate account of the actual events.

Novels I finished (all on my #MustReadin2014 list):

Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

I sat down to read this book one evening during a “family read in” (fireplace on, everyone grab a book and snuggle on the couch) and I didn’t put it down until I finished it. Beautiful writing. Touching story. My heart ached and soared. I have been thinking about this book for days. For many reasons. One of which is that I have a student that would so benefit by being “found” and loved by John and Marta.

Allegiant by Veroncia Roth

I really hate writing negative reviews and I shouldn’t be because I should have abandoned the book but I didn’t for a few reasons 1) at about 200 pages in, I was getting into it 2) it was on my #MustReadin2014 list 3) I had to get to the controversial ending

But . . . Here is what irked me 1) Characters were constantly fiddling with the hem of their shirts. Huh? But everyone doing this often. 2) The writing just wasn’t good. Biggest issue? The dual narration and not being able to remember who was telling the story at certain points. Don’t think Roth really delivered in Tobias’ voice 3) Reading should never feel like a chore and I had to force myself to sit and read both at the beginning and after about page 250.

Still I did finish. In the end, I enjoyed Divergent and should have just stopped there. Much preferred the Legend trilogy if anyone is in the mood for YA dystopia.

Reading Goal updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 23/100 novels complete

Goodeads Challenge: 147/650 books read

#MustReadin2014: 12/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 42/65 complete

Speaking of #MustReadin2014 – for anyone participating in this challenge, we talked about sharing our progress at the end of March. I am planning to do a post for April 1st. Anyone else in? Doesn’t have to be huge and full of reviews, unless you want it to be. Maybe just a list of titles you’ve read so far. Highlighting some favourites? Ratings? I know this community will bring their own style and signature to it! I will start tweeting some reminders using the hashtag #MustReadin2014 over the next week.

Celebration: Stories, Special Days and Spring cleaning (no, not windows)

Posted on March 22, 2014 by carriegelson

Celebration honoured. This is the loveliest of reasons to share. Join Ruth Ayres who shares a Celebration Link up on her blog each week.

Stories

I can’t think of a week where I don’t celebrate the power of stories and connections through stories.

This week I celebrate sharing my student’s comments and responses to Soccer Star written by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated by Renato Alarcão (to be released in April of 2014). Such a special title – my students’ reactions reveal how wonderful this title is to share in the classroom. Thank you to Mina for making sure I got a copy of this book to have in my classroom. It is already treasured.

I also celebrate being mentioned here with such a lovely compliment by one of my favourite authors Deborah Heiligman on the INK blog this week. Thank you to Deborah for honouring my love of nonfiction and my love of my students. I especially love connecting the two! This post reveals exactly how magical Deborah’s book The Boy who Loved Math was in my classroom.

Special Days

Don’t ask my husband because he will not be able to tell you but . . . it was in fact 17 years ago today that I walked down the aisle in a green dress carrying a bouquet of white tulips to the song The Girl from Ipanema and married this man I share my life with. Two beautiful children, lots of strong cups of morning coffee and many memories later, I am happy to celebrate this day! Here he is below (casting for hours) when we celebrated our anniversary last year at our favourite place to rent in the San Juan Islands.

Spring Cleaning (not windows and baseboards but gardens and blogs)

In the garden . . . A few years ago we renovated our house and my lovely garden survived but just barely. Life has been busy (working full time doesn’t lend itself to morning coffee and gardening mid week!) and it is only now that I am truly trying to revive the spaces I love so much. This transformation has no budget so it is basically going like this: Has it survived? Split it, move it, celebrate it. Right now, this involves a lot of cutting back, weeding and contemplating.

On the blog . . .

I have finally had time to deal with all of my little notes to myself to add to certain lists, update posts, etc. on this blog.

In the last few days, I updated these lists with new titles.

Big issue Titles

The appeal of a series: Hook some young readers!

Death & Bereavement

I also had a chance to post this post: Make the Time: 15 things that matter It was something that has been rolling around in my head for a while and with all of the gardening, it came together. I would love if anyone in the Celebration community would like to add a comment on the post. I have the feeling many of you would have much to share. Many thanks!

Make the Time: 15 things that matter

Posted on March 21, 2014 by carriegelson

Time There is only so much of it in each school day.

I always tend to get introspective after a few days away from the classroom so part way through Spring Break I have been thinking about things . . . Specifically what matters in terms of time and how we spend it? What are the things I really want to honour? What things need to be happening?

Here’s my list

Make the Time . . .

For Joy

There needs to be happiness and celebration as we learn. In our classroom, this is where we begin.

For Gratitude

We have a Gratitude Circle at least once a week where we share something we feel grateful about. Sharing our happiness and what we appreciate is a gift to others. Gathering in a circle to breathe, share and be calm is powerful. Especially on Halloween 🙂

To Play

Play happens daily in our classroom. It lets us get creative, solve problems, practice negotiation and always, helps to build our social skills. Plus, of course, it is FUN!

To Be Lost in a Book

I always say, “Being lost in a book is the best place to be.” If there is lots of time for reading, there is more likelihood this will happen. Often.

To Read Aloud

Read aloud builds community. And of course so many amazing literacy skills are practiced: listening stamina. appreciation for the sound of language, sense of story, inference and prediction skills, etc.

To Calm and Regroup

Sometimes after very exciting activities (like pumpkin carving) we need down time (like reading to our pumpkins). Balance.

To Breathe

We do mindful breathing three times a day. When our K/1 buddies come up for buddy reading, we participate altogether. This daily time to center and focus means something.

For Mentorship

Some of the best teaching is not done by me.

For Time Spent with lots of Adults

Lots of interactions for many reasons. Here is a student sharing his great reading with supervision aides and office staff just before recess.

For Time with Different Ages

Playtime outside with our K/1 buddies = lots of fun. Building relationships is what it is all about.

For the Mess

When we do interesting things and make discoveries, there are things everywhere. Clean up is easy. Thinking is messy.

To Switch it up

Sometimes, we need to abandon a lesson and go in a different direction. Here I had planned a place value review. The students needed to be architects. So we were architects and we demonstrated our knowledge of hundreds, tens and ones the next day.

To Work Together

Great learning happens when we stand back and let the children figure it out together. And of course wearing blue lab gloves and working with fancy coloured water makes it all the more interesting . . .

For Upset

Because it happens. We get sad. Mad. Frustrated. Grumpy. Mean. We are a community and we need to weather it together. The learning is in the acceptance, the forgiveness and the moving on.

To Laugh

Right?

These are fifteen things I value.

Also significant? What I didn’t put on the list . . .

What about you? What would be on your list of what matters? Please share in the comments!

Ocean wonders: twenty nonfiction picture books about sea life

Posted on March 19, 2014 by carriegelson

My class and I have fallen into a theme of ocean and sea life without really knowing we were heading in that direction. And just like dipping your toe into the deep blue sea and being lured into the depths, we have found that everywhere we turn, there are more books on this theme for us to discover. Here are twenty nonfiction picture book titles – some we have read, some that are in the pile to share and some we might not get to this time around. I hope that some will be ones you want to share with the children in your lives.

Books with a theme of Exploration:

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins

How can we not be intrigued at the idea that we may only have encountered half of the large animals living in the sea?

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Éric Puybaret

Cousteau was fascinated by a world that he couldn’t spend prolonged time in. Without being able to breather underwater, how could Cousteau explore its mysteries? Read a more detailed review here.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jaques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Another fantastic picture book biography sharing the life of the inspiring Jacques Cousteau.

Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester

This title is based on the author’s real experience of travelling to Antarctica. Full of all kinds of facts about icebergs, icebreakers, life in a research station. Read a more detailed review here.

Books with an Environment theme:

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A Nivola

The depiction of Earle’s curious childhood in the water, descriptions of moments in her life that truly shaped and changed her, beautiful and enticing illustrations and this very important message: “You can’t care if you don’t know.”

Winston of Churchill by Jean Davies Okimoto

This book tells us about Winston, the bear from Churchill, Manitoba who decides to mobolize a group of polar bears to teach the tourists who come to see the polar bears about the effects of global warming on the melting ice in the Arctic.

Ice Bear (In the Steps of the Polar Bear) written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Gary Blythe

Nicola Davies tells us how polar bears survive in the Northern landscape weaving facts on each page into the beautiful story she tells in lovely poetic text.

Read about how I used this title in my room to practice deep thinking questions here.

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm

Narrated by the sun. Learn about ocean’s life cycles and the importance of phytoplankton.

Books about Specific Sea Creatures (one or many):

Here Come the Humpbacks written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jamie Hogan

Through a story of a mother whale and her calf’s migratory journey, we are able to learn many things about humpback whales.

See What a Seal Can Do written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Kate Nelms

The reader is then invited into the world of seals. Learn all about gray seals – how they move, how they hunt and how their body is perfectly suited to their ocean home.

Soccer Star

Posted on March 17, 2014 by carriegelson

My class was thrilled to be some of the first kids out there to listen to this new title by beloved author Mina Javaherbin. Last year we read her books Goal and The Secret Message.

Soccer Star written by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated by Renato Alarcão is published by Candlewick Press and will be released in April of 2014.

Having a classroom full of soccer enthusiasts and children who come from many different countries, I was very curious as to what the children would notice as we read. What would stand out? What would they talk about? What would they question?

Renato Alarcão‘s illustrations are stunning and had the children talking right from the cover image:

“I noticed that they are playing soccer in water with bare feet. I wonder if it hurts to kick the ball?”

“The sand and ocean look so beautiful. It must be amazing to run through the waves.”

Our main character is Paulo Marcelo Feliciano (“His name is so long – he sounds like he’s famous,” one child observed). He dreams of becoming a soccer star one day and changing the future for his family. In the meantime, he looks after getting his little sister to school as his Mom heads off to work. We learn that Paulo and Maria play soccer together every night and that she teaches Paulo math from school. This page prompted lots of discussion from the students.

“Why can’t he do math?”

“Doesn’t he go to school?”

“Maybe the family only has enough money to send one child to school?”

“Hold on, what? You have to pay to go to school?”

“Maybe you don’t have to pay money. Maybe he needs to work for money.”

“But doesn’t his Mom work?”

We explored the idea through more discussion. Could it be that Paulo was not able to go to school because he had to help the family earn enough money to survive? The children were saddened by this idea. Some just couldn’t believe it.

The walk to school for Paulo and Maria is special. They dribble a soccer ball the whole way and talk about Paulo’s team. When we find out that she can’t be on the team because of the rule “No girls” there is again much discussion. One of our keen soccer players, Brian, brought up a very good point:

“They said the rule is no girls allowed. But it says that Maria can do a bicycle kick and they are very hard. She should be on the team because she is very talented.”

Brian stood up to demonstrate the concept of a bicycle kick and the comments continued.

“Whoa! does her brother even know how to do that?”

“Just because she is a girl doesn’t mean she can’t play.”

The next few pages of this story are brilliantly done. Each depicts different boys at work, always with their heads full of soccer. The children wrestled with this whole idea of children working. Could they really be working? Or was it that they were just goofing around waiting until game time? By the final boy, it had sunk in. This work was necessary for these boys and their families.

“None of them are in school.”

“Some even have to take care of their little sisters and they aren’t at school either.”

“That’s a lot of work for an older brother.”

“I don’t see any girls working here. I wonder what they would have to do?”

By the time we meet Pedro climbing coconut trees, the children don’t think this is play time.

“He’s getting the coconuts to eat!”

“To share!”

“To sell!”

Paulo heads out to the fishing boats with Senhor da Silva. The children wondered what they talked about on the ocean. Did he think about soccer or did he have to concentrate on his tasks? Some worried about the small boat on the water with the dark clouds all around.

When the boat is finished for the day, all of the team helps pull it to shore and it is time for the soccer game! All the students smiled at the energy of the boys who had been working all day, all together now on the beach.

“All day they have been at work thinking and dreaming and now they get the fun of playing soccer!”

“They are running on the beach thinking they are soccer super stars like Ronaldo!”

“They look so free!”

“And excited.”

“Cheerful!”

When one of Paulo’s teammates is hurt, the students immediately began to shout that Maria should get to play. The outcome of this decision and the game is worth much celebration.

The day at the beach ends and the page is lit up with lights from all of the homes lining the hills next to the shore. I asked the children what they were thinking.

“This is my favourite page. It is so peaceful and beautiful.”

“I like that there was change. Kind of like a riddle – the change was to make no silly rules about girls and boys. Just everyone together.”

“This is a book about believing in yourself.”

“Follow your dreams.”

“Listen to your heart. Follow where it is going.”

My favourite comment might have been this one that came a few minutes later.

“Remember before when we were talking about the colours of skin in books. This is a book that does it. It shows lots of different and mixed skin colours. It seems real.”

Joyous. Uplifting. Rich material for discussion. Highly recommended.