About carriegelson

Elementary teacher passionate about all things literacy.

The Snatchabook

Posted on October 23, 2013 by carriegelson

Our first BLG book of the 2013/2014 year is a beautiful one! Dan, our BLG reader read us The Snatchabook written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty.

Bringing a book that celebrates the love of reading to a classroom full of eager readers and book lovers was a very smart move! Dan was greeted by a few compliments about his nice outfit and his deep voice and then told by one child: “We love, love, love books more than anyone else in the world!” We were certainly excited to hear this story! And when we saw images from favourite fairytales and other beloved tales, our excitement grew!

Students were fascinated by this little book thief – the Snatchabook:

“Is it a raven? They steal and trick!”

“Is it a book fairy?”

“Book fairies don’t have tails.”

“It looks like a mouse fly.”

“Does it have big muscles?”

Heman‘s review summarizes the story in a wonderful way:

He rates this book 5/5 and writes: My favourite part was when the Snatchabook gave the books back to their owners. I liked it when Eliza read a book to the Snatchabook. I liked the pictures and the colours in the book. In the book, the Snatchabook stole books from the animals and then the Snatchabook gave the owners their books back. The Snatchabook stole books because nobody read to him. At the end, Eliza read a book to the Snatchabook. I liked the way the illustrator drew the Snatchabook and the rabbit The Snatchabook looks like a mouse with a long tail and wings.

We loved how the Snatchabook made everything right in the end and got to participate in nightly story time in Burrow Down. What a perfectly lovely story about the joy of being read to!

Other student reviewers respond:

Brian rates this book 3/5 and writes: My favourite part is when the bunny read to the Snatchabobok. That was calm. I want to know – does the Snatchabook feel sad and lonely? Do they have homes? Do the Snatchabook and bunny love books? How can the Snatchabook carry that much books?

Vicky rates this book 5/5 and writes: What if a Snatchabook came to our classroom? If a Snatchabook came to our classroom, then it might steal our books. I will feel sad then and tell the teacher. My favourite part is when the Snatchabook gave the books back to people.

Soleen rates this book 5/5 and writes: I love the pictures. I enjoyed the book. I wonder if he is going to steal books ever again? The story was the best Snatchabook ever. The illustrator makes the best pictures.

Kelvin rates this book 5/5 and writes: My favourite part was the bunny read to the Snatchabook. How do snatchabooks have wings? How could the Snatchabook carry so much books?

Kala rates this book a 4/5 and writes: The book was nice. I enjoyed listening to the book. We had lots of books like that book – the rhymes. My favourite thing was when the book fairy was nice to Eliza. I love the pictures. It was so so so so lovely.

Jerry rates this book 5/5 and writes: I love when the Snatchabook snatches books and when the bunny says come back with the books. I love the snatcher. I liked when the bunny read to the snatcher. I liked the bunny too.

Hyo Min rates this book 5/5 and writes: My favourite part was the Snatchabook steals books. He was a good reader. I love the pictures. She is a good author and he is a good illustrator. I liked the underground and the overground.

Andrew rates this book 5/5 and writes: What if the Snatchabook went to our room? What will the Snatchabook snatch? Which book will he snatch? In the end, the Snatchabook is really nice.

Kevin rates this book 5/5 and writes: It is so nice to meet the new BLG reader. My favourite part was when the author draw nice rabbits in the book. It will be really nice to let Snatchabook come in and we will read a book to him. I learned to be patient. I thought this was a rhyme book on the first page and it was. I’m happy! I enjoyed the rabbits in this book. My sister wants a pet rabbit.

Jorja rates this book 5/5 and writes: I like the pictures. I like the cover. The Snatchabook looks like a mouse. Maybe Snatchabook likes books so he took their books.

Grace rates this book 4/5 and writes: I like the rhymes. But I love the pictures. The animals are cute. What if a Snatchabook came to our classroom? Why doesn’t Snatchabook have a Mom or Dad? What if the Snatachabook was reading the book The Snatchabook? I enjoyed this book but it isn’t very very very exciting. What does the Snatchabook eat?

Monday October 21st, 2013

Posted on October 20, 2013 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 reads! Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read!

I read many picture books this week. Unfortunately, many were just okay. Yet, many were wonderful. These picture books stood out:

Ralph Tells a Story by Abby Hanlon

Just. Delightful. And then some!!! Oh, do I love this book! I love the quirky teacher – her style, her passion, her celebration of just about everything! I love Ralph’s avoidance strategies. I love Daisy’s ability to see a story in everything. I love that Ralph spends lots of time lying under his desk. And I love the story of the inchworm. Inspiring for little writers? Oh yeah! But also just such a warm representation of a primary classroom. Swoon.

The Crocodile who Didn’t Like Water by Gemma Merino

The illustrations in this story are absolutely charming. Meet a little crocodile that abhors water. He watches his siblings from afar and finally gets enough courage to dive in himself. Cured of his water phobia? Hardly. And it turns out there is a very good reason why not . .

Little Red Writing written by Joan Holub and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

I have seen much #booklove for this title so I will get this out in the open quickly: I, personally, did not love this book. I love Melissa Sweet’s illustrations as I always do. I find the storyline clever and full of possibilities for writing workshop activities. But . . . I worry that this title doesn’t have enough stand alone enjoyment factor as a picture book. Did I read it and feel transported? No. Did it make me laugh? No. Did it evoke emotions? No. Was it just a great story? Not sure. I’m reserving final judgement until I try it out on kids. There was enough to like that I am including it as a title I enjoyed but . . . jury is still out.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay up Late by Mo Willems

Not sure how I had yet to read this Pigeon title. Read part of it with a student in a reading conference this week and then nabbed it from her book box when recess started. As always, I am delighted by Willems’ ability to engage the reader to participate so actively in his stories. My students adore the Pigeon!

Toads on Toast written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Colin Jack

I liked how Mamma Toad schemed to save her little toadlets from Fox and his cookbook full of toad recipes! In the end, we learn that a truly simple and delicious meal can truly save the day (and the toads)! Lots of humour and delightful illustrations.

Bear and Bee by Sergio Ruzzier

Some confusion. A worried bear. A clever bee. A made-to-be-friendship. Sweet and simple. Perfect for story time.

I also read two wonderful nonfiction picture books:

What does it Mean to be Present? by Rana DiOrio and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

We practice mindfulness in our classroom (read more about the Mind Up curriculum here) so I am very excited to share this title with my students. It highlights with various daily examples what it really means to be present in the moment.

An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers by Natasha Wing with art by Julia Breckenreid

I continue to be impressed with the variety of picture book biographies available to share in the classroom. This title had me stopping numerous times to carefully examine the images in the book. I learned many things about colour and can see this being a wonderful title to share with children of all ages.

Novels I read:

The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata

A quiet, introspective story about a 12 year old girl, her brother and her grandparents during a wheat harvesting season. Family dynamics are beyond believable and ring with all that is true about relationships that span generations and cultures. And wow did I learn a lot about the seasonal work of harvesters! True, the plot is not fast paced but can see this being a story that speaks to the inner voices of many preteens. A lovely book.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

I have had a terrible cold all weekend and found this to be the perfect title to read while sick in bed. Certainly suspenseful but calm enough to put down when extra rest was needed. Still, I raced thorough this book in a day and enjoyed learning so much about being blind from the main character. Even though this is a YA title, I can see mature MG readers finding the text and story line easy to navigate and not too upsetting.

Next up from my very large TBR pile? Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord Very excited to begin this title! I also have a number of picture books and nonfiction titles I want to test out on my own children this week. I am finishing my first chapter book read aloud with my class (Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner) and think I’m going to read them The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor next.

Curiosity Racers

Posted on October 19, 2013 by carriegelson

I am excited to announce that our classroom now has a class blog: Curiosity Racers. I will continue to share all of my #booklove on this blog as well as reflections and rantings about learning and teaching.

Curiosity Racers will showcase sneak peeks into our classroom learning. Student art and writing will be shared. Photos of our learning in various areas of the curriculum will be highlighted and students will have the opportunity to guest post to share important events. And because my students are avid book lovers and readers too, many book reviews and reader responses will be included.

So far, we have three posts up on the blog. We would love any comments as we are learning to respond collectively and appropriately to the comments left on our class blog.

Want to learn about what math looks like in our room? Read here.

Does meeting some grumpy witches sound like fun? Check out this post.

Do you know the book Desmond and the Very Mean Word? Students shared their thinking here.

I would like to thank inspirational B.C. educator Karen Lirenman (@KLirenman) for encouraging me to give more voice to my students and their learning. Hopefully next, we will begin to have individual blogs. I follow very far behind Karen and all of the amazing things she does but I keep her clearly in sight running through her many learning experiences with her students! Always, I am learning from the work that she does and so generously shares.

Monday October 14th, 2013

Posted on October 13, 2013 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 reads! The #IMWAYR crowd always has so many fantastic titles to share.

I read quite a variety of picture books this week. My favourites:

Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales

Before reading this action packed colourful picture book, I had never heard of lucha libre – the theatrical professional wrestling popular in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries. I was very pleased that Niño with his little white boxers and red face mask was the first hero of the lucha libre world for me. The fact that he outsmarts his opponents with moves like the Tickle Tackle and the Popsicle Slick make him even more endearing. I can see this being a favourite book of many a preschooler with some wild and crazy energy. What fun!

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes

The illustrations in this story made it quite special. It is a wonderful introduction to Hindu literature and mythology through a quite creative adaptation of how the poet Vyasa convinces Ganesha to scribe the epic poem, the Mahabharata. This story involves delicious sweets and a super jumbo jawbreaker. Part silly, part spectacular, this is a fun visual adventure.

Look, a Book! written by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Freya Blackwood

The text of this title is simple – the premise simply – wow, look where a book might take you – on adventures and rides through imaginative landscapes. I am such a fan of illustrator Freya Blackwood and again, found her illustrations simply magic.

The Cat with Seven Names written by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Christine Davenier

If you have ever had a pet that liked to share himself/herself with others very generously (and often motivated by food treats if truth be told) then this is a book to connect to. In this story, a cat wanders in and out of many different lives in a neighbourhood, eventually connecting the individuals into a community and being reunited with his owner who explains that this friendly feline will likely visit again. With themes of solitude and loneliness, this story has a happy feel good ending.

Can I keep him? by Steven Kellogg

First published in 1971 – loved the older style drawings by Kellogg. A little boy tries to convince his mother that numerous animals would make the ideal pet. Finally he finds the perfect companion to keep him occupied as Mom is busy with her daily tasks. The fantasy element made this story lots of fun as a read aloud.

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Really? Really! Really, Seeger is just too clever. Her books never fail to delight, engage and entertain. Such a wonderful book to share with my class. They were all completely engrossed guessing what would happen as we flipped the page – what word would the cutout reveal? What image? Amazing!

Carnivores written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Dan Santat

Oh so, so good. And it scored high on the giggle meter when I read it to my children. Such a clever premise – attempting to have us see these carnivores as well meaning with lots of self control. When true natures win out, Reynolds and Santat have us smiling a little guiltily as we root for these carnivorous characters who just can’t help themselves . . .

I finished The Boy on the Wooden Box a memoir by Leon Leyson

An emotional read. Every story of the war speaks to our humanity – the cruelty and kindness of people, the devastation and hope in such horrific times. This is the story of Leon Leyson, one of the youngest members of Schindler’s list. It is the story of his childhood taken by war, his family and their love, of his time during Nazi occupation in the WWII and of his chance to actually have hope of a future. Highly recommended.

What’s up next? I just started reading The Thing about Luck by Cynthia Kadohata. Next on the list is Crazy by Han Nolan.

What are you reading this week?

Monday October 7th, 2013

Posted on October 6, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

The picture books I enjoyed this week:

Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Nearly wordless and wonderfully odd and quirky. Mr. Wuffles is a cat who doesn’t move unless it’s for a very good reason and he certainly doesn’t move to chase after silly toys his owner buys him. So what is it about the teeny spaceship that has Mr. Wuffles racing all over the house? You must experience this title to truly understand what is happening. At the end of the week I told my students that I would be sharing a book with them this week that is part wordless, part English and part in a language I don’t understand. They are totally intrigued. Can’t wait to see what they make of this book!

The Island by Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman

Another wordless title where the narrative isn’t necessarily even close to obvious. I suppose if this really bothers you, this book will be somewhat irritating. I love the illustrations and the suggestion of many story lines. My children and I shared this title over breakfast. Each of us was sort of sure we knew what was going on – all of us telling stories that went in quite different directions. Quite fun actually.

The Paper Dolls written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb

Although this story is definitely for a younger audience (preschool to K/1 would be ideal) I found it absolutely lovely. A beautiful story celebrating mother daughter time, imagination and playtime adventure. A little girl and her five paper dolls – the names repeat in a poem (loved “Jimmy with two noses”) have many wonderful adventures. There is a moment of cruelty handled without much attention – it isn’t explored but rather gives the story another aspect – that when something is lost or destroyed it is not gone but enters the special world of memories. Would love to gift this to a family with young children. Can see it being a favourite. And of course it has Donaldson’s rhythm and flow.

I Dare You Not to Yawn written by Helene Boudreau and illustrated by Serge Bloch

A cautionary tale about how to avoid yawns that will inevitably lead to being put to bed. And oh are there some cozy, soothing temptations. Yikes, just typing this and visualizing those pages, I yawned! Me: zero. Book: one.

Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry written by Samantha Berger and illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Sorry is such an interesting phenomenon. So often children are forced to say sorry and it has no meaning at all. Martha does not voice these words willingly. It is clearly a power thing. It’s not that she isn’t nice, she just won’t admit she’s wrong. When she does finally utter them, it really does feel meaningful. Well handled in a sweet little family story.

Unicorn Thinks he’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

I love that so many important themes are handled in a story that is full of silly, whimsy and all out bling. Themes such as jealousy, friendship, diversity, and accepting someone new. Read this book to laughter and smiles and then settle in for an interesting discussion about a whole lot of stuff. Most importantly of course: How do we get it to rain cupcakes?

Give Up, Gecko! A Folktale from Uganda retold by Margaret Read MacDonald illustrated by Deborah Melmon

A fun little story highlighting the importance of persistence and the big meanings of what is fair. Silly, fun language and a lovely story all wrapped up in one.

This week I also blogged about some great nonfiction titles I read recently – perfect for preschool listeners right up to late primary.

In other reading, I finished Jinx by Sage Blackwood

I am so happy that I really liked this book. I really really wanted to like this book. I loved the cover, the author’s name and the promise of a storyline about wizards, witches, various kinds of magic, curses, secrets, adventure, mystery and listening trees. It might have gone the direction of not pulling it off because it seemed to promise so much. But no, it all comes together and I found myself wishing for more free time to just stay lost in this story. An excellent middle grade fantasy/adventure/mystery. Would be great for fans of The False Prince!

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

People seem to either love this title or they are kind of middle of the road on it. I am in the first camp. I finished it early this morning over my first cup of coffee and found myself crying twice in the last section. A really intimate little book that introduces us to Billy Miller, his family, his worries and his triumphs. A seven year old hero of the everyday. Love him. Love him. Love him.

Next up?

The Boy on the Wooden Box A Memoir by Leon Leyson

Happy reading to everyone!

Dear Guest Teacher

Posted on October 6, 2013 by carriegelson

So here are a few confessions and some truths:

I have a lot of anxiety about being away
Many of my students share this anxiety
Often, I choose not to be away even when I should be because it just seems easier all around. I have a few oh my, my, my stories from previous years that contribute to this feeling.
While my students are delightful, happy and excited about learning, many of them could also be described as impulsive and as finding change challenging.
The reality is that when a lot of the magic of a classroom is based on relationships, and someone new comes in in a leadership role, things can go off course. Normal “substitute” stress that has nothing to do with the capabilities of anyone. It’s just the way it is.

But, this year I have decided that I need to be human. And sometimes I am sick. And sometimes I have to go to the dentist. And sometimes I have an exciting learning or teaching opportunity elsewhere. I need to be away sometimes. My students need to be able to manage.

So I decided to involve my students in the process more. When I was away at the end of September, we planned for a Guest Teacher collectively. Did I think this would ensure that all would go perfectly smoothly? No. I have young students. Impulsivity, anxiety and change is still impulsivity, anxiety and change no matter how prepared one might be. But, did I think our collective ownership of the day would lead to the day having more potential for calm, happiness and learning? Yes!

And so over the course of about a week, we spent a little of every day planning for our guest. Everyone, including adults who might be in the room wrote an introduction sticky note. (** We are the self named Harmony Class because when we talked about what it meant to have three grades in one room, one brilliant child observed, “It’s like a harmony.” And the name has stuck! :-))

Each child took a moment to share something special about themselves and that helped us to remind each other that not only are all of us special and unique but that the teacher would be too. We had a chance to meet someone new.

I put up a blank day plan that had times and activities using large chart papers. Everyday we spent a little bit of time filling in details together. For example, what should we do in math that would be successful? The students chose to play Gridlock, a game they had played before to practice coordinate systems. Everyone voted that this would be an activity where we could be engaged and independent.

Eventually, our day plan looked like this. While I filled in the chart, student input was included for each activity. They reminded me of routines, important details and special instructions.

For some procedural details, students added their own sticky notes to elaborate on our directions. I love the lunchtime directions, particularly this one:

“Stay for a bit but not a lot to make sure we are calm.”

So . . . the verdict?

Well, some things went beautifully . . . I received this tweet from one of the Support Workers who spends time in my room:

@CarrieGelson 15 minutes of reading all silent 🙂 pic.twitter.com/297I9OuuOM

— Erich MP (@ErichMP) September 25, 2013

The note from my Guest Teacher started like this:

“Thanks for the day plan. You have a very sweet group of kids. Everything went as planned.”

It ended like this:

“I enjoyed my day with them.”

In the middle it referred to an “incident” – I’m okay with that. Truly, even when I am there, we often have an “incident” 🙂 Or two . . . Perfection was not our goal. The beginning of owning the day together was. As was respect, building community and learning how to welcome guests into that community.

The next day in Writing Workshop we had two prompts: Think about your day with the Guest Teacher, write about something you felt proud about and share a “work on for me” thing. Many students shared that they were proud of their hard work, that they were kind and polite to the teacher and that they did many activities as planned. A general “work on for me” theme was about improving listening, and being more quiet at carpet time. One little guy said he needed to work on being more patient. The noise at times had frustrated him. Students were honest and reflective.

So would I do this again if I am know in advance I am going to be away? Absolutely.

My reflections would be this:

I felt proud of my students for working together to plan a day for a Guest Teacher to share the room with them. A “work on thing” for me would be truly relaxing and knowing that we did our very best to prepare for a smooth day. I mostly relaxed whereas in the past, I never did. Again, the goal was not a perfect day but rather working towards developing more responsibility and independence. That road is a long one and we need to travel it one step at a time. This collective planning allowed us to sprint ahead here and there!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Preschool animal discoveries

Posted on October 2, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

I am so excited about the number of nonfiction picture books being written ideal for younger readers – from preschool to early primary. Recently I was invited to John Oliver High School‘s Wonder of Reading Event. My task? To read to rotating groups of preschool age children and their parents/caregivers for ten minutes at a time over the morning. What fun! I decided that rather than picking a fiction story, I would bring in a number of nonfiction titles and a basket of animal stuffies and set myself up for an interactive reading experience adventure into the world of animals.

I shared a few pages of different books depending on where the mood took us and the interest level of the group. We ended up talking a lot about ostriches, monkeys and penguins and the fact that none of us had a tail. What was in my bin of books?

Let me share:

From the brilliant Nicola Davies – three titles illustrated by Marc Boutavant. All of these books have a lift the flap and find out component. In my class we have started calling these “flip flap” books inspired by one student who refers to them like this because it makes one smile just to say it! 🙂

Who’s Like Me? (published 2012)

“Who’s like me? Who’s furry and breathes air like me? Is it . . . ?”

Who Lives Here? (published 2012)

“Who lives here? Who lives in this still, cool pond? Is it . . . ?”

What Happens Next? (published 2012)

“Here’s a hungry chameleon. Here’s a juicy grasshopper. What happens next?”

And even though none of us could find a tail on ourselves, we were sure excited to guess which tail belonged to which animal in Laura Hulbert‘s Who Has This Tail? Illustrated by Erik Brooks (published 2012)

Tushes & Tails! by Stephane Frattini (published 2012) Who belongs to which tush and/or tail? It is not as easy as it many seem to guess. This was a hit with the parents who were as curious as their little ones to find out about each mysterious bottom!

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 56/60 complete!

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2013! Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction titles.

Bully. Who, me?

Posted on September 30, 2013 by carriegelson

Yesterday I read Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and just knew I had to share this book with my students. First thing this Monday morning we gathered together for a read aloud. What a powerful experience.

As always, I love that Seeger can say much with so few words. This story is conveyed through simple illustrations weighty with emotional expressions and speech bubbles that send big messages.

I read the story and said almost nothing else. Seeger’s story truly speaks for itself in a room full of children comfortable sharing their ideas and observations.

Joeli wrote a wonderful summary of the story:

There was a mean bull and another bull passed by the mean bull who said GO AWAY! Then that bull was mad and then rabbit came and asked, can I play with you and the bull said NO! The bull bullied every single animal. But the goat said “Bully” and the bull started to cry and he said sorry.

Very quickly the children realized that when something happens to us that hurts, it can start what one of them called “the on and on and on pattern of bullies.” They also had many text to text connections to Desmond and the Very Mean Word written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams and illustrated by A.G. Ford. We recently read this important book about forgiveness and it had made quite the impression. Ibtihal identified the feelings of the bull almost immediately. She shared, “I think that just like how Desmond felt guilty when he said a mean word, the Bull is starting to feel guilty too.”

The children were very intrigued by the changing shape of the Bull as he continued to be cruel. One keen child commented, “When he bullies he actually gets smaller but he feels bigger.”

Because I always believe that students say it best, some more student responses . . .

Heman: I think the goat in the story is brave. Why did the Bull bully the chicken? At the end of the story it was nice and calm again. It was nice when the Bull made friends with the Turtle, Chicken and Rabbit.

Kelvin: I felt sad when Ms. Gelson read it. I give it a 5/5. It’s in my ten favourite books list. I wish that the bully felt sad for the bull at the start. I love when the bull came from a devil to like a god. I felt happy for the bull when he went from mean to nice. His heart was brave. He turned his heart upside down.

Soleen: When he bullies, he gets smaller but he feels bigger. The goat was brave enough to tell the Bull you are a bully!

Ibtihal: So every time when he says a mean word, he feels like growing bigger. Then he said “I am sorry Do you wanna play?” So they (the animals) said a nice word “yes” you can play with us.

Gracie: First, the Bull was bullied. And then he was a bully. When he was the bully he was getting smaller but he feels like he’s getting bigger. Maybe the bully who was bullying him got bullied? The goat was very brave. The goat changed the bull. The chicken, the turtle, the rabbit and the goat all got bullied. But they said yes to playing with the bull.

Powerful for young children and even for listeners right into middle school this is a jumping off point for many conversations and reflections. Highly recommended.

Monday September 30th, 2013

Posted on September 29, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I read some beautiful picture books this week and some very amusing Toon comics:

My absolute swoon book was . . .

The Man with the Violin written by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Dusan Petricic with a postscript by Joshua Bell

This book is such an important experience that I want to say next to nothing yet I want to say almost everything. I LOVE, love, love and then love this book some more. It quickly shot to the top of my favourite lists for 2013. WOW! The first page spread is divine. It was a 5/5 book just because of those two sentences and the illustration. And then it just continued to get better. Read and treasure this title. Go, now! Find this book. Seriously.

I also enjoyed . .

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts by Emily Gravett

Little Mouse has edited a book of Beasts by Emily Gravett to make it less intimidating because you know, lions and rhinos and bears . . . oh, my! And snakes, crocodiles and wasps . . . the poison, the teeth, the stings! Terrible! Little Mouse has rewritten a book that is large on ingenuity. I know this will be an instant favourite in my room. There are lift the flaps, peer through holes in the pages, wadded up newspaper (really!) – so much fun!

Ten Things I Loved about You by Daniel Kirk

An adorable book about kindness and friendship but it has possibilities beyond just these themes. This title really explores finding the best in a friend and thinking about the positive qualities that are dear. Would be a great prompt for a writing activity.

Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

I found this title simple but yet, powerful – Seeger trademarks. So much is told with limited text and accurate expressions of various feelings. Explores questions such as . . . What prompts mean/bully behaviour? How do we feel when we are called on our actions? What is the cause and effect relationship of bully dynamics?

Yellow Moon, Apple Moon written by Pamela Porter and illustrated by Matt James

Simple lyrical language. A beautifully illustrated bedtime poem. Translation of a New Mexican lullaby included in the back pages.

Count the Monkeys written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Kevin Cornell

LOVE the interactive aspect of this story. Barnett is a master at this (think Chloe and the Lion) I read it to myself and must admit was tempted to leap out of my chair a few times! I cannot even imagine the mad rumpus that will ensue when I share this with my class! Fun, more fun, and then even more!

Barry’s Best Buddy by Renee French

A cute little story line about what we do for our friends. Love the intrigue that the marching ants carrying all kinds of puzzling things inspires – just what are they up to?

A Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit by Elise Gravel

Wonderfully odd. Doctor Bugspit works in a medical clinic in outer space. Quickly readers will suspect that his medical training might have come from some strange location where standards are not quite up to our Earthly expectations. Many strange ailments come into the clinic and the Doctor’s suggestions are even stranger!

With two presentations this week on top of teaching, I unfortunately missed out on big chunks of reading time so I am only half way through the novel I have been reading – Jinx by Sage Blackwood. Finding it a fascinating read so far!

With our student book club we have started The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone. Check out our discussion here.

Next up, after I finish Jinx, I plan to read The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes and The Boy in the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson.

What are you reading? Happy reading to all!

Monday September 23rd, 2013

Posted on September 23, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

The picture books I adored this week:

The Lonely Book written by Kate Berhheimer and illustrated by Chris Shelban

A story that tells many stories of how relationships with books can be so special. Sometimes a book is beloved by many and passes from hands to hands to hands. Sometimes a book’s qualities are treasured by one for any number of reasons. And sometimes a book, worn and well read, finds the best place to be and the reader who is most in need of its magic.

Sing . . . sing a song . . . lyrics by Joe Raposa, story in pictures by Tom Lichtenheld

Yes, this is a book of that song Sing, Sing a Song. Starts off wordless. Our frustrated little bird demonstrates perseverance and finds some confidence after being serenaded by a joyful guitar player. Full of happiness and smiles. Just a lovely little book.

Worth watching the video on youtube:

Tommaso and the Missing Line by Matteo Pericoli

One sentence summary: Tommaso goes in search of a line that has disappeared from a beloved drawing.

Wow. This is a book that asks to be shared and discussed. In big ways. With big questions. What inspires art? Does a piece of art contain a piece of the inspiration? Do things exist differently in our memories? Can art capture a memory? Can it prevent it from fading? Love this book.

I am the King by Leo Timmers

Part of why I was drawn to this book is that it is very pink but appears to not be a pinkish book (it isn’t) and also because last year my class fell in love with Timmers’ book The Magical Life of Mr. Renny so I was curious. This is an interesting book. Maybe one that on first read might not seem so interesting but then when you think about the potential questions it might inspire, its interest level elevates. Various animals find a golden crown and convinced it fits them perfectly, each announce, “I am the King!” The next animal finds that assertion preposterous, dons the crown (in a totally different way) and claims “King” status for themselves. Finally, the crown lands at the feet of Lion. Lion puts the crown on his head and all of the animals cheer that “Lion is the King.” That is just that.

So back to the questions:

Do we see ourselves vastly differently from the way others see us? Better? Worse?
Does competition prevent us from celebrating our potential for more?
Do some people (lions in this case) just command respect? How?

Wumbers written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

What an amusing mixture of numbers and words to communicate little stories scattered throughout this book. Lots of fun! I just wished a coherent story ran through the entire book. Still, I passed this to a student last week and he was instantly hooked on deciphering the text.

In nonfiction:

Is This Panama? A Migration Story written by Jan Thornhill and illustrated by Soyeon Kim I reviewed this book earlier this week here.

Tushes and Tails by Stephane Frattini

A hugely engaging nonfiction title ideal for an interactive read aloud experience. Who belongs to which tush and/or tail? It is not as easy as it many seem to guess. Under each lift the flap, one is rewarded with more information about each animal – enough to learn something new, not too much to lose the momentum of guessing, checking and discovering.

Queenie: One Elephant’s Story written by Corinne Fenton and illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe

A story about a gentle elephant captured and put in a zoo. This book tells the story of Queenie, but really forces the readers to think about zoos, animals in captivity and our obligations to them and treatment of them. Made me think of Eve Bunting‘s The Summer of Riley and the questions around whether a dog should be euthanized or not based on its actions in particular circumstances. Can see this book being very powerful shared with an older primary or an intermediate class.

Mimi’s Village And How Health Care Transformed it written by Katie Smith Milway and illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Part of the Citizen Kid series of information story books that talk about real world issues and how they affect children around the world. This book teaches readers all about what life is like when basic health care and disease prevention is limited. Set in Kenya, Mimi’s reality before a village health worker becomes attached to her village is one where she and her family lack clean water, appropriate nutrition, and protection from diseases. Simple things like mosquito netting to sleep under have huge impact.