About carriegelson

Elementary teacher passionate about all things literacy.

Monday February 4th, 2013

Posted on February 4, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join Kellee and Jen’s meme to share all the reading you have done over the week – everything from picture books to young adult novels! Connecting with the #IMWAYR community is such a great way to hear about fantastic books “new to you.”

I had a big weekend of reading. Part of it was that I fell into many books I just couldn’t put down so I was able to read more novels than usual in a work week.

The Spindlers written by Lauren Oliver This was a title I have been reading to my children as a nightly read aloud. An interesting fantasy title about the world Below – full of drama and action and slightly scary parts. Liza has to rescue her brother’s soul that has been stolen by the Spindlers and the rescue mission is full of risk and odd, magical creatures, many of them menacing. The idea that her little brother’s soul was stolen was creepy enough to warrant a request from my son not to read it right before bed. This lasted just a few nights until the adventure was too addictive and we had to read this book nightly! A really gripping fantasy story for the middle grade crowd.

Glory Be written by Augusta Scattergood Set in Mississippi in 1964 in the heat of summer and the heat of the civil rights movement. This is a story of one strong girl, her family, her friendships and her drive to make sense of the prejudice and fear around her. The letter Glory sends to the local paper to question the town’s decision to close the pool is absolutely brilliant. What voice and what conviction in such a young girl. I had wanted to read this story for a long time and it is now in the hands of my ten year old daughter who is devouring it.

Dying to Know You written by Aidan Chambers I picked this book up and could not put it down. Yes, I was intrigued by the story and the characters but it was the style of writing and the fact that Chambers tells this story through the voice of a nameless 75 year old narrator that just held me. The narrator’s voice was so strong, so vulnerable, so lyrical – I just loved it. Of course, read this book because the storyline is very clever but the writing will wow you. A young adult realistic fiction title.

Ordinary Beauty written by Laura Wiess Not a book to dip your toe into – you need to jump right in and be with the character as she tells the story of her painful, abusive childhood full of neglect. Sayre’s mother is an addict and she is dying. Sayre’s life story is told alongside her present day dramatic struggle on a wintery night to reach her mother’s bedside and confront her feelings about what is happening. This story is extra raw for me as I have taught students whose lives have many similar elements to Sayre’s childhood – extreme poverty, horrible living conditions, exposure to things children should not even conceive of . . . A hard book to read but what a story . . .

Books I am starting this week: Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky is next up for our student book club. I haven’t read this title yet so will be reading along with the kids. With my own children, I have just started reading The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. This is a book I have wanted to read for a while so am excited to share it with my children. Next novel up for me? Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King – this just arrived for me at the public library. I requested it after loving King‘s Ask the Passengers.

Picture books I enjoyed this week included many nonfiction titles:

Hello Oscar! a Zoe and Beans story by Chloe and Mick Inkpen I keep seeing Zoe and Beans books at the public library and decided I should finally read one – very sweet little illustrations – lovely for story time with the younger set.

A Perfect Day by Carin Berger Perfectly depicts the wonder and magic of a snow day. Love this illustrator’s style.

Speaking of snow – I highlighted some nonfiction snow books on my Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday post, including this title, The Story of Snow. Read this post to hear more about these snow books.

Adopt a Glurb by Elise Gravel I really enjoy so many of these Balloon Toons titles! This one is especially quirky and hilarious. Can see this being hugely popular with my students.

I Have a Dream by Dr Martin Luther King Jr with paintings by Kadir Nelson. I shared this with my own children and we had very thoughtful discussions. Kadir Nelson’s beautiful art makes Dr. King’s words so accessible and powerful through the intimate experience a well done picture book can create.

Have a happy week of reading everyone!

Millie Fierce

Posted on January 31, 2013 by carriegelson

Millie Fierce by Jane Manning was our BLG book today (read by Deborah :-))

I read this book in early December and included this summary: 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.

Having Deborah read it today allowed me to sit back and watch the children react. They were quite serious during the story. Afterwards, certain things were highlighted in our discussion. Things that they mentioned made me realize how relevant background knowledge can be and how what we bring to a book is shaped by what we have learned. In our room, we just spent a few weeks reading stories with a kindness theme. Students noticed that Millie was kind at the end and some even called her actions acts of kindness. We also have done lessons from the MindUp curriculum and learned about parts of our brain. Children brought up that Millie was controlled by her amygdala and should have taken some breaths to make better decisions. Very sweet how the children brought these things to our discussion. We were all rooting for Millie. It was agreed that she would be happier being kind. The children identified many of the emotions she felt throughout the story: loneliness, sadness, jealousy, guilt, pride, relief, etc. A powerful little story to prompt discussion about how we treat each other and how we make ourselves noticed.

Student reviewers respond:

Kelvin: When she became fierce, she went home and messed up her hair. At the end, she clearned he Grandpa’s shoes and she loved to be small and quiet.

Vicky: My favourite part was when Millie Fierce was nice. Why did Millie be nice again?

Ethan: At first she was lonely. Then she got fierce. She made her hair spike up and freaky. she had loud boots like cowboy boots. She acted a bit like a devil. Evil like I don’t know how . . . Then she did some acts of kindness.

Andrew: Why when the three girls stomped on her picture, can’t Millie draw another flower?

Kevin: Why did she have a hard time to make a friend? Why did she take the cake and then feel guilty? Why did her amygdala take over?

Ava: I liked when she became fierce. Millie was lonely then fierce then she was nice.

Shereese: She was nice then she became mean because no one didn’t like her. Why no one liked her at the first?

Heman: Millie Fierce was lonely at the beginning. Her amygdala took over. I think Millie Fierce’s heart became fierce. Millie messed up her hair when she was fierce.

Kala: When she was being bad her heart got broken. But when she was nice, it got put back together. I like this book. I want to know from the author: Where were you born? I love you.

Gracie: Why did no one like Millie at the beginning? I liked it when at the end it said “Mostly.” To Jane Manning: You are a good drawer like my mom. She’s an illustrator for kids books. I think it was a good story. But why did she want to be so fierce? When she stole the biggest piece of cake, she felt guilty. I really liked the story. It teaches you a lesson: be nice to get peoples attention.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Oh, glorious snow!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

After a glorious day in the snow yesterday, snowshoeing on Cypress Mountain, it seemed the topic of the day should be snow, glorious snow!

Two nonfiction picture books helped us understand how snow forms. I shared both of these with my class this morning. My class is a Grade 2/3 class and we were able to understand the text with lots of support and time for questions. The illustrations, charts and diagrams really helped.

The Snow Show by Carolyn Fisher (published 2008) This book is written like the reader is visiting a set of a cooking show. What’s on the menu? A recipe for snow! Not only did we learn a LOT about snow, the kids loved when I cued “Applause” and they got to clap! Some new information for us:

snow begins with a speck (of dirt, dust, or ash) that water vapour sticks to
snow crystals can also be in the shape of needles, columns or plates

The Story of Snow: the Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson (published 2009) The close up photographs on these pages are absolutely stunning. The children couldn’t believe that snow looked like this when the crystals were magnified. They loved the pages in the back filled with “snow catching” tips and are wishing hard for a snow day so we can race outside with black heavy paper and magnifying glasses. What amazing facts did we learn?

no two snowflakes are alike but also, snow crystals are rarely perfect
snow crystals are 6 sided because of the nature of water: water molecules attach themselves in groups of 6
snow crystals stop growing once they fall from the clouds

Of course, a great companion book for these titles would be a favourite title of mine: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian (published 1998 and a Caldecott winner in 1999).

My original goal was to read 60 “new to me” nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 12/60 complete 🙂

Thanks to Alyson from KidLit Frenzy for the opportunity to participate in this challenge.

Monday on the Mountaintop!

Posted on January 29, 2013 by carriegelson

So what better way to spend a Monday than up on the mountaintop? Add some falling snow, some snowshoes, our favourite big buddies from Take a Hike and we’ve got lots of reasons to smile! Cypress Mountain felt like the top of the world!

It kind of went like this . . .

Put on the snowshoes and head up and up and up. Big buddies and little buddies were supposed to be sticking together. And that happened (mostly). There was some coaxing and some chasing. But we kept smiling!

Get some rosy cheeks and keep smiling!

Stop to celebrate along the way! We walked a long ways up!

If you took a little longer getting to the top, celebrate a little bigger!

Head back down – this time knowing where we are going!

Stop to smile! (and savour the view!)

Sometimes you need to go back up a few times so . . .

You can go down! Wheee!

Let your smile show how you felt about the day!

And remember, you are never too old to smile big! Take a Hike seniors were troopers! Thanks for all the help guys!

Monday January 28th, 2013

Posted on January 28, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Link up to Jen and Kellee’s meme to share all of the great reading you have been doing from picture books to young adult novels.

I tried to limit my picture book list to my top 5 books of the week. That didn’t exactly work out . . . But I did keep it under 10!

The Beasties written by Jenny Nimmo and illustrated by Gwen Millward I found this book quite delightful and when I read it to my class, it cast a magical spell. All about how the story telling of the Beasties helps a little girl settle into her dreams each night in her new big bed in her new room. Eventually, she realized her own imagination can help soothe her into sleep.

The Insomniacs written by Karina Wolf and illustrated by The Brothers Hilts What if you travelled many timezones away and your night and day became all mixed up? What does a life lived at night look like? In this story, it is full of beautiful night blooming cactuses, night beetles, astronomy and moonbathing . . . The perfect blend of a slightly absurd story and stunningly imagined illustrations make this a beautifully unique book. Might not appeal to everyone. I adore it and want my own copy.

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrated by Dan Santat This fractured fairy tale was a huge hit in my classroom. We loved the martial arts, the energetic rhyme and super pig power! Read more here.

Oh, No! written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann Finally, I got my hands on this title! A perfect book to use to highlight paying attention to the details in the pictures. Can see this being a very popular and requested story time book! I think I would have no problems reading it over and over!

Charley’s First Night written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury A story of a little boy and his puppy’s first night at home. Absolutely sweet. This little Henry is the keenest, most attentive new puppy owner out there. Full of love and care.

Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff Oh, this book is just so lovely! It celebrates colour, nature and the special bond between baby bear and Mama. This is a wonderful book to gift someone with a young child. A beautiful book to revisit often.

Oliver by Birgitta Sif Love these illustrations – they match a gentle story that celebrates a child who is really his own person. But sometimes, we are ready to share our world with someone else who moves through life with their own style.

I also read the fantastic Lulu Walks the Dogs written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Lane Smith These Lulu books celebrate voice – Viorst is one funny narrator, Lulu is deliciously spunky and Lane Smith rounds everything out with his brilliant illustrations. I liked this book as much as the first Lulu and those were some big shoes . . .

I finished two novels this week. Both were on my must read list of 2013.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson Such a well written novel giving us an intimate view into a young woman’s courageous attempt at securing land in the unforgiving Montana prairie during 1918. Hattie reminds us that we discover what is big and grand inside of us by living the simple and often arduous day to day tasks amongst people who are doing the same. A book of relationships, challenges and beauty. While it certainly took me a while to get to this book (considering it was a Newbery honour book in 2007), at least it will be fresh in my mind when Hattie Ever After is released next month!

On the Road to Mr.Mineo’s written by Barbara O’Connor I adore Barbara O’Connor. I smile when I pick up any of her books. Barbara O’Connor has a way of letting the world slow down. She tells us stories of people, long days, longing, fussing and forgiving where the journey is as important as the destination. As always, I love how her books highlight kid adventure and big personality in small place settings. Calm. Soothing. Happy. Who would think a one legged pigeon could cause such a fuss? Everyone wants him, some are convinced they need him and the chase is on. Reminded me of the feeling in Oliver Jeffers’ This Moose Belongs to Me of how an animal really belongs where it belongs, and not necessarily to anyone.

Just started reading Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood, a book I’ve been wanting to read for ages so I am very excited!

The Three Ninja Pigs

Posted on January 25, 2013 by carriegelson

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrated by Dan Santat was our BLG book this week! Thank you to Pearl for sharing it with us. This was certainly not the Three Little Pigs story we thought we knew!

This was one fun fractured fairy tale! A not to be missed adventure!

Instantly, we were charmed by these three pigs who were not about to let a big mean wolf boss them around. The fact that they went to Ninja School? Absolutely fascinating!

Each pig chose a different martial art to practice. Akido, jujuitsu and karate! Wow, we were intrigued. Santat’s illustrations are so engaging and the students all strained to get close up looks of the pictures. All of the action scenes, the bravado, the humour has huge kid appeal and we were hooked completely.

Unfortunately, the first two pigs had not paid enough attention to the learning and practice necessary to become masters of their chosen martial art. Neither could overpower the wolf. When Pig Three announced that she was a “certified weapon,” a hush fell over the room. The wolf might have tried to be brave as he hurled a few choice insults at the pig, calling her bacon and claiming not to be intimidated, but we knew he was scared. And so he should have been. Pig Three was a keen student. She was ready to take on this wolf and realizing he was outrivaled, the wolf retreated, making the third little pig a hero!

There was some surprise that the third pig was female. One student interrupted, “Hey! Hold on! I didn’t know there was a girl.” But while students were writing their reviews, a few girls mentioned to me that they were happy that the smart pig was a girl pig. When I read this book to my own children, my daughter cheered at the end. “Yes! Girls! They are full of determination!”

A fan of pig power? Girl power? Stories where the bullies don’t win? This book delivers! Kiya!

Student reviewers respond:

Vicky: My favourite part was when the third pig showed karate to the wolf. I was thinking about the Three Little Pigs Book. This was funnier. Why did the first pig and the second pig not listen?

Shereese: That was funny when pig #1 fell asleep. I like when pig #3 was learning.

Ethan: The first pig fell asleep and he did akido. The second pig did jujitsu. He did a little better than that first pig. The first pig did better than every pig and the wolf too. I like the end. It’s a happy ending.

Pheonix: Pork Chop! Pork Chop! I like that part best.

Gracie: My favourite part is when the wolf says to the third pig, “Yo Bacon! I’m not scared of you.” It’s funny. But why did the first pig fall asleep? And I liked that the third pig was a girl! 🙂

Giovanni: That wolf started to shake!

Andrew: My questions: Why did the first pig fall asleep? Why did the second pig left the dojo? The third pig did all of her training. I learned I should listen.

Heman: It was funny when the first pig fell asleep in the middle of training. My favourite part is when the third pig scared the wolf away. The third pig did karate!

Kala: It reminds me of a karate kid movie. The wolf is being naughty. I like that they went to school.

Ashley: My favourite part was that the pig fell asleep. It was funny so much! The number three pig was good at listening. The wolf seems mean to the pigs. I like the number three because she listens so much.

Monday January 21st, 2013

Posted on January 21, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

A highlight of every week is linking up with Jen and Kellee’s meme to share all of my reading for the week from picture books to young adult novels. Such a fantastic way to learn of new titles from an avid reading community.

I read some very lovely picture books this week. Sharing my top five here.

Again, is it just me, or are there a plethora of bears in picture books? Not that I’m complaining. Love bears! But I sure do encounter them frequently.

Bear in Love by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This is an especially sweet and gentle story of kindness and friendship. I shared my students’ reactions to this story here.

Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson I found this little treasure of a book about . . . treasuring books . . . at the bookstore today and it made its way home happily with me! Any book that celebrates reading, imagination and the love of books is an instant favourite of mine. So Otto is my new friend, the book promotor!

Cheer up your Teddy Bear Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell and illustrated by Neal Layton I always love Neal Layton’s illustrations which is what initially drew me to this book. Such a perfect read aloud for early primary students that touches on a sad mood that becomes contagious. Eventually, the little teddy bear recognizes that a miserable mood can be changed with a shift in attitude and then the sun comes out and so much more . . .

The Black Rabbit by Philappa Leathers Took me right back to when my children were little and shadows were absolutely fascinating – how they followed us, walked with us, joined in at unexpected times 🙂 In this story, a scary black rabbit seems to terrorize a little rabbit until . . .

Mr. Zinger’s Hat by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Dusan Petricic This is one of my favourite books of the week. A wonderful story about the power of storytelling and how it meanders this way and that between the narrator and the creatively involved listener. Always I adore books that feature interactions between generations – in this case it is young Leo and old Mr. Zinger who collectively “create” a story. And the storytelling continues once Leo has been “bit” by the storytelling bug. I read this at the bookstore today and think that I need to own it. A story you want to read and reread.

Early Chapter

Penny and her Doll by Kevin Henkes How I love that Kevin Henkes has created this series of books featuring Penny!

Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford I am so excited about Violet Mackerel! She is the brainchild of Australian writer Anna Branford and is such a breath of fresh air in this genre. A young girl who is an interesting young girl – not all pink and cutesy but really just real. She loves discovering interesting things, appreciates the cozy feel of her pajamas on a cool morning and sees treasure and joy in everyday things. More in this series will soon be released in the North American market.

I finished two novels this week.

Delerium by Lauren Oliver I found myself surprisingly connected to characters in this story and read through it very quickly. Of course, I want to read the next in the series but am wary of who will be there and who won’t be . . .

Every Day by David Levithan I am still feeling speechless after completing this story yesterday. Shook up my thinking in a number of ways. This novel asks you to suspend belief and takes you to some very interesting places if you can do just that. Made me think that much is random and yet, that really nothing is . . .

I’m currently reading Hattie Every After by Kirby Larson. With my children, we continue to enjoy The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver as our nightly read aloud.

Bear in Love

Posted on January 19, 2013 by carriegelson

Bear in Love written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand was our BLG book this week. Thank you to Deborah for sharing such a sweet, gentle story – an ideal story to hear as our school participates in The Great Kindness Challenge 🙂

This really is such a comforting little tale about kindness and being generous. A bear finds a carrot on a flat rock and decides to taste it even though he has no idea what it is. When he loves the crunchy flavour, he devours the whole thing and sets off on a walk through the woods singing a little tune about this delicious treat. The next day, there are two of these delicious orange things on the rock outside of his cave! This inspires more eating and another little song! Every morning there are more treats left for him and he begins to feel that someone must like him. A delightful feeling!

Gracie had a great question after the bear had made a few discoveries: “But how does he know that those are left for him?” We decided that they were left for the bear because somebody had left the treats on the flat rock outside of his little cave. Eventually, the bear decides that he will also leave gifts for this generous creature who has left him so many treats. He tries to stay up and keep watch to discover who it is but always falls asleep. Some of the gifts are so lovely – a carefully stacked tower of blueberries, a chocolate bar with just two bites missing . . .

Finally bear and bunny meet, convinced they have each found the perfect friend. For bear it is a cute little bear and bunny thinks he was found a lovely big strong bunny. Confusion aside, the two friends sit together and chat and sing as the sun goes down. A feel good book that made us all smile!

Student reviewers respond:

Ethan: He was doing an act of kindness! The bunny started to give some carrots. I liked the book because it was happy.

Shereese: I like when Bear was falling asleep. I love the part when he left the blueberries. And when he was wondering who was leaving the gifts.

Kevin: My favourite part was when the Bear was hungry and then I felt hungry too. What’s the bunny’s name? He looks so cute. Where does he live?

Heman: I liked when the bear put the chocolate bar on the flat rock. My favourite part is when the bear put blueberries on the rock. The bear saw carrots on the rock and the bunny left a flower there.

Ashley: The bear was falling asleep. The bear was nice to the rabbit. I like the title because it has the word love. I like it because I love Ms. G.

Vicky: My favourite part was when the bunny thought the bear was a bunny and the bear thought the bunny was a bear. It was funny. I was thinking about my birthday when they were giving gifts. Whey did the bunny leave treats for the bear and the bear started to give treats?

Kelvin: Bear saw some carrots and he eats the carrots. then he saw two carrots and then three carrots and he eats them. Bear had some honey. He wanted to eat it all but he wanted to give some for a gift to somebody that gave the carrots to him.

Andrew: Where did the bunny get all those stuff? The bunny did an act of kindness. The bear was finding his friend. His friend was the bunny. I like the part when the bear found his friend.

Kassidy: I like when the bunny thought that the bear was the bunny. The bear put some honey near the rock and chocolate on the rock.

Arianne: I liked it when the bear found the carrot. He took a little bite of the carrot. He found three carrots. The bear found honey. The bear found a friend.

Grace: My favourite part is when he keeps falling asleep. It’s funny. Does he like the gifts? I also like it when he sings about how nice the bunny is. Why is the title Bear in Love? What’s he in love with? The bunny? The gifts? But I like this story!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Mr. Darwin, Mr. Darwin

Posted on January 16, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin was one of my favourite nonfiction titles of 2012.

I bought a copy for my son for Christmas and he has been examining the detailed drawings and asking me questions about Darwin, his travels, his theories and all of the fascinating animals of the Galapagos.

This prompted me to look for other picture books on the same topic to share with my children and we have been spending our nightly read aloud time reading more about Mr. Darwin, his voyage on the HMS Beagle and his theories of evolution.

Both of the books described below would be best shared as interactive read alouds with an early intermediate class or for independent reading for children in Grade 4 and above. Some vocabulary and concepts would need support.

We started with A Natural History Museum selection – What Mr. Darwin Saw by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom (published 2009). This book is written like a diary and includes amusing thought bubbles and detailed drawings of the animals and the places where Darwin travelled. End pages are a map of Darwin’s route on board the HMS Beagle. The final pages of the book explain Darwin’s theory of evolution with visuals of chalkboard drawings and notes. It offers the beginning of an understanding of Darwin’s complex ideas. My children had some background knowledge on this topic already and so they were able to ask some informed questions to build on their understanding.

Next we read The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin by Peter Sis (published 2003). I don’t know if read is the best way to describe our experience with this book. Instead we studied, examined and flipped back and forth through the pages learning about Darwin’s life. My children loved the maps, found the illustration with Darwin’s own family tree fascinating (“He had so many children!” “Lots of them died young.” “His wife must of been so tired and sad.”) and liked the lists that outlined his daily routines at different times in his life. (“How did his wife get anything done if she was always reading to him?” my daughter wanted to know after finding out that Emma read to Charles multiple times a day.) We found some of the drawings and text too small – stunning but hard to interact with. Maybe this book needs a magnifying glass!? Many illustrations were perfect though and made the topic so much richer. This book is certainly a biography – we learn much about Darwin’s upbringing and about his later life that Sis divides into the public, private and secret realms. I’m leaving this book out so that we can continue to pore over it.

Looking to learn more about Charles Darwin? These three titles would be a great place to start!

Interested more in the concept of evolution? This book does a wonderful job of explaining it in a story that allows children to understand the concept.

Charlie and Kiwi. . . an evolutionary adventure – created by Peter H. Reynolds and the NewYork Hall of Science.

Shared in my classroom here.

Thanks to Alyson from KidLit Frenzy for the inspiration to participate weekly in this challenge.

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 7/60 complete 🙂

Monday January 14th, 2013

Posted on January 14, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I read a lot of picture books this week. Here are my favourites:

Pecan Pie Baby by Jaqueline Woodson and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. A perceptive little story about a young girl who is anxious about a new baby coming and changing the connected relationship between her and her Mama. Love Sophie Blackall’s illustrations – all the tender snuggles between pregnant Mom and daughter.

Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis and David Soman I’ve read other Ladybug girl stories but not this original book and I like it best of all. Lovely illustrations and the highlights of outdoor pretend play.

Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Freya Blackwood The best part of this story is the celebration of play through some very imaginative building with boxes. (Fantastic illustrations by Blackwood) Of course, it’s also a great book to touch on anxiety about moving somewhere new.

C.R. Mudgeon by Leslie Muir and Julian Hector There is much to this little book. A tribute to friendship, a reminder to break out of your comfort zone and be ready for new things and the celebration of individuals who really truly grab on to the world and shake all there is to find within it out! Go read it . . . so worth it!

Some Cat! This was a wonderful read aloud in my room. I shared my students’ reactions here.

Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein The pay it forward story line isn’t unique for a picture book but none of us can hear this message too often: kindness passed on grows and strengthens. Loved the illustrations. Beautifully colourful and whimsical. I read this to my class and it sparked a lovely brainstorming session on how we can create more kindness in our classroom.

Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Robertson A boy wants a dog. A dog wants a friend. Really, they need each other. If you just look at it in the right way . . . Touching story of the need for a companion and how far some might go to find that connection. Chapter format in a picture book.

Bullly by Patricia Polacco Handles middle school issues of cyber bullying, friendship and loyalty very well.

I also read some fantastic nonfiction. Read this post for more details.

In novels . . .

I finished The Diviners by Libba Bray. This was one of my must read in 2013 titles as I’m trying to read more fantasy novels.

Wow . . .this was some book! Dramatic. (I loved the 1920s setting and characters.) Funny. At times, absolutely scary. Eerie and shivery kind of scary. Horror. Paranormal activity. Special powers. It was the kind of read where it is necessary to say to yourself, “just a book, just a book . . . ” Some nights I would turn off my light and then haunted by worries about a specific character, turn the light back on and read on.

This is a long read (578 pages) but highly addictive. The ending definitely leaves many things unanswered (hooking readers for the next in the series . . .)

I also read How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr.

I read this book quickly finding myself very attached to what might happen to all of the characters. The story is about two teenage girls (Jill and Mandy) who find their lives completely colliding when Jill’s Mom decides to adopt Mandy’s baby in an open adoption. Pregnant Mandy comes to live with Jill and her Mom and brings with her sadness, secrets and longing for a different life. Jill is still reeling from the recent death of her father and finds it difficult to be open to anyone. Somehow though these characters find a way to make sense to each other and the ending is . . . (I don’t want to spoil it but must say, it really touched me)

Currently, I’m reading The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver to my children and The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (think this is the fourth time I’ve read this book!) with my student book club at school. We are really enjoying The Spindlers – it’s full of delightful and unique characters from “below” My son is finding the idea of spindlers a little spooky but every time I stop reading, he begs me to continue!

I am also reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver (the author that seems to be everywhere I look this week!)