Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Start with Science series featuring Oscar, the curious kitten

Posted on August 7, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

Sometimes a title doesn’t have to be the “be all, end all” source of information on a topic. Sometimes, it just needs to begin to inspire wonder. These Start with Science titles featuring the curious Oscar and the various friends he meets are ideal for the early primary classroom to begin bigger conversations about a variety of science topics. I introduced my class to this series with Oscar and the Frog and many children later asked me to purchase more of “those Oscar question books.” So I did! Now our classroom collection holds five titles 🙂

Oscar and the Bat: A Book About Sound (published 2009) This book introduces the concept of loud and quiet noises and compares close and far away sounds. I like how the beginning of a list is started – what makes no sound when it is still but makes sound when it begins to move? For example, grass in the wind has a swooshing sound, moving water has a sound that still water does not, etc. It would be great to expand on this idea in a classroom brainstorming session. At the back of the book, there is a review of what Oscar learned:

When we listen to what is going on around us, it gives us clues to what is happening. Close your eyes and listen!
Both living and nonliving things make sounds
There are many different kinds of sound – some are considered opposite (i.e. deep vs. high)

Oscar and the Bird: A Book about Electricity (published 2009) In this title, Oscar learns that electricity is a kind of energy that people use to make things move, light up, make sounds or heat up. The bird who is teaching Oscar explains that electricity might come from a battery or from wires (power lines) or even from lightning – that electricity is all around us. In the final summary, the review includes:

what electricity is for
how electricity works
what electricity is made from (chemicals, burning coal or oil, natural sources such as wind)

Oscar and the Snail: A Book about Things we use (published 2009) This title feels like it is best suited for the youngest of learners. Learn about where materials come from (i.e. wood is from nature vs glass is made by people, using sand) and how materials have different qualities and different best uses. A book to inspire a discussion about what materials we find in a home or classroom and where they might have come from.

Oscar and the Cricket: A Book about Moving and Rolling (published 2008) This title is a great book to introduce beginning concepts around physics. How do things begin moving, keep moving and what makes them stop? Vocabulary like push, pull, force, and travel are used. Oscar learns that different objects move differently over varied surfaces (rough, smooth, etc.) It is also explained that animals have muscles that make them move and that they don’t require a push or pull to get started.

Oscar and the Frog: A Book about Growing (published 2007) This title introduces concepts of growing and how different living things begin, grow and develop. I liked the connections/comparisons between plants and animals. Children learn about a life cycle.

There is one more title in this collection but I haven’t read it. (Oscar and the Moth: A Book about Light and Dark)

I think all of these titles are well suited to buddy reading or reading to an adult where there is time for discussion and further questions. In a K-2 class, they would be great read alouds to help determine what children might already know about a topic and what else they are wondering. If you are looking for more texts that your primary students can manage independently, these titles would make a nice addition to the nonfiction section of your classroom library.

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 42/60 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.

Monday August 5th, 2013

Posted on August 5, 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!

I had an amazing week for picture books. Amazing. I am pretty sure I met some of the picture books that will make my favourites of the year list.

Here are the books I’ve been raving about this week:

Building our House by Jonathan Bean This book had special meaning for me because a few years ago we renovated our house. By we, I mean our contractors, but we spent many days wandering around the construction site that once was and would again be, our home. We climbed up ladders and visualized stairs and walls and rooms and life. I love how the illustrations in this book document a story as much as the text does. And the author’s note in the back with photographs of Jonathan Bean’s own history of a childhood spent amongst foundation and fields and beams made this story all the more special. Head over to Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to see more: sketches, storyboards and photographs. Amazing!

Papa’s Mechanical Fish written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Boris Kulikov I saw the cover of this book and had to have it. I loved what it hinted at: creativity, focus, absurdity, inventiveness . . . I was not disappointed. The language is fun. The entire family is involved and Papa models the curiousity and persistence of an inventor. This book is “almost true” based on the life of Lodner Phillips who really did build The Whitefish, an actual functioning submarine.

Once Upon a Northern Night written by Jean E. Pendziwol and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault One of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time. Lyrical, soothing and visually beautiful. Let the text lull you to sleep with dreams of the magic and quiet of winter. Arsenault’s illustrations are exquisite.

The Mighty Lalouche written by Matthew Olshan and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. I found this story absolutely delightful! The illustrations are stunning and add much to an already engaging story. The messages here are important: perseverance, being true to yourself, finding happiness . . . But there are also levels to this story that are just going to engage children in the joy and humour of boxing adventures and the triumph of the underdog. I cannot wait to read this aloud to my class!

Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure A simple but gorgeous story about the waiting for summer through the seasons. Celebrates the joy of outdoors, the changing seasons and the wonder of nature.

The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco There is so much I love about this story. I love that Grandpa is actively involved (leading in fact) the adventure of racing over fields and country roads in search of a bee tree. I love the spirit of community. And of course, that it ends with a message about the wonder of books and reading . . . Well! 🙂

The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman A story of friendship, of adventure and of bravery. My favourite page is snail looking over the page and down, down, down . . . just before he considers leaping. It’s really a fantastic reminder that courage is not in the doing but in the moments of contemplation leading up to the decision.

No Fits, Nilson! by Zachariah Ohora So many books try to capture the essence of the preschool age child and they don’t come close to doing any justice. They have too much sweet. Or too much whiny. Or precociousness that isn’t cute. Only some nail the tantrum and the moments leading up to it with any sort of sense of realism. This book is divine. It really reveals what it is like to be a small being and have to navigate the world while attempting to contain emotional highs and lows. Absolutely adorable. I think this might be my new “must have it” gift for new parents. Captures the preschool mind, heart and will beautifully.

Some nonfiction titles I loved:

The Boy who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos written by Deborah Heiligman and illustrated by LeUyen Pham Wow. This is a fascinating biography that not only makes math seem absolutely engrossing but gives us a glimpse into a mind that was truly one track. A beautiful balance between the mathematical life and the other life of Paul Erdos. Accessible and intriguing for younger readers/listeners. A definite book to be explored multiple times.

$The Boy who loved math #IMWAYR There's a Book for That$

Healthy Kids (A Global Fund for Children book) by Maya Ajmera, Victoria Dunning and Cynthia Pon I shared this title (and other related books) on my Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday post.

I also finished two novels.

Maggot Moon written by Sally Gardner Sigh. This YA read was not an easy one. It literally made my skin crawl. Part of me wanted to shake this book off – it is full of horror and upset and pain. If the text and happenings weren’t enough to make the reader tremble, the black and white illustrations lining the bottom of pages serve to ensure that one is always uncomfortable. This book is a mystery. It is set in an alternative history – tells us a powerful dystopian fable. But it is also about courage and the power of friendship. I have really never read anything quite like this story – even though it has clear parallels and not so subtle nuances that speak to our own recent and atrocious history of war, oppression and brutality. Clearly young adult, fully compelling, this story is not one I will soon forget. Gardner delivers a very important story. Highly recommended.

After Ever After written by Jordan Sonnenblick I read (and loved) Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie a few weeks ago and couldn’t wait to read this companion book. It made me cry. And laugh. And appreciate life. What more does one need from a story? I am fast becoming a huge Sonnenblick fan.

Next up? I am starting Sold by Patricia McCormick

What are you reading this week?

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Healthy Kids all over the world

Posted on July 31, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

Some of the most powerful books to share with kids are books featuring photographs of children doing everyday things around the world. There is a natural fascination to compare. What is different? What is the same? How are things done somewhere else? What does it look like? As children explore these photographs and accompanying text, the huge world seems a little bit smaller and we are happy we share it in such similar and diverse ways.

This week I came across Healthy Kids (A Global Fund for Children book) by Maya Ajmera, Victoria Dunning and Cynthia Pon (published in 2013). This book begins with a forward by Melinda French Gates reminding readers that all children have the right to be healthy .

The photographs in this book are lovely. Each full page spread features multiple photographs (each labelled by country) of children engaged in the activity described by the text. The book focuses on clean water, a healthy diet, medical and dental care and adequate exercise. A home that is clean and safe, immunizations and a hygenic place to go to the bathroom are explained as being an essential part of a healthy life.

Travel around the world and witness a young girl pumping water in India, a group of children brushing their teeth together in Tonga and children whizzing down a hill on toboggans in Greenland. Bike riding in Botswana is great exercise. In Nigeria, children sleep under mosquito nets. Children wash their hands at an outdoor sink in Guatelmala.

The last few pages of the book provide more information on each of the topics covered and also stresses that while healthy kids live all over the world, not all communities and countries have everything they need to ensure the health of their children and citizens. Some suggestions of ways to advocate for better health for children world wide are suggested.

Pair this title with other books – both fiction and nonfiction that celebrate children, their bodies, their feelings, their families, their happiness and their health. Here are just a few of my favourites:

The Best Part of Me: Children talk about their bodies in pictures and words by Wendy Ewald

A beautiful celebration of children’s thoughts and feelings about themselves shared in their writing about a part of their body. Photographs accompany each piece of writing. A beautiful line (there are many to choose from)

I like my hands because they turn the pages of a book slowly and magically. Reading makes me happy.

Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

In this book, people are not described by their skin colour but rather the shade they come in – creamy, coffee, copper, almond, rose, bronze, brown . . . My favourite lines:

Our skin is our covering, just like wrapping paper. And, you can’t tell what someone is like from the colour of their skin.

The Handiest Things in the World by Andrew Clements Photographs by Raquel Jarmillo

While I like the photographs more than the text in this title, it is another beautiful book full of photographs of children doing everyday things. A celebration of all the things we use to make life easier even though our hands have many things all figured out!

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World by Barbara Kerley

A wonderful collection of photos from all over the world of parents interacting with their children – doing the most natural of things – making a mess, telling a tale, taking a nap or catching a bus. Fun to guess where in the world the photograph might have been taken.

Whoever You Are written by Mem Fox illustrated by Leslie Staub

Soothing and celebratory, this is one of my favourite titles to introduce diversity and sharing the most important thing about ourselves with everyone – our humanity.

Their lives may be different from yours,

and their words may be very different from yours.

But inside, their hearts are just like yours,

whoever they are, wherever they are,

all over the world.

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 37/60 complete

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2013!

Please share your favourite titles on this theme!

Wonder Inducing Nonfiction Read Alouds

Posted on July 24, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s funny how one’s focus can change when looking at the classroom library. For a while, I’ve been thinking a lot about the nonfiction titles in my room. Last summer I started to get anxious about whether or not I had enough books in the room that my Grade 2/3s could pick up and read independently. It seemed like my “best” nonfiction titles were books that I needed to read to my students. Which was wonderful because I had some amazing titles to use as we model strategies, but what about when it was independent reading time? Did I have enough titles that students could read by themselves with success? My book shopping focussed on purchasing titles that I knew my students could manage on their own, especially as we built strategies to read nonfiction text over the year. Some of my favourite books that I added?

The Discover More Series by Scholastic
Nicola Davies Flip the Flap and Find out books which include Who Lives Here? and Who’s Like Me?
Laura Hulbert‘s Who Has This Tail? and Who Has These Feet?
A huge array of Bobbie Kalman titles
The Are you a . . . ? series by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
The Amazing Animal Series by Kate Riggs

Now, here I am a year later. Again, thinking about the books in my room . . . What is my focus now? That I want some “Oh, wow!” titles to read aloud. I want to make sure that just as I am reading a variety of picture books and some engaging novels, that I have a real variety of excellent nonfiction picture books to read aloud. Sometimes to model/practice a strategy, sometimes to enhance our learning on a particular subject and sometimes just because, the more we read, the more we know and I want my students to be inspired and curious about learning all year long!

I am fortunate to be looping my Grade 2/3 class into Grade 3/4 and so I have a sense of this group of children, what they wonder about and what I think might inspire them. Last year, I noticed that they were intrigued by stories – folklore, Aboriginal tales, stories from around the world and stories about things that really happened. They were very curious about the stories of people and how these stories connected to us in our classroom. It made me realize that I haven’t been reading enough biographies. I also want to focus on places around the world and the wonder of the world around us. Last year, students loved learning about animals from each continent and had endless questions about habitats. I know we love art and books and music. So, I have some sense of what kinds of books I need to share.

Knowing how busy school can get and knowing how I sometimes need a one stop shop when I am planning, I decided to take advantage of the time summer has to offer to amass a huge list of amazing nonfiction read alouds. I was looking for titles that my Grade 3/4 class would enjoy. Some are favourites from previous years and some I have yet to read myself. Thank goodness for the wonderful book bloggers out there that I used for inspiration. So here is my list of 25 “wonder inducing” nonfiction read alouds. A reference for me and one that I am sharing here.

The book I plan to use to launch my year: On A Beam of Light- A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky This book made my own thoughts whirl and swirl and race around my head. It has all the perfect themes of wonder, curiousity and thinking outside of the box.

Based on some picture book biographies I already loved, I grew that list to include:

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Stewart

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Stewart

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

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon written by Jaqueline Davies illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter

Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda written by Alicia Potter and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos written by Deborah Heiligman and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

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

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Some titles to explore amazing places and the world around us:

Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin

Redwoods by Jason Chin

Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins

A Rock is Lively written by Diana Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long

Sea Otter Inlet by Celia Godkin

Fire! by Celia Godkin

Infinity and Me written by Kate Hosford and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

Energy Island: How one community harnessed the wind and changed their world by Allan Drummond

And to learn about creatures great and small:

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

Ape written by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Vicky White

How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland

And a title to be released this fall:

Is This Panama?: A Migration Story written by Jan Thornhill and illustrated by Soyeon Kim

Will I read all of these titles aloud this year? Maybe not. Perhaps interests and passions will take us in different directions. But this list will help keep me on track to make sure I am sharing lots of books that inspire both learning and thinking in my room!

Do you have some other must share nonfiction titles for Grade 3/4 listeners? Would love to hear your suggestions!

I learn so much by reading all of the blog posts that link to the Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday event that KidLit Frenzy hosts. Visit Alyson’s blog to see what books are shared this week.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Cheetahs, fast as the wind

Posted on July 17, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

It must be because cheetahs are the fastest land animal that they are so fascinating and heroes of the animal kingdom. Many times I hear children express that their favourite animal is a cheetah.

As I continue to explore the Amazing Animal series by Kate Riggs, I read Cheetahs (published in 2011). Like the first book in this series (Gorillas) I appreciated the format of this book. Photographs are full page and colourful and the text is a larger, less intimidating size. The end of the book includes an index, websites for further reading and a fun cheetah tale explaining why cheetahs have tear lines.

Some interesting facts?

While most cheetahs live in Africa, there are some living in Iran.
Male cheetahs hunt together in groups called coalitions and these groups stay together for life.
Because it is all about speed. . . how fast are they? They can run up to 70 miles/121 kilometers per hour!

I know this book will be very popular once my students discover this series! It will be a book I frequently recommend as I know it can be read independently by most students in my room.

In our school library I found another nonfiction title on cheetahs: My Life in the Wild – Cheetah (A Life Cycle Book) (published in 2011)– part of the Animal Planet series. Written by Meridith Costain and illustrated by Mick Posen.

This book is divided into a narrative illustrated story about a cheetah growing up and back pages full of much more information. The illustrations are so true to life that they are almost kind of creepy – but I’m sure students would just find them very cool. The story is relatively easy to read for young readers and informative enough to hold the attention of little naturalists wanting to learn something new on every page.

“My brothers and I are born. I cannot see my mother yet but I can smell her. I snuggle into her warm tummy, drinking her milk. She licks my wriggly brother clean with her raspy tongue.”

The final pages include a full page glossary, more information and diagrams of other members of the cat family and key facts about cheetahs (scientific name, weight, habitat, etc). There are also four pages of Did you know? facts that accompany each illustration from the story. So, for example, the text above has a picture of a mother cheetah nursing and cleaning her cubs. In the back of the book the Did you know? fact is

“Cheetahs usually give birth to three to five cubs.”

Additional information is included about how the mother makes a nest, when the cubs begin to crawl, when their eyes fully open and how they make sense of the world before this. Other facts focus on how cheetahs hunt, fur markings, and differences between male and female cheetahs.

Other titles in this series that I know would be popular in my class:

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 35/60 complete

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2013!

Anyone have any favourite nonfiction animal series they would like to share?

Non fiction Picture Book Wednesday: Gorillas, the Largest of the Apes

Posted on July 3, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday!

What kid doesn’t love learning more about apes? Gorillas are the largest and strongest of the apes and a fascinating topic!

One of my absolute favourite nonfiction titles to introduce children to the great apes is the book Ape written by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Vicky White (published 2007). Shared in my classroom here. The pictures are gorgeous and the text fascinating. An excellent read aloud for the primary classroom.

A goal I have this year is to fill my classroom with texts that many of my students can manage with independence. Books that will be picked up and read during book choice time or when learning more about a particular animal. I was so pleased to discover Gorillas by Kate Riggs (published 2012). Here is a book that my Grade 2/3s can read on their own with real success.

When my students learn about an animal, they are looking to find answers to some specific questions: How are the babies/young born and raised? What kind of interactions does the animal have with others? How does the animal’s body help it to do things?

This book – with an almost magazine style format – thin, sleek and full of facts invites the reader in to do a lot of learning. Discover what gorillas eat (lots of wild celery it turns out), how their babies grow and develop and the dynamics of their family groupings. We also learn how these gorillas spend their time – much eating (60 pounds of food a day) and napping (in addition to the 13 to 15 hours of night time sleep). Physical features are described and details of their habitat are outlined.

Features that make this book especially accessible:

large full page colourful photographs with relevant captions
bold words with definitions at the bottom of the page
an index, suggestions for further reading and websites listed at the end of the book

This is a title that I purchased for my class nonfiction collection and I am happy that it was one of four titles in this series that I ordered at the same time. I think this will be a series my students will have a lot of success with! I look forward to reading more of these books by Kate Riggs.

The Amazing Animals titles in my collection:

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 33/60 complete 🙂

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2013!

Do you have any favourite nonfiction titles about gorillas?

Monday May 27th, 2013

Posted on May 27, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join Jen and Kellee’s meme and share all of your reading from picture books to young adult reads! Such a fantastic way to learn about “new to you” titles by exploring all of the blog posts shared! Share your own reading on twitter via the hashtag #IMWAYR

My picture book obsession has continued and so again I have many books to share. Like the last few weeks, I will keep it to my ten favourites.

Brief Thief written by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo Absolutely hilarious. Dare you to read this and not laugh. Or at least smile. Definitely smirk. My daughter called it disgusting when I read it to her which made me love it all the more. So of course I had to share it with my students. The first three pages each have one sentence. On page three, we find out that the main character (a likeable lizard) has to go poo. Well, of course, . . . that got everyone’s attention. One child even shared that he often had a meal, went to play and then (like the lizard) had to run back in and take a poo! Oh thank goodness, we have created an environment where connecting is valued 🙂 Anyway, I don’t want to give much of the plot away as this book really does need to be experienced. I will say though that the “briefs” on the cover are stolen to deal with a toilet paper crisis, there is a battle with a “conscience” and in the end, heroes (of sorts) win out. That’s all I’m saying (Except – Go read the book!)

My New Shirt written by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Dusan Petricic This pair work so wonderfully together. Their recent Mr. Zinger’s Hat is one of my favourite picture books of 2013. My New Shirt came out in 2007 and I happened upon it at my public library today. This isn’t a book for those that don’t like a longer picture book. It is on the lengthy side and would likely be best shared with readers 8 and up just so that the length can be managed and the humour appreciated. It is basically about a young boy who is gifted a new white dress shirt every year on his birthday by his grandmother. This year when his “Bubbie” gives him the shirt, he has a sort of “out of body” experience (that involves an image of endless white shirts floating towards him) and the shirt ends up getting dropped out the window. What happens from there is an amusing romp through the neighbourhood and around the eclectic neighbours as the chase is on after the shirt (keenly held in the pet dog’s teeth)! Maybe this book especially appeals to me because I have “gift receiving anxiety” It’s a lot of pressure to receive a gift gracefully – especially one you might not like – although I have never thrown anything out of the window!

The Big Question written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch A simple little picture book that tackles a huge life question: “Why am I here?” Turning the pages allows us to hear many answers to this big question. “You’re here to kiss the clouds,” says the pilot. “You are here to obey,” the soldier states. “So that you many learn patience,” the gardener shares. The book takes us through many answers from people and animals alike. It ends with the wisdom that as you grow, more answers will reveal themselves and includes a place in the back to make notes for when answers are discovered. This book won the Bologna Ragazzi award in 2004. Original edition is in German.

Backbeard and the Birthday Suit written and illustrated by Matthew McElligott All about fun and ridiculous pirate fashion. One of the best pirate books out there. Backbeard is the quintessential pirate – hairy, stinky, and full of pirate swagger.

Puffin Peter written and illustrated by Petr Horacek Absolutely stunning illustrations. A story about friendship, the similarities and differences in birds and the importance of being specific. And whoa . . . a gorgeous whale page!

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping written and illustrated by Melanie Watt When I shared this book with my class, we had to pull out every Scaredy Squirrel book in the room and these books travelled from child to child during independent reading time. Scaredy Squirrel is the most wonderfully anxious, eccentric character out there. How can you not love a squirrel who dons a survival kit to bring an extension cord to a power outlet so that he can watch TV shows about camping in the safety of his own tree? (Think I just summarized the book in one very long and exhausting sentence) Hilarious!

The Princess and the Pig written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene This lovely little read manages to link to many classic fairy tales while telling a great original story and poking fun at just about everything! A pig and a princess switch places and the happy ending is not what you might predict.

Not your Typical Dragon written by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by Tim Bowers What happens when a little dragon is born into a long line of wonderful fire breathers and can’t manage to even produce a little puff of smoke? A story about diversity, acceptance and realizing what you need.

Little Red Riding Hood written by Lari Don and illustrated by Celia Chauffrey I have been collecting many fairy tales for our class collection and loved the illustrations in this version. Some twists from the original tale. A Barefoot Books book so just beautifully done and contains a story CD.

Just Ducks! written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino I love the gentle narration infused with facts in this beautifully illustrated book about ducks! And I love ducks. This book would have been a treasure to my childhood self.

In other reading, I finished two fantastic middle grade novels.

Bigger than a Breadbox written by Laurel Snyder So powerful. A sensitive story about a young girl coping with the separation of her parents. Captures emotions and thinking that is so personal and raw. The magic in this book is really well done. It seems possibly impossible and I’m sure would entice young readers to continually ask themselves, what would they do in Rebecca’s place? While this book is about the break up of a marriage and what it does to a family, it also handles all of the emotions of moving to a new place and new school so well. Important and real family moments. Friend anxiety. A perfect middle grade selection.

Hold Fast written by Blue Balliett This is the first Balliett title I have read. I was very curious about this novel. I have seen people rave about it and others have some pretty specific criticism. I was quickly captured by the brilliant word/literacy reverence and the rhythms of language. What held me was the power of family and faith and the desire for home. Such an important book.

What’s next? Homesick by Kate Klise. This was a recommendation made to me by another blogger from the #IMWAYR community, Ms Yingling, when she saw I had read another title about a child of a hoarder. Will be interesting to see how this topic is handled in this novel.

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.

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 🙂

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: A little guessing

Posted on January 9, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday! Do you have any books to share and discuss?

I am pleased to participate in Alyson’s (from Kid Lit Frenzy) non-fiction picture book challenge and share the picture books I read this week.

This week I was on the lookout for books that were very interactive and that primary students could read independently. I was also looking for books where students could learn more about animal characteristics including features, habitat and life cycles.

My original goal was 60 nonfiction picture books for 2013. Progress: 5/60 complete 🙂

Who’s Like me? by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Marc Boutavant (published 2012) This is a fun lift the flap book where children try to guess who is like me from a question and a picture clue Like (with a picture of a rabbit) “Who’s like me? Who’s furry and breathes air like me? Is it . . . ” The next page features four flaps with a clue on the outside If you flip the picture of feathers, there is a picture of a pigeon and text that reads: “I have feathers not fur.” The next page talks about the fox who is like the rabbit and has fur and breathes air. It is explained that a fox and a rabbit are both mammals. they breathe air, give birth to live babies and feed them milk. Children learn about amphibians, fish, birds and reptiles as well. Colourful and very fun to interact with! Nicola Davies for the younger set!

Who Has these feet? by Lara Hulbert and illustrated by Erik Brooks (published 2011) Children love books where they can guess! This title has pictures of different animal feet with the reoccurring question: Who has these feet? When I used this in the classroom this week I had children justify their guess with reasons to back up their answers. When we saw a picture of duck feet, one child guessed it was a chicken because of the skinny legs. Another thought it was a swan because of the skin between the toes. Another student volunteered that that skin was for paddling and so it had to be a bird that swims. One child knew those feet were called webbed feet. A great way to build vocabulary and to sit back and let the students talk and share.

So . . . who has these feet? Intrigued? Find the book!

It’s Moving Day by Pamela Hickman and illustrated by Geraldo Valerio (published 2008) In this book, we “travel” through numerous seasons that focus on a specific hole/burrow under a tree that a variety of animals use for a home. Great introduction to how woodland animals use burrows and change environments during different seasons/when raising young/etc.

Whose Nest in this? by Heidi Bee Roemer and illustrated by Connie McLennan (published 2009) Another fun book to guess from clues given – this time in a rhyming riddle format. This text is longer and more complicated so would be best used as a read aloud with primary students. Young intermediates/late primaries could read it independently. Lots to learn – certainly nests are very diverse and it is not just birds who build nests!

See Me Grow (Scholastic Discover More) by Penelope Arlon (published 2012) This book has some fantastic nonfiction features like colourful photographs, life cycle charts, an informative glossary, a variety of labelled diagrams, fact boxes, etc. Lots of information about how a variety of animals grow from birth to adulthood. Learn about which animals hatch from an egg, which are born live, how long they stay with their mother/parent, etc. Not too much text on each page makes this perfect for young readers to interact with independently. Part of this Scholastic series.