Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Fourteen favourites of 2014 (Part 2)

Posted on December 31, 2014 by carriegelson

I am thrilled to share my favourite fourteen nonfiction titles of 2014!

I love books. As in absolutely adore, frequently gush over, make piles, make lists, always reading kind of #booklove devotion. If you had asked me to talk favourites a few years ago, a nonfiction title would have made it on the list here and there. I have always appreciated the power of the nonfiction read aloud but . . . it wasn’t until I began participating in the nonfiction picture book challenges organized by Alyson Beecher (from Kid Lit Frenzy) that I have become absolutely smitten with nonfiction titles.

I have been busily tweeting about this as of late . . .

With each nonfiction picture book I read, I am more convinced of the importance of the nonfiction read aloud #nfpb2014 #nfforkids

— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) December 23, 2014

@alybee930 Always get excited buying new books but must admit, I get most excited about nonfiction as know it means years of learning ahead

— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) December 21, 2014

@Loveofxena @alybee930 Exactly – and helps to develop background knowledge, a sense of wonder, connections to other learning Rich reading

— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) December 24, 2014

I am thrilled to renew my commitment to nonfiction reading by participating in the #nfpb2015 challenge! The more nonfiction I read, the more I learn and the more my students ultimately benefit.

More about my favourites of 2014. If these titles are not on your already read and loved or must read radar, consider adding them to the list!

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Gravity by Jason Chin

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Emily Sutton

Weeds Find a Way written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill

Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins

Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and their Parents by Lita Judge

A Boy and A Jaguar written by Alan Rabinowitz and illustrated by Cátia Chien

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy

Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Feathers Not Just for Flying written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

I have included picture books here but must also note that Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa’s Fastest Cats written by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop was an absolute favourite of the year.

I am also pleased to report that I more than met my goal of reading 65 nonfiction picture books this year. Grand total: 144 titles! 🙂

What are your favourites of the year?

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Nonfiction “on the go” in our room

Posted on December 17, 2014 by carriegelson

There are many ways you might know that nonfiction titles are important and well utilized in our classroom.

First of all, there are the visual clues. Some are organized by me – like our new book shelf full of titles on display that I have recently read or book talked. We add books here frequently and then switch them out and make room for more. Some live here for a while because they are very popular and students want to be able to find them easily. Some live here for just a little while – they are added when a reference comes up in a discussion for those students who want to read more. Centipedes came out when I read about a centipede in a silly poem and we talked about how many legs a centipede actually has and whether or not it was an insect. We talked about the word gnaw in word work and someone talked about how beavers and rats gnaw on things. I put a book about beavers on display. Fantastic Feet was a book by Melissa Stewart that I bought for the classroom recently. Lots of kids read it and started talking about animal feet and then animal tracks. We added books on these topics.

You can see how this shelf is well used!

We have a shelf like this for fiction titles too. 🙂

We also display book titles we have read with key words used so we can refer to them later. I keep a list of words on a sticky note on the inside cover as we read. These are great for those few minutes of waiting for announcements or when lining people up. For example,

“Think back to the book Salmon Creek, who remembers what an estuary is. Tell the person beside you and then we’ll take answers.”

Some proof of our nonfiction love is highlighted by the students who find connections in the titles they are reading and want to share. This child thought that the African landscape in the book Giraffes was similar to the dry land in San Diego when Kate Sessions (from the book The Tree Lady) arrived in this seaside town and was shocked by the lack of trees.

These boys were very excited to find blue footed boobies in two different nonfiction titles.

But you would also know that we are a class who loves nonfiction titles because we have so many nonfiction read alouds “on the go”. Walk into our room throughout the day and you might find us engaged with a nonfiction text. Currently we are reading pages from . . .

Math Appeal: Mind Stretching Riddles by Greg Tang Illustrated by Harry Briggs

My students love to try and solve a few of these riddles right after recess as we are waiting for students to get to the carpet. It’s great motivation to be on time!

If you aren’t familiar with Tang’s books, check out a sample page on his website.

$Math Appeal Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Nonfiction "on the go" in our room There's a Book for That$

Another math title we have on the go is Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

I read a page at a time and we try and come up with all of the questions we would need to ask to figure out how the statement was made. Lots of gathering of information via question asking. For example, we just learned that a kangaroo has 50 joeys in her lifetime. We came up with these questions:

How many joeys does she have at one time? Single birth? Twins? More?
How long do kangaroos live?
How old is a kangaroo when she can have babies?
How many babies does one kangaroo have in a year?

The detailed information in the back of the book gives us all of the answers and then we figure out the math!

Time to Sleep by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

We read this book every Thursday between Word Work and Reading Workshop. I read about the animal featured on the page and then ask the children to predict or infer to answer questions about the creature we are talking about. There is additional information about each animal in the back of the text. For example, we just read about how the flamingo stands on one leg to conserve energy. After we talked about how this is vastly different from the way we sleep, I then asked the children what they think flamingoes eat, where in the world we might find them and how tall they think they are. After they discussed their ideas with their turn and talk partners, I read the information in the back of the book. Listening for specific information is practiced as I share additional details.

Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins

This is our current nonfiction read aloud that we are reading in depth. We are talking lots, learning lots of new vocabulary and writing some quick summaries of our learning. Our favourite thing? Getting out our rulers and figuring out the actual size of each creature depicted on the page! In the back there is information about the size of each animal talked about. We love predicting and comparing.

“Who thinks a garden snail is smaller than 10 cm or larger than 10 cm? Get ready to mark its length on your ruler . . . Here is its length: ______”

Nonfiction read alouds are never rushed in our classroom. They are springboards for further learning and discussion. When a book is finished, it has become part of our shared knowledge and who we are as learners.

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

My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 132/65 complete! More than double my original goal!

Gift Books 2014 – twenty picture books to give this season

Posted on December 6, 2014 by carriegelson

What a year in picture books! There are so many amazing titles to choose from. I have certainly not read every book out there. But I have read a lot and there are some that have stood out. Here is my list of twenty. Twenty books I think are absolutely worth owning and therefore, worth gifting. Fantastic titles in both fiction and nonfiction. My criteria? Is it a book that can be shared multiple times? Does it inspire creativity, thinking, inspiration? Does it make the readers think differently? Does it celebrate something important? Is it a book that brings joy? Or does it simply make you laugh? A lot.

With those questions in mind, here is my list:

Listed alphabetically by author.

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

This title is almost too special for words. After I read this book to my class, they wrote Ivan letters. Read more here. A book to inspire talk about how we treat animals and how we treat each other. Ivan’s story is a must read.

Quest by Aaron Becker

Experience the imaginative journey that Becker captures on the page. The reader is pulled through each illustration, all the while attempting to absorb every tiny detail. So wonderful that this is a picture book (wonderfully wordless) so that it can be experienced again and again.

Some Bugs written by Angela Diterlizzi and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

The text is delightful and the illustrations, divine! You will want to shrink down to insect size and crawl about this insect world.

The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee

This title surprised me with its tenderness, the sweet, the kind. All the more amazing of course, because it is wordless.

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma written by Diane Fox and illustrated by Christyan Fox

Funny, funny, funny – kind of like having a backseat driver “helping” tell a story. Annoying for the narrator. Amusing for the readers.

Any Questions? by Marie-Louise Gay

Enter Marie-Louise Gay‘s imagination, learn about her story conjuring process and hear a wonderful story . . . My class was completely spellbound by this book. More here.

Julia’s House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke

Unique creatures and clever problem solving finesse. Speaks to loneliness and getting along with others with everyone pulling their weight.

Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle

Wordless. Playful and interactive with lots of flaps and expressions to study. Go ice dancing with Flora and her charming little friend.

Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Why do certain creatures have these specific features? They will tell you in this gorgeous nonfiction title.

A Perfectly Messed up Story by Patrick McDonnell

Lots of humour. A conversation starter. A book to read together and then to refer to often. Life is full of messes. How are we going to face them?

Sparky! written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans

This book is so absolutely charming. And wonderfully slow – yes, like a sloth. It is about our desires and vulnerabilities. The last page will totally get you. This book needs to sit on your family’s bookshelf.

The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett

This book will speak to your heart. Wordless perfection.

A Boy and A Jaguar written by Alan Rabinowitz and illustrated by Cátia Chien

Based on a true story. Gorgeous. Special. It’s a must own and must share. A story of a boy who finds his voice and shares it in the best of ways.

The Adventures of Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

A little “imaginary friend” goes in search of his person. What could be better? A book about connection and “meant to be”.

Don’t Play with Your Food by Bob Shea

We need to laugh lots with those we love. Little people will delight in this story. Big people will adore reading it aloud.

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman

A wonderful story about siblings, mistakes, owning up and doing what’s right. I challenge you to find a favourite illustration. Just stunning.

Feathers Not Just for Flying written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

This book needs an audience! Guessers to be specific. What else could feathers be used for besides flight? Feels like you could pluck some of these feathers right off of the page. Share the book and then come back to it often as you notice birds in your neighbourhood.

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin written by Chieri Uegaki with illustrations by Qin Leng

A story of determination, perseverance and creativity. Absolutely about courage and dreaming. Connections to family. A treasure.

The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems

This pigeon is channeling all children who resist, resist, resist the bath and then, absolutely refuse to get out. Have kids? You will relate!

What do you do with an idea? written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mac Besom

I previously described this title as a celebration of imagination and a Must Have/Must Own/Must Share title. I’m still going with that. Tempted?

Books are gifts to treasure! This season give books!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: A focus on Steve Jenkins titles

Posted on October 29, 2014 by carriegelson

Steve Jenkins is royalty in the nonfiction picture book world as far as I am concerned. A leader, an inspiration, a sure thing. Does anyone own a Steve Jenkins title that they don’t adore? Every time I hear of a new Jenkins book being released, I can instantly convince myself that it must be a part of our class collection. And then I use it often for many different reasons. So much of our science learning begins with a Steve Jenkins’ book!

The latest book soon making its way into my room is this one: Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins (published April 2014)

I just reread this title again and am so excited to share it with my students. Each page offers a close up illustration of a particular eye and details about how it works and the book also begins and ends with additional information. As always, there are more facts about the animals featured in the book, but this title also includes:

a summary of “the first eyes” – how some animals developed sight and how vision evolved
information about the four kinds of eyes: an eyespot, pinhole eyes, compound eyes and the camera eye
a summary of the evolution of the eye with labelled diagrams and examples
a comprehensive glossary that contains terms like retina, receptor cells and ultraviolet light

I learned so many things and know it is a perfect book to read to my students as we discuss topics like light and vision related to an upcoming workshop at Science World.

How will I share this book? I plan to read it and keep a list of ongoing wonders/questions – we will make s wonder board with these questions and do some research and experiments to develop our understanding around concepts covered in this book. Who knows where our questions will lead us?

I started thinking about the myriad of ways that titles by Steve Jenkins (or Jenkins and Page) can be used in the classroom. The list is long. I have included some of my favourite Jenkins’ titles here and an idea about how to use them as part of a nonfiction read aloud experience that might extend over more than one class and into follow up activities.

Time to Sleep by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (published March 2011)

Learn all about how different animals sleep. Lots of additional information about each animal in the back pages of the book.

An idea: This book is a fantastic title to use when developing certain oral language skills: listening critically, making a relevant comment, building on what has been said and comparing and contrasting. Each page features a picture of an animal and a sentence or two about its sleep habits. Have the children comment in a turn and talk and then share out routine about how this is connected to or vastly different from human habits.

For example, the text says:

Snug in its underground burrow, the hairy armadillo snoozes for more than twenty hours a day.

Students might share: “Humans sleep above ground not underground.” “Humans don’t need as much sleep as armadillos. Kids sleep about 9-11 hours a night.” or “We don’t sleep in burrows but we snuggle under blankets to keep warm/snug.”

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins (published April 2012)

Detailed information about all of the different (and sometimes absolutely creepy) kinds of beautiful beetles that exist in the world.

An idea: Of course, this book screams art to me. But, after learning about beetle parts (abdomen, thorax, mandibles, flight wings, etc) art needs to be somewhat scientific art. Have the students sketch and colour (choose your medium) real or imagined beetles and label the parts. Perhaps some future coleopterists (people who study beetles) will be inspired.

Bones by Steve Jenkins (published August 2010)

True to size or scaled down images of bones and how they work in various bodies. Incredible.

An idea: This book inspires more labelled diagrams to me. Have students sketch the skeletal system of a particular animal. A detailed labelled diagram (beyond just name) which explains how particular bones work to help the animal hunt, hide, move in its everyday life could be completed. Take this further and compare bone sizes to human bones. The human femur is _______ times as big (or cm longer than) the femur of the _________. Any kind of math could be practiced: ratios, length comparisons, fractions, etc.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (published May 2010)

Learn about the unique symbiotic relationships between specific creatures. I once read this book over the course of almost a year – a little each week and students were completely mesmerized by what they were learning.

An idea: This book was fantastic to practice summary writing using new vocabulary. An example: after reading about how the seagull eats worms (a parasite) from the ocean sunfish, I would ask students to explain the symbiotic relationship making sure to use specific words: parasites, ocean, surface, fin. After we did a few of these summaries together, students loved writing about the relationship between each pair of animals and illustrating it with a picture or two.

My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 116/65 complete!

Monday October 13th, 2014

Posted on October 12, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

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

I read some beautiful picture books this week, including many nonfiction titles:

Silence by Lemniscates (an illustration studio of artists and designers)

The perfect title to encourage us to embrace quiet and be mindful of what we hear and sense. I think this is an ideal book to inspire a walk outside to find a quiet spot to just be still and notice. A gorgeous title gifted to my classroom by the magical Kim Balke who does Expressive Art Therapy with many of my students.

Quest by Aaron Becker

I was so excited to open this book and just experience the imaginative journey that Becker captures on the page. The reader is pulled through each illustration, all the while attempting to absorb every tiny detail. So wonderful that this is a picture book (wonderfully wordless) so that it can be experienced again and again.

Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Jenkins and Page always introduce us to the most unique creatures and impart the most interesting of facts. The perfect book to read a page or two at a time. The format is engaging – each animal is introduced with a mini letter/question and answer.

“Dear Pufferfish: You’ve got me worried – are you going to explode?”

“No, I won’t burst. I’ve inflated my body . . . “

The Rat by Elise Gravel

I think I might have heard this title shared between children about twenty times this week. There are many giggles about the yucky eating habits and its tail which serves a multitude of purposes.

The Slug by Elise Gravel

More silly and more gross but lots to learn and ponder. My students adore this series. We are in the middle of some “fan art” to send to Elise Gravel 🙂

I have continued reading a number of early/young chapter books as I am interested in introducing a number of new series to some of my readers just getting comfortable with chapter books.

Humphrey’s Tiny Tales: Really Wheely Racing Day by Betty G. Birney

I have some students reading the Humphrey series but for those not quite ready for a longer chapter book, this “Tiny Tales” series is perfect! Cute illustrations and larger text make it non-intimidating and attractive for readers growing their confidence.

Mortimer Keene: Ghosts on the Loose by Tim Healey and Chris Mould

Okay, some really really gross ghosts are featured in another Mortimer Keene title. Rhymes, fantastically odd and creepy illustrations and an English school setting.

Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon by Belinda Murrell; illustrated by Serena Geddes

An Australian title featuring Lulu Bell and her best friend Molly who are preparing for the Moon festival that Molly’s Mom wants to share. I liked this young chapter book a lot – in a tiny story, many things of interest were happening: learning about the Moon festival, supporting a younger sibling finding a way to connect with friends and humpback whale sightings. Lots of illustrations and an interesting story line make this a series I would like to share in my room. I will be purchasing more titles in this series.

I also read Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Family and sibling dynamics so fresh and honest. Humorous, amusing and believable. Everyone in my family read and enjoyed this title – my son, daughter and husband. Now we have Raina’s books being passed from person to person – all of us are big fans!

Up next? I am reading (and loving) After Iris by Natalie Farrant. After this? The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Reading Goal Updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 65/100 novels complete

Goodreads Challenge: 461/650 books read (currently 46 books behind – slowly trying to get this down to 0 from that scary 54 number that is haunting me)

#MustReadin2014: 20/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 111/65 complete

For anyone who shared a #MustReadin2014 list, the plan is to share an update (in whatever form and no matter what your progress) on Tuesday (October 14th). I will host here on this blog. Would love to hear what you have all been reading. I admit in advance, I have made little progress on my list since the last update. I have been reading, just other titles!

Nonfiction Picture Book Wish list: July 2014

Posted on July 11, 2014 by carriegelson

Recently I shared a picture book wish list – ten titles that I would love to own (some out now and some to be released later this year). This got me thinking about nonfiction titles I might like.

And . . . surprise, surprise; another list was born!

Ten nonfiction picture books I would love to possess:

Helen’s Big World The Life of Helen Keller written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Matt Tavares (October 2012)

I featured this title on a list of picture book biographies about inspiring women. When I had to return it to the library, I vowed to find a copy for my own collection. Such an inspiring and beautifully illustrated title.

Jasper’s Story: Saving Moon Bears written by Jill Robinson and Marc Bekoff; illustrated by Gijisbert van Frankenhuyzen (March 2013)

I just read this book last week and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It is a story that I really want to share with my students and think it would be reread often as part of our classroom collection. Jasper is a bear that was rescued by Jill Robinson (the author) and her Animals Asia team and brought to a sanctuary in China. Jill describes Jasper as courageous and loving; a symbol of forgiveness and hope.

Weeds Find a Way written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher (February 2014)

I do not love weeds in any way. The thought of learning to love weeds is kind of like trying not to itch a bug bit – borderline excruciating. But . . . I have heard that this book is lovely. The trailer looks incredible. I think I should own this book. Then I can love the weeds in this book and still battle with those in my garden. Those weeds that seem to always be winning. They seem to find many a way . . .

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz (March 2014)

Everyone who has written about this book has raved. I have book friends with very good taste. Just the cover image has me curious about so much. Apparently this image was captured while the photographer watched this pupa for over six hours. Intrigued? Me too.

The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond written by Patrick Dillon and illustrated by Stephen Biesty (March 2014)

My students this year loved building structures (in play) and designing structures (in art). I know that this book would be adored. Images and cross sections of sixteen impressive buildings around the world.

Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins (April 2014)

Steve Jenkins keeps making books that I simply must have. I have a large collection of Jenkins titles and use all of them frequently. And this cover . . . wow. Can’t wait to get this book and share it with my students.

Dare the Wind written by Tracey Fern and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully (May 2014)

I read this book months ago and continue to think about the inspiring story of adventure and bravery. A female navigator setting world records for sailing from New York City to San Francisco around the tip of Cape Horn and its treacherous waters. What a story! I have been collecting picture book biographies and share many of them as read alouds. I am sure this one belongs in our collection.

The Slug by Elise Gravel (August 2014)

I own The Fly, one of the first titles published in The Disgusting Critters series. I know these will be some of the most popular nonfiction titles in the room. I need to place them in our nonfcition bins and know they will never return to their spots until year’s end as they creep from book box to book box, child to child (or slime in the case of this guy below).

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (September 2014)

I have seen peeks of the inside of this book on a few blogs. Swoon. Bryant and Sweet make beautiful books together. Enough said.

Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (October 2014)

Yes, another Jenkins. ANOTHER JENKINS!! Hurrah! One for me please.

As always, I love to hear suggestions of other titles that must be on my list. List making, after all, is free. Until you put it in your pocket . .

Monday April 14th, 2014

Posted on April 13, 2014 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

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

I read some odd picture books, some that were not so great and some that were wonderful. Here are those that were wonderful:

The Adventures of Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

I love Santat’s style and this book is many shades of wonderful. A little “imaginary friend” goes in search of his person. What could be better? A book about connection and “meant to be”.

Maple by Lori Nichols

A special book about a new sibling, the wonder of nature and the magic of trees – over time and through the seasons.

A Rule is to Break: A Child’s Guide to Anarchy by John Steven and Jana Christy (John and Jana)

Kind of wild and certainly eccentric. Certainly one that would benefit from being discussed. I can see some taking issue with certain pages like one that says: When someone says “Work!”, you say “Why?” But there are others that will win you over:

Speak your Mind!

Listen to the Tiniest Voice.

Go ahead and be Stompy.

Sisters & Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

I never fail to be fascinated when reading a Jenkins/Page title!

Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

How had I missed reading this book? Living in an enchanted forest, we find Red Knit Cap Girl and her friends. She wants to find a way to reach the moon and have it speak to her. A celebration of quiet, peace and honouring nature.

I also read

Super Lexi written by Emma Lesko and illustrated by Adam Winsor

Author Emma Lesko “is passionate about neurodiversity – a movement that embraces rather than marginalizes diversity in neurological functioning (ADD, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, etc.)” In Super Lexi, a chapter book ideal for primary/early intermediate students, Lesko delivers a well done story, an interesting character and important themes. Lexi experiences the world with some “differences” – she is very sensitive to noise, she reveals her emotions and feelings in some very interesting ways and she needs those around her to be understanding of her phobias and coping strategies. I loved the multiple examples of how Lexi’s parents, peers and teachers are able to give her space and time. I enjoyed Lexi’s voice – the look we get into her thinking and reasoning. Really, I am excited that adults might read this book and that it might impact their thinking about how we treat all children. Children are often much more flexible and accepting of diversity. This would be an amazing class read aloud in a primary room.

Favourite line of the book?

“Only it never would have happened if my grown-ups had just listened to me in the first place.”

An important reminder to be tuned into each child before everything else. Not all children will communicate in the same ways – but they are always showing us the truth.

What’s next?

I am almost finished (and loving) Threatened by Eliot Schrefer. I then plan to read Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Reading Goal updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 28/100 novels complete

Goodeads Challenge: 188/650 books read

#MustReadin2014: 13/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 48/65 complete

Happy Reading to all of you! I will be without internet access next Monday so will share a #IMWAYR post again in 2 weeks.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: In “the middle of” books

Posted on April 9, 2014 by carriegelson

I had grand plans to review a number of books for Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday. But I can’t. A lot if this is the fault of Alyson Beecher (of Kid Lit Frenzy). And, actually, the rest of the #nfpb2014 bloggers can be blamed as well.

I can’t review even one nonfiction book because I am in the middle of reading six of them.

And why?

Because there is just so much great nonfiction out there and I keep reading about more and more titles on all of the blogs participating in Alyson’s Nonfiction Picture Book challenge/celebration each week. So I buy a book. Or borrow a book. Then I start reading “just a few pages” (usually aloud to my children) and then, next thing I know, I have nonfiction titles half read all over the house.

What am I (often we) reading right now?

Sisters & Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (published 2008)

I am a total Steve Jenkins fan but haven’t read this one yet. My son and I started reading some of these pages and were intrigued! Did you know that nine banded armadillos are always born as identical quadruplets? Perfect clones of each other. And Gould’s long-eared bats are almost always born as twins. Multiple births are particularly interesting in my house since my children are twins and their aunts (my sisters) are identical twins.

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia written by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Nic Bishop (published 2009)

I am reading a few chapters of this Scientist in the Field book with my children every week. We are almost done. We have been as fascinated by the country of Mongolia as we have been with the elusive snow leopards. Amazing photographs by Bishop.

Big Blue Whale written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Nick Maland (published 1997)

I just bought this at the book store because I am reading everything ocean with my class. The next sea creature we are learning about is whales and . . . how I love Nicola Davies. I started reading this last night and want to finish it later tonight. Blue whales are the biggest creature to ever live on Earth! Majestic and amazing.

Flight of the HoneyBee by Raymond Huber and illustrated by Brian Lovelock (published 2013)

Bees have hairy eyeballs! My son and I are reading this together and keep marvelling at this fact!

The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest – and Most Surprising – Animals on Earth by Steve Jenkins (published 2013)

Slowly but surely, my children and I are enjoying this title together. So much to talk about and explore. It truly is a beautiful book to be on the family bookshelf.

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill (published 2014)

I had to own this book. Exploration. Adventure. Peril. Antarctica. That covers the subject but then there is the way this book is designed . . . Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I have hooked my children with just a few pages. And as a result . . . another nonfiction read aloud on the go!

Oh how I love nonfiction! There is nothing better than learning more about the world through a beautiful book.

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

My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 47/65 complete! (this is no more than 2 weeks ago because I have so many titles on the go!)

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014

Posted on January 1, 2014 by carriegelson

I’ve been inspired once again by Alyson Beecher at KidLit Frenzy to participate in the 2014 Nonfiction picture book challenge! Link up here to join in!

According to Goodreads, last year I read 66 nonfiction picture books – my goal had been 60 titles. I read 44 nonfiction picture books in 2012 so it was wonderful that participating in this challenge allowed me to increase the titles I read by a third! Wonderful for me and wonderful for my students as my passion for these titles has spilled over into some amazing read aloud experiences! And the learning . . . Wow!

This year when I selected my favourite titles of the year, including nonfiction picture books was a priority – I credit this challenge with my new absolute love for this genre. Thank you Alyson and all of the fantastic bloggers sharing favourite reads all year!

I would like to keep reading at the nonfiction pace I read last year – so I am choosing 65 titles as my goal. Again, I will try and read many recently published books, but there are many 2013 (and even older) titles that I really want to get to so I will be reading both new and older titles. When I can, I will include favourites and link to Alyson’s Wednesday nonfiction posts.

One of my most popular posts of the year was for this challenge: Wonder Inducing Nonfiction Read Alouds. I have been using this list to guide which books I share with my students. In my timetable, I have set aside two guaranteed nonfiction read aloud times each week. Often, it is more. We read a lot of nonfiction in my room!

Like last year, I am excited to learn about a variety of nonfiction titles shared via the bloggers participating in this challenge! Reading passion is wonderfully contagious!

My ten nonfiction favourites read in 2013 (not just published in 2013) included:

The final 3 titles on this list were on my Favourites of 2013 list and four of these books were on my Gift Books 2013 list. Testament to the nonfiction love!

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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

No Monkeys, No Chocolate written by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young with illustrations by Nicole Wong

The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frog: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle

My First Day by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke

Even an Octopus Needs a Home by Irene Kelly

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

On A Beam of Light- A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

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

$The Boy who Loved Math NF Picture Book Favourites of 2013 There's a Book for That$

I feel compelled to share this post to highlight all of the love this book had in my classroom: For the Love of Math

Gift Books 2013 – twelve picture books to give this season

Posted on December 8, 2013 by carriegelson

I spent close to three hours at my favourite bookstore yesterday – Vancouver Kidsbooks selecting books for a donor that wants to gift our primary students with new books to take home this holiday season. Books in hand and in home make so much difference! While my Teacher Librarian and I shopped, we were privy to many conversations between customers and the very knowledgable Kidsbooks staff. And it got me to thinking . . . Which 2013 picture books would I recommend for a gift list?

Of course, there are many amazing titles to choose from. I narrowed it to twelve. Twelve books I think are absolutely worth owning and therefore, worth gifting. My criteria? Is it a book that can be shared multiple times? Does it inspire creativity, thinking, inspiration? Does it make the readers think differently about something? Does it celebrate something important? Is it a book that brings joy? With those questions in mind, here is my list:

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

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.

$Gift Books 2013 There's a Book for That$

On A Beam of Light- A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

A wonderfully accessible biography of Albert Einstein. This title has all the perfect themes of wonder, curiosity and thinking outside of the box.

The Man with the Violin written by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Dušan Petričić

This is an important story of what we miss by not being in the moment. How many beautiful experiences are lost on us as we rush through our days? Based on a true event where famous musician Joshua Bell played in the metro and was basically ignored. My students shared reviews here.

The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

History, stories and memories told through unveiling of various contents of a number of matchboxes. Perfect to inspire storytelling between the generations.

Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin

Full of quotes to read, share and ponder. Love the message that peace needs to be everywhere (in our hearts, homes, schools, countries . . .) in order to impact peace everywhere else.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Gorgeous. Want to reveal how math is all around us? This is the book to do it. There is counting and estimating and wondering and a whole bunch of other mathematical applications – in addition to being a beautifully illustrated books with lots of fascinating animal facts.

The Snatchabook written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty

Know a family with a new baby? Give them this beautiful book which sends the message loud and clear – we all need to be raised with daily read aloud moments.

Once Upon a Northern Night written by Jean E. Pendziwol and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

Lyrical, soothing and visually beautiful. Let the text lull you to sleep with dreams of the magic and quiet of winter. A perfect book to celebrate this coldest of seasons.

Journey by Aaron Becker

Grab your imagination and enter a magical world where anything might happen. A wordless treasure.

Papa’s Mechanical Fish written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Papa models the curiosity 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.

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

Because we all need to laugh together! Interactive. Will make you want to leap out of your chair in delight! Giggle, giggle, giggle.

My First Day by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Children love to hear about what it was like when they were a baby. This nonfiction title reveals what the first moments are like for different animals. So much to discuss.

Books are gifts to treasure! This season give books!