Love Sugar Magic

Title: Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble
Author: Anna Meriano
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Mild Fantasy/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.

Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake. 

Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet. And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong? 

What I Think: I have wonderful memories of making tamales with my grandma, my mom, my aunt, my sister, my cousin, and more recently my kids. We all pack ourselves into the kitchen to stir the dough and then when it's ready, we set up an assembly line and put tamal after tamal together. The joy and love in these memories reminds me of Leo and her family in Love Sugar Magic. 
     I love how we get to see the vibrancy of Leo's family and we can use this as  a mentor text for character development. Yesterday, I talked about how Tracy Holczer's character Lucy in Everything Else in the Universe also has a big family and how being part of a big family influences who she is and how she experiences the world. When we talk about characters and what makes them who they are, it allows us to also think about ourselves and what makes us who we are. And, ultimately, then we can think about other people and what makes them who they are. Discussions like this are so important. Discussions like this help us see that we might have things in common with other people and we might be different from other people. But just because someone is the same or different, it doesn't make them good or bad. Too often we don't slow down to ask why or to even realize that there might be a very good why that we need to understand. 
     As writers, we think about the world and the people in it. We need to know our characters and think about why they might make a choice that they do and in order do that, we need to understand what has happened in our character's past that has shaped them. Pairing Love Sugar Magic with Everything Else in the Universe gives readers an opportunity to think about the choice both authors made to give the main character a large and vibrant extended family. Recognizing the author's purpose in doing this give writers an opportunity to think about character development in their own stories.
     The snatch of text I pulled gives a little insight into Leo compared to her family getting ready in the morning and it also has an example of onomatopoeia, word choice, and being specific in describing. Lots of good things to discuss with these two sentences!

Snatch of Text: "The hallway filled with morning noises as the Logroño family got ready for the day. Leo shuffled down the hall, her orange-and-black-striped knee socks shush-shushing against the wood floor." (p. 4)

The Wild Robot

Title: The Wild Robot 
Author: Peter Brown 
Illustrator: Peter Brown 
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 5th, 2016 
Genre/Format: Science Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When she tries to care for an orphaned gosling, the other animals finally decide to help, and the island starts to feel like home. Until one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her... 
What I Think: If you had asked me, I would have told you that it was highly unlikely that a story about a robot could make my heart race. Or that a story about a robot could make me cry. Or that I could fall in love with a robot. But it's true. It can. It did. And I did. And it's all Peter Brown's fault. 
     The Wild Robot isn't just a story about a robot. It's about a remarkable, learning robot and all the wilderness friends she makes. Which is to say it's about relationships. It's about relationships in so many different ways and that's what makes it fascinating but also what makes the story resonate so deeply. Peter takes two seemingly simple things: robots, animals, but he puts them together and creates a multi-faceted story that readers will find captivating.
    To take a robot and bring her to life in such a way that readers like her - love her - and can relate to her, is a lesson in character development. As a writer, introducing a character to a reader is crucial because if the reader doesn't like the character, he or she probably won't have much interest in continuing to read the story. Readers can look at The Wild Robot and use it as a mentor text to think about what a character might say or do that helps to bring him or her to life for the reader.
     What I'm most excited to use The Wild Robot for as a mentor text, is to look at descriptive writing. Peter uses the setting to work for and against his main character in this book. The setting is almost a character in itself because of how it influences Roz and her story. A sense of time and place is very important to a story and Peter takes time to put the reader on the island with Roz by carefully describing her surroundings. He uses alliteration and onomatopoeia and strong word choice to bring the readers right into the story alongside Roz. Students can close their eyes and imagine what their own characters might see, hear, smell, taste, or feel and then try describing similar to how Peter does in The Wild Robot. 
Read Together: Grades 3 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 7 
Read With: The Curious Garden and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and others by Peter Brown, Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, The Martian Chronicles and There Will Come Soft Rains (short story) by Ray Bradbury
Snatch of Text:  
     "Animal sounds filled the forest. Chirps and wingbeats and rustlings in the underbrush. And then, from the sea cliffs, there came new sounds. Heavy, crunching footsteps. The forest animals fell silent, and from their hiding places they watched as a sparkling monster stomped past." (p. 16)

     "Roz stood on the peak and watched the sun sink behind the ocean. She watched shadows slowly spread over the island and up the mountainside. She watched the stars come out, one by one, until the sky was filled with a million points of light. It was the first night of the robot's life." (p. 25)

     "'...and sometimes I see you waddling behind your funny-looking mother and you seem so nice that I thought I'd come down and introduce myself but now I'm nervous and I'm talking too much and my name is Chitchat I think I said that already.'
     There was a pleasant silence.
     Brightbill stood on one foot for a moment.
     Then the gosling took a deep breath and said, 'It's very nice to meet you Chitchat I don't think you talk too much I think you talk just enough and I like you so let's be friends.'
     A big smile appeared on the squirrel's tiny face. For once, Chitchat was speechless." (p. 109)

     "'We're a strange family,' said Brightbill, with a little smile. 'But I kind of like it that way.'
     'Me too,' said Roz." (p. 126)

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you needed to gain someone's trust and what you did. 
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Loyalty, Determination, Trustworthiness 

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Hoot and Peep

Title: Hoot and Peep 
Author: Lita Judge 
Illustrator: Lita Judge
Publisher: Dial Books 
Publication Date: March 1st, 2016 
Genre/Format:  
GoodReads Summary: In the night skies above Paris, an adorable young owl teaches her older brother about the power of imagination—and the unconditional love between siblings 

Hoot the owl is very excited for his little sister, Peep, to join him on the cathedral rooftops. She's finally old enough to learn all his big brother owly wisdom: First, owls say hooo. Second, they always say hooo. Lastly, they ONLY say hooo! But why would Peep say hooo when she could say schweeepty peep or dingity dong? Why would she speak when she could sing? As she explores the breathtaking Parisian cityscape, Peep discovers so many inspiring sights and sounds—the ring of cathedral bells, the slap of waves on stone—that she can’t help but be swept up in the magic of it all. Hoot doesn’t understand Peep’s awe, until he takes a pause to listen . . . and realizes that you're never too old to learn a little something new.

From the beloved author/illustrator of the classic picture bookRed Sled , this gorgeous read aloud celebrates the wonder found in little things—and in the hearts of dreamers, young and old. 
What I Think: Sometimes people disagree. Lot of times siblings disagree. Lita Judge does a wonderfully sweet job of capturing what a disagreement might look like...but also how we can learn from people who have different ideas and how a disagreement can turn into a mutual understanding - whether two people come to an agreement or still disagree but at least appreciate the others' perspective. I'm thinking this book would be great to read at the beginning of the year when students are learning more about each other....or mid-year when they need that reminder that we are all different but can get along. Or maybe you save it for when students really need to hear the message.
     As a mentor text I love this book as an opportunity to generate ideas. I'm sure students can think of a time in their life when they felt misunderstood. We're all just trying to find our way in the world but sometimes another person's expectations get in our way - intentionally or unintentionally. Use Hoot and Peep as a way to brainstorm some ideas.
    In terms of literary devices, Lita uses alliteration and onomatopoeia throughout. Students can look for alliteration and onomatopoeia and think about when either or both add to writing and in what way. I think writing sounds so much more lyrical with both of these. They both add to the ambience of a book and help to bring the imagery to life. Descriptive writing can seem mysterious to students so looking closely at a mentor text like this one that encompasses so much charm is a great way to see how alliteration and onomatopeoia help the story sing.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 5 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 5 
Read With: Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel, Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Snatch of Text:  

"Peep thought it was

the perfect night to 

sing about the magic

of the moonbeams.

'Schweep,'

she peeped."

Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you had a disagreement with someone. How did it make you feel? And how did you resolve it? 
Topics Covered: Siblings, Individuality, Courage 

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Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova

Title: Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova 
Author: Laurel Snyder  
Illustrator: Julie Morstad 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: August 18th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: The world is big.
Anna is small.
The snow is
everywhere
and all around.
But one night . . .
One night, her mother takes her to the ballet, and everything is changed. Anna finds a beauty inside herself that she cannot contain.So begins the journey of a girl who will one day grow up to be the most famous prima ballerina of all time, inspiring legions of dancers after her: the brave, the generous, the transcendently gifted Anna Pavlova.  
What I Think: Words, words, words. I love words. But I especially love words that are strung together in such a way that they feel like art. Don't get me wrong, all words are art, but sometimes, words just envelope me and pull me into a sort of dream-like fairy tale just from how they are put together. Laurel Snyder's words do just that. As they tell Anna Pavlova's story, it feels like being sweetly tugged into a dance. Julie Morstad's art adds to the story, gently ushering the reader into the story woven by the text. It all just works together to make for an amazing book.
     Teaching tone and mood isn't easy. It's a little easier to recognize it as a reader than it is to write. But it all starts with reading and recognizing what authors have done differently. By looking at at least two different texts, readers can see the difference. Once they can see the difference, then you can invite them to zone in and notice what the author has done differently. And from there, you can invite them to try what the author has done in their own writing. Maybe they add some figurative language. Maybe they break up words or phrases or add figurative language in a very purposeful way. It's fun to play with words and to see what happens and using books like Swan as a mentor text really help writers see what is possible and find ways to write like that too.
Read Together: Grades 2 - 6  
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 4 
Read With: Enormous Smallness: A Story of e.e. cummings by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo, The Cosmo Biography of Sun Ra by Chris Raschka, The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Aliona Bereghici, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and illustratd by Melissa Sweet, Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
Snatch of Text: 

"Something is happening...

There's a swell of strings,

a scurry of skirts.

A hiss and a hum and...

HUSH!

It's

all

beginning!"  

Writing Prompts: Write about something you feel strongly about sharing with others. What might you do to help share your passion with others?
Topics Covered: Family, Dreams, Determination, Courage 

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That's Not Mine Blog Tour

I'm thrilled to be participating in the That's (Not) Mine blog tour today! 

Husband-and-wife team Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of You Are (Not) Small, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and was named a Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. They live in New Jersey with their two daughters, Kate and Lily, a guinea pig named Athena, and a hermit crab named Olaf.

Anna, a native New Yorker, grew up believing everything was hers until one day she realized it was her brother’s, too. She received a master’s degree in fine arts from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where the visual storyteller in her was awakened, forever changing the way she saw art, life, and everything in between. In addition to writing, Anna loves to read, travel, laugh, eat, and nap. Visit her online at www.annakang.com.

Christopher is a cartoonist and illustrator. His work can regularly be seen in the New Yorker. His cartoons are syndicated worldwide and have been featured on the Today Show, Meet the Press, and World News Tonight. Christopher likes to share everything but his personal space on the subway. Visit him online at www.christopherweyant.com.

You can follow them on Twitter at: @annakang27 and @chrisweyant05

For more information, and to download a free curriculum guide, visit: 

www.amazon.com/thatsnotmine orhttp://www.annakang.com/tnm-internal-page.

Title: That's (Not) Mine
Author: Anna Kang   
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Publisher: Two Lions 
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Two fuzzy creatures both want to sit in the same comfy chair. The trouble is, they can’t agree who it belongs to. They get madder and madder, until…

With expressive illustrations and simple text, this giggle-inducing tale about (not) sharing and (not) being a good friend features the endearing characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small. 
What I Think: Kids are going to crack up at the sweet creatures in this story. Every kid battles with declaring something his own and then having to defend ownership. I'm sure most parents have been part of facilitating conversations like in (That's Not Mine) which make it so much fun. This book will appeal to kids and adults because the situation is so completely relate-able. When I read it to my kids, they instantly recognized themselves in it...but they also loved seeing what antics that characters got into!
     As a mentor text for older readers, have students pay attention to the text in the book and notice that it's either dialogue or sound effects. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss onomatopoeia and how the sounds contribute to the story and how a reader is able to visualize the text - they can hear it too!
     This book would be adorable as a readers' theater - it's simple for early readers but also engaging which will help them practice their fluency while thinking about how to act out the text on the page. And hopefully acting this story out will help kids think about how to share and work through difficult conversations.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 2 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K-1 
Read With: I Love My New Toy (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems, Ninja! by Aree Chung, Squid and Octopus Friends For Always by Tao Nyeu
Snatch of Text:   

"'That's my chair.'

'No, it's mine.'

'I was sitting in it before.'

'I'm sitting in it now.'"

Writing Prompts: Write about a time when you had an argument about something you felt was yours. Write about a time when you had a miscommunication with someone.
Topics Covered: Friendship, Sharing, Compromise, Forgiveness 

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Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour and enter the giveaways for a chance to win a copy of the book!

Monday, Aug 31 - Watch.Connect.Read.

Tuesday, Sept 1 - Jean Little Library

Wednesday, Sept 2 - Teach Mentor Texts

Thursday, Sept 3 - Kid Lit Frenzy

Friday, Sept 4 - Unleashing Readers

Monday, Sept 7 - The Children's Book Review

Tuesday, Sept 8 - proseandkahn

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*Thanks to Blue Slip Media for 

a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!*

Enormous Smallness

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Aly at Kid Lit Frenzy. 
Every Wednesday, bloggers link up their non-fiction picture book reviews. Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what great non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings
Author: Matthew Burgess 
Illustrator: Kris Di Giacomo 
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books 
Publication Date: April 7th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction Biography/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Enormous Smallness is a nonfiction picture book about the poet E.E. cummings. Here E.E.'s life is presented in a way that will make children curious about him and will lead them to play with words and ask plenty of questions as well. Lively and informative, the book also presents some of Cummings's most wonderful poems, integrating them seamlessly into the story to give the reader the music of his voice and a spirited, sensitive introduction to his poetry.
     In keeping with the epigraph of the book -- "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are," Matthew Burgess's narrative emphasizes the bravery it takes to follow one's own vision and the encouragement E.E. received to do just that. 
What I Think: ee cummings is such a well-known poet and deservedly so. He played with words and structure in poetry in such a creative way and I love reading his poems. Last summer while I was in Boston, I visited Forest Hill Cemetery and tracked down his grave. I blogged about how awesome it was to stand there and read aloud one of his poems. As I read Enormous Smallness, I felt the magic of being in the cemetery in Boston all over again. Burgess plays with words and incorporates cummings' own poetry into the text in such a way that it feels woven into his own words. At the same time, Di Giacomo does an excellent job of representing words visually, helping bring meaning to life. 
     I love everything about this book. The writing is descriptive and powerful. Matched with the illustrations, it certainly brings a certain tone and mood to the text that matches both ee cummings himself but also the time period. 
     As a mentor text, I would definitely use this book to discuss how and author's word choice impacts tone and mood. In general, this book is a discussion on descriptive writing and author's craft waiting to happen. In the snatch of text I've pulled here, you can easily talk about metaphor and onomatopoeia but also rhythm and how sentence structure impacts that...but this is just one piece of text from one page in the book. It's definitely a book to be reread over and over just to soak in and savor all the textual and visual mastery here.
Read Together:  Grades 2 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 12 
Read With: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio, The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra: The Sound of Joy Is Enlightening by Chris Raschka, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant
Snatch of Text:

"As Estlin grew, he drew many pictures

from the great circus of his imagination.

But even more than drawing

elephants, trees, and birds,

Estlin LOVED WORDS.

What words say and how they sound and look.

He loved the way they hum, buzz, POP, and swish."

Writing Prompts: In the book, Estlin made up his first poem after seeing a bird outside of his bedroom window. The author writes, "From his bedroom window, Estlin could see enormous apple and cherry trees." Write about what you see outside your bedroom window or maybe use you imagination and write about what you wish you could see outside of your bedroom window.
Topics Covered: Family, Inspiration, Imagination, Creativity 

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The Sky Painter Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title: The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist 
Author: Margarita Engle 
Illustrator: Aliona Bereghici 
Publisher: Two Lions 
Publication Date: April 28th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Poetry/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Louis loves to watch birds. He takes care of injured birds and studies how they look and how they move. His father wants him to become an engineer, but Louis dreams of being a bird artist. To achieve this dream, he must practice, practice, practice. He learns from the art of John James Audubon. But as Louis grows up, he begins to draw and paint living, flying birds in their natural habitats.

Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874–1927) is now known as the father of modern bird art. He traveled with many scientific expeditions all over the world. His best-known works—paintings for habitat exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York—are still beloved by visitors today. His art helped to encourage wildlife conservation, inspiring people to celebrate and protect the world of wings.Poems by Newbery Honor–winning author Margarita Engle and illustrations by Aliona Bereghici capture the life of Louis Fuertes and the deep sense of wonder that he felt when he painted the sky.   
What I Think: Before reading Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt, I didn't know much about John James Audubon. Because Audubon's artwork plays such a key role in that book, I learned how influential he was. Bereghici's artwork in The Sky Painter is beautiful and unique. She has a way of making the vibrant colors sound soft and gentile like the birds she portrays in the illustrations.

I really like how Engle used poetry to break up the story, creating purposeful pauses between pieces of the story. They lyrical text works so well as poems and she offers a variety of samples of descriptive writing to look at. In the snatch of text alone, readers can look at alliteration, rhythm, simile, and metaphor.   

Poetry also offers a great opportunity to look at word choice. Because poetry naturally limits the number of words, it's critical that each word have a purpose. By paying attention to Engle's word choice, we can look at how they create an image that the reader can visualize. Recognizing this connection between reading and writing is helpful as a reader practices good reading strategies as much as for a writer practicing incorporating literary elements to help the reader be able to visualize. 
Read Together: Grade K - 6 
Read Alone: Grade 2 - 6 
Read With: She's Wearing a Dead Bird On Her Head by Kathryn Lasky, Look Up! by Annette LeBlanc Cate 
Snatch of Text:  

Alaska

"I whistle.

Birds answer.

I follow.

Blue shadows.

White snow.

Clear ice.

The beauty

of flight

like a dance

in the clouds,

a graceful ballet

of wild swans." 

Writing Prompts: Using what you know about descriptive writing to write about something you have observed in nature.  
Topics Covered: Integration - Science, Integration - Art, Nature, Passion, Admiration, Family  
Additional Resources: Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet and novelist whose work has been published in many countries. Her books include The Poet Slave of Cuba, winner of the Pura Belpré Award for narrative and the Américas Award; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor book; Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian, a Kirkus Best Book for Children; and The Lightning Dreamer, Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist, winner of the 2014 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult/Children’s Literature. Margarita lives in California, where she enjoys bird-watching and helping her husband with his volunteer work for wilderness search-and-rescue dog training programs. To learn more, and to download a free activity kit for THE SKY  PAINTER, visit: www.margaritaengle.com.

Today happens to be Poetry Friday so hop on over to No Water River for other poetry posts!

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Follow along on THE SKY PAINTER blog tour!

Mon, Apr 20	Library Fanatic	http://www.thelibraryfanatic.com/
Tues, Apr 21	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Wed, Apr 22	Unleashing Readers	http://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Thurs, Apr 23	5 Minutes for Books	http://books.5minutesformom.com/
Fri, Apr 24	Teach Mentor Texts	http://www.teachmentortexts.com/#axzz3DP0vkvgi
Sat, Apr 25	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Apr 27	Sharpread	http://mrcolbysharp.com/
Tues, Apr 28	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Wed, Apr 29	Cracking the Cover	http://www.crackingthecover.com/
Thurs, Apr 30	A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust	http://www.foodiebibliophile.com/
Fri, May 1	Archimedes Notebook	http://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com

*Thanks to Blue Slip Media for 

a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review 

and the opportunity to offer this giveaway!*

Flight of the Honey Bee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy. 
Every Wednesday, I'll review a non-fiction picture book. (It may not always be a picture book.) Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other non-fiction books are shared this week!

Title: Flight of the Honey Bee 
Author: Raymond Huber  
Illustrator: Brian Lovelock 
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: September, 2013 
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits.

A tiny honey bee emerges from the hive for the first time. Using sunlight, landmarks, and scents to remember the path, she goes in search of pollen and nectar to share with the thousands of other bees in her hive. She uses her powerful sense of smell to locate the flowers that sustain her, avoids birds that might eat her, and returns home to share her finds with her many sisters. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee. 
What I Think: Yesterday, I shared one of my favorite vegan recipes, black bean brownies from Chocolate-Covered Katie's blog. I've been vegan for over three years now and it doesn't seem like it has been that long. When I read Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals, I immediately decided to be vegetarian. Soon after, I switched to almond milk or rice milk instead of cow's milk. And about six months after that, I decided to try being vegan and to see where it got me. Well, it's gotten me here! Three years later and here I am.
     I tell you my story of becoming vegan because part of being vegan is not eating honey. Most people balk at this when I tell them but collecting honey from bees can be more harmful than you might realize. And after reading this book, it's clear that it's not only harmful to the bees but the decline in healthy bees that can pollinate plants to give us apples, cherries, strawberries, nuts, and other vegetables has much larger ramifications.
     One of the key factors that really played a part in my decision to become vegan was the immense impact factory farming has on the environment. I definitely don't feel good about slaughtering animals. I definitely do feel good about eating healthier. But knowing that eating vegan also impacts the environment really made my decision crystal clear.
     This book celebrates bees in such a charming way. We follow the story of a little bee named Scout. Along with the wonderful narration of Scout's daily life, readers also learn facts about the honey bee. By the end of this book, I was more amazed by honey bees than when I started. There were some facts I knew about bees but I learned so many more. A simple plea on the very last page: "Save the bees!" really caused me to think again about honey bees and I was off to research more about them. Did you know that there has been an 80% decrease in the number of honey bees in the United States in the last three years? A great example of how reading leads to more reading and research!
Read Together: Grades K - 6  
Read Alone:  Grades K - 6
Read With: Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Snatch of Text:   

"Scout spins a story in dance,

every movement a sentence.

Scout waggles, twists, and turns,

describing the route to the blue meadow.

She pauses only to share samples

of sweet nectar.

Scout repeats her dance for many

sister bees.

The bees' dance is a complex language 

that can communicate millions

of different messages."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Descriptive, $100 Words, Word Choice, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Personification
Writing Prompts: Choose an animal and try to describe a day in the life of that animal from the animal's perspective. You might start by first researching and learning about the animal's habits and then writing to describe the animal's day. 
Topics Covered: Integration - Science, Teamwork, Family, Determination 

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The Cat on the Mat is Flat

Title: The Cat on the Mat is Flat  
Author: Andy Griffiths
Illustrator: Terry Denton 
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends 
Publication Date: August, 2007 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Early Chapter Book 
GoodReads Summary:  Muck?! Uck! YUCK!

 
Is it just bad luck
when the truck of a duck
gets stuck in the muck?

Nine silly rhymes,
and a pig that slimes,
from a writer voted BEST
by The New York Times!

WARNING:  This book may self-destruct if used to teach a lesson.

“…The rat chased the cat.
The rat chased the cat with the baseball bat.
Around
and around
and around the mat
the rat chased the cat with the baseball bat, until…
KERSPLAT!
Never again did that cat chase the rat—
the cat was much too flat for that.”

What I Think: I'm a huge fan of The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow but only recently read The Cat on the Mat is Flat. I enjoy both but this book seems to be a bit wordier and tongue twistier and a little bit more thinkier. I noticed that I had to talk to Peanut about what was happening in the stories more than I did with The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow.
     This book is another wonderful rhyming book. It's full of silly stories and some slime and muck and swill so it's super perfect for kids who think ick is funny.
Read Together: Grades K - 3  
Read Alone: Grades K - 3 
Read With: Snake Cake and Stop Pop and others by Yukiko Kido, Green Eggs and Ham and others by Dr. Seuss, Elephant and Piggie (series) by Mo Willems, Up, Tall and High by Ethan Long
Snatch of Text:  

"There once was a frog

who lived in a bog.

The frog rode around

on a jet-rocket log.

There was no aster

frog in the bog."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Fluency, Making Connections, Making Predictions  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Rhyme, Literary Elements, Rhythm, Repetition, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia
Writing Prompts: Choose a word family and try to write a story with as many of the words in the word family as you can. Be sure to make it super silly! 
Topics Covered: Animals, Competition, Persistence, Imagination, Friendship, Sharing

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Halloween Hustle

Title: Halloween Hustle 
Author: Charlotte Gunnufson 
Illustrator: Kevan J. Atteberry 
Publisher: Two Lions 
Publication Date: September, 2013 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: In the dark, a funky beat. / Something white with bony feet. / Skeleton dancing up the street, / Doing the Halloween Hustle. Skeleton is dancing his way to a Halloween party but as he grooves across town, he keeps stumbling, tumbling, and falling apart! Can Skeleton stay in one piece long enough to make it to the party? 
What I Think: It's hard not to enjoy this dancing skeleton. He's got such a cheery demeanor and a can't-stop-me attitude. Visit Charlotte's website to watch the video and get the catchy Halloween Hustle song in your head. It's a fun book and perfect for reading on Halloween. As a mentor text, this book is full of all sorts of literary devices that you can pull out and use as models. It's also a good book if you are practicing making predictions.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 1  
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 3 
Read With: Which Witch is Which? by Judi Barrett 
Snatch of Text:

"Bony thumbs and fingers snap.

Bony heels and toes tip-tap.

Knees knock-knock and elbows flap,

Doing the Halloween Hustle." 

Reading Strategies to Practice: Visualizing, Making Predictions  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative, Descriptive, Onomatopoeia, Rhyme, Rhythm, Alliteration  
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when something didn't go your way, or something went wrong. What did you do to get through it and move on? 
Topics Covered: Determination, Friendship 

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