The Case Of The Stinky Stench

Thank you to Sterling Books

for sending me a copy of this book to review 

and for providing a copy of the book 

for me to giveaway! (Details below!)

Title: The Case of The Stinky Stench
Author: Josh Funk
Illustrator: Brendan Kearney
Publisher: Sterling Books 
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2017
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: 
"Uncle,” Croissant said, “the fridge is in trouble! 
A mystery stench turned a whole shelf to rubble! 
I’m the last hope or the fridge will be lost! 
Help me or else we’ll be cooked, served, and sauced.” 

There’s a stinky stench in the fridge—and our favorite foodie friends must solve a smelly mystery! Sir French Toast’s nephew, Inspector Croissant, begs him and Lady Pancake for help in finding the source of the foul odor. Could it be the devious Baron Von Waffle? A fetid fish lurking in the bottom of Corn Chowder Lake? Featuring the same delectable wordplay and delicious art that won critical raves for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast—there’s even an actual red herring—his fun follow-up is an absolutely tasty treat for kids!What I Think: Today at our book fair, I was just talking to a student who really enjoyed a mystery chapter book she read and we started talking about mysteries and what we love about them. She said the whole time she was reading, she couldn't wait to find out who the mystery person was. Mysteries capture our attention and our brains can't help but want to find out whodunit. And this is exactly what you'll get with The Case of The Stinky Stench! Josh funk took his super fun character from Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast and gave them a mystery to help with. With so many fun fridge friends, readers will be guessing the whole time as they try and figure out where the stink is coming from.
     I love introducing elements of mysteries to readers and this book is a great mentor text for looking at mystery story elements. Once a reader can recognize elements of a mystery, he or she can start to write his or her own mystery. My favorite was the red herring!
     And, of course, Josh uses rhyme throughout the book so it's another opportunity to look at how rhyme works and to listen for rhythm because of it as well. As a listening activity, you can ask students to listen for rhyming words as you read, ask students to write down rhyming words when they see them, or give students a word bank and have them listen for the rhyming words they hear in the story as you go along.
Snatch of Text:  

"'I've got to succeed,' said Croissant with a sob.

'I've solved zero cases since getting this job.'"

Writing Prompt: Write about a time in your life when you had to solve a mystery. Write about a time when you wanted to give up like French Toast. What did you do and how did you decide to handle the situation?

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Mighty, Mighty, Construction Site

Title: Mighty, Mighty, Construction Site
Author: Sherri Duskey Rinker   
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld 
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: February 14th, 2017
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
GoodReads Summary: At last—here from the team behind the beloved international bestseller comes a companion to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site—this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small! Down in the big construction site, the crew faces their biggest job yet, and will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Working as a team, there's nothing they can't do! The millions of fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are in for a mighty good time! 
What I Think: Reading Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site reminded me of when my boys were little and we would always be on the lookout for trucks or buses or trains. Peanut had a board book that had pictures of all sorts of different types of trucks. We'd be driving to the mall and I'd call out, "Cherry picker!" or "Front loader!" It got to the point that I would do it even when he wasn't in the car. Those were fun days. Now, I have a close friend who's son is four and loves trucks so I get to share fun truck books like Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site with him. 
     I absolutely adore this book. I love that it rhymes. I love that it has bright, bold colors but is still sweet. I love that it's got such a positive, collaborative tone to it. As a mentor text, I could see using this at the beginning of the school year in a kindergarten or 1st grade class to build community. It's also an opportunity to talk about rhyme. 
Snatch of Text:  

"They wipe their faces,

greet the sun, 

load up, fuel up,

rev up...run!"

"Down in the big constrution site,

five trucks wake to morning light.

It's time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H, roll out of bed,

and gear up for the day ahead!"

Writing Prompt: Write your own narration to any vehicle you see from day to day. 

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 

I *heart* It:

I Wish You More

Title: I Wish You More 
Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal 
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: March 31st, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Some books are about a single wish. Some books are about three wishes. The infallible team of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create this exuberant book of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life's joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.  
What I Think: Every year, we give our kids a picture book on the first day of school. I've written about this little tradition over at Nerdy Book Club, here, and for a local blog called Little Lake County. It's one of my favorite traditions and so far my kids love it too. For 3rd grade, I was sure I was going to gift my kids Katherine Appplegate's The One and Only Ivan but it just so happens that Peanut and I read it before third grade, he wanted to buy his own copy at the Scholastic book fair and then we also went to Anderson's Bookshop to meet her in person. So instead we picked out I Wish You More to give him on his first day of third grade.
      This book is beautiful. It's so perfect to any child any time really. It reminded me of I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder because of how breezily the text moves us through the pages and how the illustrations to sweetly match the message.The repetition makes it predictable but how Amy Krouse Rosenthal finishes the sentences that make them stand out. She plays with words and seems to so easily bring childhood to life. I would definitely ask students to think about how the repetition works here but how the fact that she offers some unique ways to finish it makes it possible for the repetition to not get annoying. Students could try writing their own wishes that they might want to share with their parents or other loved ones. It would be neat to have them illustrate it and put it into a just-because card to give to a friend or family member. It's almost like a backwards wish on a birthday candle - instead of the birthday boy or girl wishing for him or herself, we can send our best wishes! This would also make for a great class anthology. I can just see all the wonderful illustrations!
     As a mentor text, I love this book might provide several jumping off points. Children could write about how these wishes might come true in real life or share their own stories for how they've experienced some of the wishes already in life. It's also a neat opportunity to talk about the math terms "more than" and "less than"!
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 12 
Read With: I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder, Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall, Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen, Only One You by Linda Kranz 
Snatch of Text:  

"I wish you more treasures than pockets."

Writing Prompts: Write about what you wish for someone important to you in your life. 
Topics Covered: Hopes, Dreams, Integration - Math

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*Thanks to Chronicle Books for 

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

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too

 Today Poetry Friday is at The Opposite of Indifference! 
Be sure to visit and check out all the great poetry posts!

We hopped in the car today to visit a local library that was recently renovated and Shel Silverstein's poem Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too popped into my head.

There's something about this poem that I love. 

Maybe it's the way the words roll of my tongue.

Maybe it's the way the poet uses repetition.

Maybe it's the way they go off on an adventure.

Whatever that something is, I like it!

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too

Went for a ride in a flying shoe.

"Hooray!"

"What fun!"

"It's time we flew!"

Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crew

And Tickle served coffee and mulligan stew

As higher

And higher

And higher they flew,

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,

Over the sun and beyond the blue.

"Hold on!"

"Stay in!"

"I hope we do!"

Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle too

Never returned to the world they knew,

And nobody

Knows what's

Happened to

Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Shel Silverstein is such a class children's poet. 

Do you have any favorites by him?

(I dare you to pick just one!)

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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Counting Crows

Title: Counting Crows 
Author: Kathi Appelt 
Illustrator: Rob Dunlavey 
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2015 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
GoodReads Summary: Help hungry crows avoid a feline foe in this clever concept book from the author of The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp and The Underneath.

One, two, three, crows in a tree, bedecked in red scarves and hungry as can be. So they fly out of their nest with snacking in mind, and snack they do. Snack one, snack two, snack three;all the way to a dozen! But before they have time to complain about bellyaches, they have a bigger problem: a cat has been eyeing them;as potential snacks! Can these well-fed crows become well-FLED crows? Read and find out in this counting book from Newbery Finalist and two-time National Book Award Nominee Kathi Appelt, with spot-on illustrations from Rob Dunlavey. It's the cat's meow! 
What I Think: The other night, Peanut, Little Bean and I sat down to read three counting books and Counting Crows was one of them. We had fun counting as more and more crows joined the crew. It was even fun for Peanut who just finished second grade. We talked about counting by two and then counting by three. And towards the end, when there were twelve crows, we discussed the word "dozen" and what it means.
     As I was reading, I fell in love with the simply description in this book. I'm a fan of description and the more I write, the more I realize just how important it is to show instead of tell. Sometimes even when I think I'm showing, I'm still telling. Having a mentor text like Counting Crows is great because it's easy to zone in on the rhyme, alliteration, and great adjectives Kathi uses and then to help students see how they might try being descriptive in a similar way in their own writing.
Read Together: Pre-K - K 
Read Alone: Pre-K - 3 
Read With: Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox, Count The Monkeys by Mac Barnett, Count-A-Block by Christopher Franceschelli
Snatch of Text:  

"Ten crunchy crickets,

ten green peppers.

Ten for the counting crows. 

Yep, yep, yeppers!"

Writing Prompts: Write about something in your life using some awesome adjectives and even trying some alliteration.
Topics Covered: Integration - Math, Counting  

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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!*

Rereading For Fluency with Sarah Cynthia Silvia Stout

Today Poetry Friday is at The Poem Farm with Amy Ludwig VanderWater! Be sure to visit and check out all the great poetry posts. This month is extra special because April is National Poetry Month.

When I was in second grade, we held a poetry event. Students were partnered up and asked to draw a picture of a Shel Silverstein poem. We each had a different Shel Silverstein poem to prepare and recite. Technically, we were supposed to know it by heart but our teacher put the words on the back of our picture so we could peek at the words if we needed to. Where The Sidewalk Ends will always be one of my all-time favorite poetry collections. 

The poem I recite with one of my friends, was "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" and it is still one of my most favorite poems to read out loud. I was actually just talking to a friend about Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches and how keen Dr. Seuss was to be able address serious topics through picture books. Shel Silverstein reminds me of that. He seems to have addressed some serious topics in his poems as well. I've been thinking a lot about waste lately. I have a science teacher friend who has an indoor worm compost bin and I would love to get started...I just have to be brave enough to actually commit. I'm mostly worried about hurting the worms by over or under feeding them and about smelling up my house somehow. Maybe it'll be a summer project.

Today I'm rereading "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" and thinking about how wonderful this poem is for practicing fluency. Reading poetry is a perfect opportunity to think about timing and inflection, emotion fluidity in your voice. When we reread, we can practice fluency. The first time through, students familiarize themselves with the words, but when rereading, they can take the time to practice their fluency and to think about how to best read the words to make the biggest impact. And what an impact this poem has!

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out

By Shel Silverstein

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout 

Would not take the garbage out! 

She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans, 

Candy the yams and spice the hams, 

And though her daddy would scream and shout, 

She simply would not take the garbage out. 

And so it piled up to the ceilings: 

Coffee grounds, potato peelings, 

Brown bananas, rotten peas, 

Chunks of sour cottage cheese. 

It filled the can, it covered the floor, 

It cracked the window and blocked the door 

With bacon rinds and chicken bones, 

Drippy ends of ice cream cones, 

Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel, 

Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal, 

Pizza crusts and withered greens, 

Soggy beans and tangerines, 

Crusts of black burned buttered toast, 

Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . . 

The garbage rolled on down the hall, 

It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . . 

Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs, 

Globs of gooey bubble gum, 

Cellophane from green baloney, 

Rubbery blubbery macaroni, 

Peanut butter, caked and dry, 

Curdled milk and crusts of pie, 

Moldy melons, dried-up mustard, 

Eggshells mixed with lemon custard, 

Cold french fried and rancid meat, 

Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat. 

At last the garbage reached so high 

That it finally touched the sky. 

And all the neighbors moved away, 

And none of her friends would come to play. 

And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said, 

"OK, I'll take the garbage out!" 

But then, of course, it was too late. . . 

The garbage reached across the state, 

From New York to the Golden Gate. 

And there, in the garbage she did hate, 

Poor Sarah met an awful fate, 

That I cannot now relate 

Because the hour is much too late. 

But children, remember Sarah Stout 

And always take the garbage out!

Tommy Can't Stop

Title: Tommy Can't Stop! 
Author: Tim Federle 
Illustrator: Mark Fearing 
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 
Publication Date: April 14th, 2015
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Tommy bounces, and he leaps. Tommy clomps, and he bulldozes. Nothing tires Tommy out, and his family can't keep up! But then his sister has an idea: could tap class be just right for Tommy?

This exuberant picture book, written by Broadway dancer Tim Federle, with illustrations by Mark Fearing, stars one very energetic kid who finally finds his place in the spotlight. 
What I Think: I'm sure any reader will be able to think of someone they know who is just like Tommy! Tommy has a great family who try to help him with his non-stop-ness. I know movement is so important to kids so I think it's great that they do support him...even though it tires them out! I hope some adults read this and remember how much kids need to move.
     My favorite part of this book is that Tim Federle uses great words to make Tommy and his story come to life. He chooses great verbs that add rhythm throughout the story. He also uses metaphors to help readers imagine just how active Tommy is. Reading this book aloud is a great opportunity for visualizing how Tommy might be like all the things in the book and then acting out how Tommy is moving in the story but also coming up with their own metaphors for how students like to move and get some of their wiggles out. It might even be a great opportunity to discuss ways to move so kids can quiet their bodies for learning. *hint hint*
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 3 
Read With: Tessa's Tip-tapping Toes by Carolyn Crimi, Cat's Night Out by Caroline Stutson, Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown
Snatch of Text:  

"'I'm a pogo stick!'

he boasts when he bounces.

'I'm a bulldozer! he clamors when he kicks."

Writing Prompts: Write about a time when you had to wait for something and you had to work so hard to keep still. What did you do to help manage your wiggles? What are some ideas for things you might do that others might not notice?
Topics Covered: Energy, Enthusiasm, Passion, Perseverance 

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If I Built a House

Title: If I Built a House
Author: Chris Van Dusen
Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: October 25, 2012
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: The much-anticipated follow-up to the E. B. White Award-winning picture book If I Built a Car.

In If I Built a Car, imaginative Jack dreamed up a whimsical fantasy ride that could do just about anything. Now he's back and ready to build the house of his dreams, complete with a racetrack, flying room, and gigantic slide. Jack's limitless creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors to imagine their own fantastical designs.

Chris Van Dusen's vibrant illustrations marry retro appeal with futuristic style as he, once again, gives readers a delightfully rhyming text that absolutely begs to be read aloud.
What I Think: Some books are excellent mentor texts for helping students to start to imagine their own stories. A teacher recently e-mailed me to ask for ideas that might help students identify topics to write about. I love brainstorming writing territories because there are often many topics students are experts in but when the time comes to sit down and write those topics are elusive. If I Built a House is a book that students can easily listen to with their writer's notebooks open, ready to jot down ideas. They might hear something fun from the book that they can elaborate upon later in their writing or they might come up with something amazing they would create if they were to build a house. This is a great opportunity to practice descriptive writing, helping the reader imagine what their room or house might look like. I would also encourage students to draw their room or their house to help them brainstorm what to write about or to illustrate what they have written.
     My kids loved this book and asked for it over and over after we first read it. The illustrations are fun and the story definitely encourages creativity and helps students to think, "What if?" This book is a great opportunity to open up kids brains to possibilities and to encourage them to be open to ideas.
Read Together: Grades K - 3
Read Alone: Grades K - 4
Read With: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen, Journey by Aaron Becker, If I Had a Dragon by Tom and Amanda Ellery, For Just One Day by Laura Leuck
Snatch of Text:

"Jack, in the backyard, said to his mother,

This house is OK, but it's like any other.

It's boxy and boring and basically bland.

It's nothing at all like the house I have planned."

Writing Prompts: Describe a room or a house you would love to have so that your reader can imagine it.
Topics Covered: Creativity, Enthusiasm

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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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