LMNO Peas

Title: LMNO Peas    
Author: Keith Baker  
Illustrator: Keith Baker 
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Publication Date: 2010  
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
Summary: All sorts of peas talk about what they like to do and what their good at as they move through the alphabet!
What I Think: Alphabet books can be fun, but I have found these little peas to be so endearing that this has fast become my favorite alphabet book!  The illustrations of these sweet peas are too cute.  The book is full of rhymes of all sorts of jobs that these peas are up to.  As a bonus, there are lots of samples of how to use commas in a series and lots of words that end with the suffix -er. It probably goes without saying that the page for letter "R" is my favorite one!
     While this is an alphabet book, I think it could definitely be used with older students as a way to brainstorm some different ideas for possible professions...except for  outlaws.
Read Together: Pre-K - 12  
Read Alone: K - 12  
Read With: AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr., Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! by Dr. Seuss, Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting   
Snatch of Text:

"We're painters,

poets,

and plumbers fixing leaks.

We're pilots,

parachutists,

we're peas and...

we're unique!"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Making Predictions, Word Analysis

Writing Strategies to Practice: Rhyming, Commas in a Series, Expository    

Writing Prompts: Write about what you would like to do as a job when you grow up and explain why. 

Topics Covered: Alphabet, Rhyme, Occupations 

Translated to Spanish: No

       

Sneezenesia

Title: Sneezenesia 
Author: Deb Lucke
Illustrator: Deb Lucke  
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 2010   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
Summary: A boy suffers from sneezenesia when he sneezes so hard all his memories fly out of his nose!
What I Think: It's sad to say this book caught my attention because I am one of the sneeziest people.  My husband is forever teasing me because I sneeze all the time.  I am allergic to so many things and I've gotten used to my sneezing.  I don't let it bother me, but when I saw this one I knew it was a book I had to read.
   It took me a few times to figure out how to even pronounce the title of the book, I had to keep reminding myself that it sounded like the end of amnesia.  I love playing with words and just the title lends itself to a discussion with students about word parts and making new words with those word parts. I also like how this could be used to get some brainstorming going around the idea of "What if?"
     This book reminds me of The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers.  Both can get some good discussions going and I would recommend both for kiddos who are a little older.  I read both of these with Peanut and while he listened to the story I don't think he quite got the full gist of either of them.
Read Together: 1 - 6 
Read Alone: 3 - 6 
Read With: The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers,  A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Snatch of Text: 

"He sneezed so hard, he

blew down aisle three and when

he got up he no longer knew

where he was or how he had gotten there.

Again and again his nose

wrinkled up and went

'Achoo!'

Out came an eight, then a six, then a two...

...followed by Squanto teaching

the Pilgrims how to plant corn...

...and an entire hanky's worth of presidents."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Visualizing 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Word Analysis, Word Play, What If?, Narrative
Writing Prompts: Brainstorm your own "What if?" ideas, then choose one to write a story about. 
Topics Covered: Amnesia/Memory, Knowledge 
Translated to Spanish: No

 

I Can Be Anything

Title: I Can Be Anything!    
Author: Jerry Spinelli  
Illustrator: Jimmy Liao
Publication Date: 2010  
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
Summary: A fun story about a little boy imagining all the possibilities available to him in his future.   
What I Think: First of all, I have to say I love Jerry Spinelli so I was excited to see this new picture book from him!  There's a little orange circle on the cover of the book that says, "Perfect for Graduation".  I remember getting Oh, The Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss for my high school graduation.  There's something fun about dreaming of all the possibilities.  This book is a fun spin on all the great things to take part in in life.  I am a strong believer in celebrating life, and this book takes a close look at the little things that make life worth living!   
Read Together: Pre-K - 8
Read Alone: 3 - 8
Read With: Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss; Don't Touch My Hat by James Rumford
Snatch of Text: "When I grow up, what shall I be?  Of all the many, many jobs, which one will be the best for me?  Pumpkin grower, dandelion blower, paper-plane folder, puppy-dog holder..."  
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Word Analysis
Writing Strategies to Practice: Rhyme, Compound Adjectives, Descriptive Writing, Characterization    
Writing Prompts: Write a poem using the first two lines of the book as a start - then write your own compound adjectives to describe what you would like to be.  Describe someone in your life using compound adjectives.       
Topics Covered: Hopes and Dreams, Perspective    
Translated to Spanish: No