Let's Celebrate Kids Ink!

It's time to CELEBRATE This Week with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.  Every week Ruth invites us to share our celebrations from the week and link up at her blog. What a fun way to reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. 

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This week I'm celebrating Kids Ink!

*throws confetti*

Over spring break, I packed up the kids and lots of snacks and we headed to Indianapolis for a couple of days to visit one of my college roommates and her family. It was quite an adventure! But we had a lot of fun. We visited the Indianapolis Children's Museum and 100 Acres and then we took the kids to a local independent bookstore - Kids Ink. 

Kids Ink is a super sweet bookstore and it was right next to a cupcake shop that had vegan options. It was a perfect way to end our day! 

Of course, we had to check out the bathroom with author and illustrator signatures! We found some of our favorites!

Part of my 2016 Unboring List plans was to visit more indies and Kids Ink was my first stop at a new-to-me independent bookstore this year! I hope to make it to more!

What are you celebrating this week?

Dig In!

Title: Dig In! 
Author: Cindy Jenson-Elliott 
Illustrator: Mary Peterson 
Publisher: Beach Lane Books 
Publication Date: March 1st, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: Dig in to this vibrant picture book that celebrates all the surprises found down in the dirt!

I dig in the dirt...and find a seed.
Seed waits.
I dig in the dirt...and find a spider.
Spider runs.

Explore all of the creepy, crawly, dirty, muddy, green, and growing things that can be found outside in the garden. From pill bugs to worms to leafy green sprouts, young readers will love discovering the muddy garden habitat within the pages of this book—and outside in their own backyards!This sweet and playful celebration of outdoor exploration is a perfect read aloud for story time.  
What I Think: Little Bean and I enjoyed predicting our way through this repetitive down-in-the-dirt picture book! This is a perfect book for little ones to talk about what they might find in the dirt and to try and predict what they find in the dirt. We especially had fun talking about words like sprout and pill bug - we call them rollie pollies! And I've heard them called doodle bugs. Even a simple text can be great to spark discussions, build vocabulary, and get kids brainstorming their own ideas for stories. 
     As a mentor text, you can read this book and invite kids to write their own dirt adventure stories or maybe they write a similar style book with a different setting instead!
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 1 
Read Alone: Grade Pre-K - 1 
Read With: Up, Tall, High! by Ethan Long, The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
Writing Prompts: Write about what you have discovered in the dirt!  
Topics Covered: Integration - Science, Discovery, Exploration 

I *heart* It:

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Books for 

a copy of Dig In! in exchange for an honest review!*

WATCH: Story Pirates Documentary

Today I'm sharing a documentary that gives insight into an organization called Story Pirates. They write with kids and then take their original stories and make them into skits with professional actors. How fun is that!? 

When I watched this, I noticed how much fun they are having! I love writing but I'm always striving to keep that love of writing present in my process. Just because I love it doesn't mean it's easy. 

I really liked listening to Anaya talk about writing:

"I love to write because I can make it 

and I can make a story any way I want. 

And I can always make 

everything my way. 

My own thing. 

When I wrote it, 

I was just making it up 

at the top of my head. 

I wasn't even planning it out. 

I just wrote it 

and then it felt free 

and then it turned out to be 

such a great story." 

I'm empowered by her words. We can write whatever we want to write, we can do it our own way, we can just write and fell the freedom in just writing. And maybe it will turn out to be a great story. I believe it will. 

Watch and think about how much fun these kids are having. How might you bring some light-heartedness to your writing? Maybe you get up and dance before you write, maybe you write based on something silly you overheard today, maybe you don't plan, maybe you just write and let your ideas flow.

Thanks for being reflective today, 

looking at your life as a writer, and exploring your story with me today!

I'm glad you are here.

Twenty Yawns

Title: Twenty Yawns
Author: Jane Smiley 
Illustrator: Lauren Castillo 
Publisher: Two Lions 
Publication Date: April 1st, 2016
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
GoodReads Summary: Featuring lyrical text and beautiful illustrations, this bedtime tale from Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo evokes the splashy fun of the beach and the quietude of a moonlit night, with twenty yawns sprinkled in for children to discover and count.

As her mom reads a bedtime story, Lucy drifts off. But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?  
What I Think: I've had days and nights just like Lucy in Twenty Yarns and I imagine lots of readers have too! Sometimes even after a wonderful long day, it's still hard to fall asleep. The text and the illustrations in Twenty Yawns come together perfectly to make this a quiet adventure. As a mentor text, this is a great book for thinking about tone and mood. Ask students to pay attention to the words and how they make them feel. Then look at how the words help bring about those feelings. So much of building the world around us with words helps us to feel without just saying how we feel. Show don't tell at its finest!
     I also really love this text for making connections. There are so many connections to make with this text. I imagine many kids will have memories of being at the beach with their family but even if some kids don't, I'm guessing they all will have a memory of being in bed when the whole house is asleep but you are wide awake. I try to read before I go to bed and usually get a more restful night of sleep if I do instead of watching TV before I go to bed. This is an opportunity to talk to kids about healthy habits and to maybe help them brainstorm what they might do as their bedtime routine. 
     Readers are going to love yawning along with Lucy in Twenty Yawns and waiting to see what happens as she tries to get to sleep!
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 2 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 2 
Read With: Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, Orion And The Dark by Emma Yarlett
Snatch of Text:  

"Outside Lucy's bedroom, the sun

was sinking below the horizon.

Strips of clouds were pink and red.

Lucy put her pajamas on inside out,

climbed into bed, and yawned a big

YAWN."

Writing Prompts: Write about a time when you were awake at night and you had to help yourself get back to sleep. 

Topics Covered: Family, Imagination, Determination 

Additional Resources: Check out the Twenty Yawns Activity Kit!

I *heart* It:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Thanks to Blue Slip Media for 

a copy of Twenty Yawns in exchange for an honest review 

and the opportunity to offer the giveaway above!

READ: The Crossroads of Should and Must

In the last five years, I've had three new-to-me jobs and changed school districts. When I first started teaching, I was pretty sure I was going to be a special education teacher forever. And here I am still in education but definitely in a different career path than I expected. 

I'm a blogger and a writer. My dreams of connecting with other writers has expanded in the past few years. And here I am with two blogs devoted to writing - one dedicated to education and one a bit broader. 

How did I get here? It was my first job change that forced me to examine my shoulds and my musts. When I left teaching, I realized I had moved into a position that I felt I should work hard at. I'm a dedicated worker, I put my heart into my work and doing my best. But I realized what I must be spending my time on is really my family and my writing and my yoga practice. My shoulds and my musts weren't matching up.  

This book is full of suggestions for how to recognize your shoulds and zone in on your musts...and then helpful ideas for how to relish and make the most of your must - to follow your passions. It's awesome!

This book is vibrant and inspiring and grounding at the same time. It reads quickly but it's powerful. If you think you know your shoulds and your musts or if you think you might need some help opening your eyes to your shoulds and your musts, this book is for you! Just think about this quote:

"If you're not prioritizing the things you say you care about,

consider the possibility that you don't actually care about those things.

Often, knowing what we want is the hardest part. 

What do you want? Do you know?" (p. 97)

There's a power in writing to uncover your shoulds and your musts. Writing helps me see into my heart and I'm sure it can help you. 

I find power in others telling their stories and I hope you do too!

Check out It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at Book Date

For the kidlit version, visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/4/2016

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them. 

Last Week's Book Adventures:

I'm still reading Ms. Bisby's Last Day by John David Anderson and Kingdom Keepers with Peanut. Little Bean is in love with an interactive Human Body book that we have and we've read it a few times!

Reviewed Last Week:

 

 

Click on any picture above to go read my review/post.

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

I'm still hoping to finish up Ms. Bixby's Last Day and to keep reading Kingdom Keepers with Peanut!

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to read these reviews/posts. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!

To help build our community and support other bloggers, 

we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you. 

Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

EXPLORE This Week: BLISS

Mindfulness through writing is a powerful thing. 

I invite you to take a few minutes. 

Free write, 

make a list, 

write a poem, 

craft a blog post, 

draw a doodle, 

take a picture. 

You pick. 

BLISS is your word to explore this week.

Share your story in the comments! I can't wait to read about your week!

Thanks for exploring your story with me!  

Psst! Yes, you!

Wanna read what I wrote about when I explored the word bliss this week?

Sign up for my newsletter here!

JOIN: Celebrate This Week - This Is Your Life

Every Saturday, join me as I CELEBRATE This Week 

with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.

In the 50's, there was a show called This is Your Life. They would chose a celebrity and surprise them with people who had influenced their life.

I only know the show This Is Your Life from watching Sesame Street when I was little. Here's an example of their version of This Is Your Life for the character Forgetful Jones.

Here's a clip from when Dick Clark was on the show in 1959! It's so fun to watch and gets me choked up. 

 

This Is Your Life celebrates the power of connection between people. Seeing others and honoring the miracle in each of us contributes to the dents we make in the universe. I've heard these people referred to as balcony people and marigolds. Whatever we call them, they see us. And it makes all the difference.

Today I'm celebrating one such person. Ms. Bacigalupi - now Mrs. Zimmerman - was my freshman and sophomore high school English teacher. I got to have coffee with her over spring break. In my head, it felt like a mini-This Is Your Life. We talked about books and writing and teaching and it was so great to see her, especially considering books and writing and teaching is my life now.

If they ever decide to bring back the show This Is Your Life and for some crazy reason bring me on the show, there would be tons of people who have believed in me over the years. I'm so so so lucky. Maybe there are people who have influenced and believed in you!

What are you celebrating this week? 

Who might you celebrate? 

THIS is your life, so celebrate!

I've got (virtual) confetti at the ready. 

Thanks for stopping in to explore with me!

WRITE: The Miracle of Life

When my oldest son was born, my aunt called it a miracle. I inwardly rolled my eyes. I held a precious little person who I helped create in my arms but I had friends who struggled with infertility or C-sections and knew stories of babies or moms not making it through delivery. 

With all the things that could have gone wrong but didn't, his birth didn't feel like a miracle. Don't get me wrong, I'll never ever forget first looking into his eyes. He saw straight to the core of my soul and captured my heart forever and always but I thought she was being a bit dramatic by using the word miracle. 

Almost nine years later and after blogging about how scientists have figured out that the odds of you being born are 1 in 400 trillion, I understand where she was coming from. 

I was wrong, we are all miracles. 

Life is a miracle.

Thanks to Google, here are a few definitions for the word "miracle':

• a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

• a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.

• an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.

YOU are a surprising and welcome event. 
YOU bring welcome consequences. 
YOU are an outstanding example of a human being. 

YOU are a wonder, 
a marvel, 
a sensation, 
a phenomenon.

WE are miracles. 

Let's live up to being outstanding and to making a positive difference by being here. You're doing good work. Keep it up.

Let's Write! Explore what the word "miracle" means to you! How did reading the definitions confirm, expand, or redefine your thoughts about the word miracle? What are some ways you might bring welcome consequences to people you encounter today? Tomorrow? This week? This months? This year? What are some things you can do to make the most of this miracle is you?

You are a wonder. Thanks for stopping by!

The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin

Title: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin 
Author: Elinor Teele
Publisher: Walden Pond Press 
Publication Date: April 12th, 2016 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: A quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about a young boy who runs away from home with his sister to escape working in the family coffin business—and discovers even more adventure than he bargained for.

John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his litter sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job: building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel great-aunt Beauregard. Having lost their parents when Page was a baby, how else are they supposed to survive?

Perhaps by taking an enormous risk—a risk that arrives in the form of a red-haired scamp named Boz. When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page sign on with Boz and hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home, they realize, isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives. Elinor Teele’s picaresque debut is a rollicking tale filled with wild adventures, daring escapes, and—thanks to Boz—more than a little catastrophe. 
What I Think: I'm a huge Roald Dahl fan. I love his stories - the gentle characters, their usually crummy circumstances and how they get through it all with a little help from their friends who see the good in them. When I say that The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin reminds me of Roald Dahl's stories it's definitely a major compliment. I was immediately sucked into this book, worried about John and his sister and hoping they would figure out how to stand up to their Great-Aunt Beauregard...but I had no idea the adventure I would get to go on with them. 
     As a mentor text, the description is amazing! I love it. All of it. The characters come to life. There are so many characters! And yet you get a true sense of each of them. The more I write, the more I marvel at how authors take a character and bring them to life for readers. Even supporting characters can be so full of life. It's still amazing to me and I'm always looking at examples of how to do this. If you or your students are looking at characters and how to bring them to life, read this book as a mentor text!
Read Together: Grades 3 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 7 
Read With: Matilda by Roald Dahl, Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Snatch of Text:  
"Pludgett was where the Coggins had always lived - a grim, grimy respectable city on the edge of a grim, grimy, respectable bay." (p. 5)

"Life would have been a lot easier for John if he were dumb. Unluckily for him, he was cursed with imagination. He was always coming up with incredible creations - Bicycle plows! Amphibious velocipedes! Spaceships that slingshotted around the sun! - anything that would free him from the deadening sight of plank after plank." (p. 9)

"'Building a story is like any other invention, John my lad,' he would say. 'Guts and gung-ho at the beginning, struggles and surprises in the middle, and the glorious moment when everything comes right.'" (p. 11)
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you had to stand up for something you really wanted in your life even though it wasn't what others knew you wanted or needed. 
Topics Covered: Family, Friendship, Loyalty, Kindness, Determination, Hope, Imagination, Curiosity 

I *heart* It:

*Thanks to Walden Pond Press for 

a copy of The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin in exchange for an honest review**