Garage Sale 2.0 #3: The Kingfisher Young People's Book of Music

What is music? Where did it come from? How has humanity produced music over time? This introductory text provides an overview of the above. The authors cover the science of sound as well as various instruments created throughout history. While there is a "world music" section, the emphasis is predominately western. This is a draw back, but an awareness of music's development in the West is essential to college prep. 

Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944

Walter Dean Myers thrusts the 21st. century reader into the heat of the Normandy invasion. Scott Collins' journal follows the gritty battle through the perspective of a young American soldier. This engaging first-person narrative builds background knowledge that brings social studies to life.  Myers' poignant depiction of the soldier's life allows readers relate to the many youth who fought and sacrificed for this nation.

As an avid Dear America fan, I picked up this book back in the day, skeptical about the plot of a boy's "journal".  My first thought after reading a few entries was this is better than "Saving Private Ryan." I always wanted to get inside the characters heads, and Myers finally took me there. Though this is the only title I've read in the My Name Is America Series, I am confident that this series is a wonderful way to achieve content area literacy.  Plus, every American child needs to know and feel that they are a part of this country's grand narrative. Instructional texts alone are not enough to foster that awareness. Rich historical fiction such as Myers' work engages readers holistically, leaving them poised to discover their role in the American story.

Reading Level from Lexile: 810L

Garage Sale 2.0: #2 Paper Clip Jewelry

Here's another art instructional...because everyone needs a pair of paper clip earrings : ) My students will be exercising their creativity to recycle classroom materials. Conservation, grade-school style!  I'll be looking for more ideas at the Decatur Arts Fest today. 

Garage Sale 2.0 #1 Draw 50 Baby Animals

Drawing isn't for everyone. If you know a student who struggles to produce basic sketches, this book may be for him or her. Step-by-step illustrations are always helpful for visual learners. I'm attempting to expand the variety of texts in my library. The new additions include books about art, sports, and music. Speaking of which, I'm off to the Decatur Arts Festival this afternoon. Who knows what treasure awaits!

Garage Sale 2.0: Hidden Treasure

In a nutshell, I purchased 25 books (ranging from instructional texts to picture books) for a grand total of $6.50. Thank you Pastor and Mrs. Rose!

Ok, so it's not technically a kid's book, but I couldn't resist! It was a steal. My kitchen is all your's, Giada.

Literary Journey: Chicago

Old friends 

Familiar haunts 

renewed energy

ADVENTURE 

  New friends
 Tantalizing dishes

hidden treasure

This is my definition of travel. Every good trip entails at least one of the above; my recent vacay to Chicago was no exception. But what turns an ordinary excursion into an outstanding one? Literary journey's weave print throughout each of the afore mentioned elements, sowing scattered experiences deep   and cultivating them into soul-sustaining nourishment. 

Chicago marked my first literary journey of the summer. It's sort of a home-away-from-home, stateside. There is no better place to unwind after a rigorous semester! I embark on my next literary journey in two weeks. Lookout, New England! 

Daily Comprehension: May

I should have posted this a week ago. Better late than never!

Gone with the Wind

I shouldn't find it surprising that Mom was a devoted fan of this great American classic. Many women from her generation were infatuated with Mitchell's tragic characters. It all seemed a little to dramatic for my mother, the even-keeled, Midwestern Future Homemaker of America. Whatever it was that endeared her to Tara must have been the same agent which attracted her to my rebel-blooded father. Our Old-South lineage is studded with prominent historical figures. As a "Davis," my paternal grandmother is a descendant of both Robert E. Lee and the Davis -- Jefferson. I just learned from Dad that one of our great uncles makes a cameo appearance in the book as the doctor forced by Union soldiers to treat the wounded in Atlanta.

I still have not read the book, though Mom introduced me to the movie at 8 or 9 years old... I've been smitten with Clark Gable ever since. However, I have it on good authority that the book is a much greater epic than the movie. I picked up this copy nearly 2 years ago at a quaint thrift store in Siloam Springs, AR. This summer I plan to spend quality time with Ms. Mitchell and her legendary commentary on the Old South.

Someday You'll Write

Elizabeth Yeats began her writing career as an illiterate girl who cherished stories. She went on to become a distinguished 21st. century author, winning the Newbery Medal for Amos Fortune, Free Man. I remember reading that novel for school...I think Mom may have read it aloud.

Mom championed writing from day one. I recall her challenging me to write in my diary every day, "even if it is just a few sentences." That was at 8 or 9 years, when journaling every day was a still a novel idea. She passed this self-starter book along sometime during my elementary years. Oddly enough, I've never actually read it. A page here and there, yes -- but never a whole chapter. It has remained on my shelf, throughout six moves, college, and grad school.

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "It's the thought that counts." Cliché though it may be, I'm inclined to agree.  She thought I should write. She believed that I would write. She invested her life into cultivating my love for narrative and print...among other things :)  I'm giving the book another go tonight; perhaps someday I will write.

Happy Mothers Day 

Penny Lee Leonhard

June 1, 1951 - February 2, 2010

Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me

This is the quintessential Daddy-daughter bed time story. What father wouldn't climb a ladder to the moon and bring it home for his little girl? Monica's daddy doesn't play. I especially appreciate the extended page illustrating just how high her father climbed to capture the moon. They say the sky's the limit, but clearly "they" have not read Eric Carle. 

The Greedy Python

Talk about greedy! Eric Carle's imaginative illustrations tell it all. Tracking the gluttonous python's insatiable appetite is a great way to engage readers in making predictions and using context clues. So far, all of my learners have predicted the cannibalistic twist at the end. They can't wait to turn the page though, and see the scene unfold for themselves! 
p.s. 
I accidentally typed "the hungry python" into Google images. And nearly lost my lunch. Fascinating creatures, those pythons...

Today is Monday

Today is Tuesday, to be completely honest. That means spaghetti - woohoo! Monday means stringbeans, a.k.a. "yuck" according to my 4 yr. old charge. Don't let that stop you from making it to the ice cream on...Sunday (of course)! Eric Carle works are true modern classics. The illustrations lend themselves particularly to emerging readers and ELLs.

Monarch Butterfly

Did you know? Monarchs can...

... fly up to 12 miles per hour

...fly nearly 100 miles a day

...travel in flocks (?) of over a 1000

The four year old I nanny for was intrigued by this text, but her mother and I were the ones gushing "For real??? I never knew that!" Learn more about the butterfly's fascinating life-cycle in this beautifully illustrated instructional text.  Apparently I'm on a science kick...thanks to the mission field :)  


Ages 4-8

From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Happy May Day! April was a swirl of final papers, lesson plans, lightening storms, and new opportunities. I'm looking forward to a slower pace this summer...and blog love. Sorry for the neglect, but studies come first.

 From Caterpillar to Butterfly introduces early readers to the life cycle of a butterfly in bright, narrative format. Content area literacy, anyone? This is the first book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science series, written to engage young children. Science is fun!

Age Range: 3 to 6

Reading Level from Lexile: AD490L