Wonders of the Pond

This text would be coupled well with a picnic or mere outing to an actual pond. Leigh Grant's  beautiful brush strokes breath life into any general science unit.

Sunshine Makes the Seasons

The sun is the only star in our solar system. I never think about it that way, even though shapes my daily existence. This is # 2 of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science.

Little Bear Sleeping

Tony Johnston continues the Little Bear theme of heartwarming stories nestled in a cozy wood.

Ok, so I'm on an out-doorsy kick. Summer has officially arrived and the world around me is alive with crickety sounds, pesky mosquitoes, bubbling creeks, and verdant leaves. Severe thunderstorms (like the one rocking the couch as I type) limit me to the second best way of experiencing summer...reading of course!

Nuts to You!

What do you do with a furry invader? Our little protagonist finds himself trapped in an apartment one summery afternoon, and his escape route necessarily involves what squirrels love most -- nuts! Each page of this interactive picture book labels insects and other creatures. The glossary in the back offers nifty details about woodland animals. Ehlert is a master story-teller, but the cut-paper collage illustrations are equally inspiring.
Lexile: 0430L

Little Bear

Each of Little Bear's 4 adventures promise emerging readers an exciting and imaginative process.

While hiking in NC this weekend, I was fortunate enough not to meet any bears. Somehow the real-life prospect doesn't warm my heart quite the same way the literary version does. I'm a life-long fan of Little Bear, Winnie the Pooh, Berenstains Bears, etc. 

Lexile: 370L

Rain Forest Animals

I give you this text,  in honor of Georgia's rainy season.

Stones into School

The saga continues. Mortenson recounts the efforts of the Central Asia Institute in Pakistan and Asia during earthquake relief and military initiatives.

Three Cups of Tea

I'm interning with the Children's and Family ministry here. My supervisor passed along Greg Mortenson's book, as we had left-overs from our recent VBS. This year's theme was Going Global with God: Pakistan, so the planning team read Mortenson's books to get a feel for the current state of affairs.

While attempting to climb  the Karakoram mountains in 1993, Mortenson found himself the recipient of robust Pakistani hospitality. He committed to building a school for the villagers who helped; the relationship blossomed and Mortenson continued to build over fifty schools over the ensuing years.

Apparently his memoir's are controversial. Some dispute the veracity of his claims to have built so many schools. Read more about that here. I have not read either of his books, but will eventually.

June Daily Comprehension

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..." The Miranda Warning. Ernesto Miranda's 1963 arrest, confession, and subsequent guilty sentence lead lawyers to advocate for just suspect treatment which entails a full disclosure of suspect rights. I've certainly taken those rights for granted; who knew that my grandparents, aunts, and uncles could have been tried in court without ever hearing this infamous line? Despite Miranda's second chance in court, justice still sent him to prison. You'll have to read the full entry for June 13th to find out why. 

Garage Sale 2.0 #7 & 8: I've Never Seen a Worm Like You & A Raindrop Hit My Nose

For the life of me, I can not get these photos flipped around! It's got to be something ridiculously simple, but I'm completely baffled. ANYHOO.

The rhymes in these two books teach readers about caterpillars turning into butterflies and the water cycle, respectively. Otherwise know as our amazing world. 

Garage Sale 2.0 #6: I Saw a Slimeball Wiggle

Meta-what??? Slimeballs transform themselves into frogs. Seriously. It's called metamorphosis. Ray Butram's Our Amazing World Series presents science in an engaging, colorful, format that is easy to grasp. This is the first in the series, and I was lucky enough to snag a few more!

e. e. cummings: complete poems 1904-1962 & i thank you God for most this amazing...

He doesn't punctuate his sentences. I was aghast by this celebrated author's poor of mechanics until mom explained that "he did that on purpose".  Really??? The next logical question was whether or not I could throw out upper case too...i attempted as much when she wasn't looking.

e.e. cummings was my mother's favorite. I love the fact that my meat and potatoes, future-home-maker-of-America thoroughly appreciated cummings' modern style. His work is dear to my spirit as well -- particularly this piece (hear the author's own reading). Eric Whitacer's composition for SATB is beautiful (of course), but Gwyneth Walker's SSA captivates me every time I hear it. Incidentally, cummings' burial site is located in the region where I will soon dwell. This move is a major uprooting, a cause for reflection and thanks.

i thank you God for most this amazing... (65)

e.e. cummings

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

The Grouchy Ladybug

Speaking of telling time, Eric Carle thoroughly won me over with this sweet, colorful tale! I've always been a fan of ladybugs, and now I know why : ) Eric Carle does a marvelous job of weaving colors, numbers, clock-reading, animals, phonemic awareness, opposites, and character formation into a cohesive fable. I love it! My four year old reading pal did too. So we decided to make our own ladybug mosaic from old magazines. Of course, we discussed the story in between pieces of print, drops of glue, and declarations from the little one: "This is fun. I like this!" When you find a good story, the possibilities are endless.


560L

Garage Sale 2.0 #6: Keep on Looking

More art! I'm not sure what this is a companion to, but it stands find on it's own. Paint, glue, and color yourself through!

Garage Sale 2.0 #5: All About Time

Neil Postman, in his 1980s classic, comments that educators rarely address the "philosophy of clocks" or the concept of "moment-to-moment." Time is a broad concept with diverse cultural manifestations. The current Western paradigm is a departure from centuries of human practice.  Is the job well done when little Chris can accurately read the face of a clock? This book suggests as much, though I'm inclined to think that "telling time" is just an intro to the lesson.

Garage Sale 2.0 #4: Practice Power Workbook

"A-B-C-D-E-F-G"...this time in lowercase!