Review of Autumn

I would like to feature some of the autumn topic books from last year.  I have begun to read some to classes and love the theme.  I have some new ones that I will be adding to starting tomorrow.  Enjoy the season.

Fall Books:

Fall is Here:  I Love It by Elaine Good

Peepers by Eve Bunting

Thanksgiving Books:

An Outlaw Thanksgiving by Emily Arnold McCully

Pilgrim Cat by Carol Antoinette Peacock

Sara Morton’s Day:  A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl  by Kate Walters

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac

The Very First Thanksgiving by Rhonda Gowler Greene

 

Adverbs

I remember learning the rules a kid.  I did well, because I was good at rote learning.  But I remember how grammar concepts just didn’t make sense.  As I think back, I guess it didn’t make sense, because I wasn’t applying the skills to my writing.  In fact, I remember doing skill sheets, but I don’t remember actual writing until it came to learning term papers.  I also remember diagramming sentences.  I thought it was neat how the lines would sprout off.  I didn’t quite remember how it helped me write better.  Oh, I do think I understood adjectives and adverbs, but the direct object?  Who cared? 

Now, I have to teach grammar skills to students.  I want the concepts to make sense to them.  I want them to have a purpose in learning about the parts of speech, and to apply it in their own writing. 

I came across a series of books called If You Were an (name the part of speech).  I’m featuring If You Were an Adverb today.  It makes sense.  The visual illustrations demonstrate the word usage, making the rule clearer.  Each two page layout explains a rule or clue to go along with the part of speech.  For example, the ‘ly’ is the “tail” on an adverb:  perfectly, speedily.

The font accentuates the adverb to show the reader the part of speech.  The illustrator uses a different size, style, and color for the adverb.  This helps the reader to recognize the part of speech and its usage in a sentence.  As a teacher, you can read each section and ask the students to try it in their writing.  You could use it to create classroom charts.  The books are a great way to teach the skill that will then be reinforced, as Jeff Anderson shows in Everyday Editing.

As a connection, the author added a classroom activity at the end.  he encourages the students to role play the adverb.  Very creative way to help the kinesthetic learner understand the concept of the adverb.

Included is website sources to go to for further learning opportunities.  The website is www.facthound.com, but you need the special codes to link you to the other related activities.

Wishes

I was browsing through books in the Half-Price Bookstore and came across this book, The Wishing Chair.  I was not familiar with the author.  Reading the book jacket and then reading part of the text, I realized that this book would be good mentor text with gathering ideas for writing.  Often children do not think about using their daydreams as possible writing ideas.  I also wanted to show that you can find great ideas in most any book.

The Wishing Chair is Rick Dupre’s first book (1993).  He shares on the book jacket that he had a wishing place as a child.  He spent time pretending with his siblings, the basis for the book.

Young boy, Eldon, spends time with his grandmother.  For entertainment, Eldon fantasizes.  He fantasizes that the yard is a jungle in the African safari, exploring animals.  Inside the house, Eldon fantasizes that the green cushions become boats in the alligator infested swamp.  What fun!

Grandma is always around, sewing, singing, or sharing stories.  She would have Eldon sit in the wishing chair.  In the wishing chair, Eldon would hear her stories about famous African-Americans and dream about making a difference.

Later in life, when Grandma is moving from her house, Eldon stops to reflect on his childhood memories.  He realizes these African-Americans are heroes, paving the way for his dreams of college and a career.

Savorings for reading and in writing for The Wishing Chair:

• Imagination – “Granny’s yard was perfect for a game of Captain Explorer.”
• Sensory Setting – “Teh smell of her peonies was sweet in the heavy summer air.“
• Passage of Time – “As Eldon grew older,…“
• Simile – “a hug with her round warm -as-a-quilt arms“
• Family Stories – “Granny’s little house was overflowing with wonderful memories.”
• Day Dreams – ideas for writing
• Civil Rights Movement – brief history of famous African-Americans

Pumpkin Eye

Denise Fleming introduces Halloween and its activities in Pumpkin Eye.  The text is written with short phrases that rhyme.  The words are so beautifully placed.  I marvel at the way Denise creates some frolicking fun and entices an eerie mood.  Much thought was put into the placement of the individual words.  Several authors I’ve heard speak share how each word counts within a shortened text.  I wonder how long it took Denise to create this rhythmic rhyme.

At first, I thought this book was mainly for younger grades.  but just as I have spent time examing this text, upper grade students could do so as well.   Word play, placement of words, is an activity to study and contemplate with our students.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Pumpkin Eye:

• Repeating phrase – “Trick or Treat  ____ Pounding feet, jack-o’-lanterns line the street“
• Sensory detail – sight, sounds, feeling; swooping bats, hissing cats… (I find it interesting words ending in ‘ed’ or’ ing’ are not just verbs as I was taught, but they can be adjectives too.)
• Parts of Speech – with short phrases, you can examine and categorize them:  verbs, nouns, adjectives,
• Verbs vs. Adjectives – pounding feet or feet pounding
• Rhyming  – excellent for a poetry study

Trick or Treat?

Stopping by my local library, I found a new book.  I always notice the picture books on display behind the circulation desk.  I’ve learned that the librarians display their favorite books (well, at least the most current favorite ).  Trick or Treat by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson was on display.  I’ve never seen this book, although the copyright is 2002.  that’s what I love about books – they are treasures no matter if brand new or old. 

I teach children to take notice of an author’s fingerprints.  Each of us have our favorite authors.  We begin to notice his or hers style.  Recognizing Bill Martin Jr.’s name, I knew some poetic rhyme or rhythm would be used in his book, Trick or Treat?

I wasn’t disappointed.  A young boy is ready to go trick-or-treating through his apartment building.  After some safety reminders, he heads off with his mom.  The text takes you on a numerical journey up ten floors and back down.  bill uses a predictable structure for each scene. 

At each apartment, the boy is given a treat.  Reaching the tenth floor, Magic Merlin delivers a ‘trick’ to the young boy and makes everything “WackBards” (backwards).  Descending on each floor, the first letters of each treat title is changed creating a trick.  For example, Tangerine Drops change to Dangerine Tops.  I had to use the illustrations to create some understanding of the new vocabulary words. 

Savorings for reading and in writing for Trick or Treat?:

• Alliteration – each character has the same sound for his/her first and last names
• Safety Tips – the mother reminds her son about the safety tips for trick-or-treating
• Climax – excellent for teaching a the climax of the story; could use a mountain graph
• Possessive – daddy’s hug
• Predictable structure – each person the boy goes to greet says the same thing
• Math – numerical order:  second, third, fourth

Lapse

Between illness, family matters, and break, I’ve fallen behind.  I have been writing, just haven’t blogged.  I will have one on by Friday, Oct. 30.  I apologize for the wait.

Splat the Cat

Rob Scotton has created a tale about an everyday happening – going to school.  Splat is a cat in the tale Splat the Cat.  It’s the first day of cat school for splat.  He’s worried.  You are invited as a reader to climb into the character’s mind.  The author italicized Splat’s thinking.  On one of the pages, you can see the contrast between dialogue and thinking.  The text has fewer sentences on the page, so your students can see the examples clearly.

Rob Scotton’s illustrations are fun and cozy.  I feel like I’m in the room with the cats.  Splat is unusual in that he has a mouse as his pet.  When he goes to school, he learns what a good cat does.  One rule is that cats chase mice.  Splat wonders why and questions his teacher.  She doesn’t have a sturdy answer, so through Splat’s power of persuasion, the class decides that they do not have to chase mice.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Splat the Cat:

• Alliteration – wiggled wildly with worry
• Character Thinking – italicize wording
• Everyday Happening – nervous about going to school and doing something new
• Wondering – Splat asks the teacher questions and wants a valid answer besides “because”.
• Bookending the Story – “Today was his second day at Cat School, and his tail wiggled wildly… with excitement.”
• Character Twist – a cat has a mouse as a friend
• Inferring – The illustrations add more emotion and understanding to the text.  The children will need to pay attention to Splat’s actions.

PES Library book and Warsaw Public Libray

Electron Microscopes

When our family visited the Science Center in Cleveland, OH this past summer, I stumbled upon a book in the gift shop.  The book was called Blood & Gore, Like You’ve Never Seen! by Vicki Cobb.  The cover’s illustration caught my eye:  magnified blood cells.  Since I have been keeping my eyes open for books that might grab boys’ attention, I thought the title itself made the book a keeper.

Vicki Cobb brings nonfiction alive.  The large, vivid photographs are intriguing.  I don’t particularly enjoy science, but I have enjoyed perusing this book.  The illustrations support the definition by giving the reader a real visualization of the explanation.  This book would be a great for helping build background knowledge.

I noticed that the copyright of the book is 1997.  This book is not a new one and going to Vicki Cobb’s website, I found a great resource.  Vicki has several short (one to two minute) videos that demonstrate great science concepts.

 

Savorings for reading and in writing for Blood & Gore, Like You’ve Never Seen!:

• Nonfiction – bringing science to life
• Visualization – magnified photos (red blood cell is magnified more than nine million times its actual size)
• Vocabulary – bolded and represented visually
• Index
• Checking Comprehension – great text to use as each section is short

 

Brothers

Brothers.  My husband, Rick, shares stories about growing up with his brother, B.  Although Rick was always five years younger than B, Rick would try his hardest to be as good as his brother.  He wanted to be with his brother all the time.  By high school, they were doing many activities together.  They are still close, even though we are miles apart.

Tiki and Ronde Barber had a special brotherly relationship.  As twins, they must have done a lot together.  They collaborated with Robert Burleigh to create the book,  By My Brother’s Side.  Many students are intrigued with the fact that the authors are pro-football players.  Elementary students relate to the story as well with the brothers being their age doing activities they are involved in.

The story begins at the start of summer.  They are heading out to explore with their bikes, where a dare meets disaster.  Tiki has a bike accident that impairs his leg, forcing him to stay off of it for the summer.  The theme shows the boys being together through it all.  The book is an excellent, rich text that’s filled with huge teaching points.  Enjoy the great read!

Savorings for reading and writing for By My Brother’s Side:

• Passage of Time – the story takes place through the summer months, highlighting the most important;  “July was long and hot.  whenever Ronde would go out to play baseball, Tiki would say, “Maybe I could just--”
• Stretching a Scene – with each month, a scene is highlighted with the boys talking together
• Perseverance – Ronde walked fast.  Tiki limped behind.  “Come on, Tiki.  You can do it.  I know you can.  We’re supposed to meet Chris in five minutes.“
• Semi-colon – Finally, the doctor gave his orders:  no more brace.
• Importance of Studying – Before practice Ronde and Tiki sat under the bleachers with their notebooks spread out.  “Homework first,” their mom always said.

Happy 1 Year Anniversary

BookSavors began a year ago today.  Wow!  I’m amazed.  When my dear friend, Ruth, encouraged me to begin writing about  books, I didn’t foresee today.  I only thought of my beginning.  I needed to get started.   The first step seemed to be the hardest.  Writing is risk-taking, and I thank you, my audience, for being a part of this.  You have encouraged me to continue writing.  By writing, I have learned a lot about myself as an author.  Some days, the words flow.  Other days, I feel like I’m repeating myself.  And even other days, I hit writer’s block.  I reach high levels of euphoria and lower levels struggling with time.  This year has been an adventure, a true learning experience that has stretched me.

I am curious.  What books have been a favorite for you? Share with me by commenting.  I’d really appreciate hearing from you.

I look forward to this next year, finding more treasures in books and savoring each along the way.