My daughter is fifteen today. Fifteen.

Fifteen!

She is beautiful, loving, and FIFTEEN.

She interacts with friends easily,

participates in class, and in general, is helpful.

She’s daddy’s girl with his true, blue eyes,

loves golf and smiling with him.

She’s adored, cherished, and protected

by dad plus two brothers.

She advocates for herself and others who don’t.

She’s a good friend, a listener and encourager.

She’s a flutist, a freshman, and

giggles incessantly at the little things.

She’s my only daughter, the young lady who shares her dreams,

makes my heart swell with joy, love, and admiration.

Her smiles and written words are posted nearby,

melting my heart.

My daughter is fifteen, FIFTEEN!

I love her.

Happy Birthday, E!

Emily Gravett

The simpleness yet carefully paired dogs, in the book called Dogs, is a natural text to teach compare and contrast. It promotes a structure children can duplicate with topics they know.

All through the text, the narrator shares her love for dogs. On my first read, I assumed the narration to be one character and was very surprised in the end. I can’t spoil it. You will have fun, I guarantee. Your students will be sharing stories and Dogs will provide a catalyst for writing at any grade level. Have fun. I’d love to hear your classroom stories.

View Emily Gravett’s author videos at Reading Rockets. There are ten short, worthwhile videos (each 1 to 3 minutes in length). She talks about how she began her writing, illustrating, and even reads one of her books, Monkey and Me. Coming from the United Kingdom, your students will enjoy hearing her accent and learning about this read author. I also highly recommend checking her website out. She has activities for children and background on her books. There is even a contest linked with her book, Again. Children can write to her.

Another 1.5 minute video shows Emily drawing process.

Emily shows children how she illustrates a book for another author with her newest book, Cave Baby.

Savorings for reading and writing for Dogs:

• Compare/Contrast
• Repeating Structure
• surprize ending
• Perspective
• Expert topic to use as a mentor text

Isn't he cute?

Reptiles and amphibians are not creatures I want as pets. My boys have always liked them, so we would read out them and observe them at the zoo. Frogs are creatures I can tolerate. No, I don’t want to touch them, but their coloring is brilliant and stunning. They are down-right cute (as long as they are behind glass). I guess that’s why I fell in love with the book,  Red-Eyed Tree Frog. It is one of my favorite touchstone texts.

Scholastic copyright 1999

The shortened text is packed with rich writerly craft. Joy Cowley introduces the red-eyed tree frog to children in a connecting way. She focuses on the way the creature needs food, just like humans. She invites children to interact with the text by asking key questions. In the back of the book, Joy features two pages of information to deepen the curiosity of the young biologists.

Nic Bishop exquisite photos will hook your children. He allows the reader to meet the frog up close and personal. His photos of the frog waking, jumping, and finally eating are focused and intimate. The book will be well sought after by all your young readers.

Savorings for reading and writing for Red-Eyed Tree Frog:

• Compare/Contrast
• Setting lead
• Interjection
• Compound subject
• Pronoun usage
• Varied Sentences
• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Ellipse
• Sequential
• Bookend ending

Girls love to dress up, pretending to be someone grander than they are. Each dreams of being in the lime light and full of adventure. Jennifer Fosberry captures the little girl dreamer in her book, My Name is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream.

View the one minute book trailer.

Isabella is a young girl full of hopes and dreams. As she goes through her daily routine, Isabella pretends to be a famous, historical woman. The book encourages children to believe they can achieve any career activity they want.

“I am Helen, the greatest, kindest librarian of all.”

Watch the below one minute YouTube video of how illustrator, Mike Litwin, transforms a one page sketch into a colorful scene.

This book will spark ideas for every young student who has dreamed of being someone. It will create conversation around making goals and believing in themselves.

A companion book for boys is called My Name is Not Alexander.

Savorings for reading and in writing for My Name is Not Isabella:

• Imagination
• Dreams/ goals
• Repeating Structure
• Superlatives – toughest, fastest, bravest, smartest,
• Bookend – begins day, ends day

It’s not that our kids don’t laugh; many times they are making cynical remarks or listening to their music or doing homework. Sharing stories and laughing for over a half an hour – it’s just a rarity. I wanted to stop time … and video it all. We’d probably win $10,000 on America’s Funniest Videos. The viewers would begin to laugh even if they couldn’t understand the words. The cheerful pitches spurred a million endorphins through our three teenagers’ brains.

I’ve noticed this positive change the past few weeks, ever since our trip to Florida. The sunshine did cheer our spirits, but our two youngest got a taste of not having their senior brother around for four days. They had been remarking, almost reveling in the fact that Wes will be out of the house in the fall. “My own room,” our youngest declares. “No more bossing,” our daughter states. Yet deep down, past the annoying remarks and sibling nuisance, our three teens like each other.

So I grab this slice, this moment in time, and … smile.

I laugh and hold and savor the moment.

Laughter… vibrate through our beings, warm our hearts, and connect our spirits. We…are…family! <3

Our son began “driving” when he was very young. He drove his Matchbox cars around, his Tonka trucks, and his red wagon. He was a driver. Driving is instinctive for boys. They make broom, broom noises and putter around. You can only smile when you see a little one maneuvering around.

Hallie Durand grabbed this playfulness and created an adorable, fun book in Mitchell’s License. On the book jacket, she explains the origin of the game from an invented game her husband created for their children’s bedtime routine.

At age 3, Mitchell officially drives himself to bed on his remote control car (his dad). Sitting on his dad’s shoulders, Mitchell checks the engine and steers carefully, going from one place to another, ultimately finding his bed.

The story emulates the bong between father and son. I find the book to creative, taking an every-day moment and composing a story. Our kids can remember fun activities they imagined doing. This story triggered a memory of my oldest when he was 3 years old pulling his wagon. I was the gas station. Your kids could remember too. Read and wait for the stories to arise.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Mitchell’s License:

• Small Moment – bedtime routine
• Make Believe – a dad transforms into a car
• Kinder and first grade – illustrations your children will imitate
• Magic of 3
• Specific language about a vehicle – coasted, honk, blinkers

Warsaw Community Public Library (new book – 2011; Candlewick Press)

One student I conferred with was writing about football. He had written, “One afternoon, I played football.” I asked him what his purpose was for writing this piece. Jay said, “It was a great game. We won.” He had definite purpose.

We talked about how the action in the story could help share his purpose along with the illustration he had. I left and Jay busied himself with writing. When I checked back with him, he had written, “We played in the field. We won a trophy.” I then noticed a star between the last two sentences. I asked about the star. “I forgot to add in that he (pointing to his picture) threw the ball to me and I caught it.”

A large smile spread across his face. He was inspired and thrilled with his work. I was thrilled that my conferring had inspired him.

Marianne Berke

The Australian animal kingdom is the theme of this hybrid text. Each page features a mother and her babies, teaching specific vocabulary and verbs. Jill Dubin’s illustrations are adorable collages within the natural setting. She mingles texture into her illustrations, creating a 3D effect.

To connect your students to live animals, view the YouTube video of Steve Irwin at the Autralia Zoo Tour. (3 min. and 21 sec.)

Savorings for reading and in writing for Over in Australia: Amazing Animals Down Under:

• Math connections – counting 1 to 10
• Musical rhythm
• Repeating Structure
• Class book – interactive writing about your class, stats, subject matter
• Verbs – past tense with suffix -ed
• Surprise ending

Eliot is a quiet boy. He enjoys reading and playing quietly in his room. But when the clock strikes midnight, eliot morphs into a super hero. He saves the world. Adventure awaits him as he saves the world. One major crisis arises and Eliot is on the scene.

I love the ending.

“But being a Midnight Superhero is very tiring. it doesn’t leave Eliot with much energy. So by day … Eliot is quiet.”

Savorings for reading and in writing for Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero:

• Character Description
• Bookend
• Magic of 3
• Adjectives
• Transitions between scenes
• Repeating Structure

Irena Sendler is one account of a brave heroine during the Holocaust. Her story had remained silent until 1989. During the Warsaw Ghetto, Irene helped smuggle 2500 Jewish children to safety. She secretly hide the children’s identity on a list she buried in a jar.  When captured by the Nazis, Irene was sentenced to death. By a bribe from someone outside, Irene was miraculously able to escape. After the war, Irena began to reunite children and surviving parents. Read her story in the book, Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto, by Susan Goldman Rubin.

Sharing Irene’s story and others of the Holocaust, we have an opportunity to teach our children respect for others, to stand against bullies, and preserve life.

To hear Irena speak about her encounter with the Ghetto, introduce your children to the video clip of her (3 min.) I suggest viewing the pictures prior to showing it to your children. Young children may not fulling understand.

How her story was shared.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Irena  Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto:

• Biography with tension
• Quotes
• Snapshot
• Important details – summarizing
• Community building

PES new book