As we approach the end of a busy school year, the focus on reading need to be reinforced. Here are some ideas from and excellent source.
Savvy. A Book to Discuss.
I’m still visiting my daughter in Australia and just finished reading a new book available through Green Gables Books. It’s one of those books that any adult would pick up and say “Oh it is just a children’s book.” But it isn’t that simple. The language of the book is quite rich and the ideas that are presented in it will make both young and old stop to ponder.
Savvy by Ingrid Law is a Newberry Honor Book and an Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List Pick among other honours. As the review from Publishers Weekly on the back says, “Short Chapters and cliffhangers keep the pace quick. And while road-trip books tend to be more about the journey than the destination, the ending….. is pretty perfect.”Yet to me, it is the journey in this book that is important.
Mibs Beaumont, actually named Mississippi, is part of a unique family who live right on the border of Kansas and Nebraska which they refer to as Kansaka-Nebransas. As in many cultures, where at the age of 13 there is a rite of passage, in the Beaumont family you get your “savvy”. Mibs turns 13 and her “savvy” is an integral part of this story and the journey.
I must interject here that the purpose of the journey is to see Mibs’ Poppa, because he has been seriously injured in a car accident in Salina, Kansas. Mibs feels she must get to her Poppa and so she, her brothers Fish and Samson, and the pastor’s rebellious daughter, Bobbi and her brother Will become stowaways in The Heartland Bible Supply truck.
The truck is driven by Lester, someone most of us would see as weak and unsuccessful but he has hidden qualities and as the story develops we see Lester grow into a strong and independent man. He is helped by Lill who comes into the story also as someone who is not making it in life but she has a tremendous amount of love and caring to share with everyone she meets.
As this strange crew travels around delivering bibles before getting to Salina, many odd and wonderful things occur and Mibs learns that her “savvy” is a valuable help in their journey.
The book is filled with thought provoking scenes and statements. One example is said when trying to explain what makes the Beaumont family special, “We get born and sometime later we die. And in between, we’re happy and sad, we feel love and we feel fear, we eat and we sleep and we hurt like everyone else. … We’ve just got know-how of a different flavor than most.” What a great equalizing thought that is for our global society!
There is a sweet, innocent romance in the story and Mibs handles it in a startlingly mature manner.
Her comment that she feels “too young and too old at the same time” is also a great discussion topic with a group of young adolescents.
During the journey each traveller in The Heartland Bible Supply truck changes and become stronger and more capable of dealing with their particular problem. They learn that “You never can tell when a bad thing might make a good thing happen. “ Mibs realizes that “good and bad are always there and always mixed up together in a tangle”
I found the book to be full of interesting possibilities. It might be a novel some teachers may consider for a literature circle novel study as there are many connections to be made and topics to discuss.
It’s worth a read!
Through Children’s Eyes
Hello from Down Under! I’ve come to Australia to visit my daughter and her family and to help out a bit while she recovers from surgery. During my visit I’m reading a few books for a Book Fair Talk that I’ll be doing when I get back.
I didn’t teach primary classes in my teaching career so novels aimed at the Grade 1 to 3 student are a new thing to me. They are quite an eye opener. Having my grandson, who is in Grade 1, with me as I read the books is also a revelation as I am amazed by his strong sense of right and wrong.
I’ve read 4 Primary novels – Hiro’s Quest Into the Fire, Roscoe Riley Rules #5 Don’t Tap Dance on Your Teacher, Meet the Kreeps Kicking and Screaming, and Calendar Mysteries January Joker. Each book has a different setting and theme but they all have a similar message – standing up for what is right.
It interests me that in each book the characters have a sense of justice and a drive to overcome inadequacies. Despite odds – such as older siblings who tease or a certain lack of confidence – they are strong enough to make good decisions.
In Hiro’s Quest Into the Fire by Tracey West, illustrated by Craig Phillips, a continuation of the first adventure of the Hinata family, Hiro takes his older siblings by surprise because of his sensible way of handling a dangerous quest for the Amulet of the Sun. He shows that despite still being a ninja in training he can make wise decisions.
Roscoe, the main character of the Roscoe Riley Rules series, by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Brian Biggs, teaches children that there are no “only boys can do this” or “only girls do that” in life. The book is an excellent way to initiate discussions about bias and gender discrimination with Primary students. One of the characters in the book is a male nurse – a good example of a non-traditional job for males.
Meet the Kreeps, by Kiki Thorpe, is also part of a series. In this book, Polly Winkler, one of the children in a very odd, blended family feels that she has no special talent like all of her siblings seem to possess. Polly is having a hard time fitting into her weird family and has to learn to try her best despite being challenged by another member of her soccer team. In the end Polly finds that she has the ability to do things on her own though a little help from a step-mother with magical powers is good too.
Older brothers and sisters can often tease and scare younger siblings. In the Calendar Mysteries January Joker, by Ron Roy, twins Bradley and Brian Pinto and their friends Nate and Lucy, have a scary adventure that is the work of their older siblings. The story deals with fears that young children have but also shows that they are able to handle situations well. When the police become involved, it is because the youngsters know that they can rely on them to help if they are in danger – a good choice. The parents in the story teach the children, both older and younger, a fair way to dole out punishment without being mean. The Calendar Mysteries are a favourite, easy reader for Primary students.
I would say that each of these books, in their own way, is a good read for a Primary child. They give parents and teachers many opportunities and topics for discussion with their Primary learners. They also give a bit of an insight into the world of children and the problems they face through their voices and eyes.
An Ode of English Plurals
An Ode of English Plurals
We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England.
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing,
grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and
get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns down,
in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and
in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother’s not Mop?
Poetry – POETREES
Poetrees
by Douglas Florian
ISBN 978-1-4169-8672-0
HC $21.99
Looking for a book to connect with the science curriculum? Poetrees by Douglas Florian is a good choice. This book teaches about various, interesting trees and at the same time about different styles of poetry. Even the title uses a creative combination of the words “poet” and “trees”. At the end of the book, the “glossatree” contains further information about the “poetrees” and there is a list of reference books useful for further research. Teachers looking for an interesting and creative way to integrate literacy and science will find that Poetrees is a great inspiration for students in the junior and intermediate grades.
After the per functionary intro to a book that is so useful I must add a few thoughts and ideas for its use. I will come right out and say it “I am a poetry lover”!. There, I’ve said it! Any student who suffered through my English classes had a poem awaiting them as part of the end of unit assignments.
I used poetry to describe characters, settings, scenes, and to do summaries for short stories and novels. Yes, summaries!!! The skill of writing a summary seems to be one most students have the most difficulty with on the various reading tests that are administered throughout the grades. By having to write a poem of no more than 10 lines (I usually had a free verse style) in which they tell the story, students learn how to synthesize their ideas. Try it!
I used poetry to allow students to complain or “rant” about their lives especially at school. I had restrictions of course – no inappropriate language no attacks on any individual, no names to hurt someone – and generally it became a great assignment for even the shiest of students to stand up and recite or act out their poem. As an example of a “rant” one poem from over the years that stands out in my mind went something like this:
“Yes I signed out my music instrument.
Yes, I’ll take it home for the weekend
But if you think I’m going to practise
You must be out of your mind!
I have a hockey practice and
my friends are coming over to play video games!
I’m going to the mall shopping for new Nikes
and if I can talk my mom into it
the latest game for my new system!
Mr. Harrison gave so much science homework.
Ms. Bond expects me to have a history report!!
Mrs. Berezowski is expecting that I will
have a poem memorized
and ready to perform
in front of the class!!
And
my grandmother is coming for dinner on Sunday.
So, yes I’ll sign the instrument out.
I’ll trudge on home with it,
put it under my bed
- if I can find room
and have it back to you promptly
at nine am on Monday morning!!!
but don’t in your wildest dreams think
I am going to practise!
I have a life you know!!
The students always had so much fun with these poems as it gave them a chance to express some frustrations in a different way (good for character development too!).
My poor students, now that I think of it, had poems to write, as I said, with most units but I also had them do a poetry booklet in which they had to illustrate and use certain styles of poems. The book Poetrees is an excellent example of such a booklet. Any theme can be chosen (depending of course on your aim) for example, sports, flowers, the planets, music, art – the options are endless. Then poems are written after a lesson with examples done as a class. some types of poems that might be used are: Haiku, alphabet, noun-verb-adverb, etc Each poem is to be different but on the same theme. Each poem is illustrated. About 12 to 15 poems to a booklet is a good number for intermediate grades. Despite grumblings and some “brain freeze”, students were so proud of their booklets once they were assembled and bound that I very rarely got to keep any to use as samples for future classes.
So, go for it all you poetry lovers ! Try using poems in your assignments!
It’s a good way to develop interesting vocabulary and a unique way to have students express their thoughts.
March 2010 Character Matters List
Hi All,
A librarian in YRDSB asked me to put together a list of picture books from our current season that would relate to the Character Traits. This is our updated list showing newly published titles and I thought I would share it with you. This list is also posted to our website with cover scans for the new titles. I hope you find it useful! Melinda
Character Matters YRDSB March 2010
SEPTEMBER – Respect
A Very Big Bunny – Russo ( Respect differences). NEW!
Amelia is so big none of the other students want to play with her, but a new schoolmate arrives and teaches Amelia that size is not the most important thing.
978-0-375-84463-8 Random House 2010 33pp HC 22.99
Bullies Never Win – Cuyler (Respect)
Jessica is in first grade and bullied by Brenda. Until one day Jessica has had enough, and she stands up (with words) to Brenda.
978-0-689-86187-1 Simon and Schuster Books 2009 30pp HC19.99
Compost Stew – Siddals (Respect of Environment) – primary prose. NEW!
An a-z recipe for making an earth friendly food basted compost.
978 -1-58246-316-2 Random House 2010 30pp HC 19.99
OCTOBER – Responsibility
Olivia – Shepherd ( Responsibility) NEW!
Olivia acted responsibly by helping her friend remember her lines in a class play
978-14169-8571-8 Simon and Schuster 2009 20pp HC 21.99
DECEMBER –Empathy
Abigail Spells – Alter ( Empathy)
Abigail is good at many things, but she loves to spell most of all. With a school spelling bee coming up Abigail practices continually with George’s help. This is a wonderful picture book where young readers begin to understand that winning isn’t everything.
978-0-375-85617-4 Alfred A. Knopf 2009 HC 18.99
JANUARY – Fairness
Testing of the Ice, a True Story of Jackie Robinson – Robinson – JUNIOR/INTERMEDIATE
The first winter on the lake side property Jackie Robinson’s courage is tested when his children want to go skating. This is the story of the retired baseball legend and another test of his courage. This is a beautiful picture book for the library collection.
978-0-545-05251-1 Scholastic 2009 40pp HC 21.99
Nasreen’s Secret School, A True Story from Afghanistan – Winter (Lack of respect and fairness) -JUNIOR/INTERMEDIATE
When Nasreen’s parents are taken away by the Taliban, she stops talking. Her grandmother enrolls her in a street school for girls and with the help of education, love and caring Nasreen begins to heal. This is a story that children of all ages will be touched.
978-1-4169-9437-4 Beach Lane Books 2009 40pp HC 21.99
FEBRUARY – Initiative
Rhino, Rhino, Sweet Potato – Armstrong (Initiative, courage)
Rhinos eat all the villagers sweet potatoes, Roy comes up with a new and better way to stop them rampaging the village.
978-0-06-008078-5 Harper Collins 2009 29pp HC23.99
MARCH – Perseverance
Miss. Brooks Loves books – Bottner NEW!
A first grader doesn`t like books, but the librarian tirelessly persists until she finds a type of books the little girl will love.
978-0-375-84682-5 Random House 2010 23pp HC22.99
Sylvia Jean –Ernst NEW!
The unstoppable Sylvia Jean is a pig scout extraordinaire who never gives up in her pursuit of the `Good Deed Badge`.
978-0-525-47873-7 Penguin Books 2010 30pp HC21.00
MAY – Courage
Roly Poly Pangolin –Dewdney (Primary prose) NEW!
Roly poly pangolin is shy and afraid to try new things, until he discovers some new experiences can be fun.
978-0-670-01160-5 Penguin Books 2010 33 pp HC21.00
Testing the Ice, A True Story of Jackie Robinson – Robinson (Courage) JUNIOR/INTERMEDIATE
The first winter on the lake side property Jackie Robinson’s courage is tested when his children want to go skating. This is the story of the retired baseball legend and another test of his courage. This is a beautiful picture book for the library collection.
978-0-545-05251-1 Scholastic 2009 40pp HC 21.99
Rhino, Rhino, Sweet Potato – Prose (Courage)
When Roy and his village like sweet potatoes and rhinos across the river also like sweet potatoes, there is a problem to be solved. Kindness, courage, and teamwork between Roy and the rhinos lead to an interesting solution in this humorous picture book.
978-0-06-008078-5 Harper Collins 2009 32pp HC 19.50
Imagine!
Imagine the Freedom! Win the lottery! The commercial goes on to show exaggerated lifestyle changes we could make. It has all of us imagining what it would be like to quit our jobs or travel wherever we have dreamed of, or be generous enough to give our families things like million dollar cottages. Haven’t we all at some time imagined our lives as “better” than what they are? However, is “better” always good.
Besides imagining ,we also wish for things; some good, some bad. We wish for the impossible, knowing it is. Children like to imagine and wish for things that will supposedly improve their lot in life. Sometimes wishes are made in haste and anger and so it is with Thomas Arnold David Spencer – otherwise known as Tad. He makes the saying “be careful what you wish for” come to life!
In the book The Switch by Anthony Horowitz, Tad gets what he wishes for – to be someone else. Horowitz is, as all Librarians of young students know, the popular author of the Alex Rider adventures. Boys (and girls) love his books because he captures their imaginations and creates scenarios in which they could only “wish” or “imagine” being involved. In the book The Switch, Tad does something that many of us, children and adults do, and that is make a “wish” for a drastic change when something does not go our way.
Let me digress here for a moment. Tad is an extremely wealthy, pampered, spoiled boy who has everything most kids would dream of such as 14 shelves of video games!! When his father and mother don’t allow him to attend a local carnival, suggesting instead that he go to the Ascot horse races or fly in his new two- seater plane which he hasn’t used yet, Thomas Arnold David Spencer says those fatal words, ”I wish I was somebody else”. There begins Tad’s adventure. He suddenly wakes up as Bob Snarby, the poor son of carnival workers, who lives in a caravan (trailer home to us).
We must remember that “things are often not as they seem” and Tad certainly finds that out in this wonderful adventure filled with twists and turns that will capture the interest of most young readers.
Anthony Horowitz has a way of demonstrating the inequities of life in this book without lecturing. There are several issues to explore in this book. One example is when Finn, one of the unsavoury characters in the book , says “But I never had a chance. Never! And that’s why it’s all right, you see. To break into ‘is ‘ouse and steal ‘is things. Because he’s got everything and we got nothing and stealing is the only way to make things change.” What a great chance for a discussion on “fairness” and of course “right and wrong”.
Tad goes on to discover that there are good and evil people at all levels of society while Bob – who has switched places with Tad – finds that having “everything” is not what it’s cracked up to be.
So be careful what you wish for. Life is not always what it seems. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Yet somehow all of this is possible and true in The Switch.
Enjoy!
Perfect titles to get over the Winter Blahs
The Winter “Blahs”
It’s Sunday afternoon and the cats and I have “cabin fever”. The day is grey and cold and so uninviting that even the cats go to the front door and then back away to curl up on a bed or chair. Everyone suffers the “blahs” during winter.
It brings to mind the old Mamas and Papas song “California Dreamin’ ” (for those of you who are old enough to remember it). I’ve just returned from Mexico after two weeks of “colour”. Which brings me back to the thought about the “greyness” of winter especially in Toronto this year.
Green Gables Books has a series called World of Colours that features books such as Australia in Colours and Mexico in Colours among others. Though written for mainly the Primary level they can be used with Junior level and Intermediate level ESL students as they offer simple vocabulary and excellent photographs of actual sites, people, and various customs.
Looking further at the books I noticed that they offer a Glossary for the terms used and names of other books associated with the country in question. There are facts that give basic information, a simple map of the country, its flag, money, and some common phrases and how they are pronounced. I found the Australian one quite humorous as my grandson, who lives in Australia, thinks “Canadian” is a whole other language. This section shows how “Australian” is different.
There is a section for Internet Sites but I must say I was disappointed in it as first I had to enable the “cookies” on my computer and then found several of the sites were outdated. However, there still was some good information for students to use and other things to discover.
Several uses for these books came to mind and not all of them were just for the Primary level.. Obviously they can be used to teach colours and some basic information about a foreign land but also they can be used to discuss the colours of Canada. Students could put together a book with photos (perhaps taken by themselves) telling about our own country. This could be a wonderful project combining media literacy with geography and art.
In the middle of winter there can be a bit of “colour” in our lives!
Literature Circles
After my visit with a local Librarian this week to review titles for Literature Circles, I got to thinking that other schools could also use the information we gathered regarding literature circles. Teresa in our office informed me of the six roles of students in the literature circle: leader, character, vocabulary enricher, literary enhancer, connecter, and artist.
Two books which connect well to the Curriculum are Horned Viper (ancient Egyptian civilization) by Gill Harvey and Viking Blood (explorers) by Tor Scaldbaney. Both novels are written at an age appropriate level – Horned Viper -Grade 5 level and Viking Blood - Grade 6 level. Two other novels come to mind for literature circles for their connections: Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff speaks to the importance of learning to read (grade 6-8), and also many students will connect with the parental pressures in Dunces Anonymous (grade 6) by Kate Jaimet. At first, I was concerned with some of the situations the students put themselves into, but then they did have consequences and learned from their mistakes.
Some positive words students could use when describing characters in literary circles are believable, well rounded multidimensional (change and grow), well developed, and original.
Some negative words students could use when describing characters in literary circles are stereotyped, unbelievable, flat, static (remained the same), and flawed.
Contact me for an in-school presentation.