Books!

Love Stories

2008-02-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

You can find all of these books in our Fall Creek Elementary Library.

Dog and Bear Two Friends Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Three easy-to-read stories reveal the close friendship between dog and bear. Perfect read for newly independent readers.

Don’t Forget I Love You by Miriam Moss
Mama Bear remembers to say “I love you” to her son before she leaves him for work.
This story will reassure children and remind them their parents’ love is forever.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Dolores by Barbara Samuels
When Dolores’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she opens the Valentine gift box in her sister’s top drawer, one problem leads to another until she manages to charm her way out of trouble. Will she remember that in matters of the heart it’s important to give, as well as take? You can’t help but laugh when you read this one.

If You’ll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant
Planning successfully before Valentine’s Day a boy writes and illustrates individual cards for his family and friends.

The Kiss That Missed by David Melling
One evening, when the king is in a hurry, his goodnight kiss to the Little Prince goes astray. It’s up to the King’s Knight to bring the kiss back to the castle.

Lizard’s Guest by George Shannon
When Lizard and Skunk get into a silly disagreement, Lizard proves he is a true friend and commits to making things between each other right, no matter what it takes.

Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie Friedman
A heartwarming tale of a girl who learns that the best day to say “I love you” is every day!

Mole and the Baby Bird by Marjorie Newman
When Mole finds an abandoned baby bird he decides to take it home and look after it. But wild things aren’t meant to be kept inside forever, and soon Mole must decide what is best for the bird he loves.

Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis
Tiny Too-Little really needs a kiss. The one that he loves is right up there. Will Tiny ever reach her?

Olive, My Love by Vivian Walsh
Olive is determined to return the heart her best friend Dexter dropped on her doorstep. But once he reaches Dexter’s he learns his friend gave him the heart as a symbol of his love.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
An anonymous valentine changes the life of the lonely Mr. Hatch, turning him into laughing friend who helps and appreciates all his neighbors.

Song and Dance

2008-02-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

Alvin Ailey
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
ITBS ITBJM ITFC ITNE ITSH TBE
Describes the life, dancing, and choreography of Alvin Ailey, who created his own modern dance company to explore the black experience.

Blues Journey
By Walter Dean Myers
ITD ITNE ITSH TBM
In this picture book for older readers, Myers offers blues-inspired verse that touches on the black-and-blue moments of individual lives. A call and response poem accompanies each painting illustrated the author’s son.

Bubble-gum Radar
by Rosemary Wells
DRE DRP ITBSA ITSH SOP
When the Franks hurt, bother, tease, trip, trick, act up, bully, and joke their way through the school day, they push away all of their classmates. This is no laughing matter, especially when Mrs. Jenkins announces square-dance practice time.

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop
by Christopher Raschka
SMI ITBS ITBJM ITEN LAE
Introduces the famous saxophonist and his style of jazz known as bebop.

Dance With Me
by Barbara Juster Esbensen
ITFC
A collection of poems depicting the dance of nature.

The Dancing Man
by Ruth Lercher Bornstein
DRE GRE ITFC ITNE
Wearing his pair of special silver shoes, young Joseph sets out to dance with the world.

Dizzy
by Jonah Winter
GRH ITBS ITBJM ITCA SOP SOE TBE
After arriving in New York, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was soon playing with the famous Cab Calloway Band, but his clowning around got him fired. Dizzy kept trying out his new music, which took over the world of jazz. He had invented "bebop!"

Drumbeat in Our Feet
by Patricia A. Keeler
ITBS
"Informative passages and lyrical verse explore the history and rhythmic qualities of traditional African dance as performed long ago and today. Note about Harlem-based African dance troupe Batoto Yetu, photographs, and map in backmatter"

Duke Ellington
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
CAE DRP GRE ITBS ITBJM ITCA ITCH ITD ITEN ITFC ITNE ITSH LAM NEE SOP
A brief recounting of the career of this jazz musician and composer who, along with his orchestra, created music that was beyond category.

Ella Fitzgerald : The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
ITBS ITCH ITEN ITNE ITSH SOP TBE
A brief recounting of the career of this jazz musician in the voice of "Scat Cat Monroe."

Ellington Was Not a Street
by Ntozake Shange
In her poem “Mood Indigo,” Shange recalls her childhood when her family entertained many of the "-men/who changed the world," including Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, Ray Barretto, Dizzy Gillespie, "Sonny Til" Tilghman, Kwame Nkrumah, and Duke Ellington.

Happy Feet : The Savoy Ballroom Lindy Hoppers and Me
by Richard Michelson
ITBJM ITCA
A young boy who loves to dance listens as his father retells the story of the night he was born, which coincided with the opening of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.

Heaven’s All Star Jazz Band
by Don Carter
ITFC
A young boy imagines his grandfather playing with jazz music greats up in heaven.

Hip Cat
by Jonathan London
ITBJM ITCH ITFC ITNE TBE
Hip Cat journeys to the city by the bay to live his dream of being a jazz musician.

Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits
by Wynton Marsalis
This electric collaboration between Marsalis and Rogers is an insider's A to Z guide through the greats of jazz. This is a must for anyone who has ever been drawn to a scat by Ella or a riff from Miles or who has whirled around the dance floor courtesy of Count Basie.

The Jazz Man
by Mary Hays Weik
GRE SOE
Nine-year-old Zeke, who lives in Harlem, listens to the wonderful music coming from the jazz musician's piano across the court and escapes for a while from the harsh realities that worry him.

Jazz on a Saturday Night
by Leo & Diane Dillon
ITBJM ITCA ITEN
Learn about this popular music form and hear each instrument play on a specially produced CD.

Let’s Dance!
by George Ancona
ITCH
Simple text and photographs describe various dances from all over the world.

Lookin’ for Bird in the Big City
by Robert Burleigh
R.C. Buckley LAE
A fictionalized account of the time when trumpeter Miles Davis spent many hours trying to find Charlie Parker in New York City.

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
by Libba Moore Gray
ITBS ITBSA ITBJM ITCA ITCH ITFC ITSH TBE
On a hot, humdrum day Ty meets a man who, using a washboard, comb, spoons, and pail, fills that night with music.

Once Upon a Time in Chicago : The Story of Benny Goodman
by Jonah Winter
ITBJM ITEN
A simple biography of the great jazz musician, Benny Goodman, and how his extraordinary musical ability was originally encouraged by his immigrant father.\

Ragtime Tumpie
by Alan Schroeder
ITBS ITBJM ITCA ITCH ITEN ITFC ITNE ITSH LAE SOP TBE
Personal subject
Tumpie, a young black girl who will later become famous as the dancer Josephine Baker, longs to find the opportunity to dance amid the poverty and vivacious street life of St. Louis in the early 1900s.

Ruby Sings the Blues
by Niki Daly
ITEN ITFC ITNE LAE
Ruby's loud voice annoys everyone around her, until she learns to control her volume with the help of her new jazz musician friends.

Satchmo’s Blues
by Alan Scroeder
ITBJM ITCA ITFC ITNE ITSH LAE
A fictional recreation of the youth of trumpeter Louis Armstrong in New Orleans.

Savion! : My Life in Tap
by Savion Glover
ITB ITD ITNE LAH
Examines the life and career of the young tap dancer who speaks with his feet and who choreographed the Tony Award-winning Broadway show "Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk."

Stompin' at the Savoy
by Bebe Moore Campbell
BJM
On the night of her jazz dance recital Mindy feels too nervous to go, until a magical drum whisks her away to the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem where she finds her "happy feet."

Stompin' at the Savoy : The Story of Norma Miller
by Norma Miller
ITEN
First-person account of the life of Norma Miller.

Ty’s One-Man Band
by Mildred Pitts Walter
ITBS ITBSA ITBJM ITCA ITCH ITFC ITSH TBE
On a hot, humdrum day Ty meets a man who, using a washboard, comb, spoons, and pail, fills that night with music.

When Uncle Took the Fiddle
by Libba Moore Gray
ITCA ITEN ITFC ITNE ITSH TBE
Uncle's inspired playing of the fiddle causes sleepy family members to pick up other instruments and join him, while the neighbors come to join the celebration.

Wynton Marsalis
by Stephen Feinstein
ITEN
A biography of one of America's greatest trumpet players, Wynton Marsalis.

Books On Disabilities

2007-11-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

The puppet troupe The Kids on the Block visited our school and along with showing us an entertaining show they donated some books on disabilities to our library. These are the titles we now own thanks to their generous gift –

Ian’ Walk A Story about Autism by Laurie Lears
In this story a young girl realizes how much she cares about her autistic brother when he gets lost at the park.

Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis
Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross show readers a happy little girl whose wheel chair never limits her life.

Prudence Parker and A Sign of Friendship by Christine Burk
Prudence Parker learns sign language to speak with new friend Haley who is deaf.

Don’t Call Me Special A First Look at Disability by Pat Thomas
Young children can find out what a disability is, and learn how people deal with their disabilities to live happy and full lives.

We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Emma and her father discuss what they will do when the new baby arrives, but they adjust their expectations when he is born with Down syndrome.

Puppies For Sale by Dan Clark
A young boy picks a disabled pup, one with the same needs as the boy.

Rolling Along The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair
by Jamee Riggio Heelan
Taylor and Tyler are twin brothers and best friends. But the twins are different in one significant way: Taylor has cerebral palsy, while Tyler does not. Taylor explains why wheelchairs allow many people to be more independent.

All About Sign Language Talking With Your Hands by Felicia Lowenstein
This book talks about how important sign language is as a way to communicate with others.

Online Serial Novel

2007-02-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

Kids are going online week after week to read the next installment in the serial novel The Gecko and Sticky by Wendelin Van Draamen. Van Draamen is the Edgar and Christopher Award-winning author of the popular Sammy Keyes mystery novels for middle grade readers and the Shredderman series for younger readers.

The serial started on the Maricopa County Library District’s Web site January 8th and will run through May 21, 2007. There is an archive of past week’s chapters to catch up on if you are just tuning in. The url is http://www.mcldaz.org. The interactive nature of the novel makes it unique, with activities, Web links, and other information that adds to the experience.

This could be a new way to get kids to read. Thank you Maricopa County Library System for this reading adventure!

100 Day Books

2007-02-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday, February 12th, our school will celebrate its 100th day of school. The 100th day of the school year is a special day students in our school look forward to. Celebrations and activities help children grasp the number and reflect on the community they’ve built as a class in the past hundred days together.

Try reading some of these books with your classes.

In The 100th Day of School by Angela Shelf Medearis, the children learn 100 spelling words, plant 100 seeds, bake 100 cookies, and "do everything the 100 way" to celebrate this special day.

Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten by having her children bring one hundred of something to school, including a one hundred-year-old relative, one hundred candy hearts, and one hundred polka dots.

Mr. George Baker, by Amy Hest, is one-hundred-years old and still learning. Each day this man rides the bus with his six-year-old neighbor to school to learn to read.

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis is a classic story of the relationship between Michael, a boy, and his one-hundred-year old aunt. Michael’s mother wants to throw out the battered old box that holds the pennies, but Michael understands that the box itself is as important to Aunt Dew as the memories it contains.

The Doll People by Ann M. Martin would make an enticing read aloud for a second or third grade class. In this chapter book, a family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor.

The following math books teach the concept of one hundred:

From One to One Hundred by Teri Sloat
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinezes
Chicka, Chicka, 1,2,3 by Bill Martin, Jr.
Let’s Count by Tana Hoban
Only One by Marc Harshman

Don’t forget the folk tale “The Sleeping Beauty.”

And the new book that inspired my writing this list is The American Story 100 True Tales from American History by Jennifer Armstrong.
This collection of three to four minute stories introduces a cast of personalities throughout our country’s history from 1500s to 2000.
The tales will certainly hold readers' attention.

New Folktale Versions to Storytell

2007-02-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our school is lucky to have Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton, two talented storytellers working with our third grade children this month. Each student in Mrs. McDaniel’s third grade classroom will learn to tell a story to an audience. It’s exciting to see the children gain confidence as they practice their storytelling techniques with encouragement from their classmates and teachers. Listening to others’ stories encourages students to come to the library to find the stories to read.

Mitch and Martha have also been busy publishing their own versions of folktales. We now have these books they authored in our collection: The Hidden Feast is a tale told originally in our country’s south. In this story barnyard animals have a good time at their neighbors’ party until dinner is served. Rooster, not happy with the cornbread served, rudely storms out. The twist ending explains why, ever since, Rooster scratches in the dirt. Tricky Rabbit A Story from Cambodia to Read and Tell tells of a banana-loving rabbit who devises a clever plan to fill his tummy with his favorite fruit. Two pourquois tales they have retold are How Fox Became Red, A Folktale from the Athabaskan Indians of Alaska, and, Why Animals Never Got Fire, A Story of the Coeur d’Alene Indians.

And, Two Fables of Aesop is both fun to read and fun to tell!

The Civil Rights Movement Through Literature

2007-01-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

As educators we introduce children to the leaders of the civil rights movement. And the civil rights movement was graced with extraordinary individuals who provided vision and inspiration. But it was also comprised of thousands of heroes whose names are largely unknown to history; people who stood for justice in countless ways as they went about their daily lives.

One way to broaden children’s awareness of this time in our history is to share stories that echo their own lives or the lives of those around them; stories about “everyday” people, even children.

The following are titles published within the last few years that tell the stories of courageous individuals who did not accept injustice. We have the following books in our library.

In A Sweet Smell of Roses, Angela Johnson writes about two young African American sisters who join a freedom march during the civil rights movement.

In Grandmama’s Pride by Becky Birtha, six-year-old Sarah Marie experiences segregation for the first time. Every summer, Mama, Sister, and Sarah Marie take the bus down south to visit Grandmama. The three of them sit in the back of the bus, because, as Mama says, it is the best seat. Later, on a walk into town, the girls don't drink from the water fountain because Grandmama says she'll make fresh lemon-mint iced tea when they get home. Throughout the summer, Aunt Maria teaches Sarah Marie how to read. Then Sarah Marie notices signs in town she hadn't been able to read before, like the one on a bathroom door that says "White Women" and another that says "Colored Women." Sarah Marie faces a hard realization about the segregated South of 1956. But in the fall she reads about events happening in places like Clinton, Tennessee, and Montgomery, Alabama. And by the next summer, when they go back to visit Grandmama, they all sit in the front of the bus.

In 1965, third-grader Sheyann Webb and her friend Rachel West help change America by singing and marching for civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Singing for Doctor King by Angela Shelf Medearis.

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole Boston Weatherford tells of the 1960 civil rights sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, as seen through the eyes of a young Southern black girl.

Jacqueline Woodson’s picture book The Other Side is set around the middle of the twentieth century, in a town where a fence marks the literal dividing line between black and white. African-American Clover watches with interest the young white girl, whose name turns out to be Annie, playing on the other side of the fence each day. Before long, the two girls are chatting through the fence, and soon sit on top of the fence side by side. Woodson’s story gives children an understanding of our society prior to the civil rights movement.

The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by James Ransome tells the Carter family’s struggle to integrate an all-white school in Drew, Mississippi, in 1965.

Mississippi Morning by Ruth Vander Zee tells the story of a boy who discovers a shocking truth about his father. At the same time he becomes aware of the racial hatred that exists in his community.

A Bus of Her Own by Freddi Williams Evans is based on real events that took place in a rural community in Madison, Mississippi in 1949. A community of African-Americans joined together to buy a bus for their children to ride to get to school. At this time African Americans attended separate schools from whites and didn't have transportation to and from school.

When their school is burned to the ground, the people of Chicken Creek rebuild in Freedom School, Yes! by Amy Littlesugar. Freedom schools like this one helped African-Americans learn about people and places important to their heritage. In 1964, the Mississippi Summer Project brought 600 volunteers to the state of Mississippi to help black students at last learn about their own rich heritage.

These books could be read all year long to help children see how individuals can make differences in our world. I hope you will share these titles with your students.

Fiction Read Alouds

2006-12-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorites from recent years.

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan Scholastic, 2004.
Gr. 4-5
Becoming Naomi Leon is the story of a brother and sister abandoned by their mother and now living with their grandmother in a trailer named Baby Beluga in Lemon Tree, California. After seven years, their mom returns, determined to take Naomi and create a new family with her boyfriend and his daughter. The confidence, love, and security Naomi and her brother and grandmother have developed is in danger of being destroyed.
This book has an engaging plot with interesting, unique characters. Not only is it a page-turner, but it also discusses Mexican culture as well.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker Hyperion, 2006.
Gr. K-3
Third grade Clementine will work her way into your hearts. She has spunk, perseverance, and plenty of character. This book pulls you into the story with scenes and characters that you remember long after the book is finished.

The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
Harper Collins, 2006.
Gr. K-5
Can the mice that have their own theatrical community below Broadway perform when their star turns up missing? Read to see if the show does go on! Julie Andrews Edwards says her idea for the story occurred while she was working on a PBS program, Broadway: The American Musical. They were filming in one of the famous Broadway theaters when a mouse came out to observe. The theater people admitted the lower levels of the theater were quite overrun with the critters.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins Scholastic, 2003.
Gr. 2-5
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building chasing after his little sister, he finds himself in an underground world. The inhabitants of this world welcome him as their prophesized hero, although he feels woefully inadequate taking on this role. This is the first in a series of books that children will eagerly await reading.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt Clarion, 2004.
Gr. 4-5
Turner Buckminster moves to Phippsburg, Maine when his father becomes the town’s new minister. Life is hard to unbearable until he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin , a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves. When he hears the local town fathers plan to evict the families on this island in order to turn the island into a tourist spot, Turner hopes he can convince his father to stand with him in opposing this decision. This historical novel is based on an actual incident in 1912 on Malaga Island off the coast of Maine.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale Bloomsbury, 2005.
Gr. 3-5
When word comes that the prince will choose a bride from the young ladies who live in the province of Mount Eskel, Miri accompanies other girls her age to the Princess Academy where they are to learn how to become princesses. Soon they are competing for the prince’s attention, until danger faces them al,l and they need to put aside their bickering to save each other.

Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Ginee Seo Books, 2006.
Gr. 2-4
In this beginning chapter book, nine-year-old Roxie Warbler knows just what to do if she finds herself buried in an avalanche, but she doesn’t know what to do about a gang of children at her new school nicknamed Helvetia’s Hooligans. After a playground confrontation lands Roxie and bullies on a deserted island, her survival skills increase her confidence and change the Hooligans from foes to friends.

Space Race by Sylvia Waugh Delacorte, 2000.
Gr. 3-5
It’s time for eleven-year-old Thomas Derwent and his father to return to their planet from Earth. The first in a science fiction trilogy. The next two titles are Earthborn and Who Goes Home?

The Teacher’s Funeral A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck Dial, 2004.
Gr. 3-5
Some books are just better read aloud, and this is one of them. Russell Culver's narration transports readers back to 1904, when he was 15 years old and still in eighth grade at Hominy Ridge School, "an out-of-date, unimproved, one-room country schoolhouse in the backwoodsiest corner of Indiana." Living on a farm with his father, big sister, Tansy, and little brother, Lloyd, he dreams of hopping a freight train for the Dakotas. When old Myrt Arbuckle, his teacher “hauls off and dies” he believes his dream may come true until his sister takes over the teaching.

Toys Go Out Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, A Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins Schwartz, 2006.
Gr. 1-5
Six stories tell the adventures of three best friends, who happen to be toys.
Children who talk to their own toys will particularly enjoy the conversations of this trio. If you’re talking about point of view in stories, have your students break into pairs or small groups to write dialogues or scenes between two or more of their own toys and perform them for each other.

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin Little, Brown, 2006.
Gr. 2-5
A Taiwanese-American girl describes a year filled with excitement and self-reflection, as she shares adventures with a new friend, discovers untapped talents, learns about her heritage, and tries to harmonize her two cultures. Author Lin states in the author’s note, “I wrote it because it was the book I wished I had had when I was growing up, a book that had someone like me in it.” This book, and the next on my list, expose children to people of other races, cultures, and communities, and spurs them to broaden their worldviews.

Younguncle Comes to Town by B.M.Kamath Viking, 2006.
Gr. 2-5
Younguncle’s stories of pickpockets and monkeys keep his older brother’s family in modern day India entertained. The book is infused with background details, beginning with the opening paragraph: Now the rain had slowed to a murmur and the lane was empty except for a buffalo, its black hide agleam, standing meditatively under the shi-sham tree on the other side. The author, born in New Delhi, introduces American readers to Indian culture, family life, lore, and legend.

Favorite New Picture Books to Read Aloud

2006-11-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

This is a select list of some of my favorites published in recent years.

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. Harcourt Brace, 2005. E Ste
Grades PreK-3
A big, red dog drops a green tennis ball down a prairie dog burrow, and a "fuzz reaction" erupts there. Everyone--except Big Bark--wants to twirl and swirl the stuff all over themselves, from head to toe. When the ball is plucked fuzzless, a fighting frenzy breaks out.

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster. Hyperion, 2005. E Jus
Grades PreS-2
The kitchen window at Nanna's and Poppy’s house is, for one little girl, a magic gateway.
Everything important happens near it, through it, or beyond it. The story is told from a young child’s perceptions and emotions. "When I get tired I come in and take my nap and nothing happens until I get up" typify the girl's happy, imaginative world. The bold sunny illustrations portray a mixed-race family. This is the Caldecott Medal Winner for 2005.

High as a Hawk A Brave Girl’s Historic Climb by T.A. Barron. Philomel, 2004. E Bar
Grades K-4
High as a hawk on the Colorado mountain summit is where 8-year-old Harriet wants to stand. This is the story of her dream, the same dream that was so dear to her mother. This historical fiction picture book is based on the 1905 ascent by the youngest person ever to climb Longs Peak. Barron's endnotes identify his primary sources and include a photo of Peters taken the day of the climb, revealing Lewin's faithful reproduction of her costume.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2005. E Wil
Grades PreS-2
Leonardo is supposed to be a terrible monster, but he's just terrible at his monsterly craft. He gets an idea: find the most "scaredy-cat kid" in the world and "scares the tuna salad" out of him. It works. Sam cries. But what Leonardo ends up doing next surprises even him!

Mr. George Baker by Amy Hest. Candlewick, 2004. E Hes
Ageless
One-hundred-year-old George has decided to learn to read, so he waits for the school bus every morning along with his young neighbor, Harry. He studies with a group of grown-ups, while Harry does the same with his first grade classmates down the hall. It’s Harry who tells of their mornings sitting together enjoying each other’s company in happy anticipation of school. The small moment each morning that the two friends share is written with everyday details. A read aloud for all generations!

My Name Is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin. Boyds Mills Press, 2005. F Mob
Grades 3-5
Bilal and his sister, Ayesha, who are Muslim, start school in a new city. At first Bilal tries to blend into the largely non-Muslim environment, calling himself Bill and ducking out of sight when two boys try to pull off Ayesha's head scarf. Encouraged by a sympathetic teacher and his own faith, Bilal finds the courage to stand up with his sister the next time the boys tease her. By standing up for his sister, Bilal earns the boys' respect and takes the first step toward a possible friendship. Reading this important book aloud can be used as a good starting place for discussions of cultural differences, prejudice, and respect for the beliefs of others.

Precious and The Boo Hag by Patricia C. McKissack. Atheneum, 2005. E McK
Grades K-3
When Precious's bellyache keeps her from helping in the fields, she is left at home alone, with Mama's strict instructions to let no one inside the house for any reason, no matter what. Brother warns her to especially watch out for Pruella the Hag. "She's tricky and she's scary, and she tries to make you disobey yo' mama,” he warns. Sure enough she shows up, but her tricks are no match for Pruella who in the end confronts her fears and sticks to what she knows as right. This is a just-scary-enough story for even the very young. If you can get the kids in your audience to join in on the "I WON'T LET HER IN!" with enthusiasm, the book's going to be one of their favorites right there and then. It helps that it's funny too!

Sebastian’s Roller Skates by Joan de Deu Prats. Kane/Miller, 2003. E Pra
Grades K-3
Sebastian always has a lot to say, but he is too shy to speak up. He won't answer in class, tell the barber that he doesn't like his haircut, or talk to his neighbors. He is especially shy around the curly haired girl he likes at school. Then one day, Sebastian finds an abandoned pair of roller skates and tries them on. At first, he falls down and decides that skating is not for him. However, these mysterious skates won't go away and eventually he is gliding through the park. Soon, with his newfound courage, he is talking in spite of himself–after all, he has always had a lot to say.

Science Verse by Jon Scieszka. Viking, 2004. E Sci
Grades 2-5
As a boy sits in science class listening to his teacher drone on about "the poetry of science," he is stricken with a "curse of science verse." Every thought comes to him in rhyme, and not just any rhyme, but parodies of famous poems and songs. The CD that comes with the book includes a reading (sometimes singing) of the verse, along with several poems that didn't make it into the book. Children need not be familiar with the works upon which the spoofs are based to enjoy the humor, but this is a perfect opportunity to introduce the originals and to discuss parody as a poetic form.

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra. Knopf, 2004. E Sie
PreS-2
A librarian named Mavis McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake.

Teachingbooks.net

2006-09-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Fall Creek Community

Please, take a moment to explore this free-to-you, engaging, OUTSTANDING, K-12 database that links authors, books, illustrators, and the promotion of reading literacy. I have browsed through the extensive site and I'm amazed at the teaching possibilities this database offers.

One super aspect of Teachingbooks.net is that our community of parents and caregivers can also access this resource free of charge, remotely. Teachingbooks.net can help parents with the process of being reading partners with their children as it may prompt their own interest in specific titles to read aloud and discuss.

Tompkins Seneca Tioga School Library Systems is covering all costs for this 2006-2007 school year.

To access the site go to http://teachingbooks.net/home/
and use password - tstsls

Enjoy! Sharon

Notable Books for a Global Society

2006-05-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Each year a special interest committee made up of members of the International Reading Association selects 25 children’s books that promote understanding of cultural diversity. All selected books must meet the general requirements for excellence for their particular genre, along with several other criteria including cultural authenticity and diversity. To be eligible for the 2006 list, a book must have been published in the United States for the first time in 2005.

Here are books from this distinguished list available now at the Fall Creek Elementary Library. For a complete list visit the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group at www.csulb.edu/org/childrens-lit/.

Shanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng F Che

The protagonist of this short chapter book struggles to discover her identity between two cultures. Eleven-year-old Xiao Mei’s visit with her extended family in China introduces her to a new world as well as helps her understand better who she is.

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson E Woo

Soonie's great-grandma was only seven when she was sold away from her parents in Virginia and sent to South Carolina. All she had was a piece of muslin from her mother, two needles, and bright red thread. Big Mama, who cared for the plantation children, and at night whispered them stories of freedom, raised her. Big Mama taught the author’s great-grandma how to sew messages and directions into quilt patterns, a Show Way. At the end of the picture book we learn that the quilt-making tradition described in the story has passed down through successive generations of women in the narrator’s family.

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni B Par

A biography that focuses on the day Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and the consequent bus boycott that followed. A great read aloud for intermediate age children. Also, the author chose to include Rosa’s politics and her commitment to the Women’s Political Council and the NAACP offering us another side to this often quietly portrayed woman.

The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport 379.2 Rap

This is the true story of the Carter family who in 1965 chose to send their children to a white school in Drew, Mississippi. The schools in Drew were still segregated by race then, even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared school segregation illegal eleven years before. It is because of the Carter family’s bravery and resilience that the author chose to tell us their inspiring story.

Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies 398.2 Joh

A collection of fifteen Middle Eastern tales about the folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Goha, a man with a reputation for being able to answer difficult questions in clever ways.

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo B Lee

In 1932 twelve-year-old Sammy Lee was allowed to use the public swimming pool only with other people of color on Wednesdays. However, this discrimination did not stop him from practicing diving and becoming the first Asian American to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Mama Panya’s Pancakes A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary and Rich Chamberlin
E Cha

Mama Panya has just enough money to buy ingredients for a few pancakes, so when her son Adika invites all their friends to join them, she is sure there will not be enough to go around. A recipe, map, details about daily life, and facts about Kiswahili and Kenya are included.

New Titles 3/25/06

2006-03-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Look for the following books at our library now.

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson
A young girl's good deed is multiplied as it is passed on by those who have been touched by her kindness. E Pea
My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting
A young boy waits with both excitement and apprehension for his father to disembark from the aircraft carrier returning to port after many months at sea. E Bun
A Castle on Viola Street by DyAnne DiSalvo
A family's dream of a house of their own comes true after they volunteer to help fix up empty houses in their community. E DiS
Welcome Dede! An African Naming Ceremony by Ifeoma Onyefulu
In Africa a name can tell you a lot about a person: where they come from, what their tribe, extended family, or clan is, the day of the week when they were born- even the circumstances surrounding their birth. In this book Amarlai explains how his new baby cousin's name Dede was chosen.
392.1 Ony
Hurry and the Monarch by Antoine O'Flatharta
Hurry the tortoise befriends a monarch butterfly when she stops in his garden in Wichita Falls, Texas, during her migration from Canada to Mexico. E Ofl

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winners

2006-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

I’m thrilled that there is now a special award honoring the best in easy-to-read books for children. The award, The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, is new this year. It’s named for Dr. Seuss because he was one of the first to write excellent books of this sort, beginning with The Cat in the Hat published in 1957. The Geisel Award is given out by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association. These are the first year winners.
Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant is four joyful chapters telling of Henry and his dog Mudge’s visit to Great-Grandpa Bill’s and his buddies at the “grandpa house.”
Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold is about a fly trained to be a pet. The publishers are hopeful this book will be the first in a successful series.
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Ericva Silverman is for cowfolk and horse lovers. Cowgirl Kate and her stubborn, but devoted cow horse, Cocoa, count the herd, ride the range, and argue till the cows come home.
Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen will make you giggle. Amanda is hot, very hot, and determined that the heat is not going to get her down.
A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom shows the friendship between a polar bear and a persistent goose.
These books are perfect for newly independent readers. The language in all of these books is kid friendly. The books are written with lots of compound words, sight words, large size font, and short sentences. Emergent readers can decode text with the support of corresponding images.
Look for these books in the Fall Creek Library. Please let me know if you found any other new titles you like in this category.

Historical Fiction - Civil Rights Movement

2006-02-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

Historical Fiction – Civil Rights Movement

The characters in these new books faced the injustice of the Civil Rights era courageously and nonviolently. Reading books of such inspiring people encourages children to approach life with self-confidence and strength and compassion for their fellow man.

In A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
The Civil Rights Movement included children like the ones telling this description of the summer thousands joined the Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery. F Joh

Freedom on the Menu The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford Historically explains how four black college students sat for 4 hours at a Woolworth’s lunch counter to bring attention to segregation. This protest encouraged other sit-ins unifying against the injustices. F Wea

Mississippi Morning by Ruth Vander Zee tells the story of the shame a father feels when his son discovers he wears a hood and robe and belongs to the clan. This picture book historically set in the Jim Crow era in the south is also the story of the son’s awakening and commitment not to do as his father. E Van

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
A biography that portrays the woman who became the center of the Civil Rights battle as a proud politically active member of the Montgomery, Alabama Woman’s Political Council. The series of events that led to the 1956 Supreme Court decision that segregation was wrong are explained. B Par

The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport
In August of 1965 a new federal law allowed parents “freedom of choice” when choosing their children’s school. This is the true story of the Carter family who signed their children up to attend an all-white school. 379.2 Rap

Other historical titles of era include –
Childtimes by Eloise Greenfield 920 Gre
The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor F Tay
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles E Wil

Teachers' Choice Award Winners for 2005

2006-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Two books we have at Fall Creek that are International Reading Association Teachers’ Choice Award Winners for 2005 are … the biography The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli and Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog by Pamela S. Turner.

The Goat Lady is Noelie Houle, the nearly century old widow, who cares for her goats, provides milk to those in need, and donates kids to Heifer International. The author’s mother paints this woman and it’s through her portraits that people learn the selfless humble nature of this mysteriously reclusive woman.
Hachiko was a dog that became a Japanese folk hero. In this true story, Hachiko faithfully greeted his master, Dr. Ueno, each day at the Shibuya train station in Tokyo. For 10 years after Dr. Ueno’s death, Hachiko continued to visit the station daily, awaiting his master’s return. This book is a wonderful dog story that will stimulate discussion of loyalty.

Each year the International Reading Association awards honors to exceptionally well written books that teachers find to be ideal for curriculum work. The entire list can be found in the November 2005 issue of The Reading Teacher or online at www.reading.org.

Books for Responsive Classroom

2006-02-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Many Fall Creek teachers have had Responsive Classroom professional development training. Managing hurt feelings is an interpersonal skill teachers address in classrooms using Responsive Classroom practices. Students learn to self-manage themselves and their relationships with their classmates. Instead of making children feel bad about their actions and themselves, apology of action helps children learn to solve problems while giving them a dignified way to rejoin the community.

Literature can be used to introduce and practice apology of action.

First graders can identify apology of action after listening to The Honest-To-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack.

Fourth graders can learn about apology of action and list many ways feelings can be broken and ways to “fix” broken feelings. The next day have them listen to A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting. Stop the story after Francisco’s and grandfather’s gardening mistake and ask students “What could Francisco do to show he is sorry? What could be his apology of action?” Share students’ ideas and then read the rest of the story to discover how Francisco and his grandfather fixed the problem. Discuss how people’s actions reflect and communicate to others the type of person they are and want to be known as.

Other titles to use are Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes, Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson, Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat, and Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie De Paola.

Children feel safer and more respected in classrooms where they learn to take responsibility for harm they have caused, and learn to assert themselves when they’ve been hurt. The skills they’ve learned through this process can be reinforced outside their classrooms, too.