Stephanie Bennett: Resource Share

Polka-Bats and Octopus Slacks; 14 Stories by Calef Brown
I recently found this amazing illustrator and author Calef Brown.  I have read this particular book and find it to be silly and fun for kids to read.  There are fourteen short poems filled with rhyming and a lot of nonsense.  This is definitely a book to pull out when you have time to be silly and hear laughter.  It would be great to use for inspiration of poetry and creative writing along with illustrating.

Astronomy: Out of This World! by Dan Green
I found this series of science books that include many more books including physics, the periodic table, biology etc.  These are colorful fact filled books.  I think the approach used with these books is to introduce complicated subject matter and scientific terminology in a fun way to young readers.  Early readers would benefit from going over maybe a chapter at a time, where as older readers could use these books as a means to exploring more subject matter and research on their own.  When I tried reading this book to children, they enjoyed the material and I felt subject matter was retained by not trying to read everything and going back to it every few days.

Alive:  The Living, Breathing, Human Body Book by DK Publishing
This book is an interactive science book.  Although I can't see being able to get a hold of this book for each and every child in a classroom, this would be a fun book for allowing a child to look over during a quiet reading period.  It has interactive sound and pop out pages.  There is so much information in this book that it is one of those books that you can work on one page at a time, possibly leading kids to explore other topics.  This would be great to pull out if you want to teach certain science concepts along with reading.




http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/
I found this resource, not only great for teachers but parents might like this link as well, just to keep up to date and current literature and ideas for reading to children.  The site offers ideas according to grade or age levels.  It also has a search option that seems pretty comprehensive.  It offers ideas on reading programs as well.  I found this to be an easily navigated resource, so it could be useful for finding ideas without having to spend a massive amount of time trying to figure out how the site is organized.


http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=4
I personally find searching for children's books and any books for that matter, very convenient and easy on Amazon.com.  I realize that this a resource for buying books, but it can be so much more.  Because Amazon.com uses Web2.0, we can all use the values of book reviews if we are on the fence about choosing a book.  Amazon.com also makes it easy to buy used book, out of print books, and books from several publishers.  I have found leaving reviews and reading reviews to be an essential part of this site.  I also have a dear friend who is librarian who uses this for her go to site for finding books, so when I asked her for ideas for my blog post, she said for easy online navigation...go to amazon.com

Rachel's Book Share and Resources

Unputdownable Books

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This book has long been a favorite of mine. Farmer Brown’s cows find his old typewriter and use it to start communicating with him. They make demands, and refuse to give milk until those demands are met. Duck, a supposed “neutral” party, tries to help the two sides work things out by being the go-between. This book is not only hilarious, it’s also highly interactive. My students always love chiming in on the clicks and clacks that happen repeatedly throughout the story. Cronin has also written an equally enjoyable sequel to the book called Giggle, Giggle, Quack.

The Black Lagoon Series by Mike Thaler

I always start my school year off by reading The Teacher From the Black Lagoon. This book chronicles the thoughts of a boy named Hubie on his first day of school. He finds out he has Mrs. Green for a teacher. He has heard all sorts of rumors about her and how horrible she is. He envisions a green dragon-like beast teaching him. When he finally walks in to his new classroom, he is surprised to meet a pretty, young teacher. The other books in this series follow suit, with Hubie wondering and fretting over meeting all sorts of people: the principal, a bully, the cafeteria staff, etc. My students always enjoy reading these books and then comparing them with our school staff. Some years I have invited other school workers to come in and read their respective Black Lagoon books (i.e. the principal came and read The Principal From the Black Lagoon to my class). This was a great way for the students to get to know some of the people they would be encountering throughout the upcoming year.

The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne

I wasn’t going to include these books because I think lots of teachers are already very familiar with them. However, I was talking with my students about this project and getting their input, and well over half of my class highly recommended this series. My second grade students are at the age where most of them are just beginning to explore chapter books on their own. Mary Pope Osborne has done an incredible job of writing some “unputdownable” books! From dinosaurs, to pilgrims, to astronauts, this series has it all. The two main characters, Jack and Annie, stumbled across a magical tree house in the woods not far from their house. The tree house takes them to places in books, where they always have some wild adventures. Along the way, Osborne has tucked in lots of factual information for kids to learn. My students always groan when I stop reading one of these books for the day, and they beg me to keep reading. Definitely an awesome series!

Teacher Resources

R.E.A.D for Nene – The Nene Award Website http://nene.k12.hi.us/booklist/booklist10.html

My school librarian found this website and sent it to all the teachers at our school. This website is the home of the Nene Award. These books are chosen from a list by the children of Hawaii. Students are encouraged to read the books, and then interact with their peers about the books. The students then vote for their favorite books which receive the awards. This website is great for teachers because it includes lesson plans and ideas for some of the newest chapter books for students in the upper elementary grades.

TumbleBooks http://www.tumblebooks.com/

TumbleBooks is an online collection of e-books for kids. While the site requires a membership, you can sign up for a free trial to check it out. My school has found this site worthwhile enough that we have a school-wide subscription. When you go here you will find a huge library of e-books that you can have read aloud to your students. You also have the option of putting the books in “manual” mode, and the students can read them on their own at their own pace. In addtition to being a great tool for modeling fluency, most of the books also have quizzes, games, and activites to go along with the stories. Many of the teachers at my school share these books with their students on the Promethean / Smart Board, and are able to use them in a wide range of ways. One other thing – when one teacher signs up for the free trial, any number of teachers can access the materials for 30 days. I’m sure you could work out a system with the teachers in your school to allow everyone full access without it costing a thing!

Erin Wilson Book Share and Resources

The Absolute True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This book has been read and re-read by several students at the school I work at. In fact it is a very popular book among teachers too. This is a humorous story about a boy named Arnold Spirit, or Junior, who grows up on the reservation but attends a rich white school nearby. Although it is very funny, the humor lightens the reality of poverty, alcoholism, and death that occur in Arnold’s life too often on the reservation. There are cartoon illustrations throughout the book by Arnold to share how he sees his life and various situations that add to the humor and seriousness of issues that he faces. Arnold also deals with his identity of who he is as a native person in and out of his community continuously. Another aspect of the story is friendship and who he can call a friend and rely on.

Naruto Series by Masashi Ksihimoto

Naruto is a manga series that is very popular with the students at the school. Manga is Japanese cartoons and Naruto is just one of many titles within this genre. Students love this type of genre and many of them have finished the entire Naruto series and are reading them again.

Naruto is about a boy who wants to become a master ninja. The nine-tailed demon had once destroyed a village and a ninja sacrificed his life by sealing the nine-tailed demon in Naruto's body at birth. Since he carries the nine-tailed demon fox in him he is treated different from the other students. Sometimes he is feared and sometimes he is respected. Naruto proves himself by trying to learn the ways of the ninjas. Naruto's character is mischievous and gets in trouble, annoys his friends and is tested by his masters. The entire series follows Naruto and his friends growing up and have many ninja adventures.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

This beautiful story is not only written but illustrated to tell the story about a boy named Hugo who lives inside a railway station in Paris. He is an orphan and his mission is to fix his father's machine that will write an unknown message. The boy ends up stealing parts for his machine and meets a young girl who becomes his friend. He is caught stealing parts for the machine and it jeopardizes his secret life and the machine. The girl and the tinker help Hugo unravel the mystery of the message and create a family.

Resources:

School Library Journal
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

This website is based from the School Library Journal magazine. The website has a number of resources for not just librarians but teachers too. There are articles, blogs, podcasts, and more related to not only books but school issues too. For finding book reviews there is a tab on the top labeled reviews. Reviews are updated monthly which keeps me up to date on the latest books. When you hover over it there will be a list of reviews by grade range and type of books like graphic novels, multimedia, reference, and more. There is even a search box for finding something more specific.

YALSA-BK listserv
http://lists.ala.org/wws/lists
This is a great listserv for being current in young adult materials. Award winning lists from ALA in any topic or genre can be posted. Since it is a forum, librarians discuss books, subject lists, find books, and much more. Reviews are posted as well and lately there is a push for video reviews which makes selecting books fun.

Emily Ponsler's Book and Resource Share

Recommended Children's Books

Flicker Flash by Joan Bransfield Graham

I stumbled upon this wonderful book at my local library. I was immediately drawn to it because of the title and was delighted when I saw what was inside. It is filled with shape poems, all of which explore light and the various ways it can illuminate the world around us. From the flicker of a candle, to the reflection of the moon, the poems in this book are a wonderful way to show children how much fun poetry can be and that things we see in everyday life can inspire us to do very creative things!


Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes

I found this counting book online and can't wait to get my hands on it. I have heard nothing but good things about it and just by looking at the cover it is clear to see that the illustrations, made from polymer clay and then photographed, are wonderful. They look like they are three dimensional. Each page in this book features an animal of the rainforest and a number and the text follows the rhythm of "Over in the Meadow". At the end of the book there is information about each of the animals mentioned, a finding game, as well as recommendations from both the author and illustrator how to encourage child participation.


Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy Watson to the Rescue is the first in a series of early chapter books by Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tales of Despereaux and Because of Winn Dixie. I recently read this book to my 4 year old daughter, who requested that I read it again and again. The series stars Mercy Watson, the beloved pet "porcine wonder" belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Watson. In this story, Mercy is tucked into bed by the Watson's and when the lights go out she becomes scared. She goes to find them, climbs into their bed, and dreams of hot buttered toast. Before long the heavy load of both Mercy and the Watson's becomes too much for the bed to handle and it begins to fall through the floor. All the while, Mercy can't stop thinking about hot buttered toast and jumps off the bed to go find some. Mr. and Mrs. Watson believe that Mercy is on her way to call the fire department, but Mercy finds herself at the house next door, still in search of that toast she has been thinking about. Ultimately, the irritable neighbor lady calls the fire department, the Watson's are rescued and Mercy is the Heroine, rewarded with some hot buttered toast. This book is very humorous and the cartoon like illustrations make the story come alive.


Resources


http://www.biguniverse.com/?SSAID=351675

Big Universe is a site dedicated to providing curriculum support for grades k-8, offering a large library of online books (1050 books). Other features include creating, publishing, organizing, and sharing books online. Many of the features of the site require you to sign-up, become a member, and yes, pay a fee, but there are other resources within the site that are free. The blog contains recommendations of books and discusses literacy related topics, and the weekly newsletter offers free featured books.


Math and Literature by Stephanie Sheffield

I obtained an earlier version of this book in a math class that I took as part of the Transition to Teaching program. Within the book are ideas and methods for connecting math to literature for grades 2 and 3. There are ten lessons in all as well as student samples. By incorporating literature into math instruction, students can experience math in a way that is very different from your typical textbook rendition of solving problems. The author, Stephanie Sheffield, has also written similar books for grades K-1 and 4-6, as well as one that addresses math and non-fiction for grades 3-5.