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.