Book Giveaway: Mack and Missy

Missy and her brother Mack go crabbing with their Grandpa. The rhythmic text and collage illustrations are likely to warm your heart. Many of us who grew up on the East Coast have many fond memories of the sights, smells, and sounds of crab season. Tweet me @LiteracyCounts to win a copy. 

Book of the Month: Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

Thanksgiving is approaching and we are helping children to learn about being thankful. The winter holidays are also approaching and it's a time when we often talk to children about giving and being kind. Hopefully these are lessons that we teach our children all year long and this is a great book to help start those discussions.



I love this book for may reasons. The main character is being raised by his grandmother - that family structure is a reality for many children and this book makes it seem so normal that children can easily relate. He wants a pair of sneakers that are just beyond the family's budget, again another reality for many children. In the end, he finds a pair at a thrift shop but they are too small, and he gives them to a friend. The book touches on giving to others, kindness, bullying (the other children laugh at Jeremy's Velcro sneakers), and friendship.

I do take issues with two words in the book: "rich" and "dumb." Jeremy goes to the thrift shop in the hopes that some "rich" child donated the sneakers. The word rich is not concrete to a young child and people who aren't rich donate to thrift shops. Jeremy also uses the word dumb in a moment of frustration. But don't let those words discourage you from picking up this book. The lessons far outweigh those two words.

Related Activity:

Have children donate items to a thrift shop.

It's Election Time: Grace for President

Election day is near and what better time to read Grace for President! Grace realizes that there has never been a female president, Grace begins her political career in a classroom election that helps students understand the process of the election and voting. There are some details that may be too much for very young children but older students will be able to understand how an election works. It's a perfect read for this time of year!

Literacy Jackpot

I visited my local library recently and found these gems that I couldn't wait to share with you! I get so excited when I find new books that are really relevant and fun. So here we go...

Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color (Jane Brocket's Clever Concepts) 

Do you ever get tired of plain old "red, blue, and yellow?"  Well, this is the book for you! This book has wonderfully large, colorful photos and it introduces colors with pictures and catchy text: "Red is bright and bold. Scarlet candy, ruby flowers, crimson chairs, and rosy apples..." How many different ways can you think of to describe the colors yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, and more!  I also love the fact that this book includes brown, black, white, silver, and gold. Even pastels such as "peachy" and "soft pink" are included. I was delighted to find other books in this series: 

• Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What Are Patterns? (Jane Brocket's Clever Concepts)
• Spiky, Slimy, Smooth: What Is Texture? (Jane Brocket's Clever Concepts)

LMNO Peas 

No more "B is for ball" in this innovative story. Instead, "We're builders, bathers, and bikers in a race." And the humor is that the builders, bikers, bathers and other characters in this book are all... you guessed it... PEAS. Such a cute and fun alphabet book. 

Alphabet Soup

Otter just moved into a new house and decided to have a house warming party where each guest brings an ingredient for soup.  And then the processional of guests begins... there's Cricket's Cracker Crane; Owls, Onions and Okra; Vegetables via Vole; and much more. Again, this is one of those books that goes beyond "B is for ball and C is for cat." Not that there's anything wrong with those books - but this one, just like LMNO Peas just adds a creative spin for those who are ready for something unique and creative. And the illustrations are filled with rich, lush detail. Each page also has a little tongue twister that includes the featured letter.

Book for Kids Day

Here in Baltimore, we have a wonderful organization, Baltimore Reads, that hosts Book for Kids Day every spring. Teachers, schools, children, and families benefit from the monetary and book donations made by members of our community. I am asking all of my readers to do one thing to help get books in the hand of a child/family in need. Here are some ideas:

1. Call your local literacy organizations and ask them how you can help.
2. Donate your gently used children's books to a school in a low-income neighborhood. I'm sure there is always a teacher who will be grateful for them.
3. Look for a non-profit or family child care center in your area and ask if they need book donations.
4. Contact a local women and children's shelter and ask them if they are in need of any book donations.
5. Start your own book drive and donate books to a local foster home or other agency in need.

Product Give Away:

Comment below to tell us what you are doing to help  children in your community get access to books. A random winner will be selected to win two sets of Counting Cards from Child Up.

 and

BOOK OF THE MONTH: Spring Goes Squish

BOOK OF THE MONTH: Spring Goes Squish

My absolute favorite time of the year is spring!! I love seeing flowers bloom. I love the spring weather - not too hot, not too cold. Open windows...walks in the parks...what's not to love about the season? Well, according to Marty Kelly there's lots not to like: disappearing kites, runny noses, chirping birds, splashing buses...this humorous and rhyming tale will get more than a few chuckles from your preschoolers!

Related Activities:

• Introduce the word "onomatopoeia." Children just love BIG and funny sounding words. And it's a big word for something that they already know! What other words are also sounds? Squish, tick-tock, chirp, splash... the list will get longer and longer. Keep a long piece of paper hanging in the classroom and add words to the list as children think of them.
• Introduce some letter blends. SPLASH begins with the /sq/ sound. Let the children list other words that begin with this sound: spring, spend, space, speckle, spaghetti, sparkle, etc. SQUISH begins with the /sq/ sound: squash, squid, squat, square, squeal, etc.
• To simulate mud, use brown fingerpaint.
• In the sensory table, add soil, fake flowers, and gardening tools.
• Go on a spring walk and allow the children to take photographs (this may work best in small groups if you have a large class). Make a class book with the photos! You can also post them online for parents to see at home.
• Make spring flowers. Preschool Express has lots of craft ideas for flower-making!

Bonus Book of the Month

This book is one in a series that brings concepts to life for young learners. In this book, children lean about insects and multiplication at the same time. "Nine brilliant fireflies twinkle in the dark - glowing lights flash on and off, How many in the park? 9 x 1 = ?" Children have large, beautifully illustrated pictures where they can count the fireflies. If I were introducing multiplication, I don't know an easier, more vibrant book to use! Ok..here's another one: "Four hungry honey bees dance a buggy beat - tappin' with six furry legs. How many dancing feet? 4 x 6 = ?" This book will be hard for me to give away - my four year old niece loves it! I thought it would be a bit above her head but she really gets it and loves counting each page. For adults and older students (just like Animology and Hey Diddle Diddle), there are six activity pages in the back and more activities online.

The first person to comment on this post will win this awesome book!

More Spring Posts:

• March Comes in Like a Lion...
• ...And Goes Out Like a Lamb
• Teachable Moments
• Bring on the Birds

Goodnight iPad

Just last year, I was panicked at the thought of eBooks taking over the world replacing traditional books for children. Since I've written that post, I've had more first hand experience with ebooks for children. My three year old niece (who is almost 4 now!) has her own page of apps on my iPad. She loves The Monster at the End of this Book, Bob Books, I Like Books, and Olivia Acts Out. I am pretty impressed at her proficiency and at the interactive nature of some of these books. But while the iPad versions are fun and educational, at night, when her Dad tucks her in, she still reaches for traditional books (whew!). And her baby brother can't resist his own pile of books - soft books, cloth books, fuzzy books, and all of the books that he can safely pick up, touch, feel, and yes, even chew. So, I'm no longer worried that eBooks will take over the world... or WILL THEY...?

25 (Ok...34!) Picture Books Boys (and Girls!) Might Enjoy

I started out creating a list of twenty-five books that boys might enjoy. But I ended up with 34 and then realized that girls will like them too. Go figure! So here it goes:

Bugs, Worms, and other Creatures

 Transportation

Boys as the Main Characters:

 

Still More... 

Other Related Links:

• Rock It Out
• Tickling Your Funny Bone
• Should We Give Into the Yuck Factor When It Comes to Boys and Books?
• Six Not-So-Secret Tips for Encouraging Literacy Development in Boys
• Teacher Tip Tuesday: Tip #4: Boys and Books in the Classroom
• Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys
• Literacy Challenges for “at-risk” families (coming soon)