Book of the Month: Imogene's Antlers by David Small

"On Thursday, when Imogene woke up, she found she had grown antlers..." And this is how Imogene's story begins. It's as simple as that! So you can imagine all of the fun that comes next.  Imogene adapts very well to her antlers...she hangs donuts on them for breakfast, she uses them to hang towels that need drying, and she has lots of places for birds to land.

Related Activities:

• List other animals that have antlers like caribou
• This month, there is another friendly little fictional animal with antlers who, along with his friends, helps Santa deliver toys across the world. So, Imogene's Antlers is a timely story. Learn about real reindeer - where they live, what they eat, etc..
• Sort pictures of animals that have antlers and animals that have horns (see the link below to the Reading Rainbow video). Or, you can use plastic animals that you may have in your classroom.
• Have children make up a story about what they would do if they woke up with antlers (or some other animal features like - feathers, scales, wings, etc).
• Ask children why they think Imogene woke up with antlers. Speculate and imagine!

Related Links:

• The Reading Rainbow on Vimeo episode featuring Imogene's Antlers takes the viewer on a visit to the Philadelphia Zoo (America's First Zoo - who knew?). The children learn about "appendages" and the difference between horns and antlers.
• Visit the author's website: DavidSmallBooks.
• Scholastic Books has a great math/snack activity using pipe cleaners and O shaped cereal. 
• National Geographic Kids has beautiful pictures of caribou along with other information.
• There's an awesome book called Story Stretchers and it's now available on Google Books. Here you will find several other extension activities such as making donuts (yum!)

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!

Book of the Month: Jacob O'Reilly Wants a Pet by Lynne Rickards

I often spend time in my local library or book store where I am surrounded by mountains of good selections. But what gets me most excited is when I find a treasure in an unexpected place. I took a trip to my local Ollie's Bargain Outlet to get some things to redecorate the bedroom. Every time I go to Ollie's, I peek at the children's books. Usually I will see a few familiar classics, a lot of cool activity books, some mediocre stories, and every now and again I find a pretty cool gem like Jacob O'Reilly Wants a Pet. I've had the book for a little more than a week and I've already read it to my niece 5 times! Trust me, you won't be disappointed if you add this one to your library.

So, Jacob really wants a pet: "He asked for a dog but Dad didn't want fleas. He tried for a cat, but the fur made Mom sneeze. He went through a list of small rodents for sale, but the very idea turned Mom and Dad pale." Finally, he starts a pet sitting business and ends up with  four dogs, five hamsters, six cats, one mouse, a python, two donkeys, five sheep , one horse, rabbits, hares, and zebra. You will be surprised at the pet Jacob finally chooses in the end!

Related Activities:

• In the book Jake refers to some animals that may not make good pets (like a walrus and an emu). Make a list of animals and discuss why they would (or would not) make a good pet. Draw some funny pictures of how it would be to take care of some pets (like a walrus in the bathtub!).
• Make a graph similar to this one  and talk about the number and types of pets the students have.
• Visit a local veterinarian's office.
• Have children bring in photos of their pets and make a class collage.
• Paint pet rocks.
• Sort pets by herbivores and carnivores.

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 of the Month: Schools Have Learn by Harriet Ziefert

In many classrooms across the country tomorrow is the first day of school. Here is a fun little way to start the year off:

This book may be enjoyable for preschooler and kindergartners, but first and even second graders will enjoy it too. There are lots of twists and wordplay that older children will enjoy: From "Beds have jumps. Cereal has lumps. Good-byes have hugs. Backpacks have lugs." To "History has facts. Math has subtracts. Geometry has lines. Multiplication tables have nines."

Related Activity:
Have children write their own version of the story. For younger children you can give them some help by starting off with a title and letting them each write and illustrate a page for a class book. For older children, you can pair them up to write books to share with the class. Some ideas:

• Animals Have Zoos (a book about animals and habitats)
• Feet Have Shoes (a book about clothes and/or seasonal clothing)
• Skeletons Have Bodies (a book about body parts)

The ideas are endless!

Related Post for Back to School Books: The Night Before Kindergarten

Book of the Month: The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing

" 'Twas the night before kindergarten, and as they prepared, kids were excited, and a little bit scared..."

 

This very likable story is one that may be requested over and over again. There's a little twist in the story: it's not the children that have a hard time on their first day, it's instead, the moms & dads: "When what to her wondering eyes should appear but sad moms and dads who were holding back tears..." The story gives a young children a quick peek into the world of kindergarten: circle time, a class pet, music, arts & crafts...It's a perfect read in the weeks before school!

 

Related Activity:

I don't teach kindergarten anymore :( but if I did, I would record myself reading this story on a site like Vimeo and email it to the parents of my incoming students so that they can share it with their children. It would be a fun way for the children to get to see and hear you before school starts!

Other "Back To School" Posts:

Book of the Day Activities: The First Day of School

Other Books:

A School Like Mine

Chrysanthemum

If You Take a Mouse To School

It's Back To School We Go

The Kissing Hand

Maisy Goes to Preschool

My Teacher Sleeps in School

This is the Way We Go to School

Will I Have A Friend?

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