The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Overall, I am undecided on how I feel about this book. I liked the character Clementine. She is creative and has a unique way of looking at things. She is a funny, quirky and intelligent little girl. However, I found myself getting bored with the book. I really did not care to read on to find out how Clementine resolved her problem. What bothers me is that I can not describe what exactly it was about the book that I did not like. I felt that I should have liked it more than I did. I think that children would really enjoy this book. I think that they too would like Clementine and could relate to the story. Lots of children have a hard time recognizing their talents. If I have a book that I think kids would really enjoy even though I did not, should I still give a book talk on it? Should I give it a positive review because I think the kids would really enjoy it? I think I might give a quick talk on it, but omit my personal feelings about it.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Made You Look
Made You Look by Diane Roberts
This is a novel for young readers. I would use it in older elementary grades. I would use it in the fourth and fifth grades, and possibly as a read aloud in the third grade. The book is fun and easy to read. The main character was funny and witty. I liked the fact that it was modern. The main character used his laptop for e-mailing and for sending IM's. I think that kids will like a book where they can identify with the characters, and where they can envision themselves in the characters world. Although some of the happenings in the story were a little far fetched,but not ridiculous, the characters personalities were real and true to life. As I read the story I kept thinking that the characters were just like someone I used to know or now know. I think kids will enjoy reading this funny and exciting book.
This is a novel for young readers. I would use it in older elementary grades. I would use it in the fourth and fifth grades, and possibly as a read aloud in the third grade. The book is fun and easy to read. The main character was funny and witty. I liked the fact that it was modern. The main character used his laptop for e-mailing and for sending IM's. I think that kids will like a book where they can identify with the characters, and where they can envision themselves in the characters world. Although some of the happenings in the story were a little far fetched,but not ridiculous, the characters personalities were real and true to life. As I read the story I kept thinking that the characters were just like someone I used to know or now know. I think kids will enjoy reading this funny and exciting book.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Craft lesson #1
Writing a Book About What Happens During the Day
Discussion:
At the pre-k level children are usually not capable of writing sentences on their own. However, with their teachers help pre-k students can become writers. They can dictate words to their teachers and draw pictures that tell a story or have meaning. This lesson will primarily be an exercise in writing.
Procedure:
I will read the students Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet Wong. Since it is a longer more mature book, I will only read parts of the book. I will shorten it to one or two sentences per page. I will ask the students if they noticed that in the book different things were happening at different times. I will then explain to the students that we are going to write our own book about what we are doing at different times during the day. Every student will be assigned to a different time during the school day. Throughout the day I will ask students to dictate to me what they are doing or did during those different times. At the top of the page each student will have a time and what the activity is for that time. For example, 11:30: Lunch time, will appear at the top of the page. Then I will take the students diction of what they want to write at the bottom of the page. For example, "We ate spaghetti and bread" will appear at the bottom of the page. I will then ask students to draw on their page a picture to go with their words. I will also take pictures of the children during the different times during the day. After all the students have completed their pages. I will read the book to the class. I will then ask the students to come up with a title for the book. We will decide or vote as a class which title we like best. On the cover page of the book I will write the title and every child's name as the author. I will then laminate the book. When you open to the various pages you will see the child's drawing and words. Then on the corresponding page I will have a photograph of the class during that time. I think the photographs will help the children recognize what activity is designated on each page. Children also like looking at photographs of themselves and their friends. I will place the book on our book shelf for the children to read on their own.
Note: Another good book to read for this lesson would be The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.
Discussion:
At the pre-k level children are usually not capable of writing sentences on their own. However, with their teachers help pre-k students can become writers. They can dictate words to their teachers and draw pictures that tell a story or have meaning. This lesson will primarily be an exercise in writing.
Procedure:
I will read the students Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet Wong. Since it is a longer more mature book, I will only read parts of the book. I will shorten it to one or two sentences per page. I will ask the students if they noticed that in the book different things were happening at different times. I will then explain to the students that we are going to write our own book about what we are doing at different times during the day. Every student will be assigned to a different time during the school day. Throughout the day I will ask students to dictate to me what they are doing or did during those different times. At the top of the page each student will have a time and what the activity is for that time. For example, 11:30: Lunch time, will appear at the top of the page. Then I will take the students diction of what they want to write at the bottom of the page. For example, "We ate spaghetti and bread" will appear at the bottom of the page. I will then ask students to draw on their page a picture to go with their words. I will also take pictures of the children during the different times during the day. After all the students have completed their pages. I will read the book to the class. I will then ask the students to come up with a title for the book. We will decide or vote as a class which title we like best. On the cover page of the book I will write the title and every child's name as the author. I will then laminate the book. When you open to the various pages you will see the child's drawing and words. Then on the corresponding page I will have a photograph of the class during that time. I think the photographs will help the children recognize what activity is designated on each page. Children also like looking at photographs of themselves and their friends. I will place the book on our book shelf for the children to read on their own.
Note: Another good book to read for this lesson would be The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Los Gatos Black on Halloween
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes. Illustrated by Yuyi Morales.
This book has become one of my favorites. The illustrations alone make it worth reading. They are beautiful and I notice something new on each page every time I read this book. The rhyme and rhythm of the book is also very nice. It has English and Spanish words. Even though I do not speak Spanish I can infer the meaning of the Spanish words due to the context of the page. The poetic story was fun and a little scary in a light hearted way. The ending was fantastic. What ghosts, mummies, witches and zombies are most terrified of are little kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes trick-or-treating at night. I think kids of all ages would enjoy this book. I would definitely use this book in my class room. However, I would try to be careful. I do not want to scare children or offend anyone's religion. I haven't quite figured out what I would do in order to avoid these problems. I would present the book in a fun way and talk before hand about ghosts and witches not being real. I would use this book around Halloween. By then I would hopefully know my students and possibly their parents well enough to guess whether any of the students or the parents might have a problem with the book.
This book has become one of my favorites. The illustrations alone make it worth reading. They are beautiful and I notice something new on each page every time I read this book. The rhyme and rhythm of the book is also very nice. It has English and Spanish words. Even though I do not speak Spanish I can infer the meaning of the Spanish words due to the context of the page. The poetic story was fun and a little scary in a light hearted way. The ending was fantastic. What ghosts, mummies, witches and zombies are most terrified of are little kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes trick-or-treating at night. I think kids of all ages would enjoy this book. I would definitely use this book in my class room. However, I would try to be careful. I do not want to scare children or offend anyone's religion. I haven't quite figured out what I would do in order to avoid these problems. I would present the book in a fun way and talk before hand about ghosts and witches not being real. I would use this book around Halloween. By then I would hopefully know my students and possibly their parents well enough to guess whether any of the students or the parents might have a problem with the book.
when I heard the learn'd astronomer
When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer by Walt Whitman. Illustrations by Loren Long.
This book is about a little boy who went to hear an astronomer speak. Before the speech, the little boy was exploring the gallery. He was looking and interacting with all that he saw. He was learning and discovering on his own. Then his mom pulls the reluctant boy away to here the astronomers speech. The boy is soon bored. After the speech is over the boy leaves the building to walk on his own. The boy ends up gazing at the stars. I would like to think that the astronomers speech has given him a better understanding and appreciation for the stars and the universe; and that some day this curious little boy will be giving his own speeches just like the astronomer.
I think I liked this book, but I am not sure how much I liked it. I loved the beautiful illustration, and the words were beautiful as well. However, the book did not feel like a children's book. It was a little too grown up. It was not cute, or funny or any of those things we typically associate with children's picture books. I am wondering if children can appreciate this book, or will it be a little stale for their tastes? I think I might try it out in the classroom just to see how the kids react to it.
This book is about a little boy who went to hear an astronomer speak. Before the speech, the little boy was exploring the gallery. He was looking and interacting with all that he saw. He was learning and discovering on his own. Then his mom pulls the reluctant boy away to here the astronomers speech. The boy is soon bored. After the speech is over the boy leaves the building to walk on his own. The boy ends up gazing at the stars. I would like to think that the astronomers speech has given him a better understanding and appreciation for the stars and the universe; and that some day this curious little boy will be giving his own speeches just like the astronomer.
I think I liked this book, but I am not sure how much I liked it. I loved the beautiful illustration, and the words were beautiful as well. However, the book did not feel like a children's book. It was a little too grown up. It was not cute, or funny or any of those things we typically associate with children's picture books. I am wondering if children can appreciate this book, or will it be a little stale for their tastes? I think I might try it out in the classroom just to see how the kids react to it.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
I Love Saturdays y domingos
I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada. Illustrated by Elivia Savadier.
This book was about a girl from a inter-racial family. He spent Saturdays with his Anglo grandparents and Sundays with his Latino grandparents. Although the book shows us the differences between the two cultures and languages, and think it is more about similarities. No mater what culture or race you belong to every child loves spending time with his grandparents. And every grandparent loves their grand child. Although their stories are different both grandfathers tell stories about the family history. The experiences she shares with both sets of grandparents are special and full of love. Both sides of the family come together at the end for the child's birthday. It becomes a mixture of both cultures. Everyone has fun and celebrates the birthday together bringing their own individuality to the birthday. It is not their differences that bring them together, but it is their similarities and love for each other. This book was lovely. I would definitely use it in my classroom.
This book was about a girl from a inter-racial family. He spent Saturdays with his Anglo grandparents and Sundays with his Latino grandparents. Although the book shows us the differences between the two cultures and languages, and think it is more about similarities. No mater what culture or race you belong to every child loves spending time with his grandparents. And every grandparent loves their grand child. Although their stories are different both grandfathers tell stories about the family history. The experiences she shares with both sets of grandparents are special and full of love. Both sides of the family come together at the end for the child's birthday. It becomes a mixture of both cultures. Everyone has fun and celebrates the birthday together bringing their own individuality to the birthday. It is not their differences that bring them together, but it is their similarities and love for each other. This book was lovely. I would definitely use it in my classroom.
The Name Jar
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
I enjoyed this book. Although the book is probably written for older elementary kids; I think I could still use it in a pre-k class. I would use it for a read aloud. However, I am not sure I would choose to read the entire book at one time. The book is about a little girl from Korea named Unhei. she wants to choose a more American name for herself after come kids on her bus make fun of her Korean name. The children in Unhei's class put name suggestions in a jar to help Unhei come up with an idea for her new name. Unhei makes a new friend at school named Joey. Joey shows interest in Unhei's name stamp and learns to pronounce her name correctly. Unhei's mother tells her that she is different and that her name is special. In the end Unhei chooses to keep her own name. At the beginning of the book Unhei doesn't want to be different, but by the end she realizes that being different is o.k. and that her name was special.
This book can help kids understand that it is o.k. to be different. Some of our differences make us who we are and we should be proud of them. This book also shows the impact students can have on one another. After the kids on the bus made fun of her name, Unhei was ready to change it. If these kids had never made fun of her, Unhei would never have felt so self conscious about her name. It's terrible that kids can have such a strong negative impact on one another. I think we have to be careful as teachers and never dismiss kids teasing as just something that kids do. As we see later in the book kids can also have a strong positive impact on one another. The children in Unhei's class were willing to accept her and help her in choosing a new name. In the end the children applauded Unhei's choice of her own name. Joey especially helped Unhei realize that she could be herself and that being different was special in a good way. It is so good children to be in an atmosphere of acceptance, respect and mutual helpfulness. We need to promote this atmosphere in our classrooms whenever we can.
I enjoyed this book. Although the book is probably written for older elementary kids; I think I could still use it in a pre-k class. I would use it for a read aloud. However, I am not sure I would choose to read the entire book at one time. The book is about a little girl from Korea named Unhei. she wants to choose a more American name for herself after come kids on her bus make fun of her Korean name. The children in Unhei's class put name suggestions in a jar to help Unhei come up with an idea for her new name. Unhei makes a new friend at school named Joey. Joey shows interest in Unhei's name stamp and learns to pronounce her name correctly. Unhei's mother tells her that she is different and that her name is special. In the end Unhei chooses to keep her own name. At the beginning of the book Unhei doesn't want to be different, but by the end she realizes that being different is o.k. and that her name was special.
This book can help kids understand that it is o.k. to be different. Some of our differences make us who we are and we should be proud of them. This book also shows the impact students can have on one another. After the kids on the bus made fun of her name, Unhei was ready to change it. If these kids had never made fun of her, Unhei would never have felt so self conscious about her name. It's terrible that kids can have such a strong negative impact on one another. I think we have to be careful as teachers and never dismiss kids teasing as just something that kids do. As we see later in the book kids can also have a strong positive impact on one another. The children in Unhei's class were willing to accept her and help her in choosing a new name. In the end the children applauded Unhei's choice of her own name. Joey especially helped Unhei realize that she could be herself and that being different was special in a good way. It is so good children to be in an atmosphere of acceptance, respect and mutual helpfulness. We need to promote this atmosphere in our classrooms whenever we can.
Monday, July 14, 2008
My Name is María Isabel
Ada, Alma Flor. My Name is María Isabel. Illus.K.Dyble Thompson. New York, NY : Simon & Shuster,1993.
This book was about a little girl named María Isabel Salazar López. She had moved to a new school two months after school had started. The teacher decided to call her Mary because there were already two Marías in the class. María could not get used to being called Mary. She was very proud of her name and did not realize that the teacher was calling on her when she called her Mary. She was trying to like her new school, but her new name kept causing trouble. The teacher seemed angry because Mary never answered her. She almost missed the school Christmas play because of her new name. She did not know what to do about her problem. Finally, she revealed her problem to the teacher in the form of a Christmas wish. When the teacher realized how María had been struggling with the new name she stopped calling her Mary. Mary's parents got to watch her perform in the play after all.
I liked this book. There is at least one thing in this book that any child could identify with. It might be that like María they are proud of there name, and feel a strong connection to there family. Many children know what it is like to go to a new school and have to make new friends. There is also the idea of being misunderstood, and having a problem that you don't know how to fix. The teacher did not know why Mary was not responding, and María did not know how to tell the teacher that she did not recognize the name. I wonder why María did not tell her family about the new name her teacher had given her. Was she too embarrassed or ashamed to tell her parents about it? Although this book was intended for children, I think it can speak to us as future teachers as well. We have to be very careful with our students. We need to make them feel welcome and important. We need to respect children and their different cultures, religions and nationalities. It is a part of who they are. If we make any of these things seem unimportant, then we make them feel unimportant as well. We need to appreciate and celebrate differences in our classrooms. I think teachers need to learn to pronounce foreign names as best they can. It can help a child feel safer and more welcome. I think that a child always need to feel safe and welcome in the classroom.
This book was about a little girl named María Isabel Salazar López. She had moved to a new school two months after school had started. The teacher decided to call her Mary because there were already two Marías in the class. María could not get used to being called Mary. She was very proud of her name and did not realize that the teacher was calling on her when she called her Mary. She was trying to like her new school, but her new name kept causing trouble. The teacher seemed angry because Mary never answered her. She almost missed the school Christmas play because of her new name. She did not know what to do about her problem. Finally, she revealed her problem to the teacher in the form of a Christmas wish. When the teacher realized how María had been struggling with the new name she stopped calling her Mary. Mary's parents got to watch her perform in the play after all.
I liked this book. There is at least one thing in this book that any child could identify with. It might be that like María they are proud of there name, and feel a strong connection to there family. Many children know what it is like to go to a new school and have to make new friends. There is also the idea of being misunderstood, and having a problem that you don't know how to fix. The teacher did not know why Mary was not responding, and María did not know how to tell the teacher that she did not recognize the name. I wonder why María did not tell her family about the new name her teacher had given her. Was she too embarrassed or ashamed to tell her parents about it? Although this book was intended for children, I think it can speak to us as future teachers as well. We have to be very careful with our students. We need to make them feel welcome and important. We need to respect children and their different cultures, religions and nationalities. It is a part of who they are. If we make any of these things seem unimportant, then we make them feel unimportant as well. We need to appreciate and celebrate differences in our classrooms. I think teachers need to learn to pronounce foreign names as best they can. It can help a child feel safer and more welcome. I think that a child always need to feel safe and welcome in the classroom.
Writing Workshop
It seems to me that it is almost assumed that a child will want to share her work with the class. It was said in the book that writing was not a choice. The child has to write in the workshop. However, nothing was said about sharing. Do children have to sit in the authors chair and share with the class if they do not want to? It seems that this is a very important aspect of the workshop. It seems beneficial to the authors and the students to critique and have their work critiqued by their peers. I know sitting in the authors chair is helpfull, but is it necessary for every student?
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