Five of the Best Children’s Books

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Jennie

I have been tagged to nominate my top five children’s books.  Thank you Norah at norahcolvin.com.  Choosing five books (only five) is a roller coaster, and I love that ride.  Here are my favorite children’s books, and why:

Goodnight Moon 

This book is a classic.  It is what every baby needs to hear, over and over again.  In my classroom, I recite Goodnight Moon before chapter reading.  Every day.  Often I change it up to include the children’s names: “In the great green room there is Mark’s telephone, and Sarah’s red balloon…” and so on.  It is the best.

The Story of Little Babaji

Helen Bannerman wrote this story in 1899.  When I was a child, I loved Little Black Sambo, which was an adaptation of this book.  That book was banned, and the original, based in India, was reborn.  Thank goodness.  Not only is it a great story, it is so beloved in my classroom that we host play performances for families.  When a children’s book has a repeating phrase that encourages children to join the reader and say aloud; “Little Babaji, I’m going to eat you up”, it cements their love for the book.

Swimmy 

My very first day of teaching I read aloud Swimmy.  That was all I needed for me to recognize the most important thing in teaching- reading aloud.  This book has it all: adventure and suspense, life in the ocean, and most importantly, problem solving when you’re feeling lost.  The story is timeless. Reading it today is just as fresh and exciting as it was that very first day.  Children feel the same way.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is, hands down, my favorite new book for elementary grade children.  I’ve read this aloud to a captive audience of second graders.  On the surface, it is a fantastic adventure story.  Who wouldn’t want to read about a wild robot who is shipwrecked?  Underneath, it is a story of a robot who has to adjust to nature and animals… and therefore change.  Can a robot become human?

Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web is an all-time classic.  I have been reading this book to students for decades.  It’s the very first chapter book that I read aloud at school, every year.  My class comes together as a family, because I read the words about love, worry, fear, friendship, understanding… all that really matters.  A spider and a pig, and a story of life.

I am nominating five bloggers to do the same; post your five favorite children’s books!

Rules:
1. Thank whoever’s nominated you and share their blog link.
2. Let us know your top five children’s books.
3. Nominate 5 people to do the same.
4. Let your nominees know you nominated them.

Here are my nominees:

  • Marcia at marciastrykowski.com
  • Robin at witlessdatingafterfifty.wordpress.com
  • Beth at nerdybookclub.wordpress.com
  • Susan at redcanoereader.wordpress.com
  • Ritu at butismileanyway.com

Of course, many thanks to Norah for including me in this challenge.  Please visit her wonderful blog at norahcolvin.com.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, picture books, reading aloud | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

Children Talking Death and Dying… It’s Good

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jennie

Recently on the playground I watched children happily engaged in play.  The important part to them was someone dying.  It may sound grim, but it was really a happy game of imaginary play.  The characters were a mom and a dad, a baby, and a dog.

First,  the Mom died.  The other characters rushed around to help, calling out loud, “Oh, no.  She died.”  Then the game switched characters, and the dog died.  Interestingly, the baby never died.

I took it all in, because I know that play is work, and also how children sort out things in their minds.  It’s natural that death and dying is simply a part of what children learn and talk about.

Here is a conversation that occurred at the playdough table:

Lincoln:  Auntie Terry got dead.  She is in church.

Alex:  Who got her dead?

Lincoln:  Nobody.  She just is.  She fell and got dead.

Lucca:  Awww!  That’s so sad.  I feel bad for her.

What a terrific conversation!  It’s natural and full of curiosity.  All too often parents want to hush-hush any discussion or questions about death.  They’re scared.  They decide that avoidance is the best thing to do.  They think perhaps shoving it under the rug until their child is older is the way to go.

It’s not.

Answering questions with a three or four-year-old is delightful.  They are just learning to put the world in order.  They are as curious about a wooly bear on the playground as they are about death and dying.  Simple questions need simple answers.  No more, no less.

When our hermit crab died, here is the conversation that happened in the classroom, and what I said to parents:

Last Wednesday one of our hermit crabs died.  In spite of the many conversations about death and dying that naturally occur with a classroom pet, it is still a moment of wonder when a pet dies.  Some children were surprised, some were quiet, some asked many questions, and some appeared to take it in stride.

A child:  Jennie, the hermit crab isn’t moving!

Jennie:  Let’s take a look.  Join me on the floor and we’ll open the cage.

(Fifteen silent, wondering children gathered to see what had happened.)

A child:  He still isn’t moving.

(Jennie put the hermit crab on her flat, open palm to show the children.)

Jennie:  The hermit crab has died.

A child:  Why didn’t he go into another shell?

A child:  Will he come alive and find a new shell to live in?

A child:  No, you can’t come alive after you die.

Jennie:  That’s right.

A child:  Will he go to heaven?

A child:  Yeah, he’ll be with Ray and Baby Smokey in heaven.

Jennie:  That would be wonderful!  We’ll go to the Memory Garden and bury the hermit crab.  You can come along if you wish.

(On a drizzly, chilly morning, we went to the Memory Garden on the playground and buried the hermit crab.)

Jennie:  Should we sing a song?

A child:  The ABC song!

A child:  Twinkle, Twinkle!

(We sang the songs, said good-bye, and headed back indoors to play.)

When a child experiences death with a pet, that is sometimes helpful when there is death in the family, such as a grandparent.  There is a small degree of familiarity, and questions have already been asked and answered.  The Aqua Room feels that including children in the wonder of life, as well as death, is a learning experience for both the mind and the heart.

Including children in the wonder of life, as well as death.  Absolutely!

Jennie

Posted in Death and dying, Early Education, Learning About the World | Tagged , , , | 58 Comments

Why Reading Aloud Made Cuban Cigars Great

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Jennie

While reading aloud is my passion and what I do- because it makes a marked difference in learning- I always write about reading aloud to children.

Well, there’s more.  Adults.  The proof of reading aloud making a difference is in the high quality of Cuban cigars.  It’s a great story, one of my favorites.

Reading aloud never gets old.  It weathers time and generations.  For adults, when we are read to, we listen, think and feel.  And, we have to stretch our brain.  When we only hear the words it sharpens our mind, and our performance is much better.

The Cuban cigar industry understood this.  That’s why they make the finest cigars.

La Lectura 04521u.web_

They have la lectura, who reads aloud for up to four hours to the factory workers, from the daily news to Shakespeare to current books.  This is both brilliant and common sense; the workers are entertained, happy and productive.

Jim Trelease writes about this in his million-copy bestseller book, The Read-Aloud Handbook.  He is a master writer and has it nailed on reading aloud.  Here is an excerpt from the chapter about the history of reading aloud and its proof:

Then there is the history of the reader-aloud in the labor force.  When the cigar industry blossomed in the mid-1800’s, supposedly the best tobacco came from Cuba (although much of the industry later moved to Tampa, Florida area).  These cigars were hand-rolled by workers who became artisans in the delicate craft, producing hundreds of perfectly rolled specimens daily.  Artistic as it may have been, it was still repetitious labor done in stifling factories.  To break the monotony, workers hit upon the idea of having someone read aloud to them while they worked, known in the trade as ‘la lectura’.

The reader usually sat on an elevated platform or podium in the middle of the room and read aloud for four hours, covering newspapers, classics, and even Shakespeare.

As labor became more organized in the United States, the readings kept workers informed of progressive ideas throughout the world  as well as entertained.  When factory owners realized the enlightening impact of the readings, they tried to stop them but met stiff resistance from the workers, each of whom was paying the readers as much as twenty-five cents per week out of pocket.

The daily readings added to the workers’ intellect and general awareness while civilizing the atmosphere of the workplace.  By the 1930’s, however, with cigar sales slumping due to the Great Depression and unions growing restive with mechanization on the horizon, the owners declared that the reader-aloud had to go.  Protest strikes followed but to no avail, and eventually readers were replaced by radio.  But not in Cuba.

The Cuban novelist Miguel Barnet reports, “Today, all over Cuba, this tradition is alive and well.  Readers are in all the factories, from Santiago to Havana to Pinar del Rio.  The readings have specific timetables and generally begin with the headlines of the day’s newspapers.  After reading the newspaper, the readers take a break and then begin reading the unfinished book from the day before.  Most are women.”

Used by permission of the author, Jim Trelease, 2013, The Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin)

No wonder Cuban cigars are among the finest.  This story is one of my favorites and illustrates the effect reading aloud has on people.  Thank goodness I get to do this multiple times every day with children.

Jennie

Posted in Jim Trelease, reading, reading aloud | Tagged , , , , , | 82 Comments

The Book That Changed Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Jennie

When I visit with the grandchildren, a beloved ritual is reading a story before bedtime. The musicality of words floating into the ear and going into the mind becomes an arrow that pierces the heart.  It always happens that way.

This Thanksgiving I brought along plenty of books to read aloud.  I also brought a new book to read.  Not a read-aloud for the children, but a book for me.  I never expected what would happen next.

The children were camping out and snuggled in sleeping bags in the bedroom. It was fun, but didn’t lend itself to seeing the pictures in a picture book.  I thought I would read to them a little of my book, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (the author of the award-winning book The One and Only Ivan).  I hadn’t read the book, so we were all jumping into something new.

What started as one night of bedtime reading became the focus of our holiday together.  The book is outstanding.  It plucks at every scintilla.  There is no stopping, as the storyline keeps going.  So, we had to keep going.  We read the next day, and the next night, and so on, until we finished the book.  211 pages.  Just like chapter reading in my classroom at school, I was reading aloud with no pictures.  The big difference was reading the book in only a few days.  Somehow, that made reading more exciting.  Breathless.  Heart pounding.

Red is an oak tree with two hundred and sixteen rings.  He’s been around a long time, and he tells the story.  He’s a Wishtree, with a long and honorable history.  On the first day of May it’s been a tradition for people to put wishes on his tree, written on paper or cloth and  tied to his branches.  Sometimes those wishes are also whispered to Red.  He talks about his neighborhood:

Different languages, different food, different customs.  That’s our neighborhood: wild and tangled and colorful.  Like the best kind of garden.

Red talks about himself and people:

For a tree, communication is just as complicated and miraculous as it is for humans.  In a mysterious dance of sunlight and sugar, water and wind and soil, we build invisible bridges to connect with the world.

Can you imagine reading those sentences to children?  I had to stop.  My grandchildren said not a word.  Words were not necessary because Red had said them all.  We were humbled.  Spellbound.

The story is centered on two children in the neighborhood, Samar and Stephen, the host of animal families who live in Red’s tree, and Francesca, whose family has owned Red for centuries.  It is history and uncovering the past, diversity and acceptance both then and now, friendship, nature, understanding, and great adventure.  Oh yes, adventure.  My grandchildren and I fell in love with Bongo the bird, Red’s best friend.  Lewis and Clark are cats, FreshBakedBread is the mama skunk, and on and on, with animals who are the supporting characters in this book.

When someone carves LEAVE on Red, the plot thickens.  This becomes sleuth work.  The stories of the children, and Francesca’s past, and also Red’s past come together.  It is captivating.  The message it sends is a beacon of hope and promise.

Like Red, I’ve been around a long time.  I know the best.  And, this is one of the best.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Diversity, Early Education, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 74 Comments

Quotations on Kindness

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jennie

charles french words reading and writing

plato

(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

                                                                                Plato

Desmond_Tutu_2013-10-23_001

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu)

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

                                                                              Desmond Tutu

The_14th_Dalai_Lama_FEP

(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

                                                                              Dalai Lama XIV

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Jennie

Whether you are traveling near or far to be with loved ones today, giving thanks and being together with family or friends, may your travels be swift

and may your time together be filled with the the important things, the little things: laughing, telling storing, seeing new babies, eating, and simply… being.  Together.  That’s what Thanksgiving means.

As you return home

Savor the memories.  Smile inside.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennie

Posted in Giving thanks, Thanksgiving | Tagged , | 35 Comments

When Children Drive the Boat at Storytime

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Jennie

I’ve often said that the best learning and most meaningful experiences with children happen unexpectedly.  And, it happens all the time, especially with picture books.  You just have to seize the moment and be ready to let go of the scripted text, the one that’s in your head.

I’d like to tell you about two outstanding books where this happened, each with very different experiences:

The First Book

Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La… and Gaston.  Yes, reading those words from Gaston, by Kelly DiPucchio to the children started it all.  They cracked up (it really was funny), so I read it again.  More laughing, and I laughed, too.  The words in the text repeated the dogs’ names.  I paused, looked at the children, and read the names again- this time with a voice and an accent.  Well, we roared, together.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  My tears blocked seeing the words in the book.

Was this planned?  Of course not.  It just happened.  Why was this important?  It made their teacher (me) more human.  It was a class bonding moment.  If anyone was having a bad day, they weren’t any longer.  Laughter is the best medicine.  Next, we finished reading the book, and we learned a few impromptu words in French.  Oui, oui.

The story is about Gaston, who is clearly not at all like his sisters, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La.  The dogs meet another family, Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette, who is not like her brothers.  The two mother dogs discuss what appears to be the obvious, a dog in each family that doesn’t belong:

It seems there’s been a terrible mistake.  Whatever shall we do?  I guess we’ll let them decide.

What happens next is a story of diversity, belonging, and love.  Laced with humor, the book appeals to children and adults.  It certainly appeals to my children!  Belly laughing made it a memory.  Oh, we now sing  “Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston” as a catchy tune.

The Second Book

Sometimes a simple text can be powerful.  I discovered just that when I read aloud Life, by Cynthia Rylant.  The book starts with these words:

Life begins small.  Even for elephants.  Then it grows.  Beneath the sun.  And the moon.  Life grows.

Powerful, indeed.  I read the words slowly, taking time to stop and let the words sink in, and show the illustrations.  Children were silent.  The story depicts not only the elephant, but many other animals.  In a matter-of-fact way, it tells the tale of how things are not always easy.  Life.  Yet, there is always hope and wonder ahead as we go through life.  The book ends with these words:

And it is worth waking up in the morning to see what might happen.  Because life begins small.  And grows.

When I finished reading to this silent group, I clutched the book to my chest and paused.  I said, “I love life.  What do I like the most?”

Long pause and thinking.

“Singing!  I love singing.  Everyone knows Jennie loves singing.”

And then I looked at all those little faces, looking at me.  I knew what I needed to do; I asked each child what they love about life.  I was stunned.  I never expected to hear these answers:

  • Allie: “Hearts and love.”
  • Emmett: “Legos.”
  • Lincoln: “Trees.”
  • Tessa: “The moon.”
  • Ella: “Dancing.”
  • Lucca: “Santa.”
  • Savannah: “Hearts.”
  • Alex: “Rainbows.”
  • Quinn: “Big hearts.”
  • Kate: “My big sister.”
  • Jayden: “Playing with Alex and Hunter.”
  • Will: “My big brother.”
  • Adam: “My Mom and Dad.”

My goodness!

No wonder this book has been recommended as an alternative to Dr. Seuss’ book, Oh the Places You’ll Go, as a graduation gift.

If you think books and words and stories aren’t powerful, think again.  When you seize the moment as you read a book aloud, and follow your instinct and heart, you will make that book far more meaningful for children.  Whether it is filled with humor or worldly advice, it really doesn’t matter.  You will make that book come alive.  You will make a difference.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, Early Education, picture books, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Keep Your Kids are Reading! Reading is a Good Thing!

Posted on November 18, 2017 by Jennie

The number of words a child reads and hears = success in both school and life. Wow!

Writing for the Whole Darn Universe

reading gragh

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When Nothing Goes Right, There’s Mister Rogers

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Jennie

Mister Rogers

Nothing went right yesterday at school.  I should check to see if there was a full moon. Grumpy was the mood of the day for children.  At our Morning Meeting Allie, Gloria’s BFF, stood with her arms crossed.  Stone faced.  She wouldn’t sit down.  Tessa turned away and refused to look at anyone.  Lincoln drooped her head and cried because Will had poked her.  Then Will had a meltdown.  No words could console him at that moment.

I stopped everything and looked around at our fragile group of children.  Nothing mattered at Morning Meeting.  Learning went out the window, yet the best learning was about to come.

We discovered that one of the plastic forks used at snack had extra plastic on the edge.  Interesting.  Naomi, my assistant teacher, said to the children, “I wonder how plastic forks are made?”  Lightbulb moment.  She rushed to get the iPad and find a YouTube video on how plastic forks are made.  Well, the only video she found was so-so.

I thought of Mister Rogers.  I knew immediately that his TV show had incredible footage of how things were made.  The video on making crayons was one of his best.  So, we switched gears and plugged in Mister Rogers and How To Make Crayons.

          

Wow!  It was fascinating.

Just watching Mister Rogers brings on a blanket of wonderfulness.  Besides his innovation, he understood children and their place in the world.  Mister Rogers listened, truly listened to everyone.  He understood.  He was the Santa Clause of matters of the heart.  I dearly miss him and his TV show, Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

My dialogue with the children went something like this:

“Do you know what we are?  We’re a family.  We’re the Aqua Room family.  Every family has sad times and bad times.  Hey, I made rhyming words.  Today many of you are not feeling happy.  You’re grumpy.  And that’s okay.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was mad at my sister?  I did a terrible thing.  I hit her with the phone.  Phones back then were really heavy.  I hurt her, and I felt terrible.  But I was mad.  Just like you.

We help each other and stick together.  That’s what families do.  Naomi and I are like your Mom and Dad.  And you’re our children.”

Long pause.

“Will, do you need a hug?”  

Yes, he did.  And so did Tessa, and Lincoln, and Allie… and everyone else.

Thank goodness for Mister Rogers.  Just watching him on the crayon video brought me the understanding I needed in order to help the children.  It felt good.  They sensed it, too. Don’t we all need someone to listen?  Don’t we all need to be hugged?  That’s what Mister Rogers did best.

Fortunately, I have a little piece of him, right here:

Today is a new day.  In the words of Mister Rogers, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood 🎶…”

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Kindness, Love | Tagged , , , , , | 57 Comments

Gloria and Allie

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Jennie

Everyone adores Gloria, and I do mean everyone.  After all, she is the nice one, the good friend.  She gives children unconditional love.  Do you know that Gloria has a journal?  It is well-worn from love.  When children take Gloria home for the weekend, they write about their adventures in her journal, often including a photo.  We read her stories aloud to everyone.

Gloria has more of a social life than I do.  She attends graduations, high school basketball games, and Birthday parties.  She spends holidays with families, including helping to decorate the Christmas tree.  She goes sledding, climbs trees, and plays in the park.

Friendships develop at different levels.  And, some children have a closer bond with Gloria.  Allie does.

This is Allie and Gloria, and a recent entry in Gloria’s journal:

Allie was over the moon to have Gloria visit with us this weekend.  Gloria enjoyed having breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table.  She and Allie and Richie enjoyed playing together and watching the Halloween decorations emerge from their attic boxes!  What fun!

Gloria also got to meet Jordan as it was Family Weekend at the University of Rhode Island.  Gloria and Allie loved walking around the pretty campus. Everyone got to see Jordan’s Sorority House and enjoy a great barbecue.  We then went to see her dormitory.  She calls it a dorm.  It was fun to climb on her bed on risers and twinkling lights!

Many people were interested in Gloria and many thought she was something she was not.  Allie firmly, but kindly told them about who she really was… an Aqua Roomer, good friend, and one of the best weekend visitors. 🙂  Thanks, Gloria!

My goodness!  When I read aloud this journal entry to the class, I wasn’t prepared for the wave of emotion that made my words break and crackle. Always happens when you least expect it, especially with Gloria.  Remember, she is very real to the children and a perfect ‘tool’ in order to teach diversity: looks can be deceiving, so children need to see what is on the inside and not on the outside.

Recently Gloria went trick-or-treating with Allie.  Allie brought in a photo to put in Gloria’s journal and told me all about Halloween night.  Together, we wrote:

On Halloween Night I went trick-or-treating with Gloria.  She got nervous about all the costumes.  She didn’t want to dress-up.  Pop was wearing a super silly clown hat and mustache.  Gloria thought that was silly.  She was super brave in the dark.  She loved me and my Robin costume.

Thank you, Gloria, for all you give to children.  Because of you, their hearts are bigger and they are wise beyond their years. You are my hero.

Jennie

Posted in Diversity, Early Education, Giving, Gloria, Kindness, Love, self esteem, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments