Five Little Monkeys

I read the book Five Little Monkeys as an E book on Speakaboo.  I choose to read this book because I have not read many books that integrate math or numbers nor have I read many books for the kindergarten or first grade readers,  The book tells the story where there are five monkeys and one jumps off the bed and bumps their head so on and so forth til there are no more monkeys on the bed.  The book repeats the sequence until there are no more monkeys and that makes the text familiar and teaches students about repetition.

I would use this book to teach students about subtraction.  When a monkey would fall off of the bed I would press pause and have students how many monkeys they think will be left on the bed then I will press play and let students see if they are correct.  This book will teach students that you can have numbers in books and encourage students to use them in their own writing.  I will use this activity in my classroom.
 

The Valentine Contest

The Valentine Contest is an E book I read on Speakaboos.  It is about Princess Ana who is having a Valentines dance at her castle.  She wants to dance with someone at the ball so her father King Carlos decides they should have a contest and have people make her Valentines and she will choose the winner that gets to dance with her.  Three boys created Valentines the two that created Valentines that were based off of what they liked thought they would win but the one that created the Valentine that was based on what Princess Ana liked thought he did not have a chance.  Princess Ana chose the boy who created a Valentine that he thought she would like.

The Valentine Contest teaches readers to realize that everyone is different, that people like different things, and we should not be selfish and think about others.  The book also teaches a little bit about Valentines day and what it is so I would show this to students around Valentines Day.  Since they create Valentines in the story I would have students make Valentines to give to someone special at home.  This will be a great way to teach about the Valentines holiday,

A Christmas Carol

I read A Christmas Carol as an E book on Speakaboos.  I chose to read this book to get into the Christmas spirit and because it is a classic.  A Christmas Carol is about Ebeneezer Scrooge a greedy man who does not like Christmas, he is greeted by ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. By the end of the book he gives back to the community and he has the joy of Christmas.  This story teaches readers to give back to others because it will give you more joy than money ever will.

On Speakaboos you listen to the E book and read along with the story.  One thing that Speakaboos does is talk in different voices to represent the different characters.  I would use this to teach students how to use their voice to represent different characters and different emotions.  Students would practice this by reading aloud and using different voices with a partner.  A Christmas Carol is a good book to use to teach this because it has a lot of different characters and a lot of different emotions in the text.   

Like Bug Juice on a Burger, Julie Sternberg

Like Bug Juice on a Burger is a Poetic Novel written by Julie Sternberg.  The book is about a little girl named Eleanor who goes to summer camp but does not enjoy her time there until the end.  The story is written like a poem.  There also pictures that go along with the writing that look like they are drew by Eleanor.  It is an easy read that exposes readers to a different type of writing.

I liked this book a lot, it reminded me of my childhood of when I went to summer camp.  I would read this book to my class right before summer to get students excited about summer and going to summer camp.  I would have students write a poem about activities they do in the summer including going to summer camp.  This would teach students how to write poetry.  I really like this book and think it can teach students a new way of writing so I will have it in my classroom library.

America the Beautiful, Katharine Lee Bates

America the Beautiful is one long poem stretched throughout the book that is the song America the Beautiful.  The book has a lot of really cool features for readers to enjoy.  The illustrations go along with the poem and paint a visual picture for readers that go along with that stanza of the poem.  Each picture comes from a location of the United States and in the back of the book it tells readers where each picture came from and a little blurb about the place.  There was also a map that showed where the places the pictures came from.  It also talked about the author of the song and showed an original copy from when it was written.  I really liked this book.

I would use this book to teach about American history.  We would talk about the author of the song and why it was written.  I would also use the map to teach students about maps and map making.  Then we would talk about the different places and their importance.  This book is a great book because it can teach students many different things about American history.

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems About the Presidents, Susan Katz

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems About the Presidents is exactly what it sounds like it is a picture book of poems about each of the presidents all the way from the first president George Washington to the current president Barrack Obama.  The book has historical facts about each presidents along with funny ones that children will relate to and be able to remember the presidents by.  Along with the poem the book has an illustration of each president and a caption of a historical fact that relates to the president and the poem.  Kids would really like this book and would be able to learn a lot of good information from reading the poems.

I have already used the book The President's Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems About the Presidents in a lesson I taught to my second graders.  I taught about our community leaders so I picked out a few of the poems and did a read aloud to the students to introduce them to different presidents and teach them about what they did as president.  I think that the students liked the poems and thought they were mostly funny but I think the learned something from them too,  I will use this book in my own classroom again one day.

Johnny Appleseed, Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet

Johnny Appleseed is a poem picture book written by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet.  The book tells the story of Johnny Appleseed, how he planted his apples and how he got his name.  The way the book tells the story is through poems.  The book is illustrated by S.D. Schindler and I think that the illustrations really bring the story to life for readers.  This will be a great book to have in the classroom library.

This book is a great book to use on Johnny Appleseed Day to teach students about Johnny Appleseed, how he planted his apples and how he got his name.  The book would also be a great book to use to teach students about how to write poems.  One thing I noticed when reading Johnny Appleseed was that there was a mistake right at the beginning of the book so I would use the book to teach my class about proof reading and revising their work.  This book can be used to teach multiple lesson not just who Johnny Appleseed was or what he did.

Vanilla Ice Cream, Bob Graham

Vanilla Ice Cream is a picture book written by Bob Graham.  It is an interesting book and one that even I had a hard time understanding.  At the begging the book is about a little sparrow who unlike the other sparrows goes on an adventure and ends up in a big city.  That is where the bird meets a little girl named Edie Irvine who discovers vanilla ice cream for the first time.  It was a good book I just do not really understand the main point of the book.

If I were to use the book Vanilla Ice Cream in my classroom I would use it to teach my students about perspective.  After we read the book I would talk to students about the birds perspective and "birds eye view" and how it sees everything from above.  In order to bring this home to students I would have them write a journal entry as if they were a bird and what they see throughout the day,  For that reason and activity I would have this book in my classroom.

The Lion and the Bird, Marianne Dubuc

The Lion and the Bird is a picture book written by Marianne Dubuc.  It is a sweet book about a friendship that occurs between a bird and a lion when the bird gets hurt and left behind in the Winter.  When Spring comes the bird leaves the lion goes through the rest of the seasons alone.  The next Winter the bird returns and the book comes full circle.  This is a good picture book to use in the classroom.

I would use The Lion and the Bird in my classroom to integrate ELA with science.  Since this book talks about all four seasons I would do a read aloud of this book and as a class we would create an anchor chart, and as we get to a new season we will talk about and write down the characteristics of the seasons.  Then I would give students a piece of paper divided up into four quadrants and in each quadrants they would draw a picture and write a sentence about each season.  This is a great book to use to teach about seasons that I will have in my classroom.

What Do You Do With an Idea, Kobi Yamada

What Do You Do With an Idea is an inspiring picture book written by Kobi Yamada.  It is a book about a little boy who has an idea.  Kobi Yamada makes the idea a literal thing that needs food, attention, and love.  The idea is bright and yellow while everything else in the book is shaded in pencils and black and white.  During the book he wants to give up on the idea.  Then the whole book becomes colorful and he realizes that an idea can change the world and he can change the world.

This is a really great book to use with students.  I think that What Do You Do With an Idea lets students know that it is okay to be themselves and have their own unique idea because one day that idea may change the world.  To go along with this book I would have students write down an idea that they have and draw an illustration to go with the idea.  On half of the page have the picture be in black and white showing the process of coming up with the idea, and then the other half in color showing the idea happening and changing the world.  I would also use this book to go with writing and showing students that no matter the idea it is a good idea and do not give up on it no matter what other people tell you.  I really like this book it teaches students to dream and let their ideas flow, it is something I want to use in my classroom. 

There is a Bird on Your Head, by: Mo Willems

There is a Bird on Your Head is a picture book written by Mo Willems.  It is a book with great illustrations and it is written almost like a comic book because the text is written in speech bubbles.  The book is about an elephant and a pig and the elephant has birds on his head.  The whole book is dialogue between the two characters.  Mi Willems is a great author,

There is a Bird on Your Head is a great book to use when teaching students about point of view.  With the different speech bubbles you can point out which character is saying and feeling what.  Teachers can point this out and use it as an example for students.  If I were to use this book in my classroom I would have students draw two characters with speech bubbles and have them write a different point of view for each character.  This would be a great activity for students to be able to be engaged and practice point of view.

The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters, Janet and Allan Ahlberg

The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters is a unique picture book that is full of letters, brochures, and postcards that you can actually take out of envelopes in the book and read.  Like Mirror, Mirror it is about fairy tales and the characters sending letters, brochures, and postcards to one another.  In the end it kind of comes full circle because the character who sent the first letter receives the last letter in the book.  It is a book that students would like especially with being able to take things out of the envelopes.

I will certainly use The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters in my classroom.  I would use it to teach students how to write letters and address envelopes.  I would teach them how we write dear put the recipients name and then a comma, then we write the message, then we write sincerely, and the writers name.  I would pull out the letters from the book to show them as examples to show students.  You could also use this with a community helpers unit and teach about the mailman.  This is a fabulous book.

Mirror, Mirror by: Marilyn Singer

Mirror, Mirror is a picture book of poems.  Each page has two poems on the page.  The poems are versions of the classic fairy tales that kids read like Rapunzel.  The poem on the left is a normal poem telling the story from beginning to end.  While the poem on the right is the poem telling the story from end to beginning.  There are also two illustrations to go with the two poems.  It is a really cool picture book that students would like.

This book would be great to use to teach students about poems especially since it is about fairy tales that students know and they can already kind of know the tale but just see it in poem format.  The teacher can show students the poem as an example.  As an activity I would have students pick a fairy tale and have them write about it in poem format and then do the same thing except this time from end to the beginning like in the book Mirror, Mirror.  They could also add illustrations to their poems.  I love this book and think it is great for the classroom.
 

Babymouse For President, Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Babymouse for President is a graphic novel.  It is written like a comic book but it is long enough to be considered a novel.  Babymouse for President is about a mouse who is running for school president.  The book takes her through the journey of announcing that she was running, making posters and promises to people, participating in a debate with other candidates, and all the way to the election day.  It talks about platforms and qualities that candidates take.  This is a great book that can teach students a lot about the election process.

There are many ways that you could use Babymouse for President in the classroom.  It is an essential book to use when teaching about elections because it teaches students about the process in a way that they can relate to.  I would use the book to teach about math because it talks about counting the votes in order to see who wins and ranking the candidates in order of the voting results.  I would use this book to teach about writing and an activity I would do would be to have students write a new page in the book and make sure it relates to elections, illustrate it, and use speech bubbles.  Babymouse for President is a great book that is used to integrate many different subjects and is a book that I will have in my classroom library.     

The Other Side, Jacqueline Woodson

The Other Side is written by Jacqueline Woodson which is the author I am researching for my author study.  This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read.  I think it can teach students and people in general a lesson that we all need to learn.  The book takes place in a time where segregation still took place.  The Other Side is about an African American girl and a white girl whose houses are separated by a fence that both girls moms told them not to cross.  They end up sitting on the fence getting to know each other and hoping that one day the fence will be tore down.

I would do a read aloud with this book and integrate it with social studies and slavery.  After we do a read aloud and discuss the book I will have students write about what they think happened to Clover and Annie after the book ended.  Did they stay friends? Did the fence get tore down?  This would allow students to feel like they were in the characters place and give them a chance to practice their writing. This is a book I will for sure have in my classroom library.  

Show Way, Jacqueline Woodson

Show Way is written by Jacqueline Woodson, which is who I am doing my author study on.  This is a great book in the historical fiction genre.  It is told by Woodson's point of view and it comes full circle.  The book is written like she is being told a bed time story about her ancestors, how they were sold into slavery and many generations later their family was freed.  The title of the book is Show Way and a Show Way is a quilt that the slaves made with maps on them that showed them the way to freedom.  I think this book is fabulous.

The illustrations in the book Show Way are really cool, each page is colored in what looks like quilt squares.  After doing a read aloud of the book I will give each student a blank piece of white paper and have them color it however they want based off of the book.  Then on a blank piece of poster paper we will put all of the papers together and make our own class Show Way.  

Our Gracie Aunt, Jacqueline Woodson

Our Gracie Aunt is written by Jacqueline Woodson, that is the author I am doing my author study on.  It is a good book with great illustrations but it covers a kind of difficult topic.  BeeBee and Johnson's mom has to go away because she cannot take care of them so they have to go stay with their Gracie Aunt.  At first they are not happy about this but once they realize that their Gracie Aunt can take care of them they way they are supposed to be taken care of they love her.  This is a book about home, finding where you belong, safety, and love.  However this maybe a book children do not understand or it is a tough topic for them to read about.

I think that I would only read this book to students who are going through situations like this because it is such a difficult topic.  So if I had a student who is in the foster care system I would read this book to them, talk about how they feel about what we read, and see if they have any similarities with BeeBee or Johnson.  Then I would have students write a journal entry or draw a picture about how they feel.  This is a book I will have in my classroom library.  

Seedfolks, Paul Fleischman

Seedfolks is a novel written by Paul Fleischman.  It is about how different people started a community garden and it brought them together despite their diverse backgrounds.  Each chapter is about a different character, how they found the garden, and how the garden affected them.  The book is about different cultures and people of all different ages.  It would be a great book to use in the classroom to teach about culture and coming together as a community.

While we read Seedfolks we were told to use sticky notes and write notes and stick them in the book as we read.  When I did this I did one or two for each chapter or character since each chapter was about one character.  I wrote down multiple facts about what was going on and who the character was.  I did those using green sticky notes.  Then with pink sticky notes I wrote how the characters knew each other.  This book was kind of confusing because you had to figure out how the characters knew each other.  I would use this book for upper elementary aged students and have them take notes on sticky notes as they read so they can keep up with what is going on in the book.  As an extension activity I may have students create a class garden where they each have a plot in the lot.