This is a wonderful read aloud book for young children. In the story Grandma Tildy lives all alone until the day the pet man starts to visit her. Grandma Tildy buys all sorts of pets that help her in different ways. Each animal brings joy to her by helping her around the house and keeping her company. Each time the pet man comes she say she will buy any pet he has to offer "But No Elephants." Once the pet man has sold all of his pets he still has the elephant left. He leaves the elephant at Grandma Tildy's house. For along time Grandma Tildy will not accept the elephant but finally she decides to take it into her home. At first the elephant causes all sorts of problems but then by the end of the book the elephant helps out in a big way to make Grandma Tildy and all the other pets happy again!
I think this is a wonderful book for children to read in elementary school. It is a fun story with some repetition to help kids read along. This story also shows how everyone is special in there own way. There is something unique and special about every pet in the story even the elephant. This will help students find something special in themselves and each of their classmates.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Clearer version of The Sea Chest Post
One night a little girl and her Great Aunt await a stranger inside the cozy comfort of a warm home. Auntie Maita is very very old and gray. But that does not stop her from telling stories to the narrator of this very wonderful tale. While they await this 'stranger' Aunt Maita tells the story of growing up on an island in Maine. She tells of her mother and her father who kept a lighthouse on Sanctuary Island. One night a ferocious storm blows in from the sea. A vessel off the coast is too far away for Maita's Papa to do anything so he just focuses on keeping the light in the lighthouse lit. The next morning, Maita and her Papa go out searching the shore for anything they can find. Rather than finding pieces of sea glass for her collection, Maita and Papa stumble across a huge bundle of mattresses tied up with rope and sailor's knots. Maita hears a sound from inside and desperately hopes it is a little kitten. Upon unwrapping the large bundle, Maita and her Papa discover a leather sea chest with an adorable baby girl inside and a note from her parents. Her parents were the captain and captain's wife of the vessel that was destroyed in the storm. Maita and her father carry the baby home and Maita names it Seaborne. Seaborne becomes her sister and the two grow up together. Seaborne sleeps in the chest until she outgrows it. She follows Maita to the place where she ends up living and makes a happy life for herself there until she passes away and leaves Maita an only child again. As the story ends, our little narrator speaks of her excitement and her Great Grandmother Seaborne's chest sitting open with a quilt inside it, anxiously awaiting the little sister that her parents have gone to get from across the sea.
This sweet story is so imaginative and creative but it still tugs on the heartstrings. There is no way to know what twist to expect next in the story and so children would really enjoy making guesses about what will happen on the next page. This book would also make a great introduction into talking about adoption and how some children come to live with families because they do not have living parents. It would also make a great introduction into talking about family heirlooms and things that have been passed down from generation to generation in children's own families. It would even be neat to do a unit on lighthouses and use this book to talk about what purposes lighthouses have. On the last page of the book, the author talks about a legend from Maine that follows a very similar storyline to this book. It might be a neat idea to use this book as an introduction to legends as well and perhaps have children share a legend that they know or to write their own legend and illustrate it with pictures. I would most likely use this book in a 3-5 classroom to talk about legends and lighthouses but to talk about adoption and families it could be used in K-2. There is just so much you can do with this book that kids are sure to love it no matter what age they are!!!
This sweet story is so imaginative and creative but it still tugs on the heartstrings. There is no way to know what twist to expect next in the story and so children would really enjoy making guesses about what will happen on the next page. This book would also make a great introduction into talking about adoption and how some children come to live with families because they do not have living parents. It would also make a great introduction into talking about family heirlooms and things that have been passed down from generation to generation in children's own families. It would even be neat to do a unit on lighthouses and use this book to talk about what purposes lighthouses have. On the last page of the book, the author talks about a legend from Maine that follows a very similar storyline to this book. It might be a neat idea to use this book as an introduction to legends as well and perhaps have children share a legend that they know or to write their own legend and illustrate it with pictures. I would most likely use this book in a 3-5 classroom to talk about legends and lighthouses but to talk about adoption and families it could be used in K-2. There is just so much you can do with this book that kids are sure to love it no matter what age they are!!!
The Sea Chest By: Toni Buzzeo Post By: Olivia Harrington
One night a little girl and her Great Aunt await a stranger inside the cozy comfort of a warm home. Auntie Maita is very very old and gray. But that does not stop her from telling stories to the narrator of this very wonderful tale. While they await this 'stranger' Aunt Maita tells the story of growing up on an island in Maine. She tells of her mother and her father who kept a lighthouse on Sanctuary Island. One night a ferocious storm blows in from the sea. A vessel off the coast is too far away for Maita's Papa to do anything so he just focuses on keeping the light in the lighthouse lit. The next morning, Maita and her Papa go out searching the shore for anything they can find. Rather than finding pieces of sea glass for her collection, Maita and Papa stumble across a huge bundle of mattresses tied up with rope and sailor's knots. Maita hears a sound from inside and desperately hopes it is a little kitten. Upon unwrapping the large bundle, Maita and her Papa discover a leather sea chest with an adorable baby girl inside and a note from her parents. Her parents were the captain and captain's wife of the vessel that was destroyed in the storm. Maita and her father carry the baby home and Maita names it Seaborne. Seaborne becomes her sister and the two grow up together. Seaborne sleeps in the chest until she outgrows it. She follows Maita to the place where she ends up living and makes a happy life for herself there until she passes away and leaves Maita an only child again. As the story ends, our little narrator speaks of her excitement and her Great Grandmother Seaborne's chest sitting open with a quilt inside it, anxiously awaiting the little sister that her parents have gone to get from across the sea.
This sweet story is so imaginative and creative but it still tugs on the heartstrings. There is no way to know what twist to expect next in the story and so children would really enjoy making guesses about what will happen on the next page. This book would also make a great introduction into talking about adoption and how some children come to live with families because they do not have living parents. It would also make a great introduction into talking about family heirlooms and things that have been passed down from generation to generation in children's own families. It would even be neat to do a unit on lighthouses and use this book to talk about what purposes lighthouses have. On the last page of the book, the author talks about a legend from Maine that follows a very similar storyline to this book. It might be a neat idea to use this book as an introduction to legends as well and perhaps have children share a legend that they know or to write their own legend and illustrate it with pictures. I would most likely use this book in a 3-5 classroom to talk about legends and lighthouses but to talk about adoption and families it could be used in K-2. There is just so much you can do with this book that kids are sure to love it no matter what age they are!!!
This sweet story is so imaginative and creative but it still tugs on the heartstrings. There is no way to know what twist to expect next in the story and so children would really enjoy making guesses about what will happen on the next page. This book would also make a great introduction into talking about adoption and how some children come to live with families because they do not have living parents. It would also make a great introduction into talking about family heirlooms and things that have been passed down from generation to generation in children's own families. It would even be neat to do a unit on lighthouses and use this book to talk about what purposes lighthouses have. On the last page of the book, the author talks about a legend from Maine that follows a very similar storyline to this book. It might be a neat idea to use this book as an introduction to legends as well and perhaps have children share a legend that they know or to write their own legend and illustrate it with pictures. I would most likely use this book in a 3-5 classroom to talk about legends and lighthouses but to talk about adoption and families it could be used in K-2. There is just so much you can do with this book that kids are sure to love it no matter what age they are!!!
Edward and the Pirates By: David McPhail Post by: Olivia Harrington
Edward is a young blond headed boy with round black glasses who absolutely LOVES to read! He reads anything and everything he can get his hands and eyes on from cereal boxes, to monuments, to books of all kinds. He mainly reads about all kinds of adventures and when he reads, he goes on the journey of the main character in the book. He helps Robin Hood escape when he becomes cornered and assists Admiral Peary in a dogsled race to the North Pole. One day at the library, Edward discovers a book about the lost treasure of pirates. He begins to read and continues until the library begins to close. He checks out the book and takes it home with him. That night in bed, before drifting off to sleep, Edward picks up where he left off. But, no sooner has he opened the book than a whole crew of pirates enter the room demanding the book so that they can find their lost treasure. Edward calmly explains that they will have to wait until he returns the book to the library. Even after promising to take Edward along in their adventures and even threatening to make Edward walk the plank, Edward will still not hand over the book to the pirates. One pirate draws his sword and Edward politely reminds him that he needs to be quiet so that he does not wake up Edward's parents. No sooner does he speak than his mother rides into the room on a big white horse and donning a suit of armor! The pirates all group together to close in on Edward's mother but then his father, or should I say Robin Hood Dad, arrives just in the nick of time with his accurate archery skills knocking all the swords out of the pirates' hands. The pirates beg for mercy and Edward begins to feel sorry for them. So, he gives the book to the pirates but after only a few moments they hand it back. Very sadly, none of the pirates can read! Upon this discovery, Edward asks his parents if he can stay up a little longer and read to the pirates. His parents agree telling him not to stay up too late and the pirates all gather round Edward as he starts his book from the beginning again.
I absolutely love this book because it really captures the world through children's eyes when it comes to reading. It reminds me that a book can truly take a child anywhere because they have such vivid imaginations! The illustrations do a great job of creating suspense and also making the book come alive. I also think it is so sweet how Edward's parents become incorporated into the story! It gives a sense of family while still enjoying the delight of a pirate adventure. This would be a book that I would read to students at the start of a school year to hopefully encourage their excitement about reading. A wonderful book with amazing pictures and an even more amazing storyline, I would recommend this book to any teacher trying to spark an interest in reading inside his or her classroom!
I absolutely love this book because it really captures the world through children's eyes when it comes to reading. It reminds me that a book can truly take a child anywhere because they have such vivid imaginations! The illustrations do a great job of creating suspense and also making the book come alive. I also think it is so sweet how Edward's parents become incorporated into the story! It gives a sense of family while still enjoying the delight of a pirate adventure. This would be a book that I would read to students at the start of a school year to hopefully encourage their excitement about reading. A wonderful book with amazing pictures and an even more amazing storyline, I would recommend this book to any teacher trying to spark an interest in reading inside his or her classroom!
If I Were a New York Yankee
This book my mom had made for me because the main character in the book was me and the pictures in the book were me. It was about a boy who was a rookie and was brought up from the minors for the world series game. The pitcher on the other team was throwing hard as anything and no one on the yankees could get a hit off of him. It came down to the last hitter and the manager took him out and told me that I was going to be our only chance of winning this game. The boy was nervous but knew what he had to do. He got in the box and and missed the first two pitches. The next pitch came and he crushed it out of the park HOME RUN. I won the Yankees the world series. After the game I was signing autographs and celebrating. At the end of the book the owner came up to me and handed me a huge bag of money and said see you next year. I was one of the happiest ball players in the league.
This book was one of my favorites because I was the main character in the book. Also because it was baseball and I loved baseball, especially the Yankees. This book gave me hope to excell in baseball to get to the league. You could use books like this in your classrooms by getting pictures of the kids and putting them in these kinds of books. This would make the students excited to read a book with them in it.
This book was one of my favorites because I was the main character in the book. Also because it was baseball and I loved baseball, especially the Yankees. This book gave me hope to excell in baseball to get to the league. You could use books like this in your classrooms by getting pictures of the kids and putting them in these kinds of books. This would make the students excited to read a book with them in it.
The Little Fish that Got Away
This book is about a boy who loves to go fishing. Every morning he would go out to the fishing hole and try catch his family dinner. In the beginning of the book he goes and never catches a thing. But everytime he goes a little fish swims by his worm, looks at it, and then swims right away. His parents tell him to not give up and keep going, that one day his luck would change. So he listens and goes back out there. So this day he goes out and catches a big fish. Then he throws his pole in again and catches a really big fish. He throws it in again and catches a really really big fish. As he is about to leave and bring back dinner for his family the little fish goes up to his worm swims around and swims right away. The boy laughed about this all the way home. For dinner his mom dad and him each had a fish. The boy told his parents about the little fish that got away and they laughed about it over dinner.
This book I always loved to read because I loved fishing. I always thought it was funny how he caught those big fish and never the little one. This book teaches kids not to give up on things and be persistant because if you put in the work the outcome will eventaully pay off.
This book I always loved to read because I loved fishing. I always thought it was funny how he caught those big fish and never the little one. This book teaches kids not to give up on things and be persistant because if you put in the work the outcome will eventaully pay off.
Adelita By: Tomie DePaola Reflection from Casey Brock
The author of the book, Adelita, draws upon the Cinderella story in an imanginary fairytale set in Mexico. Soon after Adelita was born Adela dies, leaving Adelita's father to care for the newborn with the help of their faithful housekeeper, Esperanza. Adelita's father marries a very mean lady with two children and later dies. The story continues with Adelita being raised by her hateful stepmother and her two mean stepsisters who make her do dirty housework and treat her as their maid by getting rid of Esperanza since she is no longer needed. Esperanza secretly returns and gets Adelita prepared for a big fiesta. At the fiesta, Adelita catches the eye of Javier, a handsome prince, then she disappears at midnight. The story continues as Javier searches for the beautiful Adelita who disappered from his fiesta.
Sounds just like the American version of Cinderella doesn't it? DePaola does a fantastic job of rewriting the Cinderella fairytale into a Mexican setting. Throughout the text, spanish words and phrases are used followed by the english translation. This book is a great multicultural book and could be used all throughout the classroom. You could use this book for Social Studies when learning about different cultures, such as the Hispanic culture. You could use this book to compare and contrast different literature and versions of the Cinderella story during reading time. You could also use this book to teach students a foreign language by teaching them the different words associated with Cinderella. This would be a great book to use if you have a Hispanic child in your classroom that speaks English as a second language. You could have the Hispanic student help teach a lesson by letting the student teach his or her classmates the spanish words. You could have this student help read aloud the story so that he will feel more accepted into the classroom by you, the teacher, showing that you care about their culture. This also allows the class to get an appreication of the diversity of different cultures in their environment.
Sounds just like the American version of Cinderella doesn't it? DePaola does a fantastic job of rewriting the Cinderella fairytale into a Mexican setting. Throughout the text, spanish words and phrases are used followed by the english translation. This book is a great multicultural book and could be used all throughout the classroom. You could use this book for Social Studies when learning about different cultures, such as the Hispanic culture. You could use this book to compare and contrast different literature and versions of the Cinderella story during reading time. You could also use this book to teach students a foreign language by teaching them the different words associated with Cinderella. This would be a great book to use if you have a Hispanic child in your classroom that speaks English as a second language. You could have the Hispanic student help teach a lesson by letting the student teach his or her classmates the spanish words. You could have this student help read aloud the story so that he will feel more accepted into the classroom by you, the teacher, showing that you care about their culture. This also allows the class to get an appreication of the diversity of different cultures in their environment.
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