New To Me

I promise this will not be one of those "year in review" posts...I promise! This is however a post about the books that waltzed their way into my life during 2011 and I am so glad they did! Many of these are not new books or series, but were new to sweet little ol' me.

Do you know Katie Woo?

                                         Fran Manushkin, Tammy Lyon

Katie Woo is a first grader and much like Junie B, she has her quirks. Katie's stories are a lower reading level and shorter read. The kids love her! She has adventures that my firsties easily relate to (connections.) She worries over not losing a tooth, someone teases her, she goes a little nuts during the holidays, and so on. If you do not know Katie Woo, make it a point to introduce yourself or your kindergarten or first grade daughter! 

Informational Fun~DK Style

DK Readers~I know and love. I was not familiar enough though with their level 1 readers. Wow! These are perfect for developing readers as well as preschoolers. T loves the pictures and so do I. My firsties love the easy to follow text and pictures that match perfectly to the words. We are big fans! Level 1 readers include dolphins, rocketships, butterflies, and farms. T's favorite is about construction. There is something for everyone! 

Nate the Great

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Should I be embarrassed about this? I am not sure. I had never read a Nate the Great until this school year. They sit snuggly in my classroom library, recommended by a peer, but not touched by me....until D. This first grader loves a good mystery! So I marched myself over,  pulled out the Nate basket, dusted it off and read the first of the series. Wow!  I COULD NOT WAIT to share this with D! He loves them! He is currently reading his fourth Nate book! Nate is fun and I am sad I've done without him for so long. Nate will absolutely be on T's to read list! 

Are there more? Oh yes, there are more. Each "new to me" book opens a new door. I share this experience with my firsties and my little guy. I tell them what a wonderful discovery books are. I gleam with excitement as I tell them I found a book I just can't wait to show them. They feel it, too. Donalyn Miller writes about this feeling in The Book Whisperer. The feeling is magical. Start with Miller's teacher read and then check out the others! 

What new to you books did you discover this year? 

Spider Experiment!

T loves spiders! I am, however, not a fan!

For about 3 weeks, T waved hello and goodbye to a large banana spider (at least I hope it was a banana spider) who had made its home on the bush right outside of the garage. He watched her eat bugs and occasionally move from one spot to another. He named her "Spidey." When two women came to solicit a vote for their candidate, they were alarmed by our little friend and kindly offered to kill her. AAAH! I told them if they did such a thing, they will be taking the life of my son's pet. :) We all had a good laugh, well, mainly me, but whatever. :)

(Spidey's orb web)

We came home yesterday and the spider was gone! T noticed before I did! I wasn't sure what to do at first. N's response? "Man, I can't believe the fish outlived the spider." I mean, this spider business is serious around our house. T had a thousand questions about where the spider went and if she was coming back one day. We went to sleep singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

HAVE NO FEAR! TEACHER MOMMY IS HERE! It all came rushing back to me! When I taught kindergarten, we would "catch spider webs!" I brought home a piece of white construction paper, we picked up a can of black spray paint from the Depot, and got ready for our experiment!

Here is what you do:

1.    Spray paint directly on the web (about 6 inches away.) The paint sticks to the web.
2.    Put the large paper behind the web and pull the paper forward. Don't go too slow! The web sticks to the paper!
3.    Taa da! You have caught a web!

*Black paint works great on white paper. White paint is best on black paper. I have used orange paint, but is not as cool.
*Construction paper works best. I have tried poster board, and it just doesn't stick as well.
*Want to keep it as a decoration? Laminate it!

Needless to say, T loved it! He would touch it, stare at it, touch it again, and ask about each and every little part. We had a few bug remains and leaves-a bonus if you will!

I'll be taking this to school tomorrow to show my firsties. Maybe will inspire my little scientists!

This experiment is easy and fun! Give it a try and let me know how it goes! For more info on spider webs, visit National Geographic Kids!

International Dot Day

Have you read The Dot by Peter Reynolds? If not, it is time!! 

My first grade class and I celebrated International Dot Day on September 15th. My toddler and I celebrated that night! The Dot is all about believing in yourself, being brave, and going for it! A struggling artist is sad about her ability to draw until a fabulous teacher displays her work (a dot) with pride. Vashti starts to feel a little bit better and ends up with a beautiful dot display. She then shares her gift with another developing artist. It is just beautiful! Paying it forward, awesome art, and more! My class created their own dot masterpieces....

                    

But what about T? We had a dotty dinner! He ate a pancake dot, with syrup dots, raspberry dots, and so on! 

While you are at it, you might as well buy ish too! It is another must have by Reynolds! Each year my class and I read the book and have a great discussion about how our pictures do not need to be perfect-they can be -ish! We then make a class book with our -ish drawings and mine are always included! (I drew a giraffe last week that the kids mistook for a spider. :/) The result is always del-ish-ous!

My Top Ten

So, Cathy over on http://reflectandrefine.blogspot.com/ is holding her Top 10 Picture Books....well, I should be honest, it was actually August 10th. But for those who know how crazy last week was for those of us in Cobb County (prepping for BTS) you will understand why I am tardy. (Though you also know I do not like to be tardy!) Here are my top 10 picture books, in no particular oder.

I love No, David by David Shannon. It is the very first book I read to my first graders and the very last book we read....together. David finds himself getting into a little trouble and having the rush of guilt that so many little sneaky ones know so well. The illustrations are great and kids truly relate to David.

 Listen Buddy, by Helen Lester is another must read for back to school in my classroom. Buddy "listens" to his parents and follows through on what he thinks he heard. This leads him to a bit of mess for our little friend. We read this once and refer it to all year. "Check your ears buddy." They love it!

I don't think Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak needs a snippet. I just love it.

Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger is another favorite. In fact, I love the whole Tacky series! Tacky is not afraid to be different and that is how I want all of my firsties to be!

ish, by Peter Reynolds has become a favorite in our first grade. It is another back to school classic that sparks creativity and reminds our budding artists that illustrations do not have to be perfect! I refer to this often as I may not be the best teacher artist! :)

  SuperHero ABC, by Bon McLeod, is borrowed so often from our classroom library, I have had to purchase additional copies. The boys love it, the girls love it, I love it! Each page features a hero and describing words/mottos that go with the letter.

I love Dr. Seuss. I love all the regulars, but this is my favorite-My Many Colored Days. I love sharing this "rule breaker" with my kids. The conversation is fantastic year after year. We paint our own colored day and they are breathtaking!

I often tell the class that I have many favorite books, but this is my all time favorite owl book! Owl Babies by Martin Waddell is beautiful! Three babies are on their own while mommy goes to find food. They share their fear and sibling love throughout the story. One of my firsties said, "This is so good they should make a movie out of it!"

Skippyjon Jones, by Judy Schachner is so fun! I will be the first to admit that I was not a huge fan of Skippy a few years ago. It grew on me and I am so glad it did! My class has written to the author AND received a reply. We love the characters, we love the illustrations, we loved creating our own Skippy book!

 Be still my heart! The Napping House by Audrey Wood is a repetitive story with beautiful illustrations begging the reader to look further with each read. We act it out with each other, paper creatures and more. We reread it is funny voices. It is a favorite in the buddy reading section!

I could go on and on, but these are 10 that I could not live without!