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*Early, early chapter book (like Amelia Bedelia), realistic fiction
*6-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: Well, I’m in love with the character, Katie Woo–this is just one book in a series. Young girls will eat these up and want more and more. Love the illustrations, too!

Short, short summary:

In Katie Woo: Moving Day, Katie is moving to a new house, but she is worried about leaving her old house. She writes a note to the new girl who will have her room, and then she goes with her parents to her new abode. She is a bit worried about the “whirlpool” and especially the “sunken living room”–what if she falls in and can’t get out? Once she’s there, she starts to adjust and eventually feels right at home. This is a “chapter book” but there are pictures on every page–PERFECT for first or second graders who want a step-up from a picture book.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Well, here’s a book where I didn’t have to do much brainstorming to show you how to use it because the authors/publisher did it for me! Love this. In the back of the book, there are discussion questions and writing prompts to use with kids. For example, one of the questions to discuss is: Do you think it would be fun to move? Why or why not? One of the writing prompts is: Make a list of ten words that describe your home. The activities are built right in!

2. And there’s more. In the back of the book, there’s also a step-by-step art activity to go with something that happens to Katie Woo in the story. She notices a bird’s nest outside her window, and the art activity is to create a next with a brown bag, glue, and dried leaves, grass, and flowers. This is an activity that kids would probably need help with–especially the part where you change the bag into a nest shape, but it’s a cute activity.

3. For those of you at home or doing this in a school with computer lab free time, it turns out that Katie Woo is ONLINE. (Who would have thought?) So you can go to www.capstonekids.com and click on the picture of Katie Woo. Once you do this, you will be taken to her section of the site where you watch short videos, learn more about her and her friends, and download color and activity sheets.

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Roses are Red, Your Feet Really Stink is one of my favorite Valentine books–especially when I was teaching. I read it to my class every year! Diana deGroat illustrated and wrote the book–such a talent. Here’s a summary of the story: “When Gilbert writes two not-so-nice valentines to his classmates, his prank quickly turns into pandemonium. But there’s always time for a change of heart on Valentine’s Day. This warm and funny book about a favorite holiday also provides a subtle message about forgiveness and being a good friend. Ages 5 up.” Besides using this book around Valentine’s Day, you can also use it to talk to children about how words can hurt and how to be a good friend. An activity you can do with this book is to exchange names among classmates and have students write a “nice” Valentine to the student whose name they received. You can talk to them about finding specific things, instead of general things, like, “I really like how you always help me with my math problems.” or “You are so good at kickball–you always kick a homerun.” Students can write their messages and decorate them before passing them out.

The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever written by Illinois author Brenda Ferber and illustrated by Tedd Arnold is a new picture book that is a real treat! If you are familiar with Tedd Arnold (Parts), then you know he is an illustrative genius. Brenda is a wonderful writer, and the two together make a terrific team. Here’s a summary of the story: “Leon has a crush. A secret crush. A dreamy crush. A let-her-cut-in-line-at-the-water-fountain-crush. And he’s made the perfect valentine. But the valentine has other ideas. ‘Love is yucky, kid! Valentine’s Day is all about candy!’ The card yells before leaping out the window and running away, leaving Leon to chase it across town, collecting interested kids along the way. Saying ‘I love you’ has never been so yucky or so sweet.” Brenda provides all sorts of resources on her blog for how to USE her book. She has a Q and A with her about things like why she wrote the book, how she named her character, and more. She also has an ACTIVITY KIT you can download for free (love this!). You can find all of this at this link: http://www.brendaferber.com/yuckiest-stinkiest-best-valentine-ever.php

Here’s a link to both books on Amazon! Have fun this Valentine’s Day and hug someone you love!

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*Picture book, preschool through 2nd grade, humorous
*Harry, a little boy, as main character
*Rating: Harry Goes to Dog School is right up my family’s alley. My 2-year-old LOVES “woof-woofs,” and this book teaches a lesson in a subtle way–the grass is not always greener on the other side. Although for just one day, I wouldn’t mind laying around, chewing on my bone. . . (smiles)

Short, short summary:

Harry wants to be a dog. He is driving everyone crazy in the family by licking his sister instead of kissing her good night, growling and chasing a cat up the tree, and growling at his oatmeal. His parents decide to send him to dog school. At first, he loves it. He is the star of the class–rolling over and fetching. However, he isn’t so crazy about lunch or nap time. His dog teacher says she can use some help, and he likes that but it is exhausting. He soon misses all the things that boys love to do–play baseball, watch TV, and eat chocolate ice cream! He decides, on his own, that he would like to be a boy and go to regular school–most of the time. . .

So, what do I do with this book?

1. You can teach children to make a pros and cons list with this book. What are the pros of being a dog? What are the cons? What about the pros of being a kid? The cons? Then talk about how people use pros and cons to solve “real” problems–like what to play at recess. You can use this to solve a problem in your classroom or school.

2. Because the text doesn’t come right out and tell students why Harry decides he wants to be a boy again, this is a good discussion point. Students have to infer! from the illustrations and text what is going on in Harry’s mind and even in his parents’. This is a great way to introduce inferring to elementary-aged students.

3. Do your students/children ever wish they could be someone else? Start with this “story” starter: If I could be someone/something else for one day, I would choose . . . (Examples: the President, a dolphin, my mom, a teacher, my baby brother, a cat, etc.) Then they copy their sentence down on their paper (older students can write a few detail sentences, too) and draw an illustration to go with it.

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Today, I welcome author Maggie Lyons who will talk about her new novel, Vin and the Dorky Duet. Here’s a brief summary of the plot from Maggie’s website before we get on to the questions and her insightful answers!

The moment he walks through the door and sees the sharky grin on his older sister’s face, Vin suspects Meg’s hatching a plot. He’s right. Worse still, he’s central to the outcome. Meg tells him that their music teachers, parents—everyone— expects him to play her duet for trumpet and piano at the upcoming student concert. Vin is horrified. Meg insists that his only escape route is to persuade another trumpet player to take his place. She has the hunky Brad Stewart in mind, and she challenges Vin to introduce her to him. Vin doesn’t know Brad any better than Meg does, but Meg points out that Vin takes a couple of classes at school with Brad’s nerdy brother. Eyeballs Stewart is the last person Vin wants to make friends with until Meg’s promise of a David Beckham autographed soccer jersey changes the seventh-grader’s mind. He has five days to accomplish his mission—Operation BS—before the concert practice schedule kicks in. Vin’s game plan, thwarted by exploding fish tanks, magnetic compost heaps, man-eating bubble baths, and other disasters doesn’t work out exactly as he expects.

Margo: Congratulations, Maggie, on the recent publication of the middle-grade novel, Vin and the Dorky Duet. What was your inspiration for this story?

Maggie: Inspiration wafted in from my love of music and my addiction to challenges—which I don’t always meet, I must confess. I was trained as a classical pianist; and throughout my life, music has been my favorite language, my confidant, my religion. As for challenges, anyone who wants to live—as opposed to vegetating—must try to meet them, don’t you think? Vin and the Dorky Duet is about a challenge that a seventh-grader gamely takes on, though with unexpected results. My challenge in writing the story is to encourage reluctant readers to turn a few pages. I’d be thrilled if the book succeeds on that level because enthusiasm for reading as a child is critical to success as an adult.

Margo: So true! I loved to read as a child, and I bet you did, too. Who would you say is the perfect audience for this book?

Maggie: Children ages seven or eight through twelve.

Margo: Thanks! What themes do you address?

Maggie:
1. Life’s challenges: Challenges in life are often unavoidable and a life without challenges is boring, even for a plant.
2. Music: Learning to play a musical instrument can be fun, and little brain cells love it.
3. Judging others: You shouldn’t make up your mind about people you’ve only just met; some people’s wonderful personalities have to be coaxed out of hiding.
4. Sibling relationships, the good and the bad;
5. Children’s names, nicknames, and shortened names;
6. Endangered species: Many whales are endangered species.
7. Sports: Soccer, rowing, swimming

Margo: What a great list–and a great resource for parents and teachers. I like to tell parents and teachers how they can USE books with children. What could parents use your book to teach children? Can you suggest a couple activities or discussion points that go with it?

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*Picture book, (contemporary concept book), for preschool to first graders
*Boys as main characters
*Rating: If Waffles Were Like Boys (illustrator: Scott Magoon) is an interesting book that really captures children and their imagination. It is obviously targeted toward boys, but girls could read it and write their own version!

Short, short summary:

If Waffles Were Like Boys, “breakfast would be a battlefield” is how this book begins. This is the text pattern throughout the entire book. If________________ were like boys, ____________________________________________. Another example from the book, “If hot dogs were like boys, picnics would be rodeos!” There are very few words on each page and bright and colorful illustrations.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This book is perfect for a shared writing activity, such as If _______Were Like Girls, then ____________________________. Or you could even do animals: If _________________-Were Like Dogs, then _______________________________________________. Children can illustrate their own sentence.

2. Let students make predictions on what the author wrote before turning the page. So, after reading a few to get the pattern, state: “If cars were like boys, then __________________________.” Ask students to fill in the blank with some statements that makes sense and see if anyone can guess what the author wrote.

3. The illustrations by Scott Magoon are so cute in this book and clever, too. For example, check out the hot dog and rodeo section. What is making up the rodeo animals in the illustrations? Why? Discuss as many pages as you can.

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I have several things to discuss today, so this post is going to be a little different than the usual. First, I was lucky enough to get my free 48-hour copy of Wisdom, The Midway Albatross on Friday for the anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Darcy’s book, with illustrations by Kitty Harvill, is beautiful. It’s an inspiring and beautiful story, along with wonderful illustrations. Wisdom, an albatross living on Midway, has survived tropical storms, a tsunami, hurricanes, and more, and she is still alive and giving birth! What an amazing survival story. Kids will love it, and they will be sitting on the edge of their seats and waiting in anticipation to see if Wisdom lives to see another year toward the end of the book. Darcy did an amazing job with the story and Kitty with the illustrations. I highly recommend you check it out and share it with some children!

I wanted to announce the winner of Stranger Moon, a middle-grade, adventure story written by Heather Zydek. The winner is Clara Gillow Clark! Congratulations!

Do you know someone who needs help to get started on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In? or Someone who is struggling with setting up promotion on these three sites. Or maybe it’s you. Maybe you are having trouble finding friends on Facebook or setting up your author page? Maybe Twitter hashtags make your head spin. Are you having trouble figuring out how to ask for recommendations on Linked In? If so, then consider taking my beginning social networking ONLINE class, starting on Friday. It is a super easy and laid back format.

Here is the COURSE DESCRIPTION: This beginners’ class will teach writers how to set up a profile on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and connect with people they know; to build a following of fans; to start working on a brand/image; and to promote books, articles, magazines, and blogs. Instead of using Facebook and Twitter to write about your fabulous dinner or disastrous day at the grocery store, you will begin to learn to sell yourself and your writing! This class is for beginners—if you already use all three of these social networks on a daily basis and are interested in learning more about how to market yourself on them, then you’ll want to take Margo’s Advanced Social Networking class.

To sign up, go to this link: http://wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill_BeginningSocialNetworking. If you have questions, leave them in the comments or e-mail me at margo (at) wow-womenonwriting.com.

Finally, I am a Juice in the City affiliate, although I am not very good at it. Anyway do you see on my sidebar the black and pink box that says JUICE IN THE CITY? This widget will take you to a website that offers all kinds of deals–many of them are local (and by this I mean specific to a certain place such as Atlanta or LA), but some are nationwide because they are Internet companies. Many of them are great deals for MOMs or TEACHERS or GRANDPARENTS. If I notice any from time to time, I will make sure to point them out in my posts. So, I am doing this for today’s post:

You can get $45 worth of kids’ clothes for $22 from a place called Little Froglet. (Photo courtesy of Juice in the City/Little Froglet)

If you are interested in getting 51%

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*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*A creative cat as the main character
*Rating: Chester is such a great illustrator and author–who needs that Melanie Watt? If you haven’t read any of the Chester the cat series of books yet (with NO HELP FROM Melanie), then you must check one out. So cute and funny!

Short, short summary: Chester the cat has hidden his owner’s, author and illustrator Melanie Watt’s, supplies and has taken over the creation of the book with his red pen. Chester is trying to write a masterpiece. First he steals from Twas the Night Before Christmas, and then he goes through a series of exercises to break his writer’s block. Once he’s ready, he writes some stories about himself and mouse–always ending unhappily with something tragic happening to mouse! In the end, Melanie finds her art supplies in a terrible hiding spot. . .Kids and adults will get a kick out of this hysterical picture book.

So what do I do with this book?

1. This is such a cute book. I love how “Melanie Watt” leaves editorial notes to Chester on “yellow Post-it notes.” Children will LOVE this book, and they will love to leave their own notes to Chester. While reading it, let them have some stickee notes and they can jot a few things down to Chester about his illustrations, his stories, etc.

2. This book has a lot of reading lessons in it. For example, Melanie tells Chester he needs a setting. They both draw a jungle. She asks what type of story he plans to write, and he goes through several genres like humor, action, and romance. They talk about endings, problems, and characters. It is full of things writers need to think about and address when writing a story. You can start a discussion with your class on these topics, using Chester and his masterpiece as a starting point.

3. For fun, let children try to guess where Chester hid Melanie’s art supplies. See if anyone is correct by the end of the book!

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If you haven’t visited my picture book giveaway yet for Chickens on the GO!, please do so now. You don’t want to miss this SUPER CUTE picture book. Click here.

Now on to this FUNNY, FUNNY picture book that dog owners EVERYWHERE have to check out–this is another one of those picture books that are perfect for any age reader.

*Picture book, preschooler through third grader, fantasy–since the dogs and cats are writing letters
*Loveable dog and not-so-loveable cat as main characters
*Rating: If you love Dear Abby or any of the self-help talk shows, you will love Mr. Mutt. He solves all the dogs’ dilemmas. See if you recognize any of these going on in your home with your poor, mistreated dogs. . . (I love this book!)

Short, short summary:

Mr. Mutt accepts letters from all his dog fans, and they write him with the most common dog dilemmas of the day. For example, there’s “Famished in Florida” whose people have put him on a diet! He is so hungry his stomach is growling louder than he growls, and he also complains that the fat cat gets fancy food from a tiny can, while he gets tasteless gravel from a giant sack! Mr. Mutt sympathizes with Famished and explains to him where he can get some food–on the counter tops, the trash can, the baby’s high chair (MY DOG HAS LEARNED THAT FOR SURE!), and to top off the meal–a drink from the toilet. Then Mr. Mutt reminds Famished he is a top dog and that cats are spoiled rotten. Of course, Mr. Mutt has a cat to deal with himself, the Queen, and she writes her own opinions down. Help Me, Mr. Mutt continues in this fashion with dogs writing letters full of problems to Mr. Mutt, and he answers them back with the best dog advice, and The Queen cat also gives her two cents. It is so cute and funny, and I really think adults will get a huge kick out of it, too.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Kids will love writing a letter to Mr. Mutt–especially if Mr. Mutt can answer them back! They can either write as a dog OR write as a human with a pet question. Kids would enjoy getting a letter back from The Queen, too. One huge classroom letter would do.

2. The end of the book is told in mostly illustrations and “newspaper” clippings. The rest of the book is told in letter form with help from the illustrations. This is a form of organization, one of the 6 + 1 traits of writing. What do kids think about the organization? Can they tell the end of the story, even though it is not traditionally told with words? Also discuss with students how picture books have much of the story in illustrations, too, and how it is important to pay attention to both the words and pictures in a picture book. (Another part of the organization is there is an overall problem–the cat/dog dilemma, and then several little problems with the individual letters.)

3. If you have to teach parts of a letter or letter writing, what a great book to do it with. It’s much more fun to learn about letter writing from a humorous picture book like Help Me, Mr. Mutt than it is from a Language Arts textbook.

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Before I talk about the new TRILINGUAL picture book, My Sister is My Best Friend by Nicole Weaver (Guardian Angel Publishing), I would like to announce the winner of Melissa Goodwin’s book, The Christmas Village. The winner is Beth F.! Thank you, Beth, for your comment, and happy holidays to everyone who left a comment and shared a tradition.

Now on to. . .My Sister is My Best Friend:

*Picture book, contemporary fiction for preschool through 1st graders
*Two twin girls as main characters
*Rating: A sweet book, especially for anyone (young or old!) with sisters. Plus, children can start to learn some Spanish and French while reading the book. It celebrates FAMILY!

Short, short summary:

Nicole Weaver’s book begins with these lines: “I am lucky my sister is my best friend. We do everything together.” And then the Spanish and French are listed neatly underneath the English AND accompanied by super-cute illustrations by Clara Batton Smith. The book goes on (it’s more like a concept book about family/sisters than a story with a problem/solution) to tell the interesting things the sisters like to do together such as playing with their dog, riding the see-saw at the park, and chasing butterflies. Again, each page contains a cute illustration and the text in English, French, and Spanish. A great book for a classroom or for a home library!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. There’s an automatic lesson built into this book, which is always great for any parent, teacher, or librarian. Children can see how English translates into French and Spanish. They can try to pick out the important words like sister and friend. If you know someone who can speak Spanish/French, invite them in to read the book with a proper accent!

2. Your students/child can make a similar book about their sister, brother, mom, dad, cousin, and so on. For example, one child could create: My Mother is My Best Friend; another could write My Cousin is My Best Friend. After children write a few pages (or just illustrate if they are preschoolers), they can share their pages/books with classmates.

3. Nicole Weaver has included some wonderful details and word choice in her picture book. For example, take this page (in English): “Sometimes just for fun, we shriek and run as fast as we can …pretending to be orangutans.” The six plus one traits of writing, Word Choice, celebrates words such as “shriek” or the choice of pretending to be orangutans, instead of just monkeys. Both of these words present clear images in the readers’ mind. What other examples of good word choice can readers find in the book?

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*Picture book, preschool through 2nd grade
* A silly goose as the main character
*Rating: Silly Tilly is my kind of picture book. It is filled with all sorts of fun and rhymes and vibrant illustrations.

Short, short summary:

Silly Tilly is a very silly goose. For example, she takes a bath in apple juice. She took a nap in scarecrow’s pants and packed Piglet off to France. And the other barnyard animals are just plain tired of her silliness. She stops her antics, and then Hetta Hen realizes she hasn’t laughed since Silly Tilly did something silly. So, the animals apologize, and we get to see our lovable goose right back at her silliness.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. You cannot ignore the rhyme in Silly Tilly. Before reading, ask students to raise their hands if they hear any rhyming words. Ask them to remember at least a pair and tell it to you to write on chart paper when the story is over. Students/children can brainstorm more words that rhyme with the ones in the book. For an “advanced” discussion, what is Eileen Spinelli’s rhyme scheme?

2. When Silly Tilly changes whom she is for her friends, everyone suffers. No one is happy. This is a pretty deep concept for kids to understand, but oh so important. Use the characters in this silly book to get kids to see how important it is for each of them to 1. be themselves and embrace their uniqueness and 2. not expect other people, especially their friends, to change to please them.

3. Kids will have SO MUCH FUN making up their own silly things that Silly Tilly can do on the farm. You can either help them with the rhyming words or just do it with creativity–not worrying about the rhyme. Students can write down one of the silly things and illustrate it. Put these together in a class book–a Silly Tilly sequel.

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*Picture book for preschool through adult
*The THINKS you can THINK as main characters
*Rating: My one-year-old daughter carries Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! around with her and looks at this book all the time. I’m sure it’s the pictures, but I’d love to think it’s the whole concept that she gets.

Short, short summary:

Every now and again, I like to blog about a Dr. Seuss book. I know kids love to read them still and I know many teachers/home school parents/librarians who use them with kids. In this one, Dr. Seuss is celebrating all the excellent ideas our brains can come up with. He is writing about how wonderful imagination is and the sense of wonder that some kids have. Dr. Seuss does it in his special way with made-up creatures and silly rhymes, but that’s what makes this book even more special–it has that Dr. Seuss charm. Example: You can think about red. You can think about pink. You can think up a horse. Oh, the thinks you can think!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Ask students, “What are the THINKS you can THINK?” Ask them to make a list or draw a picture showing some things they are thinking about. They can be real (like soccer practice or a way to fix a problem with a friend) or make-believe (a new creature that people can have as a pet).

2. Read and discuss each page of the book during a second read through. What does it mean “you can think up a horse”? Why does Seuss want you to “think and wonder”? And so on. With students and children, you want to really talk up creativity and imagination!

3. It’s fun to discuss Dr. Seuss’s word choice and his made-up creatures. You can tie the word choice to a 6 + 1 traits lesson on word choice and discuss why the word choice works in this book (or maybe some students think it doesn’t). You can also discuss what some of the words mean such as: Da-Dake, Schlopp, and Guff.

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First I would like to announce my winner of the Mari L. McCarthy’s e-book on journaling. It is KATE! From Kate’s comment, I can tell she is a journaler (is that a word?), and so I am very happy she won the book! Good luck to both Kate and Mari.

Second, my little one has her first cold. UGH! I realize this is no big deal, but I am a worry-wart parent; and I just feel sorry for the little thing trying to breathe through her nose and then through her mouth. I know how crappy I feel when I have a cold, and so I can only imagine poor Katie. But anyway, my post is short and sweet because I have been up with her tonight. Then our kitchen sink is leaking, from underneath!!!!!, and so I was trying to help my husband with that. All of these excuses. . . Anywho on to the book. . .

I chose to write about The Fathers are Coming Home to keep with my father theme from last week and Bob Shea’s Oh, Daddy!. Katie received this Margaret Wise Brown book as a gift, and she loves it. It is so simple (maybe too simple for some, but that’s why younger children may love it) with wonderful illustrations by Stephen Savage. It celebrates a father’s love–a human father, a bunny father, a fish father, and so on.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. If you are in a classroom, a book like this can be difficult for some students if they live with their mothers only or if their fathers are deceased. I like how Brown brings in the animal fathers, too; and so if you have students like this, you can focus more on the animals when you discuss the book than on the human father in the book. If you don’t have anyone in your class who might be upset with this book, you can always do a shared writing activity, such as: With my dad, I like to _______________________________.

2. What other animal fathers do children know about? Could they write a page or two (as a class) adding some more animal fathers to the book? Study the pages about animals, and how Margaret Wise Brown included them in the story. Then, write a page or two about a new animal.

3. I saw one mom on Amazon.com talk about how her child likes to count the kids in each illustration as all the fathers have different amounts of children. So, you can do a math type activity here, too. Once you count the children, you can ask questions: “Who has the most?” “HOw many more does _____ have than _____?” and so on.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through 1st graders
*Two young rodents as main characters
*Rating: The strength in The Vole Brothers by Roslyn Schwartz lies in the illustrations and humor. I just wish the Vole brothers would have solved their own hunger problem, instead of luckily falling into a garden. However, you can use this book to work on problem solving skills with young children.

Short, short summary:

The Vole brothers are hungry. (And yes, they are voles–NOT moles.) They think about eating a cat, but then they decide just to follow him instead because he seems to be on the trail of a food scent. The brothers manage to get a piece of pizza away from the cat; but before they get to eat it, the pizza is taken away. The voles see a donut and decide to go after that next, but the cat is still lurking. How do the Vole brothers get out of this mess and find something to eat?

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Like I mentioned in my rating, this is a super cute book, but the voles just luck into solving their problem. So with young readers, first describe what the problem is. Then, make a list of possible solutions. Finally, ask students to choose one and write about it or illustrate it or both.

2. What are voles? Students may not be familiar with this animal. Share some facts with your students or children if you homeschool. Click here for some facts about voles: http://www.pestcontrolrx.com/david_somlcom/vole/

3. What do students think about the sound words? Do they add to the story? Can students use this technique in their own writing?

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*Wordless picture book for preschool through 2nd graders
*Walrus as main character
*Rating: Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage is a cute book that tells a complete story without any words.

Short, short summary:

Walrus is on an adventure of a lifetime, and the zookeeper can’t keep up with him. When Walrus escapes and is being chased, he eats in a diner, lays some brick, puts out a fire, and more. In the end, he enters a diving competition, and he is quite good! The zookeeper realizes that he may have quite the performer on hand.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. I love wordless books for writing exercises for children. Let them provide the text and create a class book with their own illustrations, modeled after Stephen Savage’s!

2. Wordless books are also great for practicing writing dialogue, putting in the quotation marks, and so on. What would the zookeeper say to the Walrus? What would the diving judges say? You can do this as a shared writing activity or have students practice on their own or in small groups.

3. Where could Walrus hide in your city? At your school? In your students’ neighborhood? In your child’s room? Discuss this with students, and then they can create their own page to go with this book! Have fun!

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*Picture book, realistic (?) fiction for preschoolers through 2nd graders (although there’s something for older kids, too)
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: The Great White House Breakout is a clever book with wonderful illustrations and a storyline to get kids and adults talking about the President of the U.S.–in a good way!

Short, short summary:

Sam lives at the White House with his mom, the President and his dad, the First Guy. His cat, Warren, and a rat, Leonard, live there, too. It’s hard to have fun because Sam and his friends have to stay inside and the Secret Service are always there. So, Sam, Leonard, and Warren design an escape plan and discover the adventures of Washington, D.C. Of course, now the president’s son is missing, so people are looking for him. And of course, Sam starts to miss his mom, too. A heartwarming and fun book with lots of Washington D.C. scenery.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Write a letter to the current president at the White House. You will get a letter back and maybe even some goodies–such as a picture of the first pet–to go along with it. In the letter, ask students or your child to tell about this book you read and encourage them to ask questions about being the president or the White House. They can also learn the most famous address in the United States by addressing their own envelopes.

2. Study what there is to do in Washington, D.C. Use The Great White House Breakout as a starting point and then ask students to do some of their own research. Students can work together in pairs to make a Washington, D.C. tourist brochure or even a “Plan for Sam, Leonard, and Warren.”

3. Ask students to imagine they live in the White House and write (or draw pictures if that’s more age appropriate) about their activities. They can be as creative as Sam or just realistically tell what they would like to do!

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*Picture book, fantasy, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Penguin and boy (from Lost and Found) are main characters
*Rating: Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers will make you smile and celebrate friendship!

Short, short summary:

Penguin and boy are best friends. Penguin gets the idea that he would love to fly. He has wings, so he should be able to fly, he reasons. But when he tries, nothing happens. He learns that penguins everywhere don’t fly, and this makes him sad. So, he runs away and answers an advertisement for a circus act where he will be shot from a cannon and fly through the air. The boy misses the penguin while he is away and begins searching for him. When Penguin does finally fly (with the help of the cannon), he’s not so crazy about it.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Opposites are a good subject to discuss with the book, Up and Down. You can also ask students why they think Oliver Jeffers named his book Up and Down while you are discussing opposites. Look at the illustrations with your students or children and find more opposites in the drawings. Be creative. The important point is that students name opposites.

2. Penguin and the boy are great friends. You can use this book to discuss the characteristics of a good friend. For example–the way the boy rushes to be at Penguin’s side when he is fulfilling his dream. Students can also compare one of their friendships to the one in the book or compare themselves to either Penguin or the boy.

3. For fun, ask students to make an advertisement for Penguin’s circus act.

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I am happy to tell you about Dripping Blood Cave and Other Ghostly Stories from Crickhollow Books today and to be GIVING AWAY ONE FREE COPY from the publisher. Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m. CST for your chance to win (U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only please). You don’t need to tell us anything special in your comment to enter the contest, but if you want to tell us your favorite ghost/spooky story or why you like spooky stories, then please do. Make sure to leave an e-mail address with your comment. Now on to the book. . .

*Middle-grade novel, paranormal
*Teenage boys as main characters
*Rating: Dripping Blood Cave is full of cute ghost stories and quite a cast of characters. Kids will love these ghostly adventures.

Short, short summary: Here’s another installment in the Hank and Clifford series. Hank is courageous and does everything right. Clifford is a coward and does everything wrong–but in a loveable sort of way. The two find themselves facing several ghosts in this sequel, along with their girlfriends, Rosie and Mary Ethyl. For example, at Dripping Blood Cave, some angry Native Americans are seeking revenge or there’s the Civil War soldiers and the island that people aren’t returning from. What happens when the four friends face these ghosts and more? Find out in this latest installment. (You do not need to read the first two novels in order to enjoy this book.) By the way, Raymond Bial has written over 100 books for kids and adults!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The characters in this book are so strong and unique. This is a great book to do a character study with, especially comparing and contrasting Hank and Clifford. Students can start with a Venn diagram and then write a paragraph or paper about their similarities and differences.

2. Challenge your students to write their own ghost story after discussing how Raymond Bial set up his. How did he create suspense? Why do you believe his stories could actually happen? How did he set up his world? and so on. . .

3. Raymond Bial brings some history into his ghost stories. Students and children can discuss what parts of the book are based on historical stories and what part is completely made up. If students are working on ghost stories, they can bring historical facts into their stories.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win.

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*Graphic novel for elementary kids–1st grade through 5th grade
*Young girl and an alligator as main characters
*Rating: Gabby and Gator is a funny book that takes a look at a serious issue for kids–fitting in and bullying.

Short, short summary:

In graphic novel form, James Burks tells the story of Gator and Gabby–an alligator and a girl that have trouble fitting in. Gator has had trouble since the beginning when his original owner had to flush him down the toilet because his mom didn’t want an alligator in her house. He’s lived in the sewer ever since, and he just can’t help himself–sometimes he eats people’s dogs. He gets so hungry. Then there’s Gabby. She doesn’t fit in anywhere, but she is the sweetest girl! (I just love her list of things to-do.) The kids make fun of her, and one boy in particular is a big bully, calling her a freak. She meets Gator in the park, and then the two become friends and have quite an adventure! You will love Gabby and Gator, laugh out loud, and cheer for them both!

So, what should I do with this book?

1. Children can look at Gabby’s to-do list and then make one of their own for a weekend day. What would they put on a to-do list? You can also have them create a to-do list for Gator. Students can pair up with other students and share their lists and explain why they put what they did on their to-do list.

2. Gabby and Gator deals a lot with bullying. In the book, several kids are mean to Gabby. This can make some children uncomfortable and open to talking about a subject they might not usually want to talk about. A book also can open a discussion about bullying because children can talk about the characters in the book and share feelings without having to talk exactly about themselves. How does Gabby feel when kids call her a freak? What does she do? How does she solve her problem? You can ask students if they’ve ever felt like Gabby and talk about that.

3. Gator is a very interesting pet. Pets are always a big part of children’s lives. Ask students to draw a picture of their pet and tell why he is unique or unusual. You can also have them fold a piece of paper in half–on one side they can draw a picture of Gabby and Gator. On the other side, they can draw a picture of themselves with their pet. Older students can write a paragraph about their pets or compare and contrast their pet to Gator.

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*Funny, realistic picture book for preschoolers through first graders
*Preschool boy as main character
*Rating: Parts by Tedd Arnold can easily become your favorite book–as a kid and as an adult.

Short, short summary:

This poor boy thinks the glue that is holding him together is not working. He find pieces of hair in his comb. Something fell out of his nose, and he is sure it is his brain. Then there’s the skin on the bottom of his foot, and the last straw–his teeth–how will he eat? He gets some masking tape to try to hold himself together; but finally, his parents remember to tell him that this is a normal part of growing up!

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The first time you read it to children see if they think something is really wrong with him or if this is just the body’s way of growing. Ask children if these similar things have happened to them, and give them a chance to tell their stories (so allow for some extra discussion time when reading this book aloud!).

2. We all know at the end of the book that the boy has found ear wax, but can your students make a creative story about what he really found in his ear? For preschoolers, you can do this as a shared writing activity and each student can draw their own illustration. For first graders, they can write a short ending to the story. Encourage them to be creative with what the boy found in his ear!

3. Use this book in a health unit to talk to students about what is really holding our body together–bone, muscles, skin, blood vessels, etc. etc. For younger students (such as two or three-year-old kids), you can talk about the parts they can see!

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*Picture/chapter book, contemporary
*Two best friends, elementary-aged girls as main characters
*Rating: Super cute and clever book, Bink and Gollie will have fans young and old.

Short, short summary:

Bink and Gollie are best friends, and they are about as opposite as you can get. In the three stories in this book, Bink buys a super loud pair of socks, and Gollie tries to get her to abandon them by compromising. In the second story, Gollie is on a pretend trip, climbing the Andes Mountains; and in the third story, Bink has a fish named Fred, and Gollie might be feeling a little jealous. The illustrations in this book are wonderful, and the text is written by an award-winning children’s writer and a New York Times Bestseller.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Depending on the age of the children whom you read this story with, they can create their own Bink and Gollie adventure. They can write the text and illustrate. If you teach young children or have a young child at home, you can write the story together.

2. Bink and Gollie try to compromise in the first story, but Gollie really just wants Bink to give in. When Bink finally comes up with a compromise, what’s the difference? Ask students to give a definition of compromise. Have any of them ever compromised? What’s another way Bink and Gollie could compromise?

3. In the last story, Bink must sacrifice having Fred as her “marvelous companion” in order to save his life. Ask students what they would have done in this situation. How would they feel? Was there any other possible solution? Why do they think Gollie really did what she did?

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*Picture book, fiction, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Two superhero boys as main characters
*Rating: Boys will L-O-V-E Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug, which teaches the importance of recycling without preaching. Great idea!

Short, short summary:

A clean, little town has a big problem–Litterbug Doug, his rotten trash, and his rat friends. Litterbug Doug doesn’t care about his neighbors or the earth until Michael Recycle shows him the error of his ways. Once Litterbug Doug changes his habits, he becomes the litter police. Told with rhyme and bright illustrations, children will love listening to and looking at Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug. The end of the book provides “green” tips for kids and facts about trash.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. After reading about Michael Recycle, allow students to create their own “green” superhero. Students should write about the superhero and draw a picture. Children should also make up a new name.

2. In so many classrooms and even at home, we talk a lot about recycling around Earth Day–but we shouldn’t wait until April to talk about this important subject. Children can take the green tips from the back of the book and create posters for the classroom. Then whenever a child or adult “catches someone being green,” shout it out. For example, you could shout out, “I just caught Alissa being green. She remembered to turn off our light switch on our way out of the classroom. Thanks, Alissa!”

3. Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug is a great example of a picture book you can use to teach word choice, one of the six plus one traits of writing. Ellie Bethel’s word choice really sets the scene and shows readers just how gross Litterbug Doug is.

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*Picture book, realistic fiction for preschoolers through second graders
*First grade girl as main character
*Rating: Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) is such a cute picture book and perfect for teachers and parents to share during National Book Week or any time reading needs to be celebrated. (Well, that’s all the time, right?)

Short, short summary:

A first-grade girl tells readers how much Miss Brooks, the enthusiastic librarian, loves books. Miss Brooks dresses up in costumes to share books with her students. As our narrator tells us, ” I think Miss Brooks gets a little too excited. And I bet her costumes itch.” One day, Miss Brooks tells her students that it will soon be Book Week, and they each need to share a book they love with the class and dress up in a costume. The little girl wants to move–her mother informs her there’s a librarian in every town. So, she doesn’t know what book she’ll present until her mother tells her she’s as stubborn as a wart. This gives her a great idea–she loves warts and she’ll read about them! Pick up a copy of Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t) to find out exactly which book the little girl chooses. (Kids will love this!)

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Students young and old can write about a favorite book after reading this one. Let students creatively tell about their favorite book with a journal entry as well as a presentation of some kind–maybe even dressing up in costumes like in the book.

2. Create a class book of poems or holidays or anything that you want. The point is to work on something together as a class. The easy way to make a class book is to have each student create a page, illustrate it, laminate these, and then bind them together with a cover of some sort. Children love to get these class- made books out of the library and read them–even your most reluctant readers.

3. Did students know that Shrek was a book before a movie? Discuss with students other books that have been made into movies. Ask students which they usually like better. For a fun Friday afternoon activity, read a book to students that was made into a movie, watch the movie (or part of it), and then compare and contrast them.

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*Picture book for preschoolers through 2nd graders, fantasy (fractured nursery rhyme)
*Dish and Spoon as main characters
*Rating: Kids love books like The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon that play off an old nursery rhyme and have loads of fun stuff in the illustrations.

Short, short summary:

What happened after the dish ran away with the spoon? Well, this book will answer that question. From trying their luck in a vaudeville show to buying a car and shopping for jewelry and furs, the Dish and Spoon have quite an adventure. It’s all fun and games until the Dish meets a rock, and the Spoon meets jail. Will these two ever make it together again?

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Read the nursery rhyme to children, “Hey Diddle, Diddle!” Ask children to imagine other things about this nursery rhyme. For example, ask them, “Why do you think the cow jumped over the moon?” “Why did the little boy laugh?” “What are the cat and the fiddle doing?” You can record answers on a piece of chart paper and create a classroom display by asking students to illustrate their answers. Be creative! Mini Grey sure was.

2. Study the illustrations carefully, especially the ones on the sidebars. What else do the illustrations tell about the story of the Dish and the Spoon that the text doesn’t tell? Discuss with students how in the picture book genre illustrations are as important as the text, and both work together to tell the story.

3. This is a book about friendship. Spoon and Dish are friends, they trust each other, and they love each other. Talk to students or your children about being a good friend. What are the qualities of a good friend? How do Dish and Spoon show these qualities? How do you show these qualities in your everyday life?

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*Middle-grade novel, contemporary fiction
*Eleven-year-old girl as main character
Rating: I fell in love with Eleven by Lauren Myracle when I listened to the audio book. All 11-year-old girls (or anyone who was ever 11) will be able to relate!

Short, short summary:

Winnie is 11. The book starts with her birthday party and how things don’t go quite as she planned when her friends come over and don’t want to put on the play that she wrote. Her fifth-grade year ends, and the summer comes, which is nothing but boring for Winnie because her teenage sister has a job and her friends are all on vacation. When she finally gets to spend the weekend at her best friend Amanda’s beach house, she discovers that Amanda is more interested in her tan and boys than in pretending and playing like she and Winnie used to do. Then the sixth grade school year starts, and the new girl, Gail, takes over Amanda’s friendship. Everything seems to be changing, but Winnie doesn’t want anything to change.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Winnie goes through a wide range of emotions in this book. Children around this age can really relate to Winnie with her emotions such as embarrassment, disappointment, and excitement. Read a scene from Eleven, and then ask students how Winnie is feeling (or Dinah or Amanda) and ask them to write about a time when they felt the same way. They can write these in their reading response journals.

2. Things change–sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Some people can handle change. Some people can’t. Throughout the book, talk about how things are changing for Winnie. Ask children to discuss how Winnie is handling the changes. How does she solve the problem of being in a different class than Amanda and growing apart from her, for example? Children can discuss a change in their life (or write about it) and how they handled it.

3. For a fun journal assignment, ask students to plan their 11th or 12th birthday parties since this book covers both.

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I am happy to be hosting sisters, Hilda and Emily Demuth, on my blog today to discuss their wonderful middle-grade, historical fiction novel, Plank Road Summer. Here’s a description of the book from Amazon.com: ” Welcome to the adventures of two 13-year-olds, Katie McEachron and her friend Florence Mather, who experience an exciting summer in 1852 as the plank road that runs by their homes brings mysterious strangers to their dinner tables and the plight of runaway slaves to their consciences. Katie McEachron is a forthright, impulsive girl who has not yet learned the importance of keeping silent. Her friend Florence Mather, a solemn and hardworking girl, came with her family from Cornwall, England. She has an eager mind, but her mother is less interested in Florence’s education than in having her help at the inn. One day in May, a stranger arrives at the Mather Inn. The visit of the stranger launches a string of events that will make this a most unforgettable summer for the two girls. . . . “

**Anyone who leaves a comment or question for Hilda and Emily will be automatically entered into a comment contest. One lucky commenter will receive a copy of the book. Please leave comments by Thursday, June 3 at 8:00 p.m. CST. Now on to the interview. . .

Margo: Welcome, Hilda and Emily. What made you decide to write Plank Road Summer together?

HILDA: In the spring of 1999, I’d started writing again after a ten-year hiatus, and I was casting about for a new project. Emy had been working on various projects. At some point, she or I mentioned the plank road story she’d had in mind for years. In some free-writing, I described a view of the lilacs from the bedroom window of the farmhouse in which we’d grown up, and somewhere Emy had written a very similar description. She and I had shared that bedroom for many years, after all. For me that was the sign that the two of us were meant to write a story set in our childhood home.

EMILY: It really was my idea to write about the plank road. When Hilda approached me about writing it together, I decided there was a better chance of getting it done if we collaborated. That we were both very familiar with the setting—the lay of the land, the McEachron homestead, the two staircases in the Mather Inn—made the work much easier. We didn’t need to describe to one another what the Mather Inn might have looked like—we’d both been there.

HILDA: And we’d both run across the pasture to visit the neighbor girls, just like Katie McEachron runs across the pasture to visit Florence Mather.

Margo: How wonderful that you took your childhood home and made it into this story! How did the collaboration work? Did you each write different parts, work on it together?

HILDA: That first summer, we spent a couple of days together plotting the novel, sitting up late after our kids went to bed. Emy’s three children and my three, all aged ten and under, were thrilled to spend so much time with their cousins. Early on, Emy and I decided to have two main characters, a toll-gate keeper’s daughter and an innkeeper’s daughter and to alternate the points of view in the chapters. It seemed perfectly natural that each of us would focus on one character. We’d write our chapters and then e-mail the drafts and edit one another’s work.

Margo: E-mail is so wonderful–what did we used to do without it? And with it, you both have created a beautiful, interesting, and educational book for children! Why

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