Kellee – Page 231 – Unleashing Readers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/30/15

July 27, 2015March 30, 2015 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Books from Childhood (or Teen Years) We’d Like to Revisit

Friday: Review and Author Guest Post “Josh, Harrison & Dad’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry L. Herz, Author of Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Spring break was good to me! I am so proud of myself because I did a good job of relaxing, spending time with family, and reading. I finished five novels!!! Woot! I enjoyed all of them, but three are new favorites.Both Big Fat Disaster by Beth Fehlbaum (such a hard book to read! And it just kept getting worse and worse!) and The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer (a look at art, poetry, and reality TV) were very good; however, 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith, Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle were just so superb. Andrew Smith is just amazing at crafting a plot with fascinating characters! His books often seem like just another teen book, but then he is able to make them so special. Counting by 7s is such a special book. I now understand why it is compared to Out of my Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird although I find a lot of comparisons to Fish in a Tree as well. Willow Chance is such an amazing little girl, and the way she is able to change the world around her even in the midst of grieving is inspiring. Finally, Better Nate Than Ever was the perfect book to read this week. It was funny, heart-warming, and had musicals!! I want to go back to high school (I never say that!) at my arts high school, bring Nate with me, and be his best friend! (And btw, the audiobook is so great!)

Like Henry (see below), Trent is only interested in certain books. It makes me a bit sad that he throws fits if we try a new book, but I also love that he has favorites. We were able to squeeze in two new ones in between favorites: Look by Jeff Mack (the personality of this book shines! I also love the use of only 2 words) and Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by James Dean (nothing lives up to the original, but I love that we could read about Easter with Trent’s favorite character).

Ricki: For those of you kind folks who are tracking my long progress in the doctoral program, I am excited to say that I submitted my materials for my comprehensive exams—which are one month from today. AH! I will keep you all posted about how this goes. This week, I made a lot of progress in many books, and I also finished a picture book, Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw. It was good fun, and I particularly recommend it for use in middle or high school settings. It is important to infuse picture books into older classrooms. With scaffolding and assistance from an adult, young kids would also enjoy navigating this fun book. I think it is very important to challenge our students, and the balance of vocabulary and a fun storyline will make this book a great resource to teachers.

Henry (who is 16 months old now) shows strong preferences for books. He only wants to read truck books. Like an adult, his draws his pointer finger across the bindings until he reaches any book with the title, Trucks (and his grandmother has bought just about every truck board book that exists). I can recite the position of each of those tractors, skid steers, and all-terrain vehicles on the pages in my sleep. I am excited that he said his first word this week—“car!” (I don’t think “Mama,” “Dada,” “uh oh,” “no,” and “okay” count, right?). So along with a book update, you got a life update. Sorry—next week, it is back to books.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I have already downloaded Five, Six, Seven, Nate because I cannot wait to hear what happens to Nate next! I also plan on starting Hunt for the Bamboo Rat by Graham Salisbury tonight. We’re also trying to read a few new books with Trent, including another Easter book, but we’ll see.

Ricki: Still reading and enjoying Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin. My book club meets Tuesday, so I will definitely be done with this one within 48 hours. 🙂 I also listened to three more discs of East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I love it—but I find it very disturbing. I think I’ve reached disc 15 out of 23. It’s quite epic.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Books We’ve Recently Added to Our To-Be-Read Lists

Thursday: #MustReadin2015 Spring Update

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Sue Duff, Author of Fade to Black and Mask and Mirrors

So, what are you reading?

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

and

Review and Author’s Guest Post!: “Josh, Harrison & Dad’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry L. Herz, Author of Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes

March 27, 2015 by Kellee

Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes
Authors: Henry, Josh, and Harrison Herz
Illustrator: Abigail Larson
Published February 7th, 2015 by Pelican Publishing Company

Goodreads Summary: Enter an enchanted land of mythical creatures where manticores reign and ogres roar-a land of mystery and fright. A unique twist on traditional rhymes of everyone’s youth, “Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes” presents a more sinister approach to these childhood classics, and yet the sing-song nature of the poems renders them playful and jovial at the same time. Little Witch Muffet is not frightened by a silly, little spider; she simply adds him to her stew!

Rotten zombies, giants, dwarves, and goblins mingle with werewolves, centaurs, and fauns. Follow along the skeleton stepping stones, scale up a palisade, claw at the window of a tasty child and bake him into a pumpkin shell. Monsters cook up delicious elvish pie, too! Every kid who has an eensy weensy bit of sense wants a pet with feathers white as snow, who flies like an eagle and bleats like a goat-a hippogriff, of course!

Six forest sprites with four times as many pixies escape from a loaf of bread atop the elaborate table of the fey queen; her feast has flown away! If you enjoy mischief and have a penchant for the morbidly hilarious, the Herzs’ rhymes will satisfy your mythological curiosities.

Larson’s illustrations give new life to these ancient figures, and her artistic style employs the bold lines and colorful movement of an action-packed comic book. The author also includes a “bestiary” with information about the book’s legendary creatures, which hail from Scotland, Germany, Italy, Persia, Haiti, and Scandinavia.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Really like the creativity of mashing monster/mythology and nursery rhymes. A great intro to all things traditional lit and fantasy in a rhyming, fun way. I especially liked that the creatures hail from a variety of places and that the author included an appendix that includes information about each of them. I think this book would be a great way to introduce mythology as well as give students an opportunity to make their own parody of a nursery rhyme using a creature.

One thing that makes this book special is that Henry Herz wrote this book with his two sons. I am happy to share with you a post about their collaboration:

Josh, Harrison, and Dad’s Excellent Adventure

The astute observer will notice that there are three author credits for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes. That’s because my young sons were involved in its creation. This is the tale of how two boys became traditionally published authors.

A few years ago (in a galaxy far away), I wanted to share my love of fantasy with my young sons. They were too little for watching most of the fantasy and sci-fi movie classics, and there are only so many good fantasy books available for that age range. Struck by inspiration one day, I came up with a way to share the joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. I would write a fantasy book for them.

What I did not anticipate was that my boys would give me feedback on the story. They devised some of the character (Nimpentoad) and creature (Neebel) names and made plot line suggestions. And who better to help make the story appealing to kids than other kids? So, the goal of interesting my sons in fantasy transformed into also encouraging them to write.

Originally, I only shared the story of Nimpentoad with family, for their own enjoyment. I had no thoughts of having the book published. But one day, my sister-in-law suggested that I consider publication because she felt the story was much better than many of the books she was seeing for her similarly-aged kids. I thought about it for a while, and decided to give it a try.

The first step was to find the right artist. Once again, my sons were involved, this time in providing art direction. We would explain in words what each illustration should contain. Collaborating remotely via email and DropBox, our artist would give us a rough sketch, and we would provide feedback on details and color palette. Nimpentoad came to life, while my boys added another dimension to their experience.

Given the amount of time that had passed, as well as the anticipated challenges with finding an agent or publisher willing to take a chance on an unproven writer, we decided to indie-publish. The response to Nimpentoad was encouraging, and we subsequently indie-published Twignibble (an easy reader about a mechanically-inclined sloth, who travels the world helping his endangered animal friends), and How the Rhino Got His Skin (an updated picture book version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic).

We’ve done book readings and signings at schools, libraries, museums, farmer’s markets, book fairs, and bookstores. My boys are now experienced sales professionals! They know how to handle themselves with new people, and easily sell more books than I do.

Like any good author, I am committed to honing my craft. I belong to critique groups, participate in Tara Lazar’s annual Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) event, and took a picture book writing class at UCSD. Part of the class curriculum was to draft some picture book manuscripts. Kids love monsters and I love monsters (being a big kid myself), and so the idea for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes was born.

As with our other collaborations, I drafted the book, and then had my sons review it. Then it went through my critique group and more revisions. I subsequently attended the Orange County Editor’s Day event hosted by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes won best picture book. After that, it was time to query agents and editors. Happily, several editors expressed interest. We chose Pelican Publishing, and the rest is history.

Writing rhyming picture books is very challenging (see why at http://wp.me/p31Xf4-K0). I jokingly encourage newbie writers to visit www.DontDoRhyme.com (not a real website). The irony is not lost on me that my debut traditionally published picture book is in rhyme. My only excuse is that I didn’t have to invent the meter, I just had to twist the words to fit the existing meter.

If you want to interest your kids in mythological creatures, or fantasy literature in general, give Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes a look. Just take care – Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes is a gateway book to The Lightning Thief and, eventually, to The Lord of the Rings.

Learn more about Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes at http://www.birchtreepub.com/mgnr.htm.

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Henry L. Herz for providing a copy for review and for the guest post!**

Meet Bacteria by Rebecca Bielawski

July 27, 2015March 25, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Mummy Nature Book 1: Meet Bacteria!
Author and Illustrator: Rebecca Bielawski
Published October 8, 2014 by Rebecca Bielawski

Goodreads Summary: Peak through the microscope and down into a fantastic world of teeny tiny shapes, amazing colours and little friends who want to say – Hello. Who are these bacteria? Where do they live and what do they do all day? Meet Bacteria! is for little kids brimming with curiosity. It gives them their first basic notions of bacteria; a very interesting topic for children, seldom dealt within children’s books at this level.

Each book in the series is one mini nature lesson wrapped up in colour and rhyme. These books are intended for very young children including toddlers and will give them just a glimpse into some of the wonders of the natural world. Illustrated for maximum vibrancy and visual impact, using rhyme to engage young minds and encourage participation. Read the rhymes to your children and soon they will be reading them to you!

What We Can Learn:
The idea of the microscope
Why we should wash our hands

Concepts:
Basic bacteria shapes
Some bacteria habitats

New Words:
Bacteria, Microscope, Rod, Chain, Bunch, Multiply

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is a great introduction to scientific exploration and then to bacteria itself. I love that the protagonist is a young girl who is exploring the world around her. I think students will see themselves in her, and that along with the interesting, rhyming information about the different types of bacteria will really persuade kids to want to explore.

I do think that this is just an introduction though. Each bacteria is briefly mentioned along with a fun illustration. I would love to see this book be a jumping off point to an inquiry unit about bacteria.

Discussion Questions: Why does bacteria have a bad reputation? Which bacteria cause this? Which bacteria are actually good?; How can you prevent the bad bacteria from making us sick?; Bacteria make some foods. How does this work?

We Flagged:

Images from https://www.pinterest.com/booksbeck/childrens-picture-books/
© Rebecca Bielawski

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Rebecca Bielawski for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/23/15

July 27, 2015March 23, 2015 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Top Ten Books On Our Spring TBRs

Sunday: Author’s Guest Post!: “A Love for Reading Begets Passionate Writing” by Jake Marcionette, Author of Just Jake

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This last week I read two very different YA novels: Words and their Meaning by Kate Bassett and Noggin by John Corey Whaley. Words may be one of the most depressing and emotionally-intense book I’ve read in a while. Noggin, on the other hand, was a bit emotionally-intense, but it also was super unique and quite funny. I can see why it was a National Book Award finalist (though I wish the focus had been a bit more on Travis and less on Cate).

I also read two picture books this week: The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bike by Jude Isabella and Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes by Henry L. Hetz. I loved the story of The Red Bicycle. It just shows how one thing can change so many peoples’ lives. Monster Goose will be reviewed on Friday, so stop back.

With Trent, we are continuing to read the same books over and over (see our 9-12 month favorites list). I try to switch it up, but he is just not interested. I now have Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton, Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, and Pete the Cat by Erit Litwin & James Dean completely memorized.

Ricki: I finished Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil, which is nothing about outer space. The main character reminds me of Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Last week, I compared it to other books, but all in all, it is quite lovely. I hate movies and don’t like video gaming, but it incorporated these two topics in a way that was interesting to me. This book would be a fantastic addition to classrooms.

Henry and I received a lot of great, new books this week from relatives. His favorite is Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder. It doesn’t have much depth, but the scanimation part is admittedly cool. The animals run when you move the pages.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am still listening to Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, but this week is spring break which means I may not listen to as much as I do on a work week. Trent is home with me this week as well, so I am going to try to read 5-7 books this week; however, it is going to be tough. We’ll see!! I am going to start 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith tonight as book one.

Ricki: I started reading Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin this week, and I love it. I am still working on balancing work and life, so while this one book a week thing is making me feel pathetic, it just has to do. My date for my comprehensive exams is on April 30, so I have been doing a lot of planning for them.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Books from Childhood (or Teen Years) We’d Like to Revisit

Friday: Review and Author Guest Post “Josh, Harrison & Dad’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry L. Herz, Author of Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes

So, what are you reading?

and

Author Guest Post!: “A Love for Reading Begets Passionate Writing” by Jake Marcionette, Author of Just Jake

March 22, 2015 by Kellee

Jake Marcionette was 12-years-old, he decided he wanted to write middle grade fiction for kids, by a kid, from a kid’s perspective. It’s been over two years since he signed with a literary agent, landed a book deal with Grosset and Dunlap (Penguin USA) and then saw Just Jake #1 make the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Today, he does a lot of motivational speaking to elementary and middle school kids.

Jake OOTM

His message is simple: He’s no different than you but, success, in anything, is predicated on hard work, relentless determination and doing what you love. Here are a few video clips of him speaking:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6eVgLIdYmo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqqTSJjHHy4

Today, we have Jake here at Unleashing Readers to share how he got to where he is now.

A Love for Reading Begets Passionate Writing

You can say I’m a big proponent of literacy. But I think a lot of people forget there are two components to the literacy equation: reading AND writing. I’m passionate about the latter but understand the critical importance of the former.

Let’s face it; reading is the glory boy of literacy. Reading is fawned over, hyped…it even has its own catch phrase “Reading is FUNdamental.” How do you compete with that? The answer is you don’t. Because reading is the cornerstone on which all learning and education rests and without it, future Shakespeares are unlikely to emerge.

As kids, we all have stories that need to be told. Our crazy thoughts, wild dreams, and creative interpretations reflect our individualism and personal journeys. I know there’s an inner author inside every kid but without first discovering the love of reading, the joys of putting pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard) will be elusive.

So what about those students who have yet to discover the limitless world of reading? Are they precluded from becoming the next Patterson? Most likely YES but it doesn’t have to be that way. Perhaps all they’re looking for is the FUNNY!

As shocking as it may sound, I was once “that kid” who didn’t enjoy reading. Although I was indeed writing a lot at a young age, my writing didn’t turn the corner to “Passion Town” until I found books I didn’t want to put down. Thank you, Mr. Kinney!

I can personally attest that not every kid wants to read about gossiping mean girls, vampires, or books that encompass serious, teachable moments recommended by well-intentioned adults. A lot of kids just want to laugh.

When I discovered the not so nice Greg Heffley, his abusive older brother Rodrick, and gullible Rowley I went from a reluctant reader to a voracious consumer of books overnight. It was the spark that ignited the creative fire that had eluded me. I knew immediately that was the kind of real story I wanted to tell. And considering there weren’t many books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid (still aren’t) my focus became to put forth a comical, middle grade fiction series about school and life from a kid’s perspective.

Today, as the published author of the Just Jake series and a New York Times Bestseller, I’m provided with an incredibly rewarding platform. Being a firm believer that every kid can achieve greatness, I love visiting schools and getting everyone psyched up about life, finding your passion and putting in the hard work that it takes to be better every day. But the best part is when I hear from another kid that they now want to write their own book.

It being March and National Reading Month, I think it’s appropriate to keep in mind all the “reluctant readers” in your life and try to find the right spark to ignite their interest in the printed word. I’m no different than many other kids out there but without opportunity, potential is rarely discovered.

And if you’re looking for that one series that accurately (and hilariously) captures elementary/middle school life in a highly relatable context, perfect for grades 3rd-8th, Just Jake #1 might by the ticket. Forgive me! March is also the month of my shameless self-promotion as Just Jake #2: Dog Eat Dog‘s publication date is March 31st. Oh man…sorry! There I go again.

For all the teachers out there, you’ll be interested to know we’ve partnered with BigIQKids.com to create some awesome (and free) interactive learning lessons based on Just Jake #1 in the form of spelling and vocabulary lists and quizzes found here: http://bigiqkids.com/SpellingVocabulary/justjake.html

And, a very cool reading comprehension quiz with built-in game rewards found here:
http://www.bigiqkids.com/games/ReadingRewardGamePage.php

Thank you Unleashing Readers (Kellee and Ricki) for this incredible opportunity. You guys rock! And if you’re interested in more information about me please visit www.JustJake.com . Lastly, I hope everyone can follow me on Twitter @Jake Marcionette!!!!!

Thank you Jake! You are such an inspiration!

and

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

March 20, 2015 by Kellee

Fish in a Tree
Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Published February 5th, 2015 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Goodreads Summary: The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.

“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

My Review: I adore so much about this book.
Ally is so many students that I have had over the years that just needed a teacher to take the time.
Mr. Daniels is the teacher that I hope I am, that I wish I could be, that I want all teachers to be, and that I want to be friends with.
Ally’s journey is one that I hope I inspire my students to have.
Keisha is the friend I wish I’d had.
Albert is so many student in our schools that are just a bit different thus leading to a life of sorrows.
Shay shows that meanness often is because of meanness.
Travis shows that it is never too late to change a kid’s life.
So many special characters, and such a special story.
Once again, Lynda Mullaly Hunt made me cry. Well done!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is written to be read by teachers and kids. Its home is in classrooms and libraries. Buy it, read it, and share it with some kids.

Discussion Questions: Why does Ally get in trouble so much at the beginning of the book?; What clues are given that Travis struggles with reading as well?; How does Keisha’s friendship help Ally?; Have you had a teacher like Mr. Daniels who changed your life? Tell us about him/her.

We Flagged: “Seven schools in seen years, and they’re all the same. Whenever I do my best, they tell me I don’t try hard enough. Too messy. Careless spelling. Annoyed that the same word is spelled different ways on the same page. And the headaches. I always get headaches from looking at the brightness of dark letters on white pages for too long.

Mrs. Hall clears her throat.

The rest of the class is getting tired of me again. Chairs slide. Loud sighs. Maybe they think I can’t hear their words: Freak. Dumb. Loser.” (p. 2-3)

Read This If You Loved: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz, The Secret Hum of Daisy by Tracy Holczer, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, Wonder by RJ Palacio

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Penguin and Susan Dee for providing copies for review**

Take Me Out of the Bathtub & I’m Still Here in the Bathtub by Alan Katz

July 27, 2015March 18, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Take Me Out of the Bathtub
Author: Alan Katz
Illustrator: David Catrow
Published May 1st, 2001 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

I’m Still Here in the Bathtub
Author: Alan Katz
Illustrator: David Catrow
Published April 1st, 2003 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Take Me Out of the Bathtub Goodreads Summary: Remember… “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”? Well, forget ’em!

Songwriter and comedy writer extraordinaire Alan Katz has turned those and other old favorites on their ears and created new nonsense songs kids will love. With zany, spirited pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this kooky collection guarantees laughs and plenty of silly dillyness for kids everywhere!

I’m Still Here in the Bathtub Goodreads Summary: If you like… “Wheels on the Bus” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” you’ll go NUTS for “The Meals at My Camp” and “Tiny Baby Brother”!

Songwriter and comedy writer par excellence Alan Katz has done it again! He’s turned fourteen favorite songs upside down and created new nonsense songs kids will love. With hilariously funny pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this new collection promises giggles, guffaws, and hours of silly dillyness for kids everywhere!

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I really enjoyed these books. I found myself singing out loud just so I can figure out how to make Katz’s lyrics fit with the original songs. I love the idea of singing these silly songs with students to the tune of classics. I think it gives a great opportunity to talk about the classic songs, where they came from, and their meaning. Then, the silly songs give you a chance to look at rhyming, rhythm, other poetic elements, and humor. I think it would be a fun activity to have students then emulate Alan Katz’s songs by writing their own fun songs.

Discussion Questions: What other nursery rhymes or songs could you “silly-fy”?; Can you just choose any words to fit into the songs or do you have to be careful? How can you decide what words to choose?

We Flagged: “Take Me Out of the Bathtub” (To the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame)

Take me out of the bathtub
Take me out of the suds
I’ve been here soaking since half past two
I feel so sudsy and wrinkle-y, too
Oh, I washed all over my body
My head, my toes, in between
I used one, two, three bars of soap
Take me out….I’m clean.

Read This If You Loved: Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger, Bananas in my Ears by Michael Rosen

Recommended For: