Ricki – Page 41 – Unleashing Readers

Countdown to NCTE/ALAN: Six authors Ricki’s Excited to See at ALAN Who She’s Never Seen or Met Before

November 9, 2018 by Ricki

In honor of our favorite conferences—the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention followed by the ALAN (Assembly on Literature of Adolescents of NCTE) Workshop, we are doing a countdown over the next two weeks. Each day, we will feature a list that reflects the number of days left until the conference! We can’t wait to see many of you there! If you can’t be there, make sure to follow #ncte18 and #alan18 on Twitter and other social media to participate in this amazing PD from your home.

1. Cynthia Leitich Smith

Admittedly, I have seen her speak a few times. I am very fortunate to be introducing her, and I can’t wait to meet her!

2. Tomi Adeyemi

Tomi is a powerful force. I am really looking forward to hearing her speak.

3. Emily X. R. Pan

I regularly recommend The Astonishing Color of After. My students loved this book. I am really looking forward to listening to her panel!

4. Mark Oshiro

Yes! I can’t wait to hear Mark Oshiro speak. My students just finished Anger is a Gift!

5. Elizabeth Acevedo

This woman is an idol in my class. I can’t wait to listen to her!

6. Amy Reed

I am 3/4 of the way through The Nowhere Girls. Whew. This book is great!

It was difficult to limit my list to just six authors. The ALAN Workshop is going to be wonderful! I can’t wait!
Who are you excited to hear?

Countdown to NCTE/ALAN: Eight Books that Have Made Our Sons Want to Learn to Read

November 8, 2018November 7, 2018 by Ricki

1. Bob Books: Beginning Readers

Our boys LOVE these books. They feature stories that include predominantly three-letter (and some four-letter) words.

2. Bob Books: First Stories

These books are also a great help for our boys. They also feature short words, but each mini-book is a story.

3. Summer Brain Quest Workbooks

Ricki: I’ll admit I never anticipated using workbooks with my kids. They don’t really align with my philosophy. But my son absolutely loves the map in this book and has so much fun doing it, and that makes me love it.

4. Flip-a-Word Book Series

Ricki: I am, admittedly, highly entertained by this series. They are fun for learning. My son used these when he was first learning to read.

5. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
7. One Lonely Fish: A Counting Book with Bite! by Andy Mansfield

Kellee: Trent has all three of these books memorized, but now that he is learning to read, he is making connections between the words he has memorized and the words on the pages.

8. Magazines

Trent loves his magazines. He reads them in the car constantly and yells out the words he recognizes and sounds out other words.

and

Smithsonian Exploration Station: Solar System

November 1, 2018 by Ricki

Smithsonian Exploration Station: Solar System

Summary: Take a trip into the stratosphere with Smithsonian Exploration Station: Space! With informative text and full-color photographs, young astronomers will learn about the intricate makeup of our solar system as well as distant galaxies and constellations. The 56-page fact book combined with the sticker sheet, space figurines to play with, and the glow-in-the-dark stars make this space experience interactive and engaging.

Includes a 56-page fact book, 30 stickers, 22 glow-in-the-dark stars, and 2 figurines (astronaut and rocket).

Review: I love book kits. There is something about them that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. My almost 5-year-old loves them just as much. Opening the box is like opening a world of fun. We were thrilled to receive this kit, and it didn’t disappoint. My son played with the rocket and astronaut figurines as we read the book together. The rocket and astronaut touched every page of the book! After we read about each part of the solar system, he affixed the appropriate sticker on his poster. He’s very much looking forward to sticking the glow in the dark stars on his ceiling! Parents will love these kits. The interactive learning component is wonderful. I intend to purchase several other kits from this company!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might purchase 1-2 kits each of the Smithsonian Exploration Station series. These include the Human Body, World Atlas, and Human Body. They can be found here. Students can select the kit that is most interesting to them and engage in an inquiry unit on the topic. These kids would be very fun to use in small groups!

Discussion Questions:

What did you learn as you did the activities?;
What parts of solar system do you find most interesting? Why?;
How do the different parts of the solar system together?

We Flagged:

The kit!

The full-sized poster! Notice the grayed out planets. The stickers match these and make for a great interactive reading experience!

Read This If You Loved: Any nonfiction books about the solar system; interactive books and kits (like this one about the human body)

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Casey at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review**

Bone Soup: A Spooky Tasty Tale by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

October 31, 2018 by Ricki

Bone Soup: A Spooky Tasty Tale
Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Illustrator: Tom Knight
Published: July 24, 2018 by Simon & Schuster

Goodreads Summary: Three little witches and a bunch of spooky characters come together to prepare a delicious batch of Bone Soup in this Halloween tale based on the beloved fable, Stone Soup. This just-scary-enough picture book comes with a recipe for Bone Soup—perfect for Halloween eating.

Trick-or-treat? Trick-or-treat!
We’ve something usually good to eat!

One Halloween morning three witches are looking for a tasty treat and they find only a small bone in their cupboard. So they decide to go from door to door in their village to find just the right ingredients for their Bone Soup. No one in the village is convinced that soup can be made from a bone, until the littlest monster reveals just what the special ingredient should be.

My Review: We received this book earlier in the month, and we’ve read it dozens and dozens of times. I was very excited about it and have held it in my pocket for Halloween! If you enjoy spooky, fun tales, this book is for you. I find myself walking around repeating, “It’s bone soup! Soup from the bone!” and “Piff-Poof!” The text is quite catchy, and it’s a highly entertaining read-aloud. This is a book that parents and teachers will find extra fun for their classrooms and homes. I recommend adding Bone Soup to your Halloween collection!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Students might take a trip outdoors and gather their own materials for bone soup. For instance, a stick could be imagined as the bone from a pirate. Grass might be the hair from a goblin. Then, they can take their materials inside and craft their own class story together.

Discussion Questions:

How do the sister witches interact?
How do they build their bone soup? What do they add to it?
What creative things would you add to your own bone soup?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson, Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, Dragon’s Halloween by Dav Pilkey, Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex, Monster Mash (Babymouse #9) by Jennifer L. Holm, Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watt; Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty

October 25, 2018October 25, 2018 by Ricki

Sun! One in a Billion
Author: Stacy McAnulty
Illustrator: Stevie Lewis
Published October 23, 2018

Summary: From the author of Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years comes a new picture book about space—
this time starring our Sun!

Meet Sun: He’s a star! And not just any star—he’s one in a billion. He lights up our solar system and makes life possible. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Sun in this next celestial “autobiography.” Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully illustrated, this is an equally charming and irresistible companion to Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years.

Ricki’s Review: This is my new favorite book about space. (And I have read a lot of books about space.) The author perfectly balances factual information and appeal. The illustrations pop off of the page, and the planets, sun, etc. are personified. I feel very lucky to have received this book for review. I am quite excited to read it to my son tomorrow night. I think I smiled throughout my entire reading of the book. If you are interested in space, get this book. It includes facts that were new to me, and the back matter offers a wealth of information for readers who want to delve deeper.

Kellee’s Review: The humor that Stacy McAnulty adds to her books about space really add to the engagement factor (for both the reader and listener); the Sun’s attitude in this one actually made me laugh out loud while reading, but I also learned some pretty cool facts while reading. I know that this book is going to be in our rotation because Trent wants to be an astronaut, and this one was an instant hit! I am so glad that there are amazing space books out there that add something new to the conversation and go about the information in a new and funny way! I really hope that this series continues because I’d love to see the personalities of all of the other parts of our solar system (and maybe some cool space objects from other systems!).

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to pick one fact in the book that makes them want to learn more about the world. They could look, for example, into a planet, or into the history of Earth. This inspires student-centered inquiry about a topic of choice!

Discussion Questions:

How is the text structured in ways that are engaging and interesting?
What new facts did you learn?
Which page was your favorite, and why?
Did this book inspire you to want to learn more about any topics or information?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty; Science, Space, Picture books with humorous narrators like It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk by Josh Funk & Nothing Rhymes with Orange by Adam Rex

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Kelsey at Macmillan for setting up the blog tour for Sun!**

Teaching Tuesday: Discussion about Lexiles and Reading Levels with Leigh Hall, Professor at University of Wyoming

October 28, 2018October 23, 2018 by Ricki

I was thrilled to join Leigh Hall, Professor at the University of Wyoming on her blog for Literacy teachers this week. If you haven’t checked out the videos on her blog, I recommend them highly. They are invigorated and inspiring!

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

October 18, 2018 by Ricki

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Author: Traci Sorell
Illustrator: Frané Lessac
Published September 4, 2018 by Charlesbridge Publishing

Summary: A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences.

Appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah

Review: This beautiful book makes for a wonderful read-aloud. I loved the repetition and the different things to be grateful for. The images are captivating, and I found myself slowing down as I read and turned each page. The seasons shift through the text, which offers great opportunities for discussion. Indigenous people are often perceived to be people of the past, but this book demonstrates that they are living, breathing people. The culture is very much alive. I’ll be gifting this book to several friends with young children.

Teacher’s Tool For Navigation: Students might list the different things that they are grateful for and draw accompanying pictures. It offers great opportunities for discussing how Native people still exists and are not relics of the past, reserved for discussions on Thanksgiving day.

Discussion Questions: How do the seasons change across the pages? How does this shift the story?; Describe the people you see on the pages. What can you learn from them?; Find three words that you don’t know. Learn what they mean and share their definitions with a peer.

We Flagged: “…while we collect buckbrush and honeysuckle to weave baskets.”

Read This If You Loved: The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz; Dreamers by Yuyi Morales; The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Recommended For:

**Thank you, Donna, from Charlesbridge Publishing for sending a copy for review!**