School Age Storytime: Apples &Pumpkins

 

A storytime for K-4th grade celebrating the season emphasizing empathy & compassion, with a great (un-common core) non-fiction component showing the many de-composers (animals, insects, molds and slimes) that make up the life cycle of a pumpkin.

 

Participatory Storytelling/Props:  The Little Red House with No Doors & No Windows, a Chimney On Top & a Star in the Middle (Tip: instantly turn flannel pieces into hanging signs for kids to wear using plastic paper protector sleeves with stiff paper inserts & yarn ribbon to hang around each child's neck, prop: real apple & knife to slice horizontally.)

Book: One Green Apple by Eve Bunting --This beautiful (and beautifully illustrated) story emphasizes understanding and compassion as Farah, a new student from an unnamed country, goes with her class on a field trip to an apple orchard and finds that though she is different and doesn’t know the language, she can be accepted and will find friends here.

 

Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman -- In this variant on the folktale, “The Great Big Enormous Turnip,” the witch, ghost, skeleton, and vampire are unable to pull up the pumpkin until a tiny bat ignores their derisive laughter and suggests they all work together.  I sing/chant this to a tune from an old Scholastic recording – feel free to contact me if you want to learn the tune.

Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  -- Told in the first person by the pumpkin, mouse, squirrel, slug, fly, black rot, bread mold, sow bug, Penicillium, earthworm, yeast cell, slime mold, soil, and seed, this is science “on the hoof.”  Wonderful writing & delightfully yucky photographs complete this unforgettable tour through the life cycle of a pumpkin that kids will find completely enGROSSing!
(Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell -- less-detailed version for a younger crowd. Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller makes a great fictional companion story.)

Participatory Storytelling/Props: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything based on the story by Linda Williams

 

Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray – A splendid modern environmental myth in which a man, saddened by the thought that the field across from his house is about to be sold, sells everything he has, buys seeds, grows pumpkins, and then sends them all around the world (by planes, trucks, ships, and even flying carpets) to get enough money to buy the field and save it.  (10.14 – omitted in kindergarten, did action song “Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate” instead.)

Other possibilities – no time in a 40 minute program:

• Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch (Bear figures out how he can help Bird feel big & Bird helps Bear figure out how to fly In this tale emphasizing creative problem solving)
• Sophie’s Squash – Pat Zietlow Miller (girl adopts squash as her doll, then sees it start to change until it is reborn the following year – twin squash!)
• The Perfect Pumpkin Pie – Denys Cazet (a not-too-scary ghost story with a great refrain – good to make the refrain into a poster and chant it together!)
• Pumpkin Heads – Wendall Minor (quick book celebrating creative pumpkin carving – great lead-in to a craft)

See also the songs & stories in: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search?q=pumpkins

*Other great resources for Rotten Pumpkin:
Rotten Pumpkin Curriculum Guide
Rotten Pumpkin Activities
Rotten Pumpkin Play
Ingram review of Rotten Pumpkin
Interview with the creators of Rotten Pumpkin

10/18 Bedm.

Apples & Pumpkins -- combined both because we didn't have time for two separate fall storytimes this year...had used One Green Apple in Back to School program a few weeks before

Storytelling: Little Red House
(Kdg) Book: One Red Apple – Harriet Ziefert
Singable Book(K only): Ten Red Apples – Pat Hutchins (numeracy: 1-10 numerals, one-to-one correspondence, subtraction, animal identification, animal sounds)

(Kdg) Book : Bear’s Bargain – Frank Asch
Book: Pumpkins: A Story for a Field – Mary Lyn Ray
Participatory Storytelling/Props: Big Pumpkin – from the book by Erica Silverman

(Kdg) Book: Pumpkin Circle 635.32 LEVENSON -- didn't keep interest, try Pumpkin Jack next time
(1st-2nd grade) Non-Fiction Book: Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices* – 577.16 SCHWARTZ – “UnCommon Core” at its best!  completely enGROSSing! 

Jazzing Up the Traditional Book-Flannel-Song/Fingerplay Rhythm of Storytime -- Youth Services Forum 2014

 

Carol Simon Levin's notes for Storytime Shake-Up – NJ Youth Services Forum Oct. 1 2014

Here are some suggestions I shared, please click on each of the links for more information.


Using sign language songs ("dancing with our hands"), – great resource Pick Me Up - Fun Songs for Learning Signs has catchy tunes and drawings for each of the signs described. Any song with lots of repetition is also a good candidate, e.g. Tom Chapin's Walk the World Now Children (easy to find signs online, just Google what you are looking for e.g. "American sign language water")

Creating piggyback songs to reinforce activity sequencing, pre-reading skill, kinesthetic learning (e.g."This is the way" for the steps in baking after we read The Little Red Hen) carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/pre-school-storytime-whats-in-oven.html

Participatory storytelling/theater (e.g. showing how we act out The Three Little Pigs in my Houses & Homes storytime, Green Eggs & Ham for Eggs or Dr. Seuss Day, The Frog Hopi Rainstick story for our Rain storytime)

Fall Favorites:
The Little Red House with No Doors & No Windows, a Chimney On Top & a Star in the Middle (tip: instantly turn flannel pieces into hanging signs for kids to wear using plastic paper protector sleeves with stiff paper inserts & yarn ribbon to hang around each child's neck)

It's Monster Day song with flannel pieces quickly cut using pinking sheers & google eyes.

Big Pumpkin, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, One Dark Night, Old McDonald Had a Haunted House and other Halloween-themed stories & Songs.

Turkey Towel-Folding Story and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie Prop for Thanksgiving

Stone Soup  (using our Halloween plastic cauldron plus puppets, & 3D veggies (sewn from felt) and  Snowball fight made from plastic bags for winter storytimes

These and many more ideas are posted on my blog: CarolSimonLevin.blogspot.com. Family storytelling and historical impersonations programs are at: tellingherstories.com.

Carol Simon Levin, Youth Services Librarian, Somerset County Library Bridgewater, 908 526-4016 x126. Please feel free to contact me at cslevin59@gmail.com.

School Age Storytime: On this Spot: New York City & The Empire State Building–A Trip Through Time

On this Spot: NYC & The Empire State Building–

A Trip Through Time with a Dash of Math & Fantasy Too

These titles are perfect examples of the “Uncommon Core”
Complementary fiction & non-fiction titles which explore history, geography,
mathematics & science in an eye-opening, mind-expanding, and fun fashion!

 
Top Job – Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (After other students in the class brag about their parents’ professions, narrator explains about her father’s job – changing the lightbulb on the top of the Empire State Building! --  Lots of math problem possibilities – fun to work out how tall the building is. Final surprise image with the Statue of Liberty. Lots of good non-fiction books to tie in on both Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty.   Trivia: Please Touch Museum image of  Statue of Liberty Torch made from toys!)  (9/2017)  Story about a real person who does this job

Trying to infuse some more math into your daily routine? – check out bedtimemath.org which offers a new math challenge (with three or four levels of difficulty) every day – also available as an app.  Here’s a problem related to the Empire State Building: http://bedtimemath.org/trying-to-be-the-tallest/  


Sky Boys – Deborah Hopkinson (Going back in time 80+ years to see the amazing story of how the “Sky Boys” built the Empire State Building – lots more math here (e.g. translating tons into pounds yields an enormous number!) Fabulous figurative language (“river of trucks in concrete canyon”) and building details (the riveting process is riveting!) Can also talk about the Depression, mention bread line sculpture by George Segal at Grounds for Sculpture & Roosevelt Memorial, Liberty Science Center “skyscrapers” exhibit and competition for highest building – the secret nighttime raising of the antenna)   (9/2017)

Sector 7 – David Wiesner (Sky Boys painted pictures with words – figurative language – this one uses visual storytelling -- telling a story without words. Wiesner is an author/illustrator local boy, grew up in Bridgewater NJ, Caldecott Medal winner, fun wordless fantasy of a boy who goes on an adventure with a cloud and makes quite a stir at the cloud factory.  Did you know there really is a cloud machine? Here’s a video.)  – mentioned they can find this and other books by this talented illustrator  in the Picture Book section. (9/2017)

America the Beautiful – Robert Sabuda illustrates the classic song with extraordinary pop-ups of national images and icons. Many of the kids were eager to make their own pop-ups – here is one explanation: http://ohhappyday.com/2011/05/diy-pop-up-cards/  Google: How to make pop up cards (or books) if you want other ideas.

9/2017 – no time for these – may do them in October:

On this Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time J574.71 Goodman (Non-Fiction – uncommon core!) --  A brilliant tour-de-force tracing NYC from the present back in time 540 million years…lots of mathematical comparisons (e.g.if all the 8 million people in NYC today were laid end to end would reach to California and back, 350 years ago New Amsterdam had 1500 people = about the population of 3 schools today), fascinating historical trivia (e.g. pigs and chickens roamed NYC streets 175 years ago, the Lenape path to winter grounds is now today’s Broadway) and scientific information (the rise and fall of mammoths, ice age glaciers*, dinosaurs, lakes, mountains, and seas).   Text is long but can be paraphrased for younger classes.)  *mentioned our gorgeous local Buck Garden was carved by a mile high glacier.



Ding Dong Ding Dong – Margie Palatini (clever re-imagining of King Kong, who is just a simple Gorilla representative for Ape-On cosmetics trying to get ahead in the business world…full of puns and other wordplay! -- only had time to read in some classes but this one is great fun!)

 

The Book of Gold by Bob Staake  Isaac Gutenberg isn't a curious boy . . . that is, until he meets an old shopkeeper who tells him about The Book of Gold. This special book, hidden somewhere in the world, holds all the answers to every question and turns to solid gold when opened….

Other NYC titles:
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers -- Mordecai Gerstein
A Picnic in October – Eve Bunting
Old Penn Station – 974.71 LOW
Fireboat -- Kalman
Liberty’s Journey – Dipucchio
Under New York – Linda Oatman High
Building Manhattan – 074.71 Vila
Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of NYC – 598.944 SCHULMAN
The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story – Jeanette Winter
City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male – Meghan McCarthy
Twenty One Elephants & Still Standing – April Jones Prince
Twenty One Elephants – Phil Bildner
This Land is Your Land – Pete Seeger
Bedm 5/08, 10/14, 9/17


Reading Rainbow: Sea to Shining Sea -- shows restoration of Statue of Liberty

UnCommon Core -- Youth Services Forum 2014 –Slides

For a TERRIFIC post  about using picture book biographies as mentor texts at any grade level, check out: http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/heroes-of-history.html




Carol Simon Levin is a Youth Services Librarian at the Bridgewater Branch of the Somerset County Library.  She is a passionate fan of great non-fiction and biography, particularly those titles that spark the imagination of young readers.

Dr. Ellen Pozzi is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the School Library Media Program at William Paterson University. She has been on the Garden State Children Books Awards committee for over a decade, and is a past president of the Children’s Services Section. Ellen enjoys reading nonfiction books for readers of all ages.

A complete copy of this presentation, book & resource lists  can be found here:
http://guides.wpunj.edu/content.php?pid=631942&sid=5228723

Nonfiction Blogs – courtesy of Ellen Pozzi:
•The Uncommon Core
•Nonfiction Monday
•The Nonfiction Detectives
•Great Common Core Nonfiction for YAs
•INK Nonfiction Minute
•The Classroom Bookshelf
•Common Core Exemplar Texts

AASL has two GREAT resources:

1. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslissues/toolkits/CCSSActionToolkit_2014.pdf Common Core State Standards Action Toolkit for Public Librarians (11 pg. doc)
   
2. http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/ccss101 The Common Core and the Public Librarian: Reaching Patrons and Students (1 hr. Webinar)

Here's the link to the Prezi Ellen and Arlen Kimmelman did at NJLA 2014. It's  "public" and "reusable"  http://prezi.com/ur5gah-zj8ao/teaming-up-to-support-common-core/

In the Prezi, slide  #23 lists what public librarians already do to support Common Core:

• award winning titles
• connections to non-fiction audiobooks
• story times & book clubs
• highlighting primary sources
• navigating the shelves
• topic displays
• lists of matching fiction to nonfiction

That is also the type of information that is in the AASL Toolkit mentioned above.

Here is the link to our bibliography for the presentation:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12C2agjp1l0leBStZsnO5Tn1cR8F2dyyNAAD2Tnn3Vco/edit?usp=sharing

--Mrs. Arlen Kimmelman, Librarian

National Board Certified Teacher

President-Elect, New Jersey Association of School Librarians

Clearview Regional High School, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062

http://clearviewregional.edu/docs/hs/libra/HomePage/Index.html

"Saying you don't need a Librarian because you have the Internet is like saying you don't need a Math Teacher because you have a calculator."  ~Don Reynolds, TLA

Great reviews of "un-common" science picture books: http://www.smartbooksforsmartkids.com/20-best-science-books-children-2014/  (site has great reviews & author interviews in general)

Another good resource:

Picturing the World: Informational Picture Books for Children 

by Kathleen T. Isaacs

Pre-School Story/Craft: Moon Struck!

Perfect for PJ Time (or anytime), a storytime celebrating the moon, mistaken ideas & friendship along with some numeracy and science ideas (reflection/echo).

Entering Music: various tracks from This Pretty Planet by Tom Chapin

Singable Book:  Knick, Knack, Paddywhack – Marissa Moss (enumerating 1-10, numerals/fingers, guessing what the man might be making…”reveal” at countdown)

Action: Do You Want to Go With Me To the Moon? (Source Unknown)
Do You Want to Go With Me To the Moon?
Let’s get in our rocket ship & blast off soon.
Faster and faster we reach to the sky.
Isn’t it fun to be able to fly?
We’re on the moon, now all take a look
And gently sit down, and I’ll show you a book!

Book: Kitten’s First Full Moon – Kevin Henkes (Caldecott winner-explain) (act out kitten’s motions, chorus “Poor Kitten,” discuss science concept: reflection)

Speaking of food…
Song/Flannel: “Aikendrum” http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/raffi/aikendrum.html (quickly cut “cream cheese” circle, “brown bread,” “ice cream cones,” “carrots,” “cookies,” “swiss cheese,” “pizza,” “bananas” out of felt, used a bit of tan yarn for “spaghetti” hair – suggested to families that this song makes a good lunchtime inspiration or backseat while driving song…can make up own lyrics!)

 

Aikendrum (based on a song by Raffi) -- makes a fun lunch or snacktime idea, substitute other items...

There was a man lived in the moon, in the moon, in the moon
There was a man lived in the moon and his name was Aikendrum

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
He played upon a ladle and his name was Aikendrum

And his face was made of cream cheese, cream cheese, cream cheese
His face was made of cream cheese and his name was Aikendrum

·         And his body was made of brown bread...

·         And his legs were made of ice cream cones...

·         And his arms were made of carrots...

·         And his eyes were made of cookies...

·         And his nose was made of swiss cheese...

·         And his mouth was made of pizza...

·         And his ears were made of bananas...

·         And his hair was made of spaghetti ...

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle
He played upon a ladle and his name was Aikendrum

Book: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me – Eric Carle  (directional concept words, fun fold-out pages)

Action Song: Mr. Moon (my variation on Mr. Sun by Raffi)
O, Mr. Moon, Moon, Mr. Silver Moon
Won’t you please come play with me.
O, Mr. Moon, Moon, Mr. Silver Moon
Hiding behind that tree.
These little children are asking you
To please come out so they can play with you.
O, Mr. Moon, Moon, Mr. Silver Moon
Please come play with, please come play with,
Please come play with me!
Monkey wants to play with the moon…


Flannel: Moonkey (based on the book by Mike Thaler)  I love the beginning“Once upon a palm tree…”, the fantasy and figurative language "It looked like many green moons." and the beautiful friendship theme. (long out of print -- text below)

 

Once upon a palm tree, there was a monkey who fell in love with the Moon. He loved it because it was so bright and friendly.

 

He loved it when it was FULL like a pie,

Or Half like a slice of watermelon,

Or Small like a banana.

 

And when it wasn’t there at all (remove moon), he just stared up into the sky… until it came back. (replace small moon).

 

His friends worried about him.

“Hey, do you want to play?” asked HIPPO.

Monkey didn’t answer.

“I bet you want a banana.” Said GORILLA.

Monkey didn’t answer.

“Would you like to come to a party?” asked LION.

Monkey didn’t answer.  Remove monkey

 

“Where’s monkey?” asked GIRAFFE, when they all arrived at the party.

“I asked him to come,” said LION.

“I offered him a banana,” said GORILLA.

“I asked him to play,” said HIPPO.  

“But he didn’t answer,” said all his friends.

“We’d better go talk to him,” said GIRAFFE, who was very wise.

 

“What’s the matter, MONKEY? Asked GIRAFFE.

“I’m in love with the moon!? Said Monkey.

 

So all the animals went back to the party.

But the party was no fun without monkey.

 

“How can we help him?” asked LION.

“I have an idea,” said GIRAFFE. “Follow me.”

 

So all the animals followed GIRAFFE up to Monkey’s TREE.

 

“Hippo,” said GIRAFFE, “you get on top of me, and LION, you get on top of HIPPO, and GORILLA, you get on top of Lion.

Monkey, you climb up on top of us and see if you can reach the moon.

 

So Monkey climbed up Giraffe, and up Hippo and up Lion and up Gorilla… and he reached the moon.

 

Then all the animals got DOWN. They were tired so they went to bed.

 

“I’m here Moon,” Monkey whispered. But the moon didn’t answer.

Monkey hugged the moon. It was cold. Monkey was all alone.

 

He looked down.

Far below he said he palm tree.

It looked so friendly in the moonlight.

So safe.

So bright.

It looked like many green moons.

Monkey felt all alone.

He missed his friends.

He began to cry.

 

LION woke up. “Hey, it’s raining,” he said.

GORILLA woke up. “Hey, it’s raining.”

HIPPO woke up. “Hey, it’s raining.”

GIRAFFE woke up. “It’s not raining. Listen… Monkey is crying.”

 

So all his friends came and got him.

 

They made a big CAKE that said “MOONKEY” and had another party by the light of the moon.



Action Song: Sally Go Round the Sun (traditional)
Sally Go Round the Sun (Turn Right)
Sally Go Round the Moon (Turn Left)
Sally Go Round the Chimney Tops (Step Lively)
All on an Afternoon, BOOM! (Sit down!)

Video: Happy Birthday Moon -- Frank Asch (mention MoonBear series – displayed)


Action Song: Be My Echo from Sesame Street (reinforces science concept of echo from video)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/sing-after-me-lyrics-sesame-street.html

Hand-stamping Music: various tracks from This Pretty Planet by Tom Chapin

Craft (2016): Make your own Aikendrum. Materials 12x18 cardboards, scrap construction paper, glue sticks, scissors.

(Loved how a couple of kids spontaneously started creating pattern sequences!)

Supersized! November supermoon will be biggest in nearly 70 years

The November full moon - visible on Nov 13-14, 2016 is not only the closest full moon of 2016, NASA said, but also the closest full moon since 1948 (which is still the last time the Cleveland Indians won the World Series).

Other possibilities:
Flannel/Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle
Books: It’s Only Stanley – Jon Agee (no time to use this in above program)
The Moon is Going to Addy’s House – Ida Pearle
Moon Boy – Barbara Brenner
MoonGame – Frank Asch
Mrs. Mooley -- Jack Kent
What’s Next Baby Bear – Murphy (wkrm) or
Zoom Zoom Zoom! I’m off to the moon – Yacarino
I’ll Catch the Moon – Nina Crews
9.14 9.15  11.16

School Age Storytime: School Daze–Fun Stories Celebrating a New School Year (K-3)

Book:  The Wrong Side of the Bed – Wallace E. Keller* (talked about what that expression means, delightful story in which a child literally gets up on the wrong side of the bed and goes through the day upside down!) also available as a Top 10 Storybook App (Kirkus Reviews): http://www.seeherestudios.com/tickle-books/the-wrong-side-of-the-bed

Poem: "School Days Rap" from Lunch Money & Other Poems for School – Carol Diggory Shields

Book: Sarah's Story – Bill Harley (Sarah doesn’t think she knows any stories for school until she gets caught up in an adventure involving a Queen Ant in search of a honey sandwich!)

Book: Just Another Ordinary Day – Rod Clement (deadpan language about an ordinary day is very funny when paired with anything but ordinary illustrations)

Song: "By the Way" from Joe Scruggs album Deep in the Jungle lyrics below:
also available on Youtube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5jWE6Cs_tA . Props: paper bag with “lemonade can”, “sardine can” (I used image from internet wrapped around a box), 6 cotton balls & 4 rubber bands.


Book: Minerva Louise at School – Janet Morgan Stoeke (younger) booktalked other Minerva Louise books; Toll Bridge Troll – Patricia Rae Wolff (older) --  text-to-text
connection to The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Interactive Book: One – Kathryn Otoshi  -- All the other colors are intimidated by “Red’” until the “One” arrives and shows how everyone can count. This is a deceptively simple concept book that is also a brilliantly empowering story on how students can help one another stand up to bullies.  

 

Songs: “Smelly Locker” and “Heavy Backpack” from the book Smelly Locker Silly Dilly School Songs by Alan Katz

 

Poem (if time): "Clock Watching"  from Lunch Money & Other Poems for School – Carol Diggory Shields

***

Lyrics to By the Way by Joe Scruggs

It’s Monday morning, I’m running late,
There’s not a minute to spare.
Mom calls out, “Come on, Let’s Go,”
As she finishes drying her hair.
Now I’m in my place,
With a smile on my face
Just thinking about my day.
Then I think of some things
I’m supposed to bring,
and that is when I say,
“Dear Mom,
oh, by the way (echo)
I need an orange juice can,
4 cotton balls, and 6 rubber bands
And by the way, (echo)
I’m an angel in the play.
I’m gonna sing & I need some wings” (echo)
Well I guess I’ve induced some stress.
Mom’s smile begins to fade.
As she runs to the kitchen
And digs through the trash
For the can from the lemonade.
Now I start to protest
But she’s doing her best
So then I try to make it right.
I say, “I need everything by eight-fifteen
But I don’t need the wings till tonight.
Oh, by the way (echo)
I need an orange juice can,
If its lemonade, will the teacher understand?
And by the way, (echo)
They’re having meatloaf today.
If you don’t mind a bunch (echo)
I’m going to need a lunch.” (echo)

Sometimes I just don’t believe
How resourceful moms can be.
She gets the cotton balls
And the rubber bands,
From her vanity.
I’ve got a lemonade can,
Not quite the right brand.
But mom says it will do!
Then we’re out of the door
At seven fifty-four,
I won’t be late for school.

Oh, by the way (echo)
Meatloaf is better than it seems.
For my lunch, (echo)
Mom packed a can of sardines.
And for the play, (echo)
It’s sister’s costume from ballet.
I’m gonna sing (echo)
In her butterfly wings (echo)

Bedm 9.14

Other possible books:

New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story – April Halprin Wayland (a wonderful book describing the tradition of tashlich --making apologies and tossing away the things that you did wrong the previous year so as to start the new year with a clean heart -- not a bad idea for all of us, no matter what time of year it is!)
Mouse Views – Bruce McMillan (close up views of classroom objects – great guessing game interactive book)
The Little School Bus – Carol Roth (rhyming -phonemes, action)
Late for School:
Frank! -- Connah Brecon (2014)
Sarah's Story -- Bill Harley
Planet Kindergarten -- Sue Ganz-Schmidt

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden -- Edith Pattou -- beautiful book emphasizing metaphor of young students/garden

 

Bedm 9.18:

Minerva Louise at School by Janet Morgan Stoeke  (Kdg classes)
The Wrong Side of the Bed by Wallace E. Keller (literal interpretation of that figure of speech)
Gravity by Jason Chin (discussion of the principle of gravity, note that the book appears in the book)

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting (a new immigrant girl joins her class for a field trip to pick apples and finds even though she is different and speaks no English, she will be able to make friends)
One by Kathryn Otashi
Just Another Ordinary Day by Rod Clement (great book for modeling interplay between words & pictures -- unusual illustrations show that this is anything but an ordinary day!)

Some classes:

Songs: ”Heavy Backpack” & “I am in the Lunchroom” from Smelly Locker silly dilly school songs by Alan Katz
Prop Story: Flannel: "School Stuff" on  p.206 of A Storytime Year -- Susan Dailey (silly guessing game – phonics & letter knowledge)
Prop Song: “Oh By the Way” (details above)
Poems “Eight-Oh-Three” “School Daze Rap” and “Clock Watching” from Lunch Money by Carol Diggory Sheilds.

Kdg only: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Mary Had a Little Lamb (illustrated by Bruce McMillan)

New books: https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/back-to-school-books : 

“The Magical Yet” by Angela DiTerlizzi This rhyming and inspiring book is beautifully illustrated and engaging for young readers. The story encourages children to practice persistence as they learn new skills alongside their new best friend – the Yet! We all experience failures or difficulties, but this book reminds us that anything is possible, we just haven’t learned everything yet.

 “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi How do you find the courage to be yourself? In this story, Unhei is concerned about fitting in at her new school when classmates struggle to pronounce her name correctly, so she contemplates choosing a different name from a jar of class suggestions. However, a new friend helps her to be proud of her name and the significance that it holds within her Korean culture. This book is a great reminder to embrace diversity and expand your friendships.

 “The School of Failure: A Story about Success” by Rosie J. Pova In this charming book, three not-so-familiar characters attend the School of Failure after being rejected from their classic fairytales. Through patience and perseverance, they learn that mistakes are what help us grow! With bright illustrations and a sweet message, this story reminds kids that happy endings are often found at the end of bumpy, messy roads.

 “The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be” by Joanna Gaines This New York Times bestseller celebrates the beauty of creativity, acceptance and uniqueness. As children build their own hot-air balloons, we discover how different ways of working and varying tastes come together to create something wonderful, teaching kids to value diversity by embracing the things that make us each different. The world benefits from each of us being true to who we were meant to be.

 “Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller What does kindness mean to you? Explore this important question when you share this New York Times bestseller with your child. The story suggests many situations in which a child can choose to be a good friend, to be helpful or to make a classmate feel included. Throughout the book, we learn that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life!

 “The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson Stepping into a new classroom when you feel like an outsider can be nerve-wracking. However, reaching out to others may show us that we are all more alike than we realize at a glance – and that our differences are what make each of us special. This heartwarming story of building connections between classmates shows us that new friendships can be made with just a little bit of courage!