The Mombrarian

My Google Lit Trip is Published!!!

2011-01-27T15:10:00.002-05:00

I am very excited to announce that my Google Lit Trip that I developed with the first graders at Pelham Elementary School has been published on the Google Lit Trip Web Site. The Lit Trip is based upon David Weisner's Caldecott winning book, Flotsam. Please take the time to check out other great Lit trips by students and teachers. A very big THANK YOU to Jerome Burg for this wonderful resource.

Here is an excerpt from the web site.

Flotsam is defined as debris floating on the ocean and is usually from shipwrecks. In the Caldecott winning book Flotsam, by David Weisner, the flotsam that washes ashore is a very special underwater camera. Come along for a trip around the world that follows the fantastical trip of a camera, the marine animals it captures on film and the children that find it.

This project was the combined effort of eight first grade classes and over 200 students. Each class listened and viewed the book Flotsam and each class was assigned a photograph from the book to investigate. Classes were divided into small groups and using Atlases and the Internet, each group decided where in the world the picture occurred. Using a large map and Wiki Stix, small groups picked locations, marked them with stickers and explained their decision making process to the whole class. Each class then voted and decided where their placemark would go on Google Earth. When all of the placemarks were decided, Mrs. Doe connected the locations with a path around the world. Students explored the Google Trip using Google Earth in the computer lab.

Check out the screen shots of the Google Lit Trip.

Flotsam Google Lit Trips Preview from GoogleLitTrips on Vimeo.

My new favorite book!

2010-12-27T23:23:00.001-05:00

The book trailer doesn't quite do the book justice. There has been a little controversy on one of the words in the book. (Jackass) In my opinion, if you are going to read this book to kids skip over the word if you don't like it and hold it far away so they cannot read "the word." I am going to use it with my up-coming ECOMP 6008 class in Exeter, New Hampshire.

What's on your shelf?

2009-04-17T07:14:00.001-04:00

Work Space shelf,
originally uploaded by hdoe.

Wouldn't you like to see what books are on other book lover's shelves, especially kidlit book lovers and bloggers. Well, here is one of my many bookshelves in my house. This one happens to be in my work space and holds my most favorite books along with my current reads. Click on the picture and you will be brought to Flickr where I have added notes (a very, very cool feature) to give you some of the specific titles on my shelf.
Once I started doing a little searching on flickr I realized that I was not the first to label my bookshelves. I was very naive in thinking I had an original thought here. There is actually a bookshelf project that has 1,331 members and 2,155 photos of people's bookshelves.

2009-03-29T13:14:00.000-04:00

Book Heart

2009-03-29T11:04:00.001-04:00

Book Heart Bokeh,
originally uploaded by Eric M Martin.

WebKinz and Kids Social Networking

2008-03-08T08:26:00.002-05:00

I came across this post from David Warlick's blog, 2 cents Worth. (Where is that cents sign when you need it?) The post discusses the pros and cons of worlds like Webkinz and how the kids are interacting that makes it different than just watching a TV show. My kids are spending some time online with WebKinz lately and up until recently their computer knowledge was very small. I think I figured they spent enough time watching movies and PBS that the computer could come later for them. E-mail , going online, logging out, and www.webkinz.com are now common terms in our house and I am glad they are getting some exposure to the online world. It is fascinating that my three year can completely navigate through this world of WebKinz without help. Our next task is to learn how to send mail and packages to our WebKinz neighbors across the street. Into the world of social networks we go!

I'm actually considering using WebKinz in my next Internet class for Lesley University?? I wonder what the teachers would think?

Here's another look at some social networking toys out there.

Where have I been!

2008-01-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

January is a time to set the New Years Resolutions and update my blog roll. The problem is I have not been keeping up with reading or writing in blogs for a few months now and I really miss it. So I thought it best to catch everyone up on my past three months by telling you my story through books. This may also help explain why the blogging has been absent from my life.My Car is where I spend most of my day! I know I am not alone. I would love to know, though, what techie toys people are using to do their blogging on the run. Leave a comment if you have a suggestion!
Everyone Poops in my house and my three year old poops in his underwear alot.
For Thanksgiving we had a delicious beer-fed turkey. Run, Turkey, Run! Too late, we ate you. No grill cheese sandwiches on our Thanksgiving day. (But a really great story for reading aloud or for the beginning reader.)
Walt Disney World with Kids was everything we expected. Magical, tiring, and sensory-filled!
I should have read How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon to my husband while we were all sick over the holidays. He may have been the most difficult patient in our very sick house.
Oh, David!, (substitute David with the previously mentioned poopy underwear boy) I really do love you but how challenging you can be.
My number one New Years resolution is to feed my family healthier food and when two out of three kids Will Not Ever Eat a Tomato than I must make spinach and carrot brownies that are Deceptively Delicious!
***We have read all of the books listed and we highly recommend them in our house!

Join the Nation-Read Ferdinand!

2007-09-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

I have not been blogging for one entire month, but I am hoping to return to a nice routine of writing and reading soon. Tomorrow I will be participating in Jumpstart's Read for the Record. The chosen story is The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. The Today Show will be reading aloud the book tomorrow and if you do not own a copy the book is also available online!
For a more adult read, I am also participating in New Hampshire Reads. The chosen title is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
I cannot believe I have never read this book so I am excited to be reading in a format where I can discuss the book through events at our local library and throughout New Hampshire.

Scribd-What a cool site!

2007-08-08T10:48:00.000-04:00

Through my technology wanderings I found this site that pertains to literature. I am not sure how they are dealing with copyright, but it reminds me a bit of Google Books. Scribd's mission is to "create the world's largest open library of documents." Go there today and search for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You won't believe it!

Inspired by a Dot

2007-08-07T07:51:00.001-04:00

Peter Reynolds has some great books that inspire the artist in everyone. I happened upon this site where a parent has used the book The Dot to inspire a summer of many dots. See their posts and gallery. How simple but how much fun to link art to literature.

Check out Peter's bookstore in Dedham, MA where they offer artist workshops for the young.
His Fablevision web site is a must see with it's free downloadable ebooks.

Beach Favorites

2007-07-31T15:07:00.000-04:00

While in the bookstore today, I happened upon a book I could not resist. As soon as I saw the cover, it called my daughter's name. She loves shells and as I have mentioned in a previous post, she also loves small books. Shell Crazy (A Crazy Little Series) by Tracy Gallup is a sweet short story about a sister and brother who love to hunt for shells on the beach. What drew me to the book was less about the words and more about the pictures. Each page is a photograph incorporating Tracy's handmade figures with a variety of shells. Our personal favorite is a reproduction of The Birth of Venus. Tracy has also published Stone Crazy as the first in this series and we look forward to more! Here are just a couple of our must-read summer beach books that precede our trips to the seacoast in New Hampshire.

Beach by Elisha Cooper. This beautiful book highlights all of the things you see in a visit to the ocean from the sunburns to the sandcastles dripped from wet sand. It begins with the arrival to the beach and shows the dwindling crowd as the day ends. The pictures show the long stretch of the beach and the peaches, pinks, blues and whites perfectly illustrate the sand and water of the day. The book is huge and with all if it's people-watching delights it is a book for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies
We love to watch the bats at dusk around our house and my kids love this book as a nighttime read aloud. The artwork is fabulous and the rhyming text is fun to read. There are some very funny details in the pictures. Take the time to explore.

Flotsam by Davis Weisner
A wordless picture book that needs little explanation since it won the Caldecott for 2006. If you have not seen this yet you need to get your hands on it. Imaginative, brilliant, and stunning.

In the blink of an eye!

2007-07-18T19:54:00.000-04:00

In our school district their is a quiet pressure to have your child reading before they enter first grade. (We also do not have public Kindergarten.) I am not sure where the pressure comes from, the school district or fellow parents who are working with their children at an early age, but I feel it. So we have been working with our oldest on his phonemic skills. He loves books. He loves to collect them and we have been reading chapter books to him since he was three. And now he is beginning to read at a basic level and while exciting, I worry that he really does not want to read although he can. My worries are disappearing after a not-to-be-forgotten comment this week.
Surf that Wave is the first book my son has loved to read over and over again. Maybe because it is surfing or maybe because it is Backyardigans. (Maybe both!) In his words to his best friend while discussing books at our local library,

"I can read it in the blink of an eye."

Audio Books at Wendy's

2007-07-12T22:16:00.000-04:00

I try not to eat fast food too often, but when we do we go to Wendy's since they have no trans fat in their foods. Recently, my kids and I discovered Wendy's is substituting the traditional toy for audio books from Listening Library. We were excited to get a Junie B. Jones book today!
By the way, our all time favorite audio book is Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker which is narrated by Nancy Cartwright. (THE voice of Bart Simpson.)

TeacherTube

2007-07-09T20:23:00.000-04:00

I just found TeacherTube after seeking funny videos to show my graduate class this weekend. Until now, I only knew Youtube.
Here is a great video of a teacher rap. Way to motivate your students!

Robots, Puppies, and Hermit Crabs-Oh my!

2007-07-01T12:10:00.000-04:00

These are the summer interests for my kids. After being inspired by a recent post at Chicken Spaghetti and then linking to it in my previous post on summer reading, I asked my kids what they would like to most explore this summer. My six year old would love to explore robots. My four year old puppies, and my three year old is currently fascinated by our pet hermit crabs.
Here is a list of robot resources for anyone else that needs more on this topic. I will post later on hermit crabs and puppies.

Can You See What I See (The first in the series) by Walter Wick
My six year has loved these books since he was two. We have all of them! We find them more interesting than the I Spy books since there is a little character Seymour that appears in every picture and it can be a challenge to find him. In this book, there is a two page spread with a large diagram of a tin-can robot with metal parts surrounding the diagram.
We have spent alot of time searching for the drawn parts in the pile of junk on the page. At the end of the book right before the end papers is the actual built robot chasing Seymour!
Can You See What I See-Cool Collections by Walter Wick
In this book one of the collections feature robots. In the "About the Book" section, the author gives credit to a robot collector for allowing Walter to use his robots in his photograph. My son has one of the robots in the picture and would like to own many more. I have found many collectible robots at Schylling.com.
Can You See What I See-Dream Machine by Walter Wick
This book has robots here and there throughout. It's futuristic theme is also very appealing.
My Little Blue Robot by Stephen T. Johnson
We have ordered this book and are impatiently waiting for it to arrive. Each page holds parts to a robot that the child can build and the robot talks!
Benjamin McFadden and the Robot Babysitter by Timothy Bush
This book is a favorite bedtime read. It's review from School Library journal was not as favorable but nearly every parent review on Amazon sings praises for a book their children love. Adding a babysitter robot voice also adds tremendously!
Rolie Polie Olie by William Joyce.
We loved Olie in book form before we ever watched the Disney show.
Hello Robots! by Bob Staake
This story is completely done in computer graphics making it futuristic in both design and topic. This is a great read aloud.

Since my six year old also has some beginning reading skills, I am always on the lookout for good early readers that include his interests. We have found:
If I Had A Robot Dog by Andrea Baruffi
See Otto by David Milgrim
Alien and Possum: Friends No Matter What by Tony Johnston illustrated by Toni Diterlizzi (Alien is a robot!)

We plan on making tin robots this summer. We have directions from an old copy of Martha Stewart Kids Magazine. I could only find Tin-can Robot Dog Directions online.
-4m sells a robot making kit
-A blog on robots from the Robot Society-Robot Gossip
-If you have $250.00 to spend, Lego makes a very cool robot kit.

Finally, I must mention that one of the reasons he gravitates towards robots is because he is a huge Transformers fan. He watches the cartoon and has collected the action figures for three years. He is amazing in his abilities to follow directions and "transform" them from car to robot, figuring out details I would have never noticed.
If you have any other resources to share, please leave a comment! We are lacking in our non-fiction resources. Thanks!

Another way to waste time while I should be working...

2007-06-25T21:47:00.000-04:00

This was fun to make and you can make one at Voki.com. I ran across this while seeking blogging tools to share with my students in Marietta next week. Not sure how I got here....

Get a Voki now!

Summer Reading Updates

2007-06-23T23:15:00.001-04:00

I recently ran across two interesting links to add to my summer reading programs.
Over at Lectitans you can participate in a Pirate Reading Challenge until September 19th and the Today Show has announced their 3rd book in their summer book club, Swordbird. I had read the first two books before they were announced, but I have not read Swordbird which was written by Nancy Yi Fan when she was 12 years old. Sounds interesting (a bit like Redwall) and I will be off to the bookstore or library to find it.
Coming next week:
Following my kids interests: Robots, Butterflies, and Puppies! Oh my!

Personal Policies Meme

2007-06-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged for a Personal Policies Meme by HipWriterMama who always comments on my new blog and makes me feel a genuine part of the blogging community. This is also my first meme and as some others have mentioned it is one that requires some thought especially since many policies have been thrown out the window since having three kids in four years. Here it goes:
1. My kids go with me everywhere. I have always thought that if I take my kids to a variety of places they will be better behaved and learn more. My friends have always marvelled at my ability to go out to eat on a Friday night with three small ones or going on a 2.5 hour trip to the Eric Carle Museum for the day. If I want to do it I don't let the ages of my kids hold me back. We just go!
2. On the other side, I like to make sure my kids have time to play at home and are not overbooked. My kids are allowed one sport at a time. I love to look out my back door and watch them playing independently and doing things kids should be doing. My six year old climbs trees. My four year old makes mud buckets and my three year old does just about everything he can think of.
3. I must exercise three times a week for my health and well-being.
4. Although I love the library, I make a monthly trip to the bookstore with my kids so they can browse and pick out one book "to keep" as they say.
5. I allow myself lots of chocolate.

Final Late Check-in

2007-06-11T18:51:00.000-04:00

Well, I read as much as I could considering I was visiting with family in Maine this weekend and watching three kids as my husband flew home from Australia where they just had one of the biggest storms in 30 years! Oh, and I also caught a nasty cold from my two year old and wanted to sleep for two days.
It's not much but here are my statistics. Sorry, MotherReader for not posting them sooner.
I finished a book! For me this rarely happens in a weekend since my reading is so broken up.
I also started three other books. (I had a hard time making decisions.)
Book Finished: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
This was a total page turner. I loved it possibly more than the first and I am very excited to get to the library and check out the third in the series. I love these book for many reasons, but here are some:
1.)Exciting, fast-paced adventure
2.)Mythological creatures and Gods with contemporary twists. It is so much fun figuring out who is who and who belongs to who and how the myths are related.
3. I never get lost in my reading. If I have an interruption I just pick up the book and find my place so easily.

I also started Pond Scum, The Sisters Grimm, and Physik.
Total Books Finished:1 (Books read from-4)
Total Pages Read:503
Total Hours Spent:6 hours 30 minutes

Not award winning for sure, but not bad considering I did spend a great weekend with my family and got sick. Maybe next time I might take a needed vacation and spend a couple days in a spa with my books!

48 Hour Book Challenge

2007-06-08T11:47:00.001-04:00

Although I am watching three kids and visiting with my parents this weekend I will read as much as I can.

My list of hopeful reads:
A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Physik by Angie Sage
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
Pond Scum by Alan Silberberg

Happy Reading and thanks for the motivating challenge MotherReader!

Summer Reading Programs-Motivate me, please!

2007-06-06T21:38:00.000-04:00

I remember growing up in Gardiner, Maine and making frequent visits to our local library. The children's section was up a long spiral staircase and I gravitated towards the series books like Nancy Drew, The Five Little Peppers, and Encyclopedia Brown. We always participated in the summer reading program and the most memorable item was a recording sheet with a large picture of an Indian headdress with feathers. (I realize this probably would not be considered appropriate today.) For each book you read, you were able to add a colorful feather sticker to the edge of the headdress. This was so concrete and rewarding. I forget what the prize was, but there was definite motivation to read and to complete your headdress.
I am reminded of the positiveness of this experience and want the same for my children. Yet, at our local library the experience is not the same. For each book that the children read, they enter it on a log kept in a file box and receive a tiny sticker that they can adhere to a wall. For every five books that they read they receive a large sticker to adhere to the same wall. They also fill out a raffle ticket and add it into a large jar with many, many other tickets. If they are lucky, their ticket is drawn at the end of the week and they receive a prize pre-selected by the librarian. If they are very unlucky their name never gets drawn and they continue adding stickers to the wall for the rest of the summer. For the past two summers my children have read countless books and each received one prize over the duration of the summer program. These prizes were a beach ball, kite, t-shirt and puzzle. They were excited to win, yet every time we visited the library I was the one entering book titles, sticking stickers, and filling out raffle tickets. The motivation was not immediate enough and since they were not even guaranteed a prize they let mom do the work.

I have puzzled over this for two years and then yesterday while visiting our local Barnes and Noble I stumbled upon their very clever, concise, and motivating summer program. To receive a prize you read 8 books, write about what you liked and submit your reading log for a free book. Even the prize makes perfect sense and inspires further reading. I love it!! The icing on the cake is that the promotional materials surrounding the program are related to the Magic Treehouse series which my two older children love. They sell Jack and Annie book journals and are giving away "Passports" to log which Magic Treehouse books you have read. We instantly hopped online and have been taking quizzes to earn our passport stamps. I realize this a a big bookstore chain, but no one says you have to buy the books you read from them. Buy them at your local bookseller or better yet, borrow them from your local library.

In a search for other great programs and reading lists, here is what I found:

I must mention MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge. It has everything mentioned above, but it is for adults!

The Brooklyn Public Library has an adult program with fun prizes!

Check out Al Roker's Book Club for Kids

Showcase Cinemas presents Bookworm Wednesdays and free admission for parents and sibling of a child who submits a book report at the entrance.

For an online reading incentive program with prizes redeemable by points earned (kind of like Chuck E. Cheese) check out Book Adventure sponsored by the Sylvan Learning Center.

Education World links to a variety of summer reading lists.

From LDonline here are some helpful Summer Reading suggestions for parents.

Check out this post at Chicken Spaghetti on following your child's interests with books this summer!

Create your own book-related incentives! Book lights, more books, bookmarks, a little cheesecake and coffee with mommy at the bookstore cafe....Can you tell I really like visiting the bookstore?

Blog Hiatus

2007-06-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

I have been gone for a couple weeks. I hate to apologize for this but I notice many other bloggers do. I am not sure of how many frequent readers I have gathered since I started a couple months ago, but thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog during these months. There will be much more to come in the way of reviews and my reading experiences with my kids. So here is my excuse: My husband's impacted wisdom tooth and numerous complications. After five days he was still not well, yet being the good husband that he is, he urged me to go on a planned trip to NYC (May 19-21) with my mom. I am very jealous of all you fellow bloggers who are enjoying NYC and Book Expo! I did visit a couple bookstores in the city and picked up some fun gifts for my kids. On Sunday, May 20th we visited Books of Wonder, the largest children's bookstore in New York City. As I was browsing the beautiful shelves of books (the majority facing out!) I saw a small group in the back having an interesting discussion about books. I so wanted to join, but remained a fly on the shelves. As they got up to go I knew one of the participants looked familiar and it turned out to be Holly Black promoting her new book, Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale. The bookstore was much smaller than I had imagined but it seemed like such a cozy place to have intelligent and inspiring book discussions. If we had only been there a bit earlier! The bookstore also has many signed books from, I assume, their many author visits. What did I buy? Not one book. Check out Adrienne's blog post to see what I also now own! Actually, I am saving it for my youngest's birthday in July. He will be three and loves the pigeon. My mom and I also shared a very large and beautiful cupcake at the Cupcake Cafe which is in the bookstore. I have to admit it was not my favorite cupcake but very pretty.

Things I will be blogging about soon:
-Our visit to North Hampton School to meet Judy Schachner, author of our favorite SkippyJon Jones books.
-What we are reading/listening to in our house. This includes an audio version of The Last Dragon and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm.
-Summer Reading Programs-My thoughts and recommendations for pre-schoolers.
-Lastly, my Manga reading experiences!

Oh, and during my hiatus, I also did not read blogs. It took me five days to catch up on all my reading and I found so many great recommendations and suggestions that I am currently overwhelmed with possibilities and need to find a better way to organize my blog clippings. Any suggestions?

New Elephant and Piggie Books!

2007-05-17T16:50:00.000-04:00

In case you have not seen these, I was very excited to find the covers of the next Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie Books due in September on Amazon.com

I can't wait. I am recommending his first two, Today I Will Fly! and My Friend is Sad to every mom I see browsing through the easy reader section of our local library.

My Children's Literature Hero-Esme Raji Codell

2007-05-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

I was first introduced to Esme when I picked up her book, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading. In Esme's wonderful, jam-packed, idea-filled, inspiration-loaded resource for parents and teachers alike, I found the perfect reading for an at home mom with a love of literature and a love of teaching. When Esme shared her classroom ideas and emphasized that these were not just for classrooms, but for home and library alike, I cheered. I read this book from cover to cover and did not skip a section. I didn't want to miss a good book recommendation or a hint for protecting your home library. When I was done, I highlighted each and every book that I owned!
I must also mention that Esme's Sahara Special and Vive La Paris are excellent read-alouds for children in grades 4-7 . I prefer Sahara Special since so much of the book takes place in the classroom and deals with a teacher who brings the best out of Sahara, but Vive La Paris deals with the important issue of bullying on a small and larger level. When the main character, Paris, is given a yellow star from her piano teacher who is a holocaust survivor, and then wears it to school without understanding the repercussions you want to help her understand. I found myself questioning how the adults around her dealt with this delicate issue and at the same time trying to understand the power of the symbol and why it drew the response it did.
I direct anyone who may read this blog to Esme's Blog if you have not found it already! Her most recent post discussed The Invention of Hugo Cabret and the Reading Reptile in Kansas City. I must go there some day! I have her blog added to my Bloglines account so when Esme posts I am notified through the RSS Feed.

Poetry Friday-Tanka WebQuest

2007-05-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

In addition to mothering my children 24 hours a day I occasionally attempt to teach a course for Lesley University. In many ways, it is like a small vacation. I get to stay in a nice hotel, go somewhere new and talk to peers!!! The great thing about the Lesley program (from which I did graduate) is that you complete your Masters in about a year and a half. Each three credit course is taught over two weekends amounting to 40+ hours of class time. So this year (I only get to teach my course once a year!!!)I am flying to Marietta, GA which is nice since my brother lives in Alpharetta. So I will also get a visit in. One of the topics I teach is WebQuests and my current favorite revolves around writing Japanese tankas. A WebQuest's purpose is to require students to use the Internet and research skills in a collaborative environment to complete a task that involves critical thinking. I pass out Bloom's Taxonomy and ask students to evaluate WebQuests based on the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy. In the tanka Webquest, each group creates a Powerpoint slide to showcase their own tanka and all slides are combined into one final show. Even though it’s not a tanka, I will be wearing my new Haiku t-shirt from Threadless. Thanks MotherReader for the link!
After receiving my cool new t-shirt I was bit by the t-shirt bug. Now I'm thinking it would be very cool to have a thematic t-shirt for each day of my teaching. Like a Wiki t-shirt when I teach about Wikis and Wikipedia or a Blog t-shirt on blogging day.
Among my favorites are:
I Kiss and blog.
Time to make the blog
Mommy blogger

What do you think? Check out Cafepress.com for more interesting t-shirts and designs.
And if you are unfamiliar with the WebQuest format, visit Bernie Dodge's site.
For more WebQuests on Poetry do a Google search for Poetry and WebQuests!

Who's Hiding? and Who Is Driving?

2007-05-08T11:29:00.000-04:00

After reading a couple very positive reviews of Who's Hiding? by Saturo Onishi, I purchased it for my almost three year old. He loves puzzles and games so I thought he would enjoy this book. In fact, he loves it. He has almost memorized the book yet we still find new games and things to look for with each new reading. For those who have not seen this book yet, each page has the same grid of animals and in each page you must look for who's hiding or who has horns, etc. The last spread is a challenge to kids and adults when all animals are hiding in the dark and all the viewer can see are the whites (and heights, which can be helpful) of their eyes.
In a recent trip to the bookstore I found a book that had a similar theme. Who is Driving? by Leo Timmers showcases a different car and several animals in various clothes on each page. The reader must decide who is driving each vehicle based upon their clothes. For example, in the case of a fire truck you must look for the animal dressed in fireman's clothes. On the next page spread you see the correct animal driving their car complete with a Vroom! and Tak, tak, tak. I must admit that some choices confused me, but in most cases the choices made sense. The illustrations are the definite winner in this book. They are bright, appealing, and humorous. As School Library Journal stated:

The vivid acrylic illustrations in primary colors have a three-dimensional look and will delight toddlers, although they might not be able to match all the drivers and their vehicles without a little help.

Ha! See! It wasn't just me.

Don't Let the Pigeon Suck it's Thumb

2007-05-02T11:25:00.000-04:00

If you are out there Mo we have a new pigeon idea!
Don't Let the Pigeon Suck it's Thumb
(inspired by my thumb-loving daughter!)

It's better than sucking on a lollipop.
The dentist said I could! (until I loose my baby teeth)
I only do it when I'm tired.
It's better than sucking someone else's thumb.
Auugghhh, but it tastes good.
It's hard to break the habit.
I'm only four.
I promise I will stop when I'm five.

Now we are off to try to illustrate this story with Mo's instructions for drawing a pigeon.

Amendment to original post:
(Now that I have reread my post and tried to draw a pigeon, I realize that the pigeon has a wing not a thumb. Oh well.)

Poetry Friday-A Smushed Peanut and Google Booksearch

2007-04-27T11:30:00.000-04:00

My five year old will contribute his favorite poem to Poetry Friday.
And here it is....

A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track

A peanut sat on a railroad track,
it's heart was all aflutter;
The five-fifteen came rushing by-
Toot! Toot! Peanut Butter!

Anonymous

This poem appears in Talking Like the Rain: A Read-to-me Book of Poems by X.J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy and illustrated by Jane Dyer.

Technology tidbit: When I went searching for this poem on the web, the first link that opened in Google was their book search. Immediately, I had access to at least 20 books with a reference to this poem and the first two books on the list were poetry anthologies. In addition, Google books shows the exact page the poem appears on with the illustrations. Very cool. I knew Google was doing this and I knew of the controversy but I am eager to explore the use of Google Books for classroom use. Amazon does this, but the excerpts are usually shorter.
For more onGoogle's take on the controversy.
Google Books

My Daemon-A Raven??

2007-04-26T09:31:00.001-04:00

More on Mo!

2007-04-26T07:11:00.000-04:00

It was truly an ordeal to get to Mo on Tuesday night. Before I could get my kids in the car, two out of three fell asleep on the floor. Did I change my mind and decide not to go? Of course not. I picked them up, carried them gently to the car and buckled their seat belts very quietly. Amazingly, they stayed asleep. The drive wasn't too bad. Milford, NH is about a 40-45 minute drive from Windham. It is actually about 20 miles, but the road to get there is full of stop lights and many, many businesses. I had never been to the Toadstool Bookshop and although I did not browse, it is definitely a place I will return to when I have more time. When we arrived, I was expecting a big long line out of the store. Doesn't everyone else from a 40 minute distance want to see Mo too??? Thankfully for us, there was no line and when we arrived in the store 10 minutes early, there were just a couple other fans milling about. We went to the book table to choose some books to sign and then I had my kids sit down to prepare for Mo's talk. I am not sure what any of us expected. He is very tall and very funny. When he speaks he appeals to kids and adults equally. He and a couple volunteers did a very cute Reader's Theater of Today I Will Fly! I don't mean to brag, but the way Mo reads his books is exactly the way I read them. Maybe this isn't about me being so great as much as it is about his great books. Although we already had copies of his two new early readers, I bought two more copies to have signed. I am going to give my unsigned copies to the library since they do not have them. Is it selfish for me to want the signed ones?? Today I Can Fly! also happens to be the first book my son read to us at bedtime! In response, Mo wrote, "You Rock" in my son's book. I also bought a pigeon board book for my two year old who used it to hide behind while Mo was speaking. For myself, I purchased You Can Never Find A Rickshaw When It Monsoons-The World on One Cartoon a Day.
Oh, and by the time the presentation was done,

You can find more on Mo's new books Today I Can Fly! and My Friend is Sad at:
Pigeon Presents
MotherReader is a huge Mo fan. I love reading her Mo related posts!
Reviews at:
Fuse #8
Booklist

Vacation week is here!

2007-04-24T17:41:00.000-04:00

I have not been posting for about a week. I will be updating more this week since my kids are home and the weather is great. Although... I do hear rain is coming. We have been wearing shorts for the last two days! Thanks to Kelly at Big A Little a for mentioning me in her Blogrollin' on Sunday.Tonight we are off to Milford, NH to hear Mo Willems speak about his new Piggie and Elephant books. We are so excited!!!
I'll give more information later.

Why Blog?

2007-04-19T18:17:00.000-04:00

To add to a very relevant and timely topic for myself in the blogosphere, Why do I blog? I was just washing dishes. A chore I despise. I actually despise most housework. And a thought came to me about my own personal blogging. And it is probably obvious that I am new to this blogging world.
I read blogs for information. Very simply, I enjoy learning. If I could be earning a degree right now I would be. Since I am not, I find that I can stay in touch with the world I once belonged to physically in a virtual way. Reading kidlit bloggers in particular broadens my understanding of a field I wish to belong to. Although I have been a classroom teacher and technology coordinator, my next job will be as a librarian. I love getting glimpses of the newest books and reading each person's own takes and personality in their reviews. It makes me think. Then it makes me want to put those thoughts in my own words and add to this collective brain. To reflect and ponder what others say is the natural part of the blogging process.

Support your local bookseller! Reason #1

2007-04-14T08:45:00.000-04:00

I visited our local Borders yesterday to check out a couple of titles I've been considering for purchase. One of these was The Annotated Alice in Wonderland. This book was mentioned in a recent post by Monica Edinger in her blog, Educating Alice. Monica's use of Alice in the classroom intrigues me since I have never poured through a classic in such detail.

Here is how my search transpired:
I begin by searching for the Annotated Alice in Fiction/Literature and do not find it. I do find one copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then I search for a copy of The Annotated Brothers Grimm and can't find that copy in the appropriate social sciences/folklore section. I begin to wonder if both of these books are shelved elsewhere in the store since they are from the same publisher. I decide to ask the help desk. A young man types in the title to the computer. He spells annotated, "Annitatid." I correct him since I think spelling might be important in a title search.
We find the book in the system and it is in the store. OK. I knew this as well. Next we walk over to the fiction/literature section and he informs me that it is sorted by last name. He begins to look for Lewis. By now, is it really worth the search? Do I correct him again? I say, "I think that the last name is Carroll, not Lewis. He doesn't believe me. I say it again. Not until I actually say "I see a copy of Alice in Wonderland over there (in the C's) does he finally follow. Of course, we do not locate the book since I have already been in this section of the store. This is the final kicker. He picks up the one copy of Alice in Wonderland and says......."Wow! She only wrote one book!" (Later, I came to the realization that Lewis Carroll was mistaken for a girl since the bookstore worker assumed Carroll was a standard girl's name and therefore, Lewis must be the last name.)
The message: Support your local bookseller!

The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson

2007-04-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

The Moon, written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1885 and illustrated by Tracey Campbell Pearson, interprets the poem as a late night boat ride of a boy and his dad in a coastal town. Until recently Tracey Campbell Pearson was an unknown author in our house. Since listening to her speak at the Keene State College Literature Festival we have added her books to our personal library and to our library visits. The endpapers and dedication page begin with a dad waking up his son to go for a midnight ride in his boat. The watercolor and ink illustrations reflect the quiet calm of the night. Blue abounds in the night sky and in the water of the harbor. The inside of the house, especially the boy's bedroom, are perfectly drawn with just the right amount of messiness and rumpled bed covers. This is what my house looks like.
Whenever you hear an author speak about the writing process the book takes on more meaning and my appreciation of the process grows. This is the case with this book. During her speech in Keene, she related difficulties with painting oceans and I loved a comment she made about looking at other children's illustrators oceans to get inspiration. She had to come to a realization that her oceans were her oceans and unlike any others. Isn't that what we try to relay to our children about art every day?

The Moon was originally published in A Child's Garden of Verses. Thanks to my mother-in-law, I now have a 1932 copy published by Platt and Munk. It is in excellent condition and the illustrations done by Eulalie capture the sweetness and simpleness of childhood.

Related Links:

Tracey Campbell Pearson's Web Site
7-imp also mentioned this book in a recent poetry post.

What's on your shelf?

2007-04-10T16:17:00.001-04:00

Scaredy Squirrel and other Backyard Friends

2007-04-10T15:40:00.000-04:00

I am having a great time planning a few story times for our local library. The Friends of the Library of Windham sponsors weekend story times for parents and children who cannot attend the regular weekly story hours. My last theme was Giants and I had a great time choosing several books that were illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Wait until you see his next book, The Wicked Big Toddlah. This month I had a brainstorm based on the popular Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watts. My title for story hour is "Scaredy Squirrel and other Backyard Friends." So far I have constructed a short list of books to read and welcome any suggestions anyone may have.
Here is my list:

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watts
A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest Ill. by Katy Schneider
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Any other suggestions??

And here is my safety kit for Scaredy Squirrel.

My kids thought this was fun. Although by the time we were looking for sardines they were questioning why exactly we were doing it. Now they want to know what we are going to do with it. It will serve as a prop for my read aloud much like a felt board.
I'm still pondering a craft idea. I may make bird feeders or pretend binoculars with paper towel tubes and decorating items. I am also going to construct a basket of field guides and outdoor exploring tools to show parents.
Finally, I like to present chapter books to challenge parents who don't usually think their young children can comprehend and listen to something long. Any recommendations for chapter books along this theme for the younger child. Maybe ages 4-7???

For more reviews and information about Scaredy Squirrel and it's new sequel check out:
Scaredy Squirrel's Web site
Jen Robinson's Review of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
The Cybils Web site where Scaredy Squirrel won the picture book award!

Falling asleep with a book

2007-04-10T10:59:00.001-04:00

Casie asleep with book,
originally uploaded by hdoe.

We've all fallen asleep with a book. Last night it was Kiki Strike for me. This was my daughter a year ago when she fell asleep with an I Spy book before I could even make her bed. So cute.

Who's reading what?

2007-04-04T10:43:00.000-04:00

I am finding it really difficult to post as often as I would like. I knew this might be an occasional problem since my kids are 5, 4 and 2. My house is in a constant state of messiness. So the question always is...Do I sit down at my computer for some reading time, do I sit down for some writing time, do I work on my next course I am teaching in the summer, do I play with my kids, or do I actually clean my house.
Today the computer wins.
That is, in between the fights my four year old and two year old have been having for the last two hours. My four wants to fill Easter eggs with money and hide them around the house for only her to find while the two wants to find them, open them and throw them around in various directions.
Oh well. Let's see if I can finish before I have to pick up the five year old at school.
I thought it might be nice to post once a week about what we are reading and really enjoying so here it is:
The Five Year Old: He is really enjoying Burger Boy by Alan Durant which we found at our local library. He loves to imagine what he might turn into which is probably a french fry. Although he does not read these with me he is also carrying around a DK Pocket encyclopedia on Rocks and Minerals in his backpack as well as a Harry Potter map book based upon the mythological and historical references in the books. I think he likes that fact that it looks like a book but has a fold-out map on the inside. We are both listening to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on our way to and from school. We are also eagerly awaiting the movie since we only have two CD's left.

My Four Year Old: She loves My Friend is Sad. One of the newest books out from Mo Willems. I can really act this book out. It is so funny. Mo's sense of humors infects us. We are also enjoying Mo's new site http://www.pigeonp resents.com. Try the hotdog game! Her other favorite is Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells. We pull this one out every Easter and the Easter bunny always gets my children chocolate chickens just as Max and Ruby receive.

My two year old: He brings me his tried and true favorites each night.
That's Not My Monster from Usborne books.
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
and our new favorite board book: Skippyjon Jones: Color Crazy. He likes to say that Skippy needs to go to time out since he colors everything including himself!

My First Poetry Friday-A Family of Poems

2007-03-30T08:06:00.001-04:00

While I prefer reading fictional chapter and picture books to my children, I do occasionally pull out a poetry anthology to read aloud. One technique for getting my oldest son involved is to make it a game. I start turning the pages of the book and when he tells me to stop I read the poem on the page he selected. Then his sister and brother take their turns. Our recent favorite anthology due to it's beautiful illustrations and mix of poetry is A Family of Poems collected by Caroline Kennedy and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. I will probably talk about this volume again since it has inspired our family in other ways.
This is our current favorite from this book. (I searched far and wide to make sure this was copyright free. Needless to say, it is a very, very old poem.)

A Fairy in Armor

He put his acorn helmet on;
It was plumed of the silk of the thistle down;
The corslet plate that guarded his breast
Was once the wild bee's golden vest;
His cloak, of a thousand mingled dyes,
Was formed of the wings of butterflies;
His shield was the shell of a lady-bug green,
Studs of gold on a ground of green;
And the quivering lance which he brandished bright,
Was the sting of a wasp he had slain in fight.
Swift he bestrode his fire-fly steed;
He bared his blade of the bent-grass blue;
He drove his spurs of the cockle-seed,
And away like a glance of thought he flew,
To skim the heavens, and follow far
The fiery trail of the rocket-star.

Joseph Rodman Drake

And you should see the illustration....monarch wings and all.

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore

2007-03-27T12:23:00.000-04:00

Before I begin, I want to say that I was very excited to get my hands on this book. I had heard great things! I was more excited to see that we had a copy at our local library. Unfortunately, my reaction after seeing the book was not as positive as I hoped. I am a sucker for illustrations. My kids and I love to pore through details and I am always excited to point out the various artistic styles. Like Charlie and Lola (favorite book characters in our house) the illustrations integrated real elements such as fabric and food that tied in with the pictures. I especially liked the gift bow pulled across the page when she wants to give the gift of food to her brother. So I really do like the illustrations. My problem was with the story. Each double page spread begins with the phrase, "I had an idea to...." followed by things like walking backwards on the way to school or gluing her brother's slippers to the floor. Then the opposite page begins with "I am not allowed to..." do whatever it was anymore. Maybe my first read through should have been by myself, but my kids saw the book in my bag and wanted to read it. Again, a nice cover that draws the reader to the book. So I began reading aloud. I thought, "What a neat concept. What a spunky little girl." But after a few pages I began to tire of reading the repetitive text. I also began to think, "Oh boy, I hope my kids don't get any ideas from this book." There are some spots where the spunky girl throws food, staples her brother's hair to the pillow, and tries to start a fire on a boy's shoe with a magnifying glass and the power of the sun. Then I questioned whether I was being a prude and maybe I am. Overall I just didn't get the book as it progressed. In the end, the little girl has an idea to say the opposite of what she means in order to trick everyone and make them believe that she is sorry. This book just didn't do it for me. Yet I must say I am a huge fan of Junie B. Jones, David in David Shannon's No, David!, and the beloved Ramona. There was a missing element in this story that didn't create that same naughty but likeable character.
Although only four and five, my kids did really like the book.

Find other reviews of this book at:
Planet Esme
Book Buds
Your Neighborhood Librarian

Small books

2007-03-20T19:45:00.000-04:00

This week I was able to go to the library with just one of my three children which is always a treat. In this case, it was my four year old daughter. She simply loves little books. (Even better, small books in boxes!) In our library we have a small castle bookcase that houses the small versions of children's books. One of her favorites is Little Richard by Patricia M. Scarry. She has checked it out so many times that I considered buying a copy until I saw the price on Amazon! For others searching for small books you might consider these:

Nutshell Library by Maurice Sendak

Making Mini Books (Klutz)

Any Beatrix Potter books. My daughter has the minature collection which did not hold together well. I would recommend The World of Peter Rabbit box set.

Usborne books also publishes several of their encyclopedias and story collections in miniature size. My daughter and my son love holding these books comfortably in their hands and don't mind that the text is so small.

Check out this great post at the Brookeshelf about an online exhibit of miniature books.

The Shivers in the Fridge

2007-03-18T13:23:00.000-04:00

The Shivers by Fran Manushkin and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky is a very clever story about a family of magnets who accidentally get placed into the fridge rather than on the outside. The inside of the fridge is portrayed as a very cold and scary world where monsters (People) frequently visit and cause earthquakes. One by one the Shivers are pulled out of the fridge by the monsters in creative ways related to food. The Grandpa goes out to search for a warmer place and gets stuck to the top of a ketchup bottle. Mama gets stuck in a warm bowl of jello! Be sure to notice a clue as to how the Shivers find their way into the fridge on the page before the title page. When you are finished reading, pull off the dust jacket to discover one of Paul's first ideas for the cover of the book. View it's opposite on the back cover of the book!
I have been noticing that his artwork for this book has drawn some mixed reviews. Although the artwork in this book diverges from his usual work, I appreciate an illustrator that takes risks and tries new techniques. I purchased this book at the Keene State College Literature Festival in October. Paul was a guest speaker and did some on the spot illustrations of the characters using his computer drawing software (?Adobe) and a stylus and pad.
He also mentioned how he went to the grocery store to get his creative "juices" flowing! I can appreciate that as I view the mushroom fire hydrant and the ginger dog on each page.
As for a kids response to this book, my kids love it. I think it is the suspense of finding out what they already know, that the Shivers are only magnets placed accidentally in the fridge. As an extension to reading the book, my kids and I made a bowl of green jello! I just wish we had our own little set of the Shivers to add to our refridgerator.

For Related Reviews:

Mother Reader

A Fuse #8 Production

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

My Reading Interests

2007-03-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

I thought it might be wise to create a post about my reading preferences before I continue to post other thoughts, reviews, and ideas. I am a huge fantasy/science fiction fan when it comes to reading or viewing movies. I also love any book that my kids (5,4,and 2) find appealing since I believe they are quite discerning in their preferences as well. I love having a "real book" to hold in my hands while at the same time I am very interested in ebook technology and how it can be a valuable tool in the language arts classroom. I would prefer to read a children's book over an adult piece of fiction any day. I'm addicted to buying books. One of my favorite activities is to go to the local bookstore at 9 p.m. at night and just look and read. Of course, I usually come home with something. I see myself going back to the classroom when my children are all in school and then possibly pursuing a degree in Library Science.

My favorite authors and illustrators are:
J.K.Rowling
Chris Van Allsburg
David Weisner
Philip Pullman
Eric Carle
Peggy Rathmann

Some of my favorite books are:
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Holes by Louis Sachar

Beginning my blog!

2007-01-21T16:58:00.000-05:00

I have confessed publicly that I am a want-to-be librarian. My kids are still small so it will be a couple years before I begin my Masters in Library Science. Until then, I am perfectly content imposing my reading interests and addiction upon my kids. Hence, my blog's name: The Mombrarian.
Prior to staying home I was a technology coordinator for a K-8 school so although my posts will contain lots of information about children's literature there will be the occasional technology-related post. Please check out my profile for more information on my jobs in and out of the home and my first and only published book for teachers.
I am choosing to blog for two main reasons. I wish to enter the blogosphere where I can publish my ideas. I also wish to synthesize my thoughts from reading other blogs in a central place. In a somewhat recent post by Will Richardson, he discusses Blogging to teach Reading and the importance and difference in reading and responding to blogs. If we are to expect our students to read in a hypertext environment and to synthesize the multiple views online then we as teachers must be living examples. That is my intent. My posts will mainly cover children's literature since I am an addict but they may occasionally enter back into the technology realm.