Book Review: A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer

Bibliographic Citation:

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0547124937

Book Review:

Marilyn Singer is an author to over 90 books for children and young adults, with poetry being one of her most notable formats.  A Stick is an Excellent Thing is a newly published book about all of the activities that children do when outside. The book has a very nostalgic feeling to it, especially when talking about playing jacks and hide and go seek. All readers both young and old will take a walk down memory lane with this book and be able to make connections. This would be a great book to read right before summer break!

Each page has a different poem, highlighting a different outside activity. The words are randomly arranged on the page, which is very enticing for young readers. All of her poems follow a different patterns, which is fun for readers to distinguish the patterns in each poem.  Singer's rhyming poems are fun to read and easy for young readers to comprehend. The illustrations used in this book are a nice addition and have a vintage feel. The colors used throughout the book are very muted, but tie in well with the poems simple words. 

This is the perfect book if you are looking for an introductory poetry book. The rhymes are simple and easy to understand for all types of readers. A Stick is an Excellent Thing is a great book to read when your child can't think of anything fun to do outside! After reading this book, they will realize that the options are endless!

Spotlight Poem: 

A Stick is an Excellent Thing

A stick is an excellent thing. 
If you find the perfect one,
it's a scepter for a king. 
A stick is an excellent thing. 
It's a magic wand. It's yours to fling, 
to strum a fence, to draw the sun. 
A stick is an excellent thing
if you find the perfect one. 

Activity: 

A fun activity for this poem would be to bring a stick from outside and show it to the students. Then you can ask the students what this stick could be? For example: a spoon to stir imaginary soup or a pencil. Once the class has brainstormed other uses for this stick, read the poem aloud and have them visual the stick turning into those subjects. After reading the poem, the teacher or parent can ask the question again and see if they can come up with more uses of a stick when playing outside. 

Book Review: DogKu by Andrew Clements

Bibliographic Citation:

Clements, Andrew. 2007. Dogku. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 068985823X

Book Review: 

Andrew Clements the author of popular books series Jake Drake, has done it again. This clever book is sure to be a hit for all dog lovers. This is a story about a dog who finds a new home and is learning to adjust to his new environment. The reader is in the "dogs" shoes and gets to know "Mooch's" emotions and feelings about his new home. At the end there is a delightful surprise that will be sure to make you smile!

Clements has created a poetry book that is not like all other poetry books. Haiku's are mostly about nature and this books topic is very kid friendly, dogs. Clements does follow the pattern of a traditional Haiku, with the 5-7-5 layout of syllables. Each page is a about a new activity or feeling in the dogs life. The picture book format is fun for students and will even attract "non poetry lovers" due to the pictures and words inside this book. 

I loved how Clements haiku's are written from the dogs perspective and think that this will be fun for kids to be in the "dogs" shoes (paws). The haiku's are easy to read and pare perfectly with Bowers illustrations. The illustrations are bright and colorful and add more delightful details to the story. After reading this story, memories of the your pets first days will come flooding back with this heartwarming tale of a dog named Mooch. 

Spotlight Poem:

Scratch, sniff, eat, yawn, nap.
Dreams of rabbits and running. 
Could life be sweeter? 

Activity: 

Throughout this book, we are reading about Mooch's life through his eyes. A fun follow up activity to this book, would be to have students brainstorm activities and things their pets do when they are gone. Once they have brainstormed several activities, students can turn it into a haiku about their pet. 

Book Review: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

Bibliographic Citation:

Creech, Sharon. 2001. Love That Dog. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9780439442427

Book Review:

I absolutely love this book. If you are looking for a great introduction to poetry, especially for students who are scared of poetry this book is for you. Love that Dog is a heart warming free verse novel about a boy who absolutely hates poetry. This book takes you on a boy's journey in learning how to write poetry and gaining confidence in his ability to write great poetry. In his journey, you get to see the poems that he has written and feel the raw emotions of the little boy named "Jack". This book does have one sad part when talking about his former dog, but don't worry dog lovers it doesn't last too long. Love that Dog is a very easy read and is a great way to teach about free verse poetry.

Sharon Creech's word choice is perfect and really hones in on the words that would be in a little boy's vocabulary. Her language flows smoothly across the page and I believe this is why this book is such a quick and easy read. The reader cannot put the book down and must continue to turn the pages to see what "Jack" will say/think next. The words that Creech uses to describe Jacks emotions and thoughts, are very realistic and will be sure to connect to all readers of all variety.

The layout of the book is in the form of  a journal. Each chapter is a new journal entry starting from September and ending in June. The journal entry layout easily shows the reader the change that "Jack" is experiencing by reading his entries at the beginning and end. As a educator, it's wonderful and uplifting to see what a positive impact poetry has on Jack and how it has helped his confidence and dealing with emotions. I highly recommend this book for all readers, especially teachers who are wanting to introduce poetry in a subtle way.

Spotlight Poem:

September 13

I don't want to
because boys
don't write poetry.

Girls do.

Activity:

To introduce this book, I would start by writing this above poem on the board for students to see. I would then ask them a couple of questions:

-What do you think poetry is?

-Who likes poetry?
-Who doesn't like poetry?

I would then lead into the discussion to see if they think the poem that is written on the board is poetry. After listening to their thoughts and opinions, I would explain to them that it is poetry and supply them with the actual definition of poetry. Once they understand that this book is a form of poetry, I will tell them that we will be reading a book about a boy who hates poetry and we will be looking at his poetic words and emotions towards poetry as we read.

Book Review: Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman

Bibliographic Citation:

Joyce Sidman. 2011. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature. New York; NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 9780547315836

Review:

Wow, if you are looking for a book that has the opportunity to teach multiple Science concepts while having fun. Look no further! Joyce Sidman has a created a beautiful book of poetry that not only is fun to read but also teaches you a thing or two. The creativity in this book is brimming with new ideas for students to latch onto to start their own research and exploration. The entire book revolves around finding the spiral shape in nature. Sidman's clever poems describe these natural spirals and the importance behind this shape. At the end of the book, there is a glossary that explains each part. For example, one section is labeled a spiral is a snuggling shape and it describes the animals mentioned in the illustrations and how a spiral relates to their sleeping habits. 

The words that Sidman uses, beautifully illustrate mental images and flow smoothly across the page leaving the reader eager to turn the page. I liked how she started each new poem with "A spiral...." and a new description. This makes it easy for young readers to know that she is moving on to another topic. Students of all ages, will love this book and teachers and parents will appreciate all of the learning that will go on. As a former third grader teacher and now a librarian, I can see myself using this book across many different topics for many different grade levels. 

The illustrations by Beth Krommes are amazing and entrancing at the same time. She does a great job creating the image that is produced by Sidman's words. The dark colors are appealing to the eyes and the swirls are highlighted on each page which draws in the readers attention every time. I enjoyed searching throughout the pictures to find the swirls in nature and know that the kids will have fun too. The illustrations are scratchboard and that gives the pictures an very interesting texture that only adds to the elaborate drawings. 

All in all, I would highly recommend this book to any child who loves nature and learning more about Science. It is not only educational but a fun read too!

Spotlight Poem:

A spiral moves. 

It swirls through water,

gathering bubbles. 

It twists through air

with clouds on its tail. 

Activity: 

This poem was my favorite part because I could automatically see the tie in with a 3rd grade Science TEK. In third grade, students learn about hurricanes and tornadoes and what better way to introduce this concept by reading this poem? This poem points out the shape of each natural disaster and really creates a mental image for the students to relate to. A fun activity that could go along with this poem, would be to have the students act out the motions of the hurricane and tornado while reading the poem. Students could also illustrate these natural disasters just by hearing the words and not seeing the illustrations. The activities are endless!

Book Review: Autumnblings by Douglas Florian

Bibliographic Citation:

Florian, Douglas. 2003. Autumnblings. New York; NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0060092793

Review:

I was initially drawn to this book because Fall is my favorite season. With football season starting, trees changing colors and the beautiful weather. Why wouldn't you want to get in the spirit of reading about this amazing season? Florian does a great job describing all the events and doings of the season of Fall. After reading this collection of Fall poems, the reader will be counting down the days! 

The poems all relate to Fall and the titles range from poems titled, Apple Picking to Hi-Bear-Nation (get it, hibernation?) Florian's playful poems are all free verse and do not follow specific rhymes. These poems are naturally playful and are sure to be poems that children will "fall" in love with. Unlike most of Florian's poems, not all of the poems are silly. A lot of these poems would be great to use when talking about seasons, weather and animals. For example; "apple picking", "geese piece", "the owls" and "weathering" are several that could be used as a Science lesson poetry breaks. There are a great many talking points that teachers and parents can model to their students to further explain the true meaning of Fall. 

The illustrations by Florian tie in nicely and his paintings accurately display the meaning behind his poems. The colors are bright and are sure to catch kids attention. The poem, Geese Piece, is my favorite because of the creative layout Florian uses. The poem is written in the shape of a V and the illustration takes up the whole page. The symbolism of the shape and layout of the words is a lot of fun and really brings the attention to the written word. 

If you enjoyed this book be sure to check out Florian's other seasonal books; Winter Eyes and Summersaults. 

Spotlight Poem:

What I Love About Autumn

Apple Picking

Frisbee flicking

Falling leaves

Bracing breeze

Flying kites

Cool crisp nights

Trick or treat

(Sweets to eat)

Pumpkin pies

Clear blue skies

Fireplaces

Relay races

Football games-

I love that autumn has two names.

Activity:

The perfect time to introduce this to students would be on the first day of Fall. This is a short poem that could be used a quick poetry break between subjects or during transitions. A great follow up activity for this poem would be to have students brainstorm their favorite season. After they have chosen a season, the students can write down words that describe that season or activities that go on during that particular season. They can then use their words to create a poem about that season. Once they have finished their poem, each student can share their poem and have other students guess which season they are talking about. 

And the winner is.............

The 2012-2013 Bluebonnet Winner is....................Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback!!!

Today we had our Bluebonnet Book Club Party and the kids had blast. They got to eat blue donuts and get a sneak peek at the list of Bluebonnet Books for next year! The kids wore all blue and I even wore a blue wig. Students also go a free milkshake gift certificate from Jack in Box and either a poster, lunch in the library pass or extra book check out. I hope to see everyone again next year!

Here are some of the pics of the decorations before the party..........

Book Review: Confetti: Poems for Children

Bibliographic Citation:

Mora, Pat. 1996. Confetti: Poems for Children. New York; NY: Lee and Low Books. ISBN: 9780329112806

Review:

Confetti is a book about a young girls experience in the Southwest.  All of Mora’s poems have a strong Hispanic background and tell about experiences that are very natural. The poems are written just for kids and are on topics that would be interesting to that age group, especially students who live in the Southwest. All of the poems are upbeat and light hearted.

Mora does a great job creating poetry with a strong rhythm. The poem I hear, I hear is a perfect example of rhythm and leaves the reader with the sound of a drum ringing in their ear. Some of her poems contain words that create mental pictures that appeals to all senses. The poem River Voice, allows the reader to escape to the dessert and hear, see and feel what the dessert is like without leaving their seat.

The paint like illustrations beautifully highlight the poems and are of a southwestern descent. Each picture accurately describes the mental picture that is described in each poem.

Spotlight Poem:

Cloud Dragons

What do you see
in the clouds so high?
What do you see in the sky?

Oh, I see dragons 
that curl their tails
as they go slithering by.

What do you see 
in the clouds so high? 
What do you see? Tell me, do.

Oh, I see caballitos
that race the wind
high in the shimmering blue. 

Activity: 

A great activity that would tie in with this poem would be to read it outside. After reading this poem, have students lay on their backs and look at the clouds. Have them point out different clouds and share what they think each cloud looks like. The students can write down their thoughts and words that describe the cloud. After the students have brainstormed and looked at the clouds for about 15 minutes, they can start writing a poem about their favorite cloud that they saw today using descriptive words. 

New Books!

Check out the new library books! These books will be released next week, so view the video to get a sneak peak!

Black History Month Unit!

The Fifth Grade students came to the library to learn more about famous African Americans. Each center was technology based. Some of the people that they learned were Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver and Martin Luther King. Below are some pictures of the students completing each station. 

Ben Hatke Visits Isbell!

On January 26th, Ben Hatke visited Isbell! He met with every grade level during their specials time and talked about his books and writing process. The kids absolutely loved him!! His lessons were great for all ages and the Zita the Spacegirl books are flying off the shelves! Below are some pictures of his visit!