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Multi-tasking while I read

Posted on October 15, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Yes, you read that right. I like to multi-task while I am reading. Time is tight here and being able to do all of the items that I want to do, along with what I have to do is tough. In January, I wrote about my new found love of reading books on CD while knitting. During the summer months, I must admit, I was not keeping up with this as much. I put the knitting needles down some and was reading actual books.

Now the weather has shifted and I am trying to work on a blanket for the boys. After the boys are in bed and my writing is done, I have been working on my big knitting project and reading books.

I just finished reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. In just about a week, any chance I had, I read this 15 CD long book. (Loved it – more on that coming soon). Thanks to my little MP3 player, I was able to take it to listen while waiting for JSL at school, while knitting, cleaning and anything else. Today, I started listening to The Help by Kathryn Stockett and also have The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Since it has been a while since I last asked, I would love some more book suggestions (I’m good on the kiddie literature books).

What are some books that you would recommend that I put on my list to read while multitasking. I am open to all genres and if you have listened to them on CD and liked them even better (the reader is key in a lot of these audio books).

Also be sure to enter my CardsDirect $50 gift card giveaway.

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #121

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Aloha Friday books knitting me moments

Tuesday Tales – The importance of picture books

Posted on October 12, 2010 11:03 am by TheAngelForever

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Seriously, that is what I thought was happening last week as I started to hear about an article on October 8. The article published in the New York Times was about how picture books are losing their popularity. As I read the piece, my mind was racing. Picture books are such an amazing resource and now parents actually are knowingly pushing their children away from them in favor of chapter books. Yikes!

My oldest son is seven years old now. As a second grader, I have to admit that I would love him to read more chapter books. Check that, I would like him to read some high quality chapter books to broaden his horizons. Unfortunately, my son has no real interest in them. He already finished the Magic Treehouse books, and read a few others in the past. Now, he’s more interested in flying solo to complete his 100 books for the Readers to Leaders program at his school. My philosophy: Reading is the most important part of this equation – read and I will be happy. Seriously, I am not going to fight my child. If he wants to devour 3-4 picture books in a sitting over a chapter book I am game. The end product is he is being exposed to people, places and things that he never would have met without the stories.

When we go to the library, picture books are a staple for us. I often pick out nonfiction books by authors like Gail Gibbons and others to offer different genres. As a second grader, I am able to talk to my son and ask him what genre of book this would be. He can also answer how did the author wrote it, what are the story elements are, and more. Yes, he can answer these important questions which not only assist him as a reader, but encourage him within his own writing.

When I was teaching Language Arts to sixth graders, I also used picture books. Yes, even at the middle school level picture books can play an important role. One of my units of study was the book (chapter book) Ella Enchanted. We started off the time by reading a variety of Cinderella stories. For several days, we sat for story time listening to different tales of Cinderella and family. My students learned about different cultures and were able to see how different authors interpreted a classic tale. Comparing and contrasting the stories using Vehn Diagrams (a skill needed for ELA exams) was then completed along with some other tables about the books. Next, we listened to Ella Enchanted on CD. Then we watched the movie to write an essay on the difference/similarities of the book and movie Ella Enchanted (the lesson learned – you can not watch a movie to do a book report). At the same time, my students were also creating their very own Cinderella story to publish. We went to the computer labs to type them up, print them out and eventually they were bound with their own illustrations. It was an amazing accomplishment all thanks to the inspiration of other picture books read.

I would love for you to chime in on this hot topic in the world of books. What do you think about the role of picture books in the world?

Here are what some others have written on the topic: If you have something just let me know and I will add it to this list:

GeekMom – The Reason We Should Read Picture Books to Older Kids
On Our Minds @ Scholastic – Picture this…
Brimful Curiosities – Do you buy picture books? We do!

I would like to thank the authors and publishers of picture books for their creations. The memories that I have from readingy your books as a child, teacher and parent are one that will forever be in my heart.

So what have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Tuesday Tales and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

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Tuesday Tales – The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Posted on October 5, 2010 1:45 pm by TheAngelForever

When I was teaching 6th grade Language Arts, I tried hard to keep up to date on books that my students were reading. Thanks to the kids, I was introduced to The Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, and even Twilight. I loved reading the books and keeping up with the latest and greatest children’s chapter books. These days, I am not as in the know, but am working on it since NHL is now 7 and being pushed to read chapter books. I know he likes to read, but the larger number of pages, smaller print, and lack of illustrations scare him. We have found some books and are working our way there since I know he is ready.

A few weeks ago, my friend Nancy (Life with My Boys) mentioned a book on her blog that caught my eye. Her mysterious review made me especially intrigued. Within the comments section, several other people raved about the book. Moments later, I went and requested the book from our local library. Going to pause here to say something quickly. Nancy – Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So, what was the book? It was. . .

I purposely read little about the book and just wanted to wait to read it myself.

A little about The Invention of Hugo Cabret:

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you. (From the web site on Hugo Cabret – which also has details about the upcoming movie)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret – Written and illustrated by Brian Selznick – Scholastic Books – January 2007 – ISBN78-0439813785 – 544 pages – Ages 9-12

What I thought:

As I mentioned, I knew less than I mentioned above about The Invention of Hugo Cabret before reading the book. The only item I knew was that it had won the 2008 Caldecott Medal. This made me even more intrigued since it is not typical for a book of this type to win the Caldecott Medal. If you are not familiar with the Caldecott, here is the criteria for the award (via Wikipedia):

The book must be published in English in the United States during the preceding year.
The illustrations must be original work.
The artist must be a citizen or resident of the United States^.
The book must be considered for the artistic technique employed; pictorial interpretation of story; appropriateness of style of illustration to the story; delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting mood or information through the pictures; and recognition of a child audience.
The book must display respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations.
The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media for its enjoyment.

The book arrived quickly and I started reading late last week. Within two days, I had finished. I can not recall the last time that I was so engaged in a book. I literally could not put it down and wanted to go further and further into Hugo’s world to solve the mystery of the book. I loved how Selznick incorporated the illustrations and words to create a unique book experience. When you see his simple, yet detailed drawings you will understand. I know that it sounds like I am contradicting myself, but I really am not.

Like Nancy, I think I am going to be vague in my review. All I will say is that I highly recommend this book. I think adults and children will appreciate the unique mix found within this novel. For me, the historical flavor blends well with the storytelling skills of Brian Selznick. If you have read the book, there are also games and items available from Scholastic on their website.

** Linky coming soon. The website hosting them is down right now.

Disclosure: I took this book out of our local library compliments of our tax money. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were in no way influenced by anything. The widget within the review is an Amazon Affiliate where I will receive a percentage of money for the sale of the books should you opt to buy the book mentioned.

Categories:
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Scholastic Book Fair Time

Posted on October 2, 2010 9:27 pm by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL,

On Tuesday, you came home from school with a list of books that you wanted from the Scholastic Book Fair. Your list was rather long. I think there were at least eight books written down. You explained that two were books that you thought JSL would like. That made me feel so proud. When I went to the Book Fair to help out on Wednesday, I forgot your list with me. Before picking up JSL from nursery school, I went home to get your list. JSL and I went back to school to the Book Fair to check out your list. It was funny to watch your brother run right toward two of the books that were on your list for him. In the end, I bought four books. One was on your list, two you likely missed and would love and the last one something Daddy was interested in. Of course, we went back to the Book Fair the next day with Daddy. JSL cried when we were not going to get anything. We crumbled under pressure and got two additional books for the two of you. Once again, one that was on your list that you thought JSL would like.

I guess it goes to show that we are easy to sell books to since we know how much you and your little brother love to read. I hope this continues and we will continue to add to our library at home.

Love,

Mommy

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If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

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Tuesday Tales 1 + 1 = 5

Posted on September 28, 2010 11:42 am by TheAngelForever

Books that are about math and science are huge in our house since we are self proclaimed and proud geeks. Over the summer, we received a complementary copy of the book 1 + 1 = 5 (Amazon affiliate link) from Sterling Children’s Books. When we opened the package, NHL (7) immediately gravitated toward the book. He ran off to check it out since he was wondering why it stated that 1 + 1 = 5.

As you can see, JSL joined in to read the book with NHL. The two of them sat there looking at the illustrations and giggled. When NHL was done reading, we talked about the book. He liked how there was a twist to the traditional math rules. Since he had just finished first grade, he was able to understand the concept behind the book. We also talked about making our own pages to our own family version of 1 + 1 = 5.

I loved how it made NHL think outside of the box. He quickly picked up on how 1 + 1 = 5 since 1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies! The books continues on with over a dozen other addition problems in this fashion. It involves problem solving with the initial page that has illustrations to give clues to children that may assist them. Then, on the next page, the new found addition problem is explained. Here is an example from the book:

Over all, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it for children that are 5 years old or older. I think that children need a basic knowledge of early mathematics to truly appreciate the book. As a teacher, I love that there is already a guide to use with the book that you can download. Of course, even before that my brain was racing a mile a minute with extensions of the activity. One night, I used Picnik to create my own Halloween page for 1 + 1 = 5 to share. Here it is:

As you can see, children could use a technology connection to make pages for a class book online. Truly, the possibilities are endless and can go where ever your creativity leads you.

More about 1 + 1 = 5:

How much is 1+1? Think the answer is 2? Not always, as this playful approach to addition proves! David LaRochelle takes children on a joyful mathematical journey that will engage their minds and teach them to think about numbers in a creative, outside-the-box way.
Brenda Sexton’s wild and wacky illustrations add layers of witty fun to LaRochelle’s clever game.

These wacky equations don’t add up…or DO THEY?
1 goat + 1 unicorn = 3 horns!
1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies!
1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians!
1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs!
1 century + 1 decade = 110 years!

1 + 1 = 5 – Written by David LaRochelle – Illustrated by Brenda Sexton – Sterling Children’s Books – On sale September 2010 – ISBN 978-1-4027-5995-6 – $14.95 – Ages 5 and up

BTW – Be sure to check out the Fall Festival of Children’s Books on FiveMinutesforBooks. Just click on the button below to see more details about the festival. Have fun and please link up any books that you have read this week and see you back here next Tuesday. (Ooops – just realized this ended yesterday Sept. 27th. Still a great resource with links to books for children)

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. One link within the review is for my Amazon Affiliate where I will receive a percentage of money for the sale of the books should you opt to buy the books mentioned.