A Look Back at 2014

2014 has come and gone. When I started this blog last March, my goal was to find and share really great books, AND share how things are going in my classroom. So much has happened in the past year!

Let's take a walk through some of my favorite posts of 2014 . . . 

Why Books?

Ah--the very first post, a very good place to start. I go back occasionally and read this post to remind myself what my intentions are and why I write about books.


What Every Child (and Adult) Should Learn About Being Brave
I loved writing this post, and LOVED reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to prep for it. Fictional stories really do help us navigate through our own world and our own personal dragons. When I read this book to my class, I wanted them to get a sense of their own power to overcome trials, like the characters in the book do over and over again. Children need that. And so do I.

Getting Into Poetry
When April arrived, I was ready for National Poetry Month! We wrote 7 different forms of poetry as a class. Each student made their own poetry booklet. It was amazing to see them take ownership of their writing!

 


Teachers. We Need to Slow Down.
This post hits home for me, especially as I get ready to dive into end-of-year testing.  I need the constant reminder to slow down and find BALANCE.

Review #43: Mysterious Traveler
One of the best books that I read in 2014 is written by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham. Mysterious Traveler is a beautiful story, and one that I would recommend to everyone.

Staying Healthy Through the Winter Months: 6 Tips for Teachers
Stay clean, stay strong, stay healthy!

Here's to a fabulous new year! I hope 2015 finds you learning and growing!

25 Favorite Christmas Picture Books

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

One of my favorite things to do is snuggle up with the family 
and a stack of treasured holiday books.

This is my list of 25 Favorite Christmas Picture Books
 (in no particular order):

1. The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
2. Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
3. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
4. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
5. The Hat by Jan Brett
6. An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco
7. The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg
8. The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
9. Snowmen at Night by Caralyn & Mark Buehner
10. The Christmas Wreath by James Hoffman
11. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
12. Strega Nona's Gift by Tomie dePaola
13. Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
14. Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco
15. An Early American Christmas by Tomie dePaola
16. The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard
17. Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
18. It's Christmas, David! by David Shannon
19. Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
20. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
21. Book of Christmas Carols by Tomie dePaola
22. Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett (I learned from this book that traditionally the 12 days of Christmas are celebrated AFTER December 25, until Jan 6, Three Kings Day)
23. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
24. The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
25. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

Merry Christmas!

Why I Still Believe In Santa Claus

Growing up, I always knew that Santa Claus was fictional--and let me be clear, that made him no less important, no less real. Being fictional didn't threaten my belief in him, it protected it. Santa Claus has always represented a rare kind of magic, a kind that lingers even as we grow old. It is magic rooted in kindness, in mystery, and in memory.

I grew up in a home FULL of stories. My mom raised us with stories, and we loved them. We read all the Harry Potter series and the Narnia books together. Those stories were real to us, and we shared that as a family. You know the feeling--when you read a story, you are THERE. You experience the emotions and the adventures. It makes a place in your mind that can handle dragons and battles and heroes. Having a lot of practice in that department, it was easy to put Santa right alongside Hagrid and Mr. Tumnus. Actually, one Christmas morning my parents included a gift under the tree signed, "Love, Hagrid." It was the newest Harry Potter book. We didn't bat an eye about having presents from Santa AND Hagrid. It fit. It made sense to us.

Part of being human is learning how to differentiate between fact and fiction. In my experience, fiction is one of the best tools for understanding life. Fiction has always helped me to process the facts more clearly. Albert Einstein even had his two cents on the topic: "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

I'm grateful to have parents who taught me to believe.

We were (and still are) very chill about Santa at our house. We knew there would be presents from him, but we never left milk and cookies. There was definitely no Elf on the Shelf.  It made perfect sense to us that Santa Claus would make an appearance in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, because they belong in the same world. Santa making a visit to our local mall, however, always made me deeply uncomfortable. That was against the rules.

Because I had this particular version of Santa in my home, there was no Moment Of Clarity, no Devastating Revelation, no Loss of Belief. There was no tragic moment when I finally 'found out' the truth. The truth was all I knew, and I loved it.

At home, we loved stories. And we loved Santa, because his world and our day to day world are complimentary. We read the Christmas Carol and watched the Muppet's Christmas Carol every year. We didn't spend much time talking about Santa or focusing on him. Who was the main man at Christmastime? It was Christ. We spent more time talking about Him and less time about Santa. We celebrated in our own way, as a family--it was a balance that worked.

And now, as an adult, I still read stories, I still get swept up in the magic, and I still believe in Santa.

Staying Healthy Through the Winter Months: 6 Tips for Teachers

That time of year is upon us . . . sniffles and sneezes and wheezes. 
If your classroom feels like a germ factory, keep these simple steps in mind:


1. Eat your vegetables

Along with the treats from all the winter holidays, make sure you are giving your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs. Find fruits and veggies that are in season. Stock up on vegetable juices—it is a quick way to get your veggies (all teachers need that!) and doesn’t go bad as quickly.

2. Create a cleaning routine in the classroom

You know it’s true—the flu bug you caught this month came from the children. Reduce those germs by having a set time daily or weekly for disinfecting desks, chairs, doorknobs, and shelves! Use safe cleaners and be aware of kids with allergies or skin irritation.

3. Maintain your exercise routine

I am adding this one on this list because it is the one I struggle with the most! My motivation to go to the gym or on a quick run plummets in the winter. Why? It is cold. And no one will notice any weight change under all the sweaters and scarves. I would rather eat gingerbread. Did I mention the cold? You may need to set up a new system, give yourself a reward chart (borrow a sticker chart from school . . . ), or track your progress in a public way (that might mean tweeting your goals or starting a fitness challenge with teachers in your building). What works for you?

4. Set aside time each day to de-stress

It is easy to get tightly wound with all the hustle and bustle. You have tests to give (and grade), plans to make, and meetings to attend. You have to write calming emails to angry parents. And that is just at work. Chances are you have a trouble or two outside of your job as well. Do yourself a favor and STEP BACK. Give yourself credit for what you are doing. Choose a 15 minute block of time every day dedicated to stillness. Find your own brand of unwinding; the possibilities are vast, but you can start with one of these:

• Breathe deeply
• Tell yourself 5 things you are good at
• Slowly eat a square of chocolate
• Practice a yoga move or two
• Remember all the funny things your students have said recently
• Make a mental list of all the things you are genuinely grateful for

5. Get enough sleep

A rested body is in a much better place to fight infection—don’t overlook the importance of a consistent bed-time. I know you are tempted to stay up late putting another layer of ruffles on the tree skirt, or watching another re-run of Downton Abbey. Those are strong temptations, but you need time to regenerate for tomorrow. Grab a calming herbal tea or a hot rice bag instead of the remote or your sewing kit.

6. If you need a sick day, TAKE IT!

I know too many teachers who carry on through viruses and fevers needlessly. The world will not end if you stop to take care of yourself.  Your students will be fine. Get away from that copy machine and Go To Bed.

What do you do to stay healthy?

How We Almost Lost Thanksgiving (and the Superwoman Who Saved It)

I found a new book yesterday—it has been in my classroom for years, unnoticed! (To be VERY honest, I thought it was a book about Betsy Ross and the American flag; apparently, I didn’t even read the title). But on the last school day before Thanksgiving I wanted to read a Thanksgiving story to my students. I flipped through my holiday books, and there it was: Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a great feeling, reading a book for the first time, not to mention reading it out loud to a gaggle of 8 year olds. I never know how they are going to react to a story—with interest, disinterest, giggles, or insight, or a mix of it all. They loved this book. And I was shocked that I owned it all this time and was only just discovering it. I loved sharing with my group of bright-eyed chatterboxes the story of Sarah Hale, a “dainty little lady” born in 1788. The list of things she accomplished in her lifetime is phenomenal. Makes me tired just thinking about it! Here are a few:

• Wrote and published novels and children’s books
• Edited the Ladies’ Magazine (which published works by some of the most famous authors of her time, such as Poe, Hawthorne, Stowe, Longfellow, and Dickens)
• Raised five children
• Wrote Mary Had A Little Lamb
• Advocated for schools for girls and opposed slavery
• By night, she made hats and wrote thousands of letters

I’ve been trying to teach my class this year how to take action and not wait for someone else to solve their problems. It’s been an ongoing struggle—as I read this book to them, I could tell they were digesting the idea of a “bold, brave, stubborn, and smart” person who had an idea and worked hard to bring it about. This dainty little lady loved Thanksgiving-- and it was being forgotten by a lot of Americans, especially in the new states forming in the West. What did she do? Sarah Hale picked up her pen. She wrote letters by the thousands, urging Americans to make Thanksgiving a nationally recognized holiday. Imagine, the ENTIRE country celebrating and giving thanks on the same day. For a country embroiled in a civil war, that idea was powerful. We needed a little more coming together and a little less falling apart. Sarah appealed to FIVE consecutive presidents of the United States (that is some stubborn waiting!) before Abraham Lincoln made our Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, thirty-eight years after Sarah began her quest. I want the girls and guys in my class to have heroes like this lady. This book was a great find, just at the right moment too. The illustrations are witty and fun, and the story is inspiring. In the spirit of giving thanks, here are the things that have been on my mind:

• I am grateful that my husband doesn’t get annoyed when I read the Kindle over his shoulder (currently “we” are reading Catching Fire). You know how food tastes better when it is snitched from someone else’s meal? It just might be the same with books.
• I give thanks for a break from the children, so I can go back with renewed energy and patience.
• I give thanks for cinnamon & hibiscus herbal tea with cream.
• I give thanks for family.
• I give thanks for the beautiful DIY wreath made of ribbons that one of my students made for me. It is the first decoration to go up! Many more to follow.
• I am grateful that I am not sick with a cold or fever! Bring on the holidays. 

What are YOU thankful for?

Picture Book Picks for Halloween

The Stranger & The Widow's Broom
This is a throwback to the 1990’s—I remember pouring over all of Chris Van Allsburg’s books, reading them one more time just to make sure I had the story right, totally wrapped up in the mystery of it all. There is something nicely strange about ambiguous endings, which Chris Van Allsburg has in abundance. Most stories end up happily ever after, or even miserably ever after, but the author at least TELLS you outright how things end up. When I first read these two stories, it was altogether new to encounter a story whose ending was up to my own interpretation & insight. I used to ask my dad to just tell me what it meant and he was wise enough to resist.

The Stranger, first published in 1986, is as full of compassion and warmth as it is with mystery. Farmer Bailey and his family take in a man who has lost his memory. As the season should be shifting from summer to autumn, the stranger stays with them, and the leaves aren’t changing. The clues are there on every page—what name would you give to the stranger?

Another Van Allsburg classic, The Widow’s Broom, published in 1992, has plenty of Halloween elements: witches, pumpkins, ghosts at night, and tough kids trolling the neighborhood. The black-and-white illustrations are rich with detail, and even the plain broom stick shows emotion. This story, like The Stranger, has undertones of compassion (the widow and the abandoned broom form an unlikely friendship) as well as a clever twist to save the day.

In this spooky season, curl up with some stories that will leave you with a healthy dose of mystery!

More Picture Books for Halloween: they’re a scream :)

• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone (my first and favorite)
• How to Mash Monsters by Catherine Leblanc (also useful when dealing with coworkers/relatives . . . )
• I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
• Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
• A Monster Followed Me Home by Mercer Mayer
• PLUS a bonus Chapter Book: The Witches by Roald Dahl

Happy Reading!

Review #50: Counting by 7s

#50 Counting by 7s  
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

378 pages

4 Cheers

I could not put this book down. 

This book is an open window into loss and learning differences. It is a powerful glimpse into the heart & mind of a child who processes the world differently.

I was swept into Willow Chance’s mind, her observations, her heartache, her slow reconstruction. The characters in this book are crafted with power and depth—they stay with you. I loved that you never know if the next chapter will be the narrator giving insight into what is going on, OR Willow herself taking the narrative.

I will be reading this book again and again. 

Share your thoughts below :)

Find more books here:

7 New Poetry Books

10 Picture Books to Share

8 More Picture Books to Share

8 New Folktales and Fairytales

 Fortunately the Milk

 And some fun learning ideas:

Getting Into Poetry

Make Your Own Battle Bunny