bailedThose who know me are often surprised when I tell them I haven't read Mary Poppins, since the story is such a big part of my life. My knowledge comes exclusively from the Disney film, so I decided it was time to give it a go. Unfortunately, as soon as the titular character arrived, I was immediately put off. She keeps sniffing, and she is very stern with the children and their mother. I couldn't keep Julie Andrews's portrayal of her out of my mind
pickI was so thrilled to see that the UCF CMC had this book on its shelves! It's an amazing read for anyone who is a fan of this groundbreaking musical. The full libretto has articles peppered in that show how this story was brought to the stage. Simply fantastic!
pickThe Giver by Lois Lowry is a captivating Science Fiction story. This Newbery Award winner starts in a seemingly perfect world, but one boy begins to uncover the dark secrets and the fragility of the place in which they live. Scholastic provides great resources for teachers, like this lesson plan: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/giver-lesson-p...
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pickThe Bad Beginning is the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, which is a satirical F collection. The Baudelaire children are orphaned and left in the care of their "relative" Count Olaf, who is after their enormous fortune. Here is an awesome teaching guide from the publisher: http://files.harpercollins.com/PDF/TeachingGuides/006029809X.pdf
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pickI Survived: True Stories, by Lauren Tarshis, is a nonfiction collection of stories where real children were involved in disasters. Stories of the Titanic, the Japanese Tsunami, and even the recent Henryville Tornado show how children survived these epic disasters. She has written many other "I Survived" stories and is a New York Times-bestselling author. Check out her website here: http://www.laurentarshis.com
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"You collecting tickets?" is probably my favorite sentence in this book, the Library Card (RF) by Jerry Spinelli. After reading Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, I was reminded of this story. 4 different children have their lives changed by a library card and the power of reading. Here are some discussion questions for students as they read: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/library-card-d...
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pickThe One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is an emotional Animal Fantasy story. A gorilla held for 27 years in a mall off exit 8 and a curious young artist make an amazing impact in this Newbery Award winner. Learn more about the author and the real Ivan here: http://www.npr.org/2013/06/13/191053327/headline-here
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pickTikki tikki tembo is a TL story by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent. Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo and his brother Chang get into some trouble by the well, much to the disdain of their mother and the Old Man With The Ladder. This story is great for reading aloud and storytelling! Cpalms has suggestions for a close reading lesson: http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/59178
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pickThe Very Quiet Cricket is an Animal Fantasy story by Eric Carle, who is known for his fun and colorful picture books. Each insect the cricket comes across says hello, but he is having trouble making noise with his wings. Will he ever learn how to make a sound? Find out by watching this read aloud: https://youtu.be/OWE3WIxulLg
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pickThe Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Matin, illustrated by David Shannon, is a wonderful example of traditional literature. Beautiful images accompany this Algonquin retelling of a Cinderella story. An interesting classroom application could be to compare and contrast different Cinderella stories from around the world! The author's website can be found here: http://www.rafemartin.com
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pickThis adorable animal fantasy story is Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. I used this text for my TeachLivE read aloud and the children loved it! Follow the link to see lesson plans from PBS as well as fun activities for the classroom: http://www-tc.pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/pdf/clickguide.pdf
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"Amusement might not be the great aim of life...but it gives zest to our days." The Great and Only Barnum is a biography by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Ray Fenwick. After hearing that the Barnum & Bailey circus is closing, I wanted to learn more about P.T. Barnum. NPR talks more about the closing here: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/15/509903805/after-146-years-ring...
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pickIsadora Dances is a beautiful biography written and illustrated by Rachel Isadora. In the early 1900s, dancers were expected to be fully covered and dance with proper technique. Isadora Duncan decided to show the world that expression was more important than being traditional, to the horror of many at the time. Follow this link to learn more about the school of dance she founded based on her beliefs: http://www.isadoraduncan.org
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pickIn John Philip Duck, a HF picture book, Patricia Polacco writes about a young boy named Edward and his duck causing some trouble In a hotel. This story was inspired by the famous Peabody Hotel and the ducks that entertained people there for over 60 years. More information about Patricia Polacco can be found on her website: http://www.patriciapolacco.com
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"Hitler is the leader of the workingman, of the common people, of true Germans." These haunting words are just a preview of the emotional historical fiction novel Echo. Pam Muñoz Ryan gives the reader a glimpse of pre-WWII Germany in the first part of this magical story. More information about Hitler's rise to power: https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007671
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