tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132179722024-03-06T22:56:42.900-05:00Scrub-a-Dub-TubThe Reading Tub® ~ Bringing reading home for families.<br><br> The Reading Tub is a nonprofit that promotes literacy by encouraging families to read together. We review children's books and sponsor community programs that encourage kids to read. Visit <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com">our website</a> to read our book review policy.Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-44287634990366114712009-01-07T10:45:00.001-05:002009-01-07T10:50:10.489-05:00Cleaning the TubIf I were a patient person, I would have held onto my <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2009/01/next-chapter-2009-arrives.html">New Year's Resolution post</a> and published it on the new and improved blog. But, my talents lie elsewhere.<br /><br />Over the past few days I've been working on the new-and-improved <a href="http://readingtub.wordpress.com/">Scrub-a-Dub-Tub blog</a>. We're over at Wordpress now, and except for the fact that I can't get flash widgets (like the Cybils), I'm lovin' life. TubTalk is also being merged into the blog with its own page. Just our way of helping you clean out your reader!<br /><br />The toughest part has been getting the links categories together. I've expanded the categories to include booklists and podcast reviews. If you're a children's book or literacy-related blogger, you may be listed in multiple categories. I did that on purpose ... you have many talents, so they should all be highlighted. The goal is to make it easy to find great resources in the category that comes to mind first.<br /><br />There are still tweaks to come. I copied all of my existing blogroll friends, but have not cross-checked with the reader [which I haven't opened since Monday morning.] If I have you in the wrong category, or you are missing from a category, please let me know. Just email me at thereadingtub [at] gmail [dot] com. If I don't have you on the blogroll, please leave us a comment ...<br /><br />Last but not least, be sure to update your reader with the new address. This will be the last post from here.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-49066260345862280682009-01-05T13:40:00.000-05:002009-01-05T13:40:29.013-05:00Diversity Rocks! Book ChallengeWhen I started the Reading Tub, I wrote the tag line "Turning a page ... opening the world." I thought it captured the potential and reach of reading. There is so much to explore between the covers of a book. Reading can transport you to new places (of this earth and beyond), introduce you to new people (real and not), and expand your everyday world. That idea is what drew me to Ali's <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-diversity-rocks-challenge.html">Diversity Rocks! book challenge</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRBuw-ERF1aW3HSW9J2r68coYjwv9YSltNBmVBqETdrxm8kP7qaUWj5OjBp84-zBEG0lsylnKDxBs0JDiBgDefYAmFkDOfCwDycZXAftj13rs0ERGmo2eeBt5emrAtI5xGenZbA/s1600-h/diversity_rocks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 112px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRBuw-ERF1aW3HSW9J2r68coYjwv9YSltNBmVBqETdrxm8kP7qaUWj5OjBp84-zBEG0lsylnKDxBs0JDiBgDefYAmFkDOfCwDycZXAftj13rs0ERGmo2eeBt5emrAtI5xGenZbA/s200/diversity_rocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287869474686198930" border="0" /></a>One of the things I like about the challenge (aside from the flexibility) is that it will help me take a more thoughtful approach in selecting books I read. Frankly, I don't think about ethnicity or race when I look at a book. I am drawn to a book because the story sounds interesting. Sometimes it is because the illustrations or photographs draw me in without reading a word. Taking the time to learn more of the back story or pay attention to the origin of the stories will round out my reading experience. And that's cool.<br /><br />Here are the books I've selected for the challenge. Update: In my <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2009/01/cybils-shortlists-and-other-news.html">previous post</a>, I said I would commit to six books. In my original comment on <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-diversity-rocks-challenge.html">Ali's post announcing the challenge</a>, I have committed to reading nine books ... and secretly hoping to read 12. Here are the first six books on my list (in no particular order). You may recognize a few of these from my TBR pile ...<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/7lwyb8">Give a Goat</a> written by Jan West Schrock, illustrated by Aileen Darragh. This may be a stretch, but it offers a true-life story about a 5th grade class and their effort to think beyond themselves to help a family continents away. From the publisher's website: "<i>Give a Goat</i> is a template for adults and children who want to work together to experience the satisfaction of giving to others and making a difference in the world. "<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/9fl3ma"><br />Out of Bounds: Seven Stories of Conflict and Hope</a> by Beverley Naidoo. I love Naidoo's work. I read <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=740">Web of Lies</a>, several years ago and she got me hooked on stories that let you tap into the struggles of immigrant kids and their families. This is a collection of short stories about apartheid in South Africa. This was a book that <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/08/reading-ahead-books-for-ages-9-to-12.html">caught my eye</a> last September.<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/8ztwru"><br />The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island</a> by Lawrence Yep with Dr. Kathleen S. Yep. This is a middle-grade story about immigration that one of our parents already reviewed. <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1219">Their review</a> is compelling, and I want to read it myself.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/8y8bb9">Mountains to Climb</a> written by Richard Wainwright, illustrated by Jack Crompton. From School Library Journal: "A gentle story about a boy from the Andes mountains and his pet llama, born with one eye, who sail to America to live with his aunt and uncle for 'a year or two.' He helps his fellow Explorers Club members find shelter on a stormy mountain top and rescue their injured advisor. Before he returns to South America, Roberto convinces the Explorers to admit two new members--one boy who is blind and another who has two artificial legs. The portrayal of the two physically challenged boys and their interaction with the others on the camping trip is the book's strength."<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/5ja5a6"><br />Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing</a> written by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow, illustrated by Helen Cann. This is a book that arrived in the office last fall and was in my last <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/12/reading-ahead-books-for-ages-9-to-12.html">Reading Ahead column</a>. This middle-grade novel is set in in Beijing, China, in 1966. I wsa three in 1966, and I know very little about the Cultural Revolution. The author is a contemporary, and I would like to see how his story unfolds.<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/93yy7r"><br />Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story</a> written by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Duane Smith. This is the story of an escaped slave's journey to freedom. What captured my interest in reading this book was this statement in <a href="http://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-seven-miles-to-freedom.html">Cloudscome's review</a> at <a href="http://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/">A Wrung Sponge</a>: "You don't often get exciting stories of heroism and resistance by smart, brave, persistent African Americans who spent their lifetime working for justice and freedom. Robert Smalls is such a man and <a bluelink="yes" bluekey="" asin="1600602320" href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Miles-Freedom-Robert-Smalls/dp/1600602320"><em>Seven Miles to Freedom</em> </a><img smartlink="" link="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Miles-Freedom-Robert-Smalls/dp/1600602320" bluekey="" blueimageover="http://s3.amazonaws.com/blueorganizer/images/shared/icons/icon_14.gif" blueimage="http://s3.amazonaws.com/blueorganizer/images/asin/1600602320" blueamazonid="" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/blueorganizer/images/asin/1600602320" id="smartLink1" class="blue-icon-launcher" align="top" />is a thrilling biography for elementary age children." <br /><br />Rather than pre-select all of my titles just to "fit" the challenge, I am going to opt to add some later. That will allow me to explore and get suggestions from other readers and take advantage of new titles that come in for review.<br /><br />The <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-diversity-rocks-challenge.html">Diversity Rocks! book challenge</a> is, well, diverse. There are no genres or age ranges involved. I'm sticking with children's books because that's (a) what I read the most; (b) that's my audience; and (c) it's easy. If you're looking for ideas, read Ali's posts about <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/kids-books-picture-books.html">children's picture books</a> and <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/kids-books-middle-grade.html">middle-grade titles</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-70813608638745442752009-01-02T15:50:00.004-05:002009-01-02T16:14:34.141-05:00CYBILS Shortlists and Other NewsThe office is technically still closed until Monday, but I've been periodically sneaking in to check the Reader and keep up with the Email. I promise to keep this short and sweet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUqd3U0p-_72ZRI0blqZh3d2Fz9PoamZsClXqDx4BiBt4xw7Rl6eLz1mOumb9jAqAjJCvX73KwesYXYmpejOBRNw3v7SLq59BOXQHJrXMHqfWXw3iBnIclZcZaUA93WJoMVRMRg/s1600-h/cybils_button.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUqd3U0p-_72ZRI0blqZh3d2Fz9PoamZsClXqDx4BiBt4xw7Rl6eLz1mOumb9jAqAjJCvX73KwesYXYmpejOBRNw3v7SLq59BOXQHJrXMHqfWXw3iBnIclZcZaUA93WJoMVRMRg/s200/cybils_button.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286802082950394722" border="0" /></a>Yesterday the<a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2009/01/the-2008-cybils-finalists.html"> Cybils short Lists</a> were announced. Head over to the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2009/01/the-2008-cybils-finalists.html">Cybils blog</a> to see the lists of finalists in each of the nine categories ... or at least your favorite genre. I had the honor of reading and chatting with the panelists for the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008-easy-readers-finalists.html">Easy Readers</a>. Now it will be fun to see what the judges think. I am still making my way through each of the lists.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijjVQJ74Yp1uJ9ahRwKzg1a1nbBWeZVC7ATlSbhBv8rb0W-nrkS_Gonoi0LjuF4xWF_EfaKwqpWLqlkDNDxVRjveGlDssm3NQo6bvSJafFukykDliL2AK3926IbZQPxRfPAW3cw/s1600-h/diversity_rocks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijjVQJ74Yp1uJ9ahRwKzg1a1nbBWeZVC7ATlSbhBv8rb0W-nrkS_Gonoi0LjuF4xWF_EfaKwqpWLqlkDNDxVRjveGlDssm3NQo6bvSJafFukykDliL2AK3926IbZQPxRfPAW3cw/s200/diversity_rocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286804031336030498" border="0" /></a>Ali, over at the blog <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/">Diversity Rocks! </a>is organizing a <a href="http://diversebooks.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-diversity-rocks-challenge.html">challenge</a> to encourage us to diversify our reading this year. The idea is to have a more rounded portfolio of books by reading authors whose culture, ethnicity, or nationality are different from ours. I am not one for joining challenges, but I am <span style="font-style: italic;">always</span> up for learning, reading new authors, and <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2009/01/next-chapter-2009-arrives.html">being inspired</a>, so I'm going to try this. Look for my challenge list (I'm going to commit to 6 books) in the next few days.<br /><br />If you're not interested in challenges but want to "do more" with your reading and/or try your hand at blogging about books this year, head over to the <a href="http://wellreadladies.blogspot.com/">Well-Read Ladies</a> blog. In December, Jill Tullo of the <a href="http://wellreadchild.blogspot.com/">Well-Read Child</a> created the Well-Read Ladies book club as a tribute to her aunt. Here is a link to <a href="http://wellreadladies.blogspot.com/2008/12/about-this-blog.html">book club's inspiration</a> and her ideas for this virtual conversation.<br /><br />I feel like I'm forgetting one other item. When I think of it, I'll sneak back in the office!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-17900995899869498122009-01-01T12:00:00.002-05:002009-01-01T12:08:48.515-05:00The Next Chapter: 2009 Arrives<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy New Year!<br /></span></div><br />Things have been quiet here ... on purpose. We hope you had a great, restful holiday. With Christmas behind us, it's time to close the book on 2008 and begin to write 2009. A friend sent an email from China, with a photo of fireworks and this quote, which I think is particularly apropos for this year.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the </span><span style="font-style: italic;">new</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">year</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old </span><span style="font-style: italic;">year</span> leaves.”<br /><br />I always love the "lull" between the last two holidays of the year because there is time to reflect on the good stuff and draw on that energy to start planning for the new year. As I sit here staring at the white board with the list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2008, I realize that some things don't change with time. Some goals -- like secure an endowment for community literacy work -- are constants. Like all "good goals" they have target dates. Like all things in this economy, the funding dwindles and the goal gets pushed back. Even knowing that, the questions begin: What is working (and what didn't)? What can we do that's new/cool/better than last year? What direction do we want to go in the Tub? Can we get there in 12 months?<br /><br />In creating my plan for this year, I'm taking a cue from my white board. Keep it modest and reasonable. Add a little "push," but don't think too grandly. Over the past few days I've been reading year-end wrap-ups and some really neat ideas and cool goals [check out <a href="http://www.leewind.org/2008/12/happy-holidays-and-happy-new-year-2009.html">Lee Wind's plan </a>for the year ahead], and I admit to feeling the "pressure" to do more. So far, on Day 1, I'm resisting. We are going to commit to doing a few things well. There are fewer "start-up" projects and more focus on a couple of timeless objectives. So here goes ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Launch Read it Together</span>. This is our project to distribute books for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers via pediatricians and family services organizations. The books (and a 1-page reading guide) will be given to local families who are under-served because they are uninsured or under-insured. We have more than 300 books. The goal is to find a sponsor to push fund from 75% to 100% to get the Reading Guide written and translated into Spanish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Turn 12 struggling readers into inspired readers.</span> A few weeks ago, I wrote <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/12/words-that-make-me-dance.html">this post</a> about a student who didn't like to read but who connected with a book and liked it. It is small, but it's a start. If a student realizes s/he can connect with one book, the spark is there to encourage them to try another. We distribute lots of books as part of our school-based literacy project, but we don't often get comments about how a book changed a reader's thinking. For 2009, I want to see if we can't repeat this a few more times.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eliminate the term "Reluctant Reader."</span> </span>If you've ever read the <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/2008/02/">Book Whisperer's byline</a>, you know she prefers the term "dormant readers" to "reluctant readers." I like the idea of creating nomenclature that takes the glass-half-empty definition (reluctant) to something that is more positive. I don't know what that is, and it won't be my idea, but I want to try.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Participate in Kidlitosphere 2009.</span> This goal has actually been on my board since September. There is no International Reading Association conference for us this year, and BookExpo America is a maybe. But being part of the kidlitosphere this past year has created wonderful opportunities for us, and I want to <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> be able to say thank you (and learn more) in person.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Build on what I Learned about blogging and book reviews in 2008</span> As the reader grew, so did my opportunities to practice and hone my skills. There were two biggies: the <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/2008/11/comment-challenge-participants.html">Comment Challenge</a> <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/">MotherReader</a> and <a href="http://www.leewind.org/">Lee Wind </a>sponsored and being a panelist for the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008-easy-readers-finalists.html">Cybils inaugural Easy Reader</a> category come to mind. But there were other virtual events, like participating in and <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/03/march-carnival-of-childrens-literature.html">hosting</a> the Carnival of Children's literature, the <a href="http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/">My Friend Amy's</a> campaign to <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-monday.html">Buy Books for the Holidays</a> and the post for the <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/search?q=nightstand">What's On Your Nightstand Carnival</a> (<a href="http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/">5 Minutes for Books</a>). For the coming year, I am going to thin the book bags and write more individual posts with reviews.<br /><br />That last goal plays well into my final one: I want to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">be inspired</span>. I love thoughtful prose and incredible art. I hope to discover, hear, and read things that open my heart and mind, show me new ways of looking or thinking about things, and leave me wanting more. Technically that's not a goal because it is not specific (you never know how/when it strikes ... you just <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span>) and it doesn't have a deadline.<br /><br />As we open the book on 2009, we are excited about what happens next. Over the next few days, it will be fun to read about your plans for reading, writing, and sharing a great book. Can you leave us a sneak peak in the comments or add to our Mr. Linky?<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/easylink.php?owner=ReadingTub&postid=01Jan2009&meme=692"></script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-63966861158787534532008-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:002008-12-20T06:00:01.046-05:00Happy Holidays<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"><tr><td><a href="http://smilebox.com/play/4e6a41334d6a41344f413d3d0d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link&blogview=true" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="303" alt="Click to play Greetings from the Tub" src="http://smilebox.com/snap/4e6a41334d6a41344f413d3d0d0a.jpg" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/?partner=smilebox&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank"><img width="386" height="46" alt="Create your own greeting - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" style="border: medium none ;"/></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.smilebox.com/ecards" target="_blank">Make a Smilebox greeting</a></td></tr></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-43026619317120922282008-12-19T12:36:00.003-05:002008-12-19T13:15:13.593-05:00Greetings from 'Hoo-villeThis morning I had the pleasure of enjoying Dr. Seuss' <span style="font-style: italic;">How the Grinch Stole Christmas</span> at my daughter's school. It was a one-woman rendition (technically two: the gym teacher played the role of Little CindyLou Who) for all of the K/1 classes (there are eight!). <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375838473?ie=UTF8&tag=thereadingt0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0375838473"><img src="http://www.thereadingtub.com/bookcovers/grinch.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />For 30 minutes, all the 'Hoos here in Hooville, "the tall and the small," made not a sound as they watched poetry in motion. There was nary a wiggle or sound, except to remind Ms. Maylee that you don't stand on chairs (it was the Grinch's sleigh). No doubt the kids were familiar with the story, either reading the book at home or watching the TV program. Still, every one of them paid close attention. Watching the performance reminded me how powerful reading out loud can be ... even when it's something they have heard hundreds of times.<br /><br />If you don't have a copy handy, you'll find the <a href="http://www.christmas-poems.com/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.htm">complete text</a> of <span style="font-style: italic;">How the Grinch Stole Christmas </span>and other great seasonal stories and poems to read aloud at <a href="http://www.christmas-poems.com">christmaspoems.com</a>. Be creative ... make the pictures come to life with your own homemade props. Here's what Ms. Maylee had: a pair of stuffed heart pillows (you can make two from paper), some empty sacs, a stuffed dog with a twig tied to his head, some string for reins, a chair for a sled, torn paper for snowflakes, and Santa hat. Let your audience be Little CindyLou Who.<br /><br />You might also check out the <a href="http://www.seussville.com/grinch/home.html">Grinch's page in Seussville</a>. You'll find plenty of Grinchy-activities. Also be sure to stop by <a target="_blank" href="http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2008/12/welcome-poetry-friday.html">Author Amok</a> for this week's Poetry Friday round-up. You'll find great seasonal selections there, as well.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-32700606546680423072008-12-17T14:23:00.001-05:002008-12-17T14:26:47.389-05:00The December Carnival of Children's LiteratureThere are lots of countdowns and wrap-ups this time of year, and Jen Robinson has rounded up a collection of the kidlit bloggers best posts for the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5h9pzl">December Carnival of Children's Literature</a>.<br /><br />Grab some cocoa (maybe a cookie or two) and settle in for some wonderful reading. While you're there, wish Jen a happy third blogiversary!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-80785597249428317272008-12-12T13:57:00.002-05:002008-12-12T14:08:53.891-05:00Words That Make Me DanceI have been spending the afternoon getting book reviews loaded onto the website. We always include the target audience in our reviews, but these are reviews from our toughest audience: kids who don't like to read. <br /><br />The group I'm working on today were written by high school readers-in-need who are reading at an upper elementary level. These students have done a wonderful job, no doubt through the dedication of their teacher. I can't imagine her joy when she read this student's answer to the question about whether s/he would buy, borrow, or skip this book.<br /><br />"I would buy this book because I really don't like reading but this book helped me out a lot. I forced myself to read, and as I read the book, I started to like it and I thought to myself it ain't nothing wrong with this book and I liked it and I understand that book a lot better than the ones I've been reading."<br /><br />Awesome.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-79901059001495146432008-12-10T09:25:00.000-05:002008-12-10T10:36:33.897-05:00Books 2008: A Gift for the Ages (Updated - 10 December)As mentioned previously in lots of places, Colleen Mondor (<a href="http://www.chasingray.com/">Chasing Ray</a>) has expanded her annual 12 Days of Book Recommendations into a Holiday Open House for book bloggers. She will be <a href="http://www.chasingray.com/archives/2008/12/book_recommendations_for_holid.html">updating this post </a>with recommendations for the first 12 days of December.<br /><br />We have been invited to offer our suggestions for gift books that go beyond the "best of" lists. Our goal is to help you discover a book that will have meaning for the person you're giving it to. Among all the recommendations, you're likely to learn about book that match the interests of your recipient.<br /><br />Reading is a gift that lasts a lifetime. It begins with sharing simple stories sitting with a child on your lap and grows to your child filling the chair by himself and reading independently. With that journey in mind, each of our "days" is going to represented by the age of the intended audience.<br /><br />We 'll get you started with infant to age 3 and add a few more each day. These are books meant to share together.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age (0 to) 1</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Baby Gym series</span> illustrated by Sanja Rescak.<a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1442"> Bounce and Jiggle</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1443">Touch and Tickle</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1445">Wiggle and Move</a>. (Child's Play, 2008)<br /><ul><li>These are sturdy board books with nursery rhymes and songs. Parent activity ideas (simple instructions) complement each poem to encourage an infant's movement with the rhyme.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>These books are great tools for a first-time parent learning how to interact with an infant at a stage in the child's life where rhythm, limb movement, and eye contact are critical for brain development.</li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 2</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dr. Hippo Books</span> written by Charlotte Cowen, MD, illustrated by Susan Banta. <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1048">The Little Elephant with t he Big Earache</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1163">Peeper has a Fever</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1162">Katie Caught a Cold</a>, and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1161">Sadie's Sore Throat</a> (Hippocratic Press, various dates)<br /><ul><li>When the animal kids get sick, they need to visit Dr. Hippo. He has just the right advice for their fever, a cold, an earache, and a sore throat. These books are designed to explain sickness to kids and give real advice to parents. Every book comes with a handy pullout card in the back.</li><li><span>These stories are the equivalent of comfort food for sick little ones and would be handy for parents-to-be to have at the ready.</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Age 3</span> - <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/print_book_review.asp?id=1009">Alphabet Book (Usborne Barnyard Tales)</a> written by Heather Amery, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright (Usborne Publishing, 1998)<br /><ul><li>This is an interactive way to help kids learn their ABCs. There is a seek-and-find element for each letter of the alphabet.</li><li>If your child isn't ready (or interested) in learning the alphabet, the action-filled illustration will keep them interested in exploring the book. Reading doesn't always have to be about words.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Age 4</span> - <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=717">Shelby</a> written by Stacy A. Nyikos, illustrated by Shawn N. Sisneros (Stonehorse Publishing, LLC, 2006)<br /><ul><li>Shelby is a lemon shark who is timid. She's trying to find courage to help her friends. This is an excellent read-alike for kids familiar with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rainbow Fish.</span></li><li>The story offers preschoolers a nice lesson, without browbeating them or talking down to them with silly names. You won't hear "Shelby the Shark."<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Age 5</span> - <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=912">Noises at Night</a> written by Beth Raisner Glass and Susan Lubner, illustrated by Bruce Whatley (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2005)<br /><ul><li>Kids who are afraid of the dark will enjoy listening to this sing-song, rhyming story.</li><li>Page by page, the sounds of night are demystified ... inviting a good night's sleep and happy dreams.<br /></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 6</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mercy Watson series</span> written by Kate Di Camillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick Press, various): <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1056">Mercy Watson Fights Crime</a>, Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1055">Mercy Watson to the Rescue</a>, and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1054">Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride</a>.<br /><ul><li>These are illustrated stories heavy on illustrations, light on text. They are great books to get kids ready to read and transition to longer stories.</li><li>The stories offer humor, a fun twist, and great illustrations meant to be explored.<br /></li><li>Simple text make these fun to read together, particularly as partners. Because there is a lot of dialogue, readers can take "parts."<br /></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 7</span> - <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1563">I Love My New Toy (An Elephant and Piggy Book)</a> written and illustrated by Mo Willems. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> (Hyperion Books for Children, 2008)<br /><ul><li>This easy reader series will encourage emergent (kindergarten) and early (first grade) readers.</li><li>Elephant and Piggy share fun, humor, and work through the ups and downs of friendship.</li><li>The text is written in different colors and font sizes to help readers add emotion to their reading and allow you to share roles.<br /></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 8 </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></span>- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Humpty Dumpty Jr., Hard-boiled Detective</span> series written by Nate Evans and Paul Hindman, illustrated by Vince Evans and Nate Evans (Jabberwocky, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., 2008): <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1522">The Case of the Fiendish Flapjack Flop</a> and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1523">The Mystery of Merlin and the Gruesome Ghost</a>.<br /><ul><li>These transitional readers are lightly illustrated ... perfect for kids not ready to read "real" chapter books. It is a good first choice for someone who is ready to be an independent reader.<br /></li><li>The writing is crisp and clever. There are plenty of egg puns, sure to induce laughter in parents and kids.<br /></li><li>The story moves fast, so it can be shared chapter-by-chapter or all at once.</li></ul><span style="font-style: italic;">Even as kids become independent readers, they still enjoy -- and benefit from -- books that are read aloud. The titles in this last group are books that can be read independently or shared. We have selected books that everyone can enjoy, so they don't break down as "boy books" or "girl books."<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Age 9</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Notherland Trilogy</span>, written by Kathleen McDonnell (Second Story Press, various): <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5mn2gb">The Nordlings</a>, The<a href="http://tinyurl.com/5jutgc"> Shining World</a>, and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1459">The Songweavers</a>.<br /><ul><li>This is a wholesome, fantasy adventure trilogy for readers 9 to 12. The reading level (as evaluated for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Songweavers</span>) is 4.1.<br /></li><li>Peggy is a 15-year-old girl who, while dealing with a variety of teenage issues, is drawn back into an imaginary world she had created as a child. The story is a metaphor for tweens who are trying to let go of "little kid" stuff and yet aren't sure about "big kid" stuff.</li><li>Although the protagonist is a girl, the events that transpire are gender-neutral. The story is largely plot-driven, making it appealing to boys.<br /></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 10 </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-</span></span> <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1222">The Gollywhopper Games</a> written by Jody Feldman, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson (Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2008)<br /><ul><li>This is an illustrated chapter book that lets the reader participate in the puzzles the main character (Gil) solves. The reading level is 5.2.<br /></li><li>Gil Goodson (12) has been training for a year to enter the "Mind and Muscle" competition sponsored by the Golly Toy and Game Company. He has very strong feelings about this year's event, and he is determined to win so his family can move.<br /></li><li>This book is a compendium of creative and out-of-the-box problem-solving challenges. It will spark a lot of interest in finding alternative solutions to problems.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Age 11</span> - <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1219">The Dragon's Child</a> written by Laurence Yep with Dr. Kathleen S. Yep (HarperCollins Publishers, 2008).<br /><ul><li>This is a novel for pre-teens and teens. The reading level is 5.9.</li><li>The story, set in 1922, focuses on the life of Gim Yew Lep and his family, who are emigrating from China to California. The immigration process is rigorous, and because Gim stutters and is left-handed, it will be particularly difficult for him. If Gim Lew cannot pass the test, he will be sent back to China.<br /></li><li>This is a powerful story with solid characters and a strong plot. Even though this story is set 1922, it has relevance today as it recounts the effort, danger, courage, and heartbreak that immigrants experience as they try to provide a better life for themselves and their children.</li></ul><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Age 12 (and up)</span> - The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Galahad series</span> by Dom Testa (Profound Impact Group, various): <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=574">The Comet's Curse</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1095">The Web of Titan</a>, and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1096">The Cassini Code</a>.<br /><ul><li>This is a science fiction adventure series. The crew of the spaceship is a group of teens, with personalities their peers will relate to.</li><li>A comet contaminates the earth beyond habitation. As a result, 251 teens (with the help of a computer) are forced into space. As the teens explore space, there are external forces that could rocket them to oblivion, as well as the internal issues that come with leadership and teamwork.</li><li>This is a wholesome series, and the characters are responsible and capable young people, "not Brittanys or Jasons."</li></ul>We wish you a wonderful holiday ... and all thegreat memories that come with sharing a book.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-17675073975850792152008-12-05T08:01:00.002-05:002008-12-05T08:01:00.067-05:00The Book Bag, Books for Ages 9 to 12 (November/December 2008)The middle-grade audience is probably one of the toughest for writers. These are savvy readers ... they can see through junk easily, and won't waste time if they don't connect to a story quickly. This is also the audience that is most likely to be pulled away from reading as something fun to do. So when our reviewers came back with "wow, this is really good," they made my day.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Click the book's title to visit our website and get more details. Click the cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earni</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >ngs from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6xkuvw"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 73px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcur5EPpDm_bd8R1zN-VTvcKuIjd_amcH1ATFs2eanLgY6kJjgu-FwCEIUY4ca04cHtfOf2kFDqtzt_-KDCJu-EDrm0I2Cp7xnhx1avLdOQzxRw5VabUrV8lIClsuN1r7tp1Uu-w/s200/football_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274902362328886018" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1291">Football Hero</a> by Tim Green Ty Lewis is a 12-year-old whose parents were recently killed in an auto accident. Ty's brother, Thane “Tiger” Lewis, is getting ready to graduate from Syracuse University. He also expects to be a first round draft choice of the NY Jets. Ty's Uncle Gus believes he's entitled to Tiger's signing bonus; but Uncle Gus is involved in activities that could ruin Tiger's career. Is there anything Ty can do? "There are several themes that complement the narrative: importance of family; the phenomena of bullying; friendship; responsibility for one’s actions; and being true to your self. There is much more than a good story between the covers of this book." (HarperCollins, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 5.0</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6n457a"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtU7RnoW2_xdB82bOoBMhPF_cC3j_hxsYQEFGJkzZVlESgfbMo0DlZ385-y87HdawFzx8z_xGMPrn8fbQjarXEYYNrzKKgKj5Ka8Bo4J1dpagGncJUgkj-5a5Lc2vU7Zkx5c99w/s200/ghost_files.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274902357918944674" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1475">Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth</a> by Eugene Yelchin and Mary Kuryla. If you are into apparitions, ghosts, spirits, haunted houses, and the like, this is the book for you. It is the most thorough and up-to-date resource on paranormal phenomena available on the planet. "When I first saw <i>Ghost Files </i>I wasn't impressed. Once I opened the book and saw all of the cut-sheets, envelopes, folding notes, diary sheets, etc., it became a piece of art as well as a tongue-in-cheek encyclopaedia of spooky stuff. It is exceptionally well written and superbly illustrated. " This book has potential as a book that reluctant readers would be interested in. (HarperCollins, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level - not determined</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6jqodv"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 73px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMeeFAXSBMukjRtRoEJoZPszYXZcOekpwm1xiIYoRmyQMJ6gdHHMyzvA6C5odRzUNgadd_eWJyfR9Owli6dA60otdQaiT3EC8H0r17ib5ghmQIjw_ztxmK9yv6Jt71fJLv9yYpQ/s200/sparrow_delaney.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274902360186524146" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1552">The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney</a> by Suzanne Harper. Sparrow Delaney is happy to be at a new school, away from Lily Dale and her eccentric family of spiritualists. Try as she might to hide her talents, fate - and her spirit guides - have other plans. Sparrow is about to learn that running away won't make things <span style="font-style: italic;">go</span> away. "Teens will enjoy this fast-moving, humorous look at life as a high school sophomore. Spiritualism is really just an element that strings together a group of great characters. This book has great potential as a high interest/low readability title." (Greenwillow, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 5.7</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6lxsck"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 74px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXVCgE_outO2KtSYAtJy7UPcmo2u7vGjBqGP643jXYNg0zkQAijI6sFH-LexX3F2CaQOqpu6WfUvCnSKJ3Xl1B0t8TGRmRlK4WaA2_9pys9VrXVHK-ZdPkdfdSSg8vHKccB8F0w/s200/so_far_from_bamboo_grove.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275266833709934482" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1465">So Far from the Bamboo Grove</a> by Yoko Kawashima Watkins. Eleven-year-old Yoko Kawashima and her family live in Japenese-occupied Korea. World War II has ended, and the Japnese army has left. They miraculously escape from Korea, only to find their homeland totally devastated and their family, friends, and neighbors suspicious and wary of them. This is an historical fiction recounting of the author's life experiences. "This is a terrific story. It highlights some of the most horrible attributes of war and man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. At the same time, it demonstrates the impact that simple works of human kindness have in helping people successfully cope with challenge." This is a book that has potential as a high interest/low readability title. (HarperTrophy, 1986) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 5.8</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s1600-h/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s200/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275255793575418962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >JUST ONE MORE BOOK </span><span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Learn about some great books to share with your kids at JOMB. Andrea and Mark have started adding video to some of their reviews. This video review of <a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2008/11/21/everybody-got-their-somethin-bird/">Bird </a>by Zetta Elliott is just amazing.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><a title="The Lamp, the Ice and the Boat Called Fish" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/?p=437" target="_blank"> The Lamp, the Ice and the Boat Called Fish</a> written by Jacqueline Briggs, illustrated by Shadra Strickland. "Soothing speculation, striking details and spellbinding scratchboard art present a gripping account of <a href="http://www.flankerpress.com/karluk_excerpt.shtml" target="_blank" title="The Karluk's Last Voyage">The Karluk</a>’s last icy voyage and the strength and resourcefulness that beat all odds." (Lee & Low Books, 2008)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-61950806011937399282008-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:002008-12-05T08:00:00.476-05:00Reading Ahead - Books for Ages 9 to 12 (September/October 2008Books for this age group cover the waterfront not only for subjects but also in readability. Some kids in this range still prefer picture books, but they need more sophisticated content. Some are ready for full-length stories that verge on YA. Thankfully, authors and publishers cover the whole range. Here are a few things that we're looking forward to reading over the winter.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Click the book's title to visit our website and get more details. Click the cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=980"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5hn92v"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 58px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fVyqvuepNEdf4Pk6treo4n4OSWxZBTZRSE5jUEM1EgkJ-RhdvY4hRjLt6cYSZPxZbVvBl7jKfv9_-BLADSh3nCXinN3lVzujXHbOilJcqv2xcca-x-AsvuDEJ4qwDL1lIxCI5g/s200/charlemagne.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274900399619712226" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=980">Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad, and the Empires of A.D. 800</a> by Jeff Sypeck. Unless you are in a parochial school or in AP history, this isn't a period of time you know much about. This is a non-fiction book, but it has the look and feel (I skimmed a couple pages) of a novel. The more robust, informative footnotes caught my attention, too. (Ecco, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2007) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level - not yet determined</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5ja5a6"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 57px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByfinvV2Q9cwYfsp1wA6S7xKwLxWCDbbRgkgoR0PglZLyWbs2muMh8I9au9hQgF40tQjnwn7rpanpdlkU7y0NnCFWn7y2r6U5frvZ4pGZ2RXxo7Mm-H4xBFifb_mbd6Z0k9mGJw/s200/little_leap_forward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274896887625827266" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1576">Little Leap Forward, a Boy in Beijing</a> written by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow, illustrated by Helen Cann. I'm sure this book came out in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics, but it just arrived here. This is a middle-grade chapter book set in China during the summer of 1966, and the arrival of the Cultural Revolution. It sounds fascinating. (Barefoot Books, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 5.5</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5ajxsp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 61px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM6ezUku4iCbtdU2N3ul0b1R_NP3T_aH5AI2BAT93bVHx-h_v1JloYDQp1_lp4GRJAmLqbBGVLAA-UE3Zmwu0CXvxP_5dMdw43gOnlSCig4IDY_u2pIjiBpqUwtCIagcVi9dTHA/s200/looking_at_paintings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274896892977365218" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1575">Looking at Paintings: An Introduction to Fine Art for Young Readers</a> by Erika Langmuir. What caught my attention was the effort to connect Mickey Mouse and Goofy to fine art. Thumbing through, various <span style="font-style: italic;">classic </span>Disney characters (not the princesses) introduce kids to the elements of paintings and various media. I particularly like that it's a hand-held book, about the size of an easy reader. (Bunker Hill Publishing, 2002) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 5.7</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6hjb5t"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 53px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrEYJUkiu7H_cTgXBef6YRguelIkAFx8gtuH4U_ZGheOz5hDQevjo_NtQFf8OjYO5QEO0XCZQTbVd52od6Qji9nSVVQ4tr9cJpr0MkkqwoSxlBNKsx8XvrY8f2cWsLEHsIx5eXw/s200/summer_of_cecily.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274896948276658994" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1042">The Summer of Cecily</a> written by Nan Lincoln, illustrated by Walt Smith This is a lightly-illustrated, semi-autobiographical story of a Harbor Seal pup who is orphaned and then rescued by a family in Maine. The author, who was part of the rescue, tells the story. When I hold this book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Trumpet of the Swan</span> comes to mind ... but I don't know why. (Bunker Hill Publishing, 2004) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 4.4</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-51151813401212782852008-12-03T12:01:00.001-05:002008-12-09T15:32:06.797-05:00The Book Bag, Books for Ages 5 to 8 (November/December 2008)We read a lot of books for this audience in November. The majority of them were books for kids learning to read. Rather than repeat those titles here, <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-maybelle-goes-to-tea.html">here is a post</a> with a list of reviewed titles. At the bottom of the post there are links to individual reviews (ours and others). At the end of this post you'll find links to seasonal selections from <a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/">Just One More Book</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click the book's title to read our review. Click the cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6ka5wu"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4Qrg9f-i16xG2G716EbP6hCEZwco18FI4v3VZuQtK-K5zqFnB5guEI1fnoWK2H9aFRraL5kfv72Mn5nCT_4XnF-LvBzYx9W2V5aPHrwxa1nEIzbFFWnUPwy4JktCX2NcFwAgJA/s200/mrs_claus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274895578168834498" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=501">Mrs. Claus Explains It All</a> written by Elsbeth Claus, illustrated by David Wenzel. Mrs. C. has read lots of those letters to Santa, so she thought she could answer some of your questions. "This book offers history, humor, and advice appropriate for the season. Mrs. Claus' answers are well thought out, with direct answers and recommendations. The illustrations are well done, offering never-before-seen images of the North Pole and humor, too." (Sourcebooks, 2008). <span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATED TO CORRECT PUBLISHER.</span><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1240"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM8oeXDzDz-VRudr8pZb0k_kvEJVXTRjAo5sXhy4Ov5tUVHgVLFo7CUcSPAN8frZV8kGMB1pcdI4DXYLReZ1ZXRVCbTlq6p732019Lf19pzXoftw23d2PxSRmmi8tDm0ILFwelQ/s1600-h/one_voice_please.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 59px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM8oeXDzDz-VRudr8pZb0k_kvEJVXTRjAo5sXhy4Ov5tUVHgVLFo7CUcSPAN8frZV8kGMB1pcdI4DXYLReZ1ZXRVCbTlq6p732019Lf19pzXoftw23d2PxSRmmi8tDm0ILFwelQ/s200/one_voice_please.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274888850624094626" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1240">One Voice, Please; Favorite Read-aloud Stories</a> written by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Russell Ayoto. In this collection of 60 stories, you'll find some familiar tales, but plenty of new ones, as well. "<span class="orangeHeaders"> </span>In reading these stories, it is easy to see that the author understands that kids find fables and zany stories interesting and amusing. He gives them an opportunity to laugh and learn." (Candlewick Press, 2008)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVHi-5Z47jGlA0RQSRXMqhrJ9OXjUvI6Owg9MSawh13dF6clpghH8VX_NPm2mD5YFXia8s4WsGg0nj1k6aI43wQlxaurepbRLvKd6Wl_V8kSS4l1Il6U7VKvRNf1_ojJgY-LpMw/s1600-h/hooray_fly_guy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 67px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVHi-5Z47jGlA0RQSRXMqhrJ9OXjUvI6Owg9MSawh13dF6clpghH8VX_NPm2mD5YFXia8s4WsGg0nj1k6aI43wQlxaurepbRLvKd6Wl_V8kSS4l1Il6U7VKvRNf1_ojJgY-LpMw/s200/hooray_fly_guy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274888858110974754" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=518">Hooray for Fly Guy!</a> written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold. When one of the players on Buzz' football team gets hurt, Fly Guy gets called off the bench. Can a fly really help the Go-Getters win the game? This is the newest title in the Fly Guy series of easy readers. "The Fly Guy books are fun, creative stories. They are simply told but still have plenty of action and a clever twist. There is enough word play to entertain parents, even through multiple readings." (Cartwheel Books, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading level: .2</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsXHbkWSp57mq7uWVhRclBqukVSAQqw8OkgtHj6TnXWwPl8xa1aQQTTTZO_IH_79BlQIecbBN7yJqVozKFSq4cCeyl-867-fGGyqY0UhT5NR2GCyZXPywNtuFZ0T6MxKh_0ptwg/s1600-h/penguin_story.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsXHbkWSp57mq7uWVhRclBqukVSAQqw8OkgtHj6TnXWwPl8xa1aQQTTTZO_IH_79BlQIecbBN7yJqVozKFSq4cCeyl-867-fGGyqY0UhT5NR2GCyZXPywNtuFZ0T6MxKh_0ptwg/s200/penguin_story.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274888870273513410" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1530">A Penguin Story</a> written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis. Edna is a penguin who is convinced that there is more to the world than black, white, and blue. So she heads off in search of something more. "This is a well-illustrated, well told story. On the surface this looks like a book about finding other colors, but it is much more. It's about curiosity and exploring your world. I hope there is a sequel." (HarperCollins, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading level 1.2 </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE2DBMCZUo9UXwoGZ7ORVFfN3NpYNi4ou3jRl3fRnRYA-5AUY9uL4HzYiv8ZmYqO8kZR4TYHRNuOhyphenhyphenSyBNLL3xdJEc8TDLesRKsAmlGJD3XPj7ucWdJSZIrxGgYk89MMr8jg5ug/s1600-h/met_moose_in_maine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE2DBMCZUo9UXwoGZ7ORVFfN3NpYNi4ou3jRl3fRnRYA-5AUY9uL4HzYiv8ZmYqO8kZR4TYHRNuOhyphenhyphenSyBNLL3xdJEc8TDLesRKsAmlGJD3XPj7ucWdJSZIrxGgYk89MMr8jg5ug/s200/met_moose_in_maine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274888859972429794" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/print_book_review.asp?id=1449">I Met a Moose in Maine One Day</a> written by Ed Shankman, illustrated by Dave O'Neill. A young boy meets a moose in his home in Maine. Together, they have fun exploring local sights and tastes. Along the way, they become great friends. This rhyming picture book takes kids on a tour of Maine. "Our son absolutely loved this book. It was fun, funny and full of illustrations to explore. He loved it when the moose put on sunglasses and started dancing. This is a super-fun story." (Commonwealth Editions, 2008)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s1600-h/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s200/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275255793575418962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >JUST ONE MORE BOOK </span><span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">If you haven't visited JOMB lately, then you're missing out on some great reviews. Andrea and Mark have started adding video to some of their reviews ... just awesome. Check out the video review of <a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2008/11/28/a-soothing-celebration-snow/">Snow</a> by Cynthia Rylant.</span><br /><br /><br /></span><a title="Meteorological Madness: The Snow Show with Chef Kelvin" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2008/11/22/meteorological-madness-the-snow-show-with-chef-kelvin/" target="_blank">The Snow Show — with Chef Kelvin</a> written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher. "Hoopla, bloopers and the rantings of temperamental talent turn a lesson in the science of snow into a boisterous blast of behind-the-scenes TV-making lunacy — who knew deposition, sublimation, sectored plates and radiating dendrites could be so much fun?" (Harcourt, 2008)<br /><br /><a title="Jeers, Cheers and Jeera: Treasure For Lunch" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2008/10/29/jeers-cheers-and-jeera-treasure-for-lunch/" target="_blank">Treasure for Lunch</a> written by Shenaaz Nanji, illustrated by Yvonne Cathcart. "Bhajias, samosas and imaginative snowy play are front and centre in this appetizing tale of friendship, acceptance and the perceived risk of being seen as different." (Second Story Press, 2000)<br /><br /><a title="Enkindling Generosity: Wenceslas" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/12/14/enkindling-generosity-wenceslas/" target="_blank">Wenceslas</a> written by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Christian Birmingham. "Richly retold with storytelling flair and depicted by enveloping impressionist artwork, the traditional carol gains depth and suspense in this inspiring demonstration of benevolence and backbone." (Random House, 2005)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-92125952784086441942008-12-03T12:00:00.000-05:002008-12-03T12:00:00.762-05:00Reading Ahead - Books for Ages 5 to 8 (November/December 2008)The bulk of our new books these past two months have been seasonal titles for the holidays. Now that we have reviewed them, we're looking forward to some of the others. Here are three that are resting near the top.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click the book's title to visit our website and get more details. Click the cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/6acewt"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 72px; height: 72px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyX5CUF-Ve2Bjx3qJDqn-jc4QLYZJG4Anmzkw-bEgyYUUgPD5gZdoG4A1-XLZCSNyXhO2aHeRVIBU70ISY6aj84GUfADCic_XISaix_sZInXwGzwql3ThYWyy1qO9GmK7Gt2btw/s200/mama_panya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272310328191772034" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1581">Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya</a> written by Mary and Rich Chamberlain, illustrated by Julia Cairns. The illustrations in this book are wonderful. I haven't read a word, but have spent some time just flipping through the pages to explore the colorful images. (Barefoot Books, 2005) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading level 3.8</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5vpg6k"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 54px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiFXizmcAh6HaMt3XiOka70ERLkTinT5ib1xdgGNX1DJEsTG5ChGbzCNAWa2R-wHtE4lXgcvb6__ykx0tZsYgcWE8fp_JjDKydDvdX2SCq-_L9Co8Tv37HvaqBLBMV-aSuh-0rQ/s200/bugged.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272306372860183458" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1578">Bugged! (Science Solves It)</a> written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Blance Sims. This is an easy reader (Flesch-Kincaid 2.1). It's classified as fiction, but it's part of the "Science Solves It" series, which gets kids interested in thinking, too. I'm hoping to find an answer that puts an end to my days as a mosquito magnet. (Kane Press, Inc., 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 2.1</span><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=198"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6bve45"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 76px; height: 53px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FU0Fm4sAHJqU_cSLQFJjJLntOI9rZhsHjXjNgeRmQRjR_p25lvO31xmzoE_CPLaRvAZHCKcc_mBJ2cmRD_Sdb8AmGB3LIXwzMrwlFlyeLForMseejuW0x9KGRIgc5zJRs09bfg/s200/jack_and_the_box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274882476508949362" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=198">J</a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=198">ack and the Box</a> written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman. Bright colors, repetitive text and linear comic strip illustrations caught our eye. This is designed to be an early reader graphic novel. (Little Lit Library, a Division of RAW Junior, LLC, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading level .9</span><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=625"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5h6vpj"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 62px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCFm0G_-6EekyMte9HMQKLY5gbDxFUCqjVwz7MDgkVkyLB_xhDQFDm1kRl_qz-M9OgIp_A3TkNd4bIRaR59P0WGyu-rZXC58BIhrvmPNtVFHUSaAs1jdUmdULpJ_ar7ynbQbzhA/s200/mo_jo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274882717498586674" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=625">Mo and Jo; Fighting Together Forever </a>written and illustrated by Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch . This is an early reader graphic novel that introduces chapters. Mo and Jo are fighting siblings who need to work togethr to fight crime. (Little Lit Library, a Division of RAW Junior, LLC, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level .7</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5n5u7y"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNAMhNDtJHDl91TQC5eraTXrlkZb2YnV7_EXIqkhZWhgYQ7iWV6nWvirto5mo-Tk1gKkrEShTxQjErD0O8IcyubbpbGvMpD-R7ds2oNHMZryZSIYGktu8iniDg4Z3dBluXloASQ/s200/nanuq.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272306383437443874" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=930">Nanuq: A Baby Polar Bear's Story</a> written by Kathleen Duey, illustrated by Lara Gurin. It's hard to classify this book. It is a picture book, but it's also an easy reader (2.8 Flesch-Kincaid readability). Like Bugged! It is listed with fiction, but the story itself seems to offer lots of factual detail about a polar bear's life. It comes with a CD, which makes it attractive for pre-readers and emerging readers. (Smart Kids Publishing, Inc., 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 2.8</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-91585958960855151732008-12-03T06:00:00.001-05:002008-12-03T06:00:00.174-05:00The Book Bag, Books for Ages 0 to 4 (November/December 2008)Because books make such a wonderful holiday gift, we wanted to make sure that we published our Book Bags in time for you to select stories that kids are sure to love. Here are some of the fun infant and toddler stories we've read recently. Our thanks to Andrea and Mark of <a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/">Just One More Book</a> for their podcast reviews of seasonal titles.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Click the book's title to read our review. Click the cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/62pp49"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 69px; height: 79px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EuF5L4EyG9r6GuIrj3qaL8hVoB2OUxdEl86SXaKRRkTzCQfU3NxEBYxs1-FocrfHivoV4QrhmKeRIUH5bberU2MIwmcEsC4Nh0T5DwJY19aVek65AEHlboF8r9gQnyXdhgBBmw/s200/animal_exercises.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274863356640388674" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1437">Animal Exercises - Poems to Keep Fit</a> written by Mandy Ross and illustrated by Sanja Rescek. Get kids moving with these poems that take an animal's movement to create an exercise. "You'll find four great things in this book: sweet illustrations, fun movement, inspiring vocabulary, and a wide variety of animals." (Child's Play, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 2.1</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6pz39a"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1z0TALsIn9flkM3_PlMgeIoidKtMK15bFJDsOhQfInrHPbfIB2TwYZVDUNzNmYPd_-SQJs-8WTbAuU5nMyZMXI5qcM_panu8uohZeavPh8OvcwHeZ4gz6Z_UcUdJJ3mn9ta79Q/s200/animals_sleeping.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274863356762829826" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1182">Animals are Sleeping</a> written by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Gary R. Phillips. This is a picture book with gorgeous illustrations of a variety of animals sleeping in their natural habitats. You'll learn about animals that sleep standing up, upside down, underwater, and more. This rhyming picture book shows all types of animals and where they sleep. "Gorgeous pictures and wonderful depictions of animals make this a sweet book to read just before bed. The illustrations are almost frame-able." (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 1.6</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6hfsx5"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3flKwtcdt8n0IaGMcWsBybkEn3k7c8Cvvnf0X7bqhgYC-cBTjdvXo3sLnLsAaUU4RAHoOjQKkDOdG8CIzLWztB3pFyzVu4MkmmtKFqmcb8D2QnnhdhDbot2NhrmusNUNa3k6Xtw/s200/bounce_and_jiggle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274863355435678082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Baby Gym Series:</span><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1442"> Bounce & Jiggle</a> and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1445">Wiggle & Move</a> illustrated by Sanja Rescek "Stimulation is a key learning element for young infants. I love the rhymes and interactive play in this book. I would LOVE it for a new parent. The sturdy pages are designed to handle lots of reading. The colorful illustrations and interactive rhymes encourage 'hands-on' reading." <span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Our reviewer also recommended these as good titles for a grandparent to refresh their memories on interactive reading. </span>(Child's Play, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 3.8 (high due to parental instructions attached to rhymes).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5z29en"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw79Niq2PyquBIG-XwnRw8k8L08xKZBc7VE11d-eu7h6UxO-wxzPfqqE65Vfqo8pD9XGzZLNQ-Dd7aL6PLaAzOxvwYT7oPROV9xDfa1wMFo-XBNqtipmSq_krJg3di1os_5SlRoQ/s200/more_than_rainbows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274863367663726690" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1574">I Love You More than Rainbows</a> by Susan E. Crites, illustrated by Mark Jarman and Rosemary Jarman. This colorful picture book opens with the first of many answers to a child's never-ending search for the answer to the question "how much do you love me?" Throughout the book, the narrator explains how she (or he) loves the children in their life. "This is an over-sized picture book, and the children on the pages are larger-than-life, just like the love that is described in words. There are no adults in the pictures. This is a book to be shared with a child; there is nothing to indicate that it is a parent-child relationship." (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 1.6<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s1600-h/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-D44raPkVj-NCr7kzJHVrzyN1Onf65fZCONozvwX-_47HXm8TYfnHH3_iuu74kQaORxWVynDrfb4l-PrzaQ98haVstQG_hikj55uxlo4bRg69qZ37DDc0GifgoP6p5He9U5A8g/s200/JOMB_logo_feed_120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275255793575418962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >JUST ONE MORE BOOK </span><span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;">If you haven't visited JOMB lately, then you're missing out on some great reviews. Andrea and Mark have started adding video to their reviews ... just awesome. We've added a note for podcast reviews that also include video.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/11/24/of-siblings-and-solitude-cuddly-dudley/">Cuddly Dudley</a> written and illustrated by Jez Alborough. "</span>A determined crowd of affectionate penguins, acres of cartoon ice floes and a healthy balance of group hugging and irritation make this slapstick story of sibling saturation a huge hit with the preschool crowd." (Candlewick Press, 1995)<br /><br /><a title="Complete Craziness: Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears" href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/01/10/complete-craziness-irving-and-muktuk-two-bad-bears/" target="_blank">Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears</a> written by Daniel Manus Pinkwater, illustrated byJill Pinkwater. "Chucked full of colour, wacky wording and two bad bears bent on blueberry muffins, this crazy book is wacky, arctic fun." (Houghton Mifflin, 2003)<br /><br /><span><a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/08/24/generosity-and-the-great-one-the-magic-hockey-stick/">The Magic Hockey Stick</a> written by Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas, illustrated by</span><span>Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas</span><span>. "</span>Ok, maybe we like this book more than our girls do. Without a single <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Gretzky" title="Wayne Gretzky" target="_blank">hockey</a>-loving bone in our all-Canadian bodies we still can’t help swelling up with some huge, undefined emotion when we read this book. Oh, and our girls enjoy it too." <span> (Which Books, 2001)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2008/11/28/a-soothing-celebration-snow/">Snow</a> written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer "</span>Welcoming snowscapes, glowing orange coziness and carefully, crafted verse capture our very personal yet wonderfully universal relationship with snow in this exquisite reflection on the fleeting sweetness of life." <span>(Harcourt, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">with video review </span><span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/10/18/welcome-winter-snowsong-whistling/">Snowsong Whistling</a> written by Karen E. Lotz, illustrated by Elisa Klevin. "</span></span>This beautiful book, packed with playful illustrations and cozy rhyme, invites us into winter with such joy I just can’t imagine an autumn without it." <span><span> (Puffin Books, 1997)<br /></span><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-12996755633284792242008-12-03T05:59:00.000-05:002008-12-03T05:59:00.535-05:00Reading Ahead - Books for Ages 0 to 4 (November/December 2008)In the coming month's we'll be reviewing these colorful board books for toddlers. More and more, books are coming out as "set," which is nice for this age group. They like familiar characters and repetition.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click the book's title to visit our website. Click cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6n3dag"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivur4sNpacYoklLcTnQaz45ypi8vSTEr1d9nQt7NfYiHQuu-Tc8sud0IP81hdNFq5CptofV7CPNB5x3BA_RtgnYQcvrsW8LPH2LR_89fooNCZ63Xs4lq-Y2eIf9eOd0PFsKQAdjA/s200/cleo_abc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274842482915443266" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1579"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cleo's Alphabet</span></a> and <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1580"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cleo's Color Book</span></a> written and illustrated by Caroline Mockford. These are brightly colored titles with simple illustrations. What particularly grabbed my attention was their sturdiness (and some very cute kittens). (Barefoot Books, 2008)<br /><br /><br /><br />We recently received advance copies of four titles in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Just Like Us series</span>: <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1565">Having Fun</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1566">Together</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1567">Taking it Easy</a>, <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1568">Making Friends</a>. These are brightly colored lift-the-flap books featuring babies and baby animals in familiar activities. (Childs Play, 2009)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-52850938447097981732008-12-01T18:02:00.003-05:002008-12-01T18:02:00.512-05:00The Book Bag, Bilingual Books (November/December 2008)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Feliz Navidad (Spanish) <br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Nollaig Shona (Irish - Gaelic) </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Joyeux Noel (French)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Shen Dan Kuai Le Xin Nian Yu Kuai (Mandarin)</span> </div><br />We hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season. Here are some of the fun bilingual books we've enjoyed these past two months, including one holiday story. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click the title to see our review; click the cover image to link to a bookseller.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6nruuj"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 68px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4QswWDtHSe8dZDFqKCHuVZWvNmnP4rzEulBrvuGBaH9mOmXoNQ4nRBElQ49flDpyB0rXcpWkSJVQeO25JgA8B9XoO8dkJ31wWqUy3rZRFAZmu5vZ0vgtZjXA3_kSN-__K-sQSQ/s200/poinsettia_miracle.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274860679400648658" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1330">The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story</a> written by Joanne Oppenheim, illustrated by Fabian Negrin. La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) should be a happy time, but Juanita is sad. Papa has lost his job, so there isn't extra money for candy or toys. Because she has no gifts, she stays outside the church. What can she give that is worthy of Baby Jesus? "This is a simple story that is elegantly told. The illustrations (done with watercolor and oil pastels) offer a rich complement to the words. The images are detailed enough to carry the story if you want to use this as a wordless book." (Barefoot Books, 2003) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level </span>2.0<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6zd2ma"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 88px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvgNXMFcCS2tFEfn-ZBcFktSDlrOpgvTJdXiP_nKHPTxY8JOCBQFCv3a0NQ8MbwP9HAqWULREVk3N3xgqxJnY1f76BVgXV24PDd5-EZqMb5cnU7wfxxjhu7MBUsoRaoQ574ZO4g/s200/best_mariachi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274849730488807762" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1555">The Best Mariachi in the World / El mejor Mariachi del mundo</a> written by J.D. Smith, illustrated by Dani Jones. <b> </b>Gustavo <i>really</i> wants to be a mariachi like his brother, father, grandfather, and cousins. But no one would let him touch their instruments. Upset about being left out, Gustavo went to the desert and started singing. One morning, he woke the neighbors! Is he destined to be the worst mariachi? "Every child who has wanted to "belong" will enjoy this story about a boy who wants to be in a mariachi band. Colorful illustrations help make the story sing." (Raven Tree Press, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 3.7</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5v9vo3"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YjhHuFzGyw5job8Teiupy-6U2vBRYHgmL0gVRI3cBtAkxiIoN-Ng4wI2Lrlw1Keljs847pS_9lNdTfcCyPq-VvHTQbEX9GLjmzpfMgMT15_Y2UTBusHAQk-KMb4VQ7l_QBGCXQ/s200/bursunsul.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274849741016371154" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1424">Bursunsul and Paskualina: The Story of Two Friends</a> written by Olesya Tavadze, illustrated by Evgueni Ivanov. <span class="orangeHeaders"> </span>Bursunsul and Paskualina are two very different dogs. One is big, the other is small. One is white, the other is black. Despite their differences, they are very good friends. That is, until Paskualina took something from Bursunsul, who got angry and bit her! Uh oh! "The story presents its messages of respect, friendship, and forgiveness very well. The vocabulary repetition and simple sentences make this a perfect story for first- and second-grade readers." This book is available in <a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/readkidsbooks/search?st=bursunsul">seven languages</a>. Read the<a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/c/r/95/dm"> </a><a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/c/r/95/dm">complete story</a> at <a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/">biguniverse.com</a>. (Reading Corner, 2007) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 2.3</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/62gzdg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX6TSnDM0TZ3omgpDgiJMtPABe_nXiobPZE11PeUwmUlU232aBag_JJdF2LN-s6tt5u78diJIhpvsP07ZyK7_rj72xo3DbHyu9mV6N2qiocpfDqh8rz7cnMBe0kQ-rFRjPHiy0w/s200/oranges_everybody.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274849731407869906" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1427">Oranges for Everyone</a> written by Daiga Zake, illustrated by Elena Stojanova Jimmy gets a bag of oranges. Having claimed them all for himself, he ends up giving them away, one by one, to family and friends. When he is left with none, he learns a valuable lesson: sharing is contagious." This book is available in <a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/readkidsbooks/search?st=oranges">ten languages</a>. Read the<a href="http://www.biguniverse.com/c/r/111/dm"> complete story</a> at biguniverse.com. (Reading Corner, 2007) <span style="font-style: italic;"> Reading Level 1.7</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-60528818345385613182008-12-01T18:00:00.003-05:002008-12-01T18:00:01.160-05:00Reading Ahead - Bilingual Books (November/December 2008)Our thanks to everyone who offered comments on the September/October 2008 Bilingual Books post! We now have a very nice collection of books for readers at various ages. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click the book's title to visit our website. Click cover to connect with a bookseller. The Reading Tub uses its earnings from purchases to donate books to at-risk readers and keep the website subscription-free.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6gp9c3"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 50px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu8G9t9kaWsGKxT1rREsXEPL7cn9syZGLSVFJTIqMI4Pdz7vP9nS9YtYlsY1dA1efseFNeGRXiVSZJWFCXHJiyScp8qIsl2ESsG6Uazqsh30i0XblYKaZKfl9_W2G8GCpofygEg/s200/marco_flamingo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274849316729167602" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1557">Marco Flamingo</a> written and illustrated by Sheila Jarkins. This is an excellent book for learning to read in either English or Spanish. Marco is adorable as a flamingo wearing a scarf. (Raven Tree Press, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 2.7</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCprlR9Lltry_yinjSbGkpctxIhccGLGTPI-gal11znTZHawNwIGDhyphenhyphen_1wdOftpLK0f9PTHK2psknDlHNYpqBe5hx1HftZEgzcysP3zR4Lp_iSEFpaeJkdUpUxoXLFm9HVj4iBw/s1600-h/everyday_chinese.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 54px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCprlR9Lltry_yinjSbGkpctxIhccGLGTPI-gal11znTZHawNwIGDhyphenhyphen_1wdOftpLK0f9PTHK2psknDlHNYpqBe5hx1HftZEgzcysP3zR4Lp_iSEFpaeJkdUpUxoXLFm9HVj4iBw/s200/everyday_chinese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274890103358121298" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1572">Teach Me ... Everyday Mandarin Chinese, Volume 1</a> written by Judy Mahoney and illustrated by Patrick Girouard. This is a picture book/CD set that uses familiar children's songs as a foundation for building language. (Teach Me Tapes, Inc. 2008)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/5mksws"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 77px; height: 59px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw0D3u1YoJT_aQJN1s9K8WfonZXkOoSIndmA3HedUlRuuqmneoGg9gmERMCRKdkf7VjdKpV4Z8V2e8vZ0kFaLQGUd2DI_9kkWxv26xEPHDeru-tV4pXSsweC0kk9pHzI_Vkrauw/s200/girls_who_run.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274847002019157570" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1294">We Are Girls Who Love to Run / Somos Chicas y A Nosotras Nos Encanta Correr </a>written by Brianna K. Grant, illustrated by Nicholas A. Wright, translated by Ana C. Venegas. This full-text bilingual book blends affirmations and a story about the benefits of running. (Balanced Steps, LLC, 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 3.7</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6a68va"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 68px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbsQHJleUdRMNu2UC7C7AmkBtNN8bLAvlYlovkMIyC1ebc_z5W8c5a_9RLTOfs7_YOIXCaJMHmn2lQuNW0sVVdh1p9P3FDb5NDrzTfCvCoEIvR8YLjvzr989JhZe9bdnPMhVFHA/s200/fiesta_femenina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274846994922163234" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1582">Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale</a> retold by Mary-Joan Gerson, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. There are eight Mexican folktales in this collection. The text is predominantly English, with Spanish blended in. There is a pronunciation guide for words and phrases in the back. (Barefoot Books, 2001) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Level 4.1</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tinyurl.com/6nhmdm"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 72px; height: 70px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisARR82A-V8CJ4kc1tnheH2PvxL0JLIQkII6J72Sro22exhJWqUG_7eYQ3tJXil866nsEzpZq9816W92xtGaLju50_voG1Z_n5-yw0jfvclGoctrhEzRMgy8rMVoXmqzYjh30cGQ/s200/frog_in_well.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274846997447090562" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1194">The Frog in the Well</a> retold by Irene Y. Tsai, illustrations by Pattie Caprio, Chinese translation by Joyce Lin. Each page has one, simple sentence in both English and Chinese. (Mandarin). This looks like a title that would have value whether you're learning Chinese or English. (CE Bilingual Books, LLC) 2008) <span style="font-style: italic;">Reading level 1.3</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-62143602954097980442008-11-26T06:00:00.002-05:002008-12-01T13:40:17.879-05:00Happy Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUkmOyNuGJSHRZqch8F8X4SCOdmyDKfFHrINk23SBJ30OXbvUCczvlHiQaeVD8wK3VV2GGAj_MJjOXVAUxXwmwbvA49rYgg4j0f1qipxatrm5UzXhBOn-wxZHlM7gNyJt6_Unpw/s1600-h/0511-0711-0614-4053_Turkey_Reading_a_Cookbook_clipart_image.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUkmOyNuGJSHRZqch8F8X4SCOdmyDKfFHrINk23SBJ30OXbvUCczvlHiQaeVD8wK3VV2GGAj_MJjOXVAUxXwmwbvA49rYgg4j0f1qipxatrm5UzXhBOn-wxZHlM7gNyJt6_Unpw/s200/0511-0711-0614-4053_Turkey_Reading_a_Cookbook_clipart_image.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272669370700325586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Happy Thanksgiving!</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">We wish you the warm feelings and special moments that come with the holidays ... or curling up with a good book. </span><br /><br /><br />I'm off to prevent flour bombs in the kitchen, but before I go, I wanted to say that the Reading Tub is thankful for<br /><br />... your kind words and encouragement.<br />... your inspiration to think about books and reading in new ways.<br />...being part of a community that respects diversity and new ideas on paper, on the Web, and in life.<br />...being able to read about them!<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving. We'll be back in the Tub next week.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />image courtesy of <a href="http://www.clipartguide.com/">clipartguide.com</a><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-47059292919306397582008-11-21T09:01:00.000-05:002008-11-21T09:01:00.117-05:00Random Cool ThingsWell, I think they are cool.<br /><br />The blogs have been fairly quiet this week as I've been tackling the TBR pile, starting with the seasonal titles.<br />Yes, I probably should have started reading them at Halloween, but I just wasn't ready. I got my first Valentines Book yesterday. Ugh!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books and Readin</span>g<br /><ul><li>This week's cold snap and flurries helped nudge my holiday spirit. I'm not going to publish a full list of holiday-themed books (see <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2007/11/reading-tubs-holiday-book-bag-2007.html">last year's list</a>), but I <span style="font-style: italic;">have </span>to tell you about <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1509"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Pirate's Night Before Christmas </span></a>written byPhilip Yates, illustrated by Sebastia Serra. There are so many remakes of Clement C. Moore's "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" that I try to avoid any book that starts with the word <span style="font-style: italic;">Twas</span>. This book does it right. The cadence is the same, but the characters and the language are all fresh. Very clever, very fun.</li><li>We posted our first title for Nonfiction Monday. <span style="font-style: italic;">Fantastic Female Filmmakers </span>by Suzanne Simoni is a great title for movie-buffs and novices (like me). <a href="http://thereadingtub.livejournal.com/16352.html">Here's the review</a>.</li><li>Thanks to our busy readers (not just me, I assure you), we have 20 new book reviews up this week. I think that has to be a record for us.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Community News</span><br /><ul><li>I am co-chairing a Book Festival at a local elementary with 410 students. The event is set for late January and there are visiting authors, mystery readers, a writing workshop for higher grade students, and other literacy-related fun. Thanks to the tireless efforts of my partner, we have received nearly 475 books, all current titles. We will meet our goal of giving every child a new book, and possibly even give a new book to the Bright Stars for the holidays.</li><li>Last week I visited the Renaissance School, a college prep school for "intellectually and artistically motivated students." There are 30 kids in the entire school. Five of the students selected the Reading Tub as their community-outreach partner. They'll be reviewing books and helping us integrate technology into our reviews to help us reach their peers.<br /></li><li> A student in North Canton, OH found us through 1-800-Volunteer and is going to take our review catalog and build the Reading Level Directory for those titles with Guided Reading, Flesch-Kincaid, and (where available) Lexile scores.</li></ul>I'd love to hear what your reading week has been like.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-4673263299923771632008-11-20T07:57:00.005-05:002008-12-01T13:38:48.977-05:00Review: Maybelle Goes to Tea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfmGlNEbKXRYGpLK-caD0fxWf57rO3EjoM3VOson-iMfhUDUvlF7_3y0DvKaYFXXOcxHvqC8ks-rjZOOsOdieECTFVoRylAAkcdkVYRNO-Qt0x-Lcnx7UqFKYpHGGlFCiVSYPdg/s1600-h/maybelle_goes_to_tea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfmGlNEbKXRYGpLK-caD0fxWf57rO3EjoM3VOson-iMfhUDUvlF7_3y0DvKaYFXXOcxHvqC8ks-rjZOOsOdieECTFVoRylAAkcdkVYRNO-Qt0x-Lcnx7UqFKYpHGGlFCiVSYPdg/s200/maybelle_goes_to_tea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270724001750829826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Maybelle Goes to Tea</span><br />written by Katie Speck<br />illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos<br />(Henry Holt and Company, 2008)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><br />"What an Adorable Cockroach" is not a statement I ever expected to say in this lifetime. My bug-loving daughter? Yes. Me? Uh, no. But in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I did in fact utter those words ... several times. Tell me, would you be able to resist a cockroach with a pink bow in her hair?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Story</span><br />Maybelle and her friend Henry (a flea) live at Number 10 Grand Street. Maybelle doesn't like the risks that come with being adventurous, and she is content to live under the refrigerator in a house where everything is <span style="font-style: italic;">just so</span>: nothing out of place, no leaks, and no bugs. Well, Herbert and Myrtle Peabody don't there are bugs, but that's because Maybelle lives by three simple rules:<br /><ul><li>When it's light, stay out of sight.<br /></li><li>If you're spied, better hide.</li><li>Never meet with human feet.</li></ul>While the Peabodys are getting ready to host the Ladies' Spring Tea, life is taking some adventurous turns for Maybelle. Maurice ( a fly) comes in through an open window and gives himself a concussion trying to leave. Maybelle and Henry know that if the Peabody's spot Maurice knocked out on the windowsill, they are doomed: bug spray and the exterminator. So they rescue Maurice. When he comes to, Maurice is not content to live by the house rules. He has his own rule: Go for it. At first, Maybelle doesn't like Maurice, but as she watches Maurice go after what he wants, she decides that she wants more, too. She doesn't want the leftover crumbs from the Ladies Spring Tea, Maybelle wants to taste what's in the middle of Mrs. Peabody's Chocolate Surprise cookies!<br /><br />In their own ways, Maybelle, Maurice, and Henry, crash the Ladies Spring Tea, and everything is no longer <span style="font-style: italic;">just so</span> at Number 10 Grand Street. The guests left in disgust, Mr. Peabody set off a bug bomb, and Mrs. Peabody fainted. Lucky for Maybelle, life soon returns to nomrlal, and she is done with adventures. She has learned her lesson, made a new friend, and is now content to enjoy Mrs. Peabody's fresh Raspberry Rapture pie.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Review</span><br />At the risk of sounding like I've gone buggy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Maybelle Goes to Tea</span> is fun. If you haven't read it, I hope that you were able to get some images of the Peabodys and Maurice from the descriptions above. The author's phrasing (everything is <span style="font-style: italic;">JUST SO) </span>and character names (Peabodys) just beg for an aristocratic/stuffy voice.<br /><br />On the very first page, the author presents Maybelle's three rules very simply, with no fanfare. So two days later, as we were much further along in the story, it was heartening to hear my daughter remind Maybelle of the rules. I often wonder about comprehension when we read just little bits at a time.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Maybelle Goes to Tea</span> is an easy reader that would be fun to share as a read aloud with Kindergartners, first, and second graders. The language is very descriptive, allowing them to conjure images in their mind. The humor and mishaps also add to the fun.<br /><br />As an easy reader, this is for independent readers who still want/need illustrations. Nearly every page has an illustration, and none of them are full page. Frankly, the story is engaging enough that I don't think kids will miss that "bonus" page they don't have to read. It is also a good candidate for partner reading with reluctant or remedial readers because it is text-heavy, with repetition and lots of common sight words.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Notes</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Maybelle Goes to Tea</span> is a <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/EasyReaders.html/">Cybils nominee</a> in the Easy Readers Category. You can find reviews for this and other books in this category at the <a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com">Reading Tub</a> website. You'll also find links to other reviews of these same titles there. One final note. These reviews are my thoughts on the books. They do not represent an official position of the panel.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1383">Cinder Rabbit</a> written by Lynn E. Hazen, illustrated by Elyse Pastel<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1559">Annie and Snowball and the Teacup Club</a> written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1562">I Will Surprise My Friend</a> written and illustrated by Mo Willems<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1563">I Love My New Toy</a> written and illustrated by Mo Willems<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1140">Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris </a>written by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glassner and Ted Enik<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1227">Maybelle Goes to Tea</a> written by Katie Speck, illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=518">Hooray for Fly Guy</a> written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-27742040803150316252008-11-13T09:40:00.000-05:002008-11-13T09:40:00.582-05:00Reading: The Gift of a LifetimeI've been thinking a lot about reading, gifts, and the holidays ... no doubt due to the buzz in the kidlitosphere.<br />First there is the November Carnival of Children's literature and the theme: the gift of reading. Next, Amy (<a href="http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/">My Friend Amy's </a>blog) launched a <a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/">Buy Books for the Holidays</a> campaign. Lots of people have jumped in, and <a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/2008/11/about-buy-books-for-holidays-by-amy.html">you can, too</a>. Then we created a spot where you can <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/11/gift-of-reading.html">find books on a theme</a> to help you select good books. And yesterday, Colleen Mondor (<a href="http://www.chasingray.com/">Chasing Ray</a>) announced her <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/ChasingRay/%7E3/451423741/winter_blog_blast_tour_holiday.html">12 Days of Book Recommendations</a> effort that will begin the Monday after Thanksgiving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EEBfLmN96_pKcUCyJmuAMLay3Epox3SbI1FqD0c-ZDkBKCNMLwgWQbv2U9RGynU0N0YAkiEXNC0rcM2plXVwDXFbeb51nsMJ6w7b-ff4p3d_mdyAXQSccnTzwpjialdcw1Etw/s1600-h/amadis_snowman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EEBfLmN96_pKcUCyJmuAMLay3Epox3SbI1FqD0c-ZDkBKCNMLwgWQbv2U9RGynU0N0YAkiEXNC0rcM2plXVwDXFbeb51nsMJ6w7b-ff4p3d_mdyAXQSccnTzwpjialdcw1Etw/s200/amadis_snowman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268137658713871602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Then</span> I read <span style="font-style: italic;">Amadi's Snowman</span> by Katia Novet Saint-Lot, illustrated by Dimitrea Tokunbo (Tilbury House Publishers, 2008). It was the next book in the picture book TBR pile. One word: Wow! This is the book to read if you want to understand how some kids (boys?) see reading ... and be armed with a way to make them curious learners. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Story Summary</span><br />Amadi is a young Nigerian boy who loves to play. He has learned his numbers so that he can be a trader. So why does his mother want him to learn how to read words? He has all the knowledge he needs. One day as he was wandering the market, he spotted Chima, an older boy, looking at a book. Amadi was curious, and began to ask questions about one of the pictures: a boy wearing lots of clothes, standing next to an animal with a carrot-shaped nose. Amadi first asked questions about the book, but then asked Chima if he knew how to read ... and why. Chima replied tersely: "To know more, that's what for."<br /><br />Chima's words were not enough to convince Amadi that he should learn to read, but the pictures of the book stuck with him, and he wanted to learn more. It seemed everywhere he looked he saw words. He had never noticed them before. When he gets home, the book is there waiting for him. As he holds the book and looks at the pages, he begins to see the possibilities.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Review </span></span><br />This is an enjoyable, compelling read. Although the story is told in third person, it is easy to become Amadi's shadow. As someone who is passionate about literacy, you wish every teacher and librarian could share it with their students and patrons. Amadi's reasoning for not wanting to read follows a logic pattern that kids will recognize. They will nod their heads in agreement. Will the message of <span style="font-style: italic;">Amadi's Snowman </span>resonate with every child? No. But it will resonate with some. It is one of Amadi's peers (not an adult) who opens his mind. Just as Chima's words stayed with Amadi, the events in this story may stay with a young reader. With a Flesch Kincaid readability at 3.2 (GRL M, Reading Recovery 22), it is a good match for a reluctant reader who still isn't convinced of the need to read.<br /><br />While the power of reading is a key theme, it is not the only one. Just as Amadi has a chance to learn about snow in places far away, kids reading this book can learn about the Ibo (African people) and Nigeria.<br /><br />This may not be the book you purchase as a holiday gift. It will, however, inspire you to buy books for the holidays.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">More Reviews and Information</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/459/amadi/">5 Minutes for Books</a> - blog book review<br /><a href="http://brimeetsbooks.com/">Bri Meets books</a> - blog book review<br /><a href="http://kabiliana.blogspot.com/2008/10/power-of-reading.html">Kabiliana</a> - author and illustrator interview<br /><a href="http://shelfelf.wordpress.com/2008/11/">The Shelf Elf</a> - blog book review<br /><a href="http://www.sandhyanankani.com/wordpress/?cat=15">Literary Safari </a>- blog book review<br /><a href="http://www.myreadablefeast.com/2008/11/02/reading-is-important-amadis-snowman/">My Readable Feast</a> - blog book review<br /><a href="http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/a-conversation-with-katia-novet-saint-lot-on-her-virtual-book-tour-for-amadis-snowman/">Paper Tigers</a> - author interview, virtual blog tour<br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/displayBook.asp?id=1476">Reading Tub</a> - website review<br /><br />You can visit the <a href="http://www.tilburyhouse.com/Children%27s%20Frames/child_snowman.html">Amadi's Snowman page at the Tilbury House website</a> for more information about this book, including classroom ideas to encourage and engage readers.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-32347980698119813622008-11-11T13:23:00.015-05:002008-12-18T09:43:35.734-05:00The Gift of Reading (Updated 17 Dec)Yesterday I wrote <a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-monday.html">this post</a> about Amy's new campaign: <a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/">Buy Books for the Holidays</a>. Then I headed over to blogger and serendipity struck. There are some great lists coming together already.<br /><br />At some point I plan to create an original post with some ideas you may enjoy. But in the meantime, I thought I would create a stopping place where you can come by to look for book ideas based on a theme of interest, OR, if you don't find what you're looking for, add a comment asking for assistance.<br /><br />You will find lots of great titles listed at the <a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/2008/11/holiday-book-suggestions-from-book-lady.html">Books for the Holidays blog</a>. Amy's goal is broader than just children's books, so head over to the site regularly. Although many of you read lots of blogs, some of you don't. If you've got to have a book idea <font style="font-style: italic;">now, </font>head over to <a href="http://www.slayground.net/">Bildungsroman</a> and Little Willow's<a href="http://www.slayground.net/bildungsroman/booklists.html"> page of booklist</a>s. Scroll to "Themes and Topics (Various Ages)" and every subject you can imagine is probably covered! She's also written a post <a href="http://slayground.livejournal.com/446068.html">with tips on how to make that perfect selection.</a><br /><br />As I come across book ideas, I'll put them here. These are going to be books on a theme, not "best of" lists or individual titles. They will be a group of books on a theme for multiple ages. I'll list them in alphabetical order. If you'd like to add your list using Mr. Linky, please be sure to put your theme in the (parenthesis).<br /><br />UPDATE: I have been collecting these lists in my blog reader and am adding them all at once to create a more comprehensive list.<br /><font size="4"><br /><font style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">~ Animal Lovers ~ </font><font size="3"><br /><a href="http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2008/11/holiday-books-for-animal-lovers.html">Holiday Book s for Animal Lovers</a> (Tricia at <a href="http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/">Miss Rumphius Effect</a>)<br /><br /></font><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">~ Astronauts and all things space ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://zero-to-eight.blogspot.com/2008/11/fly-me-to-moon-fun-gift-ideas-2008.html">Fly Me to the Moon </a>(Becky at <a href="http://zero-to-eight.blogspot.com/">Young Readers</a>)<br /><a href="http://zero-to-eight.blogspot.com/2008/11/here-fishy-fishy-fun-gift-ideas-2008.html">Here Fishy Fishy</a> (Becky at <a href="http://zero-to-eight.blogspot.com/">Young Readers</a>))<br /><br /><font size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">~ Boy Books ~ </font></font><br /><a href="http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/411/books-for-boys/">Books for Boys</a> (Carrie at <a href="http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/">5 Minutes for Books</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-sports-enthusiast/">The Sports Enthusiast</a> (Sarah at the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" size="4">~ Books with More (Pairing a Book with another Item) ~</font><br /><a href="http://www.motherreader.com/search/label/Twenty-One%20Ways%20to%20Give%20a%20Book">21 More Ways to Give a Book</a> (MotherReader at <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/">MotherReader</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.motherreader.com/2008/12/twenty-one-ways-to-give-book.html"></a><br /><br /><font size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Fairies, Myths, Legends and Lore ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://writeforareader.edublogs.org/2008/11/06/you-think-its-easy-being-the-tooth-fairy-review-and-interview/">The Tooth Fairy</a> (Shelly at <a href="http://writeforareader.edublogs.org/">Write for a Reader</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Feelings and Understanding ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://writeforareader.edublogs.org/2008/11/12/review-the-day-leo-said-i-hate-you/">The Day Leo Said I Hate You</a> (Shelly at <a href="http://writeforareader.edublogs.org/">Write for a Reader</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" size="4">~ Fantasy ~</font><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/children_book_reviews.asp?age=harryp&let=ALL">Alternatives to Harry Potter</a> (Reading Tub website)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Detective Stories ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/children_book_reviews.asp?age=girld&let=ALL">Calling All Girl Detectives</a> (Reading Tub website)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-detective/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays - The Detective</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Graphic Novels ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-graphic-novels/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays - Graphic Novels</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br />~History ~<br /><a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/12/twelve-days-of-giving-when-i-was-your.html">When I Was Your Age</a> (Abby, <a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/">Abby (the) Librarian</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Mystery and Adventure ~ </font></font><br /><a href="http://www.thereadingtub.com/children_book_reviews.asp?age=mystadv&let=ALL">Mysteries and Adventures </a>(Reading Tub website)<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" size="4">~ Nonfiction ~</font><br /><a href="http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/2008/12/stocking-our-nonfiction-shelves.html">Stocking our Nonfiction Shelves</a> (Susan E. Goodman, <a href="http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/">I.N.K.: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-non-fiction/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays - Non-Fiction</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/12/twelve-days-of-giving-when-i-was-your.html">When I Was Your Age</a> (Abby, <a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/">Abby (the) Librarian</a>)<br /><br />~ Realistic Fiction ~<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-realistic-fiction-fan/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays - Realistic Fiction</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/12/twelve-days-of-giving-when-i-was-your.html"></a><br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Reluctant Readers (General) ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-reluctant-reader/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays</a><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-reluctant-reader/"> - The Reluctant Reader</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" size="4">~ Science Fiction and Fantasy ~</font><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-science-fiction-and-fantasy-fan/">Tween Book Buying Guide for the Holidays - Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><font style="font-style: italic;" size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold;">~ Seasonal Stories: Winter, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa~ </font></font><br /><a href="http://www.myreadablefeast.com/2008/12/12/childrens-books-for-hanukkah/">Hannukah</a> (Anne-Marie, <a href="http://www.myreadablefeast.com/">My Readable Feast</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2007/11/reading-tubs-holiday-book-bag-2007.html">Holiday Book Bag </a> (The Reading Tub)<br /><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" size="4">~ Sports ~</font><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-sports-enthusiast/">The Sports Enthusiast</a> (Sarah at the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><font size="4"><font style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">~ Tweens ~</font></font><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-detective/">The Detective</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-graphic-novels/">Graphic Novels</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/12/twelve-days-of-giving-when-i-was-your.html">History</a> (Abby, <a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/">Abby (the) Librarian</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-non-fiction/">Non-Fiction</a>((Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/12/twelve-days-of-giving-big-kids-read.html">Picture Books for Big Kids</a> (Abby, <a href="http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/">Abby (the) Librarian</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-realistic-fiction-fan/">Realistic Fiction</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-reluctant-reader/">Reluctant Readers</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-science-fiction-and-fantasy-fan/"> Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan</a> (Sarah, the <a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/">Reading Zone</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-reluctant-reader/"></a><a href="http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tween-book-buying-guide-for-the-holidays-the-reluctant-reader/"> </a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-44010218529851656712008-11-10T11:48:00.006-05:002008-11-10T12:32:46.197-05:00Welcome to MondayMy first job on Monday is to post the <a href="http://thereadingtub.livejournal.com/15979.html">Reading Round-up</a> over at <a href="http://thereadingtub.livejournal.com">TubTalk</a>. It is chock full of good stuff, and lots of practical ideas. Thanks again, Jen!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The only way I can get the Round-up done is to grab my coffee and go straight to the blog. That means I skip the Monday morning mailbox, so I didn't see the email from Amy of <a href="http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/">My Friend Amy's blog</a> until too late. I thought Book Bloggers Appreciation Week was great. But wait til you see this ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOzXUE4tmcVBWNEw6-6el5XBbG42lcxXCKeRRJkQhnqF2qxqGvAUDM6CeEE0vh0ALooYPEPwYZs4bZ3cYUS3HldCQDIZ4tXUKCxUExc3Jdu0brK3vJx35V2aeLCnHU5AV5esy9g/s1600-h/buybooks_holidays1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOzXUE4tmcVBWNEw6-6el5XBbG42lcxXCKeRRJkQhnqF2qxqGvAUDM6CeEE0vh0ALooYPEPwYZs4bZ3cYUS3HldCQDIZ4tXUKCxUExc3Jdu0brK3vJx35V2aeLCnHU5AV5esy9g/s200/buybooks_holidays1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267073675139993746" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />Buy</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Books for the Holidays </span>is a grassroots effort to encourage books as <span style="font-style: italic;">THE</span> gift of choice this holiday season. I love her reasoning:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Books are a good value for the amount they cost.</span> They provide information, entertainment, encouragement, and escape. They challenge our thinking, make us laugh, and inspire our dreams. They look lovely sitting on our shelves or coffee tables.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books are diverse.</span> I recognize that not everyone in your life might like to read. But thankfully, there's a book for just about every interest. There are even books that are just pictures or recipes...cool, huh???</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giving books makes you look intelligent and cool.</span> Enough said."<br /></li></ul>You can read Amy's original post<a href="http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/2008/11/sunday-salon-and-new-campaign.html"> here</a> or you can head straight to the <a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/">Buy Boo</a><a href="http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/">ks for the Holidays</a> blog, which is dedicated exclusively to the campaign. We'll be chiming in with some of our favorites here, and as part of the November Carnival of Children's Literature at <a class="snap_shots" href="http://favoritechildrensbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:larger;">Mommy's Favorite Children's Books</span><img id="snap_com_shot_link_icon" class="snap_preview_icon" style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt ! important; padding: 1px 0pt 0pt; max-height: 2000px; max-width: 2000px; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: "trebuchet ms",arial,helvetica,sans-serif; float: none; position: static; left: auto; top: auto; line-height: normal; background-image: url(http://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.55/theme/silver/palette.gif); background-color: transparent; visibility: visible; width: 14px; height: 12px; background-position: -1128px 0pt; background-repeat: no-repeat; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; display: inline;" src="http://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.55/t.gif" /></a>. The theme: The Gift of Reading. If you don't want to wait, you can check out <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/2007/11/november-carnival-of-children.html">last year's carnival</a> with a similar theme that <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/">MotherReader</a> hosted.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-51047591370261287662008-11-08T08:00:00.000-05:002008-11-08T08:00:01.212-05:00More Book Ideas - Yeah!On Thursday, <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/">MotherReader</a> and Lee Wind launched a Community Comment challenge. The idea was sparked at the <a href="http://kidlit08.blogspot.com/2008/09/posts-about-conference.html">KidLit Bloggers Conference</a> in Portland (Oregon), and in under two months, it has come to life. They can say it best, so I'll just recommend you read MotherReader's post, <a href="http://www.motherreader.com/2008/11/comment-challenge-21-days-to-community.html">The Comment Challenge: 21 Days to Community</a>.<br /><br />So far I'm holding my own with a 5-comments-a-day challenge. I've set a personal challenge to comment on at least three new blogs each day. Some are blogs I read regularly, but have never commented on, some are completely new. Some days (like yesterday) it tipped me over five blogs. That's a good thing. Here's what I've learned in the first two days ...<br /><br />1. There are so many incredible, thoughtful writers out there. I know that sounds like a truism, but when you leave the comfort of your Reader and click through to the blog itself, you learn so much more about the writer. Colors, tag lines, avatars ... all the "nonverbal" communication.<br /><br />2. My TBR pile is going to grow exponentially. Now that I'm slowing down my reading habit and taking time to read, not just skim, I'm learning about so many more great books. Which leads back to #1. Wow!<br /><br />3. Ditto the entries of new blogs and reading ideas for the <a href="http://thereadingtub.livejournal.com">Reading Round-ups</a>.<br /><br />4. I need a gadget. Wouldn't it be nice to have a widget that let you hover over a title and add it to your Goodreads or Library Thing TBR with just a mouse click? It would be like that "Create Tiny URL" command I use when I want to Twitter.<br /><br />Last but not least, I never realized how much I needed this. Slowing down to read more and comment regularly may mean fewer posts from me, but as many a teacher has said: you can't talk and learn at the same time. And I'm here to learn. Thanks MotherReader and Lee!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13217972.post-52742162233270472472008-11-07T09:00:00.000-05:002008-11-07T09:00:00.517-05:00November is National Adoption Month ...<div style="text-align: center;">You don't choose your family.They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.<br />~Desmond Tutu ~<br /></div><br />Today is our daughter's seventh birthday. We happen to be an adoptive family. This summer, two articles found me and have been periodically sneaking up, grabbing my attention, and reminding me about our own quest to find meaningful stories to share with our daughter. So today seemed like a logical day to post my thoughts.<br /><br />Children – biological or adoptive – have an unending curiosity about who they are, how they fit in, and where they come from. It is a universal phenomenon. Kids ask their parents to tell them about when they were born, and what they were like “back then” over and over (and over) again. As time goes on, the stories become deeper and more details are shared. But the purpose is the same: tell me how I’m connected to you.<br /><br />As parents, we hope that among the dinosaurs and ballerinas we can find stories our kids can connect with as people. Stories that reflect who they are or become part of them. Stories about being a family. Jamie Lee Curtis’ adoption book<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Tell Me Again about the Night I was Born</span> can be just as meaningful to the child of a biological family, because it captures a child’s need to learn about themselves. Within the broader collection of children’s literature, there are wonderful stories about families. Many of them that could be “crossovers” for adoptive families, because they celebrate love, togetherness, and being a family.<br /><br />Here in the new millennium, odds are pretty good that you are part of an adoptive family or know an adoptive family. According to the 2000 US Census, more than 1.6 million children under the age of 18 live with their adoptive parents, and more than 100,000 children are adopted each year. Thanks to international adoptions, the fabric of our society has become even richer, with families celebrating the heritage and cultures their children bring with them. According to the US State Department, between 1992 and 1999, the number of children adopted from abroad more than doubled from 6,720 to 16,396.<br /><br />Where the bonds of a family may be universal, the paths to that connection are diverse. When it comes to finding children’s books with an adoption journey you want to find one that celebrates – or very closely resembles – your individual journey. That isn’t easy. <span class="fullpost">When we became an adoptive family almost 7 years ago, I started looking for children’s books in our local library. At the time, we lived in Fairfax County, which is a <i>huge</i> system and has a wonderfully diverse collection. Their holdings tend to reflect the community their branches serve. Except when it comes to children’s books on adoption.<br /><br />It was easy to find books on Amazon, but I had to rely on the blurb to see if this was a story that matched our family’s journey. At the time, very few of the books had professional reviews or even customer feedback, so the publisher’s “pitch” was all I had to work with. What I quickly discovered was that I needed a limitless budget to “test drive” some of these books.<br /><br />Despite the growing numbers of adoptive families – one in every ten Americans is an adoptee – it isn’t easy to find a story you can borrow to share, either as a family or in a classroom. Bear with me while I explain how I reached this conclusion. First, I collected some of the more popular children’s books from <a href="http://www.tapestrybooks.com/Best.Adoption.Books.2008.asp">Best Adoption Books for Children (2008)</a>, a report by Tapestry Books, an online adoption bookseller. I found stories to represent various types of adoption: international and domestic; single and two-parent families; infant and older child; foster care and other relative. Then I went to <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/">Worldcat.org</a> to see where I could find them in US libraries. In WorldCat, you can’t filter the holdings by library type, so a return will always include public, school, and university libraries. According to an <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/hqops/library/libraryfactsheet/alalibraryfactsheet1.cfm">ALA Library Fact Sheet</a>, there are an estimated 112,634 of these three types of libraries in the United States. Here’s what I found.<br /><br />1,711 US libraries have at least one of the 12 editions of <i>Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born</i> by Jamie Lee Curtis.(1.5% of libraries)<br /><br />1,360 US libraries have <i>A Mother for Choco</i>by Keiko Kasza. There are 14 editions of this story about a little bird who searches for a loving parent. (1.2% of libraries)<br /><br />You can find <i>I Love You Like Crazy Cakes</i> by Rose Lewis, in 1,256 US libraries. There are seven editions of this story of the adoption of an infant Chinese girl to a single (1.1% of libraries)<br /><br />987 libraries include <i>Little Lost Bat</i> by Sandra Markle in their holdings. This is the story of a newborn bat that loses its mother. (.88% of libraries)<br /><br />There are 708 libraries that have at least one of two editions of <i>Happy Adoption Day</i> by John McCutcheon. (.63% of libraries)<br /><br />591 US libraries have a copy of <i>Beginnings: How Families Come to Be</i> by Virginia Kroll, a collection of short stories, each with a different adoption journey. (.52% of libraries)<br /><br />579 US libraries have <i>Over the Moon an Adoption Tale</i> by Karen Katz in their holdings. There are three editions of this the story about an adoption from a “faraway place.”<br /><br />383 US libraries include <i>Papa Piccolo</i> by Carol Talley in their holdings. Piccolo, a male cat, becomes a father to two young kittens. This is a single dad story that has value as a crossover for adoption, too.<br /><br />295 US libraries have <i>All About Adoption: How Families are Made</i> by Marc A Nemiroff and Jane Annunziata. This is a nonfiction title that describes the adoption process, and is applicable for both domestic and international adoptions.<br /><br />I was really surprised at the results. The population data tells us that 10 percent of our population is an adoptee, but we can't find books in our communities. Sharing a book with a child is as much about connecting and creating memories as it is learning to read. I created an adoption book bag because families shouldn’t have to buy books to share their adoption story.<br /><br />Like us, libraries don’t have limitless budgets. They have to make careful choices for the broadest possible audience. Please visit your local library. If you know a great book about adoption, tell your librarian. S/He can do the research and consider it the next time the library orders books. You might also ask if they can accept a donation of a children’s adoption book (or the money to cover the cost) in honor of National Adoption Month.<br /><br />Happy Birthday pumpkin!<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work by <span xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Reading Tub</span> is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US License</a></div>Terry Dohertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06246198932357846984noreply@blogger.com12