A Kid’s Book for Every Day in September

Big Universe has added a broad range of new books to its online library recently – thanks to publishing partners attuned to children’s vast interests and the wish lists of teachers. I have marveled at this website’s diverse inventory and decided to put it to the test.

“I wonder if I can find a book to coincide with each day in September?” I mused. “…Something to coincide with the holidays, historical anniversaries and other special observations from Sept. 1-30?”

Here’s what I found!

Sept. 1 – This day is set aside to remember the iconic verses of “Mary’s Lamb” – now referred to as “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” According to Rita Smith, the curator of the University of Florida’s Baldwin Collection of Children’s Literature, the poem was written by Sarah Josepha Hale and published in the September 1830 issue of a periodical titled “The Juvenile Miscellany.” Try these wooly tales to celebrate the anniversary: “Sheep,” “The Ultimate Mother Goose Collection,” (Twin Sisters) “Lambs” (Bellwether) or “Bad Day at Arnold’s Sheep Ranch” (Remedia).

Sept. 2 – The Great Fire of London started on this day in 1666. Prior to modern day safety practices, many other cities around the world experienced similar fires. Read “The Fire Department” or “Surviving the Great Chicago Fire” (Rourke) – depending on the age and maturity of the reader.

Sept. 3 – It’s the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Society, an international network of top scientists, engineers and medical professionals who “exist to expand knowledge (and) support science.”Read “The Nervous System,” (Bellwether) “In Arctic Waters” (Sylvan Dell) or anything else in Big Universe’s math or science sections.

Sept. 4 – In 1893, English author Beatrix Potter first told “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” as a “picture letter” to the son of her former governess. Almost 120 years later, the classic is read all over the world in many languages. Big Universe has the book among its audible “Read Alouds.” This version is recited in Mandarin Chinese! Potter’s “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin,” however, is recited in English. (MightyBook)

Sept. 5 – The Salmon Festivalis being held in historic Eastport, Maine. Read “The Life Cycle of a Salmon.” (Bellwether)

Sept. 6 – Today is Labor Day, a federal holiday. Read “Workers” (Teacher Created Materials) or other books about people in the work force, such as “Test Pilot” or “Forest Firefighter.” (Weekly Reader)

Sept. 7 – Today is the third annual National Clean Energy Summitin Las Vegas, Nevada. To learn more about eco-friendly power and caring for the earth, read “Going Green.” (Rourke)

Sept. 8 – International Literacy Day is celebrated worldwide on Sept. 8. Founded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this observance was initiated to highlight the necessity of improving literacy on a global basis. Read “ABC Safari” (Sylvan Dell) or any other book on Big Universe.

Sept. 9 – This date marks singing legend Elvis Presley’s first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” in 1956. Read the graphic-style book “Elvis Presley Graphic Biography” to learn more about this music celebrity. (Saddleback)

Sept. 10 – Charlotte, N.C., is holding its annual Literary Festival this weekend. Join the observation by reading “The War of the Worlds (Illustrated Classic),” “Macbeth,” “Hamlet (Illustrated Classic),” or “Julius Caesar.” (Saddleback)

Sept. 11 – It’s Raptor Weekend at the Environmental Education Center in Bristol, R.I., featuring live flight presentations and other educational activities. To learn more about birds of prey, read “Eaglets” (Bellwether), “Eagles,” “Hawks,” “Kites” or “Owls.” (Rourke)

Sept. 12 – Grandparents Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. “How Far to Heaven” (Illumination Arts) is a beautiful love story between a grandmother and her grandchild, and the illustrations and words in “Grandma’s Feather Bed” (Dawn Publications) will make you smile.

Sept. 13 – Chiang Kai-Shek became the president of China on this day in 1943. To read more about this large, fascinating and complex country, read “China” (Bellwether) and another book also titled “China” published by Teacher Created Materials.

Sept. 14 – On this day in 1984, Joseph Kittinger set off on a record-making trip from Caribou, Maine, in the cabin of a helium balloon. Four days later he landed in Italy, becoming the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic in a balloon. To learn more about hot air balloons, read “Hot Air Ballooning.” (Rourke)

Sept. 15 – The United Nations has designated Sept. 15 at the International Day of Democracy. Read “Why are Elections Important?” (Weekly Reader)

Sept. 16 – To observe Collect Rocks Day, consider reading “Julie the Rockhound” (Sylvan Dell) or “Rocks, Minerals and Soil.” (Rourke)

Sept. 17 – It’s Constitution Day. Read “What is a Constitution?” (Weekly Reader)

Sept. 18 – This year, Oktoberfest begins on Sept. 18 in Germany, and festivities will continue until Oct. 3. Learn more about Germany in the Bellwether’s book “Germany.”

Sept. 19 – Aye, mate! It’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Read the funny story “Lucky the Pirate” (Remedia), or go to the Big Universe blog titled “Ahoy! Pirate Books for Boys (and Girls).”

Sept. 20 – It’s been 37 years since Wimbledon champion Billie Jean King, 25, defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs – also a Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion – in an exhibition tennis match in Houston, Texas, demonstrating women’s ability to play high-caliber tennis – even against a man (and win). Young fans of this sport may like to read “Tennis.” (Bellwether)

Sept. 21 – What better way to celebrate International Peace Day than reading books about children, homes and places around the globe. Try “We Share One World” (Illumination Arts), “Kids Around the World,” “Homes Around the World” and “Places Around the World.” (Teacher Created Materials)

Sept. 22 – Today is Elephant Appreciation Day. Read “Critters Up Close – Elephants”(Zoobooks) or “The First Elephant,” an animated story by author and Big Universe member Rick Walton.

Sept. 23– German astronomer Johann Golle discovered Neptune in 1846. Read about this planet in the book “Neptune” (Bellwether) or “Going Around the Sun: Some Planetary Fun.” (Dawn Publications)

Sept. 24 –Native American Day is a celebration to honor the first Americans. Read the treasure of information in “Rourke’s Native American History and Culture Encyclopedia, Volume 1-10,” including Native American legends in the back of each book. They are an outstanding resource for reports.

Sept. 25 – The Library of Congress is sponsoring today’s National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a celebration of “the joy of reading.” Read “ABC Letters in the Library” (Lobster Press) or any other book you please!

Sept. 26: The fourth Saturday in September is International Rabbit Day. Read “Rabbits,” (Bellwether), “My Little Rabbit,” (Mathew Price) or “Caring for Your Rabbit.” (Bellwether)

Sept. 27 – On Sept. 27, 1862, in Greytown, South Africa, a little boy named Louis Botha was born. He grew up to become the first prime minister of South Africa, 1910-1919. While Big Universe does not have a specific book about Botha or South Africa, its non-fictions “Mansa Musa, Leader of Mali” and “Sub-Saharan Africa” (Teacher Created Materials) paint some historical background for those exploring the great continent of Africa.

Sept. 28 – It’s National Good Neighbor Day. Whether your neighbor is across a fence or sitting at the desk next to you, thoughtfulness and being kind are important facets of social interaction. Read “One Smile” (Illumination Arts) by author Cindy McKinley and illustrator Mary Gregg Byrne. This book has been read more than 3,500 times on BigUniverse.com and rates 5 out of 5 stars!

Sept. 29 – It’s Confucius Day, and you can read about this Chinese philosopher in a book titled “Confucius, Chinese Philosopher” by Wendy Conklin, M.A., and Gisela Lee, M.A. (Teacher Created Materials)

Sept. 30 – National Mudpack Day is an obscure observance with little traceable history. So, pardon my artistic license when I suggest you read a few books about pigs instead of packing on the facial goo! “Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch” (Charlesbridge) is a new addition to Big Universe’s shelves. Or read “When Pigs Fly” (Lobster Press) or “Piglets” by Colleen Sexton. (Bellwether)

That wraps it up. Have a wonderful month sharing the joy of reading. There’s something for everyone.

Add Life to Your Teaching with Current Events

Hurricanes are a remarkable force of nature. The combination of powerful winds, waves and tides can wreak havoc.

As the country marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on the Gulf Coast, many are keeping their eyes on Hurricane Earl, which is churning its way through the northern Caribbean. Forecasters say there is a chance the storm will make itself known off the coast of North Carolina about mid-week.

News like this provides an opportunity to teach children. Teachers who keep one ear tuned to current events will find a vast resource to enrich lessons, making them vibrant and relative to life.

It is wise to keep your second ear trained on conversations your students are having amongst themselves. They hear their parents talking and see lots of images on TV. Age-appropriate lessons from a trusted adult can help children sort out facts, fiction and even gale-force worries. Allow adequate time for initial questions and the opportunity for followup conversation.

My family and I experienced a tropical storm firsthand in 2002. We had been living in Barbados for only about six weeks when Lili hit the island. We were in a strong house, but the roar of the storm was deafening on our tin roof. The storm gained momentum after it passed over, eventually reaching Category 4 status over the Gulf of Mexico.

I was schooling my two daughters for the year that we were abroad, so the storm prompted lots of questions and teaching moments.

– How fast is the wind?

– When will the rain stop?

– Where did the hurricane come from?

– Why don’t we have electricity?

– What happened to that person’s house?

– Who will clear the roads?

– Why can’t we go to the beach?

– Where do the birds, sea turtles and monkeys go during the storm?

– Has anyone else ever had a storm like this?

While I could answer some of the questions, it would have been great to pull up an online children’s book to help explore the topic – once the lights came back on. Big Universe now offers several books that would have done nicely!

• The Bellwether book “Hurricanes” by Kay Manolison describes how hurricanes form and behave. Part of Bellwether’s Blastoff! Readers series, the text is aimed at Level 4 readers. The author uses a variety of sentence patterns and expanded vocabulary and punctuation. The graphics are highly appealing. This would have been just right for my new fourth-grader.
•  Rourke Publishing’s “Surviving the Galveston Hurricane” by Jo Cleland would have been intriguing to my sixth-grader (AFTER our storm hit and everything quieted down). Cleland, a professor emeritus of reading education at Arizona State University West, worked in public education for 20 years prior to her university work. She continues to engage children through storytelling. “What we learn with delight, we never forget,” she says.
• “Ready, Set…WAIT! What Animals Do Before a Hurricane” is another storm-themed book on Big Universe’s library shelves. The illustrations by Connie McLennan are charming, and the text written by Patti Zelch is insightful. The extra information in the back of the book allows teachers to expand their lesson plans in many directions. Sylvan Dell Publishing also provides quizzes and cross-curricular activities online.

To read more about ways to use current events to add life to your teaching, read “10 Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom” or Melissa Edwards’ blog titled “It is All About Making Connections …”. She writes, “When students make connections with the books they read, their understanding, comprehension and recall of the information increases.”  Preach it, Melissa!

It is all about making connections …

When students make a connections with the books they read, their understanding, comprehension, and recall of the information increases.

Normally when I think of students make connections with stories, I focus on either a connection with the author or relating something that has happened to them to something that happens in the story (event). A teacher may be able to help students make connections with the author using blogs, websites, or even skype. Students could do some type of writing or art activity to express personal connections to stories possibly using a blog or something like webspiration.

Reading Kristin’s Blog: Blogging with Afghanistan got me thinking about another type of connection that teachers can help provide for students using technology tools . . . a connection to the setting. A little background to her blog: In the past, her class read a story and posted discussion on a blog. The story was set in Afghanistan. A person who lives in Afghanistan read her blog and contacted her. He became her “friend” and offered to help out when she did the story the next year. . . it is all about making connections

A teacher could build background knowledge about the setting of a story by having students research general information about the area online, maybe look at pictures, or take a Google Earth trip. Those students would know a little more about the setting than before, but imagine how that level of knowledge would change if students could “talk” to someone actually in that area and ask questions not only about the geography/landforms but also about the culture.
The experiences of these students has the potential to greatly influence their understanding of the story.

Think about all the technology tools we have available to make it possible to make these connections to enhance student learning: skype, blogs, wikis, videos, pictures, voicethread, twitter . . .

So you don’t have a friend or connection in the area of study or setting of the book . . . chances are that posting on Twitter could prove to be beneficial . . . chances are somebody knows somebody who knows somebody . . . it is all about making connections.

Global Studies involves learning so much more by making connections rather than just reading or research from a book or online.

Simple Machines on Big Universe

Bellwether publishers will quickly become a favorite of 2nd and 3rd graders studying simple machines. These Level 4 Blastoff Readers contain full color images, labeled diagrams, captions, bold vocabulary words, fun facts, a glossary, and websites to learn more information. These books are perfect for reinforcing the use of text features and research skills. Titles offered on Big Universe include:

Wheels and Axles , Wedges, Ramps, Pulleys, Levers, and Screws.

One of my favorite stories involving simple machines is The 3 Pigs and the Scientific Wolf by Mary Fetzner. In the past, I’ve rewritten the book as a reader’s theater script and had the students create masks and costumes to act it out. This story is perfect for demonstrating the use of simple machines with an added bonus of humor.

Here are a couple of lessons using this book (Lessons can be modified for younger students):

Machines and Work Across the Ages (Grades 6-8)

Solving Problems Using Simple Machines (Grade 5)

Geography: Have Map, Will Travel

“I believe, now more than ever, in the transformative promise of geography,” said Eric Weiner, the author of “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World.” He went on to write:

 “Change your location and you just may change yourself. It’s not that distant lands contain some special energy or that their inhabitants possess secret knowledge (though they may), but rather something more fundamental. By relocating ourselves, reorienting ourselves, we shake loose the shackles of expectation. Adrift in a different place we give ourselves permission to be different people.”

I believe this wholeheartedly, and I think it is vital that children have an understanding of life beyond their town, state, country and continent. Although travel in the physical sense may not be a blessing that everyone can afford, educating students about other countries and cultures is affordable. In fact, it’s downright profitable. It fosters understanding, peace and good global citizenship.

Mark Twain was on the same page.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

St. Augustine’s thinking was similar. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page,” he said.

 Big Universe’s approach to education echoes this sentiment:

 “Our desire is to use children’s books online as a way to connect the next generation – our children – and help them look past the differences between our various cultures and instead focus on our similarities, so we can come together to explore our big universe.”

Recent additions to Big Universe’s library broaden resources for teachers trying to put together a well-rounded social studies curriculum that will stretch their kids’ horizons. Check out these cross-cultural and geography-related books. They’ll take your students on all sorts of travels, expanding their vocabularies, perspectives, dreams and ideas about this great big earth that we live on.

    “Keys and Symbols on Maps” (Rourke)

    “Kids Around the World” (Teacher Created Materials)

    “Maps are Flat, Globes are Round” (Rourke)

    “Japan” (Bellwether)

    “We Share One World” (Illumination Arts)

    “Machu Picchu…The Lost City of the Incas” (Mighty Book)

    “Counting the Continents” (Rourke)

    “North, South, East and West” (Rourke)

    “India” (Teacher Created Materials)

    “Canada” (Bellwether)

    “Secret of the Dance” (Orka Book)

    “Israel” (Bellwether)

    “Around the World with Money” (Rourke)

    “England” (Bellwether)

    “Greece” (Teacher Created Materials)

Big Universe also carries Step-by-Step Reading Corner books in a variety of languages, for example: “Oranges for Everyone” in Arabic, “Dorothy and the Glasses” in Polish and “The Icicle” in Spanish. To find additional books in alternative languages, go to the website’s “Read” section and browse by language.

Back To School…..Again!

It is back to school already!?!?  I think most of us are wondering what happened to summer break; I know I am.  Break time is over with and it is back to the books and I know that there are probably many households that are “refreshing” their reading skills.  We did slack off a bit during the summertime in our reading, which I really did not intend to do, so we are going to have to play catch-up to get back on track.

My oldest son is in the 2nd grade this year and, from the words of his mouth, he says “Second grade is hard; it is only for smart people.”  I have to chuckle every time he says that.  The biggest challenge that our household faced last year was in reading.  I have searched for ways to help to make reading a bit easier and here are some things that I have found:

            a.         Consistency, consistency, consistency.  Did I mention consistency?  Yes, I feel that is the most important aspect.  When you do things in repetition, you tend to finally “get” things after a certain time period – everything just “clicks”.  So, I am determined to spend a certain amount of time, on a daily basis, with my child to go over the basics until he grows tired and weary, and can recite what was set out to be learned.

            b.         Make learning fun.  Find a character that your child enjoys and make use of that character.  Spice up the routine every now and then so the “routine” does not become so routine.

            c.         Progress and reward chart.  Your child is just like you are – loves to see progress.  Make a chart at where they are starting from to where they want to go. You will be amazed at how excited they can become once they see that they are progressing, and what a better way to celebrate their progress than with a reward?  Now, the reward does not have to be anything extravagant, maybe take them out to an ice cream treat or to see a movie that they have been wanting to see.  It will make them feel special and, most of all, it will make them feel proud of themselves. 

The vitality of mastering early reading and comprehension skills is so crucial to our children’s future.  Reading IS their future.  So, whatever steps that we, as parents, need to take to ensure the best possible learning in literacy for our children, we need to take.  Reading may be their future but our children are our future.

My “I Poem”

There are lots of interesting ways for students (or really anybody) to expand on and respond to what they read. An “I Poem” is an example of one type of reading response.

My “I” Poem:

Here is what I did:
*I read a book I selected about a chosen topic (person, place, or animal)
*As I read, I took notes on any facts of interest about my topic
*Then I used the facts I noted as well as my imagination to draft an “I” poem

“I poems” should:
-Reveal factual information about the topic
-Include precise and interesting words
-Provide readers with a sense of wonder about the topic, something that might not be noticed or considered with just a list of facts or characteristics

Perhaps this sense of wonder might be conveyed through the use of a surprising comparison. Think about the characters in the books you read. Remember Sally’s eyes that were like Egypt? And Joey Pigza, who whirled in the hallway like a Tasmanian Devil? And Summer, who had been treated like a homework assignment? The authors that write about Sally, Joey, and Summer found ways to let their readers understand their characters through the words they chose to describe them.

Wordless Picture Books on Big Universe

The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Wordless picture books are a great way to encourage reluctant readers, motivate storytelling, and prompt creative writing. I was blessed to receive the Caldecott Medal winning book,  The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney from a Twitter Elementary Librarian colleague, Ernie Cox. It was serendipitous that our kindergarten and first grade teams had just read another version of this story to our students.

When I introduced this book to students, I talked about how the illustrations in most picture books tell the story. I then modeled how to “read” a wordless picture book. I narrated parts and I added dialogue where appropriate. For example, “As the lion squeezed his paws around the mouse, the mouse screamed, “HELP!”…But no one heard his cries.” During the second reading, I call on students to “read” each page. When they narrate, I encourage them to think about describing how a character feels (and why),  body language, the setting,  and encourage them to add  dialogue to enhance their storytelling. They always surprise me with the humor and specific details they choose to add to the story.

Did you know that Big Universe has wordless picture books? Use these titles to get your little ones “reading”:

Wordless picture books on Big Universe

Ben's Big Dig on Big Universe

Ben's Bunny Trouble on Big Universe

Top Ten List: Golden Opportunities of Summer

Maggie Cary, a national board certified teacher has been an educator for more than 17 years. She is certified in secondary education and holds a master’s degree in early childhood education.

Over the years she has mentored countless teachers and advised hundreds of parents. Cary has taught children from preschool through high school. She also offers classroom advice on website Classroom Talk.

     You can take advantage of the extra time you’ll have with your child this summer by incorporating reading games into your everyday activities.  These times when you can help your child practice reading and writing are Golden Opportunities.  Here are 10 ways to make sure you don’t miss out.

1. When waiting for a meal in a restaurant, ask your child to read items on the menu.
2. When waiting at the ice cream shop, have your child try to read all the ice cream flavors. To mix things up you could ask them to read to themselves and then tell you all the flavors that include chocolate or a type of fruit.
3. On a car trip, a great way to pass the time is to read bumper stickers and the sides of panel trucks.  See who can be the first one to spot a specific word or letter.
4. If you go to a theme park or zoo this summer, let your child be your “tour guide.”  Depending on age and reading level, your child can read signs or the full descriptions from books and brochures.
5. Let your child write a list of things to take on vacation. They can then check off the items on their list as they pack.
6. Similarly, your child can make a summer activity to-do list.  Let them post it on the refrigerator and make tally marks of the number of times they did particular things at the end of the day.
7. Summer is the perfect time to make cool collections of things you find outdoors—bugs, rocks, flowers, etc.—and make custom labels.  Older kids can look up the objects in their collection in library books, while younger kids can fill out their labels with simple descriptions.
8. As a family, send post cards to friends and relatives even if you don’t leave town.
9. A new notebook can serve a number of purposes for your child: a diary or travel journal, a field notebook or collection of short stories.
10. Start a scrapbook with pictures and captions of summer fun.

‘First Day Jitters’ – Rhythm and Blues

Here we go! Summer is winding down, and the school year is gearing up. It’s kind of like January, just a whole heck of a lot hotter.

While it’s inevitable that the new year will pose some challenges, the first day of school brings to mind the old saying, “Starting with a clean slate.” All things are new and fresh. All things are possible.

The spontaneity of summer days is fun – but it’s sorta like hearing an improv session on the bongo drums. A little goes a long way.

The upcoming school year, however, resembles a really good drum corps that unifies syncopated cadences with a solid bass beat. The sound is powerful and engaging, inspiring people to dance, clap and tap their feet in sync with the rhythm. A good school does the same thing.

That paints a pretty picture, but the fact is that some students can’t hear the rhythm. Their little hearts are beating too hard.

The first day of school can cause nerves to jangle and imaginations to go into overdrive. However, parents, caregivers and older siblings can do a lot to calm fears and clear up misconceptions.

Talking about what to expect on Day One and in the following weeks at school helps little ones prepare for changes. Drive by or visit the school. Take time to ask and answer questions. If you have photographs of your first day of school, dig out those golden oldies and show them to your kids. They’ll get a kick out of them.

Help your child write a story about the new adventure ahead of him. It will be fun to reread at the end of the school year.

You also can read books such as “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg and illustrator Judy Love. The Charlesbridge book is charming and rates 5 out of 5 stars on Big Universe.

Lobster Press has published a first-day-of-school themed book too, titled “The Little Dragon Who Couldn’t Breathe Fire.”  It’s a cute story; take a peek.

Magination Press released a book by Dianne Blomberg back in 1999 titled “Sam and Gram and the First Day of School: A Story to Answer a Child’s Questions & Soothe Fears about School.” In addition to the story, two helpful sections have been added for parents. 

A few years ago, the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Ind., compiled an extensive book list about kids and their school experiences. Check it out.

If you can recommend other picture books about the first day of school, please share!

Best wishes and happy new (school) year.