Big Universe Says ‘Boo’ with Halloween Books

I love the fall. I hate Halloween. I love apple cider. I hate blood and gore. I love pumpkins, but Jack-o-lanterns creep me out. I love to read books, but I hate to watch horror films. It’s pretty black and white with me. Some would say I’m boring or too literal. I say, “To thine own self be true.”

When I was 20, I saw “Friday the 13th.” It was peer pressure, pure and simple. I didn’t sleep well for weeks. When I was 30, I saw “Silence of the Lambs.” I was well into my third trimester with my daughter, Hannah. I had no idea what the movie was about when I entered the theater. My unborn baby got so much adrenaline that evening that she could have auditioned for River Dance and been a shoo-in. I’m still trying to forgive my husband for that ill-advised date.

I’ve never watched “Jaws,” “The Exorcist,” “The Shining,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “Poltergeist.” I’d rather curl up with a good book. There’s never any manipulative musical score lurking in the pages of a book, and if the story line gets overly suspenseful, I can just put the book aside for a while.

Oct 31 is fast approaching, but I am not putting up any freaky porch decorations, planning a trip to the local haunted house, or taking any spooky hayrides. I just despise being scared or startled. The physical electric shocks that run up my arms are not pleasant. The pounding heart is no fun either.

I am not alone. According to Dr. Glenn Sparks, a Purdue University communications professor who studies people’s reactions to terrifying imagery in media, about one-third of the population falls into this category. He says our kind just doesn’t see any redeeming value to stories that leave us frozen with fear. However, that leaves about two-thirds who do.

The 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey by the National Retail Federation indicates that seven out of 10 Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this season – the largest number in the nine years that the NRF has conducted the poll. Spending is expected to be a little over $72 per person with total expenditures tallying $6.86 billion. That’s a whole lot of candy corn and faux spider webs, if you ask me!

In a WebMD article, Dr. Sparks said that some studies show that males like to be scared more than females. “It’s not that they truly enjoy being scared, but they get great satisfaction being able to say that they conquered and mastered something that was threatening. They enjoy the feeling that they ‘made it through.’”

Some girls fit into this category for sure. I had middle school and college friends that loved riding roller coasters and jumping off the 10-meter diving tower at a nearby water park. Some of my daughters’ friends fit this category. You probably have a few of these future bungee jumpers in your own classrooms right now! Very often they are the ones with the skinned knees, casts on their arms and oozing shenanigans. If you can harness this energy and direct it, these kids can learn all sorts of things and be highly successful. I like to think of these children as leaders in disguise!

…So, I remind you to know your children – whether they are your own or kids in the classroom. Some will gravitate toward scary tales like zombies to a graveyard, while other sensitive types will prefer more sanitized or realistic tales. Know where your children are developmentally. It’ll help you direct them to reading material they will enjoy. Understanding their families’ cultural backgrounds and spiritual beliefs are an additional piece to the diversity puzzle. Your Hispanic children may observe the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), while others may observe All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day or Reformation Day.

Children’s Halloween Books at Big Universe

• Five Trick-or-Treaters, Grades K and up.
• Gruesome Grub Halloween Party, Grades K and up.
• Kid’s Halloween Party, Grades K and up.
• Halloween, Grades K and up. (Audio included)
• When I Go Trick-or-Treating, Grades 1 and up.
• Haunted Party, Grades 1-2.
• Boo Cow, Grades 1-3.
• Penelope and the Monsters, Grades 2-3.
• Haunted Houses, Grades 4-6.
• Ghosts, Grades 4-6.
• The Secret of Grim Hill, Book 1, Grades 4-6.
• Grim Hill, Book 2: The Secret Deepens, Grades 4-6.
• The Shade, Grades 5-9.

Have a fun and SAFE holiday. (Don’t forget to brush those teeth and floss after sampling your Halloween candy. )

*NOTE: For the adrenaline junkies in your classroom, check out the children’s picture books highlighted in the Big Universe blog “Extreme Sports Books for the Reluctant Reader.”

* NOTE: Don’t forget to enter the Charlesbridge dragon-themed writing contest for children, K-3^rd Grade. The deadline for entries is Dec. 31, 2011. Prizes include an author school visit and a $100 certificate for books. Click this contest submission guidelines link to read more about the rules.

 

Summer Reading Lists: Books in Spanish

One of the things I love about Big Universe is its diversity. Readers are bound to find variety due to the sheer number of books offered – more than 3200 volumes of online picture books! However, Big Universe’s broad world view is more than happenstance. Diversity is one of the core principles upon which this educational resource was built.  

Inclusion of multi-language fiction and non-fiction, as well as books featuring a variety of cultures around the world make this a rich resource for teachers, students and parents. Picture books are offered in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Ukrainian. 

I have compiled a partial list of Spanish text picture books offered on Big Universe for children age 0-8. To find other foreign language books, go to the “Read” landing page and click on the “Foreign Language” tab for a drop-down list of options. Help raise broad-minded world citizens for tomorrow!

  

  

• Fútbol  (Soccer) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Gimnasia (Gymnastics) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Porristas (Cheerleading) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• La Oscuridad (The Dark) – Interest Level: Age 0-5
• Arriba y Debajo (Under and Over) – Interest Level: Age 0-5
• Dentro y Fuera (In and Out) Interest Level: Age 0-8
• La Estampa de Béisbol (The Baseball Card) – Interest Level: Age 3-12
• Tudley No Sabía (Tudley Didn’t Know) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Tita y Ben (Tita and Ben) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Ronny – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Qué nervios! (First Day Jitters) – Interest Level: Age 3-8
• Qué es Nuevo en el Zoológico? (What’s New in the Zoo)
• Tortillas – Interest Level: Age 0-8 (Read-aloud)
• Cinco de Mayo – Interest Level: Age 0-8 (Read-aloud)
• Le Cenicienta (Cinderella) – Interest Level: Age 0-8 (Read-aloud)
• El Libro de Pizza (The Pizza Book) – Interest Level: Age 0-8 (Read-aloud)
• La Tortuga y Liebre (The Tortoise and the Hare) – Interest Level: Age 0-8 (Read-aloud)

 

 “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela

 NOTE: Just in time for summer, Big Universe has compiled some age-leveled book lists, as well as assorted topical book lists that will make SUMMER READING easy to assign. Students can tackle one or more lists to complete, or they can pick and choose various featured Big Universe titles, logging books or reading minutes as they go. Simply go to Big Universe’s “Read” page, find the “Browse or Search for Books” sidebar, and click on the “Summer Reading Lists” tab to get a drop-down list. Themes include: Animals, Chapter Books, Cultures, Humor, Nature, Science and Sports.

UPDATE: (June 11, 2011) Check out the San Francisco Chronicle education article by Jessica Kwong, titled  “K-8 Foreign Language Demand Up.” 

‘Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes’ Revisited

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.

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Selections

On April 29, 2010, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring May 2010 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The proclamation begins:

“For centuries, America’s story has been tied to the Pacific. Generations of brave men and women have crossed this vast ocean, seeking better lives and opportunities, and weaving their rich heritage into our cultural tapestry. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the immeasurable contributions these diverse peoples have made to our Nation.”

Looking for a readaloud? Grace Lin’s Ugly Vegetables is always a favorite! Lin wrote this story based upon her experiences gardening with her mother as a child. She and her mother grew “ugly” Chinese vegetables while the other people in her neighborhood grew beautiful flowers.  This book will spark discussions of culture, community, & diverstiy. It also includes a pronunciation guide for the Chinese Vegetables in the story as well as a recipe at the end of the book.

Teaching Resources

• Author, Grace Lin’s Website Activities, coloring page, lesson plan, reader’s theater script, soup recipe, & a Chinese vocabulary lesson.

• Behind the story History of how the story was created and a picture of the author with her mom.

• McGraw-Hill Activities Students will practice oral language, spelling & vocabulary, and research & inquiry skills while playing interactive games.

• Grants for School and Youth Gardens Check out this list of grants on the National Gardening Association website.

More titles on Big Universe:

Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.

Books Introduce Black History Month Heroes

Stunted though it may be, February is an overachiever. Its 28 days are jam-packed with holidays, birthdays and observances – surely enough fodder to fill those bulletin boards with meaningful material all month long.

 While Groundhog’s Day may be a bit frivolous and Valentine’s Day a tad frilly, the Black History Month observance is fertile ground for broadening our children’s understanding of American history. It moves beyond waddling rodents and rotund cherubs with a fondness for archery. Rather, it provides the framework to introduce heroes, men and women with athletic, artistic and academic gifts and a vision for a better tomorrow.

 “In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores, they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our nation’s enduring struggle to perfect itself. Each February, we recognize African American History Month as a moment to reflect upon how far we have come as a nation, and what challenges remain.”  – President Barack Obama

 What better tool to introduce this facet of American history than books? Who better to introduce the books than acclaimed poet and autobiographer Maya Angelou, who understands their power so well?

 “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading – to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs – is good for him.”  –  Maya Angelou, African American poet

 A Starter List of Biographies for Kids

 –        “A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman,” by David A. Adler and Samuel Byrd, traces the life of Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slavery to become a conductor in the Underground Railroad. Grade 4. (Scholastic)

 –        “Jackie Robinson Graphic Biography” details the life of the first African-American Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Grades 4-6. (Saddleback Educational Publishing)

 –        “George Washington Carver,” by Eva Moore and Alexander Anderson, tells the story of a man who overcame tough beginnings to become an accomplished botanist. Grades 3-5 (Scholastic)

–        “Rap a Tap Tap,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book about Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a popular tap dancer from the 1920s-30s, who “talked with his feet.” (Blue Sky Press)

–        “Martin Luther King Jr. Graphic Biography” is a biography about an influential man who fought against prejudice and injustice. Grades 4-6. (Saddleback)

–        A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth,” by David A. Adler and Gershom Griffith, traces the life of a well-known abolitionist and crusader for the rights of African Americans in the United States. (Grade 4) (Scholastic)

–        “A Picture Book of Jesse Owens,” by David A. Adler and Robert Casilla, is a simple biography about track star Jesse Owens, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  (Grade 5) (Scholastic)

–        “I Am Rosa Parks,” by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins, tells the story of a brave woman who acted upon her convictions. Grades 1-3. (Puffin)

–        “A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass,” by David A. Adler and Samuel Byrd, explains the role of this escaped slave, who went on to become a writer, speaker and leader of the abolitionist movement. Grade 5. (Scholastic)

–        “A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall,” by David A. Adler and Robert Casilla, lets children learn more about the life of the first African-American Supreme Court justice. Grade 5. (Scholastic)

–        Reading Rockets offers its own list of Black History Month reads. Check them out.

Other African Americans making significant contributions to our society include neurosurgeon Ben Carson, sports legend Bill Russell, Pulitzer Prize poet Gwendolyn Brooks, Tuskegee Institute director Booker T. Washington, Medal of Honor soldier Vernon Baker, baseball legend Buck O’Neil, surgical technique pioneer Vivien Thomas, track great Wilma Rudolph, Oscar-winning actress Hattie McDaniel, choreographer Alvin Ailey, and too many others to count.

Big Universe, an online children’s picture books website, has lots to offer to supplement Black History Month discussions. Let your students explore the Bill of Rights by reading “What Are Citizens’ Basic Rights?” Grades 4-6 (Weekly Reader), or read  “Civil Rights: An Acrostic Poem”  by Big Universe member BlockB. “Slavery in America” and ”Reconstruction” are other options for older students. 

 

Good Books Foster Global Citizenship

After getting married, my husband and I had seven years to fashion a general philosophy about how we would raise our kids before we ever were blessed with any. After vowing we would never let our children run screaming around tables in restaurants, we talked about the importance of education.

In addition to wanting to furnish them with every educational advantage within our power, we talked about the importance of providing a solid family life grounded in faith and buoyed by a zeal for life and love and respect for others. Bright, beautiful and balanced children. Was that too much to ask?

Indian philosopher Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

Books – Ticket to Diversity
The echo of Mr. Gandhi’s wise words touched the future we imagined for our children. (We eventually had two beautiful daughters.) So, when we got our family underway and were in the throes of raising our girls, it was a relief to have access to the wisdom of other successful parents and to have tools available to us – namely books! We read to our girls from the time they were infants, including books we felt would arm them to fight the slithering ways of prejudice and overcome our natural myopic tendencies.

I recently discovered a horizon-broadening book called “Listen to the Wind,” which I would have loved to have had when my girls were younger. It is the children’s version of the New York Times bestseller “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson, an American mountain climber who stumbled lost and emaciated into a remote Pakistani mountain village after a failed climb. Balti villagers nursed him back to health, and Mortenson promised to come back some day to build a school for their children.

Man with a Heart for Kids
Mortenson kept his promise, and “Listen to the Wind” retells the inspirational story of his rescue and fulfilled promise from the perspective of the Korphe village children. Mortenson has since founded the Central Asia Institute, which has brought books and education to thousands of impoverished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan – 130 schools and 51,000 kids at last count.

“Education saves lives, empowers women and communities, and helps connect often exploited indigenous societies isolated by illiteracy to the outside world,” says Mortenson, a humanitarian who is billed as the guy who promotes peace “one school at a time.”

Website Without Borders
There are many other good multicultural books available besides “Listen to the Wind.” The children’s reading and writing website Big Universe offers a nice assortment of books to broaden the horizons of youngsters, including “Kids Around the World,” “Greece,” “We Share One World,” “Sub-Saharan Africa,” “China,” “Places Around the World,” “India” and “Holidays.” These books are perfect for introducing children to other cultures and spurring discussions about diversity.

By using the written word, I was able to help my daughters develop respect for other customs while deepening their fondness for their own family traditions. Lining that learning curve were curiosity and compassion, spurred on by the books we read, the games we played, the discussions we had, and the prayers we prayed.

Nelson Mandela on Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa.

I, too, believe parents, writers and educators are in a pivotal position to nurture the good neighbors, peacekeepers and humanitarians of tomorrow. We have a wonderful opportunity to bolster multicultural appreciation while doing battle with prejudice and learning to lend a helping hand.

Combine good books with hearty discussions, listening to “world music,” tasting various foods, traveling, and participating in service projects like Pennies for Peace. These are just a few avenues to help cultivate the broadmindedness necessary to thrive in today’s global society.