Reflection...

Jane Yolen once again pairs up with her son, Jason Stemple, to create a breathtaking book of poetry, A Mirror to Nature.  What I love most about Jane Yolen's poetry is how provocative it is and how she doesn't dumb down the vocabulary just because she writes for children.  What better way is there to build the pragamatic cueing system than to read, discuss, talk about, and ponder a piece of Jane Yolen's poetry?

     I think this book (and her other collaborations with her son) are surperb invitations for writers to observe... and to realize that poetry is found everywhere.  Jane makes note of the fact that her son's photos show double images, causing readers to see things in new ways and from different points of view.  And, Jane Yolen crafts poetry to match each photograph simply and eloquently...
     When we're teaching our children to reflect as readers, writers, mathematicians, etc. this would be the perfect book to use as a visual reminder that the reflection portion of the workshop model is about seeing yourself in a new way... thinking about how things look differently based on your learning for today.  I'm going to use it for that purpose, to help my students understand the point of reflection as part of our daily workshops.
     This book could also work as mentor text for a study of writing the world (Don Graves reminds us to read the world... now write the world).  Jane Yolen helps us do that - brilliantly.  
     But, mostly I think children will love to play with Jane's words in their head, look closely at the wonderful photographs, and enjoy this poetic look at nature. 

Teedie... The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt

This is another of Don Brown's books that caught my eye.  I've always imagined Theodore Roosevelt as a Rough Rider and as the President of the United States... a champion of conservation and national parks.  But this book tells the story of his childhood, when he was sickly, asthmatic, and frail.  

     The title comes from his nickname, Teedie, and the book talks about his parents and their attempts to make him stronger.  Ultimately, his father encouraged him to become physically fit and with tenacity and endurance, his body strength (and his continued mental curiosity) improved.  He overcame many of the obstacles he faced as a child.  In Roosevelt's own words, he said, "he paddled 'in the hottest sun, over the roughest water, in the smallest boat.'"  

     The strength of his mind, determination, and futuristic thinking made small Teedie the man who reminded us to "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."  Theodore Roosevelt is a somewhat iconic hero and we picture him often on a horse with a sword in his hand... but this book reminds us so clearly that we all start out as a child.

     I used this book during our study of endurance and stamina... it's also a text that lends itself to the study of questioning and perhaps even synthesis.  I'd recommend that you have a go with it...

     There are several quotes of Teddy Roosevelt's that I've collected (not in the book)... 

• "Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense," 
• "The one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name,"
• "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed,"
• "Be practical as well as generous in your ideals.  Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground," and
• "Success - the real success- does not depend upon the position you hold, but upon how you carry yourself in that position."

This interesting picture book reminded me of how little I really know about some of our presidents... including Theodore Roosevelt.  It's intriguing and the illustrations are in Don Brown's unique style.  It's a great little read! 

There's No Place Like...

I love traveling to do staff development... this week I worked in Vancouver, Washington with a colleague, Susan Logan.  The weather in the Vancouver/Portland area was beautiful and exploring was a lot of fun (despite a slight case of gephyrophobia and a mixed-up sense of direction).  
     Working with an enthusiastic and energetic group of elementary folks, talking a lot about thinking strategy instruction makes for an inspiring two days.  Working with a trusted colleague makes the work even more rewarding.
     One of the benefits of traveling is discovering great local places to explore after working.  So, each evening (after we reflected and planned) we hopped in the rented Mustang convertible (airport gave us a free upgrade)... top down, but heat on!  We hit the following places:

Nothing like Powell's City of Books to get your heart racing and your $$ flying (I limited myself to two gems from the bargain book shelf - Cinderella by Cynthia Rylant and The Sandman by Ralph Fletcher).  What a way to spend an hour, or two, or three!  Especially when you're with someone else who shares a passion for books!  No teacher can make a trip to the Portland area without a trip to the Rose Room... the children's book section is amazing, I love the combination of old and new!

     For dinner one night, we ate at Jake's.  A trip to Portland isn't complete without eating here... the clam chowder is the best and because it's within walking distance of Powell's it's a great stop (although... Ten 01 was the recommendation that evening).  The historic charm makes this restaurant seem better than it probably really is, but the decor is so "old" Portland!  I always find myself wondering about the history of the area...

     Traveling with someone who eats gluten free made for an adventurous trip to another Portland neighborhood for gluten free fish and chips (rice flour), clam chowder, and the best dessert!  We ate a delicious meal at Corbett's.  A funky little neighborhood restaurant that's dedicated to great food and no gluten!  And there wasn't an empty table on a Thursday night.

     The best place of all was in another historic district near downtown.  The waiter threw open the window next to our table which made for some great people watching!  The restaurant was called Serratto... and it was recommended by one of the literacy specialists in Vancouver.  The neighborhood was fun to walk around for a bit and to talk about the two days of work...
     Traveling is rewarding and meeting new teachers and staff members from around the country is a professional treat.  Finding local hangouts is more fun than a chain or a hotel restaurant.  Thinking (and eating) your way through a different city is a special treat. 
     But at the end of the trip, there's nothing better than coming home, listening to your daughter practice the piano, napping on the family room floor, listening to your son talk to his mom as he wraps a gift to take to a girl's surprise party... eating Papa Murphy's pizza.

The Art Room

I love using this book to help writers create sensory images in their writing and I've also used it during a study of inferring.  The Art Room is a tribute to Emily Carr, a Canadian artist (think Van Gogh and O'Keeffe).  I was first struck by the beauty of the illustrations, but then I read it and was awestruke by the poetic story.  It's a first person account of a group of children who take art lessons from Miss Carr in the upstairs of an office building.  Lines like "...pinks and purples spilled from window boxes and lept from walls..." and "...typewriters talking business and tongues babbling news..." fill the text.  The students in 1900 "giggled and gulped and gabbed with Miss Carr about people, and animals and art," and this book paints a wonderful portrait of learning, both for the students in the text and for the students in my classroom.  The book is not new, but it one worth having in your collection.  It would also make a wonderful gift for the art teacher in your school... it's written by Susan Vande Griek and illustrated by Pascal Milelli.

Mark your Day....

Cynthia Rylant is everyone's favorite author... and this book is another example of why we hold her writing so near and dear to our hearts!  When I read this book for the first time, I fell in love with it... my background experience kept racing through my mind (summers on the ranch, feeding chickens, etc).  Cynthia Rylant has a way of doing that, of capturing the reader's mind and heart with the simplicity of her words.  In this book, we are nudged to see a perfect piece of time to live a life... to plant a seed.
     This book is the gracious nudge to remind children to think about hope, kindness, and special moments.  I've used it to invite children to do a line lift or a memory write in their reader's/writer's notebooks.  Plenty of seeds have been planted because of Rylant's words.  It's superb mentor text.

     The artwork in this book is remarkable, black paper cut in lovely silhouettes.  Simplicity at it's finest.  But yet the beautiful, intricate detail is an almost lost art form.  Nikki McClure is brilliant!
     I love the language in this book You can make a wish, and start again and The past is sailing off to sea, the future's fast asleep.  A day is all you have to be, it's all you get to keep.
     So get this book... and remind your students to, as my friend Randi Allison says, "mark your day."  Today is the only October 10, 2009 they will ever have...

Grandma Dowdel...

Well, Grandma Dowdel is back... I never knew an old lady who cooked a turtle or went bird hunting.  But growing up in a small town, I knew plenty of women that reminded me of Grandma Dowdel (canning produce, gathering walnuts, etc.).  

     In this book, she's standing up for Poor Bob as he is bullied beyond belief and helps his father grow his congregation.  As we read, we know that Mrs. Dowdel is a good-hearted soul.  She's a good neighbor to all of the Barnharts.

     How does Richard Peck do it?  Capture the most tragic things in the most intriguing and endearing ways?   A Season of Gifts is more a book for 'tween readers and one I'd recommend for older readers based on the concepts in the text.  But...

     It's nice to see Grandma Dowdel back... a bit older and a bit more eccentric that she was in A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago.  She's a bit calmer in this book, but I think she might just remind you of the little old lady that lived down the street when you were growing up!

Loving Marlaa Frazee

I always look for new books with Marla Frazee as the illustrator and this one, coupled with Liz Garton Scanlon as the author, is wonderful.   
     All the World is one of those books that just makes you happy when you read it... Hope and peace and love and trust... All the world is all of us.

     At a deeper level, this book is really about the life of an every day family taking the time to be, well, just to be.  All the world is wide and deep... The simple poetic rhythm of this book is accompanied perfectly by Marla Frazee's illustrations as she adds brilliant depth to the story by including rich detail in her drawings.  You will smile as you read it!  You'll want to spend a day with your family!

     I think this is a perfect text to use when talking about community... and the amount of inferring you can do just by looking at the illustrations is unsurpassed.  I can see using it as mentor text in our writer's workshop.  I can see using it with my students and having a discussion of time.
     I've been thinking a lot about time and the rush we are always in as teachers and learners... this book may just become the link to the idea of slowing down, meandering in thought, and adding needed depth to our daily work as learners.