Birthdays Anyone?

Well, today's the day!  50 years ago, I was born in Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Rocky Ford, Colorado (yep, home of the famous Rocky Ford cantaloupes - http://rockyfordmelon.com).  Glenn and Freda were probably more than a bit surprised... dad was 55 and mom was 43, but I arrived!  The youngest of ten children--girl, girl, boy, girl, girl, boy, boy, girl, boy, boy (My mom only gave birth to the last five, the first five were from my father's previous marriage.  And, by the way, my oldest sister, Joy, turned 81 on February 13th).  

     So what's more fitting to celebrate a 50th birthday, than to list my favorite birthday books... of course, I'm only listing 15 books!  I'm hoping that the rest of you will add the remaining 35 to help me celebrate my 50th!  Happy searching, can't wait to hear your favorites...

Elephant and Piggie

If you were in Powell's in January, you probably heard my friend Mimi laughing outloud as she was showing me Mo William's Elephant and Piggie books.  They are hilarious.  Even as an adult, you can't help but giggle when you read one of these books.  Watch Me Throw! is one of my favorites... but there are so many others.

     I love reading Mo Williams' blog.  It's personal, child-oriented and full of his best thinking:  http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com 

     In Mo's latest Elephant and Piggie book, Gerald is careful.  But Piggie is not.  Piggie disrupts a perfectly day by telling Gerald he is going... but who will Gerald play ping-pong with and wear silly hats with?
     Such simple text creates an amazingly complex story line in each and every one of these books.  Elephant and Piggie have turned me into a Mo Williams fan.  And, I have to be honest, that's something that Knuffle Bunny couldn't do!   But, Elephant and Piggie are so endearing... I can't wait to add them all to my collection.  
     My students will love them (yes, I know they are third graders, but c'mon aren't they perfect to use during a study of drawing inferences?).  And even if they don't, I'll have a good laugh or two!

Put Thinking to the Test

It's that time again... state testing in Colorado.  And third grade readers are the first children tested in our state.  After two days of testing, I'm reminded again of a Dave Barry quote my coauthors and I used in Put Thinking to the Test (Stenhouse, April 2008), "At one time, the purpose of public schools, at least theoretically was to educate children; now it is to produce higher FCAT scores, by whatever means necessary.  If school officials believed that ingesting lizard meat improved FCAT performance, the cafeterias would be serving gecko nuggets."  The quote is followed by a wonderful essay by my friend and colleague Cheryl Zimmerman, called, "Education, Fear Factor Style."  
     Have you read it?  It's a courageous essay (we all miss Fear Factor, don't we?), filled with humor, sincerity, and truth.  Something we're reminded of this time of year.  Take a gander if you missed it (you can read Cheryl's essay online at Stenhouse.com).  So many of the lessons we learned during our inquiry and while writing the book come to light at this time of year (and as we found interspersed throughout the year).   
     If you haven't read the book, consider taking a look.  It focuses "test prep" through a different lens without solely relying on mundane test preparation packets (I heard a teacher call them recently "study guides"... but they are still packets).  My coauthors and I look closely at the types of strategies students use on a regular basis and how to encourage students to use the same strategies as they become once-a-year test-takers.  We look closely at thinking strategies and their role in testing. 
     Through our inquiry we learned that "we must remain true to what we believe, true to our sense of professional integrity."  We ended the book by saying, "We are hopeful that those of you who are trying to change the testing situation in our country won't give up.  We are hopeful that those of you who are under administrative pressure to increase scores won't abandon everything you know about your students and their learning.  We are hopeful that those of you who have ignored high-stakes testing will become more test savvy.  We are hopeful that you won't give in to pressure."  So true. 

Dogs... a Keeper

I have a daughter who loves dogs.... Big dogs, small dogs, stripy dogs, spotty dogs.  There are so many different kinds of dogs.  How can anyone pick one type of dog to love the most?  I think it's a question she asks herself every day.  Emily Gravett's new book is the perfect book for the dog lovers you know.  The illustrations are absolutely wonderful.  The text is simple, but intriguing.  It's the perfect mentor text for young writers.  Every page leaves you with a smile!  I'm sure my daughter will love this one... she's in 5th grade, but she loves a wonderful picture book.  This one is a gem... with a little twist at the end!

Forever Young? Really?

I remember this song when I was about 14 (1974)... and perhaps the fact that I'm turning 50 this week brings about a certain nostalgia (albeit not necessarily for Bob Dylan's music)!  I picked this text up at CCIRA.
     My wife and I have given this book to our friends who love Dylan and who lived in his era.  The illustrations are amazing and a trip down memory lane for many friends who grew up listening to Dylan's music (trip, interesting word choice).  I love the illustrations of Paul Rogers... he's captured the 1960s well (like a "Where's Waldo" for the Dylan set).  Can you find the references to Lay, Lady, Lay or Blowin' in the Wind or Woody Guthrie?  Brilliant.
     Musically, I love Audra Mae's version.  My own children like Rod Stewart's version.  But this book holds itself to true Dylan style.  Students will look at it as a lovely poem with a repeating line... I look at it as a great piece of text with words that speak volumes.  You can even see it animated at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc-a1kP7ITA
     My friends want to make #50 a big deal and, frankly, I'm not in the mood.  They don't realize that I sincerely want this birthday to pass along smoothly, with perhaps a hug and a bit of reminiscing, maybe a quiet cup of coffee after work or perhaps dinner together in the coming weeks.  I want to reflect and have a peaceful day... no confetti, no balloons, no black arm bands or "Over the Hill" decor.  I hope they'll understand...

Chicken Cheeks

What sold me on this book?  Frankly it's not high on my list of recommendations, but I love the illustrations... Kevin Hawkes' artwork had me laughing out loud when I picked this book up at CCIRA.  Now... the storyline probably isn't the most appropriate (unless you want to learn a list of names for your "cheeks").  My favorites:  Polar Bear Derriere, Penguin Patootie, Gnu Wazoo, Kangaroo Keister, Duck-billed Platypus Gluteus Maximus...
     Of course, the story is really about a bear who's got a hankering for some honey and will do anything to get it... including stacking animals "end over end" to reach it.  
     Not a deep book, but I laughed when I read it and my daughter has loved reading it aloud... simple, but fun (and another on the bargain table).  This is the author (recognize him?) reading the book:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLVVMyi7LhU

A Book About My Favorite Food...

I picked up a copy of Penelope Stowell's book The Greatest Potatoes on the bargain table at The Boulder Book at CCIRA.  Why?  I admit it, potato chips are my favorite food (I don't eat them often, but I certainly could... ) and this book cracked me up!
     It's about George Crum who created this thin, crispy delicacy at Moon's Lake House Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York.  His goal?  To please millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, Crum (after several unsuccessful attempts) decides to make the most unappetizing, overcooked potatoes he can... the result, potato chips!  The rest, as they say, is history... deep fried, crispy, slightly salty, and deliciously unhealthy history!  Saratoga Chips!
     The book has both an author's note and a recipe in the back that I think students will find interesting.  And, if you're a fellow potato chip lover, you just might try it yourself.  The best part... it was on the bargain table!