Working my way through two more piles of books.
Kids, post YOUR TBR pile as a comment, along with your initials and last year's homeroom, and you can pick from the prize box the next time I see you (and add another book to your pile).
Monday, July 1, 2019
TBR - Weeks 2 and 3
Kids, post YOUR TBR pile as a comment, along with your initials and last year's homeroom, and you can pick from the prize box the next time I see you (and add another book to your pile).
What Ms. Moore Read in May and June
Here are some of the most recent books I've read and recommend for my students. They're all available from the public library, but any donations towards getting them into our collection are most welcome! Cover images and descriptions are from Goodreads.
Picture Books
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present.
Rather than focusing on going to bed—and what kid wants to think about going to bed?—this book explores all of the dreamy, wonderful, strange things the next day might bring.
Every story needs a problem.
But Panda doesn't have a problem.
Unless . . . Panda is the problem.
The New York Times bestselling author of Here Comes the Easter Cat and The Quiet Book loses control of the narrative in the funniest, most exuberant, most kid-delighting way in this adventurous ode to what makes a story--and what makes a story great.
"What if . . . we got lost far, far, far away, and couldn't find our way home? Then we would become the bravest explorers in the world." So begin the adventures of two intrepid polar bears. Traveling on a ship imagined from an iceberg, the bears encounter magnificent sights and scary situations. When a city made of crayons melts, the bears use pencils to create a beautiful gray world. When all the words in the universe disappear, the bears invent their own language. When something really big and really scary happens, they whistle and hold hands until it's not as big or scary anymore. And when they find their way back home, they're ready to imagine a thousand more possibilities.
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Rather than focusing on going to bed—and what kid wants to think about going to bed?—this book explores all of the dreamy, wonderful, strange things the next day might bring.But Panda doesn't have a problem.
Unless . . . Panda is the problem.
The New York Times bestselling author of Here Comes the Easter Cat and The Quiet Book loses control of the narrative in the funniest, most exuberant, most kid-delighting way in this adventurous ode to what makes a story--and what makes a story great.
Early Readers
Hank is a kid who doesn't try to be funny, but he somehow always makes the kids in his class laugh. He's pretty bad at memorizing stuff, and spelling is his worst subject. (But so are math and reading!) In the second book in this new series, Hank has finally persuaded his dad to get the family a dog, and Hank couldn't be more excited! Mesmerized by a little wiener dog chasing his tail (making him look like a Cheerio) at the animal shelter, Hank declares him to be the new Zipzer dog. But when Cheerio gets loose in the park, Mr. Zipzer furiously announces that the dog must go. Can Hank convince his father that he wasn't the one who let Cheerio off his leash, or will he really lose his new pet and best friend?
Hank is a kid who doesn't try to be funny, but he somehow always makes the kids in his class laugh. He's pretty bad at memorizing stuff, and spelling is his worst subject. (But so are math and reading!) In the second book in this new series, Hank has finally persuaded his dad to get the family a dog, and Hank couldn't be more excited! Mesmerized by a little wiener dog chasing his tail (making him look like a Cheerio) at the animal shelter, Hank declares him to be the new Zipzer dog. But when Cheerio gets loose in the park, Mr. Zipzer furiously announces that the dog must go. Can Hank convince his father that he wasn't the one who let Cheerio off his leash, or will he really lose his new pet and best friend?Middle Grade Fiction
When you're a Buttman, the label "bully" comes with the territory, and Bernice lives up to her name. But life as a bully is lonely, and if there's one thing Bernice really wants (even more than becoming a Hollywood stuntwoman), it's a true friend.
After her mom skedaddles and leaves her in a new town with her aunt (who is also a real live nun), Bernice decides to mend her ways and become a model citizen. If her plan works, she just might be able to get herself to Hollywood Hills Stunt Camp! But it's hard to be kind when no one shows you kindness, so a few cheesy pranks may still be up her sleeve. . . .
When you're a Buttman, the label "bully" comes with the territory, and Bernice lives up to her name. But life as a bully is lonely, and if there's one thing Bernice really wants (even more than becoming a Hollywood stuntwoman), it's a true friend.
After her mom skedaddles and leaves her in a new town with her aunt (who is also a real live nun), Bernice decides to mend her ways and become a model citizen. If her plan works, she just might be able to get herself to Hollywood Hills Stunt Camp! But it's hard to be kind when no one shows you kindness, so a few cheesy pranks may still be up her sleeve. . . .
After her mom skedaddles and leaves her in a new town with her aunt (who is also a real live nun), Bernice decides to mend her ways and become a model citizen. If her plan works, she just might be able to get herself to Hollywood Hills Stunt Camp! But it's hard to be kind when no one shows you kindness, so a few cheesy pranks may still be up her sleeve. . . .
Amelia Albright dreams about going to Florida for spring break like everyone else in her class, but her father—a cranky and conservative English professor—has decided Florida is too much adventure. Now Amelia is stuck at home with him and her babysitter, the beloved Mrs. O’Brien. The week ahead promises to be boring, until Amelia meets Casey at her local art studio. Amelia has never been friends with a boy before, and the experience is both fraught and thrilling. When Casey claims to see the spirit of Amelia’s mother (who died ten years before), the pair embark on an altogether different journey in their attempt to find her.
Nonfiction
Once upon a revolutionary time, two great American patriots tried to make life easier. They knew how hard it was to spell words in English. They knew that sounds didn’t match letters. They knew that the problem was an inconvenient English alphabet.
In 1786, Ben Franklin, at age eighty, and Noah Webster, twenty-eight, teamed up. Their goal? Make English easier to read and write. But even for great thinkers, what seems easy can turn out to be hard.
A dazzling picture book biography of Margaret Wise Brown, the legendary author of Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, and other children’s classics, that is as fearless and groundbreaking as the icon herself was—from award-winning, bestselling author Mac Barnett and rising star illustrator Sarah Jacoby
What is important about Margaret Wise Brown?
In 42 inspired pages, this biography by award-winning writer Mac Barnett vividly depicts one of the greatest children’s book creators who ever lived.
In 1786, Ben Franklin, at age eighty, and Noah Webster, twenty-eight, teamed up. Their goal? Make English easier to read and write. But even for great thinkers, what seems easy can turn out to be hard.
What is important about Margaret Wise Brown?
In 42 inspired pages, this biography by award-winning writer Mac Barnett vividly depicts one of the greatest children’s book creators who ever lived.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
What Ms. Moore Read in March and April
Here are some of the most recent books I've read and recommend for my students. They're all available from the public library, but any donations towards getting them into our collection are most welcome! Cover images and descriptions are from Goodreads.
Picture Books
Sadness can be scary and confusing at any age! When we feel sad, especially for long periods of time, it can seem as if the sadness is a part of who we are--an overwhelming, invisible, and scary sensation.
In When Sadness Is at Your Door, Eva Eland brilliantly approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. She gives it a shape and a face, and encourages the reader to give it a name, all of which helps to demystify it and distinguish it from ourselves. She suggests activities to do with it, like sitting quietly, drawing, and going outside for a walk. The beauty of this approach is in the respect the book has for the feeling.
In When Sadness Is at Your Door, Eva Eland brilliantly approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. She gives it a shape and a face, and encourages the reader to give it a name, all of which helps to demystify it and distinguish it from ourselves. She suggests activities to do with it, like sitting quietly, drawing, and going outside for a walk. The beauty of this approach is in the respect the book has for the feeling.
A tough gumshoe of a cat--the name's Muffin--protects his territory: The Little Bear Bakery. But there are no bears here. Not on Muffin's watch.
One night, Muffin hears a suspicious noise. Mouse? Raccoon? Bat? Nope, not the usual suspects. But Muffin hears . . . growling. Could it be? Yup. A bear. Just a cub. Whose stomach is definitely growling. Muffin's got this case solved--clearly this bear needs some donuts.
One night, Muffin hears a suspicious noise. Mouse? Raccoon? Bat? Nope, not the usual suspects. But Muffin hears . . . growling. Could it be? Yup. A bear. Just a cub. Whose stomach is definitely growling. Muffin's got this case solved--clearly this bear needs some donuts.
A young black girl lifts her baby hands up to greet the sun, reaches her hands up for a book on a high shelf, and raises her hands up in praise at a church service. She stretches her hands up high like a plane's wings and whizzes down a hill so fast on her bike with her hands way up. As she grows, she lives through everyday moments of joy, love, and sadness. And when she gets a little older, she joins together with her family and her community in a protest march, where they lift their hands up together in resistance and strength.
Join a young girl as she explores her surroundings and sees that water is everywhere. But water doesn't always look the same, it doesn't always feel the same, and it shows up in lots of different shapes. Water can be a lake, it can be steam, it can be a tear, or it can even be a snowman.As the girl discovers water in nature, in weather, in her home, and even inside her own body, water comes to life, and kids will find excitement and joy in water and its many forms.
Mo Willems, a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, composes a powerful symphony of chance, discovery, persistence, and magic in this moving tale of a young girl's journey to center stage. Illustrator Amber Ren brings Willems' music to life, conducting a stunning picture-book debut.
An ode to hope and a powerful tribute to the courage of those who ran for freedom, The Bell Rang is a stunning reminder that our past can never be forgotten.
Potato is excited because today—for one day only— Lance Vance’s Fancy Pants Store is selling . . .POTATO PANTS!Potato rushes over early, but just as he’s about to walk in, something makes him stop. What could it be? Find out in this one-of-a-kind story about misunderstandings and forgiveness, and—of course—Potato Pants!
Graphic Novels
Super Max has it all. He's a superhero with a flashy uniform and a great head of hair. Sure, sometimes the evil Dr. Malevolent pops up to cause trouble. But Super Max has defeated the villain over and over again.
This time is different. This time, Dr. Malevolent's plan works . . . and he turns the handsome hero into a tiny tuber! But there's one thing the doctor didn't count on. The potato still has powers, and justice takes many forms. Super Max may be gone . . . but it's Super Potato's time to fly!
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?
Middle Grade Fiction
A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. Alex’s original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he’ll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He’s loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don’t have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he’s desperate for a different ending—and a way out of this twisted place.
This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans of Coraline and A Tale Dark and Grimm. (RICBA nominee)
Tessa Woodward isn’t exactly thrilled to move to rainy, cold Chicago from her home in sunny Florida. But homesickness turns to icy fear when unexplainable things start happening in her new house. Things like flickering lights, mysterious drawings appearing out of nowhere, and a crackling noise she can feel in her bones.
When her little brother’s doll starts crying real tears, Tessa realizes that someone—or something—is trying to communicate with her. A secret that’s been shrouded in mystery for more than one hundred years. (RICBA nominee)
When her little brother’s doll starts crying real tears, Tessa realizes that someone—or something—is trying to communicate with her. A secret that’s been shrouded in mystery for more than one hundred years. (RICBA nominee)
When Margot Blumenthal removes a bright blue slug alien attached to Mateo Flores’s back, the school play co-stars know it’s definitely not going to be a regular day at West Cove Middle School.
They reluctantly team up and soon discover that the mayor and countless other adults, including Mateo’s dad, are infected—which means that West Cove, and possibly all of Earth, is in danger.
What will they (and their new scientist friend) do? Ditch class and protect humankind, of course—because one unexcused absence doesn’t matter when the world is at stake! (RICBA nominee)
They reluctantly team up and soon discover that the mayor and countless other adults, including Mateo’s dad, are infected—which means that West Cove, and possibly all of Earth, is in danger.
What will they (and their new scientist friend) do? Ditch class and protect humankind, of course—because one unexcused absence doesn’t matter when the world is at stake! (RICBA nominee)
Nonfiction
You probably know a little about crocodiles already. They're reptiles, they have an awful lot of teeth, and they're pretty scary -- at least, the big ones are! They're not very fussy about what they eat, and when it comes to hunting down dinner, crocodiles are very determined . . . and very cunning. But there's more to crocodiles than just their appetites. They love to nap on warm sandbanks and cool off in calm waters, and crocodile mothers are very gentle with their babies. This fascinating look at one of Earth's most infamous creatures is full of information for amateur scientists, with back matter that includes an index, notes on species, and suggestions for further reading.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it wasn’t just one man who got us to the moon. The Moon Landing explores the people and technology that made the moon landing possible. Instead of examining one person’s life, it focuses on the moon landing itself, showing the events leading up to it and how it changed the world. The book takes readers through the history of rocket building: from ancient Chinese rockets, to “bombs bursting in air” during the War of 1812, to Russia’s Sputnik program, to the moon landing.
Imagine you are a polar bear. Your coat is thick. Your teeth are sharp. Your front paws are paddles, your back paws are rudders, and you can swim for miles. Your home has always been the sea and the ice.
A sea bear, far north in the Arctic, hunts and naps and raises her young. She moves with the ice, swimming, running, stalking seals, resting. She follows the rhythm of the sea and the seasons.
But what happens when those rhythms change? What happens when there is no ice?
A sea bear, far north in the Arctic, hunts and naps and raises her young. She moves with the ice, swimming, running, stalking seals, resting. She follows the rhythm of the sea and the seasons.
But what happens when those rhythms change? What happens when there is no ice?
When spring arrives, flowers of all kinds sprout and grow buds and bloom. Sometimes, they bloom a few at a time. But other times, many will bloom at once in a colorful flower boom! This photographic exploration of flowers goes from the desert to the woodlands and beyond, celebrating their beautiful variety and the science behind these colorful displays.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
TBR - Week 1
It's vacation! Which means I have way more time now to read books. Hooray! Here is my first pile.
Kids, post YOUR TBR pile as a comment, along with your initials and last year's homeroom, and you can pick from the prize box the next time I see you (and add another book to your pile).
Kids, post YOUR TBR pile as a comment, along with your initials and last year's homeroom, and you can pick from the prize box the next time I see you (and add another book to your pile).
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Telling Fibs in Third Grade
We discussed number patterns in third grade, and I introduced the kids to the Fibonacci sequence, named after a mathematician who lived during the 1200s. In the sequence, each number is added to the previous number to get the next number: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 and so on.
Author Greg Pincus invented the “Fib” form of poetry, in which each consecutive line has the same number of syllables that appear in the Fibonacci sequence. Since it's National Poetry Month, we practiced writing our own poems. Here are some of the students' examples ... feel free to share one of your own in the comments!
Room 116 Class Poems:
Being Loud
Shout
Talk
Ruckus
Yelling out
Obnoxious screaming
Tremendous mess, annoying, loud
Being Sick
Gross
Flu
Vomit
Throwing up
Strep throat, runny nose
Staying out of school each day now
Room 116 Student Poems:
Cats
Cute
Nice
EPIC
Very soft
So adorable
Sometimes mean, but mostly nice cat
- L.N.
Wolves
Paws
Cute
Furry
Hunting den
Alpha, omega
Pack, starry dark, epic and nice
- M.C.
Gold
Horn
Colors
Unicorn
Rainbows are pretty
Unicorns walk on the rainbow
- V.N.
Dab
Yeet
Dance
EPIC
Great for sure
Michael Jackson BOOM
It is an amazing dance Whoo!
- A.L.
Books
Read
books
Very fun
Read all day
Read at home silent
Reading is fun anywhere. Yay!
- J.P.
Being Bad
Mean
Bad
Not nice
Being mean
Being very rude
Go in time out when being bad
- A.A.
Room 117 Class Poem:
Alaska
Cold
Ice
Mushers
and dog sleds
Fluffy husky pets
Running through snow, a race to win
Room 117 Student Poems:
Dogs
Cute
Fun
Fluffy
Cuddly
Like to play with toys
Awesome and cute when they're puppies
- G.J.
Baseball
Base
ball
is fun.
Hit the ball
and run to first base.
On the field, get the ball and throw.
- M.M.
Chicken Nuggets
Warm
Yum
Crunchy
Delicious
I like any kind.
Yummy to eat with sauce on side.
- M.B.
The Park
Fun
Run
Sliding
Running there
Swinging on the swing.
Running around the park with friends.
- J.B.
Football
Catch
Catch
Tackle
I caught it:
a 50 yard catch.
Get a touchdown to win the game.
- D.S.
Oh
Wow
A dragon
is flying
in the air at night.
Give it fish to eat every day.
- C.T.
Author Greg Pincus invented the “Fib” form of poetry, in which each consecutive line has the same number of syllables that appear in the Fibonacci sequence. Since it's National Poetry Month, we practiced writing our own poems. Here are some of the students' examples ... feel free to share one of your own in the comments!
Room 116 Class Poems:
Being Loud
Shout
Talk
Ruckus
Yelling out
Obnoxious screaming
Tremendous mess, annoying, loud
Being Sick
Gross
Flu
Vomit
Throwing up
Strep throat, runny nose
Staying out of school each day now
Room 116 Student Poems:
Cats
Cute
Nice
EPIC
Very soft
So adorable
Sometimes mean, but mostly nice cat
- L.N.
Wolves
Paws
Cute
Furry
Hunting den
Alpha, omega
Pack, starry dark, epic and nice
- M.C.
Gold
Horn
Colors
Unicorn
Rainbows are pretty
Unicorns walk on the rainbow
- V.N.
Dab
Yeet
Dance
EPIC
Great for sure
Michael Jackson BOOM
It is an amazing dance Whoo!
- A.L.
Books
Read
books
Very fun
Read all day
Read at home silent
Reading is fun anywhere. Yay!
- J.P.
Being Bad
Mean
Bad
Not nice
Being mean
Being very rude
Go in time out when being bad
- A.A.
Room 117 Class Poem:
Alaska
Cold
Ice
Mushers
and dog sleds
Fluffy husky pets
Running through snow, a race to win
Room 117 Student Poems:
Dogs
Cute
Fun
Fluffy
Cuddly
Like to play with toys
Awesome and cute when they're puppies
- G.J.
Baseball
Base
ball
is fun.
Hit the ball
and run to first base.
On the field, get the ball and throw.
- M.M.
Chicken Nuggets
Warm
Yum
Crunchy
Delicious
I like any kind.
Yummy to eat with sauce on side.
- M.B.
The Park
Fun
Run
Sliding
Running there
Swinging on the swing.
Running around the park with friends.
- J.B.
Football
Catch
Catch
Tackle
I caught it:
a 50 yard catch.
Get a touchdown to win the game.
- D.S.
Oh
Wow
A dragon
is flying
in the air at night.
Give it fish to eat every day.
- C.T.
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