New books! New books!

I added a ton of new books to the catalog this past month. If a student sees something they'd like to read, they can go to Clever and click on "Follett Destiny Discover." They will be logged in and able to click "Hold" on the titles they're interested in.

Fortunately, Unfortunately with Grade 2

Thanks to https://ideafm.org/ for the idea and the image.

We read Fortunately by Remy Charlip, a story that follows Ned through a series of problems and resolutions, and talked about plot structure.

Then we wrote our own version as a class ... the kids much preferred coming up with the "unfortunately" parts!

Class 2B

One day, a unicorn got invited to a party.

Unfortunately, she got kicked out because she was ruining the party by getting all muddy.

Fortunately, she went and took a shower and dried off and got back in.

image credit: picturetopuppet.co.uk

Unfortunately, she turned into a chicken.

Fortunately, she found Santa's workshop.

Unfortunately, she threw up on Santa.

Fortunately, he still gave her a toy: a plushie fox.

Unfortunately, she wanted books.

Fortunately, she helped Santa make toys AND books.

Unfortunately, they all fell apart.

Fortunately, Santa had plenty of kids on the naughty list who could get broken toys. 

Unfortunately, the unicorn / chicken accidentally kicked an elf.

Fortunately, the elf forgave her and put her on the nice list.

Unfortunately, the elf lost his powers.

Fortunately, Santa gave him new powers, including changing the chicken back into a unicorn. 

THE END

The Good and Evil / Dun dun duuuuuuuun 

by GG, AM, LS, EM, CB, ST, and JB from Class 2B

One day, a big giant monster was smashing a mountain to make a sculpture of himself. 

Unfortunately, the big giant monster turned into a chicken. 

Fortunately, a superhero named Courtney saved him.

Unfortunately, another big monster came and fought him.

Fortunately, the superhero beat him.

Unfortunately, the other monster was now hurt.

Fortunately, Courtney and her superhero sidekick Carmella helped him.

image generated by https://hotpot.ai/art-generator

Unfortunately, then the monsters crashed into a library and everyone was scared and passed out.

Fortunately, other sidekicks named Ari and Lucas and Betty helped out by calming the people down by saying, "Ice cream for everyone!"

Unfortunately, Courtney's sidekicks threw up and nobody wanted ice cream any more.

Fortunately, Courtney cleaned it up.  

Unfortunately, a supervillain named Gavin showed up and smashed all the heroes into a bookshelf with his powers.  

Fortunately, a girl named Sienna helped the heroes get up and stop Gavin. 

Unfortunately, a cyclops came and knocked down the whole town and took it over.

Fortunately, the heroes helped the town and made everyone happy and gave them a special treat of ice cream.

THE END

Class 2A

The Thunder Story / The Bad Luck Story

image created by K.A.

One day, Madelyn was at the park.

Unfortunately, it was thundering.

Fortunately, she found shelter at a haunted house.

Unfortunately, there was a bloodthirsty giraffe eating ice cream in the haunted house.

Fortunately, Madelyn ran out and found an umbrella to use to cover her up from the rain.

Unfortunately, there were holes in the umbrella. 

Fortunately, she taped it up.

Unfortunately, the lightning struck and destroyed the umbrella.

Fortunately, she found another umbrella outside of the park.

Unfortunately, there was a whole bunch of people with Nerf basketballs throwing them everywhere and fighting.

Fortunately, Madelyn found shelter behind them, and they didn't find her.

Unfortunately, bats found her and she ran away.

Fortunately, she found another shelter made of wood.

Unfortunately, it broke apart because the thunder was so loud.

Fortunately, the Flash came and fixed everything.

Unfortunately, she blew away because the wind was so hard it made a humungous tornado.

Fortunately, she landed in her house.

THE END

Class 2C

One day, I was at the movie theater and I got popcorn and candy and soda. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to pay.

Fortunately, there were no security guards.

image generated by https://hotpot.ai/art-generator

Unfortunately, the gingerbread man chased me.

Fortunately, there was a kid that was hungry, and he ate the gingerbread man.

Unfortunately, the kid was still hungry and ate all my snacks.

Fortunately, the kid didn't like frosting so he left that for me.

Unfortunately, there were bugs in the frosting.

Fortunately, a spider ate the bugs in the frosting for me.

Unfortunately, the spider was still in the frosting.

Fortunately, a cat appeared and ate the spider.

Unfortunately, a whole army force showed up because they heard I didn't pay.

Fortunately, a piano fell on them.

Unfortunately, one survived and tried to arrest me.

Fortunately, I found my wallet with my allowance and tried to pay for the food even though I didn't even get to eat it.

Unfortunately, they only took credit cards. 

Fortunately, the army guy had one and we both got new popcorn.

THE END

A-maze-ing Achievers - T1

There is a maze built into one of the library walls, and students try and try to get the silver balls into the middle. Only a proud few completed the maze during trimester 1:

Grade 2 Has Problems

In second grade, we are reviewing story elements, including characters, setting, and plot (problem/solution and beginning/middle/end). 

For extra credit on their quiz, students could make up a problem for a character. Here are some of their ideas: 

• I lost my cat.
  
  
• A giant whale knocked over a boat.
  
  
• A boy is throwing up unicorn food.
  
  
• A cat is stuck in a tree.
  
  
• A rainbow fell down and hurt her leg and got sick.
  
  
• I got eaten by a spider.
  
  
• Pooh lost his honey.
  
  
• The pirate was stuck on an island.
  
  
• My dog bit my book.
  
  
• The character is surrounded by 10,000,000 snakes.
  
  
• One time a fish was small but was getting chased by a big fish that wanted to eat him.
  
  
• The dog ran away.
  
  
• The cafe customers asked for coffee but there was no more coffee.
  
  
• The girl went to buy Nikes but someone else wanted them too.
  
  
• He couldn't stop farting.
  
  
• The city buildings all fell down.
  
  
• The cat couldn't find the litterbox.
  
  
• Spider-Man lost his suit when he brought it to a washer place.
  
  
• The kid wants a cat, and the mom doesn't want it.
  
  
• He plays outside and there is a storm.
  
  
• I don't have a rake to rake the leaves.
  
  
• There is no food.
  
  
• The girl doesn't know how to get to the pet store.
  
  
• They can't find their library books.
  
  
• I need my asthma pump. Please help me!
  
  
• An artist made a mistake on the paper. 

Best Reads of T1 2023-2024

Here are my favorite books that I read during first trimester. All images and summaries from Goodreads.

Picture Books

Poet Bob Raczka’s You are a Story highlights all of the nuance and potential of a growing person’s identity, delighting in the things that make us special and connect us to others. Text and illustrations replete with inventive imagery and appealing metaphors show how we all live as individuals and citizens of the world. A child, an animal, a body of water, a friend, a mystery, one-of-a-kind ... You are and could be so many things, but whatever you choose to do, it’s your life to write. (Using for Mock Caldecott)

When Jackson’s soccer ball accidentally lands in his neighbor’s rose bush, he thinks he’s ruined Mr. Graham’s roses forever. So he quickly writes a letter to Mr. Graham that blossoms into a marvelous friendship. Jackson writes letters, highlighting the everyday moments to make them feel larger than life, and Mr. G keeps writing back until the very end of his life, encouraging Jackson to live each day to the fullest.  

This is part counting book, part introduction to worms, but all superbly silly. The fact that the author/illustrator can only draw worms will not take anything away from the laugh-out-loud adventure readers will have as they turn the pages of this slightly subversive picture book.

In the night garden, nothing is as it seems and everything is made new. Blinking stars and pale moonlight might reveal a lone cat tiptoeing across a roof, luminous flowers unfurling in the cool air, a mama fox escorting her sleepy cubs home. Listen closely and you might hear the wind blowing through the trees, the murmur of a slow stream, or the gentle song of crickets and bullfrogs, lulling you to sleep. (Using for Mock Caldecott)

A sun. A flower. And a lion. With three visual motifs, three colors, and fewer than 200 words, renowned Caldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times-bestseller Kevin Henkes cracks open the wide world and the youngest child’s endless imagination. 

Sun Flower Lion introduces emerging readers to short chapters, action verbs, and adjectives, while bright illustrations transform simple shapes into something magical. 

A brave little artist goes on an epic adventure to share her creativity with the world.

Middle Grade Fiction

"What are people for?" That’s the burning question on the mind of Leeva Spayce Thornblossom.

"Fame!" says Leeva’s mom, the mayor of Nutsmore. "Money!" says her dad, the town treasurer.

With the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit, and the town's librarians, Leeva sets off to discover her own answer—setting off a chain of events that will change Nutsmore forever.

In this comedic poetry collection, Chris Harris delivers dazzling new heights of creativity, kooky conundrums, witty wordsmithing, and of course, wacky laugh-out-loud fun! There's a whole new cast of characters to meet, from the Nail-Clipping Fairy (who delivers teeth at night), to Orloc the Destroyer (who can be defeated only by his mommy), to the Elderly Caveman (who complains about the younger generation obsessed with playing with fire). There are more mind-bending verbal and visual riddles, plus there's plenty of hilarious hijinks hiding around every corner, whether it's a buffalo that escapes one poem and roams through others or a meteor threatening to land on the book and obliterate everything. There's even a mini book-within-a-book! 

Ebony and De’Kari (aka Flow) do not get along. How could they when their cafeteria scuffle ended with De'Kari's ruined shoes, Ebony on the ground, and both of them with ten days of at-home suspension? Now Eb and Flow have two weeks to think about and explain their behavior—to their families, to each other, and ultimately to themselves.

[This] novel in verse follows Eb and Flow as they navigate their parallel lives. Single-parent homes, tight funds, and sibling dynamics provide a balancing act for the growing tweens. And whether they realize it or not, these two have a lot more in common than they think.

Miles Lewis loves science and sports. But when his teacher announces a class field trip to an ice skating rink to learn about physics, he isn't so excited. He's never ice skated before, and his friend RJ won't let him forget it. If Miles skates without falling, RJ will put a “Miles is the man” sign on his backpack. But if Miles falls, he has to put one on his that says the same about RJ. Miles can barely focus on the bet, though, because he suspects his beloved Nana has plans to move out of his family's house—and that's just too much to bear. Can he keep his cool with all the pressure from RJ while finding a way to make his grandma stay? (RICBA nominee)

Marya’s eighth birthday is coming up in a week, and all she wants is an over-the-top birthday party just like the ones Alexa, her rich neighbor, always throws. When Alexa parades into school with fancy invitations, Marya can’t help herself—she claims that she’s having the most epic henna party ever. Now she has to convince her family to make it happen. Enter Operation Help the Khans!

Marya’s siblings clearly need help with their projects. Maybe she could cook dinner for her parents, or clean her grandmother’s room? Except everything Marya does seems to end in disaster. Will Marya and her family be able pull it together and throw the best party ever?! (RICBA nominee)

Nonfiction

Move over, Jeopardy, Family Feud, and The Price Is Right—this book will be your new favorite laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts family game! In Butt or Face, weird animals are introduced with a close-up photo. Kids must guess: are they seeing seeing...um...err... the bottom or the top?

Readers will learn about animals like Cuban Dwarf Frogs, whose backsides look like a pair of eyes, and the Mary River Turtle, which not only has a unique face, but even breathes through its butt! (Using for Mock Sibert)

Meet Randolph Caldecott, the artist who revolutionized picture book illustration and for whom the prestigious Caldecott medal is named!

His sketchbook is full of wild weather, frisky animals, and people so sprightly they can barely hold onto the pages. But in the 1850s, there were no children’s books like that. Not yet.

Many books are published, but their pictures look stiff, full of pretty poses and cluttered scenery. No one has imagined how much fun an illustrated book could be because the future hero of children’s book illustration is still just a lad. (Using for Mock Sibert)

Hello! I am Brown Bear, and in this book, you'll get to learn about ME--the only bear in the forest!

Hold on a minute. Polar Bear here, and I am the only bear in this book. Though I live in the Arctic, not a forest.

Hey now, Spectacled Bear here, and we are bearly-scratching the surface. There are tons of great bears to learn and laugh with in this fact-filled picture book! (Using for Mock Sibert)

This sweeping nonfiction picture book explores the 200-year lifespan of a bowhead whale and the changing environment that surrounds her.

Our journey begins with the birth of a bowhead whale, the longest-living mammal in the world. Over the course of her life in the Arctic, the bowhead whale witnesses many from an era of peace and solitude to one of oil rigs and cruise liners. (RICBA nominee)