Category: Litropolis

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Books: FUNding Knowledge

Campfire Tip #9: Read Books!

I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to grow up in rural Virginia because I’ve read Bridge to Terabithia. 

I know how veterinarians assist cows giving birth because I’ve read All Creatures Great and Small.

I’ve seen how humans and octopuses can develop friendships because I’ve read The Soul of an Octopus.

I have insights into the class structure of late eighteenth century England because I’ve read Sense and Sensibility. 

While these tidbits about life might seem inconsequential (how often do you need to know the ins and outs of human-octopus friendship?), when added together, they represent my fund of knowledge about the world. A fund of knowledge means all of the abilities, cultural insights, and information people glean just from living life—and from reading books. 

When the time comes for students to learn—to synthesize their relationships and experiences and readings—nothing is more important than their fund of knowledge. Making sense of new information without a prior foundation of learning is like trying to jump in sand; you can get a little air, but you’d go much higher from solid ground. This foundation provides a framework with which to interpret the world. 

Not only is a fund of knowledge essential for processing new information, but it also nourishes students’ creation of their own big ideas. Forming ideas from a blank slate is nearly impossible. From a base of learning, however—that’s a different story. Just as flour and eggs and sugar are essential ingredients for a cake, stories and settings and characters are the ingredients for forming original ideas. We need fodder to gently daydream and boldly imagine. 

This fodder stems both from living vicariously through characters and from one’s own experiences. In class, I get excited when students connect an element of literature to their own lives, like dance class or theater or swim team. They’re drawing on their fund of knowledge and making literature come alive!

With every new adventure, be it through story or experience, a student’s fund of knowledge gets a little deeper, a little wider. My hope is that as students learn more about the world, they also learn more about themselves—and harness the courage it takes to voice their big ideas. 

 

~Claire S.

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Read a Book / Solve a Problem

“Mom, I sat by myself today at the park. Nobody was playing anything I was interested in. I tried to talk to Luis but he never listens; the game always has to go his way. Mom, Tommy says he has been playing football for 10 years, but he just had his 8th birthday. I don’t understand why he won’t just pass the ball. Gabby kept taking Carlos’s hat. She said it was a game but Carlos didn’t seem to like it.”

When Grady is driving in the car with me or sitting at the dinner table or when his head hits the pillow at night this is the usual conversation or maybe I should say download. I realized during this time how much I just needed to listen. Grady needed time to process these different situations and relationships that came across his path during his day.

How confusing, mystifying, uncomfortable human relationships can be—whether we are 8 or 80.

I was recently introduced to an author named Jon Klassen. The words and the pictures are very simple yet carry a lot of wisdom concerning human relationships.

Three books I read Grady over the course of nights were:

1 ) I want my Hat Back

 2) This is not my Hat

 3) We found my Hat

Grady would smile and laugh out loud. In I want my Hat Back, the main character, a bear, is running around asking other animals if they have seen his hat. He asks another character, a rabbit, (who, by the way, is wearing the bear’s hat) and the rabbit, in a suspicious way, says he hasn’t seen the hat. The bear continues his search until he realizes he has seen the hat… that rabbit was wearing it! He goes back to confront the rabbit, “You stole my hat!” There is a long look between the two. Then comes a picture of bear sitting down, saying he loves his hat, wearing it on his head. Then a squirrel comes passing by asking if he has seen rabbit. Bear answers in a suspicious way, “Who me?” “Why are you asking me? I wouldn’t eat a rabbit, don’t ask me anymore questions.” This story ends with no clear ending. Could the bear have sat on the rabbit? Ate the rabbit? Could the rabbit have run off? Really anything is possible.

I read an interview with Jon Klassen and he discussed these micro-dramas from childhood. He used the example of Frog and Toad books. How these two characters had unresolved, uneven relationships, where one of them needed one of them more than the other. The underlying thoughts, “I have friends who could leave me or I have friends I could leave. I don’t like them as much as they like me or vice versa.” I researched the author of Frog and Toad after reading Jon Klassen’s interview. Frog and Toad happened to be my childhood favorite as well. It was interesting to find that Arnold Lobel wrote Frog and Toad based on his experiences from second grade. Lobel was sick and out of school for most of that school year and kept himself busy by drawing. He used his animal drawings as a way of coping with the insecurity of his return and making friends. He used these experiences to write Frog and Toad.

Kids don’t want to analyze these relationships. In stories, like in life at this young age, they want to watch them play out—Jon Klassen reminds: validate that they exist.

Isn’t this part of human nature, to want to feel we are not alone in our experiences?

Jon Klassen goes on to explain that children don’t need to know the motivations of characters and can understand questionable behavior in an unexamined way. Kids don’t ask “why did he do that”, like us adults who like to analyze and pull out the meaning or morality.

How would an author answer the why?

Isn’t that for the reader to get too or not get too?

Is there really only one answer to what motivates human behavior?

Children don’t have to ask all of the whys to understand it can happen. Grady didn’t need to ask why the bunny took the bear’s hat or how the bear got the hat back. He related in the human experience, of having something taken and wanting it back, of finding it and getting it back. This is Not my Hat, shows a small fish taking a hat from a big fish and all his internal thinking about it why he does it. What a beautiful example of what we do as humans when we want something and dance into our internal justification. We laugh while reading because we all relate on some level. No story needs to be added to why stealing is wrong. We can all understand the higher moral value but also total relate with the very human behavior.

We Found a Hat, beautifully demonstrates the inner conflict when two friends find something they both want but there is only one. Our desire for something for ourselves mixed with our feelings of wanting to share and be honest is, again, common human nature. It is rarely just a clean action of what’s right.  It’s a pull and push to serve ourselves and someone we care about.

And then there is Jon Klassen’s book, The Rock from the Sky, that pushes us adults right off the ledge! The book is about what we cannot control.

Where a rock will land. What could happen in our day. What the future might bring. How things we can imagine will change and all the things we can’t imagine and all the questions that go with it, the what, why, how, when and where! There is SO much we can look up for children now, so much on-the-spot-access to information. We can know a lot of interesting facts. But in the case of our lives, the unknown is our future and the daily things that can happen that are out of our control. This book is addressing the fact we don’t know everything and we are not supposed to know. Part of life happenings are luck, timing, paying attention, listening, trusting, asking for help, admitting we don’t know!

So when I sit down to read Grady a book, especially a Jon Klassen book, I remember that Grady has had a full day with really big experiences. When Grady talks I listen. When we read I let the story be felt. I don’t have to pull the moral or give him instruction on who he should be. I watch him smile and laugh and I let the moment be. I give up my adult longing to know why and I sit on the ledge with the unknown. I become friends with the right now and that is enough.

-Clare Bonn

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Flourishing an Idea: Before & After

Mozart Season Bundle

Aesthetics is a set of principles that inform the outcome of a work of art. Aesthetics taps into that part of our being that connects with beauty. After reading The Mozart Season,  students knew right away the section of the story that would inspire the most creativity. I saw this in action. And when readers stumble upon this three-page passage, well, Section 5 happens.

As the story goes, when Allegra and her mother’s friend, Diedre spend an afternoon in the Rose Garden, well, music happens. Nestled atop a hill in the park is a silvery aluminum sculpture. There are tall columns and arched columns, smaller columns and water uniting them all.

“It was Diedre who started the song. She began slowly, BONG bong Bong bong with her knuckles on the three big columns, walking between them.”

Now I’ve seen some fantastic creative responses to The Mozart Season (some that have won awards), but when this past year, one of my students finished the book and brought in her Section 5 project to share, I marveled that, yet again, it was in response to this specific music-making passage.

And the project she brought in was not only “nique” (as Allegra and her friends would say), but also a perfect opportunity to share some tips to elevate the Section 5 project artistically.

With a cardboard box, some discarded bottles, aluminum foil, a few scraps of notebook paper, one green marker, Scotch tape, and a pitcher of water, my student made a musical instrument! While I have seen many musical instruments (even musical compositions) inspired by this little section of The Mozart Season, this one captured my imagination. Think “don’t judge a book by its cover” for a moment. This homely little project surprised me with rich sounds made from filling the bottles with different levels of water and blowing gently across each the neck. Oh! I was simply tickled, “My favorite Mozart invention so far!”

But the poor dear was in desperate need of a makeover. So I gave the maker a simple lesson.

So following is the simple make-over:

BEFORE

 

  1. To begin, if you are going to use a box (and boxes are a great way to begin), always paint the box! Give yourself a blank canvas upon which you can build your idea. A coat or two of gesso or acrylic paint will do just fine.
  2. Use more than one art medium. Here for example, using green marker and green paint on both folded and crumpled paper makes the viewer read ‘foliage” more clearly.
  3. Give the reader an anchor to the book where the idea originated by posting quotes around the project.

You don’t have to be an artist to make your idea beautiful. And, think about it, ideas are meant to be appreciated. So, go on, beautify.

AFTER

One last thought… There is a trend in all sectors of education to discount the reading of pure fiction. This is not wise. This quiet little story is, in my opinion, powerful proof why we all need to read across many genres, read all kinds of stories. Every time I’ve led students through this purely fictional story set in a very real setting (the competition that Allegra is working toward is a real competition that happens annually in Oregon), they read a few pages and groan. But by the time they get to the end, they have a deep appreciation for the rich story and significant fodder for their creativity to unfold.

~Kimberly Bredberg

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Let’s Talk Books

Nothing fosters the higher-order Critical Creative Thinking that allows students to form ideas and opinions about real life, more than hashing through a story in a discussion circle. What begins as an imagining in the mind of the writer is translated to story, and in turn, transferred to real life through group discussion.

Blackbird & Company integrated literature and writing guides have discussion questions built into every section, providing the framework for weekly interaction between you and your students. These questions are designed to spark student’s memories, trigger their interpretations, and get them thinking beyond the page about how a story can relate to their actual lives. Add to this the opportunity to cultivate a cozy book-minded community and share original ideas during the fifth week of culminating projects and you will have a crafted a literary tradition. In time, students who celebrate books regularly will become excited and amazed about the potential of the written word.

Consider the following when putting a group together:

COMFORT & SIZE
Gathering in a comfortable area, whether in chairs or sitting on the floor, helps set discussion time aside as special and relaxed. Groups of 6-8 work best for allowing everyone to participate.

READING ABILITY
Clustering students with similar reading skills alows the group to coalesce. As students begin to feel comfortable with their group even reluctant speakers will share what’s on their mind.

CONSISTENCY
Having a regular scheduled time each week helps students pace through their reading and builds anticipation.

DIRECTION
Be inspired by student responses and guide the discussion where it wants to go naturally. Don’t worry if things get a little off track as long as students are thinking creatively.

FLEXIBILTY
Feel free to use the questions creatively. For example, assign each question to a different student for presentation to the group; allow two groups to take sides and debate the pros and cons of a particular question; use the questions as writing prompts for paragraphs or essays; allow students to role play their response to a question. Use your imagination. The possibilities are endless.

 

~Kimberly

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Twelve Days of Read Alouds

 

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss

Where do ideas come from? Ideas come from our fund of knowledge. When we have a rich fund, curiosity is tickled. And nothing sparks idea making—writing—like curiosity. Wondering about knowledge, especially new knowledge, and being awed by something freshly learned, well this wonder is inspiring. Wonder enters the scene via the books we read.

This month all of us Blackbirds will be reading aloud a snippet from favorite books. Here is a sneak peak of our selections.

Pages teacher, Miss Julia will read an excerpt from Leo Lionni’s Frederick to start off our Twelve Days of Read Alouds.

 

Where did he come from? Nobody knows. Kim Bredberg, founding partner and owner, will read the beginning of this tale crafted over the course of five nights for the author’s children.

Nothing’s surprising in the North household, not even Sterling’s new pet raccoon. Sara, founder and owner, will read aloud from her childhood favorite.

Who will inherit the Westing fortune? Our exceptional arts and music teacher, Taylor, will read from The Westing Game, a Blackbird & Company favorite from his middle school years!

What will Liesel Meminger encounter as she pages through her stolen books? Miss Lori, resident historian and teacher extraordinaire will read.

Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook page to hear all Twelve Days of Read Alouds.

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SEVEN Tips for Unpacking Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a quintessential middle school read. It is tied to one of our CORE, Level 3 Integrated Literature and Writing units. By the time students reach this level, they are confidently journaling and writing their ideas inspired by great stories.  As the teacher, you have the profound opportunity to guide your students into the work of unpacking the story. During middle school, introducing the concept of themes and symbols and motifs conversationally adds richness to the discussion and depth to what is gleaned from the story. Following are seven tips for going deeper into this wonderful story.

ONE. Be WOWed!

As you, the teacher are WOWed, your students will follow.

First things first:                                       

                  Often, we are asked, “Do I have to read the book?” 

                  Our reply?  A resounding, “No, you GET to read the book!”

                                 (You won’t be WOWed if you don’t read the book!)

Our CORE Integrated Literature and Writing Journals are designed to free up the teacher to read closely alongside the student, unlocking the story’s treasure. This enables the student to journal observations and compose ideas inspired by the journey.

     No skipping pages!

Recently when Cathi and I began to prepare to deliver a close reading lesson of this wonderful novel, I broke the cardinal rule and skipped what I assumed was a “promo” blurb.  But no, I realized, upon reading that this significant passage reminds us that someone long ago hung a rope!

“A Place for Us” is actually an invitation to enter into the story’s world, the story’s wonder—”It was a glorious autumn day, and if you looked up while you swung, it gave you the feeling of floating. Jess leaned back and drank the clear rich color of the sky.” Then Leslie called to Jess, “We need a place just for us.” And so the world of the story is opened to us readers.

Thankfully, Cathi reminded me to NOT skip this introduction!

             Ask yourself, “What are the powerful points that bring shape to the big picture?”

What are the points YOU discover? What are the points your student discovers? Remember there is no right answer here. There are parameters—think about the characters, the setting, the plot, and all the words and phrases that help these fold together into a story—but within those parameters, there is room to explore.

              Jump to the FORWARD written by Kate DiCamillo

“In afternoons the floor would fill up with great slabs of light, and it was very much like being in a dusty, book-filled cathedral. I read Bridge to Terabithia in one of those great squares of light; and the story, for me is forever associated with light.” Reading this brought to mind Emily Dickinson’s poem “A Certain Slant of Light” and the HEFT/weight that the poet describes is akin to Kate DiCamillo’s description here. Robert Frost’s poem, which is also alluded to in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is brought to mind too, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”  Kate DiCamillo here makes an astonishing simile: “Bridge to Terabithia is like that room—brimful of light.” She goes on to remind us that something terrible happens. Something terrible. And then she reminds us that we CAN bear this terrible thing. This is the power of literature, it reminds us we are, “…loved and seen, too” (x).

TWO. Seek Out Rich Words

From the Forward…

Rent – to split, to be torn 

Brimful – full to the very top edge 

“We are devastated, emotionally rent. But still: we feel held, loved, seen. Someone trusted us enough to tell us the truth and because of that the room is golden, brimful of light” (xi).

To the middle of the book and beyond…

Wheedling – To flatter, to coax 

“‘Why can’t we charge some things,’ Ellie said in her wheedling voice'” (101).

THREE. Introduce & Explore Themes and Symbols and Motifs

Themes emerge as characters move through the world of the story. Themes connect readers to deeper conflicts that arise on the journey—shared humanity. Themes are NOT “morals” (recommendations on how to live / “moral of the story”) but rather, point to real ways we humans experience the world, archetypical ways. Themes demonstrate topics common to us all—love, conformity, justice, beauty, friendship, courage, power, family and so on.

In other words, it’s NOT a writer’s job to answer the world’s difficult questions, only to SHOW those questions clearly with their stories and allow the characters and the readers to journey through to the other side.

  • Cathedral —REVERENCE is a recurring theme that is pointed out by Kate DiCamillo in the Forward. Watch for this throughout the story.
  • LIGHT as a symbol is so often repeated in the story that it transforms into a motif, like wallpaper illuminating along the way.
  • GOLD  When Leslie and Jess help renovate, they want to use blue paint but end up using gold. Ultimately, Leslie compares the room to a magical castle.
  • How does FRIENDSHIP unfold?
  • How is EMPATHY strengthened?

Significantly, in Chapter 2, entitled Leslie Burke,  the character does not introduce herself until the very end: “My name is Leslie Burke” (22). Up until this point, Jess does not know what to make of this person, “The person had jaggedy brown hair cut close to its face and wore one of those blue-undershirtlike tops with faded jeans cut off above the knees. He couldn’t honestly tell whether it was a girl or a boy” (22). After a small dialogue he decides definatively that this is a girl, but is not sure why he makes this decision. So begins a beautiful unfolding of gender as theme, of childhood, of innocence that leads to friendship.

 

FOUR. Character Development

Characters weave readers into themes.

Look for passages of immediacy where deeper character traits and desires are revealed. In this story, Jess longs to be seen, to be known. He is trying to move beyond the reputation of being the “crazy little kid who draws all the time,” (4) he is trying to win a race, to make his father proud. What was his father like? We know right away he drove a pick-up. But what do we learn about his father that is implied by lines like: ” even his dad would be proud” (5) and “Old Dad would be surprised at how strong he’d gotten in the last couple of years” (6).  Later on when the familiar “baripity” can be heard coming up the road, Maybelle screams with delight. When her father opens the truck door, she climbs onto his lap, just then, Jess’s internal voice shares with us readers: “Durn luckey kid” (19). Jess longed for his father’s affection. And teaches us much about his father.

FIVE. Enlist the Built-in Teacher

What is the author doing with words?

Stylistic techniques of the author?

What do YOU discover…?

            Comments on Writing Technique

Following are some notes and tabs from Chapter 1 (and beyond).  Read these passages aloud and encourage your students to find similar moments in the writing that they find exceptional.

Examine the 4-sentence opening paragraph  that begins with onomatopoea. The length of the sentences are short short short and then long. And it is the long, last complex sentence that launches the reader into the complexities of this marvelous story. Read this paragraph aloud!

Check out the simile describing Mama “Mad as Flies” on page 1.

Find this sentence on page 2: “When you were the only boy smashed between four sisters.”

And find this one further on down the same page: “Even if it got unhandy at times.”

This marvelous sentence on page 2 is filled with exceptional words and repetition that lends a certain tiptoe rhythm: “The place was so rattly that it screeched whenever you put your foot down, but Jess had found that if you tiptoed, that it gave only a low moan, and he could usually get outdoors without waking  Momma or Ellie or Brenda or Joyce Ann.”

More onomatopoeia on page 5: “…red mud slooching…”

And, in the end, Katherine Patterson profoundly uses onomatopoeia as motif to bookend the story: “Behind him came the baripity of the pick-up but he couldnt turn around” (132).

Watch for the em dash—that wonderful mark that can replace the comma, parenthesis, or colon. This mark is always more emphatic, more intrusive. And Katherine Patterson employs it throughout the story.

SIX.  Unpacking the Heart of Story

Pay attention to setting—where and when is the story taking place. This particular story takes place in a small town, Lark Creek, in rural Virginia post Vietnam in the 1970s.  Follow the path of the plot, follow the sequence of events  driven by the characters. This journey will lead you to the heart of the story.

And as stories go, this one is special—a bildungsroman. Don’t let anyone tell you its a simple “coming of age” story because Bridge to Terabithia is so much more. Bildungsroman is literary term. Here, bildung means “education” and roman means “formation”—loss leads to growth. Here maturity comes at a high cost.

SEVEN. Now Riff to the End

Reading a book is more like listening to music than it is comprehending with right and wrong answers. Reading a book is entering into an art form. And while it is true there are structure and scaffold we can become accustomed to, great stories are unique and lovely and full of wonder.

Eucharisteo is a Greek word that means to give thanks, to be thankful. Reverence.  This is the theme that holds this great story together. This reverence begins with the creation of Terabithia. When Leslie names this secret land, “Like God in the Bible, they looked at what they had made and found it was very good” (51). And with that delicious allusion, Katherine Patterson, sets the eucharisteo into motion.

Pay close attention to Miss Edmunds and Maybelle and, ultimately Mrs. Myers who have suprisingly significant, albeit supporting roles to play on the journey through this story.

Remember that the Bridge to Terabithia is a mighty symbol. Keep in mind the idiom “building bridges” is a phrase  overflowing with hope.

Then and only then will you be ready for Chapter 10, The Perfect Day, where tension builds and climax swells. Then and only then will you be able to hear Mrs. Myers: “‘Excuse me, she said, ‘this morning when I came in someone had already taken out her desk'” (159).  And then this: It—it—we—I never had such a student. In all my years of teaching. I shall always be grateful—” (159).

In that moment Mrs. Myers makes herself vulnerable, sharing her devastation at the loss of her husband. Jess is suddenly in the light, able to empathize, able to replace bitterness toward Mrs. Myers for gratitude. In that moment of tragic illumination, myth-busting occurs. Revelation. Jess is able to understand Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Myers is able to understand Jess.

 

~Kimberly and Cathi

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Knock! Knock!

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

Thank you for leavening the world with wonderful words and phrases:

Leapfrog and Bedazzled and Swagger

          All that glitters is not gold.

          Jealousy is the green eyed Monster.

          It’s a brave new world.

All Shakespeare.

But did you know that he is also the father of the Knock, knock! joke?

Yes! the Knock, knock! joke!

It all began in his famous tragedy.

In Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3,  suddenly there is a knock knocking:

“Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key.

[Knocking]

Knock,
knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ the name of Beelzebub?”

The Bard’s tragic phrasing is far from the little supercilious jokes i told as a child:

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
You.
You who?
Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Canoe.
Canoe who?
Canoe come out now?

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Howl.
Howl who?
Howl you know unless you open the door?

Still, it’s good to remember—especially today—that Shakespeare was a trendsetter!

 

~Kimberly

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Read Aloud Recommendation

Happy Birthday Dick King Smith!

Born in Gloucestershire, England on this day back in 1922, Dick King-Smith was a soldier during WWII, after that he was a farmer, and later a teacher. But he will go down in history as a prolific writer. The say, “write what you know,” and he certainly succeeded! Author of many stories from childhood that we know and love including, The Sheep Pig was turned into the movie Babe! But this is not his only famous story. In fact, during the course of his lifetime he wrote over 100 books!

Yes, Dick King Smith wrote over ONE HUNDRED books!

One of my personal favorites is A Mouse called Wolf because Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse is a big name for such a little mouse! But there are so many that are wonderful. These make wonderful read-alouds, especially for primary and early elementary children.

Pick up a copy to read aloud today or check out the website dedicated to his life and work to learn about the wonderful collection of audiobooks.

 

~Kimberly

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Let’s Talk Just Right Readers

 Books for primary readers are categorized into levels of difficulty—Just Right Readers.

Some of these books are categorized by grade level (GRL), some  by a developmental readiness assessment (DRA), and others still are categorized by a Lexile measure. The purpose of these readers is to provide opportunities for children to read as they are mastering the patterns of phonics.

Hatchling Volume 1 for kindergarten and Hatchling Volume 2 for 1st grade, systematically introduce students to phonics for reading and writing. In the Teacher Helps that is tied to both units, we offer information and strategies including this tidbit at the top of page 9:

“Phonics is a method of teaching students to read and write by helping them HEAR.”

 

In the English language, there are 44 sounds that make up every single spoken word.  These sound bites are called phonemes. The 26 letters of the alphabet are combined in various ways to replicate the sounds we hear. These are called graphemes. There are around 250 graphemes to write the 44 phonemes! Phenomenal, right? This is the heart of phonics.

During kindergarten and 1st grade, students using our Hatchling curriculum are introduced to over 150 of these graphemes setting them firmly on their way to reading and writing well. As students are introduced to phonics, it is important to practice both reading and writing. Early on, during kindergarten, students will have limited skills. At first, once the consonant and short vowel sounds are mastered, they will be able to read and write “can” or “fun” or “let” with ease. However, they might write “pepl” for “people” because those are the sounds they have mastered. As more complex graphemes are introduced (consonant blends, digraphs, long vowel patterns and so on), the reading and writing lexicon increases.

This is where Just Right Readers enter the scene.

Amelia Bedelia brought delight to my childhood. I mean, she took every figure of speech and turned it upside down, literally! She made me laugh out loud! “Dress the chicken,” seemed an odd task to Amelia Bedelia. But she obediently got on with the task and suddenly the chicken was dressed in overalls! Once upon a time, back in my day, this series of stories was not a Just Right Reader, but rather a wonderful series of picture books. The first twelve books in the series are written by Peggy Parish. After her death, nephew Herman Parish, continued the series. Since 2009, the stories have been adapted for part of the I Can Read series published by Harper Kids.

Just Right Readers are just right for primary readers. So fill a basket with wonderful stories for your Kindergartener, 1st, or 2nd grader. I promise Amelia Bedelia will make them chuckle! I promise she will stand the test of time.

 

~Kimberly

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Remember to Read Aloud!

Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows, was born on this day in 1859.

I remember taking my four children to Barnes and Noble Story Hour back in the day to listen to this wonderful book being read aloud. They loved a good read aloud. And this book, with its rich language, drew them in for sure:

“Sudden and magnificent, the sun’s broad golden disc showed itself over the horizon facing them; and the first rays, shooting across the level water-meadows, took the animals full in the eyes and dazzled them. When they were able to look once more, the Vision had vanished, and the air was full of the carol of birds that hailed the dawn.”

Mole, who is friends with Rat (my son, Søren called him “Ratty”), loved adventuring in boats on the river:

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

 

Mole and Rat loved boats, that is, until Mr. Toad introduces them to the horse-drawn carriage! But eventually Mr. Toad quickly loses interest and becomes obsessed with the motorcar! The best thing about this wonderful story? The wild rides of course!

Pick up a copy today and read aloud!

~Kimberly