Category: Litropolis

I've never understood apple pie and cheddar cheese.

For me it's apple pie and books.

One day, after a long walk, John sat under a tree to rest—an apple tree, of course. What better way to begin pie making than reading about John Chapman, the nurseryman who seeded much of our landscape with apples. From there, my recipe calls for Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson about a girl named Anna who cares deeply about the tradition of gathering apples from those trees that Johnnie Appleseed so carefully cultivated. But it's still not time to go to the pantry. Not yet…

My recipe calls for How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Pirceman. An apple is easy to gather from the market, but where did that apple come from? And the butter? The sugar? The spices? The answers call for a journey. And this little story guides the way.

Once back…

N o w  it's time to go to the pantry. Peel some apples, remove the cores, and slice. Add a sprinkle fresh lemon juice to enhance the apple tang. Toss with sugar, cinnamon for spice, cardamom for warmth, and a happy pinch of nutmeg. Set aside. Cut the butter into the flour until the butter makes the flour sandy. Add water to the flour mixture, form a ball, then roll the top and bottom crusts. Fill the bottom crust with prepared apples, cover it with the top crust and crimp. Bake. Enjoy.

Nothing like apple pie and books.

 

-Kim

I love fall. I love the sights. I love the scents. I love the texture of leaves crunching beneath my feet. I love the snap of ripe apples being twisted from branches.

And I love the stories of fall. With my youngest, Søren, I worked through our Earlybird Fall Literature and Discovery Guide three times (once at the beginning of kindergarten, once at the beginning of first grade, and once at the beginning of second grade)! Count them, three.I'm totally serious.

Three is an important number.

There is so much happening intellectually in the primary years—Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade. These first three years of school are when children are learning the basics of reading (decoding) and writing (encoding).

My son the kindergartener loved stories and he loved to draw. Copying words became an extension of this fun. We would read the stories together and chat our way through character descriptions. I used a hand-held whiteboard to capture his ideas so he could happily copy them as art into his journal. We enjoyed a fall craft each week, that was a given. When we read, How to see an Apple Pie and See the World, we made miniature apple pies. When we read the Scarecrow, we made a scarecrow doll. When we read Apple Picking Time, we drove for two hours to pick apples, taste apples, and after that, we made apple prints.

The second year, and the third after that, when I brought out the books, my son did not groan. My son was delighted to see his seasonal friends! The only thing that changed during these second and third passes was that my son was able to utilize his knowledge of language so far to encode his own ideas with me by his side. When we talked about the characters in Apple Picking Time, he was able to write a single words like "brv" for brave, and "frind" for friend to describe Anna. He was able to complete sentences from the word bank on his own. His journal time became an independent exercise too. We expanded our crafts to include a full-sized scarecrow, but we still made our traditional mini-apple pie.

During our third, and final pass at the unit at the beginning of 2nd Grade, Soren came loaded with ideas, "Mom, when we read Barn Dance, can I make the characters out of Legos? And when it came time for apple pie, he peeled and cut the apples on his own (with me hovering close by), measured the flour (dusting the kitchen with twice as much required for the recipe), and rolled the dough "all by himself" (for the most part). That year character descriptions included a deeper ingrained knowledge of phonics—friend was at last "friend" and "brave" was at last brave"—and a peaceful sense of independence. I knew that this would be the last fall we would work through the guide. Third grade would bring a new adventure with our Level 1 guides.

Soren did not work through any other Earlybird selection more than once. But he did work through them ALL during the primary years (kindergarten and 2nd grade). And I'm so glad he did. He worked through Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 too!

My son is now seventeen, and, looking back, I can say with certainty that it took all those years for him to develop and percolate his reading and writing skills. Literacy is an immensely complex, nuanced art. This year Søren is a high school junior interested in philosophy reading the likes of Kierkegaard (his namesake), Hobbs and Locke and Whitman. Who would have known back when we were picking apples? But I have no doubt in my mind that he is able to wake through the work of these wordsmiths because of the traditions we began back in kindergarten. 

I am convinced that the longitude of utilizing our approach—the Blackbird & Co. approach—gave him the stamina and the skills to think deeply about great books and to formulate original, well-versed culminating ideas.

It's still fall. Why not begin today? Snap an apple off the tree. The harvest season is small and precious. 

 

-Kim

 

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. Last spring, after reading The Mozart Season,  I knew the section of the story that would inspire the most creativity. I know this because I have seen it here, and here, and here. 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. So following is a little make-over:

BEFORE

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 little homely 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.

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 1 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.

 

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, 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 fodder for their creativity to unfold. 

-Kim

Three of the saddest three words are: out-of-print.

Perloo the Bold is a terrific fantasy tale for our Level two readers. I can't tell you how sad I was to learn this news! Immediately Memory Lane was flooded by my tears. 

Five years ago…

Five years ago my son Søren was 10 and Perloo the Bold was a book in print. He identified with and was truly inspired by the reluctant hero, introverted scholar of this wonderful fantasy tale. The two hit it off from page one. Looking back, I did not have to encourage Søren to bring shape to his creative ideas, I simply had to provide the opportunity and the space for him to be creative. His little fimmaking experience inspired by this terrific story, was one of the moments in time that blossomed his unique individuality.

Section 5 of our integrated Literature and Writing Discovery Guides will help you establish a tradition of creativity.

If you elevate imagination, provide opportunities to generate creative work, and your children will celebrate accomplishments that stand the test of time.

And now…

Three more words (sad to read): 

Perloo's been shelved!

Sad, but true.

While we will not discontinue selling our Perloo the Bold Guides, we will no longer be selling the books (you will certainly find this book in libraries, or second hand online for years to come). When we first received the news of the book going out-of-print. we stocked up. We even purchased as many gently used copies as we could find. But now, our supply is down to single digits. So, while supplies last, Perloo the Bold bundles will be sold for a mere $10 — a 50% markdown! So take your child on an incredible journey with Perloo and see where the path leads! 

Perloo The Bold from Taylor Bredberg on Vimeo.

 

It is one of those moments where you realize you've lost something precious. You know the moment. Shoulders shrugging. Eyes remembering. Breathless.

Enter the bear. The bear who lost something precious. 

The bear who lost his hat is at once endearing. 
The bear whose emotional gesture does not change.

Does not change that is until his epiphany, "I HAVE SEEN MY HAT."

At which point he runs. 
Runs to his treasured hat.

But this is not your typical illustrated story. 
This tale is a tale with a twist.
A smart, thought provoking, hat-wearing twist. 

The 2012 Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor book, I Want My Hat Back is a must read for children and grown ups too, but especially for wearers of hats.

And, when you are ready for the next hat book, you will want to read 2013 Caldecott Winner, This is Not My Hat, about a hat steeling fish.

And when you have completed these two enchanting hat books, you will have to wait for fall, when the trilogy is to be completed. 

 

-Kim

Sent from my iPad

 

I was drawn to this book because of its intriguing illustrations. Looking closer I realized its look was intriguing because it was crafted by the likes of Jon Klassen. 

Think The Folk Keeper.

Think Skellig.

Now, think Coraline.

What happens when the hero of the story is an anxious child? One who cocoons beneath his covers each night and cannot commit to sleep until he’s recited his litany of gratitude—twice.

Add to this drama the fact the fragile protagonist has a brand new baby brother who is desperately ill.

What happens when that protagonist, once he’s finally drifted off to dreamland, encounters the queen-of-all-angel-wasps whose come to “save” the baby?

Unsettling?

Quite.

But for upper elementary and middle school level readers, this is a book worth reading to glean, among other treasures, its message of perseverance in the face of fragility is heartening.

The lexicon here is simple, but I found it deceptively and wondrously so.

For example:

“I knew I wouldn’t get back to sleep—didn’t even want to—so I pulled on jeans and a T-shirt and went outside to the backyard. It was early to be cool still, though you could feel the heat already clenched up in the earth and air, just waiting to unfurl” (70-71).

There is something magical about the way the author uses the words “clench” and “unfurl” to surprise the reader, to turn the tone of this statement.

And here too:

“I hated it when her eyes got wet. It made me scared. Like she wasn’t my mom any more but something fragile that might break” (41).

In two small sentences leading up to a third longer statement, we sense the drama of this family who is thin with worry for the sick baby. We readers are invited to experience the story’s main conflict through small turns in simple language. These three small sentences, all straight forward on the surface, demonstrate the inviting voice of this book. Here, the building of rhythm, the sensory information—those wet eyes—and, the last statement beginning with that awkward prepositional phrase, “Like she,” work together to give us a fresh understanding of a child responding to a mother’s tears.  

While it is not likely The Nest, by Kenneth Oppel will make it to our Level 3 or 4 lineup in the near future, it is a recommended read for those interested in magical realism, especially for those who like the genre best when it is pushed toward the realm of science fiction or fantasy as this book pushes in both directions.

 

-Kim

“A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the unsolved ones.” -Abraham Lincoln

 

Celebrate a birthday this month as you begin your year in books. 

on the first Langston Hughes and Jerry Spinelli

on the fourth Paul O. Zelinsky

on the fifth David Wiener

on the seventh Laura Ingalls Wilder

on the tenth E.L. Konisgsburg

on the eleventh Jane Yolen

on the twelfth Abraham Lincoln

on the fourteenth Frederick Douglass

on the twenty-seventh Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

and, this year bing leap year, on the twenty-nineth, poet Howard Nemerov 

So here's what Karen Hesse knew to be true:

Once upon a time, in the summer of 1768, Captain James Cook sailed from England on H.M.S Endeavour, beginning a three-year voyage around the world on a secret mission to discover an unknown continent at the bottom of the globe. What is less known is that a boy by the name of Nicholas Young was a real live stowaway on that ship. Yep, eleven year old Nicholas Young really did stow away on Captain Cook's voyage around the world! And what did Captain Cook do when he discovered the stowaway? Well, he commissioned Nick into the Royal Navy, made him assistant to the ship's surgeon aboard the Endeavour. And, as if this is not enough, Nick was the first person on Captain Cook's ship to spot New Zealand and later explored Antarctica.

Karen Hesse took this little bundle of history and spun a fictional journal filled with hurricanes, warring natives, and disease, as Nick discovers new lands, incredible creatures, and lifelong friends.

Be adventurous: read Stowaway!