Lots de Casha (Madonna)

No one in my class had any clue who Madonna was. I left that alone.

I found this story a little strange. The pictures were elaborate and over the top and the story was quite drawn out. My class seemed to quite enjoy it. They listened quite intently and in the end, caught the play on words.

Goodreads says:

Money can't buy love and being the wealthiest person in the world doesn't guarantee happiness.Lotsa de Casha is the richest -- and most miserable -- man in the world. No matter how colossal his castles, how fast his horses, nor how big his sandwiches, he remains a gloomy old sourpuss -- until he embarks on a fantastic adventure that leads him to the discovery of life's greatest treasure...

What is the secret to happiness? Read Lotsa's story and find out...

On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty (Jillian Roberts)

We had an assembly this month about homelessness and are doing a special project where the students will be making sandwiches at school for homeless people in our city. This was a great book to continue the conversation on this topic. It helped clear up a lot of misunderstandings about people who are homeless.

Goodreads says:

A gentle introduction to the issue of poverty, On Our Street explores the realities of people living with inadequate resources. Using age-appropriate language, this book addresses mental illness, homelessness and refugee status as they are connected to this issue. Quotes from individuals and organizations such as UNICEF are included throughout to add further perspective on the issue.

Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures (Girls in Science) by Schmermund Elizabeth, Chandhok Lena (Illustrator)

Great book for our structure unit! Has good info on Stonehenge as well as women who built/designed cool structures.

Goodreads says:

What style building do you live in? Is it a skyscraper, a Victorian home, or a modern building? In Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures, readers ages 9 to 12 examine the stories of women who are today designing the houses, schools, museums, and public spaces where we spend our time.

Architecture is the planning, designing, and construction of buildings and other structures. It’s architects who figure out what style of building fits best in a certain space, what the structure should look like, how it needs to be built to withstand the environment, and what materials best suit the needs of the people who are using the structure. Art, engineering, science, technology—architecture involves all these disciplines, and more!

Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures examines the history of architecture and the journey of three women who are working as architects today. Patricia Galván works in commercial and interior architecture and is the chairwoman for the American Institute of Architects’ Women in Architecture committee. Farida Abu-Bakare was born in Qatar and raised in Canada. Today, she is an architect who designs science labs for universities and other institutions. Maia Small works as an architect and urban designer at the City of San Francisco Planning Department. She has also taught architecture at Harvard University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sidebars on important female architects throughout history, quotes, and essential questions for readers are included throughout the text in order to encourage critical thinking and self-drawn conclusions. The book also includes a timeline, glossary, and further resources for readers to further investigate the topic. 

Brick by Brick (Charles Smith Jr)

I picked this book to read because it is about a great structure my students are often interested in. It brought about a whole different conversation though! We had just read a book from a series called Girls in Science and my students asked why they always write about girls in science and math. I told them that girls used to never go into jobs for people good at math and science. We started talking about lots of other things girls also used to not be able to do. They asked why it was this way and I said, "I don't know, but one day someone asked the same question. They said why is it this way? This is dumb." Because of this, people started changing what they thought girls and women could do. Then I told them, "If you think girls had it bad, you should read this story!" We had a very interesting discussion about racism, slavery and the history of it all. At the end of the book, it says that the British burned down the first White House. I told them that this was before Canada was a country and so it was the people who lived in Canada before it was formed that burnt down the White House. That brought about another interesting discussion on politics and working well together and more. What a great discussion. One student said, "This is why I love reading so much! This is so interesting."

I agree my dear student. I agree!


Goodreads says:

The president of a new country
needs a new home,
so many hands work
together as one.

Black hands,
white hands,
free hands,
slave hands.

In this powerful story of the building of the White House, Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper capture the emotion and toil that created this incredible structure, the home of our president. The White House was created by many hands, several of the slaves', who will be remembered throughout history for their extraordinary feat. Many slaves were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade through this work, which speaks to their unbelievable strength. The title reflects how this towering symbol of America was created by hand, human hands, working toward their freedom, brick by brick. 

The Boy Who Cried Ninja (Alex Latimer)

This is one of those books where kids get together and roll their eyes at the adults in their lives. Adults just don't get it!

This is a twist on the boy who cried wolf. Time has a great fantasy life. Well, everyone assumes it is fantasy. One of my students was able to summarize the story before we read this one. I should have asked at the end if they really were similar stories. It could be a good compare and contrast exercise. Definitely a great discussion starter for imagination.

This book would be a great way to start into a discussion about telling the truth.

Goodreads says:

In this quirky twist on The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a boys excuses turn out to have an unexpected element of truth.

Dinosaur Bob And His Adventure With the Family Lazardo (William Joyce)

October 12, 2018: After we read this book, one of my students had put on his Special Student poster that the pet he would most like to have is a whale! It was totally plausible to everyone because we knew of Dinosaur Bob.

Re-read Feb 10, 2020: My class LOVED this story. It is a great example of use of imagination and entertaining. Who wouldn't want a dinosaur for a pet?!

Goodreads comments:
" it’s a charming little tale totally for young readers out there who want to travel to exotic places, love baseball, and wishfully dream of a dinosaur for a pet."
 - Apokripos

 I like this story because it is different from most children's stories because there is not a moral at the end of the story, it is a story for the sake of a story. No grand lesson to be learned. I think this book would be wonderful in the elementary grades. It could be included in a unit on love, the love the Lazardo family has for Bob and the fact that they are ready to walk away from their home rather than be separated from him. 
- Melissa



Goodreads says:
Proclaimed "the most adorable of dinos" by The New York Times, Bob is grander and greener than ever in a definitive new edition of modern picture book classic. This deluxe volume features seven new illustrations, an additional adventure, and a song ("The Ballad of Dinosaur Bob"), with easy-to-play arrangements.

One Wild Christmas (Nicholas Oldland)

Bear is not going to let a tree get cut down!

I love this series.

Goodreads says:

Best friends the bear, the moose and the beaver have been so busy getting ready for Christmas, they have forgotten the most important decoration of all - the Christmas tree! Rushing through the snowy forest, they reject one tree after another. And then they spot it. A pine tree that is just the right size, with soft needles and a wonderful scent - it's perfect! But just as the beaver is about to chop it down, the bear stops him. He can't allow this tree to be harmed, it is simply too beautiful! But the moose and the beaver disagree. Is there a way they can have a perfect Christmas - without chopping down the perfect tree?

Hop Into Bed (Nicholas Oldland)

Good quick bedtime story. Too young for my class.

Goodreads says:

"This little frog will hop to anything any time... except when it's time for bed. A bouncy, hoppy frog, full of irrepressible energy, won't go to sleep. He just wants to jump. And jump and jump and jump. Finally, everyone else goes to sleep but he keeps jumping until the sun comes up. The next day, he sleeps through his whole day - even band practice and a field trip to the zoo. The only time he gets any zip back is at bedtime when his parents tell him to hop into bed. That he does, "with a triple-flip and a double-twist!" Perfect for every child who's reluctant at bedtime, with a gentle reminder that rest is needed and a new day awaits. All served with a big dose of humour and joy, and with the distinctive style of Nicholas Oldland."-- Provided by publisher.

Two (Kathryn Otoshi)

So many puns and so much fun. We loved Zero and One. This is a great one too.

Goodreads says:

Two is best friends with One. Whenever they'd get the chance, they'd dance! She'd sing and snap. He'd tappity-tap. What a pair they made! At the end of each day, they'd always say, "ONE, TWO, I'll count on you, 'til the end, we'll be best friends." Until Three jumps in between them . . . Suddenly One only wants to play with Three. "ONE, THREE, odds we'll be!" they chant. Two feels left out. But what can she do? Another character-building counting book by award-winning author Kathryn Otoshi, Two is a powerful story of friendship, loss, letting go, and self-discovery.

Monumental Verses (Patrick Lewis)

What a neat book. Poems about structures. Many of the structures we focus on or use as structure projects are in this book:

- Stonehenge
- Easter Island
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Great Pyramid of Cheops
- Empire State Building
- Arc de Triomphe
- Rose city of Petra
- Palace of Versailles
- Statue of Liberty
- Machu Picchu
- Eiffel Tower
- Mount Rushmore
- Great Wall of China\

(Is in our school library)

Goodreads says:

Award-winning poet Lewis invites readers to climb aboard for an eye-opening, lyrical journey to some of the world's greatest monuments, including lush photographs. The back matter features a map showing each site's location, historical information on each one, and a brief history of the photographs. Teachers looking to integrate language arts into their social studies lessons will find this book a delight.

Up The Creek (Nicholas Oldland)

I'm amazed at how well these books by Nicholas Oldland will work for our Wellness Week. His books are full of good messages and a good sense of humor. I love them.

Goodreads says:

There once was a bear, a moose and a beaver who were the best of friends, though they often disagreed. So when the three friends go canoeing together one sunny day, it doesn't take long for them to start quarreling with one another. First, they can't decide who should get to steer the canoe. Later, they debate how best to get across a beaver dam that blocks their way. But when they can't agree on the proper course for maneuvering through the white-water rapids they suddenly find themselves in, the consequences become truly perilous. It takes a long, uncomfortable night spent stranded on a rock to remind the bear, the moose and the beaver what they often forget: everything turns out better when they work together as a team.

As with his other popular books in the Life in the Wild series, featuring these three lovable animal characters, author-illustrator Nicholas Oldland has created a funny romp of a picture book adventure for young children that will be a favorite choice in the classroom. Oldland's distinctive, simple and playful artwork tells much of the tale on its own, with lots of visual humor in the characters' facial expressions and the numerous asides throughout. At its core, this is a fun, contemporary fable that champions the importance of teamwork, cooperation and communication while also promoting the joys to be found in nature, specifically the wilder parts of the outdoors. This book could serve as an introduction to discussions on animals and their environments in the early grades as well.

Walk on the Wild Wide (Nicholas Oldland)

Super cute!!  Great for wellness week. Get outside, and enjoy yourself!

Goodreads says:

This clever picture book tells readers right away what to expect. "There once was a bear, a moose and a beaver who loved adventure. But sometimes their competitive natures got in the way of having fun." One day, the three set off to climb a mountain together. But on the way there, they decide to make it more exciting by turning the climb into a race to the top. It's only after being sidelined by a series of mishaps -- a boulder tumbling down the path, the moose hanging off the side of the cliff, the bear hanging off the moose hanging off the side of the cliff -- that the three friends realize competitions don't always make for a good time. "At the end of the day, the bear, the moose and the beaver agreed that reaching the top of the mountain was great, but enjoying the journey together was even better." This funny, contemporary fable is from Nicholas Oldland's popular Life in the Wild series. The wonderful fun here is the comedy that highlights the adventure, in both the dry humor of the text as well as the simple, earth-toned illustrations that provide a humorous visual play-by-play of the action. This would make a terrifically entertaining storytime title, easily promoting the importance of teamwork, kindness and friendship. It could also be used in the early grades as part of a classroom discussion of woodland animals and their habitats. Another lesson here is the pleasure of getting outdoors for recreation.