Poppy

Avi (1995).  Poppy.  New York:  Haper Collins Children's Books.

This animal fantasy book is the second book in a series and is an endearing tale of a deer mouse named Poppy.  This book has drama, romance, mystery, and action all rolled into one!  The book begins with a Great-Horned owl, Mr. Ocax, as the overseer of the Dimwood Forest and all the animals in it...so he says.  The mice are quite fearful of him, but believes he protects them.  Poppy experiences many conflicts in the story, including standing up for herself against a bully, which I think is the main theme in the story.  The characters in this book can help children relate to themselves and others around them.  They can easily put themselves into the roles of the characters, either as the one who is bullied or the one who bullies.   The characters' personalities are so strong, that you can't help but be drawn into the book, whether you find yourself cheering for one character and despising another.  The author does a fantastic job in her descriptive writing.  Her writing was so clear, that it made it very easy to visualize the events and the setting in my mind as I read the story.  The chapters are short and have an easy flow, making the story read quickly.  Even though this book is second in a series, you do not need to read the other books to understand what is going on.  This book can easily be a stand alone book.  I think this book is an excellent teaching tool for talking about bullying and what that might look like. 

I chose this book because my school's media specialist recommended it.  I liked it so much that I went back to get the other two books in the series as well.  It was very hard to put down!  I read it in one sitting!  Both boys and girls can relate to this book.

Big Questions:  Do you think Poppy had courage?  Do you think you can have courage and be scared at the same time?  Why or why not?  What are some ways that you can overcome bullying?  Why did the mice not see what the owl was doing as bullying?

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

Willems, M. (2009).  Naked mole rat gets dressed.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

This is a hilarious picture book about the little known creatures:  naked mole rats.  Mo Willems uses  simple cartoons to tell this story of a naked mole rat who wishes to wear clothes.  The other naked mole rats do not understand him and his desire and want to mold him to their way of thinking.  The Grand-pah naked mole rat, who is the leader of sorts, makes a proclamation and everyone is happy.  You will have to read this to find out the ending!  I chose this book because it is such a funny story, you will be laughing all throughout.  This book uses some language that might make it hard for younger children to understand (such as "sarcastic" and "proclamation"), so be prepared to explain either before or during the reading.  This book can be used in a variety of ways within the classroom:  social studies (dress in different cultures), science (study of naked mole rats), and language (retelling, listening).

As with the other two Mo Willems books, I can see that he LOVES to laugh and make others laugh as well.  I really want to go read all his books!

Big Question(s):  Why do you think the naked mole rat wanted to wear clothes?  How do you think you would feel in his shoes?  Why do you think all the other naked mole rats thought he was gross for wanting to wear clothes?

Knuffle Bunny

Willems, M. (2004).  Knuffle bunny.  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children.

 Knuffle Bunny is a great picture book about a little girl named Trixie, who goes on a little adventure with her dad to the local laundromat when her beloved animal, Knuffle Bunny, comes up missing! Trixie cannot convey to her dad what is wrong and so she tries in many ways to "tell" him.  Mom has to help save the day. Trixie pronounces her favorite animal as "ka-nuffle" bunny.  It is a Dutch word that means to "snuggle or hug", which is what every child wants to do to his or her favorite stuffed animal or blanket!  The images in this story are why this is one of my favorite books.  The author/illustrator uses hand-drawn sketches and digital photography in sepia.  It really adds definition to the story by making the illustrations more life like and fun to look at.  Mo Willems is a very funny author and loves to combine drama and comedy all rolled into one hilarious story!  This book can connect in the classroom through social skills (feelings), literacy (predicting, retelling, acting out the story), or language (draw a picture of a favorite stuffed animal and describe it).

Big question(s):  How would you feel if you lost your favorite stuffed animal?  How else do you think Trixie could have told her dad about her lost Knuffle Bunny?  How was she feeling at the beginning of the story?  the middle?  the end?

There Is a Bird on Your Head!

Willems, M. (2007).  There is a bird on your head!  New York:  Hyperion Books for Children

This easy-reader picture book (An Elephant & Piggie Book) begins with cartoon illustrations of the main characters:  a pig and an elephant wearing glasses and no text.  The author uses simple text to create a dialogue between the two characters as the elephant is experiencing a very humorous situation.  The dialogue appears in a text bubbles that matches the color of each animal and is enlarged to show voice volume.  The author's depiction of the action going on upon the elephant's head encourages the reader (and audience) to laugh out loud!  I chose this book because I love to read Mo Willems books!  He has a very funny way of telling even the most simple of stories to make everyone smile!  A great book for a quick laugh!

Big question(s):  How do you think the pig get the nest off of his head?  Why was the elephant so upset?  If we were to extend the story, what do you think would happen next?

When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry...

Bang. M. (1999).  When Sophie gets angry-really, really angry.  New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

This is a great picture book that describes what we sometimes go through when we get angry.  Everyone feels this way, even if we are too old to show it!  Sophie does not want to share with her sister, but her mother tells her she needs to.  The author uses color to help describe how Sophie feels and uses wonderful descriptions of the different emotions that Sophie feels from really angry to sad to calm.  The author is also the illustrator and she has chosen lots of colors to depict how Sophie feels from rich reds and orange when she feels angry to soft blues when she feels calm.  The illustrator uses great texture in each picture such as harsh lines to depictSophie's anger and soft brush strokes that show a peacefulness and calmness in Sophie.   I chose this book because feeling are sometimes hard for young children to understand.  This book enables them to see that it is ok to feel angry and that there are things you can do to help yourself calm down, without being aggressive towards others.  In the classroom, this book can be connected to the curriculum through language (listening, speaking, writing) to encourage literacy skills, social studies (to regulate own emotions, identify other's emotions), drama (retelling the story), and cognitive (problem solving).  This book leads to role playing where you can play the "What If?" game to work on different scenarios that might occur in the classroom of your particular age group.  This is a great read that everyone can identify with!
Big Question(s):  What ways do you show anger?  What helps calm you down?

Hush!

Ho, M. (1996).  Hush!.  New York:  Orchard Books.

Hush! is a picture book that is also aThai lullaby.  It tells of a mother's quest to keep all things quiet so that her child can sleep...or so she thinks.  I chose this book because of the wonderful illustrations done by Holly Meade.   She depicts many animals from the smallest of insects, the mosquito, to the largest of mammals, the elephant.  The author incorporates great animal sounds into the story as the mom looks to see what is making the noise that might wake her child.  What she does not see is that her child has woken up and gets into a bit of mischief while she continues to try and quiet the animals one by one.  These actions are not depicted in the text, but in the warm illustrations which are done by Holly Meade.  I recommend this book as it is very peaceful to read, especially to young children, with great illustrations.  This book can be incorporated in the classroom  by making connections with science (classification and categorization of animals), drama (retelling the story), social studies (cultural),  and enhancing literacy skills through language (listening, speaking, and writing).
Big Question(s):  Why did the mom fall asleep at the end?  What do you think it would be like to sleep with all those noises going on around you?

Me in a Nutshell :)

My name is Stephanie McSpadden and I currently teach at Wellington Elementary in Lexington, Kentucky.  I currently teach preschool and enjoy working with differing abilities within my classroom.  I am also enjoying working in a brand-new facility with all the latest technology!  We are considered the "greenest"  elementary school in the state.  :)

I am married to my husband, Daniel (15 1/2 years now!) and we have three children:  Meghan who is 14 years old and a freshman in HS, Lily who is 9 years old and a 4th grader, and Trey, our 5 year old, who is in Kindergarten.  We also have two dogs:  a border collie named Molly and a yorkie-pom named Little Bit.  We love to be outdoors, cheer on our UK Wildcats, and our whole family LOVES to read....especially both my girls and me!  We can always be found with a book in our hands and find it very hard to put one down once we start!  Needless to say, "bookworm" describes us to a tee! 

I look forward to learning more about literature in the classroom!