Book+suggestions+and+blog+suggestions

I follow a blog called Twenty by Jenny.

I also read the free blog put out by Hornbook and I follow Curriculum Connections with SLJ.

I just bought a new book that I am sharing with our art teacher. It is by a graphic artist named Michael Hall __My Heart is Like a Zoo.__ We are going to use the You Tube video that he made. Just go to You Tube and type in the author and title to bring it up. It's a primary grade picture book filled with rhymes and similes and amazing animals made with hearts and dots and rectangles and other shapes. Tara A., our art teacher used the book this week with KG. The chilIdren used Michael Hall's graphic idea of making animals using hearts to make their own heart animals.

I used a new book by Peter McCarty called __Henry in Love__ with KG. The first day I used it the KG's were all twittering and laughing through the whole story because they knew the title. Big mistake for them and for me because the students were too distracted by the title to really enjoy the story. So.............................................

on Friday I took red construction paper and covered up the title on the cover leaving just the cover illustration of Henry and Chloe sitting at desks. (names unknown viewing the cover art) I put more red construction paper over the title on the spine. (made for good discussion of where we find the title of a book!) I used another piece of red construction paper to cover the title on the Title Page. On my chart paper I said that we would try to guess the title of this picture book after I read the story.

This method made for a wonderful, engaged reading of the story. Everyone became interested in figuring out the title. Inferences were noticed. It was a refreshing, fun time. No one thought of the actual title. Of course, there were a few groans at hearing the title. I suggested The Blueberry Muffin but I had no takers. Many noticed that blueberry muffin was entirely blue, not like a real blueberry muffin.

2nd and 3rd graders take out Sarah Weeks' __Oggie Cooter .__ I talked this book up for a bit last year. Now I think that it is moving by kid word of mouth! I'm going to get the sequel from Junior Library Guild.