Amberly Media Center

Entries from October 2007

Read Alouds: Week of 10/22

October 22nd, 2007 · No Comments

Kindergarten

  • Freymann. Fast Food.
  • Timmers. Who Is Driving?
  • Willems. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

First Grade

  • Montes. Los Gatos Black on Halloween.
  • Ancona. Pablo Remembers.
  • Pilkey. The Hallo-Wiener.

Second Grade

  • Yolen. Commander Toad and the Dis-Asteroid.

Third Grade

  • “Green Ghosts” in Yolen. Here There Be Ghosts.
  • Also mentioned Bruce Coville’s books, The Ghost Wore Gray, The Ghost in the Third Row, and The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed.

Tags: Read Aloud

Read Alouds: Week of 10/15

October 12th, 2007 · No Comments

Kindergarten

  • Arnosky. Every Autumn Comes the Bear.
  • Ehlert. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf.
  • Fleming. Time to Sleep.
  • Shecter. When Will the Snow Trees Grow?

 First Grade

  • Van Allsburg. The Stranger.

 Second Grade

  • Yolen. Commander Toad and the Dis-Asteroid.

Tags: Read Aloud

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trento Lee Stewart

October 11th, 2007 · No Comments

“Are you a gifted child looking for Special Opportunities?”

Eleven-year-old Reynie is one of several children who answer this unusual newspaper ad only to find that the tests they must take are stranger still. In the end only four children pass the tests: Reynie, Sticky, and Constance. Their mission: to spy on what goes on at a private school that may be up to no good.

If you like the odd characters and plots of the Series of Unfortunate Events or books by Roald Dahl, or you like figuring out the puzzles in Artemis Fowl or books by Blue Balliett, you’ll love finding out if Reynie and his friends can figure out what is really going on at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened.

Tags: New Books

Read Alouds: Week of 10/08

October 8th, 2007 · No Comments

Kindergarten

  • Shannon. No, David!
  • Shannon. David Goes to School.
  • Bruel. Who Is Melvin Bubble?

First Grade

  • Davidson. Princess Justina Albertina.
  • Burningham. Edwardo, the Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World.

Second Grade

  • McEwan. Rufus the Scrub Does Not Wear a Tutu.

Tags: Read Aloud

What’s a Book Pass?

October 5th, 2007 · No Comments

I can’t remember the exact history of this activity….I know I “borrowed” the idea from Nancy Atwell or my East Lansing colleague, Mimi Cecil. The idea is to encourage students to try books they might not otherwise pick-up. Instead of selecting a book based on the cover illustration or jacket blurb, students actually read for for a few minutes to get a “taste” of the characters, action, and style of the writing. Students record the author and title, and then rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5.

In 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade at Amberly, we usually read 3-4 books in a 20 to 30 minute period. We repeat this activity 3 to 4 times a year and students can always look at their lists for book ideas when they check out.

Tags: Books and Authors

Suffering Harry Potter Withdrawl?

October 4th, 2007 · No Comments

Here’s another addition to the “what to read next” list. The first book in Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series is called Magyk and readers shouldn’t worry that the title character appears to be dead right from the start. Many of the characters are not exactly who they seem to be in the beginning. If your favorite parts of the Harry Potter books were Diagon Ally and life with Weasley family, you’ll love the mysterious old castle setting of this book and the off-beat character of Aunt Zelda.

The book begins with a mysterious abandoned baby who turns out to be the princess who has been rescued from an asassin sent by a dark wizard to murder both the queen and the princess. Jenna is raised by the Heap family (both poor and large like the Weasleys), but must escape to the country when another assassin comes for her and the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia (a bit like Dumbledore with more fashion sense). With the help of Nikko Heap, the Heap’s Aunt Zelda (think of Mrs. Weasley with a lot more magic), and another mystery child, the soldier named Boy 412, Jenna not only escapes but finds the magical tools to fight back against the dark wizard, DomDaniel.

Tags: Books and Authors