Nonfiction Wednesday: I Fall Down by Vicki Cobb

Please visit the host of this weekly event: Kid Lit Frenzy 

I Fall Down (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12)
by Vicki Cobb
Illustrated by Julia Gorton

Published in 2004 by Harper Collins Publishers
30 Pages
Ages 4-8
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Nonfiction (Science)
Disclosure: Book obtained from library
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Summary From Goodreads.com
What happens when you trip or when you drop a ball?

When something falls, which way does it fall?

Down,
down,
down
Do you know what makes things fall? Renowned science author Vicki Cobb explains the weighty subject of gracity with such ease that even the youngest kids will understand. Follow this book with a child who loves to play. Have lots of dropping races. Together you'll learn how much fun falling for science can be.

Exciting hands on activities and irresistible illustrations by Julia Gorton make Science Play a perfect way to learn about science...just for the fun of it.

My Thoughts
This book provides simple information and examples about gravity. The illustrations are simple, big and clear.  There is not much text on each page and it is often written in an interesting shape to support the information.  I really love the experiment suggestions offered for children to explore at home. 

Possible Companion Texts

Resources
Kids Science Experiments-Gravity
Mini videos about gravity

Slice of life- Reflections from Camp

Each Tuesday Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers host Slice of Life Stories (SOLS). This is where bloggers link up to share anything they would like to share about what is happening in their lives. 

For the last five summers, my family has rented a camp on a small, peaceful, beautiful lake here in Maine.  We stay in a cozy camp that is about 20 feet from the lake's edge. We get to listen to loons cry and children laugh. Our kids get to swim, fish, play board games and roast marshmallows at night by the fire.  

I love this week for so many reasons. First, I get to be with my family which includes my husband and kids and my mother-in-law (yes this is a good thing...she rocks!).  I also get to connect with my mother, my sister, my niece and nephew and some great friends that come to visit.  It is wonderful to sit and enjoy the warm Maine weather and to swim and play with my kids. 

I think I am able to enjoy this week more because I am away from the distractions of my house.  I can't see the basement that needs organizing, the closets that need cleaning or the gardens that need weeding.  My time is spent making wonderful memories with the people I love. 

And of course, I get to read, but not as much as you would think.  With small children around there is always someone to dry off, feed or help in some way.  I get to read uninterrupted at night and in the early morning by the calm, glassy lake. I enjoy those moments tremendously. 

I feel so fortunate to be able to spend this quality time with the people who are most important to me. I hope you have a special place to connect with your family. 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? August 12, 2013

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is what I have read over the last TWO weeks. Sorry, no time to describe the books so please click on the covers to learn more and to see my rating on Goodreads.

Picture Books

Middle Grade Novel

Professional Read

Currently Reading

10 for 10- Ten Picture books I Heart

A special thank you to Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek for hosting this fun picture book event.  To read more about the August Picture Book 10 for 10 click here.  Please visit Cathy's blog: Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community and Mandy's blog: Enjoy and Embrace Learning.

It was tough, but I have narrowed it down to ten picture books that I just LOVE!

Newbies
Up until a year ago, it had been a long time since I really had read any new picture books and I am so glad I started again.  Here are some books on my list that are new(ish) that my 4th graders LOVED!

1.  I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
I only became familiar with Jon Klassen's work over the last year and I think he is just brilliant.  This book is simple and hilarious.  The illustrations are just adorable. I also love This is Not My Hat and anything written or illustrated by Kalssen.  

 

2. Hello! Hello! by Matthew Cordell

This book poking fun at how "plugged in" people are today with their electronic devices.  The main character tries to get her family to pay attention to nature and ends up getting them to take a walk as a family.  I love this book because it is just a great reminder to stop and pay attention. 

3. Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 
Poor exclamation mark feels that he is less important than the more prominent punctuation marks.  In this book he learns that he is unique and important.  My class loved it! I also love her "cutlery" books: Spoon and Chopsticks.
 
4.  The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman
This is one of my recent favorites.  Fish and Snail live in a book together.  Every day adventurous Fish leaves their book to go on adventures in other books.  Timid Snail is too scared to go with him.  Their friendship is tested when they have an argument. I reviewed this book a few weeks ago here.  I love it because it is about courage and trying new things.  The illustrations are unique and the animals appear to literally come off the page. 

5. One by Kathryn Otoshi
I read this to my class last January when we were trying to read a picture book a day.  It sends a powerful message about how sometimes it just takes one to make a big change. 
  
6. The Dot by Peter Reynolds
 This is just a great book to use to show and discuss creativity.  You can also participate in International Dot Day with your students.  Everyone can make their mark.


Tried and True
These books have been favorites of mine for years. 

7. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Seriously, who doesn't love this book?  I never get tired of reading it and I get teared up every time. 







8. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
This book is absolutely one of my faves!  I love how Ferdinand is not afraid to be himself instead of trying to be like all the other bulls.
 
9. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
This African Cinderella Tale is told and illustrated beautifully.  It is a favorite because kindness always wins. 


 
10. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel This book has been a favorite since elementary school.  As I have shared many times, I was not a reader until my mid twenties.  However, this book was read to my class by our librarian and I loved it so much.  I make sure to read it to my class every year. 

So there are my 10 books.  What's on you list?

Persephone the Daring (Goddess Girls #11) Book Blast Giveaway

Persephone the Daring (Goddess Girls #11)

Mortal rock star Orpheus steals the spotlight in this Goddess Girls tale of love and lyres!Orpheus is a mortal rock god, and the girls at Mount Olympus Academy are wild about him! With his lyre and singing voice, Orpheus can charm pretty much anything—even things like stones and trees. But Hades and the other MOA boys aren’t charmed. In fact, they are less than thrilled that the girls are so gaga over this guy.

His fans are especially excited about his latest song about the girl he loved and lost, Eurydice. Orpheus was devastated when he lost Eurydice to the Underworld, so he asks Persephone to help get her back. Though it means breaking some very serious Underworld rules, Persephone pushes Hades to return Eurydice to the living world. But restoring Orpheus’s one true love might jeopardize Persephone’s own chances with her biggest crush…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist 

“Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging.”
~Publisher’s Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”
~ School Library Journal

The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he’ll get kicked out of MOA! Although she’s not sure it’s wise, Athena agrees to help out.
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she’s the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.
Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair!
Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy — immortal. Is that too much to ask?
The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands–including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series!
Pandora the Curious Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school.
Pheme the Gossip As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy.

Author Suzanne Williams

Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children’s choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 – 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 – 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.

Website * Blog

Author Joan Holub

I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children’s books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children’s book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts — Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children’s books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.

Twitter * Website * Blog

Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 8/22/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogging Break

I will be taking a week or so to unplug starting tomorrow.  I will be spending some fun time with my family.  My next post will be the August 10 for 10 on Saturday, August 10th.  Many bloggers will participate and share their top 10 picture books so be sure to visit next Saturday.

While on my vacation I hope to read the following books:

 

and maybe finish my latest audio book.

See you soon!

Nonfiction Wednesday-Lou Gehrig: the Luckiest Man

Please visit the host of this weekly event: Kid Lit Frenzy

Picture book biographies are still a real interest for me.  Here is one from this week.

 Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adler Illustrated by Terry Widener

Published in 1997 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Format: Picture book

Genre: Nonfiction Biography

32 pages

Disclosure:Book obtained from the Windham Public Library

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Summary

I am not much of a sports fan, but of course I had heard of Lou Gehrig.  However, beyond knowing that he had ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig Disease) I knew very little.  This book takes the reader on a journey through Gehrig's life starting with his childhood.  

 In 1903 Henry Ford sold his first automobile, the Wright Brothers made their successful flight, the first baseball World Series was played and Lou Gehrig was born. Although his mother thought it was a waste of time, Lou loved playing sports and, of course, he excelled at baseball. He attended Columbia University where he was on the baseball team. After a scout offered him a good salary and a signing bonus, much to his mother's dismay, Gehrig quit college and began playing baseball for the NY Yankees.  Lou had a great work ethic and never missed a single game. He played though injuries and illnesses earning him the nickname, Iron Horse. The book goes on to chronicle the beginnings of Gehrig's disease where he stopped being able to hit the ball in his usual way to his diagnosis and of course, his famous speech.  After retiring, Gehrig still wanted to give back to the city he loved so he tried to inspire some troubled youths by working on the NYC parole Commission.

My Thoughts

I learned a lot about this important and inspiring man who showed great courage and strength throughout his life.  Gehrig is a great example of perseverance, a trait I feel children really need to learn. The book has big illustrations with muted colors that lend an historical feel to the book. I like how the focus is on his life, his work ethic and his strength, and not on the disease and the end of his life. 

Who Would Enjoy This Book

Students who love non-fiction and, of course, any baseball fan would likely appreciate Lou Gehrig's story. 

Use this book...

As a read aloud during a unit on biographies, or baseball unit.

Use it as a mentor text to discuss character traits, summarizing and fact vs opinion.  

Show students Lou Gehrig's famous "Luckiest Man" Speech.

Resources

Lou Gehrig: Biography, Stats and Facts for Kids

Books about baseball

Info about ALS from Kids Health

Author David A. Adler has written many books including the Cam Jansen series and the Bone Mystery Series.  To learn more about Adler and his books, visit his website. 

Visit illustrator Terry Widener's site here.