PPBF: So Much Slime

Happy PPBF; today we're talking about something puzzling.

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PPBF: Nancy Bess Had A Dress

Happy December, dear reader; today I'm repurposing some of the food from our Thanksgiving feast. So far, the bone from the spiral-baked ham has become broth for our navy bean soup this week.

And that leads us beautifully into today's PPBF.

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PPBF: Yazzy's Amazing Yarn

Today's I'm excited and grateful for this hand-knit colt,

something I ordered from my friend Audrye for the classroom but

think now that I might just have to keep for our Texas room at home.

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Creatively Decompressing

Happy July; what an incredible month June was. I was especially excited to finally spend a little time with our book's talented illustrator, Audrye Williams, when the hardcover copy made its debut.

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The Creator's High

It's Teacher Appreciation Week 2021

and what a year it has been for us!

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PPBF: Stuck

Today I'm thinking about Mindset since that's the theme of my May calendar and today's PPBF. Click {here} for a freebie download.

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PPBF: A Thousand NO's

Happy PPBF; today I'm thinking about the word no.

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Now I'm A Bird: A Review

Happy Friday; how are you doing with your self-care these days? 

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PPBF: Guion The Lion

Today I'm excited because it's time again for PPBF. 

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PPBF: When A Dragon Moves In Again

It's Friday, Friday, a PPBF-Friday and guess who's back?

I predict you'll be on fire for today's pick.

Title: When a Dragon Moves In Again

Author: Jodi Moore

Illustrator: Howard McWilliam

Publisher: Flashlight Press

Date: September 1, 2015

Suitable for: Kindergarten through 2nd

Fiction

Themes: imagination, new baby, sibling jealousy

Brief synopsis: This sequel to When A Dragon Moves In finds our little tyke and his family nesting as they await the arrival of their baby. Will there be room enough for Dragon in this family of five?

Opening page: If you help your dad build a castle, a dragon might move in.

Resources: 

*Visit the author's inspiring page {here}.

*Compare and contrast the author's two Dragon books.

*Make an origami dragon head using these You Tube instructions.

*Click {here} for some dragon coloring sheets and printables.

*Activity idea: Infuse movement into your read aloud by encouraging kids to do a jumping jack, mountain climber, squat thrust, burpee, or the dance move of their choice every time they hear the word dragon. 

Why I like this book: This hilarious text takes an honest and authentic look at the sibling jealousy that can ensue when a new baby joins the family. From bowling with baby bottles to flying for the newborn like a superhero, the dragon-boy dynamic duo does its best to get the attention {connection} that a middle child craves when an infant sibling arrives.

Expect the boy blaming his antics on his dragon to spark a discussion about real versus pretend, about honesty and dishonesty and beg the age-old question:

Is it ever okay to lie? 

And then prepare to be wrapped in a blanket of warmth by the very real snuggle scene; the author's powerful words paired with the illustrator's brilliant visuals will reach down into the depths of your emotional reserves to endear you to this heartwarming treasure. 

Check out this book; it'll be the perfect addition to your collection

 and a really fun gift for that mommy-to-be in your circle.

For today's other PPBF titles, visit Susanna Hill's blog {here}.

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Perfectly Imperfect

It's Friday and it just feels like time for a book review.

{Am I the only one who misses PPBF?} 

Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble to pick up a book I'd ordered, 

and here's the bonus find that made its way home with me. 

(As an aside, I was going to be named James had I been born a boy).

Anyway, this little treasure is packed with valuable gems ready for mining. 

Here's my favorite page, where the problem begins:

The beauty is ... this is so so real.

And, just like in real life, the story morphed.

It wasn't that James said she thinks she's perfect.

It's that James said he thinks her artwork is perfect.

But you know how misunderstandings go ... and now ... 

they're in a fight ... or at least ...  

in our narrator's heart and mind they are. 

Check out a review {here} and {here}.

I see this jewel as the perfect springboard to target and help stop

rumors, gossip, and distrust in their tracks.

The protagonist never does go to the source, to James, to get the truth, which is perfect, because it allows the reader to arrive at that solution by him or herself.

For enrichment, the Telephone Game? What a perfect idea!

Or adapt this lesson and let the glitter represent rumors instead of germs. 

You might want to also treat yourself to this intriguing article:

What Art, And The Game Telephone, Teach Us About Copying.

 Just for fun.

Compare and contrast this book to The Secret Olivia Told Me.

Get yourself a red balloon and inflate it to show how

quickly rumors grow before they eventually explode.

Then ask your children to draw something perfectly imperfect. 

To stretch them.

To nurture their creativity. 

And grow their mindset.

And play this clip to seal the deal (thanks, Lauren!).

Check out this book; I think you'll be perfectly pleased.

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Introducing The Adventures Of Ai

Happy International Dot Day.

What will your dot look like today?

To celebrate Dot Day, I have the opportunity to partner with a creative mind to share a new product on the market. This newcomer - The Adventures of Ai by Craig Bouchard - piques my interest because it's a digital game and eBook combo for preteens. Just look at this gorgeous illustration from the book cover.

Here's the intriguing trailer:

From the Press Release: 

The Adventures of Ai takes preteens on a fantastic journey 

through culture and time.

Craig Bouchard, international entrepreneur and New York Times Bestselling Author creates a unique transmedia entertainment event with his new children’s fantasy The Adventures of Ai. Using nonfiction elements, this novel, set in pre-renaissance Japan, unlocks the potential of a global generation of preteens.

The unique story intertwines independence, strength and the determination required of kids today with unquenchable imagination. Art, history, poetry, music, and mathematics find their way into the dangerous journey of an eleven-year-old-Japanese girl in search of treasure and her father in the year 1514.  Released in six languages and distributed through one of the greatest 3D video games of 2014, The Adventures of Ai is a story of empowerment transcending global boundaries. 

I especially like this part:

Proceeds from a global competition of kids playing the video game benefit children’s charities around the world, including:

·      Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (USA)

·      Child Cancer Foundation (New Zealand)

·      Child Rights and You (CRY) (India)

·      Children’s Leukemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Australia)

·      College Women’s Association of Japan (Japan)

·      Foundation To Be Named Later (Factionless)

·      K is for Kids (Factionless)

·      Magic Bus (India)

·      Maria Social Welfare Foundation (Taiwan)

·      Misericordia Hearts of Mercy (USA)

·      Naples Equestrian Challenge (Factionless)

·      Operation Smile China Medical Mission (China)

·      Our Lady of the Lake Foundation (Factionless)

·      Taipei Orphan Welfare Foundation (Taiwan)

·      The Dempster Family Foundation (Factionless)

·      The Jordan Foundation (Africa)

·      The Sony Foundation (Australia)

·      The Working Youth Society (Japan)

The Adventures of Ai interactive book app and mobile game 

are currently available at the following links:

eBook

iTunes/iBooks Store

Google Play 

Google Books 

Amazon

Game

App Store (iOS) 

Google Play

I can't help but think that Kaitlyn would have loved this had it been available when she was in intermediate school, so I was delighted when, earlier this summer, I was asked if I wanted to give it to not one, but two of my readers!

Leave us a comment before 9 pm central Wednesday night (9/17) telling what your favorite book was when you were a preteen and the Gruener Generator will randomly select two of those comments for a free copy of this fantastic new product. We'll announce the winners on Thursday.

Oh, and if you want a chance at a signed copy of 
What's Under Your Cape?,
head to Patricia's blog over at Children's Books Heal 
to read her kind review and to comment to win.

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PPBF: The Secret World Of Walter Anderson

Today I am super excited to share that my book,

What's Under Your Cape? SUPERHEROES of the Character Kind,

has won the Mom's Choice Gold Award for Adult Books.

I am feeling oh, so grateful. What a wonderful honor.

And if I wasn't jazzed enough, it's also the return of PPBF.

Title: The Secret World of Walter Anderson

Author: Hester Bass

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Date: September 8, 2009

Suitable for ages: 8-12

Picture Book Biography

Themes: creativity, artistry, individuality

Brief Synopsis: This book tells the story of reclusive painter Walter Anderson.

Opening page: There once was a man whose love of nature was as wide as the world. There once was an artist who needed to paint as much as he needed to breathe. There once was an islander who lived in a cottage at the edge of Mississippi, where the sea meets the earth and the sky. His name was Walter Anderson. He may be the most famous American artist you’ve never heard of.

Resources:  *Read a review at The Picnic Basket {here}.

*Read about the life of Walter Anderson {here}. 

*Watch an author interview {here}.

*Read more at the Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog {here}.

*Talk about Walter's odd obscurity with your budding artists.

Encourage students to write a reader's response considering why they think Walter Anderson wanted to live on Horn Island, his private paradise. Do they have some things that they prefer would be kept secret? Is there anything that can't be kept a secret? Explain. Use this as a time to talk about secrets that we shouldn't keep.

*Listen to the song Me, Myself, I {here}. How does this ballad parallel Walter Anderson's story?

*Using a Venn Diagram, compare and contrast Walter Anderson's secret life with Charlie Anderson's secret life. Do you know this story? Charlie is a cat who lives two distinct lives with two different families, one by day, the other by night. 

What would they consider the same about their stories? 

What's different?

Why I like this book: The first reason it's special is that I got it from my mother-in-law for my birthday. I love it when people pick out books that they think I'll like. Secondly, it's just such a great metaphor for escape and expression. There was so much that people didn't know about Walter (known to his family as Bob) and he wanted it that way. On one hand, the book made me wonder why. Why would he want to leave his family for weeks at a time and hide like that? And yet, I can kind of understand his desire for privacy. Sometimes it's good to get away and enjoy your therapeutic resources, like drawing and painting, in private. By yourself. Alone. Additionally, I appreciate and connect with Ms. Bass' fluidity with words: He needed to paint as much as he needed to breathe.

Check out this book; I think you'll be intrigued, maybe even enchanted.

For today's other PPBF book reviews, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog. 

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Monday Made It

Today I'm linking up with Tara's Monday Made It.

It's week 8; I thought it was about time.
Click her adorable graphic to check it out.

Here's what I've been making, 

inspirational-quote minis.

For my presentations.

Photo by Tena Roher; click {here} for post about Recorder Karate.

And to enlarge and use as mini-posters.

It's so easy-breezy to do at PicMonkey.

And it's free.
Here's what the page will look like.

I use the Open tab to pull in a picture from my desktop.

I use the little frame icon (third from the bottom on the left) to put some color around the picture and leave a little space if I want the inspiration to be at the bottom rather than on the photo. And I use the T icon to add words, using their fonts ... or my faves! When I like what I've got, I hit save and it's on my desktop.  It's not rocket science, and it's so much fun to see what you can create. 

Last week, I printed some of these out on card stock and cut them into pieces to make a fun activity - Find Your Missing Piece - for my friends at 

the Kindness Cure training. 

What have you made lately that you'd like to share?

Blogging buddy Mrs. Labrasciano linked up her creative idea 

for this Character Bracelet ... 

'cause she's gearing up to join Tiffani at Time 4 Kindergarten to review Chapter 5 tomorrow!

Head to Tara's blog now and link up before 

Made-It Monday goes on a back-to school-hiatus.

Oh, and Make It a Marvelous Monday.

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PPBF: The Orange Shoes

Today's PPBF just begs us to walk in someone else's shoes, 

if only for a spell.

Title: The Orange Shoes

Author: Trisha Hakes Noble

Illustrator: Doris Ettlinger

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Date: September 1, 2007

Suitable for: ages 6 and up (grades 1-4)

Fiction

Themes: poverty, creativity, empathy

Brief synopsis: Delly's class will be having a Shoebox Social soon, but will this child who doesn't even wear shoes until October be able to participate?

Resources:  Publisher's Activities {here}

Writing For Kids blog review {here}

More info about the author and book {here}

Empathy in a (Shoe) Box {here}

Why I like this book:  

Remember Nellie, the spoiled rich girl on the 1970's hit show Little House on the Prairie? Well, she's met her match in Prudy, the mean girl who generates a lot of conflict in this treasure. Fortunately for its reader, this story has a life-like quality that will easily lend itself to a discussion about respecting differences, in particular affluence versus poverty.

Meet Delly. She walks barefoot to school because her family cannot afford new shoes, but the optimist in her doesn't really fret about it, because she loves "the feel of our dirt road under my feet; the sandy places and the dried mud places and the smooth places after the road scraper's gone through." Delly is admittedly happy going barefoot until Prudy weighs in with comments that are ugly and disrespectful. When the teacher announces a Shoebox Social to raise funds for art supplies at the school, Delly worries that she doesn't have a shoebox to decorate, much less new shoes for the social, but her Father surprises her with some beautiful new orange shoes. Along comes Prudy, ready to rain on Delly's parade, but how far will she go to ruin the Social for Delly? Because it sparked a fun childhood memory of our 4H-sponsored Box Socials, The Orange Shoes caught my eye. Because Prudy is such a true-to-life character and Delly is such a wonderful problem-solver, it kept my attention. It's kind of lengthy as a read-aloud, but it's well worth your time, so plan ahead and break it down into reasonable chunks if you need to.

You can use this book when you're discussing rural versus urban life. Make a T-chart to note the differences. You can also use it when you talk about socio-economic issues and class. Make a H-Map, a Venn diagram, or a Double Bubble graphic organizer as students observe the similarities and then differences between affluence (Prudy) and poverty (Delly). What things, if any, overlap? Students could write an editorial about which way of life is more desirable. Finally, go back to Prudy. Have students make a list of the different ways that she showed disrespect to Delly. How did the other students react to Prudy's behavior? How is Prudy's behavior like that of a bully? Did anyone ask her to stop? Why or why not? Ask students if they would have done anything differently at school had they been Prudy? Delly? The teacher?

The ultimate enrichment activity after reading this tale would be to hold a Shoebox Social. Students decorate a Shoebox, then make a lunch that they pack into it. Use this activity as a mixer so students can get to know one another better. Or host it just for fun during lunch one day. Let students help you figure out a creative way for the boxes to change hands. A Shoebox Social can also be used as a service project; you could auction off the boxes, and then take them (and the money they brought) to a local Shelter for donation. Call ahead first, of course, so that you know if they accept food donations and what, if any, dietary restrictions there might be.

Tomorrow we're hosting a Kids Clothing Kids clothes swap,
another reason I've chosen this gem today.
I'm so thankful for our Good News Club's initiative
and I can't wait to see how many kids-in-need we'll outfit!

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Destination Imagination

As March turns into April, one of our fifth-grade Destination Imagination Teams has a big State Competition coming up.

Imagine my surprise when I saw them gracing the front cover

of this local magazine as I was about to recycle it!

Just beautiful, especially since DI is designed

with kids in mind ... as the project masterminds.

It's all kids.

Their thoughts, their designs, their productions.

Oh, sure, there's a sponsor, but basically she's an adult

who is on site when they create just to keep them safe, encourage them, and cheer them on. That's it. I've seen it work. 

Talk about voice and choice!

The State-bound Survivor Diver's sponsor is our very own second-grade teacher Peggy Matejowsky, whose daughter happens to be on the five-member team. And did I mention that they also won the special Renaissance Award for their exceptional performance?

Innovative. Inspirational. Incredible.

Here's the magazine article to tell the story.

Congratulations, Survivor Divers. We're so very proud of you

and we wish you well at State and as you lead us into the future!

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PPBF: The Big Box

Today's PPBF is an oldie but goodie on my shelves that came to mind when we were discussing differentiation and individualized instruction the other day.

Title: The Big Box

Author: Toni Morrison with Slade Morrison

Illustrator: Giselle Potter

Publisher: Jump At The Sun (Hyperion Books)

Date: 1999

Suitable for ages: 8 and up

Themes: self-control, creativity, freedom

Brief synopsis:  Three children who challenge their boundaries and, in an adult's world, "just can't handle their freedom" are banished to life in The Big Box.

Opening Page: Patty and Mickey and Liza Sue

Live in a big brown box.

It has carpets and curtains and beanbag chairs.

And the door has three big locks.

Oh, it's pretty inside and the windows are wide

With shutters to keep out the day.

They have swings and slides and custom-made beds

And the doors open only one way.

Resources: 

Read a review from BrainPickings {here}.

Read a Publishers Weekly review {here}. 

Read the history behind the story {here}.

Find discussion questions at Teaching Children Philosophy {here}.

My suggestions for follow-up include using these reflection questions:

1. Did Patty do something wrong? If so, what?
2. Did Mickey do something wrong? If so, what?
3. Did Liza do something wrong? If so, what
4. Who, if anyone, acted unfairly in this story?
5. The children got really cool stuff when their parents visited. Would you be willing to trade your freedom for those things? Why or why not?
6. Were the children acting responsibly before they were put in the Box? Do you suppose that time in The Box would improve their behavior? Why or why not?
7. Describe a time when you might have felt like Patty, Liza, or Mickey. What steps did you take to improve your situation?
8. Think about the Six Pillars of Character. Give examples of how the three children showed good character and didn't show good character.

And this reinforcement activity:

Please Release Me!

Ask your students to choose one of the children: Mickey, Patty or Liza. They will be writing and delivering a short speech, campaigning for the release of their chosen child from his/her prison sentence. They can do it as a third-person narrative on their child's behalf or in the first-person as the child him/herself. Encourage your students to base their argument on your character values. Allow students to use the following questions as a guide:

1. Why would your chosen character benefit from his/her release?
2. What has your chosen character done to deserve his/her release?
3. How will your chosen character behave differently following his/her release?
4. What has your chosen character learned from his/her time in The Big Box?
5. Where will your chosen character go following his/her release?

6. How will he/she behave?

Why I like this book: This creative masterpiece serves as an excellent metaphor for freedom of self-expression, creativity, and individuality. Based on the adventures of three feisty-spirited children, this book details their youthful antics fueled by their unbridled freedom. Patty is a rebel in the classroom, Mickey upsets his neighborhood, and Liza frees the animals on the farm. Challenged by how to handle their energetic kids, the powers-that-be gather to figure it out. Instead of championing their innocence, celebrating their creativity, and fostering their voice and choice, their grown-ups diagnose the symptoms and treat the illness by forcing the kids to stay within the boxy confines of their orderly adult worlds. Oh, they mean well, but at what cost? 

I came from a home where we were repeatedly told that "children are to be seen and not heard." In schools and in homes, we can be authoritarian and operate under a "my way or the highway" regime or we can adopt a coaching model in which we listen to, mentor and guide. I know which one I would have preferred for my childhood; ask your students which one they think children would do better in. Set up a debate just for fun.

Check out this book; I think that it will generate a riveting discussion 

about creativity, freedom and individuality.

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PPBF: Willow

Today I'm coming to you from Washington D.C. with a question:
 Can one little artist jumpstart the heart of a rigid, long-time Art teacher?

Meet Willow in today's PPBF and prepare to be inspired by the difference she makes in Miss Hawthorne's world.

Title: Willow
Author: Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan
Illustrator: Cyd Moore
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Date: May 1, 2008
Suitable for: K through third grade 
Fiction
Themes: creativity, kindness, joy 
Brief synopsis:  Miss Hawthorn is pretty particular about her art room. In fact, she's so neat and orderly that not even a hair on her head is out of place. But will things change when a free spirit like Willow breezes in and wafts creativity and kindness her way?

Opening page: 

Even on the sunniest days, Miss Hawthorne's art room was cold and dark.

Everything was in its place.

There wasn't a single broken crayon in the bunch.

The students sat in their rows, silent and still, like eggs in a carton.

Except for Willow.

Resources:  

*Watch the book trailer on You Tube.

*Visit the author's website {here}.
*Read reviews at the illustrator's page {here}.
*Check out the book's comprehensive activity guide written by co-author Rosemary Brannan {here}.

Why I like this book:  My friend Lisa over at Growing Firsties recommended Willow, so I knew it'd be good. But I didn't know I'd fall for Willow like I did. There's a sequel - Willow and the Snow Day Dance - and I can't wait to read it, too. The playfully-soft, eye-catching illustrations really enhance Willow's tale. 

This story holds so much promise because of its message that little people can have a big influence. Remember Dr. Seuss' Grinch and how his heart grew as he changed after talking with little Cindy Lou Who? I think that he'd be an interesting comparison with what Willow does for Miss Hawthorn, whose heart seems to get bigger right before our eyes because of Willow's willingness to march to the beat of her own drum and positively influence others on her path. 

One little girl, one little act of kindness. 

Check out this book; I think you'll be wild about Willow!

Oh, and if you're looking for a creative kindness project, the kind Willow would probably eat up, check out this month's YEP (Yellow Envelope Project) and consider sending a note of encouragement, inspiration, or gratitude to this school secretary with a ♥ of gold.

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