Summer Reading

I discovered these new (to me) chapter books that I am planning on reading with my kids this summer.  Chomp is by author Carl Hiaasen, who writes for both young and adult readers.  I am hooked on his stuff.  Hoot, Scat and Flush are other fictional books he has written for kids.  A Tale Dark and Grimm is a very DARK book.  I read the first chapter and I am excited to read more.  Beware!  You may have some explaining to do if you read this one!  It is wild!  Grimm is available at the Storm Lake Public Library. 

Enjoy! 

Chomp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA12cS0Us_4

A Tale Dark And Grimm
http://www.adamgidwitz.com/watch-the-trailer

Ready to Read

      As a child, I remember my summers were full of fort building, weeding the green beans in the garden, trips to the Storm Lake Pool, and reading.  Many of the books in this picture were some of my favorite summer reads.  Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary and Laura Ingalls Wilder filled my summer days and nights.  I remember my mom putting me to be at night and reading to me, Little House in the Big Woods.  Listening to her voice made me want to hear more about Laura and her big sister Mary.  I remember understanding how Beezus felt about her little sister Ramona.  I loved laughing at Fudge as he pulled another prank. 
     I know my students are excited that we are in the 4th quarter of school and that Summer is just teasing them!  I hope they will create memories this summer like I did with my mom reading great books.  Think about a trip to the library to get them started on the right foot for the summer.  Kids who read will be ready for 3rd grade!

JAZZ!

A long awaited upload of this video!  My reading class took a field trip tp SLHS in October while reading the book Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne.  We loved learning about jazz music & Louis Armstrong.  What a treat to hear our own high school jazz band.  Kids came away inspired to become musicians!

Charlie Bone

What is your favorite moment of Charlie Bone?

Vocabulary

This week's Text Talk book is Amos and Boris. It is about an unlikely pair that become close friends. Ask your child to tell you about it.

Words we are learning from this book:

• necessities-what you really need



• miserable-feeling or looking awful



• opportunity-getting the chance to do what you really want to do



• privilege-special rights for some people



• stranded-stuck some place



• reliable-able to be trusted

Visualization

We are reading the exciting fiction novel, Midnight for Charlie Bone. There is challenging vocabulary and many plot twists & turns. We keep character charts, discuss the reading often and use visualization to imagine what is happening.

www.jennynimmo.me.uk

Be A Reader!

The following links will take you to great storytelling and books to read online. A great way to support your child's reading at home!

Storyline Online-My favorite! Streaming video of famous actors reading well-know children's books

http://www.storylineonline.net/

Online storytime at Barnes and Noble. Check back for new books often!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/storytime/index.asp

PBS kids-Games, stories, videos!

http://pbskids.org/

Magic Keys-children's storybooks online

http://www.magickeys.com/books/

Big Universe Learning-Amazing nonfiction literature for children

http://www.biguniverse.com/

Small Group Reading

Small group reading time is 10:45-11:45 daily. We have 2 groups running in our classroom. One group is working on word patterns, writing and fluency, the other is having guided reading.

Santa Paws

Santa paws is book about a puppy dog who is homeless. It is a great story because it is about Christmastime and the time of year to give.

Kate DiCamillo-by Ben

The Tale of Despereaux is about a mouse that was born with his eyes open. His ears were huge. One day he went to a castle and he saw a beautiful princess. He heard the music that her father was playing. Desperaux is searching for love.

I am enjoying this story because at the end of several chapters Kate DiCamillo speaks directly to you as a reader. The text helps me to visualize a picture in my head of what is going on in the story. If I close my eyes, I can see what is happening.

I would recommend this book to others because it is a great adventure!