International Reading Association - Children's Choices 2008

Each year, students vote on newly published children's literature, to select the books that they like the most. It IRA publishes this list. For a complete list of books, check out the article. I was very happy to see that many of these excellent titles also have connections to our character education program.

Below, find a few titles listed in the journal article. Maybe one will catch your eye. I definately want to get the book called Grumpy Bird. :)

Bunny Wishes: A Winter's Tale by Michaela Morgan

Bunny BFFs Tino and Teeny can't wait for the holidays! Tino wants food, flowers, and a telescope to see the stars. Teeny would like some sweet red berries and a pair of mittens to warm her paws. Each rabbit writes a wish list and pins it to the same hollow log where once upon a time they left letters for each other. But after they've hopped along, an icy gust of wind blows the wish lists--whoosh!--away. When a bunch of playful baby mice discover the notes, they're delighted to shred them into all sorts of winter toys. What will become of the bunnies' holiday wishes?

Delicious! A Pumpkin Soup Story by Helen Cooper

lPreSchool-Grade 2—Cat, Duck, and Squirrel are back in this companion to Pumpkin Soup (1999) and A Pipkin of Pepper (2005, both Farrar). Disaster has struck the pumpkin patch—no ripe pumpkins for the animals' favorite dish. The friends decide to make something new to eat, but Duck is unwilling to try either fish soup, mushroom soup, or beet soup (especially offensive because it is pink). Cat tries to trick Duck by mixing a combination of veggies and ingredients that result in a broth that is the exact color of pumpkin soup. After a tentative sip, Duck declares it "Delicious!" and order is restored in the old white cabin. The story has universal appeal—everyone either knows, or is, a fussy eater. Readers will empathize with Duck, who is obstinate without being intolerable, and cheer for Cat and Squirrel as their patience and accommodation lead to eventual success. The illustrations are warm and rustic, and the layout does an excellent job of mixing full-page portraits and white space. A recipe for "Pink Soup" is included. This beautiful book is a must-have.—Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA from From School Library Journal

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Good for making text-to-self connections and for a lesson on choosing your attitude.

Bird wakes up one morning feeling out of sorts-too grumpy to eat, too grumpy to play, and even too grumpy to fly. "Looks like I'm walking today," he grumbles. On his way, he passes a succession of happy-go-lucky animals, including a sheep, a rabbit, and a beaver, all of whom ask him what he is doing. "Walking," he responds, more and more testily, and each creature decides to join him. Eventually, the walk turns into an impromptu game of follow-the-leader, and Bird finds himself having so much fun that he forgets to be grumpy. Finally, he invites them all to fly back to his nest with him, and, oddly enough, they do. This straightforward story is enlivened by unusual mixed-media illustrations. Each scene consists of sketches of farmland or trees, layered over photographs of real farms and trees. Cheerful flowers and stars are scribbled throughout. The animal characters are simplistic cartoons with thick black outlines and comical facial expressions. The slightly psychedelic quality of the art works to foreshadow the whimsical ending, which otherwise comes as a surprise after the wry, sarcastic tone of the rest of the story. Grumpy Bird would make a good addition to storytimes with themes of emotions or imagination.—Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library, GA From School Library Journal

Why Blog?

I orignially created this blog when I was doing a workshop on Word Walls.

In my daily work, I am constantly running accross new ideas, and I always think, "I wish I could share this with everyone!" That's why I started this blog - to share the things that I come across, and to provide a space for people to ask questions and share ideas.

I encourage you to post comments and questions. I will run a "topic of the week" post that people can comment on.

I know this goes without saying, but please keep all comments respectful, helpful, and as positive as possible.

Let the wild rumpus begin! (A gold star to anyone who knows what book that line is from!)

So You Want to Learn More About Word Walls?

When you look around on the Internet, you'll find lots of websites about word walls. Some websites may refer to the literacy model called "Four Blocks". This is basically a balanced literacy model (and a great one at that!), where one of the components is working with words. To find more information, try googling the following terms (use quotation marks for better results).

"word walls"
"working with words"
"word study"
"Four Blocks"

If you're more of a book person, check out Academic Edge on Route 33. They had a very nice Four Blocks Section the last time I was there. If you don't like stores, try amazon.com

Some books to read:

Month by Month Phonics for Upper Grades
Month by Month Phonics for Third Grade
Classrooms That Words: They Can All Read and Write

I wanted to share my opinion about commercially prepared word wall kits. They are pretty and colorful, however, I have found that they are hard to manage (I can never find the word when I want it) and aren't really tailored to the student's needs. I find it just as easy to type the word in word in 100 size font, print it out and stick it up. You'll save yourself the trouble of organizing all those cards, and $19.95.

Great Word Walls Websites

Below are some links to websites that have great information about word walls. Many of the links that you'll find in the blog came from these websites. Enjoy!

Four Blocks for the Upper Grades: look under the word block or working with words sections

Working With Words

Cheryl Sigmon's Website: check out "fun stuff" and "helpful handouts" section

Sifting and Sorting Through the Four Blocks Literacy Model

Four Blocks Goodies

Nifty Thrify Fifty

Large Printable Nifty Fifty Words: ready to print for your word wall (word file)

Nifty Thrifty Fifty Words: All fifty words on one page (word file)

Nifty Fifty Plan: a great plan for introducing the Nifty Fifty Thrifty words (word file)

Explanation of the morphemes of the Nifty Fifty (word file)

A PowerPoint Presentation on the Nifty Thrifty Fifty (pdf file)

Another PowerPoint Presentation on the Nifty Thrifty Fifty (pdf file)

Ideas for Words to Put on Your Wall

No Excuse Words: listed by grade level (word file)

Suffix Rules: 18 Basic Rules for adding suffixes (pdf file)

Homophone List (pdf file)

43 Basic Spelling Rules (pdf file)

Ninety most misspelled words (word file)

Brand Name Phonics Lessons (word file)

Pictures for Brand Name Phonics Activities

Personal Word Wall

Word Walls - Activities

Printable Cards with Word Wall Activities: easy to laminate and store on a ring (word file)
A Variety of Word Wall Games (word file)
Wordo Board: Like bingo for word walls! (word file)
Word Wall Chants: Several fun ways to chant with your students (word file)
Making Words Sheet: A great paper to use for making words activities. We use it in centers (pdf file)
Words-In-A-Word: lists all of the words that can be made from a word. Useful for making words activities.
Printable Keyboard: use it to "type" your word wall words (pdf file)