As a reading specialist for elementary aged-kids, I was often asked to recommend great books to parents and children. This is a tough task, because you want to match kids with a book that they'll love. I remember as a young girl being excited to watch Saturday morning cartoons. You would wake up early in the morning, and watch about 2 to 3 hours of Saturday cartoons. From Scooby-Doo to The A-Team, it was what we did on a Saturday morning. So, now, as an adult, I want to offer you an alternative to mind-numbing cartoons. There are an abundance of those. On Saturdays, I am going to post two recommendations a week-one picture book, as well as one chapter book that will entertain your kids on a Saturday afternoon. Make time to read!
One of my all-time favorite children's book authors is Mo Willems. In this particular book, the Pigeon is trying to convince the reader (the child) to let him drive the bus. The caveat is that the bus driver asked the reader NOT to let the Pigeon drive the bus at the beginning of the book. In this hilarious book, the Pigeon tries all sorts of persuasive tactics to get the reader to let him drive the bus. Will the reader let the Pigeon drive the bus? The answer will hopefully be NO!
Helpful Hint: Point to the words as you read them to match the words with the print. After several reads, let your child do the pointing and help you "read".
This book was incredibly memorable to me. I read this book for an advanced book reader's club, and the story line is incredibly powerful. Carly is a foster child who moves in with the Murphy's after she is removed from her home. She is street-wise and savvy, and has seen her fair share of sorrow. The Murphy's give Carly the gift she has always needed. I found myself crying at the end. You will love this book! Read here about using the inside of this book with my students.
Helpful Hint: There are so many lessons to be learned in this book. To assist you in finding themes, use this Penguin teacher's guide as a tool to guide you along the way.
Stay tuned for next Saturday!
No comments:
Post a Comment