World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge #2

During the month leading up to World Read Aloud Day, I'm participating in the World Read Aloud Day blogging challenge. Each week, blogging participants respond to a question addressing the World Read Aloud theme "Raising Our Voice." The prompt for week 2 is "Answer the following questions with a child. The child can be a student or your own. Age does not matter. Make sure to exchange and enjoy answers with one another before sharing them with us." I asked my own son, Caleb (age 8) to participate with me.

1. I think everyone in the world should read…
Me: The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco. This book is on the Georgia Children's Book Award list this year. It is such an inspiring story that teachers and kids equally love.
Caleb: The Harry Potter series. They are exciting books.

2. If I could listen to anyone in the world read aloud to me it would be…
Me: Carmen Agra Deedy. Carmen is a gifted storyteller. We have hosted Carmen at my school for the past two years. I love hearing her beautiful voice read her stories. After she left last year, one of my students said, "I wish Carmen could come to our school every day!"
Child: My mommy! Because your voice is nice.

3. When I read aloud, my favorite character to impersonate is…
Me: I love to read aloud The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Each of the characters is so well-developed and unique that I can draw inspiration from the story and create a voice for each character when reading it aloud.
Child: The Lunch Lady! (in the Lunch Lady series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka)

4. The genre or author that takes up the most room on my bookshelf (or e-reader) is…
Me: mystery and historical fiction for both kids and adults.
Child: Nonfiction. I like nonfiction because I learn from it. My favorite nonfiction books are books about animals.

5. My favorite part about reading aloud or being read to is...
Me: Encouraging a young person to read. When I read aloud to students, I often expose them to books they might not otherwise have known about.
Child: The good stories.

 This is me and my son, Caleb, on the 50th day of school.

World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge #1

During the month leading up to World Read Aloud Day, I'm participating in the World Read Aloud Day blogging challenge. Each week, blogging participants respond to a question addressing the World Read Aloud theme "Raising Our Voice." The question for week 1 is "What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?" 

When I was young, my mom (a former first grade teacher) read aloud to me constantly. The bottom drawer of my dresser was stocked with books. I loved to spread these books out on the green shag carpet and select one for my mom to read to me.  I remember her reading books such as The Monster at the End of This Book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, and other books we checked out from our local public library. My mother taught me to read before I started school, so I also enjoyed reading to her.  I loved the Carolyn Haywood books like B Is for Betsy and anything by Beverly Cleary. Our shared reading experience built a foundation of lifetime literacy for me. And I still love sharing books with my mom. 

This year, I will be celebrating World Read Aloud Day for the first time. I am so excited to show my students that reading aloud is worthy of celebration on a global level. Each of my second grade classes will read aloud with another class via Skype. I am looking forward to promoting literacy and having my students connect with other children around the country.

What does the fox say?

My students love the song "What Does the Fox Say?" I recently created a book display based on the song. I placed all of our fox related books on top of some shelves along with a sign touting the song's title. The kids went wild for the books and checked them all out within a couple of days!

 

Click on the picture above to download the sign for your media center!

Shelf Challenge 2013 Post #3

Well I completed the 2013 Shelf Challenge! I read all 124 books from the Ls in the everybody section of my media center. Completing the Shelf Challenge helped me to learn more about my collection. I discovered many new books I would otherwise not have read. My favorite authors from the Ls are Eric Litwin and Arnold Lobel. Eric Litwin's Pete the Cat books are favorite read alouds in the primary grades. Arnold Lobel's books invoke memories of storytimes from my childhood. When I pick up an Arnold Lobel book, I remember the smell of my elementary school library. Here is a link to the complete list of all of the books I read for this year's Shelf Challenge.

Shelf Challenge 2013 Post #2

My goal for the 2013 Shelf Challenge is to read all of the books in the L section of the everybody books in my media center. So far I have read 49 books. Here are some of my recent favorites.

It Wasn't My Fault

by Helen Lester

illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

Betsy Who Cried Wolf

by Gail Carson Levine

illustrated by Scott Nash

How I Became a Pirate

by Melinda Long

illustrated by David Shannon

 

 

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon

by Patty Lovell

illustrated by David Catrow

Shelf Challenge 2013 Post #1

My goal for the 2013 Shelf Challenge is to read all of the books in the L section of the everybody books in my media center. So far I have read 24 books. Here are some of my favorites.

Tell Me the Day Backwards

written by Albert Lamb

illustrated by David McPhail

Three Hens and a Peacock

written by Lester Laminack

illustrated by Henry Cole

It's a Tiger!

written by David LaRochelle

illustrated by Jeremy Tankard

E-mergency!

by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer

 

Shelf Challenge 2013

I'm excited to participate in Matthew Winner's Shelf Challenge 2013! Participating librarians select a section of our library to read throughout the month of April. After much consideration, I have decided to tackle the Ls. I emptied the first two shelves and brought those books home to read for Spring Break. I'm looking forward to discovering some great new picture books!

(I left on the shelves two Pete the Cat books that I already have memorized and a second copy of Owl at Home.)