Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 7


I am not by nature an overall cheery person.  I tend to run serious, and even a bit more intense.  Often, I truly am puzzled by how some people can exhibit a genuinely happy and bubbly personality all the time and without apparent effort.    Since I am afraid that I am not able to change my temperament, all I can do is make a much more conscious effort to express my gratitude on a daily basis.  Hopefully then, it will become habit.  If nothing else, my "Thirty Days of Thanksgiving" posts, are making me more aware, each day, of the little things that I am thankful for. 

 Today, I could have easily overlooked all of these things, but glad that I had a chance to reflect on the day and identify some of the things that were special.  I was thankful for...

....completing 3 days of trainings that I have been leading for my district.

....for the 7 yro KK who asked on her own to read with me this evening (rather than be reminded to read).

....for the conversation I had with 12 yro Jax about why wolves still need to be on the "protected" list (she could lead the debate team on this one).

....for a new phone for the house that actually works.
   
....and since this is also picture book month, here is my daily picture book recommendation:


by Aaron Becker
Candlewick Press (August 6, 2013)

Check out the book trailer for JOURNEY:



What are you thankful for?

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 6


I am thankful for all the children that are in my life. Many of my friends have been great at sharing their kids with me.  And of course, I have been fortunate to spend time with students at school.

However, there are three kids in particular that I spend lots of time with.  They are like family to me.  Tonight, we hung out having dinner together.  I love listening to what they come up with.  Many times they make me smile and laugh.  Sometimes, they make me nervous, especially as they are struggling through new and scary things.  Occasionally, they make me want to scream or cry. 

Tonight, though, it was smiles and laughter....

...we discussed what food we could make for extra credit in a cooking class.

...we laughed as we watched (over and over again) the book trailer for FOSSIL.

...we laughed over funny parts in stories being read aloud.

...we bantered back and forth over listening to audiobooks vs. reading with your eyes or even having a book read aloud.

...we talked about the word that we will never forget because we couldn't spell it during a spelling competition.

...we even had the oddest conversation about The "Common Core" (It was interesting to see how they were interpreting these words that they have heard thrown around at school.)

...we explored books in my house and discussed which books might be good for their dad who is recovering from surgery. We decided on the funny ones.

I am reminded that these moments fly by quickly and that I need to capture and cherish them.  And for this, I am thankful.

....and since this is also picture book month, here is my daily picture book recommendation in honor of David Shannon being at one of our schools today:


by David Shannon
Blue Sky Press (August 27, 2013)

What are you thankful for?

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - The Extraordinary Life of Anna Swan

Author:  Anne Renaud
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press (May 18, 2013)
Audience: Grades 3 to 5
Source: Personal Copy
Biography * Gigantism * Women's History

Description from GoodReads:

In 1846 an unusual baby girl was born in Nova Scotia. She started out large, at 13 pounds, but only kept growing. Anna Swan grew until she was nearly 8 feet tall. Billed as "The Nova Scotia Giant Girl" she spent time working for P.T. Barnum's American Museum in New York, and other similar enterprises. She traveled, and met the queen of England. She even found love with a man her own height. This is her remarkable story.

My thoughts on this book:
As I read through The Extraordinary Life of Anna Swan, I found her story to be inspiring.  Swan, with the support of her family, was able to turn her height into a means for creating a career and an opportunity for travel, which would normally not have been available to women during the 1800's.  At first, when I thought about Swan's entrance into the Barnum's Museum and Circus, I was a bit sad. What must it have been like to be made the center of attention for your size.  However, in some ways, the circus provided her with an acceptance and freedom that life at home was unable to.  Her small farming community in Nova Scotia was unaccustomed to making the accommodations that Anna needed.

Author, Anne Renaud writes about Anna Swan in a way that draws young readers in and makes them want to know more about Anna.  Readers feel both the joys and struggles that Swan faced on a daily basis. Swan's engagement and marriage to Martin Van Buren Bates (who was her size) was a definite reason to celebrate.  However, when reading about the the birth and deaths of her two children, readers feel Swan's sadness and loss.

As I read through this biography, I was reminded of another story.  Kate Klise's picture book Stand Straight, Ella Kate, which is about Ella Kate Ewing who lived in the United States.  It is unsure whether Ella Kate would have known about Anna Swan's life since she was just a teen when Swan died.  However, these two women shared much in common as a result of their shared physical stature.



Pair The Extraordinary Life of Anna Swan with the picture book Stand Straight, Ella Kate by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, which is a look at another remarkable woman from Missouri with pituitary gigantism. 


Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:


Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 5


Sometimes, I have moments when I cannot believe that I am living my own life.  Today, was one of those days.  I had the very amazing opportunity to spend several hours with Bill Thomson (CHALK, FOSSIL).  Look for my post on November 17th as part of the FOSSIL blog tour for more details.  We talked a lot about FOSSIL and even some about his next book. We stopped by KidSpace where I introduced him to Susan Cardosi-Albert, and then stopped in to see Maureen Palacios, owner of Once Upon a Bookstore on our way to dinner. 

I am truly thankful for the way books have led me on a journey to some fabulous people.

I am also thankful that my copy of READING IN THE WILD by Donalyn Miller arrived at my house today.  I can't wait to read it.

....and since this is also picture book month, I am taking a moment to wish Bill Thomson a Happy Book Birthday.  FOSSIL is now available.  Check out this fantastic book trailer for FOSSIL:


What are you thankful for?

Book Review: Fortunately, The Milk

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Skottie Young
Publisher: HarperCollins (September 17, 2013)
Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th
Formats: hardcover, e-book, audiobook
Source: book for review; purchased audiobook
Fiction * Adventure * Fantasy

Description from GoodReads:
"I bought the milk," said my father. "I walked out of the corner shop, and heard a noise like this: T h u m m t h u m m. I looked up and saw a huge silver disc hovering in the air above Marshall Road."

"Hullo," I said to myself. "That's not something you see every day. And then something odd happened."

Find out just how odd things get in this hilarious story of time travel and breakfast cereal, expertly told by Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Skottie Young.


My thoughts on this book:
When I heard that Neil Gaiman was reading Fortunately, The Milk, I knew I had to listen to the audiobook.  Gaiman does a great job as the narrator for this story.  As I listened to the audiobook, I couldn't help but imagine Doctor Who as the father, who goes out for milk for his children's breakfast and gets waylaid by a fantastical story. Was the excuse real or just made up?   Fans of Doctor Who will recognize both the analogy (comparison of the Doctor to the father in the book), but also the fact that Gaiman has penned an episode or two of Doctor Who.

Fortunately, The Milk has time travel (albeit questionable at best), dinosaurs, slobbery aliens, pirates/wumpires, and ponies.  The story is a fast-paced, fantastical adventure, definitely imaginative, and would make a great read aloud (especially if you can pull off a British accent), or better yet, just play the audiobook.

Check out the videos below for a taste of Fortunately, The Milk

Watch the Official Book Trailer:



Neil Gaiman reading Fortunately, The Milk.  Gaiman reads Fortunately, The Milk in the audiobook version:



Chris Riddell illustrating Professor Steg from Fortunately, The Milk.  Chris Riddell illustrated the UK version of the book.  Though I enjoyed Skottie Young's illustrations, I would love to find a copy with Riddell's illustrations.


Look for a copy of Fortunately, The Milk at your nearest Indie Bookstore.