Week 25: Big Red Lollipop

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In Big Red Lollipop, by Rukhasana Khan, Rubina is invited to a birthday party. When she asks if she can go, her little sister, Sana, cries to be allowed to attend the party as well. Rubina insists that is not how parties go - she can't just bring along her sister, but her mother insists. After the party, Sana eats Rubina's lollipop that was part of her goodie bag. 

When the time comes for Sana to be invited to a party, will her mother insist that she take her sister or allow her to go by herself?

This is a wonderful book for exploring the relationships between siblings and the feelings that go along with wanting to fit in with you friends but also be true to family.

Week 24: Mud

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Mud by Mary Lyn Ray is a great book to use for examining the author's words. It creates a fabulous image of the world coming unfrozen and beginning to bloom. Her word choice creates a feeling that all children can connect to. 

Week 23: Making Books in Kindergarten

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These two books were used to launch a writing workshop in kindergarten and first grade. Both of these books are by authors who talk about writing books since they were young children. This encouraged and inspired our students to make books of their own. Some student examples are below:

And then another example of a fabulous book by a kindergartener:

Week 22: Jack's Path of Courage: The Life of John F. Kennedy

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I'm the first to admit that books relating to social studies, history, politics, or government are definitely not the first books I choose to pick up. I disliked history and social studies topics as a kid and I think it was because my teachers never read me any great books like these. Doreen Rappaport does a fantastic job giving factual information about John F. Kennedy's life. She focuses on his early life, before he became president and many of the struggles that he had to overcome. It is written in such an inspiring way that the reader comes away feeling like they can take on the world.
This is just one of the many books Doreen Rappaport has written about famous people. Any of them is a true work of art.