Tuesday, February 18, 2014

My Article Out Now

Read my article on lefties and learning in the March issue of Scholastic Parent and Child.  It is always exciting to see one of your own articles in print, but this one is especially thrilling for me.  While researching this article, I had the honor of communicating with Howard Gardner.  That's right, THE Howard Gardner who developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences.  He could not have been more professional, more gracious or more helpful.  I'm an even bigger fan now!

Happy reading,
Christine

Monday, February 17, 2014

President's Day Biography Reading List

The New York Public Library has posted this list of presidential biographies in honor of President's Day.

Happy reading,
Christine

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Snowy Valentine's Day Activity

Kids stuck indoors?  Try this Valentine's Day activity that my daughter learned.  Make Rice Krispie  Treats using the traditional recipe found here.  Then shape them like Hershey's Kisses, wrap them in foil, and write your own  version of the trademark Hershey flags, with customized Valentine's Day messages.

 
 
 
Happy Valentine's Day,
Christine

Monday, February 10, 2014

2014 New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award

The New York State Reading Association has announced the ballot for the 2014 Charlotte Award.  Students can vote for their favorite titles by reading the book(s) for their age division, or having the book(s) read to them, and then completing the ballot with the help of a teacher or librarian. 
The titles on the ballot are:

GRADES PRE K-2/PRIMARY

Around One Log: Chipmunks, Spiders & Creepy Insiders Anthony D.Fredericks/Jennifer DiRubbio Dawn Publications 2011

Because Amelia Smiled David Ezra Stein Candlewick Press 2012

Cloudette Tom Lichtenheld Henry Holt /Christy Ottaviano 2011

Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships Catherine Thimmesh Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011

Goldilocks and Just One Bear Leigh Hodgkinson Nosy Crow 2012

I Need My Own Country Rick Walton/Wes Hargis Bloomsbury 2012

Jangles: A Big Fish Story David Shannon Blue Sky Press 2012

Penguin and Pinecone Salina Yoon Walker 2012

Spike the Mixed Up Monster Susan Hood/Melissa Sweet Simon & Schuster 2012

Who Has This Tail Laura Hulbert/Erik Brooks Henry Holt 2012

  

GRADES 3-5/INTERMEDIATE

Ben Franklin His Wit and Wisdom from A to Z Alan Schroeder/John O’Brien Holiday House 2011

Dogs on Duty: Soldiers’ Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond Dorothy Hinshaw Patent Walker 2012

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson Peggy Thomas/Laura Jacques Calkins Creek 2011

Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller Doreen Rappaport/Matt Tavares Disney/Hyperion 2012

Kizzy Ann Stamps Jeri Watts Candlewick Press 2012

May B: A Novel Caroline Starr Rose Schwartz and Wade 2012

Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds A Civil War Hero Marissa Moss/John Hendrix Abrams 2011

Same Sun Here Silas House/ Neela Vaswani Candlewick Press 2011

A Storm Called Katrina Myron Uhlberg/Colin Bootman Peachtree 2011

Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives Gene Barretta Henry Holt /Ottaviano Books 2012

  

GRADES 6-8/MIDDLE SCHOOL

Barnum’s Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur Tracey Fern/Boris Kulikov Farrar, Straus, & Giroux 2012

Dogs of Winter Bobbie Pyron Arthur Levine Books 2012

Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words and Wisdom from Greek and Roman Mythology Lise Lunge-Larsen/Gareth Hinds Houghton Mifflin 2011

Hidden Helen Frost Farrar, Straus, & Giroux 2011

Mighty Miss Malone Christopher Paul Curtis Random House 2012

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness/Jim Kay Candlewick Press 2011

My Brother’s Shadow Monika Schroeder Farrar, Straus, & Giroux 2011

Shadow Michael Morpurgo Feiwel and Friends 2012

Surviving the Hindenburg Larry Verstraete/David Geister Sleeping Bear Press 2012

Wonder R.J. Palacio Knopf 2012

 

GRADES 9-12/HIGH SCHOOL

Ashfall Mike Mullin Tanglewood 2011

The Amazing Harry Kellar Gail Jarrow Calkins Creek 2012

Cinder Marissa Meyer Feiwel and Friends 2012

Freaks Like Us Susan Vaught Bloomsbury 2012

The Giant and How He Humbugged America Jim Murphy Scholastic 2012

Ice: The Amazing History of the Ice Business Laurence Pringle Calkins Creek 2012

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs Quirk Books 2011

Never Eighteen Megan Bostic Graphia 2012

October Mourning Leslea Newman Candlewick Press 2012

Wolf Mark Joseph Bruchac TU Books 2011




For more information, click here

Happy reading,
Christine


Friday, February 7, 2014

What Teachers Spend

Plenty of people make a lot of noise about teacher salaries, but we never hear anything of what these teachers give.  The current issue of NEA Today lists these statistics on teacher spending:


99.5%    Percentage of teachers who reported buying essential classroom materials out of pocket

$945      Average amount of money teachers spent on out of pocket expenses during the school year

30%      Percentage of teachers who say they've bought warm clothing for their students

67%      Percentage of teachers who say they've purchased food for their students to meet nutritional
             needs

$37      Average amount teachers spend a month on food for students who come to school hungry

$1.6 BILLION   Estimated total out-of-pocket teacher spending last year 

Check out the current issue for these statistics and more


Happy reading,
Christine







Thursday, February 6, 2014

Henson Launches Publishing Division

Publisher's Weekly reports that The Jim Henson Company is launching a new publishing imprint.  Their first series is aimed at girls age 7-9.  Read about it here.

Happy reading and writing,
Christine

Sunday, February 2, 2014

What I'm Reading Now

Or rather, what I wish I were reading now, if I weren't so busy~
I recently picked up Mary Matalin and James Carville's new book, Love and War.  I'm not that far into it yet, but I can't wait to read the secrets behind the twenty-year marriage of politicos who are polar opposites.  How could they live together when they work so passionately for opposing sides?  Remember, I'm not talking about normal couples who have different views on things, healthy debates and lots of making up.  No, I'm talking about people who live, breathe, eat and dream politics for opposite sides.  People who have worked tirelessly leading opposing presidential campaigns.  People who write that they didn't even speak to each other after the Florida recount.   And speaking of speaking, what could their pillow talk possibly be like?  While I'm wondering about all of these things, do you think it matters?  Do you think that a person's political views are just that, views, or in some extreme cases, are they something more, an extension of their morality? 

Happy reading,
Christine

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Second Sight Saturday: Super Books for Super Bowl Weekend

I originally posted this on February 3, 2012:

Super Books for Super Bowl Weekend!                                                                                                                       
brian's song

 February 3, 2012
 
Motivate some of your reluctant readers with the football-themed books below.  Don't forget the classic, Brian's Song, a favorite book of one of my favorite people!
 
 
 

Happy football reading,
Christine