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
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
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
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
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:
For more information, click here
Happy reading,
Christine
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
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
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
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
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