Book by Book Newsletter~
Sharing Great Books!
April 2023
Book by Book is aimed at teachers, homeschoolers, parents, grandparents, and caregivers–basically anyone who loves to read and share great books with kids! I hope you’ll find this information useful and fun.
Below you’ll find Book Descriptions, Reader Tips/Conversation Starters and Fun Inspiring Things. Simply click on the links to get to a site, Amazon or the author and illustrator’s page. Happy reading!
Check In
Happy spring and Happy Easter (for those who celebrate)! It’s officially spring and I’m seeing signs all over the place: the flower buds popping up, robins and cardinals chasing each other and way more sun and daylight! Pretty soon the flowering trees will bloom. Lots to look at in the coming months! What do you like best about spring?
A Pic
Picture by shellghostcage
April Book Choices
Each month I’ll be sharing 3 books that lead to an easy conversation, connection, or a creative activity. Let me know in the comments what other books you’ve found that do the same!
I’m Not Scared, YOU’RE Scared! by Seth Meyers, Pictures by Rob Sayegh Jr. / Fiction–humorous with social, emotional themes of fear, denial, courage, friendship/ Ages 5-8
Bear is a scared bear! The only place he doesn’t feel scared is in his bed. One day, his friend Rabbit, tells him they are going on an adventure. Bear has reservations about his journey but he goes anyway. As he comes upon the stream, the forest, and the mountain, Bear decides it’s all too risky and uses every excuse to take the safest routes leaving the confident, quick Rabbit to hop onward. When the two come to the rickety rope bridge though, Bear’s had enough and goes home. Rabbit takes her chances crossing and from then on things shift, forcing Bear to react in a very “unscaredy” way. This is a touching and funny story about friendship, facing fears and unknown courage. The text offers great stopping points for kids to talk about and relate to both characters and their choices. Plus, they can join in with the adults at the repeated lines to emphasize Bear’s strong emotions and Rabbit’s steady persistence.
What are you Glad about? What are you Mad about? by Judith Viorst with art by Lee White /Fiction–with emotional themes of sadness, happiness, jealousy, loneliness and more. / ages 6-11
Judith Viorst opens this multi-layered poetry book with the question, “How are you feeling today?” She emphasizes that no matter the day, “everyone needs a poem” because sometimes words are hard to find. Divided into sections like home, family, friends, bullies, mysteries and more, Viorst seems to have a poem for the myriad of daily emotions kids experience. Some of my favorites are: “What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About?” which asks readers how will they greet the day and how do they feel, and “The Sillies” which focuses on, of course, being totally silly and goofy. “What I’ve Learned At School” and “Reading and Writing” are about random facts picked up from observing the teacher and classmates, as well as the frustrations with writing certain words, even if it makes sense to say ‘eated’ instead of ‘ate.’ Finally, “The Best and the Worst” which relays feelings about accepting divorce, is authentic, emotional and hopeful. “In Between” is about being too old for some things, like a teddy bear and being too young to give it up. (This one’s kind of nostalgic for the grown ups, too.) This poetry book offers wonderful read aloud (or group read) opportunities which can be followed by some enlightening conversations.
Super Gross What’s That Smell? by Ximena Hastings, Illustrations by Alison Hawkins / Nonfiction–Science/ ages 6-8
Meet Dr. Ick, your host in this fun fact book geared toward smell and some truly stinky things. He and his dog talk about the power of our noses (animals included), some animals and insects who stink, and why our bodies smell sometimes. Split into four short chapters with a bonus “Stinky Sock Test” at the end, Dr. Ick gives easy to remember facts with solid vocabulary support. Did you know that Bearcat urine actually smells like buttered popcorn? (Have you even heard of a Bearcat??) Or that there’s a real plant that smells like potatoes but it’s poisonous? And did you also know that some skunks do a handstand before spraying their musk? (Not sure I want to know that.)
At the end there’s a stinky sock test designed to show the reader just how sensitive noses can be. With larger print and shorter sentences, this book is good for an independent reader who might need some help with longer vocabulary like, poisonous, olfactory, bacteria and dangerous. The author helps out by giving the phonetic dictionary spelling right after the word, as well as a short glossary in the front of the book. All in all, a fun way to gain some cool facts about smelly things!
*(Reader’s Tip for you: This is a ‘Ready to Read-Level Two’ book, which doesn’t necessarily mean your child can read it by him or herself. Publisher book levels don’t always match where your child is performing in the classroom, especially if you have a struggling or reluctant reader. Just FYI… you could start reading it with your child to see how he or she does at first, and then you can always share the book or let your child jump in where you know he or she would be successful.)
Reader Tips / Conversation Starters
Connecting with a book is a special bond! When a reader leaves a book with understanding and a smile, then a relationship has begun. The best ways I’ve found for children to do this is through conversation or creative and playful activities. Below are a few suggestions that can lead to discussions and maybe more with your reader. As always, take what you like!
~ I’m Not Scared, YOU’RE Scared! Fear is such a strong emotion and in this book it drives all of Bear’s decisions, as it’s his major characteristic. But as the book reveals, fear is largely about perspective, so it offers many opportunities to talk about scary things and how to face them. Talking about why Rabbit was not fearful until the end can also open up conversations around seeing situations clearly without blowing them out of proportion. Has your child walked through a fear and possibly made positive adjustments because of it?
~ What are you Glad about? What are you Mad about? Poetry offers lots of ideas to get creative! Here are a few: 1. Write a poem (free verse, rhyme, acrostic, haiku, etc.) based on a reaction to one of the readings or an idea that was sparked while hearing it. 2. Draw a short comic strip extending the poem into the child’s life or continuing the theme of the poem. 3. Have a read aloud to practice voice and rhythm–have fun while changing voices and strengthening fluency. 4. Create a short play based off one poem and act it out with a friend. 5. Draw a collage of images or a person that comes to mind after reading or listening to the poem.
~ Super Gross What’s That Smell? A fun way to extend this book could be to do an experiment at home just like Dr. Ick might do. Since people can smell the same item in different ways, go on a family ‘smell hunt’ and make a list of 10-20 smells you found inside and outside. Compare and contrast the differences and similarities between all the noses! Maybe those odors brought back specific memories or stories for you.
Fun and Inspiring Things
Here are a few things happening in April that might be of interest to you or your children. Enjoy!
- National Park Week sponsored by National Park Service (NPS) and taking place April 22 to April 30th.This link has information about 40 plus parks and NPS is offering people a chance to share “your park story.” Plus it’s full of other links and happenings around the country for people to get involved with parks they love or would like to visit.
- National D.E.A.R. Day which is on April 12. This is a day to drop everything and read! It’s a celebration reminding families to make reading a prominent home activity.
- Fun Spring Games for children and adults lists indoor and outdoor activities to do at home or even on vacation. Enjoy!
Thanks for being here! I love to hear from readers, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Let me know if you’d like other information not listed here. See you in May!
Reading with you,
Maureen
(Edition 3)