Poetry and ABC Books

Like poetry? Here are some books that use the alphabet to help arrange the poems in their book.

There’s a Zoo in Room 22 by Judy Sierra

Miss Darling’s class asks if they can have a classroom pet. Her response is, “Yes! Or better yet, Let’s choose a whole pet alphabet.” The following pages are filled with poems about their classroom pets. Just like she suggested, there is a pet (and poem) for each letter of the alphabet.

Autumn, An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

Summer, An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

Spring, An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

Each book contains 26 acrostic poems. Each poem describes something that is related to the season. The poems are arranged so that the first letter in each poem is in alphabetical order. Here is an example of some of the acrostic poems. Can you guess which book the poems are from? There is one poem from Autumn, Summer, and Spring.

Green leaves overhead, a

Rug of green underfoot,

And the air between

Sweet with the green

Smell of spring.

Little remains on

Each maple, oak, and

Aspen tree; even the grape

Vines have shriveled,

Ending another green

Season.

Millions

Of tiny

Stinging insects

Quick to strike

Unsuspecting victims

In the

Twilight

Of mid-

Summer.

A B C Books...Not Just for Little Kids

This week we will showcase some ABC books that older students might enjoy.

Did you ever wonder how the alphabet we use today was created? Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our Alphabet is the book for you. Written by Don Robb, this book will describe to you the development of our Roman alphabet from ancient times to the present day.

Al Pha's Bet by Amy Krouse Rosenthal tells the story of a young man, Al Pha, who wanted to invent something. After hearing the king annouce that the 26 letters they created needed to be put in some sort of order, he decided he could do it. This picture book tells the creative way the letters were arranged to become what we now know as the alphabet.

Feeling Silly?

Feeling Silly? 

April Fools’ Day is April 1^st!! 

Check out some great joke books and have all your friends laughing!!!

April Fool’s Day Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone

By Amelia La Roche 

Find out fun facts about April Fool’s Day and enjoy great jokes, tongue twisters, and knock-knock jokes!!

Sports Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone

By Stew Thornley

Get a good laugh with these sports jokes, limericks, and tongue twisters!! This book also has tips on how to write your own joke book.

April Fools’ Day from the Black Lagoon

By Mike Thaler

Hubie is struggling to prepare his pranks for April Fools’ Day when the worst joke comes from the place he least expects it!!

Genre Spotlight: Realistic Fiction

Do you like to read about things that could really happen and kids just like you (or maybe not JUST like you...)

Try realistic fiction!!

Realistic fiction is a type of fiction (made up story) that could really happen, but hasn't (because that would be NONFICTION!) 

Here are some of favorites:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series:

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Also, check out books by these authors:

(Click on the names to go to their websites.)

Judy Blume

Jerry Spinelli

Andrew Clements

What is your favorite realistic fiction book?

                                                    

Another wonderful and well written novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. Curtis' novels are excellent for Historical and Realistic fiction lovers. In this novel, The Mighty Miss Malone, Deza Malone is the comical 12 year old main character. She is full of life. It is here great spirit that carries her family and friends- and even herself through the hard times in Gary, Indiana.

Like so many of Curtis' other novels, The Mighty Miss Malone is set during the depression. The reader is able to feel the harshness of the times, but can also feel the tight bonds of a loving family.

Deza begins to find her way when her father leaves to find work in Flint, Michigan and the family is put out of their home. Through it all she learns to stand tall and proud.

This is am excellent novel to read aloud.


picture retrieved from FISD-HIP

                                       

I stumbled upon this beautiful picture book by Crystal Hubbard as I was browsing my library. I was awestruck when I found this dynamic story- the story of Jimmy Winkfield. I had never before heard about this pioneer in Black History, although I have horse jockeys and race horse owners in my family.

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby, guides readers through the details of Jimmy Winkfield's life as he became one of the best horse jockeys in the world. Known by some as "Wink", Jimmy Winkfield is a two time winner of the famous the Kentucky Derby of 1900 and 1901.

Winkfield's life is chronicled in this captivating story showing the determination of a young boy growing up in segregated Kentucky in the late 1880's. Throughout the day Jimmy works alongside his parents and 16 brothers and sisters as sharecroppers, but his true love is riding horses. The author describes Jimmy as being "captivated by the big powerful animals" (Hubbard, 2008, p. 1), which is illustrated so well in the pictures. Wink gets his break in horse racing when an owner who could not afford an experienced jockey asks him to ride. It is this race that sets the precedent for the type of jockey Jimmy is. Despite receiving a year suspension, Jimmy Winkfield  continued to train becoming one of the most sought after jockeys. 

Jimmy encountered racism, suspensions, and conflicts during his years on the track, but he continued to race and love horses. After losing in the 1902 Kentucky Derby,  Jimmy "Wink" Winkfield moved to Europe, racing for Russian czars, Polish princes and German barons. He died at the age of 91.

This is a must read for historyand horse lovers alike.

Mrs. Roane
Mooneyham Elementary Librarian

Picture retrieved from FISD HIP

Newbery Medal WINNER



The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate was recently name the 2013 John Newbery Medal winner!  This book will entertain and pull at your heart strings!

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better