Last week as I was perusing the bookstore, I stumbled across a precious children's book. Grandpa Green by Lane Smith is a sweet and sentimental book about family history and love. In this book a little boy shares the events of his Grandpa's life. The story is simple, yet it explores complex topics such as aging, memory loss and the power of family history.
This is a great book for both adults and children. I guarantee it will touch your heart - especially if you have a loved one who has experienced memory loss. It is a great conversation starter to talk to your children about the difficulties of aging.
Because it is a story about family, it is a great book to make text-self connections. As you read the book with your child, relate parts of the story to your child's grandma or grandpa. It would be great to even create your own "Grandpa Green" story with events from your family history.
Grandpa Green is a keeper! It is one that now has a spot on my bookshelf!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
After the attacks of September 11 there was a movement to try and explain the events to young children in the format of picture books. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Moricai Gerstein is one of those books; however, it does not focus on the fate of the Twin Towers. Rather, it focuses on a time when the Towers brought a sense of wonder to the world!
This is a great book to work on building schema (background knowledge) and creating inferences. Many children have heard of the Twin Towers and know they were destroyed, but many do not know the excitement the Towers created when they were being built. This book provides readers the opportunity to share in the magic of the Twin Towers. This is also a great book for creating inferences. To make an inference, the reader must take his/her own background knowledge and pair it with clues from the text. There are many opportunities in this story to predict what might happen next!
Some questions to guide your thinking conversation:
1. Read the first page of text. Stop and ask your child: How tall do you think the buildings were? Use some landmarks your child might be familiar with to help them understand how tall the Towers were.
2. Read to "Maybe if I dressed as a construction worker..." and ask your child: What do you predict is going to happen next?
3. Read to "Then they carried everything up one hundred and eighty stairs to the roof" and stay to your child: Wow! That is a lot of steps! Do you think you could climb 180 stairs and carry 440 pounds? What does this say about Phillippe?
4. Read to "It was seven-eighths of an inch thick" and ask your child: How big do you think seven-eighths of an inch is? Put your index finger and middle finger together and show you child what an inch looks like? Would you walk on a rope that skinny so high up in the air? How do you think Pillippe feels?
5. Read to "Police Saw it, too." and ask your child: What would you have done if you were there?
6. Read to the end of the story and ask your child: Why do you think the author wrote this book?
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers won the Caldecott Medal in 2004. You know it is a good book when it wins the Caldecott! The story is based on a true event! In 1974 Philippe Petit, a French aerialist, decided he had to tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. He asked the Towers' owners for permission, but he was denied. However, this was not enough to stop him. He disguised himself as a construction worker and climbed his way to the top of the Towers. After reaching the top, he strung wire between the Towers and began his amazing feet!
This is a joyful story about the Twin Towers. Your child will be amazed this is a true story!
This is a great book to work on building schema (background knowledge) and creating inferences. Many children have heard of the Twin Towers and know they were destroyed, but many do not know the excitement the Towers created when they were being built. This book provides readers the opportunity to share in the magic of the Twin Towers. This is also a great book for creating inferences. To make an inference, the reader must take his/her own background knowledge and pair it with clues from the text. There are many opportunities in this story to predict what might happen next!
Some questions to guide your thinking conversation:
1. Read the first page of text. Stop and ask your child: How tall do you think the buildings were? Use some landmarks your child might be familiar with to help them understand how tall the Towers were.
2. Read to "Maybe if I dressed as a construction worker..." and ask your child: What do you predict is going to happen next?
3. Read to "Then they carried everything up one hundred and eighty stairs to the roof" and stay to your child: Wow! That is a lot of steps! Do you think you could climb 180 stairs and carry 440 pounds? What does this say about Phillippe?
4. Read to "It was seven-eighths of an inch thick" and ask your child: How big do you think seven-eighths of an inch is? Put your index finger and middle finger together and show you child what an inch looks like? Would you walk on a rope that skinny so high up in the air? How do you think Pillippe feels?
5. Read to "Police Saw it, too." and ask your child: What would you have done if you were there?
6. Read to the end of the story and ask your child: Why do you think the author wrote this book?
Thursday, September 1, 2011
New York's Bravest
New York's Bravest by Mary Pope Osborne is a story about Mose Humphrey. Who is Mose Humphrey? He is America's first urban folk hero.
During the late 1800's NYC was hit with a string of fires in its' wooden buildings and wharves. The story of Mose, a fictional character, developed from the heroic efforts of all the volunteer firefighters.
As the story goes, Mose was larger than life. He was always the first to a fire and could swim the Hudson in two strokes. Mose always saved the day. However, one day Mose met a fire that burned a hotel to ashes. After that fire, Mose was never seen again. Rumors flew about Moses whereabouts. Was he in Dakota? Mining in California? No. Mose never left NYC. His spirit still lives inside all firefighters.
Mose represents courage and strength of firefighters throughout history. Mary Pope Osborne dedicated her story about Mose to the 343 New York City firefighters who gave their lives to saves other on 9/11. Every time I read this story, I get choked up. Some books, even though meant for children, impact adults on a different level. For me, this is one of those stories!
New York's Bravest helps build background knowledge. Children are able to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections when reading this book.
Questions to start a conversation with your child before reading the story:
Questions to start a conversation with your child after reading the story:
During the late 1800's NYC was hit with a string of fires in its' wooden buildings and wharves. The story of Mose, a fictional character, developed from the heroic efforts of all the volunteer firefighters.
As the story goes, Mose was larger than life. He was always the first to a fire and could swim the Hudson in two strokes. Mose always saved the day. However, one day Mose met a fire that burned a hotel to ashes. After that fire, Mose was never seen again. Rumors flew about Moses whereabouts. Was he in Dakota? Mining in California? No. Mose never left NYC. His spirit still lives inside all firefighters.
Mose represents courage and strength of firefighters throughout history. Mary Pope Osborne dedicated her story about Mose to the 343 New York City firefighters who gave their lives to saves other on 9/11. Every time I read this story, I get choked up. Some books, even though meant for children, impact adults on a different level. For me, this is one of those stories!
New York's Bravest helps build background knowledge. Children are able to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections when reading this book.
Questions to start a conversation with your child before reading the story:
- Discuss the concept of a tall-tale. Who are some of your favorite tall-tale characters? What traits do they have in common?
- What do you think it means to be brave?
- Can you think of a time when you were brave?
Questions to start a conversation during reading.
- As you read, look for traits that make Mose larger than life.
- Read to "they grew silent" and ask your child: Where do you think Mose might be?
- Read to "Truth is, Mose is right here" and ask your child: What do you think the old- timer means?
Questions to start a conversation with your child after reading the story:
- What did Mose do that was brave?
- How are firefighters today like Mose? How are they different?
- Go back and read the Historical Note and Dedication. Why do you think Mary Pope Osborne dedicated this story to the firefighters on 9/11? How did they show bravery?
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