Writing about Book Characters

Writing About Characters

Who will you meet?  Writing about characters can be fun for kids and allows them to think about character's words and actions.  Characters teach us about all the wonderful attributes we might want to emulate; and also those attributes that we find displeasing to us.  

What kind of a character are you?

Children are interested in characters that think, characters that dream, characters that imagine, characters who have best friends, characters who do fun and exciting things, characters who have problems, characters who find solutions...where will your character take you today?  Go on an adventure with  Evangeline Mudd..... she will keep you busy and interested. Evangeline has had a very unusual childhood.  She learns to swing from rafters and can eat peanut-butter sandwiches with her feet!  Evangeline's parents are called away on a research trip to the

 Ikkinasti Jungle.  The mystery begins when they fail to return.  However, Evangeline sets out to find them herself!  She is dauntless, funny and very amusing!  Be ready to go on a wild adventure!

  

Oh, and the wonderful and amazing Clementine! Enjoy Clementine and the Spring Trip  Everyone knows someone like Clementine.  She's energetic, funny and very likable. She is off on a Spring Trip and everyone is invited to go along...open the pages and join her. 

Read these books aloud or have them available for your student readers.  What characters are your favorites?

Here are some pages you might like to use in your class while studying character traits.

Click HERE to get character traits page                 Click HERE to download this 

                                                                                      character trait page

Click HERE to download this page

Happy Spring!

World Poetry Day!

March 21   is   World Poetry Day!

Reading Aloud poems can be very exciting for children of all ages.  So many poems to choose from...ask your students to practice a poem to read aloud to the class.  They might find a poem that is joyful or funny; serious or sad; whimsical and wacky!  Let them choose.  Children will be able to develop listening skills as well as visualization skills by reading poetry.  Look high and low for that favorite poem to entertain your classmates... then enjoy the listening. Rhyme, rhythm, pattern, language, and fluency... the best writing is written in the fewest words.    Comments and questions are invited. Finally, complete a poem review page found below.

So easy to do!  1.) Gather your poetry books.  

2.) Provide time and opportunity for your students to read poems from the many different books. 

3.) Tell your students they must choose one poem to read to the class. 4.) Give them the time and place to practice reading their poems.   

5.)  Have your students read their poems 3x at home for homework.  Tell them they can read to their mother, father, sister, brother, dog, cat, teddy bear, goldfish, or whomever!  They like all the 'whos' they can read to... 6.) Read and listen to the poems at school. 

7.) Complete the 'poem review' page. 

Poetry!  Poetry! Poetry!

and Books about Poetry! 

and Poetry about Books!

Open A Book

Open a book

And you will find,

People and places of every kind;

Open a book

And you can be,

Anything you want to be;

Open a book 

And you can share,

Wondrous words you find in there

Open a book

And I will too,

You read to me,

And I'll read to you!

Read this book, Book Speak!  Use the book as a springboard to invite your students to write poetry about reading and books.  You will find wild and wacky poems about the magic you find in books.  The books themselves are the voice!  Characters, book jackets and bookstores SPEAK!

The author is Laura Purdie Salas and the drawings, illustrations and beautiful collage is by Illustrator, Josee Bisaillon.  Adventure, imagination and reading.... these poems encourage readers to find a new adventure within the pages of a book!

....Click HERE to get your poem review page....

After reading poetry, write some!

This pendant is available HERE

Celebrating Dr. Seuss!

 Dr. Seuss!   Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL books!  They are fun to read aloud; and supertastic to listen to......

And here is a new app to listen to reading!

This app is perfect for early readers!   Click on the picture above to see this new app!  

One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is

The Lorax

The Lorax is a fun and entertaining book.  Dr. Seuss teaches that nature and natural beauty is important to the world.  "I speak for the trees"  
Great book, great read aloud!  This book would be perfect to celebrate Dr. Seuss, an accomplished writer of children's books.  The so many lessons Dr. Seuss teaches in his writing.  You might read his books during the whole month of March.  His wit, humor, and rhyme are extraordinary.  The Lorax can also be a springboard for writing about 
Earth Day or the environment.

HERE is a sign for your classroom  from The Lorax!

Student Responses:    

Do you think Dr. Seuss wrote The Lorax to persuade, inform or entertain his readers?

entertains:  "Dr. Seuss entertains us by having the character look funny
and writing the best books to make people happy."

Grab Your Reader Response Page HERE

You can find these reader response pages HERE

persuades: "to protect nature"  informs: "to always be kind
entertains: "to make us happy"

What are your favorite Dr. Seuss books?  

What is your favorite saying?

The very simple is extraordinary!

Valentine's Day Books for the Young Reader

Valentine's Day Books 

for the Young Reader

A great day to read a good book!

What book are you reading today?


Lots of wonderful books to read.  Choose one, or two, find your little one and read aloud.  Here are some of my favorites:

Mouse is making Valentines for his friends.  Read to find out all about his special friends.

 It's raining hearts!  and Cornelia Augusta knows just what to do!  Read to find out! 

Somebody loves you!  I wonder who?

This is an adorable board book and the puppy has soft ears and he has lots of ruff to share. This book is a great book to share with toddlers.

And everyone loves Ollie!  She is my favorite.  What are Ollie and Gertie up to now?

You made download and print
my valentine card HERE

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Illustrated by Milena Kirkova

 This is a great book to read to young readers on Valentine's week.  Illustrations are beautiful.  Read and find out where love comes from. The cover is really fun with all the beautifully illustrated circles.  They are raised on the book cover...just got to LOVE this book. Check below to get a 'circle page' for your students to illustrate all the things that they LOVE.  also grab a couple of 'heart maps'.... Have a very sweet Valentine's Day. 

 Here is a peek of some of the inside pages...

Now that is a garden I would LOVE to paint.

Simple, bold and bright!  Just what I LOVE!

After looking at the beautiful cover of this book, make your own "LOVE Circle Page". Click HERE to get your page.

Show the favorite things you LOVE and make it colorful! 

After reading this fun story, have your students complete a heart map.

Click HERE for this heart map to download and print.

Click  HERE  for this heart map to download and print.

Oh, and one more book before I go:

  This book is a pop-up book and you will learn that people all around the world say I love you.  Great book to  show children all the many places in the world and all the people who need LOVE. 

Abraham Lincoln

Lane Smith, author of Abe Lincoln's Dream, writes.  A small schoolgirl goes astray on her tour of the White House,  and she finds herself in Lincoln's bedroom and also discovers the ghost of the great president, Abraham Lincoln.   They meet and go on a journey across America.  Lincoln has many questions and concerns about the nation for which he gave his life.  Smith spins his original tale adding humor and surprise.  Illustrations are crazy, wonderful!  This book is a great read aloud for February.

And what fun creating the presidents' portraits...here is a fun art activity from

Deep Space Sparkle.

Use Lane Smith's book as a springboard to make this great portrait of Abraham Lincoln.  So prestigious.  

This would make a great model for kids to draw Lincoln.   

Click HERE to get this reader response sheet

 "All About Lincoln"

For Best Results: Be Sure to hit 'fit to page' when printing

Happy Reading and Writing

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Gail Gibbons is one of my favorite authors.  Students love her illustrations and all the information she writes about in her books.  Read and listen!

Watch this video of Groundhog Day by Gail Gibbons.

Little Lila Groundhog doesn't want to go to sleep for the winter.  Her uncle tells her that if she goes to sleep, she can be the first one to wake up in spring...and she will discover a big secret!  She learns all about her shadow and hibernation.  This is a delightful book for primary readers... a great read aloud.  Sweet illustrations invite the children into the groundhog's household.  Other winter animals happen upon the pages.  Great book  for story time!

Click HERE for Groundhog Art Activity

Click HERE

Click HERE

Teaching Science with Picture Books - The Story of Snow

The Story of Snow, by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D., is a beautiful book and captures the wonder of winter and snow.  Perfect reading for winter days and your exploration of winter, weather and science.  The book teaches about snow crystals and the many shapes they can take.  The book also includes instructions for catching those snowflakes... a great way to get kids and young scientists outside exploring.

Click HERE to get your teacher's guide to explore the science of snow.

See these short  videos  about SNOWFLAKES

Here is a great website with lots of information about snow.  Click HERE to see!   It's called snowcrystals.com. and it has books, science facts, videos, and activities.  It is a great resource.   The author of this website is Kenneth G. Libbrecht.  He is a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech).  He studies the molecular dynamics of crystal growth, including how ice crystals grow from water vapor, which is essentially the physics of snowflakes.