Cybils Time Again

The Cybils award was announced yesterday. Hooray! For the Love of Books! I love the Cybils because they are chosen by book-lovers around the world. I've been a judge several times. I missed it this year, since I was busy baby-growing (and my hubby is a little overwhelmed by the number of books around here...)

Anyway, don't miss the shortlists, either. Out of hundreds of books, each group of judges picks their top few for these shortlists. Then a different panel of judges chooses one top selection.

You can see my review of the fiction picture book winner, Me...Jane, right here. You know, I really heart picture books.

Loves.

Hot off the Press!!!

I received some new picture books for review, and I'm excited to tell you about three that are super fun. There's a picture book, a board book, and a book that falls somewhere in between.  :)

Press Here by Herve Tullet

I love when a picture book interacts with young readers in a unique, creative way. This book definitely does that.

Young readers follow simple instructions on each page. Their actions result in changes in the dots. For example, it says to tap five times on the yellow dot, and then when you turn the page, five dots are there. When you shake the book to one side, all the dots fall that direction. When you blow the book, the dark background creeps away.

Press Here would be great for preschoolers and new readers who can manage words like 'finally' and 'straight'.

The pages of the book are sturdy, somewhere in between a board book and a normal picture book.

Along with a whole lot of fun, this book is great for young children learning to follow directions.

Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Jane Goodall is well-known for her work with animals, particularly chimpanzees...but what was she like as a child? In Me...Jane, you'll find simple text, enchanting artwork, and a small girl who loves her stuffed chimp, Jubilee.

Jane always loved nature. As she explored and studied books about nature, she had Jubilee to keep her company. He even came along when Jane hid in Grandma Nutt's chicken coop to find out where eggs came from.

This book is full of the wonder of childhood. The story doesn't give much information about Jane herself, but it shows her ever-growing love for the world around her and shows how she lived her dreams.

The end of the book has a biography about Jane Goodall and a note from her to the readers.

This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would.

Rocket Town by Bob Logan

What Rocket Town may lack in story, it makes up in uniquely eye-catching artwork. After all, most board-book chewers...I mean readers...can't sit through a whole lot of words anyway.

Little lovers of rockets and things that go will enjoy this fun little book about rockets, big and small, especially the countdown to blast off at the end!

Happy Reading.

xoxo,
Emily

Intro to Fractions

Even the youngest of students can learn some basics about fractions with this mini lesson.

Orange Fractions

1. Peel an orange and separate it into two halves. Discuss how there are two parts of one whole orange, thus two halves make one whole.

2. Split the orange into four parts and discuss.

3. Separate all the orange pieces. Ours had twelve parts. Hold three pieces in your hand and ask, "How many parts do I have?" 3. "Out of how many?" 12. "3 parts out of twelve parts is 3/12." If kids are grasping the concept well, explain that 3/12 is the same as 1/4 of the orange.

Liquid Fractions
1. Fill a 1 C measuring cup with water or beans. If using water, you may want to put a cookie sheet underneath.
2. Allow kids to experiment with various measuring cups. Help them reach the discovery that 4 1/4 cups make 1 C and 3 1/3 cups make 1 C.
3. Explain why it works that way. Because 3 parts out of 3 make a whole, etc.

Welcome Spring with Picture Books!

I can't wait for Spring! You know how Target has that section where everything costs a buck or two? Well, this week, we found some mini tomatoes and bell peppers in little pots. I'm so excited to see bits of green pop through the soil in my kitchen.

In honor of the approaching season, here are one-word reviews of our favorite spring-ish picture books...

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming: Gardenlicious!

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston: Anticipatory!

A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston: Alive!

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin: Farmlarious!

Duck and Goose by Tad Hills: Rivalrous!

Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson: Friendtastic!










And, of course...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Delish!








(And yes...if you've been here a while...part of this post is recycled. I'm really tired...Good night.)

Mini Lesson Ideas: Math, Geography, Art, and More...

Each morning after breakfast, we do a Mini Lesson, which is a short lesson about whatever random thing I think of. Sometimes the ideas are inspired by the kids and sometimes not.

Mini Lessons are a great way to introduce ideas and concepts that don't already fit into our daily work...and they're pretty much the kids' favorite part of the day. I never tell them ahead of time what it will be. The surprise helps keep them fun.

Here are some of the lessons we've done...

1. Tell a short story that includes basic shapes. Trace the shapes in the air while you tell it, and then have everyone draw an interpretation of the story. After you've set the example, have the kids tell a brief story and have everyone draw theirs, too.

2. Compare a flat world map with a globe. Find where you live on both. Identify the 7 continents. Color and label the continents on a blank world map.

3. Measure things around the house with a measuring tape/ruler. Record findings. (When we did this, we discovered that Y's neck is bigger around than his big sister's and brother's necks! No wonder we can't button the top button of his church shirt!)

4. Make coin critters! We absolutely love this idea from Family Fun.

5. Make paper airplanes. Talk about lift and gravity. Color and label a diagram of a wing.

6. Build card houses. (This one turned into a zoo for little stuffed animals.)

7. ABC Gratitudes. Write out the letters A-Z, one letter on each line. The first person fills in something that they're grateful for that starts with an A, then passes it to the next person, until you have a whole alphabet of thanksgiving.

8. Work on memorizing the 50 States Song.

Right after Mini Lesson, I read aloud to the kids, so I like to finish with something they can do with their hands while I read...usually it's some kind of coloring. They also like to embroider, finger knit, draw, and write notes while I read.

I keep a running list of ideas that is easily accessible because some days I have lots of ideas and other days I don't.

Book Review: The Quest of the Warrior Sheep by Christine and Christopher Russell

The Quest of the Warrior Sheep by Christine and Christopher Russell

When 5 Rare Breed sheep find a cell phone that fell from the sky, they think it is a call to fulfill an ancient prophecy. They embark on a great adventure, which takes them on a subway, a train, a helicopter, a tractor, and finally up into a vicious mountain storm.

The boy who lives next door to the sheep believes they've been abducted by aliens.

The cell phone they found is actually important evidence in a bank heist, which resulted in the sheep's owners losing all of their life savings.

It's quite an adventure. We finished reading it this morning, and both Bubs and Welly have separately already asked me to start reading it again.

The five sheep are great, unique characters. There's Sal. She's kind of the leader, although not necessarily the smartest. There's Oxo, who really only cares about eating. There's Links, who is always breaking out into a rap. There's Jaycey, who is dainty and cares about her hoof paint. And lastly, there's Wills. He's the real brains of the group.

On the Con side, this book has some not-so-nice for little kids language. Since I was reading it aloud, it wasn't a problem, but there are quite a few stupids, shut-ups, and some name-calling (geek and Woolbags mostly) that I skipped over. There is also one scene where the neighbor boy takes a reporter out for dinner and Beer. I just said drink instead of Beer. Anyway. Fair warning.

For the reasons mentioned above, I recommend reading it aloud to your kids. My 7 and 5 year old seemed about the perfect ages for it. Amazon recommends it for 9-12, so that too, I guess.  :)

Field Trips, Part 2.

Scheduling

1. Call the venue where you want to go in advance. Some places require a lot of notice, and some aren't ready far in advance. Your best bet is to call a month or more before, and then if they don't plan that far out, you call again as the desired date approaches. Be open to their schedule if possible. Be prepared with an estimate of the number of participants. Ask about group rates/field trip rates.

2. Give everyone a calendar of scheduled events, and then remind them as the field trip approaches. On the schedule, be sure to include the name of the venue, the address, the date and time, the price, and any other important info. Also include your contact info in case they get lost or need to cancel.

3. When my kids were little, I led a playgroup. Every other week was a field trip, while the alternating weeks were park days/play dates in homes. It was a great experience, but the field trip costs added up. I tried to incorporate as many free activities as possible, such as nature walks.

Now I organize a monthly field trip for our homeschool co-op. Once a month feels like a better amount for my family at this time.

Collecting Money


Some venues require that everyone pay as a group. This can be the hardest part of planning an event. If you have to pay together, have everyone mail you or hand you their money in advance. Keep a list of everyone you are expecting, and check off their names as you receive their money. I also like to keep a tally of the total number of people for ease of paying. If the price is different for adults and children, keep separate tallies for them. You may want to require that everyone pay you in cash so you can include it when you pay for the group.

Discuss Respect


Sometimes it is necessary to briefly talk to the kids about how they should behave while on the field trip. On a recent visit to the police station, it was necessary to be very quiet, so we wouldn't disturb the dispatchers. Talk about showing respect for your guides and following their rules.

Have Fun


Stay together. Have plenty of adults. It helps if the adults are engaged in the field trip, as well. Their interest will rub off on the kids.

Does anyone else have tips for planning field trips for large groups?

Book Review: Astro: The Steller Sea Lion by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Astro: The Steller Sea Lion by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Shennan Bersani

Astro was only 39 pounds when he was found by animal rescue workers. They couldn't find his mom, so they brought him to The Marine Mammal Center, where they bottle fed and cared for him.

By 10 months old, the workers tried to return Astro to the wild, but kept coming back. They tried to take him farther and farther, but he always found his way home.

Astro couldn't live at the Marine Mammal Center anymore, so he was moved by airplane to an aquarium in Connecticut.

Astro is both stellar and Steller. He is of the breed Steller Sea Lions, and he is stellar because he loves to perform for humans.

In the back of the book, you can find out more about sea lions and seals.

Field Trips, Part 1.

Robby likes to joke that we can't buy a house that isn't near any museums. That's not actually far from the truth. We love our field trips. Here is a list of some we have enjoyed...

1. Visit a fire station. Call ahead for a tour.
2. Police station. Watch out...they might lock you up.
3. California Pizza Kitchen. Ask about tours and making personal pizzas.
4. Museums. Obviously. We are near several Universities, all of which have museums.
5. Local Grocery store. We have one nearby that does tours through the store, into the storerooms, and through the refrigerators. Then, they give everyone soft serve! It's a big hit.
6. Sub Zero Ice Cream. This one is coming up. They freeze your ice cream in front of you with liquid nitrogen. Makes a great science lesson! And the fresh ice cream, Oh My. So Yummy.
7. Beautiful places in nature. Ours usually include Daddy and water with fish in it.
8. Plays.
9. Library events.
10. Pumpkin Patches/Corn Mazes in fall
11. Farms.
12. Factories.
13. Churches.
14. Historical Sites.
15. Pick-Your-Own produce places. This is an all-time favorite for us!
16. Tumbling gyms.
17. Model Train show.
18. The zoo.
19. The aquarium.
20. Train rides.
21. Skiiing
22. Roller Skating.
23. Ice Skating.
24. Nickel Arcade.
25. Space center.
26. Small airports.
27. Aviaries.
28. Mines.
29. Printing Presses.
30. Newspapers.
31. TV stations.
32. Planetariums.
33. State capital.
34. Bakeries.
35. Fish hatcheries.
36. Candy factory.
37. Gardens.
38. Hospitals.
39. Water parks.
40. Ice castles.
41. Christmas light displays.
42. Water treatment facility.
43. Caves.
44. Nature trails.
45. State parks.
46. Deseret Industries or other thrift stores/donation centers.
47. Soup kitchens.
48. Local fairs and carnivals.
49. Post Office.
50. IMAX movies.
51. Dollar movies.
52. The Symphony.
53. Choir shows.
54. Disneyland.
55. Farmers Market.
56. Nursing homes.
57. Colleges.
58. Animal festivals. We have a llama fest, sheep shearing festival, dairy festival...
59. Waterfalls.
60. Trails.
61. Banks.
62. Ethnic restaurants.
63. Nursery.
64. Dams.

All, right. There are a couple here we haven't done yet.

Here's a picture of our latest...

Disneyland. Looks exciting, huh?

Tomorrow, I'll share tips for planning field trips for large groups...which I've done a LOT. See you then.

Best Wordless Picture Books

Personally, I'm not that into wordless books. I find myself fumbling for what to say when I 'read' them to my kids...and I write for children for fun.

However, I see great value in them for children who are not intimidated by such things. They can create their own stories and read them to us.

Our favorite wordless picture books are:

1. Chalk by Bill Thomson: This is our hands-down favorite. Some multicultural children find a bag of chalk. Everything they draw becomes real...butterflies, the sun...and then, one of the kids draws a dinosaur. The tyrannosaurus comes after the kids. They run for shelter in the playground. The dinosaur can't beat the kids' creativity, though. They draw something to destroy the dinosaur.


2. Tuesday by David Wiesner: Evening comes, and the frogs come out. They fly through the quiet sky until morning, when they wait for their next excursion.






3. The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez: A wolf steals a chicken, and the chicken's friends try to come to his rescue...but the wolf is just looking for a friend.






4. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney: Aesop's fable is brought to life in gorgeous artwork. An unlikely friendship forms between the lion and the mouse when lion allows mouse to live. Mouse finds a way to return the favor.










5. Shadow by Suzy Lee: Shadow is an imaginative look at what shadows can look like to a little girl. It's really interesting, though less of a story than the previous recommendations.






6. A Long Piece of String by William Wondriska: This is a wordless alphabet book. Simple line drawings. It's really unique. We followed the string from one orange drawing to the next, not even realizing that we were making our way through the ABC's until the last page. What a fun surprise!