Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Tale
by Cheryl Bardoe (Author) and Roy D. Kennedy (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Once upon a time, seven tiny duck beaks pecked their way out of their eggs, but the eighth egg was a little bit different. What emerged wasn’t a duck at all–he was a dinosaur! (Real dino facts in the back of the book.)

Snippet:
Just then the egg trembled
Thump, thump, thump.
SMASH!

A huge claw burst out, followed by a gigantic foot. The newest duckling exploded from its shell.
The mother duck gasped. Her other ducklings froze and stared.
“That is the ugliest ducking I’ve ver seen!’ the neghbor screeched.

**Cheryl is one of my former students!**

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Chapter Book of the Day

Irises
by Francisco X. Stork (Author)
304 pages

Booktalk: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. — if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

Snippet:
“What do you means Father’s dead?” Kate shouted into the phone.
“I went to check on Moma after you left and he had died.”
“Oh, oh my–” Kate stopped herself. “Did you call 9-1-1?”
“No.”
“Do it now. Never mind, I’ll do it. I’ll be right over.”
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5 Great Mother’s Day Books

Eloise’s Mother’s Day Surprise
by Lisa McClatchy (Author) and Tammie Lyon (Illustrator)
Eloise gets ready for Mother’s Day in this easy reader.

Fancy Nancy’s Marvelous Mother’s Day Brunch
by Jane O’Connor (Author) and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)
Nancy plans the perfect Mother’s Day. Lift-the-flap book

I Like Noisy Mom Likes Quiet: A Mother’s Day Story
by Eileen Spinelli (Author) and Lydia Halverson (Illustrator)
The title says it all! Picture book

The Mother’s Day Mice
by Eve Bunting (Author) and Jan Brett (Illustrator)
Three mouse brothers try to find the perfect gift for their mother. Picture book

The Night Before Mother’s Day
by Natasha Wing (Author) and Amy Wummer (Illustrator)
Dad and the girls get ready for Mother’s Day. Picture book
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STEM Haiku

Share your own haiku about a STEM topic during National Poetry Month.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

stand up
sitting all day is
bad they say, so stand or walk
as you work today
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.