2011 National Book Award Winners

Site Meter My NEW picture book is Road Work Ahead (Viking)

Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Unexpected…

Picture Book of the Day

Ladder to the Moon

by Maya Soetoro-Ng (Author) and Yuyi Morales (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A little girl climbs a golden ladder to visit her late Gramdmother on the moon…

Snippet:

One cool new evening,

Suhaila asked her mama,

“What was Grandma Annie like?”

She was like the moon,” her mother replied.

“Full, soft, and curious.

Your grandma would wrap her arms

around the whole world if she could.”

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Chapter Book of the Day

The Vampire Dare! (Daphne’s Diary of Daily Disasters)

by Marissa Moss (Author, Illustrator)

80 pages

Booktalk: Daphne decides it’s kinda cool to be bitten by a vampire because you’ll live forever—and if you can’t die, you can’t get old and wrinkly. So when the teachers announce a costume day, Daphne wants to be the best vampire ever!

Snippet: There are three really hot things in my school these dys–Lamar Graham, the cutest boy in fourth grade, the horseradish the cafeteria serves with the hot dogs, and vampires. Any kind of vampire, but teenage or kid vampires are the best.

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Literary Links

Writng advice from agent Donald Maas: “What’s one way your MC tackles the big problem? Find another character who can do the same thing, or the opposite. Add.” (via @donmaass)

Nominate a book for the Cybils awards!

Preschool activity of the day: Make a Paper Pumpkin! (via @preschoolers)

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Site Meter My NEW book, The Zombie Project (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #128)

Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Unexpected…

Picture Book of the Day

The Little Red Pen

by Susan Stevens Crummel (Author) and Janet Stevens (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: An fun comic book style retelling of the Little Red Hen, as a Little Red Pen. She’s not baking a cake, she’s correcting homework… and the deadbeats are the other office supplies in the teacher’s desk.

Snippet: Where are my helpers?

Stapler, Scissors, Pencil

Eraser, Pushpin, Highlighter!

Are you hiding in the drawer?

Get up here now! Let’s get to work.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlVSwfglD6g]

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Chapter Book of the Day

Till Death Do Us Bark: 43 Old Cemetery Road: Book 3

by Kate Klise (Author) and M. Sarah Klise (Illustrator)

144 pages

Booktalk: When a shaggy dog arrives at Spence Mansion, Seymour is overjoyed. His adoptive parents, Ignatuis B. Grumply and Olive C. Spence, are less enthusiastic — especially when Secret, the dog, begins barking all night long. (A story told in letters.)

Snippet: Dear Olive and Mr. Grumply,

A dog followed me home from the library today. I’ve always wanted a dog, and this one has a lot of personality. He even smiles!

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My Book of the Week

Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen

A transportation picture book

  • Copyright: 2011
  • Ages: 3-5
  • Hardcover
  • Publisher: Viking

“Suen’s sparse rhyming verse leads readers through the busy scenes and uses simple vocabulary that suits both the youngest listeners and those just beginning to read.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“A batch of Grandma’s homemade oatmeal cookies beckons, but for this backseat narrator, the sights and sounds along the road to her house are equally compelling.” ~ Publishers Weekly

Activities:

Play the Road Signs Matching Game.

Take the online Traffic Sign Quiz for Kids.

Watch the construction site video.

Make a Traffic Light Necklace with yarn and stickers.

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Literary Links

How are picture book apps created? Editor Anne Hoppe shows us with @alyankovic’s WHEN I GROW UP (via @thepageturn)

Nominate a book for the Cybils awards!

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Site Meter My NEW book, The Zombie Project (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #128)

Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

Pickles, Please!: A Dilly of a Book
by Andy Myer (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Alec Smart loves pickles! But no one understands why, and that makes Alec sad…

Snippet: “It isn’t good to eat so many pickles,” said Alec’s Mom. “You’ll grow up to be a small green man who smells like vinegar.”
“I’ll smell PICKLICIOUS,” replied Alec.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Zitface
by Emily Howse (Author)
202 pages

Booktalk: Thirteen-year-old Olivia Hughes has always considered herself a lucky girl. She knows what she wants to do with her life–be an actress. And she’s already on her way. She just

launched a national ad campaign that should get her noticed. Then her luck runs out. A little pimple turns into a full-blown case of acne…

Snippet: Wendy switched gears. “What happened to your face?”

Of course that question was coming, but I wasn’t going to get into it. Wendy means well, but she simply cannot keep her trap shut.

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5 Great New Fall Books

Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter
by Martha E. H. Rustad (Author) and Amanda Enright (Illustrator)
Five short chapters show how animals get ready for winter. (Do the craft and make “blubber gloves!”) Nonfiction picture book

Fall Apples: Crisp and Juicy
by Martha E. H. Rustad (Author) and Amanda Enright (Illustrator)
Pick the apples and make apple crisp! (Recipe in the back.) Nonfiction picture book

Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy
by Martha E. H. Rustad (Author) and Amanda Enright (Illustrator)
See how leaves change through the seasons in three short chapters. Nonfiction picture book

Fall Mixed Up
by Bob Raczka (Author) and Chad Cameron (Illustrator)
Fun rhymes and silly mix-ups! Can you find them all? Picture book

Fall Pumpkins: Orange and Plump
by Martha E. H. Rustad (Author) and Amanda Enright (Illustrator)
Plant pumpkins in the spring for pumpkins in the fall (and roast pumpkin seeds). Nonfiction picture book

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Literary Links

New @pubperspectives newsletter launched, will focus on children’s publishing (via @galleycat)

LAST CALL! Looking for bloggers with early literacy backgrounds to judge the 2011 Cybils Awards. (Sept 15th deadline)

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Site Meter My NEW book is here!
Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8
Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Monday

Picture Book of the Day

My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey
by Jeanne Walker Harvey (Author) and Elizabeth Zunon (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Follow Romare Bearden’s journey as a young boy in North Carolina who travels by train with his parents up to Harlem. This biography was inspired by one of Bearden’s collage paintings.

Snippet:
“I snip a patch of color and add a cut-out face.
Oh! I glue on jazzy blue for sky and add another face.
People walk into my work as if it’s always been their place.

My hands sing the blues when I paint and cut and paste.
I never know what I’ll create when I paint and cut and paste.
I use paper, fabrics, photos, and nothing goes to waste.”

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

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Chapter Book of the Day

U.S. Presidents: Truth and Rumors
by Sean Stewart Price (Author) and Eldon Doty (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Everybody has secrets and former U.S. Presidents are no exception. Discover which stories about America’s past leaders are true and which ones are just tall tales.

Snippet: Ulysses S. Grant got a $20 fine for speeding in a horse and buggy. He was the first president to get a speeding ticket while in office.

True or false? Read the book and find out!

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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Wrapped in Foil

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September 19-23 Road Work Ahead blog tour

Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen

Coming on September 15th!

Monday 9/19
*revising a manuscript*
*creating art*
Tuesday 9/20
*a literacy connection*
Wednesday 9/21
*students creating art*
Thursday 9/22
*books and children at play*
Friday 9/23
*students writing poetry*

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Literary Link

Looking for bloggers with early literacy backgrounds to judge the 2011 Cybils Awards

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Site Meter My NEW book is here!
Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8
Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Friday Reads

Back-to-School Rules
by Laurie B. Friedman (Author) and Teresa Murfin (Illustrator)

Booktalk: School’s in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy’s at the head of the class. Just follow his ten simple rules…

Snippet:
Another rule to abide by
(And from this, I never sway):
Do NOT take forever
If you’ve got something to say.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Search and Rescue Dog Heroes (Amazing Working Dogs With American Humane)
by Linda Bozzo (Author)

Booktalk: Search and rescue dogs use their noses to find people. Read about the history, training, what being on the job is like for a search and rescue dog, and what happens when the dog retires.

Snippet: Hundreds of dogs and their handlers, known as K-9 teams, from around the country arrived in response to the fallen towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. K-9 teams worked long hours until the list of the missing became shorter and shorter.

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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Secrets and Sharing Soda

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STEM Friday

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
This week’s STEM Friday Round-up is hosted by Ana’s Nonfiction Blog

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Literary Links

Looking for bloggers with early literacy backgrounds to judge the 2011 Cybils Awards

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Site Meter My NEW book is here!
Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8
Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Great Books

Picture Book of the Day

The Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice
by Kristen Balouch (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: One loud little girl is on the hunt for a friend. She searches the jungle high and low, but her BIG voice scares all the animals away! Now what?

Snippet:
There was a little, little girl…
with a big, big voice.

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Chapter Book of the Day

It’s the First Day of School…Forever!
by R.L. Stine (Author)
192 pages

Booktalk: On the first day of school, Artie falls out of his bed and hits his head. Hard. He tells his mom he’s dizzy and she says:

“You’re just worried about your first day in a new school.”

On the second day of school, Artie falls out of bed and hits his head. Hard. He tells his mom he’s dizzy and she says:

“You’re just worried about your first day in a new school.”

Huh? Today is just like the day before. Can Artie find a way to change it, before it’s the first day of school…forever?

Snippet: I was so happy to get out of that basement. I ran all the way back to Ms. McVie’s class, holding heavy textbooks in my arms.

The rest of the morning, I kept thinking about Mr. Blister and everything I had seen down there. It was all strange and frightening–not like a normal school basement.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVMbRygchlQ]

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5 Great Books About School

Miss Mingo and the First Day of School
by Jamie Harper (Author, Illustrator)
Miss Mingo has all kinds of students in her new class. Picture book

Pencil Talk
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Susie Lee Jin (Illustrator)
These easy reader poems about school are also available in Spanish.

Pinkalicious: School Rules!
by Victoria Kann (Author, Illustrator)
Pinkalicious brings her imaginary unicorn friend to school. Level 1 easy reader

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes
by Eric Litwin (Author) and James Dean (Illustrator)
Pete the Cat is rocking in his school shoes…all round the school. Picture book

Wow! School!
by Robert Neubecker (Author, Illustrator)
It’s Izzy’s first day of school. Picture book

BONUS! See the Pete the Cat’s video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUVgSWsyIE8]

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Literary Links

2011 Cybils Call for Judges

Literature connections for teaching the events of September 11

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Site Meter My NEW book is here!
Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8
Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.