Author: Anastasia Suen

Friday Reads

Animal Naps
by Catherine Ham (Author)

Booktalk: Poems about animals taking a nap!

Snippet:
Snore
A polar bear
Will nap anywhere.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Mathemagic!: Number Tricks
by Lynda Colgan (Author) and Jane Kurisu (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The secrets revealed in Mathemagic will have kids outwitting everyone with their superior computational skills, mystifying friends by plucking secret numbers from their minds and learning the mathematical secrets of the ancients.

Snippet: For these next tricks, your audience will get to use calculators. But there will be no technological aids for you. Instead, outwit everyone with your superior computational skills!

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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Miss Rumphius Effect

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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 A Life in Books

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Literary Links

Ready to write your novel this fall? The next Children’s Novels Workshop is Sept 7-Oct 26 (online)

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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.

Board Books and a Body Switch!

Picture Book of the Day

Big and Little
by Ana Martín Larrañaga (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: 4 board books in a boxed set with an animal baby and a parent featured in each rhyming story. In Fun on the Farm, it’s Mommy Hen and Baby Chick…

Snippet:
Then in the yard
we stroll around.
We make a noisy
clucking sound.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Bye for Now: A Wishers Story
by Kathleen Churchyard (Author)
272 pages

Booktalk: After Robin’s eleventh birthday turns into an escalating disaster, she wishes to be someone else–and wakes up as Fiona, an eleven-year-old girl from London with an amazing life: she’s gorgeous, with glamorous parents, and she’s the star of a major theatrical production. Why would Fiona have wished herself out of her own body?

Snippet:
The horrible birthday began with a black eye.

SMACK. Dizziness. Pain. Through her other eye, Robin looked to see what she’d hit–a head of white-blonde hair–Sophie.

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Literary Links

Time to write your picture book this fall? Intensive Picture Book Workshop Sept 7-Oct 26 (online)

3rd Annual Random Acts of Publicity Week is September 6-8, 2011

Books for Launching the School Year (and Ideas for Using Them with Students)

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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

A Storm Called Katrina

by Myron Uhlberg (Author) and Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

Booktalk: It is August 2005, and a hurricane named Katrina is bearing down on the Gulf Coast. See how Louis Daniel and his family cope with this natural disaster…

Snippet:
Finally the rain stopped, and everything got real quiet.
Daddy opened the door. “Water’s rising fast,” he said. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

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Chapter Book of the Day

The Popularity Papers: Book Two: The Long-Distance Dispatch Between Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang
by Amy Ignatow (Author, Illustrator)
208 pages

Booktalk: After spending all of fifth grade studying popularity together, Julie and Lydia are finally ready to put their hard-earned lessons to use in junior high. But before they can, tragedy strikes: Lydia’s mom gets a job in London for six whole months! (A graphic novel journal)

Snippet: Today is the first day without Lydia, and until the Goldblatts hook up their computer I have no idea what she’s doing.

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5 Great Books About Starting Preschool

Maisy Goes to Preschool
by Lucy Cousins (Author, Illustrator)
Maisy has a busy day with her friends at preschool. Picture book

My First Day at Nursery School
by Becky Edwards (Author) and Anthony Flintoft (Illustrator)
As the school day goes by, a girl misses her Mom less and less. Picture book

Preschool Day Hooray!
by Linda Leopold Strauss (Author) and Hiroe Nakata (Illustrator)
A rhyming look at the preschool day. Picture book

The Night Before Preschool
Natasha Wing (Author), Amy Wummer (Illustrator)
It’s the night before preschool and Billy can’t fall asleep. Picture book

What to Expect at Preschool
by Heidi Murkoff (Author) and Laura Rader (Illustrator)
Angus the Answer Dog answers questions about preschool. Picture book

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Literary Links

2011 Cybils Call for Judges

Keeping House in a Literacy-Rich Classroom

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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.

A Dieting Dog, Math, and Electricity

Picture Book of the Day

My Dog Jack is Fat
by Eve Bunting (Author) and Michael Rex (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Jack the dog needs to lose weight. How can his owner help? (This story is told in comic book speech bubbles.)

Snippet:
VET: Oh, dear. Jack has gained 10 pounds.
JACK THE DOG: This can’t be good.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Saraswati’s Way
by Monika Schröder (Author)
240 pages

Booktalk: If the gods wanted Akash to have an education, he is told, they would give him one. But Akash has spent his entire twelve years in India poor and hungry. So he decides to take

control of his own life…

Snippet: The students called out the answers in a loud chorus: 45, 54, 63. When would they see the pattern? It was so easy, once you saw the pattern in the numbers. Akash cited them

backwards in his mind, 81, 72, 63, 54, then added the mulitplication products in his head, starting from the lowest.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ0v58VKUZY]

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My Book of the Week

Wired by Anastasia Suen
A picture book about electricity

  • Copyright: 2007
  • Dewey Decimal Number: 621.319
  • ATOS Level: 5.1
  • AR Quiz Number: 117617
  • Library Binding / Paperback
  • Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing

“By sticking consistently to the topic of how electricity reaches the home without trying to cover history, trivia, or more complex science, the fundamental information comes through in an appealing way that kids can fully understand.”
— School Library Journal

Activities:

Make a battery:

Try the electricity word search, criss-cross and double puzzles at Discovery Education.

Visit the Games Page at Energy Quest for an energy word search, crossword, jigsaw puzzles and more!

The Energy Kids page has riddles, online field trips, wordsearch and crossword puzzles, an energy source sudoku, and a scavenger hunt.

See Teacher’s Corner extensive list of electricity lessons and experiments.

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Literary Link

How To Convert PDFs to ePub or Kindle Files – eBookNewser

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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

On-The-Go Schwarmas: And Other Middle-Eastern Dishes (Kids Dish)
by Nick Fauchald (Author) and Ronnie Rooney (Illustrator)

Booktalk: From popping pepper hummus to tasty tabbouleh, these kid friendly Middle Eastern dishes will bring everyone to the table.

Snippet: Hummus comes from the Arabic word for chickpeas, the main ingredient in this popular Middle-Eastern dip and spread.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Labor Day (American Celebrations)
by Lynn Hamilton (Author)

Booktalk: Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September, but why do we celebrate it? Find out in this book…

Snippet: On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, the first Labor Day celebrations were held in New York City. About 10,000 workers marched in the parade. They carried signs that read, “Eight Hours for Work: Eight Hours for Rest; Eight Hours for Recreation!”

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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is at Capstone Connect

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September 2011 Online Workshops

I begin new workshops on the first Wednesday of the month.
The September 2011 workshops will begin on Wednesday, September 7th.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the Intensive Picture Book Workshop or the Children’s Novels Workshop.

An online workshop does not have a physical meeting place or classroom hours. You will have 8 weeks to complete the 6 lessons in this online workshop. Turn your lessons in as you complete them, the next day…or on the due date two weeks later.

The September workshop dates are September 7-October 26.

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The August 2011 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

The August 2011 Carnival Of Children’s Literature is online at Great Kid Books.

A special thanks to our host, Mary Ann! Bring your tambourines and join the fun!
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Literary Link

@educationweek: Putting the Common Standards Into Practice Webinar Tues, Aug. 30, 2 p.m. EDT

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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

Picture Book of the Day

Birds of a Feather
by Jane Yolen (Author) and Jason Stemple (Photographer)

Booktalk: Poems about birds are accompanied by close-up, full-color photographs and fact boxes that describe each bird’s habits.

Snippet:
The Regal Eagle
The regal eagle sits alone
upon a tree that serves as a throne.
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Chapter Book of the Day

Gases, Pressure, and Wind: The Science of the Atmosphere (Weatherwise)
Paul Fleisher (Author)
48 pages

Booktalk: As Hurricane Irene bears down the Eastern United States, here is a book that explains how the ever-changing atmosphere determines weather around the globe.

Snippet: Air may seem to be weightless. But gases do have mass. (Mass is the amount of matter, or substance, in something.) The total weight of Earth’s atmosphere is about 5,600 trillion (5,6000,000,000,000,000) tons (5,080 trillion metric tons)!

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Poetry Friday

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Live. Love. Explore!

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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 Picture Book of the Day

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STEM Friday video

Robot Swarm Snatches Book video

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2nn1X9Xlps]
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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.

Back to School

Picture Book of the Day

Sea Monster’s First Day
by Kate Messner (Author) and Andy Rash (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Starting school is a big job, and it’s an even bigger job you’re a sea monster!

Snippet: “This is it,” my mother said. “You’re a big sea monster now, Ernest. Remember to introduce yourself, play nicely, and use your imagination. I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun.”

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Chapter Book of the Day

Stupid Fast
by Geoff Herbach (Author)
320 pages

Booktalk: My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing!

Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls–especially Aleah?

So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah’s house in the night. But deep down I know I can’t run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

Snippet:
This could be a dark tale!
It’s not.
I don’t think so.
Maybe.
I can’t sleep. It’s 1:03 a.m. Almost September. The weather is warm, even though it’s football season. There’s a huge moon in the sky, but I can’t see it from the basement, where my bedroom is. I saw plenty.
Tonight.
Dark tale? My dad did commit suicide.
Not so dark? It’s me. I hop up and down.

BONUS! See the video!

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

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August 2011 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

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Literary Links

Ready to write your novel this fall? The next Children’s Novels Workshop is Sept 7-Oct 26 (online)

On September 8th, get involved and take the International Literacy Day Challenge.

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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

Wild Alphabet: An A to Zoo Pop-up Book
by Dan Green (Author) and Julia Frohlich (Designer)

Booktalk: An A-Z of the fiercest, friendliest, and fastest animals in the world. From antelopes to zebras, discover fascinating facts about your favorite animals with the help of amazing pop-ups and moving parts.

Snippet:
Xantus:
I’m a bird with a sweet tooth.
I flit from flower to flower,
slurping up nectar.
I’m super
speedy— my wings beat
so fast you can hardly see them!

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6jwVngeM6M]

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Chapter Book of the Day

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Mixed-Up Mutts (Book 2)
by Dori Hillestad Butler (Author) and Jeremy Tugeau (Illustrator)
128 pages

Booktalk: Buddy has been adopted from the P-O-U-N-D by Connor and his mom, but he is still searching for his first family and his beloved Kayla. He hopes to solve that mystery soon, but right now he’s got another urgent case–two dogs, Muffin and Jazzy, have been switched!

Snippet:
Obedience is a big word. It means humans learning to say what they mean.

Some humans are easier to train than others.

I don’t mean to brag, but Connor and his mom are the best trained humans in the class.

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5 Great Labor Day Books

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter
by Heather Adamson (Author)
See a fire fighter at work in this easy reader.

Career Day
by Anne Rockwell (Author) and Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)
Family members visit class to talk about their jobs. Picture book

Labor Day
by Carmen Bredeson (Author)
Learn how and why we celebrate Labor Day. Easy reader

Labor Day
by Mari C. Schuh (Author)
This easy reader explains the origins of Labor Day.

Whose Tools Are These?: A Look at Tools Workers Use – Big, Sharp, and Smooth
by Sharon Katz Cooper (Author) and Amy Bailey Muehlenhardt (Illustrator)
A picture book of tools!

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Literary Links

NaNoWriMo Writer Lands 6-Figure Deal After 30 Rejections – GalleyCat

From Education Week Teacher: Teaching Now: The 10-Year Lesson Plan

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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.

Fabulous Finds

Picture Book of the Day

Shoes for Me!
by Sue Fliess (Author) and Mike Laughead (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Hippo needs new shoes, but there are so many choices. Will Hippo find the perfect pair?

Snippet:
Dress shoes, play shoes, wall to wall,
Watch me as I try them all!
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Chapter Book of the Day

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre (Author)
272 pages

Booktalk: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear–to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Snippet: I was born during the second holocaust. People had told us legends of a time when human beings lived longer. I thought they were just stories. Nobody even lived to see forty in my world. Today was my birthday. Each one added a layer of fear, and this year, it was worse. I lived in an enclave in which our oldest had seen twenty-five years. His face was withered, and his fingers shook when he attempted the smallest tasks. Some whispered it would be a kindness to kill him, but they meant they didn’t want to see their futures written in his skin.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTPv-h9psMU]

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My Book of the Week

Pencil Talk and Other School Poems by Anastasia Suen
Easy reader

  • Paperback: 24 pages
  • Guided Reading: H
  • Intervention: 14
  • DRA: 14
  • Publisher: Bebop Books

A simple school day is a lot more fun when you add a little poetry! Follow along for a fresh look at spelling tests, recess, music class and more, in this spirited collection of school day poems.

This book is also available in Spanish.

Activities:

Make your own Printable School Supplies.

Try these Back to School Puzzles.

Can you solve this Back to School online jigsaw puzzle?

Use these Pencil Talk lesson plans with your class.

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Literary Link

A New Advice Blog for Teachers from @edweekteacher

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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

The Great Moon Hoax
by Stephen Krensky (Author) and Josee Bisaillon (Illustrator)

Booktalk: New Telescope Sees All! Amazing Secrets to Be Revealed! So the headlines read in the New York Sun one day in the summer of 1835. For a week straight, the newspaper printed stories and pictures of the discoveries made using a new telescope in far-off Africa. And on the streets of New York City, hundreds of newsboys shouted the headlines at the top of their lungs: Heavens Filled with Buffalo! Moon Beavers! Man Bats! We Are Not Alone! But was it true?

Snippet: The boys were already in line when Jake and Charlie arrived. Each would pay sixty-seven cents for every hundred copies of the Sun they bought. The newspapers sold for a peny each, so a newsboy could make a profit of thirty-three cents on each hundred. But if he wasn’t careful, he could lose money, because unsold papers could not be returned.

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Chapter Book of the Day

The Middle Eastern American Experience (USA Today Cultural Mosaic)
by Sandy Donovan (Author)
80 pages

Booktalk: See how Middle Eastern Americans contribute to the United States’ cultural mosaic, enriching our nation with a wide range of traditions, customs, and life experiences.

Snippet: Middle Eastern Americans speak many languages. Many people who come from the Middle East speak Arabic. People from Iran speak Persian, and people from Turkey speak Turkish. In Israel, Hebrew is the most common language. Each of these languages has its own alphabet. So immigrants to the United States who don’t already know English, learn a new language and a new alphabet.

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Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is Ana’s Nonfiction Blog

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September 2011 Online Workshops

I begin new workshops on the first Wednesday of the month.
The August 2011 workshops will begin on Wednesday, September 7th.

Which workshop is best for you?

New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.

Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the Intensive Picture Book Workshop or the Children’s Novels Workshop.

An online workshop does not have a physical meeting place or classroom hours. You will have 8 weeks to complete the 6 lessons in this online workshop. Turn your lessons in as you complete them, the next day…or on the due date two weeks later.

The September workshop dates are September 7-October 26.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Literary Link

National Book Awards Accepts Its First Interactive eBook – GalleyCat

_______________________________________________________________________________

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.