Seymour Simon

Our second graders are reading Wild Weather by Seymour Simon this week in their anthologies.  He is one of my favorite nonfiction authors.  He has his own website where you can find new books to buy, use his online science dictionary, and even write to him on his blog!

www.seymoursimon.com

If you already read Wild Weather...

• Use the comments to tell about the book and say if you recommend it to other readers.  

If you have read other Seymour Simon books...

• Use the comments to tell what book you read and if you recommend it to other readers.

If you checked out Seymour Simon's website...

• Use the comments to tell about what you found on the website.

The Weather's Changing!

The weather is changing.  The days are short so it gets dark pretty early.  The air is turning colder and colder.  We might even have some wild weather heading our way.  So here's a rainbow of books all about the weather that you might like to read.  The first book, Wild Weather, is a book from one of my favorite nonfiction authors, Seymour Simon.  Our second graders are going to be reading this book in their anthologies as a part of Unit 3.  I'll tell you more about Seymour Simon in the next post!

Red:  Wild Weather by Seymour Simon
Yellow:  What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt
Green:  Cloud Dance  by Thomas Locker
Green:  Water Dance  by Thomas Locker
Blue:  The Mitten by Jan Brett
Blue:  Blizzard by John Rocco
Purple:  Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne

In the comments below tell us what you think.  Make sure you tell us which book or books you are talking about and include REASONS for your opinions.

New Book by John Rocco

First of all, let me just say...I AM SO EXCITED!!!

But before I tell you why I'm so excited here's a little introduction:

Our second graders read Wolf! Wolf! by John Rocco.  I happen to think he is one of the COOLEST blue fiction picture book authors ever.  AND...I MET HIM!  He even signed my copy of Wolf! Wolf! and two other books he wrote that I own, Moonpowder and Fu Finds the Way.

  

So the reason for my excitement is that he is coming out with a new book this week! Here's a video he made about it.  What do you think?

Use the comments below to tell me what you think about John Rocco's new book or another book of his that you already read and be sure to include REASONS to support your opinion.

Amazing Animals: Penguins

Penguins are some amazing animals. Many live in Antarctica, a frozen land of sparkling ice. Penguins have some amazing adaptations that help them live in such a cold place. Watch this video to learn about these amazing animals and then pick up one of the books on my penguin rainbow to learn more.


Red:  Penguins by Gail Gibbons
Red:  The Life Cycle of an Emperor Penguin by Bobbie Kalman

Read Now!

Yellow:  Penguins See How They Grow by DK Publishing 

Green:  Antarctic Antics:  A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra
Blue:  Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
Purple:  Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne

Meet the Authors

Our second graders read the story Lola & Tiva:  An Unlikely Friendship.  This book is written by Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff.  It is a true story so it is considered an orange book on our rainbow of books.
Orange books are nonfiction because they tell stories that really happened.

Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff are my favorite team of authors for orange true story books.

Here are some other books written by them:

Orange:  Winter's Tale:  How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again
Orange:  Hope for Winter:  The True Story of a Remarkable Dolphin Friendship
Orange:  Junior Buddy:  A Jaguar's Tale
Orange:  Knut:  How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World
Orange:  Leo the Snow Leopard
Orange:  Looking for Miza:  The True Story of the Mountain Gorilla Family Who Rescued One of Their Own
Orange:  Owen and Mzee:  The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship
Orange:  Panda Patrol:  Caring for a Cub

Want to learn more about this family of authors?  Read about them in this Scholastic News.

Second Graders:  Our classroom password is KennelClub1

Have you ever read any of these books?  Did you read the Scholastic News?  Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Pet Friends

Our second graders are thinking about the question:

"How can a pet be an important friend?"

They are reading many blue fiction picture books to help them answer that question.

Here are some books from three different colors on the Rainbow of Books that will help you think more about how a pet can be an important friend.

Pet Friends Book Rainbow:
Orange:  Pet Heroes by Nicole Corse
Green:  Cat Poems selected by Myra Cohn Livingston and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Green:  It's Hard to Read a Map with a Beagle on Your Lap by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Clément Oubrerie
Purple:  Henry and Mudge:  The First Book by Cynthia Rylant and Suçie Stevenson

If you've read Not Norman by Kelly Bennett you might want to listen to Norman's side of the story in Not Curtis also written by Kelly Bennett and read by Ms. Kramer.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Tell me what you think in the comments below!  You could...

1. Tell what you think about the Pet Friends Book Rainbow.

2. Compare Not Norman and Not Curtis.

3. Tell examples from any pet friends stories you've read that show how a pet can be an important friend.

Holly Keller

 More Holly Keller Books

This week the second graders in our school read Holly Keller's book Help!  A Story of Friendship. This book is blue on our rainbow of books because it is a fiction picture book. But Holly Keller has worked on books from other colors, too!

Here are some more Holly Keller books you might like to read.

Blue:  Pearl's New Skates by Holly Keller
Red:  Why I Cough, Sneeze, Shiver, Hiccup, & Yawn by Melvin Berger; illustrated by Holly Keller
Yellow:  Snow Is Falling by Franklyn M. Branley; illustrated by Holly Keller

Listen to Ms. Jones read Pearl's New Skates and tell me what you think in the comments!

ELVIS`S collage book

My book is about a cheeta  that`s  really a  dolphin and it  gets  captured  but, it gets  saved  by  a
unsal  way.

Cora's Collage Book

My collage book is about rain in a town called Hairock.At first,there is rain.The town is happy about that.They love the rain.It always rained there.Then one day it stopped.Hairock was very sad. It came back one day,and Hairock was joyfl.

Kate's collage book.

In my story fairy land gets hit by a storm and a mermaid comes and uses her powers to save everyone.

NATE'S COLLAGE BOOK

In my collage book  Frankenstein turns people into crazy fish people in the made-up city Salviot (SAL-V-OHT). The city turns crazy colors too. Then this big explosion happens and turns the town BEAUTIFUL. Frankenstein explodes and the people turned normal. THE END.

This is how I made my book. First I made some pictures. Then I thought of the story. Last, I  cut some of the pictures out and glued them on to other pictures. That's all I got to now but I will finish it later.

Sophia 's collage book

My book is about a fish  who has no friend. But some fish are mean to him. At the end sbecause you are hurting  there feelings.OK . BYE!omething makes him happy. My book teaches you  what if you had no  friends . So if are mean to your friends THEN STOP! 

Miguel's collage book

I'm making a book about dinosaurs.

Lillian's collage book

My book is about a mermaid named lily.Do you like books I hope you like mine. I love books.

Kylies collage book

I'm going to write a book about two girls named Kylie and Reese.  They also go to the zoo and Kylie finds a stuffed animal but I can't tell anymore you'll have to read it for your self.

Keilah's collage book

My book is about a mermaid  named Elsa.it Is a lot like Ariel and frozen,but in to a different story.When my book is finished,I hope you read my book.

Kaitlyn's Collage Book

My book is about a mermaid and 2 fish and they FREEZE because a mean polar bear. At one point a fish comes and saves them with magic so beautiful that the polar bear is so nice that he asks if he could be their friend and they said yes!!!! 

Charlies collage book

so far  in my collage book I am writing about a snake and a coyote and they are best friends. The snake finds out that he is moving 200 miles away from coyote and snake had to tell coyote. I am not going to tell you the ending but there may or may not be some color changing and there may or may not be a pig or a squid.

Shannons Collage Book

My book is about a flomango,fairy princess,and a donkey.theres a storm and they get flone somewhere in the storm.You'll have to read the book to find out what storm it is and where they land.

Casey's Collage book

My book is about how friend ship began.
So far I am on my first page.my book is about a dog,a fire unicorn,and a dolphin.I hope you will like my book!!!

Anuva's collage book

Hi i'm anuva and  i'm going to write a folktale its going to be great its going to be about a leaperd finds a friend.

Lily's Collage Book

I am writing and illistrating a collage book in class about a mermaid. First I make something but not anything really. Then I find what my pictures look like. Next I collage and try to make it neat. Last I write the story and read it to myself. And that is how you could make a collage book.

Andrew colloz book

I'm going to be writing about the Fourth of July.  I have a dinosaur, a lizard, and a flamingo.  The fireworks scare the flamingo.  The dinosaur and lizard say that it's okay.  He comes back.  Then he is never scared again about fireworks. 

Isabella's collage book

It's a book about a dog who try's to surf but she gets stuck at sea. Two dolphins tack her back to the shore.there is 4 pages. It is going to be a great book.

Miss Kramer's Collage Book

I'm going to be writing a folktale.  It's about when the earth and sky become one.  It's going to be a love story.  I might read it during my wedding ceremony.  I think this is good because it's about love.

Kennel Club Radio Show

Photo by elycefeliz on flickr

Today on the Kennel Club Radio Show we have Shannon, Lillian, and Miguel reading the April poem, "In Time of Silver Rain" by Langston Hughes.

APRIL POEM

Welcome Douglas Florian!

We will get to meet a published author next week, Douglas Florian!  Here are a few of the poetry books he has written.  Want to find out more?  Visit his page on Amazon here.

Earth Rainbow

BOOK CHALLENGE:  EARTH RAINBOW

This book challenge will have you reading a rainbow of books about the Earth!  Here are ten books that go along with this theme.  To meet the challenge you must read three Earth books and they each must have a different color.  Here are ten suggested books, but you can read other books on this theme too:

Red:  Our Earth:  Helping Out (Scholastic News) by Peggy Hock (available on Bookflix)

Red:  Recycle That! (Rookie Read-About Science) by Fay Robinson (available on Bookflix)

Orange:  Wangari's Trees of Peace:  A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter

Yellow:  Where Does the Garbage Go by Paul Showers

Yellow:  Children of the Earth...Remember by Schim Schimmel

Yellow:  Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow:  A Compost Story by Linda Glaser

Green:  Compost Stew:  An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by mary McKenna Siddals

Blue:  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Blue:  Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (available on Bookflix)

Blue: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown (available on Bookflix)

You can read these books at home or in class.  Just remember to put them on your reading log!  Almost all of these books can be found in either the Morris Plains or the Morris County Library and many of them are available in our classroom.  

Use the comments section to make comments, ask questions, or tell us other great Earth books you've read.

Happy reading,

Miss Kramer

Kennel Club Radio Show

Photo by Olivier GR on flickr

Today on the Kennel Club Radio Show we have Anuva reading the March poem, "Mountain Brook" by Elizabeth Coatsworth.

MARCH POEM

Miss Kramer's Book Review

Kennel Club Radio Show

Photograph by herrolm

Today on the Kennel Club Radio Show we have Kylie reading the February poem, "When Skies Are Low and Days Are Dark" by N. M. Bodecker.

FEBRUARY POEM

Kennel Club Radio Show

Photograph by  Boris Mitendorfer Photography

Today on the Kennel Club Radio Show we have Elvis reading the January poem, January by John Updike.

JANUARY POEM

Weather Rainbow

BOOK CHALLENGE:  WEATHER RAINBOW

This book challenge will have you reading a rainbow of books about weather!  Here are fifteen books that go along with this theme.  To meet the challenge you must read three weather books and they each must have a different color.  Here are fifteen suggested books, but you can read other books on this theme too:

Red:  Snowy Weather Days (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers) by Katie Marsico (available on Bookflix)

Red:  Rainy Weather Days (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers) by Pam Rosenberg (available on Bookflix)

Red:  Clouds (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science) by Anne Rockwell

Red:  The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola

Orange:  Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Orange:  Super Storms That Rocked the World by Mark Shulman

Orange:  The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julia Hanna

Yellow:  What Will The Weather Be by Lynda DeWitt

Green:  Cloud Dance by Thomas Locker

Blue:  Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse (available on Bookflix)

Blue:  Thunkercake by Patricia Polacco

Blue:  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Blue:  The Rain Came Down by David Shannon

Purple:  Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne

Purple:  Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne

You can read these books at home or in class.  Just remember to put them on your reading log!  Almost all of these books can be found in either the Morris Plains or the Morris County Library and many of them are available in our classroom.  

Use the comments section to make comments, ask questions, or tell us other great weather books you've read.

Happy reading,

Miss Kramer

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

A Book Review by Shannon

Ramadan

A Book Review by Elvis

A Color of His Own

A Book Review by Sophia

Just Another Ordinary Day

A Book Review by Taylor

Dragons Love Tacos

A Book Review by Nate

Miss Nelson Is Missing

A Book Review by Kate

My First American Friend

A Book Review by Cora

Giggle, Giggle, Quack

A Book Review by Lily

The Mitten

A Book Review by Kaitlyn

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash

A Book Review by Anuva

Jan Brett

Visit Jan Brett online!

Jan Brett wrote and illustrated one of my favorite stories to read in January, The Mitten.  

Want to learn more about her and her books?  Visit her website:

http://www.janbrett.com/index.html

Check out the activities, coloring pages, and even her blog!  If you want to write to her make sure you click on the comments button on HER blog, not ours!