What Was I Scared Of?

Have you read this book?  Do you want to read it?  Do you have questions for Ella?  Write in the comments below!

There's a Wocket in my Pocket!

Have you read this book?  Do you want to read it?  Do you have questions for Declan?  Write in the comments below!

Little Bear's Visit

Have you read this book?  Do you want to read it?  Do you have questions for Amelia?  Write in the comments below!

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!