My Experience

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with reading.  I started reading when I was in preschool, and when I started going to school at St. Mark in first grade, all the other students were amazed because I was reading chapter books.  I read a lot all through grade school, but once I got to high school, I became a lot more busy than I was used to, and I stopped reading.  Recently, I've begun to pick up more books and start reading, and I am much happier.  I read whenever I get a chance! 

When I was little, my favorite book was called Listen, Buddy by Helen Lester.  While I could not find this book at my house to write about for this project, trust me, it was definitely a favorite.  It is very worn down from being read so many times.  It is about a little rabbit with HUGE ears that are wasted.  He cannot listen to anything his parents, or anyone else, says to him, which gets him into a lot of trouble.

Reading is very important to a child's life.  Without an early basis of reading, a child will be unprepared for middle school, high school, college, and eventually the real world.  Teachers need to force students to read books so that they can practice for future classes.  In general, students need to be focused on reading so that they can be successful in life.

Polar Bears

This book was written by Gail Gibbons.  I have a friend whose favorite animal is a polar bear, and it has been ever since she was in first grade, so I chose this book especially for students who like polar bears.  This book is beautifully crafted to explain anything and everything about polar bears.  It talks about the size of their paws, as well as the size of their body.  It also talks about their diet, blubber, and cubs.  I think any kid would love to read this book.  It is mostly for children in 1st and 2nd grades.



This website has games for polar bear lovers!

Gibbons, Gail. Polar Bears. New York: Holiday House, 2001.

Renaissance

This book was written by Francene Sabin and illustrated by Hal Frenck.  The book teaches older elementary students about what the Renaissance was all about.  Sabin details information about Michelangelo's Sistene Chapel, along with Martin Luther's strong voice in the Church.  Johannes Gutenberg is mentioned a few times as well.  This book is great for a history lesson for children around 4th grade level.  They will enjoy learning about the people whose names have been mentioned to them before. 



Click here to play games and learn more about the Renaissance :)

Sabin, Francene, and Hal Frenck. Renaissance. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Associates, 1985.

T is for Turkey

This book was written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Gerald Kelley.  Stone goes through the ABC's, with each letter standing for something related to the Thanksgiving traditions.  From the Mayflower to pilgrims, and so much more, Stone manages to teach children about Thanksgiving while teaching them the alphabet.  At the very end of the book, on the inside of the back cover, there is an even more detailed description about the events that led up to Thanksgiving. Stone's audience is children around ages 3-7.



This has a whole page filled with Thanksgiving activities!

Stone, Tanya Lee., and Gerald Kelley. T Is for Turkey: a True Thanksgiving Story. New York: Price Stern Sloan, 2009.

Olympics!

This nonfiction book was written by B.G. Hennessy.  The book explains to young children what the Olympics are all about.  Using many illustrations, Hennessy teaches children about the history of the Olympics, along with past medalists.  Olympics! mostly tells students about what events there are, and what goes on in the events. This book is mostly for children around the ages of 4-8. 


Click here for Olympic activities :)

Hennessy, B. G., and Michael Chesworth. Olympics! New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking, 1996.

Junie B., First Grader (at Last!)

This book was written by Barbara Park.  In this book, the hilarious Junie B. Jones finally moves up into first grade.  In the previous books in the series, she had been in kindergarden.  Junie B. soon realizes on her first day of school that her old best friend, Lucille, has ditched her for new friends.  Junie then finds out that she needs glasses.  Her year just keeps getting worse.  But things finally look up for Junie B when she starts to make new friends and they all like her glasses.  This book is for kids from 1st-4th grades.



This website has fun Junie B. activities for children.

Park, Barbara, and Denise Brunkus. Junie B., First Grader (at Last!). New York: Random House, 2001.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

This book was written by Dav Pilkey.  This story, the first in a series, is about two fourth graders who hypnotize their principal, who then turns into Captain Underpants.  Mr. Krupp, the principal, turns into Captain Underpants when he hears fingers snapping.  He strips of his clothes and puts on a red cape.  He turns back into the principal when he has water poured on his head.  This book is funny and meant for kids around 3rd and 4th grade levels.



Here are some Captain Underpants activities!

Pilkey, Dav. The Adventures of Captain Underpants: an Epic Novel. New York: Blue Sky, 1997.