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Friday, August 19, 2016

Poetry Friday



“Dear students, the summer has ended.
The school year at last has begun.
But this year is totally different.
We’re going to only have fun.
“We won’t study any mathematics,
and recess will last all day long.
Instead of the pledge of allegiance,
we’ll belt out a rock-and-roll song.
“We’ll only play games in the classroom.
You’re welcome to bring in your toys.
It’s okay to run in the hallways.
It’s great if you make lots of noise.
“For homework, you’ll play your Nintendo.
You’ll have to watch lots of T.V.
For field trips we’ll go to the movies
and get lots of candy for free.
“The lunchroom will only serve chocolate
and triple fudge sundaes supreme.”
Yes, that’s what I heard from my teacher
before I woke up from my dream.
Kenn Nesbitt

There’s a new ME this year,
An on-time ME,
A clean-desk ME,
A first-to-hand-in-assignments ME,
A listens-in-class-to-the-teacher ME,
A teacher’s-pet-for-the-first-time-in-my-life ME,
An-always-willing-to-be-good-and help-out ME,
A dead-serious-get-the-work-done-and-hand-it-in
Before-it’s-due ME.
The problem is
The new ME
Is not like ME
At all.
Kalli Dakos

POETRY FRIDAY is at Dori Reads

Saturday, August 13, 2016

PICTURE BOOK TEN FOR TEN


Super, super, super late to this party, and I don't even really have a theme, but I still don't want to miss out completely. These are just books that I am looking forward to sharing with kids when we go back next week. 

My guys would have appreciated this book about all different kinds of families when they were little!


Love this new book about the names. I'm delighted to have another book to pair with Kevin Henkes' CHRYSANTHEMUM!


Ian is a rule follower. His big sister Jenny is not (and she is a pincher besides!). The family goes to a cabin in the woods, where they are instructed not to open a specific door. Jenny opens it anyway and lets a whole group of monsters into the house. Ian is faced with the difficult dilemma of whether he should save his sister. 

A perfect beginning of the year (and maybe later too) about friends who fight, but then also care enough about each other to make up! 

A fun fairy tale adaptation for my dual language school!


Terrific mentor text for little guys just learning to write informative texts!


A little girl desperately misses her mom, who is in jail for violating immigration laws. After one particularly difficult visit, her mom starts sending tape recordings of bedtime stories. So many of my kiddos will connect to this book.


A picture book biography, told in first person, about Maria Tharp, the woman who mapped the ocean floor. Talk about growth mindset- phew!

Another biography- this is about Edith Houghton, a ten-year-old girl who played on a women's professional baseball team.

Gotta have at least one poetry picture book!