3321 Mon. Night 12th AUTHOR

The Skirt is written by Gary Soto. It's about a young girl Miata who was a student of folklorico dancing. An unfortunate situation occurred when Miata forgets her shirt on the school bus. The adventure starts when she and her friend Ana go out to search for the shirt on a number of school buses. Will she get the shirt for her Sunday folklorico performance? Read the book and find out. This book is Contemporary Realistic Fiction and an easy to read novel for 7-11 year olds.
It is written by Gary Soto who was born and raised in Fresno Cal. He was the finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award. He has received the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Author Illustrator Civil Rights Award from the National Education Association, and the PEN Center West Book Award for Petty Crimes. He is the author of numerous poems which have appeared in various magazines. You can read more about Gary Soto and his interests and life on his website.
http://www.garysoto.com/

3321 Mon. Night 11th AUTHOR

Dave Horowitz was an average little boy. Instead of paying attention to his teachers he drew picture of them. He went to a famous college in Rhode Island and studied coloring. He eventually grew up and started writing and illustrating books for children.
Beware of Tigers is a poetic book. Its rhyming story is big, beautiful, and charming as the pictures. the main characters are two little birds who think they know it all and can trust even the untrustable. The pictures are huge and brightly colored just right to get the attention of the very young.
The story shows us that we should take into consideration the warnings given to us; but if we don not, it's always good to have a big friend to help out. This book is for the elementary level.
http://www.horowitzdave.com/

3321 Mon. Night Chapter 5

Poetry has a lot of elements that can be used in the special educational class. It consists of sound, rhyme, repetition, rhythm. I like what it says on page 91 about poets; it states that,"poets are crafters of language, carving and polishing their words until they create just the right image and sound." In this I see poets as artists and teachers. They both have to be creative to bring out just the right element they want out of the people they are reaching.
The rhyme can be used in the connection of words sound alikes and rhythm with instruments to connect words to the sound patterns of those instruments. Repetition is also used to ground what is being taught to these students, so I believe that poetry does have a place in this class. I like figure 5.2 which show how nature and every day experiences can also be used in poetry.
The sections Single-Poet collection, Single Poems in Picture Book Format, and Special Considerations for Young Children are a great assist to the special education class. Each section has its own feature as to how to bring out the poetry from within the students. Now I see that there are so many diverse ways that students can express poetry. The teacher would definitely have to have vision to incorporate these sections in the class; because without vision nothing will get done.

3321Mon. Night Chapter 4

I like this chapter regarding responding to literature because it really informs me of how children get when they are truly engaged in their book when they read. I used to think that when I would call a student and he or she did not respond to me it meant they were being rude. That is why I am trying to find books that relate to every area of life for my blog list; as it is stated in this chapter, "the places we've been, the people we've known, our ages-everything about us-influence how we respond to a book." pg.59.
Though I plan to teach special education, I like the idea of having books at the beginning of the school year and seeing which ones the students prefer by having them select the ones they like. Until now I did not realize how many things really influence children's response' to books. Now I understand why a student may be shy in not wanting to read out loud in class. Getting a child started early in life is important regarding getting him or her familiar with books, as well as respond to questions, discussions, and reading the book.
As I was reading regarding what a powerful influence peers are I got the idea of a class activity. The activity is to discuss the book before hand, read the book to the class, divide the book into sections as I read and ask questions. After wards divide the class into sections and hold conference time so each group of students can talk about the book, draw a picture, write words relating to the story, and then group by group each would talk about the story. I believe this would help in thier relation to peers, speech, writing, creativity, and memory; that is why I was really drawn to the Ativities for Deepening Children's Responses to Literature section on pg. 77-84.

3321 Mon. Night 10th AUTHOR

The World According To Dog is a book of poetry written by Joyce Sidman and co-written by several of Joyce's new found teen authors. These young friends contributed essays to the book. They held a "dog parties" to promote the book and meet new dog friends" in Minneapolis St. Paul. This book is for dog lovers of all ages of which I am one.

This book started with her dog. In a time of needed her dog was her comforter. when Joyce took her book of poems to her editor she asked a challenging question. That question was the "What if " question. What if teenagers wrote about their dogs and added to the book? Sidman knew she had an interesting challenge there. So she asked for help from librarians, school teachers, and even got on teen web sites and asked teenagers to write in about their dogs; an the essays with pictures poured in.

I believe this is one of the most beautiful authors I have had the privilege of writing about. Joyce Sidman is a humble person; I say this because she could have insisted on keeping this book to herself, but she did not. That is what a true mentor is. To invited, encourage, and welcome new talent to share in her books. We need more authors like Joyce Sidman.

Joyce Sidman started writing at a very young age. She started keeping journals as words popped into her head. Sidman believes in "time alone" she calls this "pondering time." This is a time where ideas, questions and solutions come. A time everyone needs, a time of no disturbances, silence, a time a person can see, listen, and learn of the world around them. She likes to use images and metaphors to write her poetry which comes easily to her. Sidman is a nature lover and that is where she gets her inspiration to write.

Come into Joyce's world of poetry it is for all ages.

http://www.joycesidman.com/

3321 Mon. Night 9th AUTHOR

Ramona is an enchanting and invigorating character in a series of books that Beverly Cleary has written. Thought out the series Ramona grows and experiences life to the fullest. Her older bother Beezus finds his little sister to be a pest at times. Still, Ramona gets into some unforgettable adventures in each book. Some books in the series of Ramona are: Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, and more. Cleary has books with different main characters and she also has books in Spanish. These books are for ages 10 - 12.

Beverly Cleary was born in Oregon where she lived on a farm in Yamhill with her family. Her mother arranged with the state library to send books to Yamhill; and she became the first librarian in that town. They moved to Portland where she attended grammar school and high school. Because she came from a farm she did not have environment to be a good reader. She was put in the lowest reading circle, but by the third grade she conquered reading and spent much of her time in books and in the library.

After graduating form college in Ontario, California and the University in California she went to the school of Librarianship. The work of a librarian brought her in contact with numerous children from the street. They captured her heart and she started a story hour in a park. Eventually the children asked her, "'Where are the books that tell about us?' And she responded with her first book." She and her husband Clearance Cleary eventually moved to California.

http://www.beverlycleary.com/

3321 Mon. Night 8th AUTHOR

Esperanza Rising is about a young Mexican girl who would be considered a rich girl. But when tragedy strikes her vision is changed for ever. Her mother and she have to move to a California labor camp where they have to foster a new way of life. Even among their own race they face the challenge of being accepted. Eventually Esperanza has to let go of the past and face the future with undaunting strength and realize the riches it holds for her. This book is Contemporary Realistic Fiction and is for 12 year olds and older.
This book is written by Pam Munoz, who has won countless awards. Some of her awards are: the Pura Belpre Medal, the Jane Addams Peace Award, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, and the Americas Award Honor Book to mention a few. Pam Munoz Ryan was born and grew up in California where she and her family still reside.
As a child she spent many of her hours in the public library because it had air conditioning. There is where she learned to love to read books. After graduating from college she wanted to work in a profession that had to do with books. She became a teacher and then an administrator. A friend of hers believed that Pam Munoz could write. Thus, began the journey that caused her to become an author.
http://www.pammunozryan.com/

3321 Mon. Night 7th AUTHOR

Where Do Balloons Go? is written by Jamielee Curtis. It is the kind of book I like. It stirs up the imagination, and adds creativity to a rather dull, painful, and negative experience. This book was inspired at an outdoor party. Curtis states, "... It started to rain and one little boy let go of his balloon and the other children followed suite. Looking up he asked his mother,'Where do the balloons go?'" At that moment she knew she had the beginning of a book. This book is Fiction and for the elementary level.

Jamielee Curtis moonlights as an actress and photographer. She is the daughter of actor Tony Curtis. Curtis' books talk about life lessons. Her motivation is that her books stimulate parents to discuss with their children the issues mentioned in the book they read together. Curtis' books are simple, clear, and connect to what is good and bad.

Some of her books include: Big Words For Little People, Is There Really a Human Race?, It's Hard To Be Five, Tell Me Again Of The Night I Was Born, and more. Her website offers her book list, fun and games, teaching resources, play the big word spelling game, and meet her illustrator.

http://www.jamieleecurtisbooks.com/

3321 Mon. Night 6th AUTHOR

Mr. Lincoln's Way is written by Patricia Polacco. This book is about a a boy who is a bully and is very prejudice. The new principle, Mr. Lincoln, has a very unique way of helping children over come their prejudice. He uses the beauty, differences, and simplicity of nature for this young bully to over come his. I would like to own this book myself. This is a book Contemporary Realistic Fiction and for all ages.

Patricia Polacco has written countless books including The Butterfly which is from and experience from her aunt Monique's life. I Hear The Sun is about a boys lonely, homeless life. He be friends Stephenie Michele who takes care of geese. Faith unfolds as the geese prepare to fly south for the winter and he says that the geese have invited him to go with them.

Patricia Polacco lived in Michigan and her family moved several times. Her family lived with her grandparents for a while. They turned to be some of her greatest inspiration for writing. Her parents divorced so she spent the school months with her mother and the summers with her dad. Instead of letting this situation bring her down she used it to her writing advantage. Polacco writes many of her books from her life experiences.

As a child, Polacco had difficulty in school. She didn't understand why she couldn't learn to read and do math like her classmates and was teased by a bully in her class because of this problem. She learn to read at the age of 14 years. Only then did she come to find out that she had a learning disability called dyslexia. Her teacher was the one that found out about her problem and got her the help she needed to succeed in school. Polacco states, "Now I know that being learning disabled does not means DUMB AT ALL." She understood that being learning disabled only meant that she had a different way of learning.

Like many other writers Patricia Polacco graduated with a degree of Fine Arts. At the age of 41 she started to put on paper the stories that her family told her, and the illustrating came into her easily since art was in her veins due to her disability. Polacco lives in Union City, Michigan and has opened her home and has writing seminars, storytelling festivals, literature conferences and more. She invites the public to come and take part in these events.

Check out her website and learn more about her life, books, activity ideas, and fun stuff.

http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

3321 Mon. Night Chapter 14

I believe that writing is a marvelous way to help students become more independent, self sufficient, have a positive attitude about themselves, and be creative. It's a time of exploration and for hidden talents and skills to be seen. I am glad that we are doing this blogging because I have been reading about so many writers who realized at a young age that they wanted to become a writer or artist which led them to become an illustrator. Likewise, through the reading of books the imagination is stirred up in children. Children's literature is an excellent example for the young writers to gain knowledge from.
When a student writes about his or her life experiences, or what they are interested in you really come to know that student a bit better. There is a part themselves that is released and they become freer than before. I like the idea of the minilessons because they help target problem areas. I think the editing conferences are great for teaching the young how to accept criticism; and this will help as they become an adult. I also like the fact that students are taught how to criticize someone else without tearing them apart.
Writing about ones self is a good way to help others. Many children tend to feel that they are the only ones going through a hardship, or sorrow, or a weird situation. Tomie De Paola is an example of such a writer. His book Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs is about memories of his childhood. There are many other authors that have written books regarding a personal event in their lives.

3321 Mon. Night Chapter 3

I use to think that comprehension was just recognizing what the words on the page were and knowing their definition. This chapter takes comprehension into greater depth. The reader not only has to now how to read and know what he or she is reading, but relate it to the world around him or her. It's finding the missing piece of the puzzle. In essence, comprehension gives life to what is read.
In reading about the Role of the Teacher I can see what an important part the teacher plays in the lives of the students. I see the teacher as a gardener. The teacher plants the seed (idea, challenge, motivation) in the students (soil) and waters (encourages, instructs, guides) the students for a while until the seed becomes a plant that breaks through from within the soil and flourishes with the strength of the sun, rain, and air (knowledge, understanding, experience=comprehension) day by day. I believe that having the right books, the wanting to read, and the wanting to learn more will bring students to the point of comprehending what they read a lot easier, and these are areas the teacher has to cultivate in the students while they are at school.
The sections Guiding Students, Reinforcing Concepts, Retelling and the Prereading Discussions have showed me diverse methods to use in reiterating reading time. Special needs students need things repeated more that once and in diverse ways because not all learn in the same way. I believe I can put to use the Comic Strip, Symbolic Represenation, and the Vocabulary Strategies in figure3.37 as well.

3321 Mon. Night 5th AUTHOR

From the age of four Tomie DePaola knew he wanted to be an artist. He got much support form family and teachers alike. Children inspired him to write chapter books since they were not allowed to use his picture books in their reports. DePaola has illustrated 250 books of which he has written 90.
The Legend Of The Bluebonnet is a book about a Native American legend that originated from the Comanche tribe. These Indians were in dierstraight because they had abused the earth. It took the unselfish sacrifice of one young Indian girl to bring life back to her peoples land; thus saving her people. This is a story for today. Now that we are facing economic distress and people are thinking of themselves; this book teaches about love, sacrifice, gratitude, their culture as well as their hearts.
Some of Tomie DePaola's interests are writing easy to read books plus a Mexican Cinderella story. He is also concerned about the safety of children since the days we live in have changed so much from when he was a child. He also feels very strongly about us giving away our freedom and holding onto our way of life. This book is Historical Fiction and for the elementary level.
http://childrenliterature-meetauthros/illustrators
http://www.tomie.com/
http://www.covegallory.com/ (his art work)

3321 Mon. Night 4th AUTHOR

The Polar Express is not only a book, it is now a movie as well. The book was written by Chris Van Allsburg. Van Allsburg got interested in art when he went of study law at The University of Michigan. After doing some black-and-white art work his wife felt they were darn good. So good that she took them to a children's book editor in Boston. Thus, Van Allsburg began to write children's books.
Chris Van Allsburg is a unique writer due to the fact that he does not write as most writers do. His method of writing is to ask and answer the "What if?' question. What if a boy woke up one night and found a steam train in his lining? What would he do?, Van Allsburg asked himself. This began the making of an unforgettable story of believing and imagination for all ages. The website below will take you to Chris Van Allsburg's main website where you will see his book list, games, biography, and much more.
http://www.childrenliterature-meetauthors/illustrators http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/vanallsburg

3321 mon. night 3rd Author

Jan Thornhill is an author who involves the issues she is concerned about in her books. Over in the Meadow is such a book. This book is the perfect educational tool for teachers. It is a counting, rhyming, baby animal, and puzzle book. A great book for those diverse themes a teacher needs at the last minute.

Jan has also written Wildlife ABC and Wildlife 123 in which she took the issues of the North American Wildlife and not only wrote but them but illustrated in these books as well. She won Canada's prestigious Governor Generals Award for Wildlife ABC. This book is Fiction and for the elementary level.

To learn more about Jan Thornhill and her books, awards, and her bibliography go to the website below.. Than click on the alphabet the author's last name start with and scroll down to find his/her name; this is on Google.

http://www.childrenliterature-meetauthors/illustrators

3321 mon. night 2nd Author

Virgina Frances Schwartz is a fantastic author who new from childhood what she wanted to become. Though she didn't take writing serious as a youngster she became a teacher and went on to teacher and inspire youngsters to learn to write. Like we are learning in class she too knows that reading is a great necessity for writing. She says, "Storytelling was the fuel and reading provided the fire."
Virginia is a writer with heart; she states,"I have always cheered for the underdog." As we have been reading about the second language learners and thier difficulties in school becasue of the teachers lack of understanding thier personal problems of not speaking English. She too knows how it is with children with diverse personal limitations. Thus, she gets a lot of her motivation for her books. through her books she lets children know they are not alone in what they are going through.
Her book Send One Angel Down is about a young girl who is from a family of slaves. Born on a plantation she is hated by the daughters of the owner of that plantation, but is she so hated? And why is her older cousin determined to protect her from life's horrors? What are those horrors? This novel is just one of Virgina Frances Schwartz's brilliant writings which tell of a possible true life story. This book is Contemporary Realistic Fiction and for ages 12 and up.
If you would like to get informed about Virgina Frances Schwartz and her writings go to the website below. Than scroll down to the alphabet that the author's last name start with; this is on Google. It will take you to her main website and it will lead you to her book list, resources, bibliography, awards, and much more.
http://www.childrenliterature-meetauthors/illustrators

3321 mon. night 1st Author

Eric Carle is an author I really enjoy. He writes with children in mind. He states, "with many of my books I attempt to bridge the gap between home and school for children. Because school is a new and different place with strange people." His books have humor, educational and moral values, they are colorful, and timeless. Some of his most famous books are The Very Hungry Catapillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, 123 Zoo, and The Mixed Up Chameleon.
This chameleon goes to the zoo and trys to become someone he is not. Even when he has the opportunity to be someone else this chameleon is not satisfied. The Mixed Up Chameleon is just one book that really gives opportunity for discussion time reagarding how a child sees him or herself.
Eric Carle's main website features his blog & news, games, newsletter, a list of his books, resources and FAQ's. He also has an area where he takes you step-by-step on doing the art for this book. Check it out. This book is for K-Grade 3.
http://www.childrenliterature-meetauthors/illustrators

3321 mon. night chapter 2

I see this chapter as the heart chapter because it reveals a subject that I thought was closed to the educator. The section on Deep Culture shows me two thing and those are that the culture of a student is important in the classroom and that it is OK to go that deep. I always thought that going that deep into their lives was "invasion of privacy." I feel that the ice has been broken. Like in chapter one, again I find another believe I can relate to and it starts on page 25. That believe is that the teacher, school, and even the district should do all that is needed to help all students reach their highest potential in school.
The only mismatching I can relate to at this time is the special needs one. Some of our students are going to a reading, writing, and math class that should teach at a level that would help them succeed, yet there are none at our school. Through my years of working in the school district, I have found that regular education teachers do not think of having special needs students in their class. I say this because there has not been any real modification in their work for these students. I am very disappointed that only two paragraphs were devoted to these students. Now I understand why people have told me over and over again that it takes a special person to work with these students.
I like the ideas of inviting a diverse number of people to come to the classroom so share on their culture and their of life now as well as on their ancestry. Visual such as pictures, items, clothing, foods, books, as well as a good storyteller would really show the students of life outside their domain. Children like hands on things to do, so having a craft to do would be a great experience as well as a great keep sake.

3321 mon. night chapter 1

In reading the first chapter of this book I have decided that I am going to keep this book. In this chapter alone I have found that these authors and I have the same believe in common; which is that all children can learn. When I read this phrase it reminded me of my philosophy of teaching I had to really think about, put together, and write on paper for an education class in Palo Alto College.
Like one of the teachers mentioned in this chapter, I to have written some poems and drawn pictures (but from my elementary days). Now I know how to use them in my future class. I was captured by the information given in each topic. Teaching children to want to read is an area I plan not to forget. This topic only encouraged me to start emphasizing on this area in the class I work in. Though I work with special needs children, I believe reading is not emphasized enough. A lot of these children need speech therapy, so I would think that integrating specific reading and discussion time would help their speech.
I really like the teacher's input regarding their classes. The pictures have shown me that many, many books are not too much; and that is contrary to what I thought. As I look at the picture on page 20, I am can see how I can use a specific book and intertwine reading, writing, art, and speech or discussion time in a lesson. I would have to modify so that means I would have to be very creative. But I have always enjoyed that challenge.