Monday, August 24, 2009

"TV...if kids are entertained by two letters, just imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six." Anonymous
What could be more fun than reading?

I spend a lot of time in bookstores...one of my few weaknesses...particularly the children's section. I'm never alone. There are always a few parents gazing at the sea of shelves with a bewildered expression. The librarian in me can't resist asking if they need help and inevitably the response is something like this --

"I have a (six-year-old or third-grader or ??? you get the picture). What would be a good book for him/her?"

Here are a few favorites from the students at my school.

A first-grade favorite is "Froggy Bakes a Cake" by Jonathan London because of all the onomatopoeia and personification. It's also really funny.

Among my second-graders the Caldecott Medal Book "Officer Buckle and Gloria" by Peggy Rathmann is a hit. Officer Buckle is a safety officer who doesn't have much success attracting an audience until he's joined by a police dog named Gloria. Gloria makes the presentations entertaining, but her antics almost end their partnership. Of course, it all works out in the end. The children think the story is hysterical.

Third-graders enjoy "The Bubble Factory" by Tomie dePaola. Twins accompany their Grandfather to a Bubble Factory to see how bubbles are made -- hijinks follow. It's good for giggles.

You may notice a theme here. Kids love to laugh.

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