Ashley+Hurt


 * __Caldecott Honor:__** Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity

Willems, M. (2008). Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. New York, NY: Hyperion. IBSN: 978-1423102991. This story is about a little girl named Trixie and her stuffed animal Knuffle Bunny. Trixie cannot wait to take Knuffle Bunny with her to pre-school. During the school day, Trixie and her new friend get in trouble with their bunnies and their teacher takes them away. At the end of the day, the teacher returns their bunnies and the girls go home. In the middle of the night, both girls wake up and realize that they bunnies that they now have are not actually their own, but their teacher has mixed them up! The girls’ parents have to take them to switch their bunnies in the middle of the night, so that they have the right one. Trixie is happy to have Knuffle Bunny back where he belongs and she has made a new friend. I loved this book and I read it with my kindergarten class. They also loved this book! I liked the fact that it was a story that most of my class could relate to in some way. They thought that it was funny during certain parts and they were very engaged during the whole story time. Common Core Standard: K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. K.RL.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. Classroom Activity: Students will sequence the story Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. Once they have sequenced the story’s events, discuss what the problem and the solution was. They will then write and illustrate about something that they have lost. I read this story during the week that we read another story called, //Plaidypus Lost//. We connected the two stories and discussed things that we had lost and how we felt when we lost them. We also discussed if we found them and how we felt when we found what we had lost. Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten’s First Full Moon. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 978-0060588281. In this story, Kitten sees her first full moon. She thinks that it is a large bowl of milk and she decides that she really wants it. Throughout the story, Kitten tries in many ways to get the bowl of milk. She falls down stairs after jumping to try to get it. There are a lot of silly things that happen to Kitten while trying to get the large bowl of milk. I enjoyed this story and I especially loved the black and white illustrations. My kindergarten class loved reading this story. Many of my students this year love cats and they thought that this story was silly. We laughed a lot while reading this story about Kitten and the first full moon that she ever saw. Common Core Standard: K.RL.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. Classroom Activity: Using a venn diagram, students will compare and contrast //Kitten’s First Full Moon// with Mo Willem’s story, //Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!// The characters in both of these stories really want something. There are many similarities and differences in what they each want and how they go about trying to get what they want. The teacher will do this whole group on the ACTIVBoard and the students can complete their own at their tables using drawing, labeling and sentences, depending on ability level. Wiesner, D. (2008). Flotsam. New York, NY: Carion Books. ISBN: 978-0-618-19457-5. This book is a story that is told only through illustrations, without words. In this story, a little boy goes to the beach to collect anything that he can find. He ends up finding a camera and he enjoys looking at the pictures. I am still unsure how I feel about this book. Some stories that are told through illustrations are great, because it allows the reader to make up their own interpretation of the story. I think that this is a story that would have been told very well using words. I read this with my kindergarten class and it was difficult to do with a whole group of 22 students. It would be better done in a small guided reading group or one-on-one. Common Core Standard: K.W.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. Classroom Activity: Students will read the story with their teacher and discuss what they think is happening throughout the book. They will then write a sentence to go with each illustration in the story. This can be done whole group, because it would be difficult for kindergarten students to write a sentence for each page of the entire book. When finished, they will read through the book again, this time using their point of view and the story that they wrote together as a class. DiCamillo, K. (2001). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0763607762. This is a wonderful story about friendship. 10-year old Opal goes into a Winn-Dixie and comes out with a dog. Her mother is no longer living, and through Winn-Dixie’s ability to make new friends, Opal learns a lot about her mother and herself through the new people in her town that she meets. I really enjoyed this book. I had wanted to read this for quite some time and I am glad that I had the opportunity. It is a great story about friendship, even with a dog. Common Core Standard: 3.RL.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribue to the sequence of events. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #24 Character Mapping Nelson, K. (2009). We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Baseball. New York, NY: Hyperion Books. ISBN: 0786808322. This story is told through a narrator. The narrator tells the story of the Negro Baseball League. There are many trials and difficulties that the ball players must overcome. They are faced with stereotyping, hatred, discrimination and so much more. The ball players strive to overcome all that they are faced, so that they can continue doing what they love. This book was not my favorite children’s story that I have ever read. I am glad that I read it, but I do not see myself using it in a classroom in the future. While the story has a great ending, there was a lot of negativity throughout the story. Common Core Standard: 5.RL.6 Describe how a narrators’ or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #20 Vocabulary Journals
 * __Caldecott Honor:__** Kitten’s First Full Moon
 * __Caldecott Honor:__** Flotsam
 * __Newberry Award:__** Because of Winn-Dixie
 * __Corretta Scott King:__** We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Markle, S. (2009). How Many Baby Pandas?. London, England: Walker Children’s. ISBN: 0802797830. This is a counting story about panda cubs. The pandas were born in China in captivity. In this story, students count up to 16. The pandas are followed as they grow and change. I really enjoyed this story. I read this with my kindergarten class when we read another book called, //Little Panda.// Students enjoyed learning more panda facts through this story. Common Core Standard: K.CC.1 Count to 100 by ones and by tens. K.RL.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #29 Connect It (This story was read after we had already read other panda books and had some prior knowledge about them).
 * __Orbis Pictus Award:__** How Many Baby Pandas?

Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0395551137. This story does not have many words at all. It is about a group of frogs that use their lily pads as magic carpet rides. This story follows their Tuesday night journey. I loved this book! I had heard a lot about it before, but had never gotten a chance to read it myself. It was a great book to be able to use your imagination. Common Core Standard: K.RL.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #43 Collaborative Writing Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. New York, NY: Hyperion Books. ISBN: 978-0-7868-1870-9. This story is about Trixie and her stuffed animal that she takes everywhere with her, Knuffle Bunny. When Trixie and her Daddy go run errands, she loses Knuffle Bunny. On the way home, Trixie tries to tell her Daddy that she has lost Knuffle Bunny, but she cannot yet speak. When they get home, Daddy realizes what she has been trying to tell him all along. They race all over to try to find Knuffle Bunny again and they end up finding Knuffle Bunny at the Laundromat. I loved this story and my kindergarten class did as well. They found a lot of humor in the fit that Trixie was throwing and the fact that her Daddy didn’t know why she was so upset. Common Core Standard: K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #44 Attribute Webs
 * __KY Bluegrass Award:__** Tuesday
 * __KY Bluegrass Award:__** Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

Gomez, L. (2008). Toads. Nicaragua: Fondo Editorial Libros Para Ninos. ISBN: 978-99924-67-22-0. This is a story that teaches the difference between frogs and toads. It is about a family of toads, who have 8 children. They are a very strange family. I enjoyed this story. I think that this would be a great book to integrate in science. It would be a good story to use when talking about life cycles. During the spring we talk about the life cycles of butterflies and various other animals. Common Core Standard: K.RL.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #50 Learning Logs.
 * __International Books:__** Toads

Wilhelm, H. (1994). Bad, Bad Bunny Trouble. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 0-590-47916-4. Ralph and the other bunnies are gathered for a birthday party. While they are having a great time, three hungry foxes show up ready to make a stew out of them. Ralph saves them with a great soccer kick. I enjoyed this story. It is not one that I would use in my classroom, just because I find it difficult to make any connections with this story and have a hard time integrating it into any other subject. Common Core Standard: K.RL.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #15 Readers Theatre Thomas, J. (2009). Rhyming Dust Bunnies. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-33116-6. This is a book that teaches children rhyming. There are four dust bunnies and three of them rhyme all the time. The fourth dust bunny, does not always say correct rhyming words. I really like this book. It is a great book to use to teach children rhyming words. When Bob says a word that is wrong, the children can help correct him and come up with a list of rhyming words. Common Core Standard: K.RFS.2.a Recognize and produce rhyming words Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #1 Rhyme Generation Litwin, E. (2008). Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-41966-6. This is a story that follows Pete the Cat. He has on brand new white shoes and throughout the story Pete steps into different things and his shoes change colors. At the end of the story Pete steps into a bucket of water and his shoes are white again. I love this story! I will definitely use this with my kindergarten class. It is great for the beginning of the year and identifying colors. There is also the good lesson at the end of “Whatever you step in, just keep walking along and singing your song.” Common Core Standard: K.RL.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #12 Choral Reading Wilson, K. (2011). Bear’s Loose Tooth. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-45408-7. In this story, Bear and his friends are eating together and they discover that he has a loose tooth. All of the friends try to get Bear’s tooth out for him. They are unsuccessful. Bear gets his tooth out and puts it under his pillow and the tooth fairy comes. The next morning Bear’s friends all come for breakfast and Bear discovers that he has another loose tooth! I enjoyed this book. I read this with my kindergarten class when we were reading, //Bear Snores On.// This was a great book for this grade, because a lot of the students are just beginning to lose their own teeth. Common Core Standard: K.RFS.3.c Read common high-frequency words by sight
 * __E-Books:__** Bad, Bad Bunny Trouble
 * __Book:__** Rhyming Dust Bunnies
 * __Book:__** Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
 * __Book:__** Bear’s Loose Tooth

Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #13 Read-Arounds Dewdney, A. (2009). Llama Llama Misses Mama. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0-545-28604-6. In this book, Mama puts Llama to bed and then goes to bed herself. Llama starts to miss his Mama and he yells for her. This is a great book for kindergarten students, because they can relate to starting to miss their parents when they are not with them. I enjoyed this book very much! Common Core Standard: K.RL.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #24 Character Mapping (We read a lot of other books that have Llama in them) Shulman, M. & McCauley, A. (2006). Mom and Dad Are Palindromes. San Franscisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN: 978-0-8118-4328-7. This is a book that teaches what a palindrome is and they are strategically placed throughout the entire story. Bob’s teacher explains to him that his name is a palindrome. He does not like this idea and is upset throughout the entire book. I enjoyed this book a lot! I think that it would be great to use in a classroom to teach students what palindromes are. They should point them out throughout the entire book. Common Core Standard: 4.RFS.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
 * __Book:__** Llama Llama Misses Mama
 * __Book:__** Mom and Dad Are Palindromes

Classroom Activity: Promoting Literacy Development #17 Word Mapping