Dogs and Cats, Cats and Dogs - Books and Poetry

I've been reading books for the Cybils for several weeks. I should be writing a review for Steve Jenkin's book Dogs and Cats right now, but my mind has wandered into "perfect pair" territory. When Elaine Started Wild Rose Reader back in April, she outlined her hopes for the blog. One was to write features called "A Perfect Pair," where she would discuss two books with a common storyline or theme. This is a wonderful idea, particularly when one book in the pair is poetry.

I have a hard time convincing my students (some preservice teachers, some experienced teachers) to use the genre of poetry in the classroom. I wish it wasn't such a struggle, but it is. Perhaps by pairing poetry with other books, teachers can see the value in integrating more poetry into their instruction.

So, back to Dogs and Cats. I am crazy about the work Steve Jenkins does. I am always amazed at the depth he is able to create with his cut and torn paper collage creations. This book is told in two halves/directions, with the dog side and cat side offering parallel information (history, physical characteristics, etc.). They meet in the middle with the question "Friends or enemies?" Brief passages of informational text are accompanied by Jenkins' signature illustrations. Silhouettes of dogs and cats with interesting bits of information appear in the other animal's section, encouraging readers to think about the comparisons between animals. There is a lot of great information here in a book that is fun to peruse.

There are a number of poetry books that would make good partners for Jenkins' book. Here are a few of my favorites.

• bow wow meow meow: it's rhyming cats and dogs by Douglas Florian - Florian presents a series of 21 poems about domesticated and wild dogs and cats.

• I Am the Dog I Am the Cat by Donald Hall - This free verse poem alternates between the voice of a rottweiler and the voice of a tabby cat.
  

• Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry by Joyce Sidman - A dog and cat are trapped under a picnic table in a rainstorm. Since much of the verse forms the images on the page, readers will enjoy searching for the buried verses while reading the story.

• Raining Cats and Dogs by Jane Yolen - Similar in format to Dogs and Cats, this book can be read from both directions. Tired of poems about dogs? Flip the book over and read about cats. (This one's out of print, so check your local library for a copy.)
  

In addition to these poems, there is a terrific picture book that would also pair nicely with Jenkins' book.

• Cool Cat, Hot Dog by Sandy Turner - Appearing on facing pages, the cat and dog in this story argue over who is the superior animal.

Have I missed a good dog and cat/cat and dog book of poetry or picture book? Please let me know and I'll add it to this list.

Bound to Make You Smile

I'm afraid I've been in a bah-humbug, scrooge kind of mood for several weeks now. It's work, weighing heavy on my mind, that is keeping me from getting into the spirit of the season. Smiles are hard to come by these days, but on my way to work this morning, I saw something that shook me out of my grumpy state. Walking down the road was a young woman with a black lab. In his mouth was, not a stick, but a branch, over six feet long! His tail was wagging so hard his entire back end shook. I not only smiled, but laughed out loud. The woman walking him kept shaking her head and smiling. How could I not smile with them?

What's made you smile recently? Would you care to share and spread that smile even farther? I know I'd love to read your stories.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Something Seasonal

Last week's poetry stretch was a bust of sorts. Libby left a link to a great villanelle, Elizabeth Bishop's One Art. sister AE left a link to a villanelle she wrote back in June. That's all I have, however. My attempts at writing a villanelle all got derailed. I will take it up again, but in the midst of finals and grading, I simply don't have the energy that this one requires.

My lack of productivity with last week's form doesn't mean I'm giving up on stretching entirely. I know lots of folks are busy right now, so I thought perhaps a bit of seasonal poetry might be fitting. Here's the deal. Pick any form you like and write something seasonal, whether it is about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, winter, snow, hibernation, etc. (If you're in the southern hemisphere, you might want to write about summer!)

Here's a fib for William, who is already hoping for a snow day. (It was 70 degrees in VA today, so a snow day isn't looking too likely yet!) He's almost 7 and has yet to experience the thrill of sledding. I'm hoping one day soon he'll get the chance.

Snow
day
Ready?
Steady now
Exhilarating
breathless race to the end - Again!

Well, this is a start. How about you? Can you find some time to write seasonal poetry this week? If so, leave me a comment and I'll link to your posts later this week.

Reading, Origami, and General Laziness

William and I spent a lazy day at home today, reading library books and books for the Cybils (picture book nonfiction). Then we flew paper airplanes. Between loads of wash, we opted for origami. Here's what we made today.

From left to right is a duck, sailboat, wreath, dinosaur, penguin and owl bookmark. The bookmark is very cool, with the the top flap folding over the page to hold your place. The wreath is amazing and was a snap to make, though it required 12 sheets of paper! The dinosaur required quite a bit of wrestling, but was worth it in the end.

I'm off to make dinner while the boy heads off to build with Legos. It's been a great day. How was yours?

P.S. - If you want to make a wreath of your own, follow this step-by-step video.

Snowflake Booty

I know I should be in bed, but I couldn't turn in without sharing these beauties. They'll be winging their way to me very shortly. Even though I purchased these as gifts, I may have a hard time parting with them. Perhaps I can rationalize keeping one for myself!

I'll be dreaming of snowflakes tonight. Will you?

Poetry Friday - Sleep

I am, in a word, exhausted. I stayed up nearly every night this week working until 2 am. I would get in a bit of shut eye and then get right back up again around 5 am. Wednesday night I didn't go to bed at all. I need sleep! So today, I am thinking Keats.

To Sleep
by John Keats

O soft embalmer of the still midnight!
Shutting with careful fingers and benign
Our gloom-pleased eyes, embower'd from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine;
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close,
In midst of this thine hymn, my willing eyes,
Or wait the amen, ere thy poppy throws
Around my bed its lulling charities;
Then save me, or the passed day will shine
Upon my pillow, breeding many woes;
Save me from curious conscience, that still lords
Its strength for darkness, burrowing like a mole;
Turn the key deftly in the oiled wards,
And seal the hushed casket of my soul.

The round-up today is over at Becky's Book Reviews. Please stop by and check out all the great posts. Happy poetry Friday, all!

It's That Time of Year - Gift Books

For the December Carnival of Children's Literature, Kelly (Big A little a) has asked contributors to come up with ideas for gift books. Here are some of my old and new favorites to give during this time of year. Consider it my top ten and then some.

THINK SNOW

While my parents in NY have been dealing with lake effect snow for some time now, it is just a dream for my family here in Virginia (though we did have a few flakes today). For the little people on your list who love snow, here are a few favorites.

• Snowflake Bentley written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian - This Caldecott Medal winner tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, a farmer who spent his life photographing snowflakes. The Buffalo Museum of Science has a digital library of these amazing photographs. You can see them at The Bentley Snow Crystal Collection.

• Snow by Uri Shulevitz - Even though the adults believe that it will not snow, a boy and his dog don't give up hope. This is a Caldecott honor book that beautifully portrays the transformation of a city when it snows.

• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost - Frost's poem is beautifully imagined in this picture book adaptation by Susan Jeffers.

ORIGAMI MAGIC

I've been known to give gifts with origami animals as the tags. Why not consider giving these books and some colored and patterned origami paper?

• Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George - There are no directions on making origami in this one, just some wonderfully descriptive poems and gorgeous artwork.

• Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin - Lissy feels alone at her new school, so she creates some origami animals to keep her company. Will she ever make friends of her own? This is a wonderful story for any child who has ever experienced being the new kid. Origami directions are found on the endpapers.

• The ABC's of Origami: Paper Folding for Children by Claude Sarasas - This is an old book, but one of my favorites. It has simple, easy-to-follow directions and 26 patterns (from A to Z).
  

SOMETHING TO PUZZLE OVER
Stories with a good puzzle to solve are always engaging. Here are some books that will encourage young readers put on their thinking caps.

• The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin - Winston sees puzzles everywhere. Imagine his dismay when he gives his sister a box for her birthday, only to learn that it has a secret compartment containing four wood sticks with puzzle clues. Readers will solve puzzles right along with Winston and his sister Katie as they try to solve the mystery.

• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart - Eleven year-old Reynie Muldoon is intrigued by an ad in the paper that asks “Are You a Gifted Child looking for Special Opportunities?” Reynie and dozens of other children show up to answer the ad and take a mind-boggling series of tests, but only Reynie and three others are left at the end. Puzzles and mysteries abound in this adventurous tale.

• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett - Petra and Calder are preoccupied with Vermeer. When a Vermeer painting is stolen in transit from the National Gallery in Washington D.C. to the Chicago Institute of Art, they become intent on finding the painting and solving the mystery. Clues and mysteries abound. Calder carries a set of pentominoes in his pocket at all times, so be sure to print your own set to use while reading this one! (You can also play online.)
  

BOOKS TO EXPAND YOUR MIND
There are many great nonfiction books that share information in thoroughly entertaining ways. Here are some of the best of 2007.

• Lightship by Brian Floca - Imagine spending your life aboard a ship that doesn't sail, but rather remains anchored in order to warn other ships when there is heavy fog. This beautifully illustrated book helps readers to explore life on a lightship.

• Living Color by Steve Jenkins - Why would an animal have a blue tongue, a red-belly, or a face on it's back? Learn all about color in the animal kingdom in this fact-filled book.

• One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss - This book provides an instructive and often-times inspiring look at water. Inspiring? Absolutely. The author reminds us that the amount of water on Earth hasn't ever changed. Since this water has been around for billions of year, it is entirely possible that the water we drink may have "quenched the thirst of a dinosaur" more than one hundred million years ago!

• Ox, House, Stick: The Story of Our Alphabet by Don Robb - How and why did written language develop? This book provides a fascinating look at the Roman alphabet, from its ancient origins to today.

GOING TO THE DOGS
My apologies to all you cat lovers out there, but we love our dogs. Here are our favorite dog books, all guaranteed to make you smile, and maybe even make you laugh out loud.

• Bark George by Jules Feiffer - When George's mother asks him to bark, he meows. Then quacks, oinks, and moos. Whatever will they do? George is off to see the vet, who will surely have the answer.

• Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh - Martha is a plain old lovable pooch until she is fed vegetable soup and the letters go up to her head instead of down to her belly. Now Martha talks, and talks, and talks.

• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion - When Harry runs away from home, he is transformed from "a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots." He eventually returns home, but is not recognized by his family until he's scrubbed clean. Originally published in 1956, this new version is enhanced by Margaret Bloy Graham's updated illustrations that feature added splashes of color.

• Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters From Obedience School by Mark Teague - Prison or a country club for dogs? You be the judge. In black and white (prison) and color (country club) illustrations, Teague takes readers on a rollicking good ride with Larue, the letter-writing canine.

• Office Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann - In this Caldecott Medal winner, Officer Buckle gives safety lectures to school kids that are boring, boring, boring. Once Gloria the police dog comes along, safety lectures are never the same again!
  

If you have favorite books in any of these categories, please share them. I'd love to hear your ideas.

Book Review - Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup

When I was a child, I had two fantasies about running away from home. One was to join the circus and care for the animals -- lions, tigers, bears, and elephants. The other was to join Jacques Cousteau and sail the world in search of amazing and exotic sea creatures. William C. Coup, a man born in 1837, not only had similar dreams, he made them come true!

Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup is a picture book biography that details Coup's boyhood and rise to circus eminence. But Coup didn't stop there. He had a vision that allowed him to grow his circus show beyond the traditional big top.

The book begins with William's boyhood in Indiana, where he helped out with his father's tavern. The turning point in his life is described early on.

William made his way into the big tent. Inside he saw lions and elephants and a giraffe as tall as a tree! There was a tightrope walker, acrobats on horseback, and even a strongman who could break steel chains with his bare hands!

And clowns who made him laugh so hard his sides hurt!

William instantly fell in love with the sights and sounds of the big top, and it was at the moment that he made a decision that would change his world forever: He decided to run away with the circus!

The authors describe how William, later known as W.C., worked his way up through the ranks to eventually run his own circus. He became known for his sideshow acts and outstanding performers, including General Tom Thumb and Dan Rice, the King of Clowns. Before long, P.T. Barnum came calling, and W.C. Coup went to New York City to join him. It was under Coup's direction that the Great Roman Hippodrome was opened, and it was Coup who convinced Barnum to take the show on the road, using the first circus trains to move it.

Even with all his success in the circus, Coup still had another dream, on to create a museum of aquatic wonder. He traveled the world to find all sorts of exotic sea creatures, ultimately building the New York Aquarium to house them.

The book ends on a happy note, with Coup seeing the fulfillment of his dreams. However, readers learn in the author's note that when Coup and his partner could not resolve a disagreement relating to the aquarium, they decided to flip a coin for ownership. Coup lost and had to walk away from his creation. He did not give up on his love for the circus life, and ran several other shows, including monster shows and several touring Wild West shows. I found the author's note to be helpful and informative, though I wish it had included some dates or a timeline. I had to search the web to find out exactly when Coup lived. The inclusion of dates would have strengthened the text.

Overall, I found this book to be very entertaining. The colorful and primitive artwork by Giselle Potter is lovely and nicely complements this compelling story. I highly recommend this biography.

Book: Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup
Authors: Ralph Covert and G. Riley Mills
Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 1, 2007
Pages: 32
Grades: K-3
ISBN-10: 0810993511
ISBN-13: 978-0810993518
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased for Cybils consideration

I'm Famous! (Sort Of)

Today I am famous, at least in the kidlit world. Learn more than you ever really wanted to know about me at my Seven Imp. interview. Thanks to Jules and Eisha for letting me have my say. It was great fun.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Villanelle

After reading Ruth's poetry Friday post about Billy Collins and his parody of the villanelle (the paradelle), I decided that the villanelle would be a good form to try.

The villanelle is a nineteen-line poem with two repeating rhymes and two refrains. It is made up of five tercets and a quatrain. The rhyme scheme is aba aba aba aba aba abaa. The 1st and 3rd lines from the first stanza are alternately repeated so that the 1st line becomes the last line in the second stanza, and the 3rd line becomes the last line in the third stanza and so on. The last two lines of the poem are lines 1 and 3 respectively.

You can read more about the villanelle here. Dylan Thomas' poem Do not go gentle into that good night is an excellent example. I also like the example in A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms compiled by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Here is an excerpt.

Is there a villain in your villanelle?
Just lurking, smirking in a line or two?
Read on, my dear, for only time will tell.

He'll try to show that you can't really spell.
Or hold a poem together without glue.
Is there a villain in your villanelle?

And what if you can't rhyme things very well?
Perhaps it is a plot by you-know-who.
Read on, my dear, for only time will tell.

So, will you join me? What kind of villanelle will you write? Give it a whirl and then leave me a comment about your poem. Later this week I'll post the results.

Great First Lines (in Nonfiction)

Over at Nonfiction Matters, Marc Aronson is hosting a contest. He has asked readers to suggest the best first sentences in nonfiction for younger readers. Go on over and read A Contest and Contest 1, Starting the Ball Rolling. Now, think about some of your favorite nonfiction reads for kids, and go submit those great opening lines.

Book Review - Turtle Summer

In Mary Alice Monroe's adult novel Swimming Lessons, a mother assembles a journal for her daughter recounting their summer tending turtles together during the loggerhead nesting season. Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter is that journal. The journal begins in May, when female loggerhead turtles return to the beach they were born on to lay their eggs. The first entry includes these lovely words.

I hope that I can teach you --
as a dear lady once taught me --
to not merely know nature but
also to feel nature.

And so begins the story of one summer protecting turtle eggs on a beach in South Carolina. On each page there are photographs of shells, plants and animals that surround the main text and photos that support the storyline. The background has the look of recycled paper and with photos aligned at various angles and in different places around the page, the book does have the feel of a real journal. I did find myself wishing the text was done in a handwriting font or something that didn't look so clinical. Perhaps it was the lack of serifs, but something about the font just didn't feel right. (I know this is picky, but the right font would have added so much to the overall presentation of the book.)

Female turtles leave the sea and crawl up the beach. This is a difficult task, given that the turtles have webbed feet and long feet that form flippers. The females dig a nest deep in the sand, lay the eggs, and head back to the sea, never to return to the nest or see their hatchlings.

Those who work to protect turtles walk the beach each day and look for turtle tracks. (When a 350 pound turtles drags itself up the beach and then back into the sea, you know it's been there.) Nests built in safe areas of the beach are marked with orange tape and signs (much like yellow crime scene tape), while nests found below the high tide line are moved. New nests are dug with shells so that the size and shape of the nest will be similar to the nest dug the loggerhead. It takes about 55-65 days for the eggs to incubate. While waiting for the eggs to hatch, the journal describes a visit to a Sea Turtle Hospital and the various creatures seen while observing life at the beach. When the eggs finally hatch, it is at night when the sand is cooler. Turtles follow their instincts and are guided by the brightest light in the sky, hopefully towards the open ocean.

Following a portion of the loggerhead life cycle through this journal is very informative. The photographs beautifully support and extend the text. At the end of the book is a section entitled For Creative Minds, which contains turtle facts, reproducible forms, and directions for making your own nature scrapbook.

The flap copy states that it is estimated that loggerhead survival from hatchling to adult could be as few as 1 out of 1000 or fewer. It would have been really nice to know where statistics like this came from. Both the flap copy and acknowledgments state that the accuracy of the text was verified by an employee of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources. This is good to know, because there is a startling lack of references for the information in the book.

My complaints about the font face and lack of references notwithstanding, I found this to be a very enjoyable and informative book. It will make a good addition to the classroom and offers a terrific introduction to the nesting cycle of sea turtles. I recommend it.

Book: Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Illustrator (Photographer): Barbara J. Bergwerf
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: April 7, 2007
Pages: 32
Grades: K-3
ISBN-10: 0977742377
ISBN-13: 978-0977742370
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased for Cybils consideration

Robert's Snow - Auction 3

Auction 3 will begin accepting bids on Monday, Dec. 3 at 9:00 am, with a starting bid of $150 for each snowflake. All bids must be in before 5:00 pm on Friday, Dec. 7. Don't forget that 100 percent of the proceeds from this online auction will benefit sarcoma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and that all but $25 of the winning bid is tax deductible.

Read about all the illustrators who contributed to this auction at the sites linked below. (The order presented is the same as on the auction page.)

• Consie Powell at Becky’s Book Reviews
• Anna Alter at The Longstockings
• Adam Rex at Booktopia and Welcome to my Tweendom
• Julia Denos at Interactive Reader
• Giles Laroche at Book, Book, Book
• Matt Phelan at A Year of Reading
• Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom
• Barbara Lehman at The Excelsior File
• Scott Magoon at Just One More Book!!
• Alissa Imre Geis at Wild Rose Reader
• Judy Schachner at Kate's Book Blog
• Laura Huliska Beith at Just One More Book!!
• Genevieve Cote at a wrung sponge
• Ruth Sanderson at Book Moot
• Susan Kathleen Hartung at Wild Rose Reader
• Linda Graves at Your Neighborhood Librarian
• Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
• Susan Mitchell at Check It Out
• R.W. Alley at at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
• Wendell Minor at Wild Rose Reader
• Melanie Watt at Whimsy Books
• Elisa Kleven at Rozzieland
• Sally Vitsky at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave
• Jimmy Pickering at Shaken & Stirred
• Jeremy Tankard at the excelsior file
• Mark Teague at The Miss Rumphius Effect
• Annie Patterson at Check It Out
• Ashley Bryan
  
• Diana Magnuson at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Bill Carman at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Elizabeth Sayles at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
• Grace Lin at In the Pages
• Dan Santat at Writing and Ruminating
• Jarrett J. Krosoczka at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Jeff Ebbeler at Sam Riddleburger's blog
• Margaret Chodos-Irvine at readergirlz
• Nancy Wallace at In the Pages . . .
• Robin Brickman at Greetings from Nowhere
• Joy Allen at Check It Out
• Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating
• Mary Newell Depalma at Wild Rose Reader
• Derek Anderson
• Peter Brown
  
• Rebecca Guay at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Jui Ishida at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Kathy Jakobsen at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Linda Bronson
  
• James T. Williamson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Kristina Swarner at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Vladimir Shpitalnik at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Linda S. Wingerter at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Meghan McCarthy at A Fuse #8 Production
• Carin Berger at Chasing Ray
• Salley Mavor at ChatRabbit
• Amy Young at Kate's Book Blog
• Rebecca Doughty at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Brian Lies at Greetings from Nowhere
• D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise
• Jeff Mack at AmoXcalli
• Selina Alko at Brooklyn Arden
• Sean Qualls at Brooklyn Arden
• Randy Cecil at ChatRabbit
• Jeff Newman at A Year of Reading
• Mo Willems at MotherReader
• Karen Lee at sruble's world
• Shawna Tenney at Kate's Book Blog
• Julie Paschkis at the excelsior file
• Victoria Jamieson at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
• Juli Kangas at Sam Riddleburger
• Connie McLennan at The Shady Glade
• Kelly Murphy at ChatRabbit

This is it, folks -- your last chance to win a unique piece of art created by a children's book illustrator. Please support this amazing effort and bid on your favorite!

Book Review - Lightship by Brian Floca

The Ambrose lightship was built in 1908 to guide ships safely from the Atlantic Ocean into the mouth of the lower New York Bay between Coney Island, NY and Sandy Hook, NJ. Lightships, if you aren't familiar with them, were basically "floating lighthouses" anchored in areas where it was too deep, expensive or impractical to construct a lighthouse. Lightships displayed a light at the top of a mast and in areas of fog also sounded a fog signal and radio beacon. The last member of the U.S. lightship fleet was decommissioned in 1983.

Today the Ambrose is docked at the South Street Seaport Museum, where visitors can climb aboard and view an exhibition of photographs, charts, and artifacts on lightships and navigation. This is the vessel that is visible from Brian Floca's studio in Brooklyn, and the one that is the subject of his amazing new book, Lightship.

In the acknowledgments Floca describes nosing around "otherwise inaccessible corners of Light Vessel 87" and other ships, speaking with former crew members, and viewing old photographs. This research informs the text and illustrations in the book. There is also an extensive author's note at the end that provides an overview of the history of lightships.

The book opens with cutaway images on the endpapers of the Ambrose, labeled to show the important components of the vessel. In spare, but beautifully written text, Floca describes the lightship's crew, daily life, and important job it is tasked with.

Her crew lives
in small spaces,
works in small spaces.

Always there is
the smell of the sea . . .
and the rocking
of the waves.

Always they hear
the creaking of the ship
and the slow
slap, slap, slap
of water on the hull.

The text is accompanied by ink and watercolor illustrations that range from close-ups of the crew and spaces in the ship, to double-page spreads of the ship, the sea, and passing ships. The beauty and genius of the pictures lies in the details, like the deckhand with several women's names tattooed and crossed off on his arm, the captain using a sextant, the cat that shouldn't be aboard the ship at all, the crew member snoring in his rack, and many more.

As someone who spent time sailing on this ship, and one of these, I have great affection for depictions of nautical life, and Floca has done a terrific job capturing it. Kids don't need to love boats to enjoy this book. Anyone who picks it up will be enchanted by the text and illustrations. This is one of my favorite nonfiction books of the year. I highly recommend it.

Check out the book trailer for even more information.Book: Lightship
Author and Illustrator: Brian Floca
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Publication Date: March 6, 2007
Pages: 48
Grades: K-3
ISBN-10: 1416924361
ISBN-13: 978-1416924364
Source of Book: Copy received from publisher for Cybils consideration

Other Reviews
the excelsior file

Losing Ground on Literacy - International Results

The IEA's PIRLS report was released on November 28th. This is an international study of reading literacy in 40 countries at the primary school level. Here are some of the results.

PIRLS 2006 reinforces on a worldwide basis the well-established finding that children from homes fostering literacy become better readers. Students had higher reading achievement when they were from homes where their parents enjoyed reading and read frequently, books were in abundance, and students were engaged in literacy activities--from alphabet blocks to word games--from an early age.

Only about half the students across the PIRLS 2006 countries agreed that they enjoyed reading and appreciated books, reflecting a troubling downward trend since 2001. Moreover, fewer students in PIRLS 2006 reported reading for fun. Almost one third hardly ever read for fun (twice monthly at most).

In PIRLS 2001, and again in PIRLS 2006, girls had higher reading achievement than boys in all countries (509 vs. 492, on average). The difference was substantial in many countries, raising concern about the educational prospects of so many low-achieving boys during their adolescent years and beyond.

Both principals and teachers reported that textbooks were the foundation of reading instruction. In general, more students were asked to read literary than informational texts on a weekly basis.

Both teachers and students agreed that independent silent reading was a frequent classroom activity. Most often, students were asked to answer questions about what they had read, either orally or via worksheets.

You can read the Washington Post article where they share more U.S. statistics. You can also get your own copy of the report in pdf format.

Poetry Friday - The Sonnet

After struggling all week to write a sonnet, I needed some inspiration. Thanks to Libby for sharing this poem by William Wordsworth.

The Sonnet

I

NUNS fret not at their convent’s narrow room;
And hermits are contented with their cells;
   And students with their pensive citadels;
Maids at the wheel, the weaver at his loom,
Sit blithe and happy; bees that soar for bloom,
   High as the highest peak of Furness-fells,
   Will murmur by the hour in foxglove bells:
In truth the prison, unto which we doom
Ourselves, no prison is: and hence for me,
   In sundry moods, ’twas pastime to be bound
   Within the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground;
Pleased if some souls (for such there needs must be)
Who have felt the weight of too much liberty,
   Should find brief solace there, as I have found.

II

SCORN not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frown’d,
Mindless of its just honours; with this key
   Shakespeare unlock’d his heart; the melody
Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch’s wound;
A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;
   With it Camens sooth’d an exile’s grief;
   The Sonnet glitter’d a gay myrtle leaf
Amid the cypress with which Dante crown’d
His visionary brow: a glow-worm lamp,
   It cheer’d mild Spenser, call’d from Faery-land
To struggle through dark ways; and, when a damp
   Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand
The Thing became a trumpet; whence he blew
Soul-animating strains—alas, too few!

The round-up this week is over at Two Writing Teachers. Please stop by and check out all the great posts. Happy poetry Friday, all!

Poetry Stretch Results - The Sonnet (Italian Form)

Well, this was a tough one. I spent all week writing, revising, discarding, writing, revising, discarding . . . you know the drill. I'm not at all satisfied with my offering, so I'm going to start with the brave souls who joined me on this terrifying journey.

I'm so thrilled that Laura Purdie Salas joined in this week. I must now repay the visit and join in her 15 words or less poetry challenge. Her sonnet is called 5th Period.

Our friend sister AE from Having Writ killed two challenges with one poem and gives us the sonnet entitled Butterfly Patience.

Here is my sonnet. It's the first one I've ever written and . . . it's pretty bad. I need lots of practice!

On Writing Sonnets
Fret not, she said, the form will support you.
A would-be writer shrugs her poet dreams,
but choosing feet is harder than it seems.
With pen to paper, words spill out on cue.
Stop. Breathe. Remember what you’re here to do.
With thoughts of form she loses deeper themes,
but what of other rhymes and forms and schemes?
Just find your voice and tell the story true.
Will form bind the thought or free it to smile?
Can it breathe and grow to become true art?
What is a poem or sonnet today?
Words that inspire and often beguile,
sharing their secrets before they depart,
they blossom into a word-filled bouquet.

It's not too late to play. Read the rules here and then go write! Once you have a sonnet, leave me a comment and I'll add your poem to this page.

November Carnival is Here!

The November Carnival of Children's Literature is now up. MotherReader asked bloggers to share tips, suggestions, advice, and lessons learned from all areas of kids’ lit, and boy, did they respond. Head on over and check it out.

Cybils Nominees - Nonfiction Picture Books

Nominations for the Cybils closed one week ago. I am thrilled to be working through the nominees in nonfiction picture books with these amazingly thoughtful folks.

• Andrea (Just One More Book!!)
• Emily (Whimsy Books)
• Fiona (Books and 'Rocks)
• Jennifer (Kiddosphere)

Here is the list of books we are considering as we begin the difficult task of selecting the finalists.

ABC Safari
Written and illustrated by Karen Lee
Sylvan Dell
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Anne Hutchinson's Way
Written by Jeannine Atkins; illustrated by Michael Dooling
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Apples
Written by Jacqueline Farmer; illustrated by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Charlesbridge
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Artful Reading
Written and illustrated by Bob Raczka
Millbrook Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Ballerina Dreams
Written by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by James Estrin
Feiwel & Friends
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Bugs Up Close
Written by Diane Swanson; illustrated by Paul Davidson
Kids Can Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Campy: The Story of Roy Campanella
Written by David A. Adler; illustrated by Gordon James
Viking
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art!
Written and illustrated by George Ancona
Lee & Low
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male
Written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet
Written by Nancy I. Sanders; illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Sleeping Bear Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Different Like Coco
Written and illustrated by Elizabeth Matthews
Candlewick
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Dogs and Cats
Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Dolley Madison Saves George Washington
Written and illustrated by Don Brown
Houghton Mifflin
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

First the Egg
by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Roaring Brook
Buy from Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire
Written by Roxane Orgill; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch
Candlewick
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg
Written and illustrated by Mia Posada
Millbrook
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Hiromi's Hands
Written and illustrated by Lynne Barasch
Lee & Low
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

A Horse in the House and Other Strange but True Animal Stories
Written by Gail Ablow; illustrated by Kathy Osborn
Candlewick
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

In My Backyard
Written by Valarie Giogas; illustrated by Katherine Zecca
Sylvan Dell
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Let's Go!: The Story of Getting From There to Here
Written by Lizann Flatt; illustrated by Scot Ritchie
Maple Tree Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Lightship
Written and illustrated by Brian Floca
Atheneum / Richard Jackson Books
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

A Little Peace
Written by Barbara Kerley
National Geographic
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Living Color
Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer
Written by Bill Wise; illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
Lee & Low
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt
Written by Judith St. George; illustrated by Britt Spencer
Philomel
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria
Written by Kyra E. Hicks; illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi
Brown Books Publishing Group
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Mary Cassatt: Impressionist Painter
Written by Lois V. Harris
Pelican
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

May I Pet Your Dog?: The How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids)
Written by Stephanie Calmenson; illustrated by Jan Ormerod
Clarion
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

My Name Is Gabito/Mi Llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez/La Vida De Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Written by Monica Brown; illustrated by Raul Colon
Luna Rising
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson
Written by Sue Stauffacher; illustrated by Greg Couch
Knopf
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Ocean Seasons
Written by Ron Hirschi; illustrated by Kirsten Carlson
Sylvan Dell
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II
Written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Hyperion
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Rough, Tough Charley
Written by Verla Kay; illustrated by Alan Gustavson
Tricycle Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Sawdust and Spangles: The Amazing Life of W.C. Coup
Written by Ralph Covert and G. Riley Mills; illustrated by Giselle Potter
Abrams
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

A Seed is Sleepy
Written by Dianna Hutts Aston; illustrated by Sylvia Long
Chronicle
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas
Written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
Knopf
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku
Written by Ellie Crowe; illustrated by Richard Waldrep
Lee & Low
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

The Book of Time Outs: A Mostly True History of the World's Biggest Troublemakers

Written and illustrated byDeb Lucke
Simon & Schuster
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Turtle Summer: A Journal for My Daughter
Written by Mary Alice Monroe; illustrated by Barbara J. Bergwerf
Sylvan Dell
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Vulture View
Written by April Pulley Sayre; illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Henry Holt
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

We
Written by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Kenneth Addison
Lee & Low
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Where in the Wild?: Camouflaged Creatures Concealed ... and Revealed
Written by David Schwartz and Yael Schy; illustrated by Dwight Kuhn
Tricycle Press
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?
Written and illustrated by Carlyn Beccia
Houghton Mifflin
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Wired
Written by Anastasia Suen; illustrated by Paul Carrick
Charlesbridge
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Young Pele: Soccer's First Star
Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome; illustrated by James Ransome
Schwartz & Wade
Buy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense (your local independent)

Here is a behind the scenes look at what our panel will be doing.

• Each panelist will present a list of his or her 10 favorite books from the long list to the committee. When compiling this list, each person will consider the following:
• Writing (and, if pertinent, illustration)
• Kid appeal (to discuss "kid appeal," click here)
• Is it a book an older child, or even an adult, will rush to finish, before reading it a second time?
• Is the book innovative? Does it surprise you with something new?
• Does the book speak to you as a reader?
• Books that are on everyone's lists will be set aside for further discussion.
• Panelists who have made unique choices will argue their position: Why should this book be on the shortlist?
• Books read by only two members will receive particular attention by those two readers. They should argue why or why not this book deserves to be on the shortlist.
• Panelists will then return to the top-10 lists. When there's clear agreement, we should see it with overlap.
• We will continue debate through our discussion list. At this point, a few more books may have to be read. A few cases may have to be argued.
• Committee organizers must have their lists of finalists (5-7 titles) in no later than noon on Dec. 28. The nominating committee will also write a sentence or two explaining why each book was selected for the shortlist. The shortlists will be posted Jan. 1.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? While you're waiting for our panel to whittle down this list to the finalists, why not check out some of the nominees. You won't be disappointed.

Book Review - Let's Go!: The Story of Getting From There to Here

Earlier in the year I wrote a post highlighting books for science and social studies that examine change over time. Let's Go!: The Story of Getting From There to Here is a book that fits this theme well. Written by Lizann Flatt and illustrated by Scot Ritchie, this lively look at the evolution of transportation in North America covers travois, toboggans and snowshoes, to canoes, ships and horses, to carriages, coaches and wagons, to steamboats, trains and streetcars, to automobiles, planes and more. Phew! This informational book shows not only the change in forms of transportation over time, but how these advances helped to fuel the growth of cities and changes in the landscape.

This is an easy read aloud with lots of interesting things going on in the illustrations. There is a Carolina dog (or American dingo) that appears somewhere on each double-page spread. Readers will enjoy looking for him among the faces and landscapes. At the end of the text is a section entitled Did You Know? that provides assorted interesting facts about some of the concepts shared earlier in the book.

Here is an excerpt.

The land slowly warmed. The people
walked with packs on their backs.

Some trailed travois,
pulled toboggans,
wore snowshoes.

In quiet canoes made from forest trees,
they crossed lakes, rode rivers,
and skimmed the shores.

The text is lyrical and packed with information. A few words, like travois and portage, may be difficult for readers and will need to be defined/explained. While the word portage is defined in the back of the book, travois is not.

Let's Go! provides a good general introduction to the history of transportation and offers interesting details about some of the forms introduced. The illustrations extend the text in numerous ways and beg to be examined at length. There is much here for readers to consider and this text will offer a marvelous springboard for discussion and further research. There are, however, two weaknesses that should be noted. First, there is no timeline or chronology in the final notes. It would have been nice to be able to situate the inventions and innovations mentioned in a particular century. Second, a short list of references or bibliography of additional resources would have greatly added to the usefulness of the text.

All in all, this book succeeds on many levels and will be a welcome addition to the classroom. I recommend it.

Book: Let's Go!: The Story of Getting From There to Here
Author: Lizann Flatt
Illustrator: Scot Ritchie
Publisher: Maple Tree Press
Publication Date: September 28, 2007
Pages: 40
Grades: 1-3
ISBN-10: 1897349025
ISBN-13: 978-1897349021
Source of Book: Copy received from publisher for Cybils consideration

Monday Poetry Stretch - Sonnet (Italian Form)

Gulp. Yes, you read that right. Sonnet.

I did this really crazy thing last week. When Liz Garton Scanlon wrote to ask if I wanted to participate in writing a crown sonnet with a group of Poetry Friday bloggers, I said YES! I am thrilled (and more than a bit intimated) about joining these amazing writers for this project.

• TadMack of Finding Wonderland
• Kelly Fineman of Writing and Ruminating
• Sara Lewis Holmes of Read*Write*Believe
• Cloudscome of a wrung sponge
• Laurie Purdie Salas

Now that I'm committed, I need to practice. So, this week's stretch takes the form of the sonnet. Since we will be using the Italian form for our crown sonnet, that's the form I propose we stretch with.

Here are the basic guidelines to follow.

• A sonnet is composed of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter.
• The Italian sonnet is divided into an octave (8 lines), followed by a sestet (6 lines).
• The rhyme pattern for the octave is a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a. For the sestet the pattern can be c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-c-d-c.

You can read more on sonnets in this great post by Kelly Fineman.

If you could see me now, you'd see a serious "deer in the headlights" look on my face. Are you with me? What kind of sonnet will you write? Give it a whirl and then leave me a comment about your poem. Later this week I'll post the results.

Learning to Read and Learning to Love It

As the host of the upcoming Carnival of Children's Literature, MotherReader has asked for tips. She writes, "I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit." I've been trying to figure out what to write about for a while now, but after receiving this e-mail, I knew what my topic would be. Here is an excerpt.

I have a 4 year old daughter who loves learning and has tested very well. She enjoys learning, so we started her in Kumon last year. Usually they discourage kids under 4, however the director was impressed with her ability to focus. We moved preschools and changed Kumon locations. Since then, she has made little progress in math. My daughter knows her letters and their sounds and can even sound out words. She can't recognize numbers over 5 consistently. In her kindergarten admission test she said the thing she likes least is Kumon.

I am looking for someone to tutor her in math and reading. She needs a fresh, fun approach to math and someone to challenge her to maximize her potential in reading.

Wow. I haven't responded to the request yet, as I want to make sure I respond appropriately and without any hint of vitriol for this fast-track approach to educating a child. I shouldn't be surprised that so many parents are pushing their kids to read sooner than ever these days, especially with commercials like these clogging the airwaves.

I want kids to learn to read just as much as the next person, but not when it comes at the expense of the love of reading. When reading becomes a chore, kids will not turn to books. I have to wonder if all the emphasis on testing reading and making AYP will have an impact on the way reading is viewed by children in the years to come.

All these thoughts bouncing around in my head have me thinking about how you get kids to love reading while they're learning to read, with the emphasis on enjoyment, not how fast, how accomplished or how soon it happens. Helping your child learn to read shouldn't be about bragging rights (MY child read Harry Potter at age 7), it should be about modeling and encouraging a healthy love for a skill that will last a lifetime. Jen Robinson has already suggested some great ideas in her post entitled Ten Tips for Growing Bookworms. I'd like to piggyback on her work and offer some additional thoughts of my own.

• Read to your child every day. Make time to do it and make it routine. While William and I frequently read throughout the day, the one time we do not miss is reading at bedtime. We curl up together under the covers, read the books he selects, talk about them, and then talk about the day that is ending and our plans for the next one.

• Even though it's sometimes hard, do read the same books again and again if that's what your child requests. For months we read Freight Train by Donald Crews over, and over and over. After a while, I didn't need to look at the pages to read the words, and neither did William. This was the book that allowed him to begin to recognize words. He'd heard the story so many times that he was able to make the connection between what he was hearing and what he was seeing in the text. Rereading favorites allows kids to begin to recognize words by sight.

• Make mistakes while reading familiar texts. I can hear you now saying, "What? Is she kidding?" No, I'm not. Even now when we read I will purposely read words incorrectly or in some silly manner to be sure William is paying attention and following along. Last night I read, "One day in May, Mudge and Mudge's big dog, Henry, were playing basketball with some friends." The immediate response was, "Mom, NO! It's Henry and Henry's big dog, Mudge, were playing KICKBALL. Look at the words. See the picture?" This is exactly what you want to hear. We play this game so often that sometimes William asks me to "read it wrong" so that he can correct me.

• Explore genres beyond fiction. William and I play what I call the Dewey Decimal game. I ask him to pick a number between 100 and 999. Once he picks a number, we find that section in the stacks and pull books that look interesting. Then we read them, right there on the floor. When we first began going into the stacks, I stuck to the 811s (poetry), 550s (earth science) and 590s (animals), but now we have fun exploring whatever number William picks.

• Get your child a library card. When William turned five I promised him he could have his very own library card. On his birthday we went to the public library, filled out the paperwork, and he signed his name. This is a big responsibility and one that he takes very seriously. He has his own book bag for transporting books to and from the library. He loves to check books in and out at the library and keeps good track of them while at home. We can go online to look at the book's he's read and even get neat little printouts of the books each week.

• Travel with a book in hand. We never leave the house without a bag that holds plain paper, crayons or colored pencils, and a few books. There always seems to be time to read in the car, the doctor's office, the restaurant, you name it. Develop this habit now and it will last a lifetime. William packs books in his backpack every morning so he has something to read while waiting for the afternoon bus.

I'm sure there are lots of other great ideas out there for helping develop kids who love to read. If you have any other suggestions, please share them. I'd love to hear your thoughts.