HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!!

It is a little cooler here today in the heartland of America.  I am thankful for that.  We are still hot though so the "Dog Days of Summer" are still here. I have enjoyed reading and sharing the dog books.  I thought today I would share a list of a few more if your children or grandchilren are enjoying them.  I think my all time favorite dog story is Old Yeller.  I remember reading Old Yeller as a child and crying and then watching the movie and crying then too.  It is sad but a great book for older children.   I bet each of you have a great dog book you might want to share with your child or grandchild.  So think about it and go to your local library and check it out to share with a child this week. :)

List of Dog Books

1. The Frist Dog by Jan Brett

2.Clifford-the Firehouse Dog by Norman Birdwell

3, Dog Days of School-Kelly DiPucchio

4.Hot Dog, Cold Dog by Frann P. Gannon

5.Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant

6.Bad Dog , Marley by John Grogan

7. Dogs, Dogs, Dogs by Leslea Newman

8. Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond

9. The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown

10.Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle

Check out Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or your local library for more Dog Books.

HAPPY MONDAY MY FRIENDS!!!!

How is everyone on this last Monday of August?  Soon it will be Labor Day which usually signals the last weekend of summer.  It seems to me that this summer went by very fast this year and I didn't get everything done I wanted to do but I will work harder on that in September.  How was your summer?  I hope you and your children or grandchildren were able to get out this summer and do many exciting things and that they are ready to do the school thing now.  I would love to hear about your summer so post a comment on my blog and share what you did and if you read any good books please share those too.

I want to finish up August with some cute dog books for the "Dog Days of Summer."

It is really is the "Dog Days of Summer" where I live.  It is 98 degrees f again today.   It is really to hot to do much outside but go swimming but the children are in school today.  I am so glad they have air-conditioning to keep them cool.

I am sharing a cute book today about dogs.

Finder Keepers

by

Will and Nicolas

This a cute and funny story about two dogs named Winkle and Nap.  They both have been digging and digging for a bone.  When they find a bone they argue over who saw it first and then Winkle says,"I touched it first."  Then Nap says, "I saw it first."  Who could help them to decide?

They run into a farmer and ask him who should the bone belong to but he was only interested in his cart.  Then they run into Mr. Tuftichin, the goat who was only interested in hay.  They also meet the barber who was only interested in cutting hair.

Then they meet Mr. Longshanks, a mean dog. Read Finder Keepers to see what happens next.

This a cute and funny book that the children will love.  Also, it does teach a lesson about finding things.  I remember saying" Finder Keepers a lot in my life.  This book  also has won a Caldecott Medal.  So check it out at your local library and see how much fun you can have with it. 

I hope everyone has a good day and I will be back Wednesday with another dog book.

Keep Reading!!!!!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

Another hot "Dog Days of SUmmer" again today.  It is going to be 98 degrees today. So the "Dog Days of Summer" are really here where I live.  SO today I have another dog book to share.  I know children will love it and I thought it was cute.

Harry Goes to Dog School

by

Scott Menchin

Harry is a little boy who doesn't want to be a boy.  He would rather be a dog.

Harry's parents try everything to get him to be a boy but nothing works. Harry is only interested in barking, biting, and rolling around on the ground.

So his parents decide there is only one option left, "Dog School."  So they take Harry to the Pavlov Royal Academy for help. 

So the question is will Harry learn to be a good dog.... or a good boy?

This is a really cute book that young children will  enjoy.

So check it out at you local library or bookstore. 

ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT DOGS BY SCOTT MENCHIN.  SO CHECK IT OUT TOO.

SEE YOU ON MONDAY!! HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT WEEKEND

Hi everyone!!!!

Did you know we are in the Dogs Days of Summer?  I looked it up to see what the internet said about it and I found out it is a slang expression for days of intense heat during the last part of summer.  I don't know about where you are but here where I am it is going to be 96 degrees F here today.  So I do believe we are in the Dogs Days of Summer. So I hope if you live in the Northern Hemisphere that you will be able to keep cool.  It always seems to be hot when school starts again. Thank goodness for  air conditioning !!!!!

Since it is the Dog Days of Summer I thought I would share some dog books today and next week.  All children love books about dogs.  I love them too and movies too.  So check out a book about dogs this weekend and watch a good dog movie.  I will list a few at the end of this post.

Fun Dog, Sun Dog

by

Deborah Heiligman

This book is a really cute rhyming book about  Tinka.  Tinka is a sweet dog,a treat dog, a jumping up to greet dog.  Tinka and her master, a young boy go to the beach for the day and the author makes this a fun book and a sweet book about Tinka, the sandy golden retriever. The little boy and Tinka have all kinds of fun at the beach and read to find out what happens to Tinka near the end of the story.  

I really enjoyed this book and so will young children.

Great book about a sweet dog.

I also found two more dog books by Deborah Heiligman.  Check them out at your local library too.

Dog Movies

1. Homeward Bound

2.101 Dalmations

3.Kavik

4.Marley and Me

5.Lady and the Tramp

6.Hotel for Dogs

7.Balto

8.Far from Home

9.Shiloh

10. A Golden Christmas

and so many more!!!!!

Hello My Friends

Well, here it is Monday and the start to another week.  The school district where I taught for 17 years starts to school this Wednesday.  I always feel a little sad the past couple of years that I am not going back with them.  I miss my students and teaching a lot.

So how about all of you has your child, children, or grandchildren went back to school yet?  Starting back to school is such an exciting time for the children, parents, and teachers.  I hope you have met your child's teacher and ready for the year to start.  I don't really have anymore books to suggest for Back to School but I hope you had a chance to read one or two off of my list I posted here on the blog a couple of days ago.

I have found some good sites to check for books, study ideas, and of course snacks for after school.  

Here is a site for a great simple after school snack for the children.  I made a few for myself for a snack and I know kids will love it. 

Please check out the following site for the recipe for this great snack.

www.delightfullysassi.com

She has many good snacks and ideas on her blog so check her site out when you can.

Also, check out this site for lots of information about just about anything.

www.pinterest.com

Try some S'mores in a Bag and enjoy a good book with it.

See you Wednesday with more great books to share!!!

  

Hello Friends!!

Today the neighborhood children went back to school. I always feel a little sad now that I am not going back to school too.  I loved teaching the boys and girls in my classes.  We had many wonderful school years together.  Today I thought I would share a few more Back to School Ideas and tell you a couple of blogs to check for books and back to school ideas.

Back to School 

1.  One of the most important things I think you can do for your child is have a good dialogue with their teacher or teachers.  This will help your child in many ways.  So see if your child's teacher has a website for her class or how she would like for you to keep in touch.  You would be amazed on how much this helps a child to be successful.

2.  Next, to have a time nightly to go over the child's folder, or homework.  Also, just 15 minutes a night reading will help your child become a better reader which helps them become a better student.

Check out this flyer  from Pinterest. I will share the website with you.

http://justreed-ashley.blogspot.com/2013/07/wrapping-up-ten-pin-summer-linky-back.html

http://poultneytania.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/reluctant-readers.html

So check out these two websites with information on reading and check out Pinterest for more ideas for Back to School.  See you Friday.

HAPPY READING!!!!!!

BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK

Hi my friends!  It is Back to School week here in my area of the USA.  So parents are out getting school supplies, clothes, and food for lunches over the weekend to prepare for school to start on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.  I always loved decorating my classroom, getting things ready for my students, and meeting my parents.  Always an exciting time especially for new teachers and the students.

I thought I would share a few things parents might want to do to prepare for their children's  first day of school.  For students who are returning for another year of school they kind of know what to expect but for Pre-schoolers and Kindergartners it is a new experience for them.  Here are some things as a former teacher I would suggest.

1.  Talk to your child about what to expect at school on the first day.

2.  I hope that if your school has a Meet the Teacher Night that you took your child to meet the teacher.(It is important for the child to know who he or she will be spending their day with.) I have seen that this is very beneficial.  

3.  You might want to read a few books about going to school to them this week as they prepare for the new school year.

4.  You might want them to get into the school routine before the first day of school arrives.  I would start a few days before of going to bed earlier, laying out their clothes, and getting them ready for a school day routine.

5.  Please be sure they know how they will get home from school. ( bus, car, walking, etc)  They need to know that because they do worry about that a lot.  Also, be sure they know who will be picking them up and check that with the school.

6.  Be prepared in all areas is a good motto for the kids.  

7.  Put their names on everything so they know what is theirs.

8. Help your child to know what and who they need to ask for help at the school.

9. Read the school handbook and calendar of events so as parents you will be prepared.

10.  Everyone wants your child to be happy and successful at school.  So work together with your child's teacher and school.  

I hope every child and parent will have a great start to the 2014-2015 school year.

Here are some books you could read to your child before school starts especially for the children just starting school for the first time.

1.The Kissing Hand (wonderful book, especially for young children)

2.Miss Nelson is Missing

3.Chrysanthemum 

4.Llama,Llama Misses Mama

5.Night Before First Grade

6.Miss Bendergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

7. It's Time for School

8.Stinky Face

9.The Crayon Box That Talked

10.Lacy Walker Non-Stop Talker

Check out a few of these and read them to your child before school starts.  The children will love them and they will feel more secure about being at school all day.

I will share some more on Wednesday about Back to School.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day.

Happy Sunday My Friends!!!

My back and I are working on getting better. It is taking longer than I want but I realize I have to be patient and take better care of my back if I want it to get better.  I hope everyone is have a great Sunday and enjoying the (dog days of summer.)  I have a couple of Camping books for today.  One is a I Can Read book and the other is a Read It book .  I love these books because children can start at the beginning level and keep working up each level as they progress.  They start at Level Shared Reading and can progress up to Level 4 which is advanced reading.  You can get books on all levels at your local library and I imagine at the school library too.  We had them at my school's library. You can also get free e-books for the children to read online  at www.icanread.com/ebooks.  So check them out when you get a chance.:) I didn't find a website for the Read-It Books but they also are on different levels.

Camping Trip

by

 Christine C. Jones

This a cute story about a camping trip and a boy who has all kind of trouble and causes all kind of trouble until one time that Mike saves the day.  

Boys will like reading this book.

The Camping Trip

by

Catherine Hapka

This is a Pony Scout book  which is a cute book for girls especially ones who haven't went camping before.  Meg learns a lot about camping this trip and there is even a little mystery in the story.  This is Reading Level 2 book. 

So check out these two fun books and enjoy them with a child and let them and check out the Read-It Series of books and the I Can Read series of books.

Hello Everyone!

How is everyone this Monday?  I hurt my back last week and  thought it was getting better  but then last night I somehow managed to hurt it again.  I sure wish I could get this back to cooperate with me.  I have things to do!!!:):)
Today I would like to share a really cute camping book that boys and girls will enjoy.  It is really a fun one and there are many activities the children can do.  They can take  a Flat Stanley on their camp out  or send it to a friend or take him or her to school.  I have done several projects with Flat Stanley before.  We even sent one to some service members in Iraq.  The kids loved making them and sending them on adventures.
So the book today is :
Flat Stanley Goes Camping
by
Jeff Brown

Flat Stanley and his family are enjoying their summer.  They go swimming one day and another child makes fun of Stanley.  Stanley then decides it isn't much fun being "flat."  He tells his parents that being flat is "lame."  His mother and father tell him some of the best things are flat such as pancakes, a newspaper, a fried egg, and bacon.  Stanley doesn't really cheer up though after his parents tell him that.  
After  that his parents decided the family should go camping.  Arthur, Stanley's brother is really excited but not Stanley. When Stanley and his family reach the campgrounds Stanley helps his family set up camp and then Stanley and Arthur go exploring.  The boys track some animal tracks and end up on a cliff where they are trapped between a skunk and the cliff's edge.  What will Stanley and Arthur do?  Check out Flat Stanley Goes Camping to see how Stanley saves the day.  It is a really cute book.  Enjoy!!!!!!

Flat Sarah
Make a Flat Stanley or Flat Sarah
Check out the Flat Stanley Project to for ideas

https://www.google.com/search?q=image+of+flat+stanley+goes+camping&rlz=1C1RNVH_enUS534US586&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=fvLfU8mqFceNyASZhoLwBg&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#q=flat+stanley+project&tbm=isch