Happy Wednesday!

How many of you have read a book about a scarecrow or made one?  I always loved scarecrows and I have several in my yard for fall and so does my neighbor.  So I am thinking she likes scarecrows too.  There are some great children's books about scarecrows which I hope to share several with you.  I do have a favorite that a dear friend and fellow teacher gave to me.  I shared it on my blog last September so I am not going to write about it again.  Please check out my September 25, 2013 blog post to read my review of The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston.  This is a wonderful book with loved embossed illustrations.  I used to read it to my students every fall.  They loved it and then we would always make some scarecrows after we read it.  So please check it out and share it with a child this week.

See you Friday with more Scarecrow pictures.

Happy Monday My Friends

I hope everyone had a great weekend and saw a football or soccer game or just got outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather wherever you are .  It was beautiful here this weekend and I really enjoyed the sunshine and crisp cool weather in the mornings.  The only thing I didn't like was that the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Denver Broncos but the game was close so next time we will beat them.

I hope you and your children or grandchildren have been reading some good sports books the last couple of weeks.  I am going to finish up my sports reviews today and then on Wednesday I want to start with Scarecrows and fall.   I have a great book that I always read to my students.  They loved it and then we made scarecrows. They always turned out so cute.  My neighbor has several scarecrows in her yard and I have 3 scarecrows living in my plants.  So I hope you will enjoy reading some good books about scarecrows and fall.

Today I will finish with cheerleading witch is now considered a sport too.  This is a cute book that girls will like but there are many books about cheerleading at the library so if you have a child or grandchild who wants to be a cheerleader you should check them out and share them with your child or grandchild.  Also, boys do cheerleading too especially at the college level. So enjoy and it is a great way to get the girls and boys outside to practice.  The little girls get into cheerleading too in the cheerleading camps held by the high school cheerleaders.

The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley

The Case of the Cheerleading Camp Mystery

by

Lisa Fiedler

Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate?  Ashley and Mary-Kate were having a blast at cheerleading camp!  Ashley is a great cheerleader, and she wanted to lead the cheer team.  There was a problem because two other girls wanted to do it too.  So they decided to have a vote.

Then the problems started for Ashley.  Someone stole her good luck pom poms, she found itching powder in her sneakers, and that was just the beginning.

Ashley and Mary-Kate had to find out who was trying to make sure that Ashley lost the vote.

So will Ashley and Mary-Kate solve the big mystery before the vote happens? Read the Case of the Cheerleading Camp Mystery and find out.

There are quite a few books written about  the New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley.  These would be a great reading series for young girls 2-4th grades.

Happy Saturday !!!!!

Oh wow!  Fall is just around the corner my friends! It was 43 degrees Fahrenheit  this morning when I got up. I was a little chilly so I am drinking some hot green tea and trying to warm up as I write this morning. I love the cool crisp fall mornings and the sun shining brightly.  I enjoy the beauty of the earth that God created for all to enjoy.  This is football type weather.  How many went to a football game last night and had some hot chocolate?  Of course, there will be college football and NFL football tomorrow.  I am not a big fan of watching it on tv.  I prefer being there in person.  I loved going to the high school games when my daughter was in the marching band.  Those were fun times and later when she was in college.  So enjoy this fall like weather this weekend and take time to read a good book.

Today I am going to review  author Matt Christopher's sports books.  Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they are looking for fast paced, action packed, sports novels.  He was considered the Number 1 sportswriter for kids.  He has written many books on football, baseball,basketball, dirt bike riding, hockey, soccer, skateboarding, and snowboarding.  Most of the books are under 200 pages so they are a good read for 2nd thru 5th grade readers.  If you have a boy and even some girls will enjoy reading about the sports they enjoy by reading a Matt Christopher book.

Check out his books at this online site.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard/books-by/matt-christopher#cart/cleanup

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

I can tell that fall is coming.  There was a beautiful harvest moon out last night and we have some cooler temperatures coming our way later this week.  I am excited for fall to come.  It is my favorite time of the year.  I love all the things and activities that come with fall.  I love football and I know kids enjoy the fall sports in grade school on up to college.

Last week I reviewed a couple of books on Sportsmanship which is good to remind children about during this time of year.  This week I am going to review some books on different sports for children.  I am starting off with the Sports series by author Daisy Meadows.   The series is really great for girls.  In her Sports series she has several books and I am going to review one of them and then share the other ones she has written.  The books were published by Scholastic and I would say they are for girls in 2nd grade to fifth grade.  So if your child likes one of these books she might like all of them and could read the whole series.

Stacey the Soccer Fairy

by

Daisy Meadows

It is an exciting time for the fairies in Fairyland.  They are getting ready for the Fairy Olympics.  But Jack Frost's goblins have stolen the Sports Fairies' magic objects. So that could be a big problem for the fairies since the Goblins want to take over the whole competition.

Rachel Walker and her friend Kristy Tate are worried because if the fairies' magic objects were not with them or in their lockers it would mess up the fairies' games and the games for the humans. So Rachel and Kristy are going to help Stacey the soccer fairy try to find the missing fairies' magic objects like the missing magic soccer ball.

So can Rachel and Kristy help Stacey the soccer fairy find the missing soccer ball before the big game in Fairyland and in the human world?

So check out Stacey the soccer fairy and find out how the books ends.

Also, check out the library or Schloastic books for books in the series of Fairies by Daisy Meadows.  Young girls will love them.  Also, check out this website.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard/books-by/daisy-meadows?page=1#cart/cleanup

Happy Friday!!!

I imagine the children are ready for Friday on their second or third week of school.  I hope everyone has had a good week and are ready to enjoy their weekend and the regular season of NFL football begins this weekend.  I hope everyone has a great weekend and has time to read a good book. :)

On Wednesday I started a series on sports for fall and I started with a cute book about sportsmanship.  I think all children should be taught good sportsmanship for being on a team and even for life and how to deal with life.  Today I am going to review another good book on sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship

by

Lucia Raatma

This is a nonfiction book that explains sportsmanship in many areas with good pictures and good text.  It starts by explaining what good sportsmanship is and how to be a good sport at home, with your friends, at school, and on a team.  It also explains "how to be a good fan"  which is important too.  

There is a section on Wilma Rudolph and how she portrayed good sportsmanship.  There is an activity to do with your children when watching sports on tv or at a game.

This is an easy to understand book that would work well with grade school children and even in middle school too.  So if you would like your child or grandchild to learn more about good sportsmanship check this book out at your local library.

The author has written a whole series on Character education from Caring to Tolerance.  Check out some of her other books too.

See you on Monday and I hope everyone has a great weekend and take some time to read a good book.

Happy Reading!!!!!!

Hello Fellow Readers!!

I am so happy my favorite season is just around the corner.  I think the "Dog Days of Summer" are winding down and cooler weather is coming.  I love fall and all the fun activities you can do by yourself or with kids.  I love the leaves changing and where I live the trees are usually very beautiful in October.  I also love the cooler weather, walking in the leaves, apple cider, pumpkins, hay rides, and football.  I loved football when I was in high school and in college and of course I love the Kansas City Chiefs.   So I say bring on fall I am so ready for it. :)

This week and maybe part of next week I would like to focus on sports and good sportsmanship as we head into the fall sports.  Almost all children find a sport they like from running to football and many more.  I would like to focus on some books that children might enjoy about sports and some authors that have written many books about sports.  So let's begin with a book about good sportsmanship which is trait all children should be taught before they begin a sport.  My first book is about a girl named Gwen.  So let's see how Gwen learns to be a good sport.

Good Sport Gwen

by

Valerie Tripp

Gwen was the fastest runner, the hardest kicker,and the highest scorer on the team on  the soccer team at her school the Hopscotch Hill School. Gwen worked hard on the team to help her teammates.  The team got along well together.

Mrs. Sparks, Gwen's teacher told the class they were going to have a Spelling Bee and there would be two teams and the team who spelled the most words correctly would win the spelling bee.  Gwen was excited she loved to play games. Gwen's team did not win the spelling bee and Gwen did not cheer  for the red team.  Gwen said her team stinks and all the kids were very surprised by Gwen not being a good sport.  Mrs. Sparks told the class that there would be another spelling bee next week and Gwen was sad  because she wasn't a good sport at the last spelling bee.  Mrs. Sparks tells Gwen she is a good sport and that practice will help her team.  So Gwen apologizes to her teammates and tells them a way to practice for the next spelling bee.  Check out Good Sport Gwen and share it with a child this week and in the back of the book the author gives great ideas for teaching your child or children about being a good sport not just in sports.  This is a cute book and teaches a good lesson about  being a good sport.

I noticed when I was checking out this book that the author, Valerie Tripp has written several good books for children.  You might want to check them out.

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.