Welcome!

You have accessed the blog site for Choosing and Using Books for Children. Throughout the term we'll use our blog to record the books we read and the ideas we have for using them when we're teachers. By the end of March, our class will have read at least 280 books. Happy reading!

Two important protocol actions for EVERY post:
1. Underline or italicize all book titles (choose one formatting style and stick with it--underline OR italicize for all book titles)
2. Add your name in the "label" box before you post each documentation.

One important recommendation:
Create your documentations in a separate Word document, then cut and paste in a blog post.

Basic Documentation

Book Title:

Author(s):

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist:

Publisher:

Copyright Date:

Genre:

Brief Annotation:

Your Rating (1-5) and why:

Readers who will like this book:

Teaching Strategy from Tompkins or Yopp & Yopp (you'll link a strategy to at least 10 of your 40 books) :

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level (age):

2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade):
Use book wizard to help with the previous 2 areas


3. List awards

4. Does this book have a book trailer? If so, cut and paste the web address here.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Next Stop, Grand Central Station


Book Title: Next Stop, Grand Central Station


Author/Illustrator: Maira Kalman


Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons


Copyright Date: 1999


Genre: Picture Book – Contemporary Realistic Fiction



Brief Annotation:


Kalman takes you through the bustling world that is Grand Central Station in New York City. You’ll see the subway cars, businessman, women with tiny dogs, and all of the people the keep this underground world alive and working.


Your Rating (1-5) and why:


5 – I love that Kalman writes about real people she met in the station, both the workers and the patrons. Her illustrations show all of the life and movement in the Station just as I

imagine it.


Readers who will like this book:


Readers interested in taking a glimpse at one of the words busiest underground railways. Readers interested in seeing what a group of different people do at exactly the same time. It’s a wonderful thing to observe all of the different things we do throughout the day.


After Reading activity:


Pick a time during the weekend for the children to record all of the things going on in their house. All of the students could bring in their observations and share how different and similar their home life is.


Question to ask about this book before a read aloud:


Have you ever experienced the subway?


1. Interest Level (age): 5 and up


2. Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 2.8

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1 comment:

  1. Suzy Kaback & FamilyMarch 31, 2012 at 6:56 AM

    I could see this book as part of a textset on city living, including Madelenka (you probably already thought of this) and Clementine (city dweller).

    Your post-reading idea also has implications for math. Students could compare and contrast their afterschool activities, look for patterns, and then graph according to categories.

    Fun stuff
    Stuff I have to do
    Family stuff
    Hygiene stuff

    Just some categories I predict would emerge :-)

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