Three Oliver and Jumpy Stories by Werner Stejskal

Genre: Children's Picture Books
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my reviews. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Oliver and Jumpy Stories 40-42

Story 40: Elephant Heaven
In this story Oliver, Jumpy and Joey visit ghost castle. They find a group of elephants in a desert waiting for them to lead them to fertile ground. Oliver is up for the challenge. They encounter a grass fire and an avalanche. Will they find the land of plenty?

Story 41: Waking the Princess
In this story Oliver sets out on his own to break a curse. Years before a Princess was put to sleep until a cat Prince could wake her with a kiss. However, the cat prince would have to overcome three challenges. The challenges included a genie out of a bottle, a giant and a spider. Will he be able to wake the Princess?

Story 42: Space Ball
Jumpy and Joey were watching a star in the sky when suddenly it began to move. It became a fireball and landed in their lake. The next morning a spacecraft emerged from the lake. A creature came out. What do you think the creature wants?

Oliver and Jumpy Stories 43-45

Story 43: Flying Carpet
In this story a stork from Africa delivers a letter to Oliver. He is needed to rescue another princess. He and his friends travel to Africa where they are given a magic carpet to help them rescue the princess. They manage to do this, but the guards chase them. Can they evade the guards and take the Princess to her destination?

Story 44: Birthday Party
Oliver returned home from one of his adventures to a surprise birthday party. His friends had cake and presents for him. He felt their love.  What kind of presents do you think he got?

Story 45: Magic Berries
In this story the three friends visit Ghost Castle again and end up in a land where there were very large berries. Before anyone could stop him, Joey ate a handful. He began to shrink. He found another colored berry and ate it. It caused him to grow fat. He found a third berry and ate it and it caused him to grow tall again, but remain fat. They were told they had to find a wood fairy to help them. Will Joey be able to do what is needed to get back to his regular size?

Oliver and Jumpy Stories 46-48

Story 46: Saving Fairyland
Fairyland was under attack. Their food was being destroyed. The Fairy Queen asked Oliver and his friends to help save her land. With their magic wands they went to help.  Will they be able to save fairy land?

Story 47: Cat King
Oliver and his friends visit the Ghost Castle again for another adventure. They find themselves in a room with several statues. One of them looks just like him.  The statues come to life and declare him their returned king. They take him to meet his bride. They get married and begin to eat. There is one major problem. When Oliver eats anything with mice or birds in ti he begins to turn white. The other cats think he is an impostor.  What will happen to Oliver and his friends.?

Story 48: The Bee Gnomes
Oliver is not the neatest cat. Sometimes his home can be quite messy. One day he woke up and found his house had been tidied up.  This happened several mornings. He pretended to go to sleep one night and found out who was cleaning up his house.  The bee gnomes had a favor to ask of him. Would he be able to help them?

Why "Teachers Write" Is So Important To Me

Every year since it began, I've joined Kate Messner for Teachers Write.  I do this for several reasons. First, I have the opportunity to write for me. Second, I have the opportunity to be led and guided my many of my favorite authors. Each of them have so many different styles and things to teach us. Most importantly for me, is that I learn so much to take back to the classroom to teach and encourage my own students on their writing journey. I have always hoped I was getting through.

Yesterday, ended my school year for me. I am having double knee surgery on Monday. This meant turning my classroom over to a sub for the last three and a half weeks of school. I've been trying to prepare my students, and myself, for the last month. I cry every year when they leave my classroom for the last time. Friday was an emotional roller coaster as I had former students coming and going as well as my sixth graders all day. But I have one student who is very quiet and has always had a beautiful writing style. She above all my students touched my heart in a way no other student every has. Below is her gift to me.  This is why I will always participate and encourage other to join Teachers Write.

A Poem for Mrs. Stiles

One day I walked

into a room

labeled Language Arts

where I could learn

how to put pencil to paper

and unleash the magic.

The magic that waits

beneath the white,

so my messy scrawl

could burn through

the snow-colored shield.

The little candle

in my pencil

could melt through the paper.

And the worlds I’ve gone to

through thin black crevices

in the pages of books

are extraordinary.

And I loved Language Arts

through the first school.

Elementary school.

And it was almost as great

as the library

where I could travel through

little black lines

in otherwise blank walls,

into worlds of magic.

For those years

my candle burned

in the same little room

in the same little school.

Then,

A new, bigger school

where I could see the sky

through patches of blue

in the hallway.

In middle school 

where I headed

to Language Arts

my heart in my throat

because my teacher would be

an author,

who had wildfires in her pencil,

and knew how to

burn through the paper

and create portals

to other worlds,

where anything was possible.

And I only had my candle.

She welcomed us

I liked her

in moments.

I was glad

she was the one chose

to show us how to burn through

paper

with flaming pencils.

Mrs. Stiles

I look forward all day

to Language Arts

where anything

is possible.

And we can write

About spinning torrents of wind

and flames unquenchable.

Neat, orderly writing

Or wild, imagined tall tales.

Poetry

with rhyming sequences

and corresponding syllables.

Or free

like an eagle

flying into the flaming sunset.

You helped my candle

grow into a flame

dancing on a torch.

You’ve been a great teacher,

Thank you for showing me

how to put pencil to paper

and unleash the magic.

The magic that waits

beneath the white.

Now my messy scrawl

can burn through

the snow-colored shield.

Thank you.

I’ll see you next year.

Good-bye,

and good luck.

Madison B.

Laura Sullivan: The Modern Romantic New Relaxing Classical Piano Music

Winds of Magic and Timeless were probably my favorites on this CD.  It is tough to choose as they are all so beautiful. I took this to school with me after I got it. My students know me well. When I am stressed I play music with no words. This year I’ve had to be very selective with what I usually play. I have a student on the Autism Spectrum with sensitivity issues. He sits right in front of my desk, so playing music can be very disrupting to him. I noticed something with this CD. I told him if it bothered him to let me know and I would move it, turn it down, or turn it off. He has a lot of tics when his senses are over stimulated. This is something he is working on. He was not having the best day with his tics. I noticed when I put the CD on they did not increase. When we came to the song Come Home his shoulders actually relaxed and the tics subsided for a while. I told his mom about this and the CD. They and his therapists are trying different things. If this will help him then I will provide them with a copy, just not this one. I am having surgery in a couple of days. This will accompany me to rehab as I know I will need the relaxation. I was trying to pick the best music to take and this is it. I grew up in a musical family. My father played 11 instruments and had a gospel quartet. From the time I was little until two days beforeh he entered the hospital and then passed away I sat with him as he played the piano for me. For this reason I have an affinity to music that has piano in it. I can say without a doubt that my father would have loved Laura Sullivan’s compositions. I look forward to more of her music in the future.