I Am A Big Sister by KidsUp

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

What a wonderful book to read with your soon to be big sister, or even your soon to be big brother. It puts a positive spin on being an older sibling. The story takes you through the things your child can do to help take care of your new baby. Instead of feeling left out they become a very important part of the help with the new baby.  I didn't have a book like this when my second child was born. However, we sat down nightly with our son and talked about the things he could do to help with his new sister when she was born. There was no feelings of being left out. He took his "job" seriously. Before she was born he talked to her in my tummy nightly and kissed it and told her good night. The funny thing is, he was the only one who could calm her down. She recognized his voice. They maintain that closeness today, forty years later.  

This is a must read book for all new to be brother or sister.

 

Student Saturday: Tales of the Cryptids by Kelly Halls, Rick Spear, and Roxyanne Young

 

Genre: Children, Science and Nature
Student Reviewer: Dylan H.

“TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS” by Kelly Halls, Rick Spear, and Roxyanne Young is about the authors investigating reports of many different cryptids around the world. Cryptids are animals that come from legends, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. The book goes into extreme detail about the number of interviews and information that they found out about each and every cryptid mentioned in this book. Most importantly cryptids such as, Hellhounds are legendary dogs that accompany the newly dead into the afterlife, or the New Jersey Devil with the earliest reported sighting was during the American Revolutionary War. Did you know in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas local villagers have reported sightings of the Yeti, also known as abominable snowman, which resembles Bigfoot. Overall, this is an incredibly good book and has so much information about cryptids and the stories that go with them.

Wilda Reads at Recess by Karen Georgiev

 

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

There is a reason my blog is called "The Musings of a Book Addict". Read below to learn why.

I absolutely loved this book. I was Wilda in first grade. My friend played on the swings, slides, and monkey bars while I sat against a tree and read. I preferred reading over everything else. This type of book should be in every kindergarten through second-grade classroom. It shows how some people value reading over everything else. It also shows that it is okay to be that person. This would also make an excellent mentor text when teaching alliteration to students. The story flows naturally, making it easier for children to pick up on. I loved the illustrations. My favorite was the picture of the children looking at Wilda reading, their mouths open in awe or surprise. Definitely, a book I will recommend to my friends who have younger children.

On a personal note, as I said above I was Wilda in first grade.  However, I did not stop there. My first-grade teacher asked if I would help another young girl with reading because she was struggling and I did. I tutored other students throughout my school years.  I have been a teacher for thirty-one years.  I teach middle school English. I make it my goal to turn non-readers into readers. I make them set a reading goal, and in exchange, the classes all choose my reading goal. (Just as a side note, this year my reading goal was set at  95 books by the end of May. When I left school last week I had read six.  I will add four more to that list since we were out for the hurricane.) I check in on them weekly. I know my first two - three weeks are hectic so I get little reading done. When I come in and write books on my list and tell them I'm trying to catch up, the game is on. I've been able to turn several in to life long readers. The best compliment I ever received was on the last day of school. A student told me he hated me. This was just before he grabbed me and hugged me and told me the reason was because I made him love reading.  He had stopped reading when his mother was accidentally killed before his eyes. She had read to him as a young child. His dad remarried 8 months later and that was the end of reading for him.  He keeps in touch and asks for recommendations for his young kids. It is fulfilling to get email with recommendations from former students.  So whether you are a teacher, parent, grandparent, or just someone who loves gifting kids with great books. This is one you must read.