Bedtime for Chickies
by Janee Trasler (Author, Illustrator)
Booktalk: Cheep cheep cheep! What does it take to get little Chickies to sleep? Meet the Chickies in their very first padded board book!
Snippet:
cheep cheep cheep
We can’t sleep.
We’re thirsty.
Hear the book sung in this 1:18 Bedtime for Chickies book trailer.
**Janee is one of my former students!**
Copyright © 2014 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Texas Chili? Oh My!
by Patricia Vermillion (Author) and Kuleigh Smith (Illustrator)
Booktalk: The story of the three little pigs … Texas style!
Snippet: …deep in the south of Texas,
Mamadillo lived with her three little pups,
Bluebonnet, Mockingbird, and Sweet-Olive,
in a cozy little den!
**Patricia is one of my former students!**
Copyright © 2013 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Baby Born in Collaborative Summer Library Program
I’m pleased to announce that Baby Born is on the Early Literacy list for this year’s Collaborative Summer Library Program. This summer reading program is used in 48 states!
Baby Born
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Chih-Wei Chang (Illustrator)
Booktalk: “The soothing verse follows a year in the life of a newborn…”
~Kirkus Reviews
Snippet:
Baby born
in winter’s sleep
snowflakes fall
snuggle deep
See inside this board book!
Also available in Spanish
For toddler time:
Craft: Make a baby in a blanket (just like the book cover!)
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Picture Book of the Day
Hey Little Baby!
by Heather Leigh (Author) and Genevieve Cote (Illustrator)
Booktalk: A little baby has found his hands, his tiny toes, his lovely voice, and his sweet nose—what else will he find in his world, his cozy, wonder-filled world? (A perfect baby gift!)
Snippet: Hey, little baby,
you’ve arrived in our world.
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Chapter Book of the Day
Marco’s Cinco De Mayo
by Lisa Bullard (Author) and Holli Conger (Illustrator)
24 pages
Booktalk: Marco loves the food, parades, and fun of Cinco de Mayo. This year he’s one of the dancers. (This short “faction” chapter book has facts about the holiday and a simple fiction story. Try the “Make Your Own Maracas” activity in the back of the book.)
Snippet: Hi, I’m Marco. See my costume? It’s for Cinco de Mayo!
That’s a holiday that started in Mexico. People there speak Spanish. “Cinco de Mayo” means the “5th of May” in Spanish.
**Holli is one of my former students!**
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Literary Links
Ready to write your children’s book? May 2-June 20 (online) children’s book writing workshops begin tomorrow!
How to Write a Book When You’re Really, Really Busy (via WritersDigest.com)
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
May 2012 Online Workshops
The May 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, May 2nd.
Which workshop is best for you?
New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.
Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).
Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the
After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.
The May workshop dates are May 2-June 20, 2012.
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Picture Book of the Day
Take Your Mama to Work Today
by Amy Reichert (Author) and Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)
Booktalk: When Violet visits her mom’s office on Take Your Child to Work Day (April 26th this year), she is very helpful.
Snippet: Sometimes the boss won’t say hello because he’ll be getting ready for a presentation–that’s like show-and-tell for grown-ups. You’re probably an expert at show-and-tell, so be sure to offer to help.
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Chapter Book of the Day
Take Your Mama to Work Today
by Valerie Hobbs (Author) and Jennifer Thermes (Illustrator)
336 pages
Booktalk: Maggie is always full of questions. But a young maid in a fine lady’s house isn’t supposed to wonder so much, so one day Maggie is thrown out into the street with only a tiny heart-shaped locket for a keepsake. Who is the lady in the locket?
A little dog named Oliver is pushing his nose along an icy sidewalk searching for his lost mistress, or at least something to eat. No matter how hard he looks he can’t find either one, but he does see a girl with round blue eyes and a golden locket around her neck. The girl calls him “Lucky.”
Snippet: For once in his short life, Oliver was happy to be an ordinary mutt, with parts of many kinds of dogs all mixed together. The part of him that was bloodhound would help find Bertie. With one last look at the cozy house where he had been raised from a pup, Oliver headed into the wide open world.
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April 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature
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STEM Haiku
Share your own haiku about a STEM topic during National Poetry Month.
(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Percentages
A little of this
a little of that, bit by
bit, add up to one.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Picture Book of the Day
C. R. Mudgeon
by Leslie Muir (Author) and Julian Hector (Illustrator)
Booktalk: C.R. Mudgeon, a sensible hedgehog, likes knowing just what to expect. Always. No surprises, no excitement. So when a noisy new neighbor, Paprika the squirrel, arrives, C.R. Mudgeon is even less cheerful than normal.
Snippet:
At suppertime C.R. Mudgeon smelled something strange.
Peppery.
Tickly.
He sneezed.
Paprika was cooking. The air was thick with her spices.
BONUS! See the video!
Chapter Book of the Day
The Glass Collector
by Anna Perera (Author)
352 pages
Booktalk: Fifteen-year-old Aaron lives amongst the rubbish piles in the slums of Cairo. His job? To collect broken glass. His life? Wasted. His hope? To find a future he can believe in.
Snippet: Aaron walks slowly and painfully, trying hard to take the weight off his left knee, which is throbbing badly after a fall this morning with a pony and cart. The toe he jabbed and the elbow he bashed when he landed on the hot, potholed road hurt almost as badly and, for one awful moment, he thinks he’ll just sink down on the pavement and give up.
BONUS! See the video!
STEM Haiku
(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Write a haiku about STEM for National Poetry Month and share it.
Binary Words
Electricity
on and off. Words are ones and
zeroes. Talk is math.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Literary Links
Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next TODAY!
Education Week: New Literacy Standards Could Challenge Even Passionate Readers
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
STEM Haiku
In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.
(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.
Humming
you never rest
computer, you’re always hum,
hum, humming a tune
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Picture Book of the Day
Senorita Gordita
by Helen Ketteman (Author) and Will Terry (Illustrator)
Booktalk: In this Tex-Mex retelling of The Little Gingerbread Man, Senorita Gordita –a little corn cake– escapes from the frying pan and leads a merry chase. (Try the recipe for gorditas in the back!)
Snippet: And with a flip, and a skip, and a zip-zoom-zip, off she ran. Lagarto skittered after her.
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Chapter Book of the Day
Floors
by Patrick Carman
272 pages
Booktalk: Ten-year-old Leo Fillmore should know everything there is to know about the Whippet Hotel–he is the janitor’s son after all. But a whole lot of mystery gets thrown his way when four cryptic boxes are left to him…boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and an unexpected friend or two.
Snippet: Leo sat up in bed and thought of his mother’s voice; then he thought of ducks and breakfast. After that, he remembered the one thing he’d hoped to forget in his sleep: Merganzer D. Whippet, the owner and creator of the Whippet Hotel, was gone.
BONUS! See the video!
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Literary Links
Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next week!
Did your child have 1000 hours of one-on-one reading by first grade? (via Momania: A Blog for Busy Moms)
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Picture Book of the Day
Twice as Good: The story of William Powell and Clearview, the only golf course designed, built, and owned by an African-American
by Richard Michelson (Author) and Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)
Booktalk: To nine-year-old Willie Powell, there was no prettier sight than the smooth grass lawns of Edgewater Golf Cource.
Snippet: Willie Powell as fast. He was the only third grader who could run across the playgound faster than most fifth graders. But the new golf course as seven miles outside of town, and he’d promised his mother he would be home before dark.
BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day
Amateur Wrestling: Combat on the Mat
by Garrison Wells (Author)
32 pages
Booktalk: Did you know that wrestling started out as a deadly sport? Ancient Greeks and Romans used it for self-defense. In modern times, amateur wrestling is still powerful and challenging. But training, equipment, rules, and scoring systems make the sport safer for competitors.
Snippet: Amateur wrestling is one of the oldest styles of fighting. It has been around for thousands of years. Proof of its history has been found in China, Egypt, India, France, and other countries. Archaeologists in Egypt have found art dating back to 2300 B.C. that shows wrestling. Drawings on cave walls in France show wrestling existed more than 15,000 years ago.
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Nonfiction Monday
This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up host is Rasco From RIF
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April 2012 Online Workshops
The April 2012 workshops will begin on Wednesday, April 4th.
Which workshop is best for you?
New to children’s books?
Learn about the different types of children’s books in the Children’s Book Genres Workshop.
Passionate about literacy?
Find out how you can write for children learning to read in the Children’s Literacy Workshop (for Writers).
Ready to write?
Write and edit your book in the
After you finish a writing workshop you can work through two more edits in a “work-in-progress” workshop, by rewriting your picture book or easy reader or working on the next chapter of your children’s chapter book or children’s novel.
The April workshop dates are April 4-May 23, 2012.
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STEM Haiku
In honor of National Poetry Month, we invite you to share an original STEM haiku.
(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Share your original STEM haiku at the new STEM Friday blog.
I’ll start…
Comments
A blog is a place
to share your thoughts. We invite
you to share yours here…
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Picture Book of the Day
Big Little Brother
by Kevin Kling (Author) and Chris Monroe (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Being an older brother has its benefits, of that there’s little doubt. But how would you feel if your little brother grew to be bigger than you?
Snippet:
It’s my own fault.
I wanted a little brother.
BONUS! See the video!
Chapter Book of the Day
The Faerie Ring
by Kiki Hamilton (Author)
352 pages
Booktalk: The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic.
Snippet: Tiki eyed the item that Leo had tossed under the desk. Mesmerized by its beauty, she reached for the ring. It was a burnished band of rich gold, capped by an intensely red stone the color of blood that almost seemed to beckon her.
Tiki stared into the ruby red depths, turning the stone this way and that to catch the light. Something flickered and her heart caught in her throat as she peered closer. Deep within the heart of the stone, flames burned.
BONUS! See the video!
5 Great Earth Day Books
Earth Day
by Trudi Strain Trueit (Author)
Learn why we celebrate Earth Day in this Rookie Read-About Holidays easy reader.
Earth Day Girl
Wordgirl saves the world on Earth Day. Easy Reader.
Fancy Nancy: Every Day Is Earth Day
by Jane O’Connor (Author) and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)
Fancy Nancy goes green in this I Can Read Level 1 easy reader.
The Earth and I
by Frank Asch
A boy talks about his friend, the Earth. Picture Book
What Do You See at the Pond?
by Anastasia Suen (Author) and Aaron Boyd (Illustrator)
A boy and his mom take a nature walk in this simple easy reader.
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Literary Links
Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next Wednesday!
Library Skills = Information Literacy Skills = Common Core Skills
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
My Book of the Week
Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen
A transportation picture book
“Suen’s sparse rhyming verse leads readers through the busy scenes and uses simple vocabulary that suits both the youngest listeners and those just beginning to read.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
“A batch of Grandma’s homemade oatmeal cookies beckons, but for this backseat narrator, the sights and sounds along the road to her house are equally compelling.” ~ Publishers Weekly
Activities:
Play the Road Signs Matching Game.
Find out more about Cars, Trucks, and Construction Play.
Watch the construction site video.
Make a Traffic Light Necklace with yarn and stickers.
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Picture Book of the Day
The Adventures of Granny Clearwater and Little Critter
by Kimberly Willis Holt (Author) and Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrator)
Booktalk: The Clearwater family is heading west in their covered wagon. But when Granny and Little Critter are accidentally thrown from the back, they are suddenly on their own.
Snippet: They flew through the sky for almost a mile until they landed stuck to a prickly pear cactus. Granny kept napping as if nothing has happened, but Little Critter’s eyes popped open wide as he watched his family’s wagon disappear from the horizon.
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Chapter Book of the Day
The Gray Wolf Throne (A Seven Realms Novel)
by Cinda Williams Chima (Author)
528 pages
Booktalk: Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. But nothing prepares him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to queendom of the Fells.
Snippet: Three lean young men in Ardenine civilan garb played cards at a table by the door. Four had come in, but one of them had left a while ago. Several times, Raisa looked up and caught one or another of them staring at her. Apprehension slithered down her spine. Thieves or assasins? Or just young men showing interest in a girl on her own?
BONUS! See the video!
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Literary Links
Ready to write your children’s book? Apr 4-May 23 (online) writing workshops begin next week!
How can you help your child learn to read?
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Picture Book of the Day
Surviving the Hindenburg
by Larry Verstraete (Author) and David Geister (Illustrator)
Booktalk: On May 6, 1937, the giant German airship the Hindenburg exploded in a ball of fire as it attempted to land at Lakehurst Navel Base in New Jersey. Of the 93 people on board, a remarkable 62 survived, including Werner Franz, the ship’s 14-year-old cabin boy.
Snippet: As the Hindenburg‘s cabin boy, 14-year-old Werner had many chores to do for the officers and crew–setting tables, washing dishes, making beds, cleaning boots and uniforms. Much of the time, Werner lived and worked below deck.
BONUS! Download the teacher’s guide!
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Chapter Book of the Day
Attack of the Killer Video Book Take 2: Tips and Tricks for Young Directors
by Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog (Authors) and Martha Newbigging (Illustrator)
76 pages
Booktalk: Originally published in 2004, Attack of the Killer Video Book has become indispensable for budding filmmakers and video production classes. This updated edition has been revised to include new technology, with hot tips on digital cameras and editing; shooting on a phone or webcam; adding cool and safe special effects; and much more. Aspiring directors will discover tricks and techniques for becoming a camera sharpshooter; lighting like a pro; making awesome music videos; and using social networking sites to post and promote their movies.
Snippet:
Let There Be Lighting:
Your camera can adjust to the color of light because it has an automatic light balance. That means it works to make white things look white, even if there’s yellowy light on them. Then all of the other colors shift, too.
BONUS! See inside the book!
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Nonfiction Monday
This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is here at Booktalking.
Kidlit celebrates Women’s History Month
All About Books with Janet Squires
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Spring 2012 Call for Nonfiction Monday Hosts
We’re looking for Spring 2012 Nonfiction Monday Round-up hosts.
Go here to sign up.
Edited to add: The list filled up before noon!
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Nonfiction Book Blast 2012
Susan Goldman Rubin booktalks Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein
on the Nonfiction Book Blast blog today…
Save the date! June 23, 2012 Nonfiction Book Blast 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
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March 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature
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Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Booktalking #kidlit: Anastasia Suen's Blog 