Tuesday Tales | The Angel Forever

Category Archives Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Danny’s Doodles

Posted on October 8, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Rewind back to when I was in college getting my Masters Degree in Reading K-12. One of my classes required us to work with a student that was struggling with reading and work with them. The young girl that I worked with was in elementary school and several grade levels behind. Her slow fluency when reading had a major impact on her reading comprehension. All of these factors played a major role in her being a reluctant reader. Chapter books intimidated her and she did not like to write. All of this changed when I introduced her to the wonderful world of Cam Jansen books by David A. Adler. Suddenly, she was predicting what would come next, talking about the story, and eager to work on a journal where we wrote back and forth about all things related to Cam.

When Sourcebooks Jabberwocky wrote me to let me know that David A. Adler had a new series of books coming out, I was eager to read the book with my son. When the book arrived, JSL was immediately intrigued by the front cover and wanted to know more about who Danny Doodle was.

Danny’s Doodles – The Jelly Bean Experiment – ISBN 9781402287213 – Written and Illustrated by David A. Adler – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky – September 2013 – 112 page Paperback – Ages 7 and up – $4.99

When we first meet Danny Cohen, the main character in the new series he is the primary focus of an experiment created by his friend Calvin Waffle. This experiment is a little strange and involves jelly beans and using them in school. We read along and learn more about how the boys became friends. Together they are in fourth grade in Mrs. Cakel’s class where her NO sign has made quite the impact.

The first in this new series, captured the interest of my first grader. JSL was fascinated with the concept of the author’s doodles as if Danny had drawn them into a journal telling the stories. He wanted to see what would happen next and how the doodles would depict it. We both liked seeing and reading how the silly jelly bean experiment would work out and why Calvin was trying this out on Danny.

As we read along, we also witness a growing friendship where Danny learns to accept differences and see that they are good. The humor and realistic situations lead to great conversations whether reading the book at home or in a classroom setting. An Educator’s Guide is already available for those interested in checking it out. I know that JSL is already curious about what will happen to Danny next in the second book called The Donut Dilemma.

Have you read any books by David A. Adler? Perhaps a Cam Jansen mystery, some of the Bones books, or something else that you read with your child. I would love for you to share them below. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: As noted above, I received this book from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky to review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Clumsy Duck

Posted on September 24, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Teaching children about differences and accepting them in yourself and others is a huge part of growing up these days. Kids realize they are not the same as all of their other friends and classmates and often times they get upset and worried about this. When I was asked by Sterling Children’s Books to review a new book that would assist with this topic, I immediately agreed.

Clumsy Duck – Written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup – Boxer Books – September 2013

ISBN 9781907967535 – Hardcover 32 pages – Ages 3-6 – $16.95

As we begin the story, we meet Clumsy Duck and see that she fell again. This poor little duck falls, trips, and stumbles each and every day and was getting frustrated with this situation. As she worried about being clumsy, her good friend Chick shows up and tells her not to worry. The two of them take us along on their journey. With the encouragement of Chick and the ability to just keep trying, Clumsy Duck is determined to find something that she could do with her enormous feet.

This story is absolutely beautiful and will show children not only how they need to find what they do well, but try not to worry about being different. Clumsy Duck also shares how a good friend and support system can help us when we are feeling sad. Chick helps Clumsy Duck to figure out why his feet are important and to find her special talent. This book really is about self confidence, finding your personal talents, and the importance of being a great friend.

When I read this with my first grade son, he picked up on the major themes of the book. We talked about the ways that each person has their own special talent and not everyone can be great at the same activities. I believe this book would not only be a good addition to read at home, but a nice way to get talking about these important topics in a classroom. Children will be able to follow along with the characters and additional talking points and crafts about what makes you special can follow.

What books have you read with your children to help them with these crucial topics? I would love for you to share them below. As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: As noted above, I received this book from Sterling Publishing to review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Battling Reluctant Readers with Tablets

Posted on September 17, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I recently wrote about the dangers of Quantity vs. Quality When Reading with children. Over the years, I have watched my oldest son’s interest in reading change. While NHL adores to read, he does not like being forced into specific genres, told how many pages to read, or pushed into a specific time to read outside of school. He will often pick up a book about people, places, science, and math just to read for fun. Yes, you read that right. He will often select items like that over a chapter book about fictional characters. So what does a parent do in this situation? Well, over the summer, I introduced NHL to the audio books on CD at the library. Then, the Samsung Galaxy Tablet that we received as part of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers changed things again.

Thanks to several fantastic apps available for Android devices, we can “shop” for library books from home. As residents of New York, I have a New York Public Library Card. Using that, along with the options from the Upper Hudson Library System, I am able to browse through a lot of books for children. They not only have Harry Potter and countless other books for Kindle, but also MP3 audio versions. While some people may wonder why I would find audio books acceptable, I look at it as listening comprehension and expanding his appreciation for new books and authors. If something clicks, he may switch to an eBook format or possibly a paper book down the road. In addition to this, I know that some children do better when they hear stories. Some individuals on the autism spectrum have a hard time relating and connecting to fiction stories. Listening to them read by others sometimes breaks this and storytelling via audio helps to connect them to the fictional world. This just takes away one more sensory overload that could keep some individuals away from certain books.

The start of school meant that NHL came home with a weekly reading assignment. He has to read 20-30 minutes each night. To assist with this, I installed the OverDrive Media app onto his Galaxy Tab. We are not using this all the time, but it will be there in a pinch. It is something he can listen to on the go in the car, or in his room when he needs some quiet time. I loaded a series of books for him to try, but next time I am going to get NHL more involved in the search for something to read.

Do you allow your children to listen to audio books? I would love to know your thoughts on the subject. As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I received a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 to test out and share ways that I use this in my life (we purchased a second one on our own). There was no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books Technology Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – The Vanishing Gourds: A Sukkot Mystery

Posted on September 10, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Each year, after Rosh Hashanah, many Jewish families begin to prepare for Sukkot. This is a fun holidays where some build a sukkah in their yard and eat meals and sleep under the stars. In the past our boys have helped to decorate the sukkah at our synagogue while at nursery school and Hebrew School. Looking back we have a lot of wonderful memories with our children celebrating Sukkot together.

Thanks to the PJ Library, we were introduced to new book about Sukkot. The Vanishing Gourds: A Sukkot Mystery by Susan Axe-Bronk arrived for JSL to read during the holiday season. I have to admit, that I may have been more excited to sit down and read it together. Once I started to read, JSL was hooked. He wanted to know more about Sara and the way her family celebrates Sukkot.

When you begin the story, you are introduced to Sara. We watch as she and her family prepare for Sukkot. She helps her father to build the sukkah, she bakes items to eat in the sukkah, and she decorates the sukkah. Sara goes with her mother to a farm to get some gourds to hang in their sukkah. The beautiful illustrations by Marta Monelli make the book even more festive. The crisp autumn feel is present as we see Sara, the gourds, and sukkah happenings. Then something starts to happen to the gourds in the sukkah and we follow along as Sara solves the mystery.

JSL really enjoyed the story and wanted to know more about gourds. For some reason, he does not recall seeing them at the farms that we have gone to in the past. I do believe we may have to get some for fall decorations this year. We talked about memories of decorating the sukkah when he was in nursery school and how he would often eat lunch in it when the weather was nice. At the end of the book, JSL was happy with the ending and seemed to want to hear more about Sara and her family.

I also enjoyed the story. I liked that it was different than other Sukkot stories that we have read in the past. The cute mystery gives children the chance to think, predict, and wonder about the cause of the gourds being smashed. In addition to this, I liked how forgiving Sara was throughout the story. She had great coping strategies and looked ahead to the following year when she would celebrate Sukkot again. For families reading the book together, PJ Library also has a Reading Guide available. This includes an explanation of Sukkot, the sukkah, and includes questions that would work nicely as discussion starters. JSL and I will likely read the book again before Sukkot and chat about some of the items included.

Do you have any special Sukkot books that you like to read with your family? As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: My son received this book as a members of the PJ Library. Membership in our area is free and we are never expected to review/write about this, I simply wanted to share a new book with others. All opinions are my own.

Categories:
books holidays Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011

Posted on September 3, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Did you learn about Tsunamis when you were in school? Not only did I learn about them, but I also taught about this phenomenon of nature to my sixth grade science students. I still remember the news in 2004 of the giant tsunami that hit Southeast Asia. It was all over the news and students in the school I worked in raised money to send to the people in the area. As I sat and watched specials and shared them in class, I remember thinking about the horror of living through one of these natural disasters. First the earthquake and then the possibility of a giant wave coming onto the land and sweeping everything away.

Just seven years later, on March 11, 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 rocked Japan for several minutes. Tsunami warnings went out immediately after what later was noted as the largest recorded quake in Japan and fifth largest in the world. After the tsunami was over and people started to look for survivors and clean up, they noted a massive problem with the nuclear power plant as a result of the earthquake.This is the premise for the eighth book in the I Survived series by author Lauren Tarshis. I received an advanced copy of this book to read on my Kindle from Scholastic.

I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 – Written by Lauren Tarshis – Scholastic Books – August 27, 2013

ISBN 9780545459372 – Paperback 112 pages – Ages 7+ – $4.99

In I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011, we meet Ben who lives in California. Ben recently lost his father while he was serving in Afghanistan. As the book begins, his family decides to go to his father’s hometown of Shagahama, Japan to visit his uncle. While there, an earthquake strikes and his family is able to escape the rubble that is left in the house. As they get into their car to escape from a potential tsunami, the water comes inland and sweeps them out of the car. Ben is separated from everyone and must work hard to stay alive as he is thrown into the debris of the tsunami. We follow along and get to see just how he survives the disaster and whether or not he will be reunited with his family.

As in the other I Survived books, Tarshis does an amazing job weaving facts from a tragic event into a fictional tale. Ben could have been there and his story easily may represent some other child that had been living in Japan at the time of the tsunami. Tarshis gives just enough detail where young readers will understand the basics. In this book, readers will not only learn that an earthquake precedes a tsunami, but how large items are swept away with little effort by the strong waters. She also addresses destruction left in the aftermath including the nuclear power plant that was damaged and caused people to flee parts of Japan. As you read, you will feel the tension as Ben battles to survive. This book would make a nice addition to a science discussion on tsunamis and earthquakes to tie in with a Language Arts curriculum.

Do you or your children like to read historical fiction stories? I would love to know if you have read any of the other I Survived books? As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

My review of I Survived: The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 may be found on a February Tuesday Tales.

Disclosure: I received a NetGalley preview of this book courtesy of Scholastic Books in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. The tsunami approaching the coast drawing is by Veitmueller via WikiMedia Commons.