The Book Fair

The Book Fair for my children's school is one of my favorite things to volunteer for!  When there are no kids around, I go around the room and collect the latest hardcover books to read.  These are the one's that caught attention this time around.  

Helen Keller with Braille on the cover.

Loved the creativeness of this one. 

I just HAD to buy this one right away.  It was a fabulous historical fiction picture book.  Buy it!

I bought this one too.  Hilarious!

Text as Authority

I read this article about a recent experiment done with preschoolers and whether they trust and obey directions when they are written in print versus given orally. 

This is the kind of nerdy stuff I find fascinating.  Plus, they used puppets.  That got my attention.  Check it out!

http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/kinderlab/want-fool-kid-put-it-writing

Study Studio

I love when I see pictures of where people do their creative work.  One day, I decided to take a picture of my "office" or study space.  I write all my papers here, I read all my texts, and have since put in a big bookshelf where that pink board is to hold all my books.  

It's the perfect place on a rainy day.

Music in the preschool classroom

I came across this site which offers songs for various topics in the primary grades, and preschool.  Check it out!

http://www.heidisongs.com/

Idioms

Here is an illustrated student made book trying to illustrate common idioms.  Great idea!

Book Research

When buying fruit trees, I came across this strange and almost scary looking tree for sale.  I had to take a picture of it so I could remember to use it one day in a story because that thing was freaky!

Common Core resources

This site had tons of resources for teaching the Common Core English Language Arts standards with lesson plans, websites, and ideas for teaching at a variety of grade levels.  

http://iteach4results.wikispaces.com/*ELA+%26+Literacy

Bookshelf Envy

I visited a friend who is a book lover like me.  Her bookshelves were so amazing.  Most of these were free, or used, or discarded.  Her house looks like mine in that decorating with children's books is the new home decor.  I think she is a librarian at heart!  

Villains

If you teach writing, and wanted to do a lesson on what motivates your antagonist, then you have to check out this link.  It lists tons of reasons with description that villains do the things they do.  Great list!

http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/villain-motivations/

True Dat.

Celebrity Authors Articles

If this is a sore spot with you, as it is for me...perhaps you'd like to read more about what "the world" is saying about celebrity authors.  Should they be published as frequently as they are?  Should certain celebrities be represented so positively to children in such a forceful way?

I'd love to know what you think.  Read these and comment below!

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/actors-turned-authors-how-many-copies-did-they-sell

http://blogs.kqed.org/pop/2013/05/20/the-9-most-entertainingly-terrible-celebrity-authors-so-far/

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-literati/2012/12/the-case-against-celebrity-authors/