J.K. Rowling

J.K Rowling is an acclaimed children’s author. The most famous of her books are the famous Harry Potter series. The first book of the series Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduces readers to the fun and magical world of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy and the many adventures that take place there. While Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is highly entertaining for children and adults of all ages, J.K. Rowling incorporates important lessons such as: coming of age, responsibility, friendship, love, death, and good versus evil making this book a great addition to any Children’s Literature course. 

Board Games

I have always enjoyed playing board games with friends and family. Many of the games I enjoy playing can be great vices for teaching children about vocabulary, emotions, and social and cultural importance’s. The following list includes games that would be fun to play with adults and children:

 

1. Cranium
2. Taboo
3. Scene It
4. Monopoly
5. Gestures
6. Scrabble
7. Life
8. Clue
9. Mouse Trap
10. Backgammon
11. Battleship
12. Stratego
13. Checkers
14. Chess
15. Jenga

 

Whether you and your friends are battling the power of gravity with Jenga or discovering who the culprit is in Clue, playing these games is a sure-fire way to have a fun-filled evening at home! 

The Joy of Animals!

Growing up my family always had a household of animals. At one point we had: three dogs, two cats, a parakeet, and two large fish tanks (not to mention outdoor animals). This may have something to do with the fact that my father is a Veterinarian; nevertheless, my family definitely loves animals. Some of the best memories I have growing up is with our Golden Retriever named Buck. Letting children have pets can teach them important things like responsibility, love and patience. Before getting an animal it is very important to do research and make sure the animal will suit your family’s lifestyle. For example, if you are interested in getting a puppy remember that each dog breed is different and some breeds require much more time to care for. Regardless of the type of animal you choose, having pets in your life or the life of your child can make everyday life a little more exciting.

American Idol

American Idol is by far my favorite television show. The first show began on June 11, 2002 and Kelly Clarkson was winner of the first season of American Idol. The program is geared towards discovering the best singer in the country through a competitive series of auditions. The destiny of each singer is determined by the votes of America. I enjoy this show so much because it is one of the few shows left on television that is geared towards family viewing and based solely on talent. This show is a great way to show children that they can use their talent in positive ways.

Cascarones

Happy Easter!

This Easter I experienced a fun and exciting tradition, called Cascarones. Cascarones are confetti-filled eggs. They are decorated much like a traditional Easter egg. Having one of these eggs broken over your head is supposed to bring you good luck. You use these eggs by smashing the confetti-filled eggs on the heads of friends and family. To make Cascarones cut a small hole in one end of an eggshell with a small knife. Remove the contents from inside. Rinse the shell with water, and then let it dry. Decorate the your egg with either glitter, markers, or dye. Fill the decorated eggs with confetti by spooning it into the opening or using a small funnel. Seal the opening with a piece of glued-on tissue paper. Now your ready to celebrate Easter with Cascarones! 

My Little Pony

For more than twenty-five years, the animated television series, My Little Pony has given little girls a world of surprise, adventure, and spontaneity. My Little Pony consists of several brightly colored ponies that share exciting adventures. Their website has interactive games such as “Playtime in Ponyville,” a Birthday Club where children can interact with one another, My Little Pony themed products and videos. This is a great way to get children to interact with the show that they have come to enjoy so much. This show contains good life lessons, imaginative vocabulary and is very entertaining for children of all ages.

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears

One of my favorite cartoons growing up was “Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears.” This cartoon is about a magical place called Gummi Glen; an underground home that was once home to hundreds of Gummies, but now only Gruffi, Grammi, Sunni, Tummi, Zummi, and Cubbi remain. The series is set in medieval times; therefore the show includes many medieval references such as Duke Igthorn, whose main goal is to rule Dunwyn. The Gummi Bears are able to bounce by drinking Gummiberry Juice. If a human drinks the powerful juice they gain superhuman strength. Because of its powerful effects, the Gummies kept this powerful juice a secret. The reason I enjoyed this cartoon so much as a child is because it is completely mystical and magical. The gummies have jumping powers; each episode is full of fun and mischief and in the end the gummies prevail over the villains.

 

Cookbook's Based on Children's Books

The majority of children love to eat so reading cookbooks inspired by their favorite stories is a great way to get children thinking creatively. Many fairy tales and stories share one commonality, the presence of food. Pat-a-Cake, Pease Porridge Hot, This Little Pig Went to Market, Little Miss Muffet, Little Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears all revolve around food in one form or another. Food in children's stories is often used to emphasize the time or place in which that story is set. One of the books we are reading in class, Where the Wild Things Are, opens with Max in a wolf suit. He is sent to his room without any supper because he has been such a wild thing all day. While he is in his room, Max sails off in his imagination to the land of the wild things who threaten "We'll eat you up-we love you so!" However, Max is able to tame the wild beasts and returns to his room "where he found his supper waiting for him-and it was still hot."

The following cookbooks are related to children’s stories:

Addy's Cook Book: A Peek at Dining in the Past with Meals You Can Cook Today. The American Girls Collection. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company, 1994.

The American Girls Cookbook: A Peek at Dining in the Past with Meals You Can Cook Today. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company, 1990.

Anderson, Gretchen, Comp. The Louisa May Alcott Cookbook. Illus. by Karen Milone. Boston, MA: Little Brown, 1985.

Bayley, Monica. The Wonderful World of Oz Cookbook. New York: Macmillan, 1981.

Bjork, Christina. Elliot's Extraordinary Cookbook. Illus. by Lena Anderson. New York: R7S Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990.

Blain, Diane. The Boxcar Children Cookbook. Illus. by L. Kate Deal and Eileen Mueller Neill. Morton Grove, IL: Whitman, 1991.

Bond, Michael. The Great Big Paddington Book. Cleveland, OH: Collins/World, 1977.

Boxer, Arabella, Lady. The Wind in the Willows Country Cookbook. Illus. by Ernest Shepard. London: Methuen, 1983.

Cauley, Lorinda Bryan. Pease Porridge Hot: A Mother Goose Cookbook. New York: Putnam, 1977.

Cotler, Amy. The Secret Garden Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.

Dobrini, Arnold. Peter Rabbit's Natural Foods Cookbook. New York: Warne, 1977.

Ellison, Virginia H. The Pooh Cook Book. Illus. by Ernest H. Shepard. New York: Dutton, 1969.

Emerson, Anne, Comp. Peter Rabbit's Cookery Book. London: Warne, 1987.

Fison, Josie and Felicity Dahl, Comp.Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes. Illus. by Quentin Blake. New York: Viking, 1994.

Glovach, Linda. The Little Witch's Black Magic Cookbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

Greene, Ellin, comp. Midsummer Magic: A Garland of Stories, Charms and Recipes. Illus. by Barbara Cooney. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1977.

Greene, Ellin, comp. Clever Cooks: A Concoction of Stories, Recipes and Riddles. Illus. by Trina Schart Hyman. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1973.

Greene, Karen. Once Upon a Time. New Hope, PA: New Hope Press, 1987.

Hazelton, Niki. Raggedy Ann & Andy's Cookbook.Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1975.

Keene, Carolyn. The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1973.

Lane, Margaret. The Beatrix Potter Country Cookery Book. New York: Warne, 1981.

Macdonald, Kate. The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook. Illus. by Barbara DiLella. Toronto, Canada: Oxford University Press, 1985.

MacGregor, Carol. The Storybook Cookbook. New York: Doubleday, 1967.

MacGregor, Carol. The Fairy Tale Cookbook. New York: Macmillan, 1982.

Mayer, Marianna. The Mother Goose Cookbook: Rhymes and Recipes for the Very Young. New York: Morrow, 1998.

Moore, Sandre. The Fairy Tale Cookbook. Nashville, TN: Cumberland, 2000.

Penner, Lucille Recht. The Little Women Book: Games, Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Pleasures. Illus. by Diane de Groat. New York: RandomHouse, 1995.

Sobel, Donald J. and Glenn Andrews. Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake!: A Cook and Case Book. New York: Four Winds Press, 1983.

Stallworth, Lyn. Wond'rous Fare. Illus by Jim Bennett, Dennis Dittrick, John Hayes, and Jim Robinson. Chicago, IL: Calico Book, 1988.

Stanton, Cynthia. The Frog and Miss Mouse's Wedding. Illus. by Jill Mackley Hall. London: RHS Publications, 1973.

Travers, P.L. and Maurice Moore-Betty. Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1975.

Walker, Barbara M. The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories. Illus. by Garth Williams. New York: Harper & Row, 1979.

Walt Disney Productions. Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Cookbook. New York: Golden Press, 1975.

Winnie-the-Pooh’s Picnic Cookbook. Illus. by Ernest H. Shepard. New York: Dutton, 1997.

Winnie-the-Pooh's Teatime Cookbook. Illus. by Ernest H. Shepard. New York: Dutton, 1993.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls, Comp. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook. Commentary by William Anderson. Photos by Leslie A. Kelly. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.

Source:

Vandergrift, Kay E. "Cookbooks Based on Children's Books." 6 Feb. 1996. 18 Mar. 2008 .

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday about the legend of St. Patrick; it is celebrated worldwide by both Irish and non-Irish people. The holiday is celebrated by wearing green and orange and eating popular Irish foods. A good way to get children involved in St. Patrick’s Day is to let them watch movies about the holiday. Popular St. Patrick’s Day movies include: The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns (1999), A Very Unlucky Leprechaun (1998), Finian’s Rainbow (1968), Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), Riverdance- The Best of Riverdance (2005), Leprechauns Christmas Gold (1981), and Leapin Leprechauns (1995). 

Stuart Little

Outside Reading

Book #10: Stuart Little

Stuart Little is a book about a mouse that goes cross-country in order to find his fortune and a lost friend. Along the way Stuart encounters many events that show determination and courage, not necessarily size, are what make a true hero. Inventive thinking and quick action on his part are what allow him to defeat a cat, escape a garbage truck and make his way in a human world. Stuart shows us that he is an honest mouse; he respects his mother, and is always willing to help anyone in need. The short chapters and funny stories keep children interested while teaching them new vocabulary.

Bridge to Terabithia

Outside Reading

Book #9: Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia takes place during the 1970’s, after the Vietnam War. The majority of the action throughout the novel occurs in rural Virginia. Jess's father is unable to support his growing family in Virginia so he moves the family to Washington in order to earn more money. The Burkes are a wealthy family from Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington. The Burkes move to a farm to improve upon their family values. Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke meet at their elementary school, and despite their different backgrounds they become good friends. The different settings throughout the novel, the farm, school, and Washington, D.C. are important settings for the imaginary Terabithia that Jess and Leslie create in the woods. The imaginary Terabithia becomes a vice through which Jess and Leslie are able to express their wildest dreams.

The Newberry Medal

The Newbery Medal was first awarded in 1921 by Fredric G. Melcher. The award was generated as an incentive for better quality children's books. The award is named after John Newbery, a famous 18th-century publisher and seller of children's books. The Newbery Medal is awarded to the author that makes the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published during the preceding year.

2008 Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)
2007 The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illus. by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
2006 Criss Cross, Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)
2005 Kira-Kira, Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/S&S)
2004 The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick)
2003 Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Avi (Hyperion Books for Children)
2002 A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin)
2001 A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck (Dial Books for Young Readers)
2000 Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis (Delacorte Press)
1999 Holes, Louis Sachar (Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
1998 Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse (Scholastic)
1997 The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg (Jean Karl/Atheneum)
1996 The Midwife's Apprentice, Karen Cushman (Clarion)
1995 Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech (HarperCollins)
1994 The Giver, Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin)
1993 Missing May, Cynthia Rylant (Jackson/Orchard)
1992 Shiloh, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Atheneum)
1991 Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown & Co.)
1990 Number the Stars, Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin)
1989 Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, Paul Fleischman (Harper & Row Junior Books)
1988 Lincoln: A Photobiography, Russell Freedman (Houghton Mifflin)
1987 The Whipping Boy, Sid Fleischman (Greenwillow Books)
1986 Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan (Harper & Row Junior Books)
1985 The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley (Greenwillow Books)
1984 Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary (William Morrow & Co.)
1983 Dicey's Song, Cynthia Voigt (Atheneum/Macmillan)
1982 A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers, Nancy Willard (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
1981 Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson (Crowell/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1980 A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32, Joan W. Blos (Scribner/Macmillan)
1979 The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin (E.P. Dutton)
1978 Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson (Crowell/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1977 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor (Dial Books for Young Readers)
1976 The Grey King, Susan Cooper (McElderry/Macmillan)
1975 M.C. Higgins the Great, Virginia Hamilton (Macmillan)
1974 The Slave Dancer, Paula Fox (Bradbury Press)
1973 Julie of the Wolves, Jean C. George (Trophy/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1972 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien (Atheneum/Macmillan)
1971 Summer of the Swans, Betsy C. Byars (Viking Penguin)
1970 Sounder, William Armstrong (Harper & Row)
1969 The High King, Lloyd Alexander (Henry Holt & Co.)
1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum/Macmillan)
1967 Up a Road Slowly, Irene Hunt (Berkley)
1966 I, Juan de Pareja, Elizabeth B. de Trevi¤o (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
1965 Shadow of a Bull, Maia Wojciechowska (Atheneum/Macmillan)
1964 It's Like This, Cat, Emily C. Neville (Harper & Row Junior Books)
1963 A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
1962 The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth G. Speare (Houghton Mifflin)
1961 Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell (Houghton Mifflin)
1960 Onion John, Joseph Krumgold (Crowell/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1959 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth G. Speare (Houghton Mifflin)
1958 Rifles for Watie, Harold Keith (Crowell/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1957 Miracles on Maple Hill, Virginia Sorensen (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
1956 Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Jean L. Latham (Houghton Mifflin)
1955 The Wheel on the School, Meindert De Jong (Trophy/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1954 And Now Miguel, Joseph Krumgold (Crowell/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1953 Secret of the Andes, Ann N. Clark (Viking Penguin)
1952 Ginger Pye, Eleanor Estes (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
1951 Amos Fortune, Free Man, Elizabeth Yates (E.P. Dutton)
1950 The Door in the Wall: Story of Medieval London, Marguerite de Angeli (Doubleday)
1949 King of the Wind, Marguerite Henry (Checkerboard/Macmillan)
1948 The Twenty-One Balloons, William Pene du Bois (Viking Penguin)
1947 Miss Hickory, Carolyn S. Bailey (Viking Penguin)
1946 Strawberry Girl, Lois Lenski (Lippincott/Harper & Row Junior Books)
1945 Rabbit Hill, Robert Lawson (Viking Penguin)
1944 Johnny Tremain, Ester Forbes (Houghton Mifflin)
1943 Adam of the Road, Elizabeth J. Gray (Viking Penguin)
1942 The Matchlock Gun, Walter D. Edmonds (Putnam)
1941 Call It Courage, Armstrong Sperry (Macmillan)
1940 Daniel Boone, James Daugherty (Viking)
1939 Thimble Summer, Elizabeth Enright (Henry Holt & Co.)
1938 The White Stag, Kate Seredy (Viking Penguin)
1937 Roller Skates, Ruth Sawyer (Penguin)
1936 Caddie Woodlawn, Carol R. Brink (Aladdin/Macmillan)
1935 Dobry, Monica Shannon (Viking)
1934 Invincible Louisa, Cornelia Meigs (Little, Brown & Co.)
1933 Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, Elizabeth F. Lewis (Henry Holt & Co.)
1932 Waterless Mountain, Laura A. Armer (Random/McKay)
1931 The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Elizabeth Coatsworth (Aladdin/Macmillan)
1930 Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, Rachel Field (Macmillan)
1929 The Trumpeter of Krakow, Eric P. Kelly (Aladdin/Macmillan)
1928 Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon, Dhan G. Mukerji (E.P. Dutton)
1927 Smoky, the Cow Horse, Will James (Charles Scribner's Sons)
1926 Shen of the Sea, Arthur B. Chrisman (E.P. Dutton)
1925 Tales from Silver Lands, Charles J. Finger (Doubleday)
1924 The Dark Frigate, Charles B. Hawes (Little, Brown & Co.)
1923 The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, Hugh Lofting (Delacorte Press)
1922 The Story of Mankind, Hendrik W. Van Loon (Liveright)

Source:

"ABA: the John Newbery Medal." ABA: American Booksellers Association. 4 Mar. 2008 .

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Outside Reading

Book #8: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

A distinctive literary technique that has made The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so popular is the setting in which the book takes place. The book takes place when slavery was prevalent in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn addresses slavery by showing the prejudices of southern whites that laid the foundation for slavery. The discussion of slavery in the text, forces the audience to confront the harsh realities of slavery. The physical setting of the novel mainly involves the river and the raft. The Mississippi River serves as a place that is outside of society; a place that lives by different rules than the society they are both running from. The raft quickly becomes a new world for Huck and Jim. They are able to be themselves and make up their own set of rules by which they live by. While Huck makes excursions into several towns along the riverbanks for food, Jim is forced to hide on the raft, because it is the only place he is truly safe.