John Newbery Awards

My friend James Burke, asked me "what is the John Newbery Award". This Wikipedia site contains a great explanation. It also includes a complete list of the Medal and Honor Award books, a wonderful reading list.

Even though the official Awards are decided upon by a panel of librarians, each year there are Mock Newbery Award events that ask for participation from readers in the general public to read and choose their favorite books.

Here are three Mock Newbery Award sites that you can participate in throughout the year to choose the Mock Award winners for 2011. Allen County Public Library for teachers, librarians and adults, goodreads, and Wake County Library, a student club that welcomes participation from children outside their county. This could also be a model for a club at your school.

These all provide wonderful opportunities for lovers of children's literature to read and learn about books published this year.

Happy reading.

Newbery Award winners

I'm working on a new goal. I want to read every book that has received the John Newbery Medal for excellence in children's literature. I recently finished Holes, by Louis Sachar. Now I'm re-reading Charlottes' Web by E. B. White.

How many have you read? What ones? What is your favorite so far?

Happy reading.

Books for Boys

Are you looking for books of interest to boys?

Here are three books that I think boys in a wide range of ages would enjoy: Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick, and The Heart of a Shepard by Roseanne Perry. All are available at www.amazon.com.

These books each tell the story of a young boy during a time of warfare and how it affects their lives.

Some possible topics for discussion or further studies:

1. the country in which the story takes place
2. the time period of the story
3. what kinds of weapons would have been used at that time
4. what medical treatment would be available for wounded soldiers
5. the relationship of the main character to his family and how it moves the plot

Teachers Resource

In the reference section of the children's library I found the Children's Book Award Handbook, by Diana Marks. I spent some time reviewing it and found that it has wonderful lesson plans to encourage young readers.

Please let me know what activities you are doing in your class to make books come alive for your students.

Niagara Falls Study Questions

I'm writing a book about Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. She was a 63 year old school teacher.

Here are some study questions and activites to learn more about Niagara Falls and its daredevils.

1. Why would Annie Taylor attempt such a feat?
2. Go to http://bay-journal.com/bay/1he/people/fp-taylor-annie.html and read the Bay Journal entry for October 27, 1901.
3. Annie Edson Taylor lived in Bay City, Michigan when she went over the falls. This was booming town with lumber and shipping as growing industries. Draw a map of the city in 1901.
   
4. Who are some of the other daredevils that have attempted to go over the falls? What did they ride in?
5. What other death defying feats did people perform at Niagara Falls?
6. Study the history of Goat Island located between the US and Canadian falls.
7. How were the falls formed?
8. Read Field Trip to Niagara Falls by Geronimo Stilton for a fun adventure to Niagara Falls.
9. What year was the flow of the water over Niagara Fall stopped due to ice jams?
10. Look up the history of the Maid of the Mist boat that takes visitors to the base of the falls. Draw a picture of the boat.
    

I hope you have fun with these questions about one of our most favorite U. S. National Parks. Please share with me the activities you followed and some facts that you learned in your research about Annie Edson Taylor.

First Post

I welcome you to this exciting new adventure.

My blogs will include lesson plans, writing prompts and other activities to make reading and writing fun for children of all ages. Please help me build a community of story lovers by responding to my posts.

I've created this new blog with the encouragement of my wonderful writing teacher Linda Clare, author of The Fence My Father Built.