LOL

I'm a little late today because I took a shower (I know, crazy right?!) AND--wait for it--put on jeans and even a little make up. For my hangouts today, I won't be wearing the same free (?) yet very cozy sweatshirt from Albany Braces or the black sweater I throw on when I feel the need to look "professional." No, today something entirely different.

Ahhh...did that make you laugh?  Oh man, I hope so.  In my next life, I really want to be a stand up comedian.  I know THAT had to make you laugh. Seriously.  I just wish I was talented enough.  Don't worry, for now I'll continue to be a school librarian.

For today's post, I have highlighted a few authors whose books make me laugh. This is not a complete list by any means. PLEASE share books or authors who make you laugh in the comments. Thanks in advance!

Jonathan Fenske

There's an emerging reader book that makes me laugh out loud every time I read it.  It just gets to my funny bone, I guess.  It's Jonathan Fenske's Geisel Honor winning books, A Pig, A Fox and a Box.  The fox thinks he's tricking the pig every time but who gets the last laugh?

Here is Jonathan talking a little bit about the book and then reading the first chapter.


Meet-the-Author Book Recording | A Pig, a Fox, and a Box, Narrated by Jonathan Fenske on TeachingBooks

Jonathan has a lot of other books that will also be sure to make you laugh.  Here's a video of him reading the first part of Hello, Crabby! (another funny one!)

Jon Scieszka

Jon Scieszka's books are sure to make you all laugh.  This one is a classic.

Here's an audio excerpt from Jon's middle grade biography that you can find on SORA if you crave more. It's only 2 hours long, but that's 2 hours of funny.

Book Recording | Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up Scieszka on TeachingBooks

Cece Bell

I first fell for Cece Bell in 2014 before she won the Newbery Honor for El Deafo.  She writes fun books for emerging readers that I love to share with my learners.  Chick and Brain is her new series and it will have you all laughing out loud.

Here is Cece sharing her love for the letter "U" while she draws Chick and Brain:

The second book in the series came out recently, Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball?  I haven't read it yet, but definitely look forward to it.  Watch this short video and you will be "doing the egg" all day! I'm getting down with it right now IN MY JEANS!

Send me videos of YOU "doing the egg"!

The Usual Suspects

Of course, who doesn't laugh when reading these series: Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce, Hilo by Judd Winick, Babymouse by Jenni and Matt Holm, and Dogman by Dav Pilkey to name just a few.  What funny books do you love?

Brand New Middle Grade

ICYMI: Fifth grade Reading Ambassador, Jess read an arc of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim and loved it. She wrote a review for me in an earlier blog post. Here is a link for activities you can do related to the book from Jessica's website.

Write Your Own Jokes

Got 8 minutes?  Watch this video from Marvin Terban.  He gives lots of tips on how to write simple jokes.  If you write one, please send it along to me.  Of course, I'll credit you if I use it in my bit. 😉

Finally, check out my son's Instagram @zacksgoodjokes.  He posts a new joke pretty much every night! He thinks he's funnier than me.  Hmmm....what do you think?

I'll keep you posted when I'm on the lineup for an open mic.  Until then, I charge YOU to "make 'em laugh" as I leave you with this cover from Glee, originally performed in the movie, "Singin' in the Rain." Perhaps, it will motivate you to create an active, humorous gig today. Enjoy. 🤣

COOKIES

I think of Mrs. Silva as the quintessential Girl Scout leader.  Not sure why.  With that in mind, this post is dedicated to her AND all the leaders AND cookie moms AND Brownies AND Girl Scouts AND really anyone who loves to bake.

BTW: I think I ordered seven boxes this year.  Fingers crossed I will still be able to plow through my box of Samoas in record time.  If not, this post could really be helpful.

COOKIES

My family has started to watch episodes on the Bon Appetit YouTube channel.  It was recommended in the New York Times as something families can enjoy together and we are.  Last night we watched this one on how to replicate EXACTLY (not sure I have the patience for that) Samoas, Thin Mints and Tagalongs.

By the way, I love the Brownie sash she designs.  Maybe you have some puffy paint around and can make your own.

Side Note: I went to the Girl Scouts USA and they have a list here of 25 conversation starters.  Whether you have a Girl Scout or not, these could be helpful at dinner (or anytime).  I will try them out tonight with my own family. I personally like the "What's Your Theme Song?" question and then to make a family play list and have a dance party.  What is YOUR theme song? Of course, an obvious one for me is Van Halen's "Jump." But it could be this one I found on GoNoodle.  It will sure to get your heart racing for a good three minutes.

Juliette Gordon Low

March is Women's History Month, so why not celebrate the woman who started the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low?  Maybe take a virtual trip to her birthplace through her website here or read a brief biography on her here OR go to PebbleGo and check out her biography there OR do all three!

My author friend, Shana Corey wrote a great book about Juliette Gordon Low, Here Come the Girl Scouts! illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Here is a list of activities you can do from Shana's website. Scroll down to the middle of the page until you get to this book.

Here is Shana sharing a little bit about her book:

And here is a read aloud of the book:

More COOKIES

Since we can only treat ourselves to Girl Scout cookies in the Spring (although I do buy extra to keep in my freezer for a summer delight), chocolate chip cookies are a year round favorite.  I love Gilbert Ford's book, How the Cookie Crumbled: The True (and not so true) Stories of the Invention of the Chocolate Chip Cookie about Ruth Wakefield and her Tollhouse cookie recipe.  Here's a fun video of Gilbert Ford comparing cookie making to research.

Mrs. Kosinski's class and I read that book and then actually baked the cookies earlier this year.

Personally, my family prefers the One Girl Cookies recipe. It's from a bakery in Brooklyn.  Maybe you can order their cookbook an Indie bookstore or message me and I will share it lovingly. Then when this all is over, and you take a trip to NYC, put "stop at One Girl Cookies" on your list.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Who doesn't love Laura Numeroff's circular stories?  This one is a classic.

Here are some links for activities to pair with that book (Thank you TeachingBooks.net):

• A counting activity I found on Kidlit TV that you can do at home with your youngest learners.  
• Craft and Coloring ideas from DLTK
• Math activities from Reading Rainbow
• Discussion guide from Center for Philosophy for Children

So...if you weren't craving cookies and milk before reading this post, I imagine you are right now.


AND...before I go, I must leave you with one of my favorite COOKIE MONSTER LIBRARY videos.  It always makes kids (and adults) laugh. And we could use that now more than ever.

May your pantry be well stocked with flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and of course, chocolate chips!  Happy Baking! xo

NAMASTE

The heat is on in my "hot yoga studio."  It will be ready for my class of one by the time this post is complete. Are you doing prerecorded or Zoom workouts at home?  I am so thankful for my Hot Yoga Spot classes.  These are the real deal.  My daughter's Friday modern dance class was via Zoom and she was sore from it all weekend.

Let's celebrate Mindful Monday together.

Susan Verde

We'll begin with our friend, Susan Verde.  Last May she was our gala guest. You know I have a lot of authors and illustrators visit our school so when one teacher remarked that "she was one of his favorites" I knew she was good. Today, Susan can come into your home virtually.

To kick it off, check out this video of Susan Verde and Emily Arrow on Kidlit TV.  If you're not into the interview at the beginning (Did you know I want to be Rocco when I grow up? FACT), then just forward to about 10:15 to start the yoga class with the amazing singer, Emily Arrow. I LOVE Emily's voice. She also has fun ideas to do on her website and her YouTube channel. Tune in every day at 1PM EST live. Who knows? She may inspire you to learn how to play the ukulele.  If so, send me videos! Send me videos anyway of anything you are doing at home!



Last week, Susan began reading her books for all of us on Facebook.  This is the beautiful and appropriate I am Love.  Be sure and watch through the end for a special meditation.




And if you want just a meditation, here is a post from Susan's Instagram.  She is posting live every Tuesday and Thursday.

View this post on Instagram

Video #2 yay! I little meditation to find your anchor...a place to put your mind so you can find some #calm. I hope these videos are helpful. Creating a #community as we are all in this #together. Please share comments and questions. Sending you #love #safety and #peace. #teachers #parents #kids #mindfulness #meditation

A post shared by Susan Verde (@susanverde) on Mar 19, 2020 at 11:22am PDT

And, if you want even more, check out this Teacher's Guide for activities you can do together at home.

Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is one of Susan's amazing illustrators, who also writes and illustrates his own books.  Everyday he is reading on Facebook Live.  This was Friday's read aloud of his newest creation, Be You! (It just came out on March 3!) A perfect book for all of us right now!  Then, at the end of each video Peter teaches us how to draw. Side note: I could listen to him all day--he kind of has that Mr. Rogers feel in his voice, don't you think? And he even does a little Romper Room like shout out with the comments, so maybe he will say your name one day 🤞 (I always waited for "I see Stacey" on Romper Room. Must have happened the day I didn't watch 😉)

More Mindful Resources

If you are reading this and you are from Castleton,  be sure and check out the Teacher Resource page from Mrs. O'Grady-Day, Mrs. Sober and Mrs. Friedfel from the Schodack website.  They have posted many, many more mindful activities.

Older kids at home? I found this list of resources that might be helpful to you.  Personally, I am going to print out the coloring pages and maybe watch the TedTalk. The second padlet has more ideas for younger kids and up.  I love the Sesame Street videos.

Happy Mindful Monday.
My "studio" is hot now.
My mat is ready.
I'm off to practice some yoga.
Until we meet again, hands on heart center.
NAMASTE. 🙏💗 xo

Give My Regards to BROADWAY

Jenna Gavigan and I in Manhattan last Spring.

Our annual Read Over Sleep Over (ROSO) was planned for tonight.  Author and actor, Jenna Gavigan, was slated to join us for our Lulu the Broadway Mouse themed evening. I couldn't have been giddier.  I love the theatre. I love Jenna and I love giggly 2nd and 3rd graders skidding down the school hallways in their footed PJs.  But alas, it was cancelled.

I reached out to Jenna and am thrilled that she agreed to read the first chapter of her book during the actual ROSO time via Google Meet. See you at 7. PJs required 😉




While searching for what to include in this post, I found a new author to love, Katrina Moore.  Here she talks about the writing prompt, "What Could Go Wrong?" which could totally be used for an improv activity.  Try to act this out with someone.  And don't forget to include the important line always used in improv, "Yes, and..."  See how long you can keep the improv going.

My family and I are trying to change our personas at dinner these days.  Since we're all home together, there isn't much to report in on.  So, I've asked them to become a new character. Although it hasn't been too successful, we have certainly gotten our full of laughs as I attempt to be the Queen of England.




Full disclosure: I am a huge Modern Family fan.  We even made sure to see Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Broadway a few summers ago.

I don't know if Ty Burrell has ever been on Broadway but he is an actor and I could listen to him read aloud for hours.  Storyline Online has a great activity guide to go with Mice Twice, which includes a recipe, charades (an acting game!) and even yoga ideas. After you read the book, be sure and talk about the important lessons and how they are especially relevant right now.




I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tim Federle's Nate series in a post about Broadway.  These are perfect for your middle grade theatre buff.  Download the audiobooks (https://soraapp.com/home) to accompany you during chores or walks.  Tim reads them and they are great.  Fun fact: Tim and Jenna were in Gypsy together with Bernadette Peters and they are still good friends.

Here's Tim reading the first chapter of his book.  Check out this YouTube video of Tim interviewing the young stars of Newsies.  It's a few years old but worth the watch.  One of the kids sings (amazing!) and they share a game they played backstage that we can do at home.

If you are still looking for more book ideas, try Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.  I found the audiobook on Sora.  This musical wasn't on Broadway long but the book is well loved. 

AND one more thing: I just learned that Camp Broadway is offering FREE digital learning classes starting next week. LINK HERE.

And Finally...

Can't sleep? Same. And neither can this house.

Maybe I'm stretching this read aloud a little for the theme, but I love this book and am so glad that the illustrator, Shawn Harris, posted this on his Instagram.  There is a hint of acting in it, so I say it's ok. Adults: Be on the look out for the humor and pop culture references in the text and illustrations.

View this post on Instagram

Gather young and old round the backlit screen— It’s #OperationStorytime time! @romper @chroniclekids, @chroniclebooks #everyonesawake by @dullandwitlessboy

A post shared by Shawn Harris (@shawnharri5) on Mar 16, 2020 at 7:11am PDT

Got CRAYONS?

I am pushing physical education every day with my family.  Mr. Biehler's daily posts on Twitter help with ideas.  Yesterday we simulated a stick run. Walks with friends are a regular part of my routine.  This morning, I even woke up early to take an online yoga class.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Today we might need an umbrella for our walk. Time to put some extra art in the schedule. With that in mind, today's theme is crayons and coloring. To begin, let's read this nonfiction book about the man who invented crayons.




With a few clicks, I was able to find many resources for the book that you can use at home.

HERE is a 27 page lesson guide that goes with the book! It's crazy how many curriculum connections can be made to this one book! Math, Science, ELA, History, Technology, Social Emotional Learning and of course, Art!  Here is a LINK for a couple of coloring pages, as well. Because the weather isn't great today, this could the perfect book to use as a baseboard for home learning.

I found a couple of different videos about how crayons are made.  One from Mr. Rogers and one from the UK:






And once things get back to normal, maybe your family could even plan a trip to the Crayola Factory. They are all over the country.

Speaking of drawing...We were, right?

Shout out to my buddy, Jarrett Lerner for his drawing tips of robots:




Check out his WEBSITE for blank comics or ones to finish. This is a great use of creativity with your pencils and/or crayons:

And a reminder for Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems at 1PM.




And LIVE with Jarrett Krosoczka at 2PM.




Have fun creating today!

Stay happy, healthy and positive! xo Ms. Rattner 💗

Let's Talk SPORTS

If you have a child at home who was SO looking forward to March Madness (me!) or any other event, ESPN's Hardwood classics may not be cutting it.  Yesterday, our ears and eyes actually perked up when the news came in that Tom Brady may be signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I wonder what the many Patriots fans at Castleton Elementary School are thinking. It certainly was a mini distraction from all other news for a bit.

Here is Lisa Cline-Ransome reading her book, Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams illustrated by James E. Ransome.  Maybe you can make your own tennis court in your backyard or just trying to see how many times you can bounce a ball on a tennis racket without dropping it.




Below, check out National Ambassador for Children's Literature, the incomparable Jason Reynolds, reads the first chapter from his middle grade novel, Ghost.  Note: There are some mature themes in the book, but it is so good.  Maybe you can find a copy on Overdrive and read it together with your child.  And afterwards, you just might be hooked and want to read all the other books in the "Track" series.


In this segment, Jason talks about World Records.  Thanks to author Kate Messner for the idea of going to the World Records page, here are some active ideas to try outside: https://kids.guinnessworldrecords.com/activities/try-this-at-home-backyard.

Here is a story from NPR from our friend, Kwame Alexander.  Although it is not sports related per se, he has written many books with sports themes and beyond (The Crossover, Booked, The Undefeated are just a few and they are all on Overdrive).

Take a listen below and then challenge yourself to write an ekphrastic poem.  (You'll have to listen to find out what that means lol!).


If you want to view the art referred to in the story, go to this link.

Kwame has a new book coming out in October written with James Patterson on Cassisus Clay (Muhammed Ali).  Here's a brief article about it with the cover reveal.

Research

Is there someone in the world of sports you would like to find more about? Check out our databases on the CES website.  We have Pebble Go, World Book, Britannica.  If you do learn something new, share it with me!

Movies

My family is going to start catching up on our sports related movies and series.  Last night was HOOSIERS.  Common Sense Media rates it for ages 9+ here. It's based on a true story about a small town in Indiana that works its way up to the state championship.  Tonight might be MIRACLE.

And...

Don't forget to look at Mr. Biehler's Twitter posts every day for tips to stay physically active.  Here's his tweet from yesterday:

Hey @CastletonES check out the @SchodackCSD website for some fantastic stuff from all of your teachers (specials included). Here is a fun activity the Biehlers played to break up the morning. pic.twitter.com/WPmVY46Rhm

— Eric Biehler (@coachbiehler) March 17, 2020

I'm trying to walk or run every day.  While out, I saw one second grader riding her scooter and one kindergartener riding his bike (without training wheels!).  Today is a beautiful day in Castleton. I hope the sun can brighten your day and outlook.

As always, stay happy, healthy and positive! xo Ms. Rattner

DOUGHNUTS and ILLUSTRATORS and DRAWING oh my!

Greetings from the CES Library and TOP of the morning to you on this St. Patrick's Day!
Don your green clothes, play in the "green" grass (although, it's not quite green yet here in upstate New York) and eat some green food (How many green things can you eat today?).

I bet somewhere someone is baking GREEN doughnuts today.  I cannot resist doughnuts and Laurie Keller, creator of ARNIE the DOUGHNUT among many other fabulous books (i.e., Scrambled States of America, Do Unto Otters), is a fave of mine. Could it be the doughnut connection? In 2018, she and I sat next to each other at the Caldecott-Newbery banquet and have been buds ever since.  I am determined to get her to Castleton one day 🤞.

There's a great coloring sheet on Laurie's website here.

Can you imagine what it felt to find out you were demoted from planet status? Find out in Adam Rex and Laurie Keller's book, Pluto Gets the Call.  Put it on hold through Sora/Overdrive.

Here is a read aloud of ARNIE for you to enjoy today:




Baking is a great activity we can all do together and think of the curriculum connections!  Math, ELA, Science! The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz is one of my favorite doughnut chapter books.  On her website she has a recipe for "Life-Changing Chocolate Cream Doughnuts." OOOH!  Please share pictures if you do leap into this activity!

I found this DOUGHNUT Tic-Tac-Toe game on our database, Kids InfoBits.

Kids InfoBits - Document - Tic-Tac-Doughnut: A Game for 2 Players

SPEAKING of ILLUSTRATORS (We were, right?)

Maybe you heard, maybe you didn't, but some authors and illustrators are posting daily live (or to watch later) videos.  This is so wonderful and generous of them.

Who doesn't LOVE Mo Willems?  He is hosting a Lunch Doodle hangout every day at 1PM.  You can also find things to do on Mo's website.  Here is his introduction video:




ALSO, you can watch Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of one of our favorite graphic novel series, The Lunch Lady (and other books!).  Subscribe to his channel and you can get a reminder to watch him live EVERY DAY at 2PM.  You can even set a reminder to yourself.  Here is the first episode from yesterday:



Did you know that Jarrett visited CES about seven years ago?  I think it's time for him to return, don't you? 😍

Stay healthy, happy and positive! xo Ms. Rattner