Sky Color

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child. 

Sky Color is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Sky Color by Peter Reynolds is a stunning piece of art which will captivate readers young and old. Marisol is an artist through and through, she loves to paint, her walls are lined with artwork, and she shares her work and passion with everyone around her. So when her teacher says that her class is going to paint a mural outside the library Marisol can't wait to begin! But when looking for blue for the sky she discovers that it is nowhere to be found. Gazing at the sunset and dreaming of swirling colors, Marisol has found her solution!

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Predictions:
Sky Color is a wonderful story to practice making predictions. As you read, ask your child what they think will happen next. Prompt them to use the colors and pictures on the pages to inform their thoughts. You can also ask questions about how they would handle the prediciment Marisol finds herself in. By furthering their participation in the story, they will create a deeper connection to the text. 

Do this with your child:
After you read Sky Color with your child work together to make a painting of your own. Encourage your child to think outside the box like Marisol and practice mixing and using different colors. When you're all finished and the masterpiece is dry, hang it in your own home gallery (just like Marisol's refridgerator!) If you're looking for inspiration, check out 60+ watercolor techniques for kids from The Artful Parent.

If you're interested in sharing Sky Color with your child, along with a handful of other wonderful Peter Reynolds titles, you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter & Instagram for more inspiration.

Click here to learn more about Raising A Reader and the work we do to promote early literacy and family engagement. 

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Little Red Writing

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child. We are celebrating the arts!

Little Red Writing is appropriate for school age children.

Summary:
Little Red Writing from Joan Holub and Melissa Sweet tells the tale of a classroom of pencils on the day they are charged with writing a story. One specific pencil, Little Red, wants to write her story about bravery since red is the color of courage. Follow along as Little Red and her basket of nouns take on the journey of writing a story and the adventures that come along with the writing process.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read Little Red Writing you will quickly find that it mimics the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. Talk with your child about the similarites and differences you find between the two stories. By making these comparisons, your child will be furthering their engagement in the story and deepening the learning experience.

Do this with your child:
Little Red Writing explores the art of writing a story. Each pencil in the class decides to write a story about something different. Using the directions from Ms. 2, help your child write a story of their own. Feel free to use the writing prompts below for inspiration.

If you're interested in sharing Little Red Writing with your child you can find it from Chronicle Books here. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter & Instagram for more inspiration.

Click here to learn more about Raising A Reader and the work we do to promote early literacy and family engagement. 

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Music Everywhere!

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child. We are celebrating the arts!

Music Everywhere! is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Music Everywhere! highlights and celebrates the spectrum of music and instruments across the globe. Photos and text by Maya Ajmera, Elise Hofer Derstine, and Cynthia Pon feature real children in a range of cultures creating music. Read along to discover the different types of drums, stringed instruments, horns and voices which celebrate the power of music and transcend cultural differences. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read Music Everywhere! talk with your child about the different types of instruments and the sounds that they make. Do they play any of the instruments the children in the story play? After finishing the story, talk with your child about the types of music that they enjoy. Where do they hear music? Do they have a favorite instrument, a favorite song? By making connections to the story and the other children in the book they are able to both see their own life reflected in the expereinces they share as well as observe new experiences and relate to new perspectives.

Do this with your child:
Music Everywhere! presents the reader with a variety of instruments and different ways to create music. Check out this post from Meaningful Mama to learn how to make 20 diy musical instruments. Create an instrument or two with your child and enjoy the music!

If you're interested in sharing Music Everywhere! with your child you can find it from Charlesbridge Publishing here. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter & Instagram for more inspiration.

Click here to learn more about Raising A Reader and the work we do to promote early literacy and family engagement. 

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Chicken Big

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Chicken Big is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
On a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, a very small hen laid a big, giant egg. You and your child will delight in Keith Grave's Chicken Big, a big twist on the classic story of Chicken Little. The rest of the chickens in the coop aren't quite sure what to make of this larger than life creature who just hatched in their coop but they are certain he is not a chicken.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk:
Before you read Chicken Big, flip through the pages with your child, looking at only the pictures. Ask them what they see on the pages and if they have any predictions about what might be happening in the pictures. Then when you read the story, make note if they had any correct predictions.

Do this with your child:
Chicken Big is a twist on the classic Chicken Little. Click here for a video of the original story. After watching, compare the two stories with your child. What about them is the same, what is different? 

If you're interested in sharing Chicken Big with your child you can find it from Chronicle Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more from author Keith Graves visit his website.

Kite Flying

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Kite Flying is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
It is a windy day, perfect for flying a kite. Join this family as they cut, paint, glue and create their own kite in Kite Flying by Grace Lin.The bright pictures and simple text will delight readers of all ages.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Kite Flying, talk with your child about how they can relate to the story. Have you ever flown a kite as a family? Have you watched kites being flown? If so, do you remember where or when or even what the kites looked like? Have you read any other stories that have kites in them? Your child will be using their own experiences to further engage with the story, creating a stronger understanding of the text.

Do this with your child:
The family in Kite Flying works together to create and fly their own kite. Each member of the family has a different job to do in order to make the kite as perfect as possible. You can do something similar with your own family, be it making your own kite, or a different fun project like baking cookies, or making a box car or building a fort. Let each person have a part in the process and then enjoy the end result together!

If you're interested in sharing Kite Flying with your child you can find it from Dragonfly Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

For more from author Grace Lin visit her blog.

Planting a Rainbow

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

Planting a Rainbow is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Planting a Rainbow is a beautiful book that will show children the engaging process of growing a garden and recognizing the colors of the rainbow. They will delight in the bright and bold pictures and simple text as they journey through the seasons picking flower bulbs, buying seeds and seedlings and planning the garden. Then they will see the bulbs sprout and the seeds germinate, and in the end create a beautiful rainbow of flowers. They learn about different flowers by their colors and how water, soil, and sun are necessary for plants to grow.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
After you read Planting a Rainbow talk with your child about the order of the garden's growing. You start with buying a seed or bulb, but what happens next? Let your child look through the pages to prompt their responses. Putting the events in order will help deeper your child's engagement with the story and further their understanding of the plant life cycle. 

Do this with your child:
Planting a Rainbow provides an excellent opportunity to explore color with your child. After you read the story, go outside to see if you can find your own rainbow of colors in nature. You can also gather items from around your home: a red book, an orange orange, a yellow glove, etc. to create a rainbow of your own.


If you're interested in sharing Planting a Rainbow with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

A Garden for a Groundhog

March is upon us...which means, Spring will be here to greet us soon! Gear up for some sunny days, warmer weather, and new growth with our Spring themed title recommendations this month. 

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

A Garden for a Groundhog is appropriate for children age 3-8.

Summary:
A Garden for a Groundhog is a delightful story written and illustrated by Lorna Balian. Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary live on their small farm with their cat, goat, two chickens and a lamb. A groundhog lives there too. And, of course, the groundhog loves vegetables as much as the O'Learys. The O'Learys and their animals spend the winter as their supposed to; knitting, cooking, repairing garden tools, and coming up with a plan to make sure the groundhog doesn't eat all of their vegetables in the coming spring. The groundhog spends his winter hibernating after being nice and full from eating the O'Leary's vegetables. When spring arrives the O'Learys put their plan to keep the groundhog out of their garden in motion.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling:
As you read A Garden for a Groundhog ask your child questions about what is happening. This will help to engage their interest in the story, and further their connection with the book. Once you have read through the book, ask your child to take a turn retelling the story to you. They will flip through the pages and use the pictures to give clues to what they are able to recall from the story. It is okay if they stray from the original story line!

Do this with your child:
The O'Learys do their best to stay busy as they wait for the arrival of spring. Talk with you children about what happens in springtime, the snow is melting, flowers are blooming, bees and butterflies are frolicking in the sunshine. Then go outside with your child to see if they can see any signs of springtime. Record your observations and if your child is interested, draw a picture of springtime.

If you're interested in sharing A Garden for a Groundhog with your child you can find it from Star Bright Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.