Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve

FOR THE WINTER WEEKEND share this title with your child. 

Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve is appropriate for preschool age children.

Summary:
Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve is a wonderful bilingual book of poems about winter featured in English and Spanish. Author Francisco X. Alarcon takes the reader through the San Francisco Bay Area in the wintertime and shares poetic stories about the City of Bridges. Illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez's colorful images take the reader deeper into the spirited landscape.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve is a lovely book to try making connections. Books can be both windows and mirrors, a place where the reader can see out into new worlds, or have their own experiences reflected back to them. After you read, you will be able to ask your reader if the winter in these poems looks like their own or if it is different. The poems take place across the Bay Area and into the Sierras, there is a beach and fog, and mountains and snow. Within the pages, your reader should be able to relate to pieces and experience new environments in others. 

Do this with your child:
After you read Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve talk with your reader about how different places have different winter experiences. Then work together to try to write your own winter poem about the winter your family experiences. You can also use this bilingual title to practice a new language. Pick out specific words, like winter and snow, and practice them in the respective Spanish version!

If you're interested in sharing Iguanas in the Snow/Iguanas en la nieve with your child you can find it published by Lee and Low Books here. 

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Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta!

FOR THE WEEKEND share this title with your child. 

Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! is a bilingual book using simple rhymes to counts from zero to fifteen in English and Spanish. Author Barbara Barbieri McGrath does a wonderful job coupling the counting storyline with interesting facts about soccer and it's history. Readers young and old will enjoy counting to fifteen while learning more about the popular sport.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! ask your reader questions about their own experiences with soccer. Have they ever played the sport, do they play on a team, do they know he rules? You can also make connections about spectating, have they ever watched a soccer game, do they have a favorite team, etc.? Do they know or play any other sports? Use this book as a jumping point to learn about more sports that they might want to learn about.

Do this with your child:
After you read Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! try out the sport together! You can try scoring goals against each other or have a more leisurely game of kicking the ball back and forth. 

If you're interested in sharing Soccer Counts! / !El futbol cuenta! with your child you can find it from Charlesbridge Publishing here. 

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Winter Afternoon / tarde de invierno

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title Family themed title with your child! 

Tarde de invierno / Winter Afternoon is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Tarde de invierno / Winter Afternoon is a charming bilingual story which introduces readers to illustrating their own stories. A little girl sits at a frosty window, drawing pictures in the condensation, as she waits for her mother to return. Her drawings tell of adventures as her mother approaches down the road. This delightful book from author Jorge Elias Lujan accompanied with illustrations from Mandana Sadat beautifully captures the atmosphere of a gloomy winter day along with the anticipation of a child anxiously awaiting the return of a loved one.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
After you read Tarde de invierno / Winter Afternoon talk with your child about how the girl in the story is feeling. Was she lonely when her mother was not yet home, sad that she missed her mother, excited upon her mother's return? Then talk with your child about their own feelings. Has your child been away from their parents before? Do they go to daycare or school or stay with a babysitter while you go to work or run errands? Were they sad or anxious or scared when they were left without you? Were they excited to see you at pickup or when you got back home? This book is a great mirror for lots of children to know their feelings are valid and that they are not alone!

Do this with your child:
The girl in Tarde de invierno / Winter Afternoon draws stories in the condensation in her window. Do you have any foggy windows or even foggy mirrors after bath time? Draw stories on these surfaces with your child!

If you're interested in sharing Tarde de invierno / Winter Afternoon with your child you can find it from Groundwood Books, an imprint of House of Ansani Press, here. You can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more inspiration.

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Gracias Thanks

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child! 

Gracias Thanks is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Gracias Thanks from author Pat Mora and illustrator John Parra is a wonderful reminder that we always have something to be thankful for. This bilingual book lists out the simple things in life straight from the heart of a child. From red ladybugs to a winking abuelita, you can always find something to be thankful for!

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
Gracias Thanks comes at a great time, with Thanksgiving and the holiday season fast approaching, it is always important to remember the things that we are thankful for. As you read with your child, ask them if they are thankful for any of the same things this little boy is thankful for. Do they have a grandparent who gives them extra love, or do they have a sibling that makes them laugh? By connecting to the characters in the story, your child will further their engagement with the book and deepen their interest in reading on.

Do this with your child:
After reading Gracias Thanks make a list of things that your child is thankful for. It could be good practice to do this as a family, as we sometimes all need a little reminder that there is always something good. Have your child pick one of the items from the list to draw a picture of.

If you're interested in sharing Gracias Thanks with your child you can find it from Lee and Low Books here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more inspiring tales.

Have you heard about The Great Book Challenge?

Click here to donate!

Perritos en Invierno/A Winter's Tale

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

Perritos en invierno/A Winter's Tail is appropriate for children age 4-8.

Summary:
Join Martha and Skitsy as they share an adventure with their humans in Perritos en invierno/A Winter's Tail. Based on the characters created by Susan Meddaugh and adapted by Karen Barrs. Learn the story of why Skitsy is afraid of hockey pucks in this exciting story, written in both Spanish and English. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Cause and Effect:
As you read Perritos en invierno/A Winter's Tail ask your child to think about why the events in the story are happening. Why did Helen show Skits Mr. Chewy in the snow? Why was Ronald no longer mad after Skits took the hockey puck? Why did Martha and Helen go get Dad? These are all questions that will get your child thinking about how all actions have effects associated with them, this happened because of this. This strategy is called cause and effect.

Do this with your child:
Perritos en invierno/A Winter's Tail is in both Spanish and English. If you are comfortable in both languages read through the story twice, once in each language. If not, pick one page in the story to practice in the unfamiliar language. It will be a fun learning experience for you and your child!!

If you're interested in sharing Perritos en invierno/A Winter's Tail with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English

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

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English is appropriate for children 4-8 and is a perfect book to curl up on the couch under a blanket with this fall.

Summary:
Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English is a collection of poems in Spanish and English, one for each letter of the alphabet describing farms and harvest. The beautiful book from author Alma Flor Ada is perfect alongside the traditional style paintings of Simon Silva on each page, drenched in bold, warm colors which help bring the poetry to life.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk/Sequencing:
As you read through Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English, use the beautiful paintings to ask your child what they think that page's poem might be about. For an older child, you can also try sequencing and working on alphabetical order. Help your child remember what letter was on the previous page and try to figure out what letter the poem on the next page will start with.

Do this with your child:
Read through the poems in Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English in the language you are more comfortable with, then try the other language. Practice the titles of each poem in English and Spanish with your child. It's a good possibility that you will both be exposed to something new and different. It's okay if you're unsure of some of the words, that is how we learn!

If you're interested in sharing Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English with your child you can find it from Harper Collins Publishers here.

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Summer Book Sharing List is Available!

Summertime is here and Raising A Reader has created a recommended reading list. 

It contains 40 titles (20 In English and 20 in Spanish/bilingual).  Check them out at your local library or your local independent Bookstore. 

Summer Reading List