Happy Like Soccer

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

Happy Like Soccer is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Sienna loves soccer. Nothing makes her as happy as when she's playing. But nothing also makes her as sad. While she loves the game and has fun playing, she wants her aunt to be able to come to the game and cheer her on too. But her aunt works on game days and isn't able to make it. The one day she is able to switch her schedule, the game is rained out. See if Sienna is able to get her coach to change the game day and time in order to have her family there cheering her on in Happy Like Soccer.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Inferring:
As you read Happy Like Soccer ask your child questions about what they think will happen next based on what you've read so far. They'll be more engaged as you read forward, more invested in knowing whether or not the predictions they have made based on context clues are coming true. 

Do this with your child:
In Happy Like Soccer Sienna loves to play soccer. Has your child ever played soccer? Take the opportunity to go outside and play! You can try baseball or any sport that you've seen during the Olympics; it is always fun to try something new and play outside. Playing a sport or a game will help your child learn teamwork, let them practice following directions, and build self esteem. You can also make signs to cheer on friends or family members who are playing a sport as well.

If you're interested in sharing Happy Like Soccer with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato

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

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato is appropriate for all ages.

Summary:
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato is a new take on the classic picky eater tale. Lola is very fussy about food. But when brother Charlie explains that those are not peas, but rather incredibly rare Greendrops from Greenland, she just has to try them. But what about those tomoatos? Will Lola be tricked into trying those?

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk:
Before you read I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato flip through the pages with your child asking what they see. Talk about the different foods that are on the pages. Ask your child if Lola looks happy or curious or mad. After discussing what you see on the pages, ask your child to make a prediction about what they think is happening in the story. After you read, see if any of their predictions were correct!

Do this with your child:
After reading I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato talk with your child about their favorite part of the story. Have them draw a picture of their favorite part or of a food they think can be called something else. If you have a picky eater at home, use this book as a platform to start trying new things!

If you're interested in sharing I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please follow them on Twitter. Click here for more from author/illustrator Lauren Child. 

How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food

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

How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food is appropriate for children age 4 and up.

Summary:
How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food, from Chris Butterworth and Lucia Gaggiotto, takes you on a journey through your lunch box. The book explores how each piece of food came to your lunch, starting as a plant and ending as a tasty bit ready to be enjoyed. From climbing trees to milking cows to crushing apples in a factory, this book takes a complete look at food processing for young readers. A peak into food groups and healthy lifestyles add the perfect final piece to this fun and charming book.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food ask your child questions to connect the text to their own lives. What kind of food do they have in their lunches? Can they find any of the food that they eat in the story? Do they know other foods that might be made the same way? By asking your child to connect the book to their own life, you will be furthering their engagement with the story and deepening their understanding of the text.

Do this with your child:
After reading How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food take a trip to your local market (or even through your own kitchen) and walk through the aisles making note of some of the foods that you see. Can your child find any food from the story? Can they remember how those foods were made? 

If you're interested in sharing How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please follow them on Twitter. For more from illustrator Lucia Gaggiotti check out her website.

Library Lion

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

Library Lion is appropriate for ages 4 and up.

Summary:
In Library Lion from author Michelle Knudsen and illustrator Kevin Hawkes, a lion wanders into the library one fateful day and decides to stick around. Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about the rules. But there are no rules about lions in the library. It seems a lion is well suited for a library, he quietly walks through the building, he helps children reach the books they need, and he doesn't roar (anymore.) But what happens when there's an accident and the only way he knows how to help is to break the rules?

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take a Picture Walk:
Before you read Library Lion walk through the pages with your child. Use the charming and expressive illustrations to ask them what they see on each page. After talking about what the pictures are, ask them to make predictions about what they think is happening. Then as you read, talk with your child about whether their predictions came true. 

Do this with your child:
After reading Library Lion ask your child what their favorite part of the story was and why. Then have them draw a picture of their favorite part. You can also take a trip to your local library to see if there are any lions helping the librarians!

If you're interested in sharing Library Lion with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
For more from author Michelle Knudsen check out her website. For more from illustrator Kevin Hawkes check out his website.

Maisy Goes to the Library

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

Maisy Goes to the Library is appropriate for all ages.

Summary:
Maisy Goes to the Library from author Lucy Cousins is a charming story of Maisy's library visit. She is looking for a book about fish but can't find one. She decides to explore all the other fun things that the library has to offer, looking on the computer, making copies of pictures, and watching the fish in the aquarium. That's where she finds it, a sparkly book about fish! As she finds a quiet corner to read, her friends walk in for story time. Will Maisy ever find a nice, quiet place to enjoy her fish book?

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you read Maisy Goes to the Library ask your child questions about the story in relation to their own life and experiences. This is a perfect story to make connections to your own local library branch. Does your library have books about tigers, or computers to work on, is there music to listen to, or an aquarium to watch the fish swimming? Has your child read any books about fish like Maisy? Find some similarities and differences between your own local library and Maisy's. The story can be a mirror where they can see similarities of their own life reflected in the pages, or a window where they can look out into other's lives and see what's different than their own. This will further their interest and engagement in the story.

Do this with your child:
After reading Maisy Goes to the Library take a trip to your local library and see if you can find any books like the one's Maisy found. Check out a favorite book or two and find your own nice, quiet place to read. Sign your child up for a library card if they don't already have one!

If you're interested in sharing Maisy Goes to the Library with your child you can find it from Candlewick Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.