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.

The Giant Hug

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

The Giant Hug is appropriate for children age 2-8.

Summary:
In The Giant Hug, written by Sandra Horning and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, Owen wants to send his Granny the perfect birthday gift in the mail, a GIANT hug. A drawing of a hug just won't do. You and your child will delight in the journey that this giant hug takes as each different postal worker opens their arms as wide as they possibly can to pass along Owen's hug for Granny.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling/Chronological Order:
As you read The Giant Hug help your child pay attention to the order that the hug travels. Make a mental note of who or where the hug goes to after Owen passes it along at the post office. After reading, ask your child to retell you the story, trying their best to have the hug pass along the same order.

Do this with your child:
Owen is sending his Grandma a giant hug for her birthday. Since February is a month to promote friendship and love, make a list with your child of all the nice things we can do for our friends and loved ones. You can pick flowers for your teacher, or draw a picture for a sibling or classmate, you can bring a yummy snack to your grandparents, or give someone your own GIANT hug! Pick a few items on the list to complete together.

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

For more on author Sandra Horning visit her website here. Like illustrator Valeri Gorbachev on Facebook.

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

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

Should I Share My Ice Cream? is appropriate for children age 2-8.

Summary:
In this Elephant & Piggie book from author and illustrator Mo Willems, Elephant Gerald struggles with the idea of sharing his ice cream with his best friend Piggie. Gerald realizes, after much contemplation, that sharing his ice cream cone with Piggie will make her happy, and is the right thing to do. In a dramatic twist, Gerald drops his ice cream cone. Continue reading to see what happens next.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Re-telling:
After you read Should I Share My Ice Cream? ask your child to take a turn and this time, they will tell the story to you. To help them get ready for re-telling ask question as you read through the story. Make note of what is happening on the pages, and of the decisions Gerald is making. Then when it is your child's turn, let them lead the way. Only prompt them if they ask or get stuck. You may end up hearing a very different story from the original, but that is okay!

Do this with your child:
Elephant Gerald has a tough decision to make in Should I Share My Ice Cream? He wants to eat his ice cream cone, but he also wants his friend Piggie to be happy. Ask your child about why it is important to share and to give. For an extra activity, help your child pick out some canned goods to donate to help make someone happy and bring them to a local drop off! 

If you're interested in sharing Should I Share My Ice Cream? with your child you can find it from Hyperion Books for Children here. Please follow them on Instagram and Twitter.

Find more from Mo Willems on his website and follow him on Twitter.

Tacky and the Winter Games

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

Tacky and the Winter Games is appropriate for children age 3-8.

Summary:
Tacky the Penguin is a bit of a misfit among his fellow penguins. He never seems to do things quite like his friends. The same is true in Tacky and the Winter Games from author Helen Lester and illustrator Lynn Munsinger. The penguins from Nice Icy Land travel to compete in the winter games with Tacky in tow. He may not have the most conventional approach to the games but read to find out how Tacky helps get his team into first place in Tacky and the Winter Games.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
As you read Tacky and the Winter Games talk with your child, making a point to emphasize what the penguins are doing now. Once you have finished the story, practice sequencing, putting the stories events in order. Did the penguins of Nice Icy Land march to the games before they trained? Was the bobsled race before or after the relay race? If your child needs prompting, let them look through the pages to infer from the pictures in the story.

Do this with your child:
Tacky does some silly things in Tacky and the Winter Games from skiing on thawed fish skis to sleeping during sit-ups. Ask your child to pick their favorite thing that Tacky does in the story and draw a picture of it. They can also draw themselves doing the silly things with Tacky. 

If you're interested in sharing Tacky and the Winter Games with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Company Books here. For more fun reads, please follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

Limited Edition Ruby the Reader Ornament 

Purchase your very own holiday penguin ornament, Ruby the Reader. While Supplies Last! Support Raising A Reader through the purchase of this one-of-a-kind ornament by Christopher Radko. All Proceeds benefit Raising A Reader. Click here to order.

The Giving Tree

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

With our bellies stuffed from Thanksgiving and our hearts filled with love and gratitude from spending time with family and friends, December is a great month for us to help our little ones think about and engage in acts of giving. From giving physical things to giving their time to help others, December often represents a time for all of us to stop and help those in need. 

This month, RAR will suggest titles for families to share together that focus on the Gift of Giving. 

The Giving Tree is appropriate for all ages.

Summary:
"Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Use Context Clues to Make Inferences:
Before you read The Giving Tree take a picture walk through the book with your child. The simple illustrations provide room for your child to make inferences and guesses as to what each page might hold. Have your child tell you what they think might be happening on the page. Start with the actual picture, there may be a tree and a boy. Take it further by asking what the boy is doing. Is he climbing, playing, picking apples. Then, as a more complex step for older children, ask your child if the boy looks happy, sad, tired, older. Ask if the tree looks happy, lonely, sad, proud. 

Do this with your child:
The tree is willing to give the boy everything that she has. She loves the boy and it makes her happy to share with him. Help your child make a list of the people who give to them. Then make another list of ways that your child can be more giving. We don't have to give everything we have to help other people but think of some ways that we can help.

For access to fun and silly activities relating to The Giving Tree and other Shel Silverstein titles, check out his website here.

If you're interested in sharing The Giving Tree with your child you can find it from Harper Collins Publishers here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Limited Edition Ruby the Reader Ornament 

During the Season of Giving, support Raising A Reader through the purchase of this one-of-a-kind Ruby the Reader ornament by Christopher Radko. While Supplies Last! All Proceeds benefit Raising A Reader. Click here to order.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

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

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves is appropriate for a pre-K audience and is a perfect book to curl up on the couch under a blanket with this fall.

Summary:
Fletcher the fox has a favorite tree; a beautiful, leafy friend. He becomes worried when the tree's leaves start turning dull and brown, frantic when the wind starts blowing the tree's leaves, and protective when he thinks his tree is sick. You and your child will enjoy the sweet story by Julia Rawlinson and darling illustrations of Tiphanie Beeke in Fletcher and the Falling Leaves. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Using Context Clues:
As you and your child read Fletcher and the Falling Leaves use context clues to figure out what is really happening to Fletcher's tree. Does your child think the tree is sick? What are the other possibilities that could be happening based on the tree's symptoms?

Do this with your child:
With the weather changing, the wind blowing and the leaves falling, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves is a great way to open the door to a conversation with your child about changing seasons. There is so much excitement that comes with Fall: pumpkin patches, hot chocolate, and crunchy leaves. Go outside with your child to see the changes together; feel the brisk air, talk about the changing colors, and of course step on fallen leaves!

If you're interested in sharing Fletcher and the Falling Leaves with your child you can find it from Harper Collins Publishers here.

Like author Julia Rawlinson on Facebook and follow illustrator Tiphanie Beeke on Twitter.

How Far Do You Love Me

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child and their grandparent or special friend! 

(2013, Lee & Low Books)

How Far Do You Love Me is appropriate for ages 2-8. 

Summary:
How Far Do You Love Me takes you on a journey across the globe to see how far your love can stretch. Explore the globe from Mexico to Antarctica and Switzerland to Vietnam and get a glimpse into the beauty of the bonds of love in different cultures.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy--Compare and Contrast:
How Far Do You Love Me brings the reader on a journey across the globe and gives you a peek into the lives of the people who live their. Have your child find the similarities and differences in terms of how they relate to the families they see in the pages. How do the families in the story differ from each other? Use the pictures to talk about the clothes, the landscapes and the environments on each page.

Do this with your child:
Author Lulu Delacre was inspired to write How Far Do You Love Me based on a game she would play with her daughters. Have your child play How Far Do You Love Me with a grandparent or special friend and explore how far their love can go. 

You can find How Far Do You Love Me from the publisher Lee & Low Books here.

The Children Who Loved Books

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child and their grandparent or special friend! 

(2013, Kane Miller Book Publishers)

The Children Who Loved Books is appropriate for ages 4-8.   

Summary:
In The Children Who Loved Books, Angus and Lucy don't have much. But they do have books. Tons of books piled on top of each other, crammed in every corner, and filling every free space in their tiny home. But their collection has gone too far, it has taken over their home, they have to get rid of all the books. See what happens to their home and family and discover the new joy they find in the library. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy--Picture Walk:
Before reading any of the words in the story, take a picture walk through The Children Who Loved Books. Look at each page and talk about what your child sees. The colorful illustrations will lead the way for your child to make predictions about what each page may hold.

Do this with your child:
The Children Who Loved Books opens the door for discussion about your child's favorite books, who they enjoy reading with, and their local libraries. Just like the family in The Children Who Loved Books, your own family can enjoy spending time together through book sharing. Allow your child to lead the way with a book, let them pick the story, flip the pages and always allow them to ask questions. 

You can find The Children Who Loved Books from the publisher Kane Miller here. 
*Please note we have made a correction to the above link for purchase. Like Kane Miller on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Grandpa's Garden 

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child and their grandparent or special friend! 

(2012, Barefoot Books)

Grandpa's Garden is appropriate for ages 4-8.   

Summary:

In Grandpa's Garden, Billy and his Grandpa are working together through the seasons to plant, harvest and enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of their labor. But Billy has a hard time being patient, every step seems to take forever. With the help of his Grandpa, Billy learns why each action they take is important and becomes even more rooted in the special project they share. Included at the end of the story is a guide for planting your own garden. It takes you through the steps that are important during each season.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy--Inference:
Billy and his Grandpa are planting a garden. Using the pictures in Grandpa's Garden, help your child infer (using evidence from the story to explain or come to a conclusion) what will happen next in the garden. This is also a great opportunity to discuss the plant life cycle with your child and talk about how things grow. What are the things that Billy and his Grandpa needed for their plants to be healthy? How did Billy and his Grandpa prepare their garden and how did the plants grow throughout the seasons?

Do this with your child:
Billy and his Grandpa like to work in the garden together. Ask your child about some things that they enjoy doing with their grandparents. Is there anything that they have learned from their grandma or grandpa?

You can find Grandpa's Garden from the publisher Barefoot Books here. Check out their blog that includes Grandpa's Garden.  

We've teamed up with Hanna Andersson to bring you our Instagram Contest going on from August 31, 2015-September 13, 2015. 

There's only a few more days left of the contest! Post your pictures now in honor of Grandparent's Day for your chance to win! See full contest rules at http://www.thehannablog.com/

4 Winners will Receive:

• RAR tote bag with 5 Grandparent Themed books (including Grandpa's Garden with a special thanks to Barefoot Books)
• $100 Hanna Andersson gift Card
• 1 pair of Hanna Jammies

Grandma's Chocolate / El Chocolate de Abuelita

FOR THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child and their grandparent or special friend!

(2010, Pinata Books/Arte Publico Press) 

Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita is appropriate for ages 5-8. 

Summary:
In Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita, Grandma comes to visit Sabrina all the way from Mexico. She and Sabrina open her suitcase full of surprises and explore the culture found within. They play dress up as a Mayan princess, make music with traditional instruments and most exciting for Sabrina, she learns all about the special chocolate from the Mayan and Aztec cultures. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy--Compare and Contrast:
Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita explores the Mayan and Aztec cultures. Sabrina's Grandma shares stories and traditions of their culture. Compare the similarities and contrast the differences between their culture and your own. Are there princesses, special traditions, foods, instruments or songs that are unique to your culture? How are they similar to Sabrina's? How are they different? 

Do this with your child:
When Sabrina's Grandma visits in Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita, she brings a suitcase full of goodies. Ask your child about what their grandparent's have brought for them when they visit. Or, like Sabrina's drawing for Grandma, does your child bring anything to give to their grandparents? For an extra project, have your child draw a picture for their grandparent or special friend and send it in the mail to them as a special surprise of their own.

You can find Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita from the publisher Arte Publico/Pinata Books here.

We've teamed up with Hanna Andersson to bring you our Instagram Contest going on from August 31, 2015-September 13, 2015. Enter your post in honor of Grandparent's Day for your chance to win! See full contest rules at http://www.thehannablog.com/

4 Winners will Receive:

• RAR tote bag with 5 Grandparent Themed books (including Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita with a special thanks to Arte Publico/Pinata Books) 
• $100 Hanna Andersson gift Card
• 1 pair of Hanna Jammies

My Teacher Can Teach... Anyone!

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child and use this book as a starting point to talking about what they've started doing or learning in school.

2004, Lee & Low

Summary:
"My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone!" takes you on an alphabet journey through all of the amazing things this special teacher can teach her students how to do.  

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-
Picture Walk: 
In My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone!, your child will have the chance to explore a diverse list of possibilities for all of the things they can learn this school year. Before reading any of the words in the story, take a picture walk through the book. Look at each page and talk about what your child sees. The colorful illustrations will lead the way for your child to make predictions about what each page may hold.

Discuss this with your child: 
Each page in My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone! has a career laid out in alphabetical order; using that you can prompt your child to think about the word based on the letter and picture on the page. They can mirror their own classrooms in the classroom in this book, viewing the similarities and differences in all of the topics they learn about in school. You can ask your child which topics they want to learn about or what they might already know about the ones found in the story. 

If you want to share My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone! with your child, you can find it here.

A Place Called Kindergarten

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

A Place Called Kindergarten is especially appropriate for a child who will be starting (or has started) Kindergarten! 

2008, Puffin Books

Summary:
The animals in the barn become worried when Tommy doesn't come to see them in the morning. When they find out that Tommy is in Kindergarten that doesn't help them much. What is kindergarten? Where is kindergarten? Will Tommy ever come back? Their anxieties are gone once Tommy returns home to tell them all about his first day of school.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Compare and Contrast:
Tommy lives on a farm. Help your child develop their comparing and contrasting skills by talking with your child about how Tommy's home compares to your own. Tommy is very excited to share his stories after his first day of Kindergarten. You can also help your child make text-to-self connections by asking your child if they are excited about going to school and what they think they will learn about.

Do this with your child:
Every page in A Place Called Kindergarten is adorned with charming illustrations of farm animals. Engage your child and make the book sharing experience interactive by making the sounds of the animals with your child as you read through the story.

If you're interested in sharing A Place Called Kindergarten with your child you can find it here.

The Night Before First Grade

FOR THE WEEKEND, consider sharing this book with your child!

If you have an upcoming first grader that will be starting his or her first day of school on Monday, The Night Before First Grade would be a perfect book to read with them on Sunday night! 

2005, Grosset & Dunlap

Summary:
Prepare for the first day of the new school year with Penny and her family. She's laid out her clothes, made her own lunch, and gotten off the bus; but find out what happens when she gets to school and is put in a different class than her best friend.

Practice this Phonemic Awareness Strategy-Rhythm and Rhyme:
"The Night Before First Grade" follows the rhythm of "The Night Before Christmas." Your child will enjoy rhyming along through the story while Penny gets ready for school just like they will be doing. As you read, slow down at the end of each rhyming sentence and encourage your child to guess the rhyming word based on the picture clues in the story.

Discuss this with your child:
This story mirrors your child's routine as they get ready to enter the new school year. Talk with your child about how they want to get ready for school. Do they want to pick their own clothes? What will they have for lunch? Are they excited to see their friends just like Penny? Talk about what they are seeing in the pictures throughout the story, does their classroom look the same or different. You can also use this story to ask your child how they are feeling about going back to school. Are they excited, nervous, happy?

If you're interested in sharing The Night Before First Grade with your child you can find it here.

My Teacher's Secret Life

Since August is the month where most children and families are enjoying their final days of summer break and preparing to head back to school, Raising A Reader National will post weekly book recommendations this month that parents can share with their children to help them get in the "Back-to-School" mode. 

FOR THE WEEKEND, check out our first book recommendation: My Teacher's Secret Life written by Stephen Krensky. 

(1999, Aladdin Picture Books)

Summary:
Mrs. Quirk belongs in school just like all other teachers. But what happens when you see Mrs. Quirk outside on the weekend? Explore Mrs. Quirk's after school routine and discover her secret life.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Using Context Clues: 
In "My Teacher's Secret Life" your child will have the chance to see a teacher outside of school. They will use context clues to make predictions about what her secret life may hold. Your child will be able to mirror themselves in the school and can relate this story to their own teachers.

Discuss this with your child: 
Use the bright and quirky illustrations in "My Teacher's Secret Life" to ask your child what they see on the page. Find the circles and discover where they are repeated in the book. Find the similarities and differences between the school in the book and the child's own school. Ask them if they have any predictions about what Mrs. Quirk might be doing outside of school. Talk with your child about whether their own teachers have a 'secret life' and what might they be doing.


If you're interested in sharing My Teacher's Secret Life with your child, you can purchase it here.