Frankie Stein

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

Frankie Stein is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Frankie Stein from author Lola M Schaefer and illustrator Kevin Atteberry is a charming tale of one perfectly adorable, rosy cheeked boy born to Mr. and Mrs Frank N. Stein. Concerned that their son isn't scary enough, the monster parents try all sorts of tricks to turn up the terror on little Frankie. As it turns out, Frankie has his own terrifying trick up his sleeve.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Take A Picture Walk:
Frankie Stein is a great story for taking a picture walk. Before you read with your child, flip through the pages and discuss what they see in the pictures. You can ask questions about who they see and where the characters are. Take it one step further and ask your child what they think is happening; then after you read the story see if their predictions were correct. 

Do this with your child:
The Stein family of the charming Frankie Stein work to make little Frankie as scary as they can. They attempt several spooky transformations, like blue hair and green spots. Have our child draw a scary picture of a spooky monster to use as a Halloween decoration. 

If you're interested in sharing Frankie Stein with your child you can find it from Two Lions Books, an imprint of Amazon Publishing here. 

Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

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

Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival from author and illustrator Grace Lin tells the story of a family's celebration of the thanksgiving holiday for Chinese and many Asian peoples, the Moon Festival. Each member of the family lends a hand as they prepare a moonlit picnic with mooncakes, pomelos, cups of tea, and colorful lanterns. And everyone sends thanks and a secret wish up to the moon.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is an excellent story to practice sequencing. Ask your child questions as you read to help solidify their interest in the story. Once you've finished reading, ask your child to tell you the order that events unfolded throughout the book. Did they set out the mooncakes before driving to their picnic? Did they make a wish to the moon after setting up the honoring table? By recalling the order that the events happened, your child will be furthering their connection to the text and deepening their engagement with the story.

Do this with your child:
The family in Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival prepares a wonderful midnight picnic to celebrate the Moon Festival. They make treats and decorations such as mooncakes and lanterns. You can make these too! Click here for a mooncake recipe and here for a link to a lantern craft.

If you're interested in sharing Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with your child you can find it from Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House, here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Leaf Jumpers

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

Leaf Jumpers is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Leaf Jumpers from author Carole Gerber and illustrator Leslie Evans gracefully tells the story of fall leaves. The reader will follow along with the poetic tone and delightful pictures as you join the child raking leaves in autumn. There's even a snippet at the end of the story about why leaves change color.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling:
Leaf Jumpers is a wonderful book for retelling. Ask your child to take a turn to tell you the story after you have read it. Let them lead the way. If they ask for help, prompt them with a reminder, otherwise they're in charge this time! By taking an active role in the story, your child will further their connection with the text and deepen their engagement with the story.

Do this with your child:
There are a variety of leaves illustrated in Leaf Jumpers. Take a walk outside to look for some leaves that might have fallen in your neighborhood. Do any of the leaves that you found match the leaves from the book? Pick your favorite leaf from the story or from your walk and draw it!

If you're interested in sharing Leaf Jumpers with your child you can find it from Charlesbridge Publishing here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn

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

Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn is appropriate for school age children.

Summary:
Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn from author Lisa Bullard and illustrator Nadine Takvorian takes you on a journey through a nature preserve during autumn. Readers will learn all about animals hustle and bustle in autumn and the variety of the changes that animals experience during the season. From migration to hibernation, join the adventures of animals in autumn.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn is a wonderful book to use to make connections. So many animals experience changes during the fall. Does your child recognize any of the animals, have they seen butterflies in the backyard of read any other stories about bears hibernating? Have they seen other changes in the fall, leaves changing color, the sun setting earlier? By making connections between the text and their world around them, your child will be able to further their engagement with the story.

Do this with your child:
Changes abound in Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn. Take a walk outside to look for changes in your own neighborhood. Are there leaves changing color or on the ground? Does the air feel colder than in the summer? Are there more clouds in the sky? As you walk, talk with your child about all of the changes you both see.

If you're interested in sharing Busy Animals: Learning About Animals in Autumn with your child you can find it from Capstone Publishing here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Colors of Sports

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

Colors of Sports is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Colors of Sports by Laura Purdie Salas is the perfect title to share with your child as we enter Olympic season! This colorful book with real photographs touches on some of the sports that the world will be watching in the Olympics and even includes a GOLD medal.Each new page tells a little about a sport and the way a certain color connects to that sport.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
As you're reading Colors of Sports ask your child if they recognize any of the sports that they see on the pages. Have they ever played these sports? Have they seen someone else play? Do they have a favorite team? By asking questions that relate to your child's experiences, you will be deepening their engagement with the book and hopefully furthering their interest in the text.

Do this with your child:
Colors of Sports explores several major sports and has a different color on every page. Ask your child to chose which color or sport is their favorite and why. Then draw a picture of their favorite sport together!

If you're interested in sharing Colors of Sports with your child you can find it from Capstone Press here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. 

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.

Something Special for Me

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

Something Special for Me is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Something Special for Me from author Vera B. Williams is a thoughtful story about Rosa's birthday gift. Rosa and her family have a special jar that is half full of coins. Everyone in her family puts their extra tips and loose change into the jar. As Rosa's birthday is approaching Mama and Grandma decide that Rosa can take the coins to the bank and use the money to pick out the perfect birthday gift. But deciding what to spend that hard earned money on proves to be quite the difficult decision. Will Rosa ever find a gift that is just right?

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
Something Special for Me is a terrific book for practicing sequencing, putting the events of the story in the Order that they happen. To help deepen your child's engagement in the story ask them questions as you read. After you have finished sharing the story, ask your child to tell you in what order did the events occur. Did she go to the bank or get ice cream first? What store did she go to after trying on the roller blades?

Do this with your child:
After reading Something Special for Me talk with your child about why they think it took Rosa so many different tries to find the perfect gift for herself. Do they think that Rosa was just being picky, or was she being thoughtful about what she chose? Then ask if they would like to start saving their coins to buy something special for themselves! You can use a jar like Rosa or find a special piggy bank where they can keep their coins.

If you're interested in sharing Something Special for Me with your child you can find it from Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

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.

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.

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. 

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

10 Reading Tips for Families with Busy Schedules

1. Carry books (or other reading material with you) wherever you go!

2. For kids that don’t get motion sickness, read while traveling in the car.

3. Instead of listening to music, listen to an audio book.

4. Create a reading challenge or competition with friends (you’ll be more motivated to read!).

5. Read during bath time.

6. Make reading something you do before you get out of bed and before you go to sleep (even if it’s for 5 minutes!). 

7. Have you children read you a story while you prepare breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

8. Download books onto your iPad, tablet, or other portable device. Encourage your child to read instead of playing games!

9. Just as you schedule your other activities, schedule in “reading time” as a part of your daily routine. 

10. Going out to eat? Read a book while waiting for your food to come!