This School Year Will Be the Best!

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

This School Year Will Be the Best! is appropriate for school age children.

Summary:
In the silly and fun This School Year Will Be the Best!  it is the first day of the school year and the teacher asks the children "what do you hope will happen this year?" Author Kay Winters and illustrator Renee Andriani combine their talents to bring these students wishes to the next level! You and your child will giggle through this wonderful story that is perfect for the first month of school.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Summarizing:
This School Year Will Be the Best! is a wonderful book to use to make predictions. As you go through the book, look at the picture on the page before you read the text. Ask your child what they think each child's hope for the school year is based on the picture. Since the illustrations are exaggerated, it will be fun for you and your child to find out if their predictions are correct!

Do this with your child:
Every child shares their wish for the school year in This School Year Will Be the Best! Ask your child what they hope will happen them during their school year. Then work together to illustrate their wish in a fun way!

If you're interested in sharing This School Year Will Be the Best! with your child you can find it from Penguin Books USA here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Kindness Is Cooler Mrs. Ruler

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

Kindness Is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler is the perfect story to brighten any classroom. Author Margery Cuyler and illustrator Sachiko Yoshikawa beautifully depict what happens when you spread kindness instead of chaos. Mrs. Ruler asks five of her students to miss recess due to their behavior but she has a special plan up her sleeve! She assigns them a special project to complete acts of kindness. What the whole class learns is that kindness in contagious and soon their bulletin board is overflowing with acts of kindness!

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Summarizing:
Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler is a perfect story to practice summarization. After you read the story with your child, ask them what the story was about. Have them recall details such as character names, where the story takes place, and the events in the story. Let them look through the book to use the illustrations as context clues and reminders if they need 

Do this with your child:
Mrs. Ruler assigns students to complete acts of kindness in Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler. Talk with your child about why it is important Ask your child if they would like to participate and complete their own acts of kindness. Create a space to display acts of kindness that your family completes just like in Mrs. Ruler's classroom. 

If you're interested in sharing Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler with your child you can find it from Simon and Schuster here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The Cloud

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

The Cloud is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
The Cloud from author and illustrator Hannah Cumming is a wonderful and simple story about the power of friendship. A little girl never draws anything in art class, she sits by herself, looking at her paper, with a black cloud over her head. But one of her classmates is determined to befriend this little girl and make her smile. Follow along with the charming illustrations and simple text to see how one child's attempt at inclusion turns into a class-wide epidemic. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Making Connections:
The Cloud is a perfect story to open up a conversation about friendship and emotions as we enter the new school year. You can ask your child if they have ever felt like they have a black cloud over their head, and what happened to turn that cloud into a smile. Have they ever noticed a classmate or friend who is gloomy or upset? Talk about ways they can help make that child feel better, and ways to reach out and make new friends. By making these emotional connections to the text, your child will be able to further engage with the story and hopefully see themselves in the book.

Do this with your child:
Drawing is used to bring friends together in The Cloud. Work with your child to make a drawing together just like in the story. If you have multiple children, have them make a drawing or two together as well. Display these new creations proudly!

If you're interested in sharing The Cloud with your child you can find it from Child's-Play here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

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

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is appropriate for children age 4 and up.

Summary:
Lilly loves her teacher in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse from author and illustrator Kevin Henkes. Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher Mr. Slinger. She even wants to become a teacher when she grows up, just like him. But when Lilly brings her new purse and sunglasses to school, she has a very hard time paying attention and following the rules, and Mr. Slinger takes her new things away for the day. Read to find out what happens after Lilly becomes furious with Mr. Slinger. 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Retelling:
After reading Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse ask your child to take a turn to tell the story to you. They can use what they remember from the story along with the pictures on the pages to put story together. Let them hold the book and turn the pages. If they stumble or seem unsure, prompt them to look at the pictures and remember what had happened before as context clues.  

Do this with your child:
Lilly loves so many things about school in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. Ask your child what they love about their own school and why. Together you can make a list and compare it to Lilly's list. Look for similarities and difference.

If you're interested in sharing Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse with your child you can find it from Greenwillow Books, an imprint of Harper Collin Publishing, here. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The Little School Bus

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

The Little School Bus is appropriate for children age of all ages.

Summary:
The Little School Bus by author Carol Roth and illustrator Pamela Paparone is a bouncy, rhythmic journey along the school bus route. Bright, cheerful pictures accompany song like text that will have your child giggling and rhyming along.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing/Rhyming:
The Little School Bus is a great story to practice sequencing, putting events in the order which they happened. Have your child read along with you as you repeat the characters and their rhymes. If they can't remember, prompt them with the rhyming word and have them finish the line. Rhyming helps children strengthen listening skills, recognize sound patterns, and develop memorization skills. 

Do this with your child:
After reading The Little School Bus talk with your child about their favorite characters on the bus. did they like the sleepy sheep or the hairy bear, the ox with socks or the pig in the wig? Can you come up with another rhyming character to add to the story? Think of a fun animal rhyme and draw the new character. Read through the story again, this time adding your new character into the text!

If you're interested in sharing The Little School Bus with your child you can find it from North South Books here. Please like them on Facebook.

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.

Curious George at the Baseball Game

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

Curious George at the Baseball Game is appropriate for children of all ages.

Summary:
George is at it again! In the classic Curious George at the Baseball Game follow the adventures of this curious little monkey as he sits in the dugout, watches from the stands, and of course, finds a way to get into and out of trouble! 

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Sequencing:
After reading Curious George at the Baseball Game talk to your child about which order the events happen in the story. Use words like 'before,' 'after,' and 'next' to help your child put the events in order. Did George sit in the stands or the dugout first? When did he find the little boy? Ask questions to help prompt your child if they need it!

Do this with your child:
In Curious George at the Baseball Game George and the man with the yellow hat watch baseball. Has your child ever played baseball or t-ball? 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. 

If you're interested in sharing Curious George at the Baseball Game with your child you can find it from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt here. Please like them on Facebook and Instagram.