First Grade Miss Knapp

1. Book Talks First Grade Miss Knapp

2. Dear Parents, I have put together a collection of Book Talks that go along with our reading curriculum. There is one book for each theme that we will be studying. In addition, I have listed the reading comprehension strategy that we will be working on during each theme and how it can be reinforced through each story. Please feel free to read these books with your child to extend their literacy experience. Happy reading! Miss Knapp

3. Theme 1: Good Students Chrysanthemumby Kevin Henkes Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to share his/her excitement and/or fears about entering a new classroom. Draw out any prior positive/negative experiences in the social interactions they have had.

4. How was it for you? Was your child excited for their first day of school, only to come home with the unpleasant reality of some unkind remark by another? In Chrysanthemum, Kevin Henkes provides a warm journey through the whole spectrum of emotions experienced by this adorable, sweet, innocent little mouse on her first days of school. Chrysanthemum has grown up in the warm embrace of her parents’ perfect love. She is nurtured in every way as portrayed by the intense love she has for her name. Chrysanthemum…it’s perfect…until the first day of school, when she meets Victoria and her other classmates. Each day the hurt she experiences from her classmates leaves its impact. Her parents each night, strive to restore her self-esteem. Experience how Mrs. Twinkle, the students’ new music teacher, is able to resolve this little mouse's self-esteem as well as impact the other students. This modern fiction, will draw you in as the message informs us about how great the impact of others has on one’s self esteem! I highly recommend this book as its message and illustrations, compliment one another as it portrays this much needed message. It is a book that will be enjoyed over and over throughout the years. Each time you experience it, you will find something new to enhance the message. I hope you won’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this delightful easy read. Chrysanthemumby Kevin Henkes Comprehension Strategy:Make Connections During the reading, encourage your child to “Make Connections” throughout the story to enhance their comprehension. Help him/her to remember and discuss his/her experiences that left him/her feeling different emotions.

5. Theme 2: Schools Long Ago and Today The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles/illustrated by George Ford Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to share items that are in his/her current classroom. Discuss with them whether these items would have been in schools long ago and why.

6. Segregation was a fact of life in New Orleans until 1960. In The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, Ruby is ordered by a judge along with three other black girls to attend two different all white schools. Three of the girls went to one school, while Ruby went by herself to a different school. In those days, New Orleans still had segregated education even though it was against our country’s law. This family’s faith and prayers, along with United States federal marshals supported Ruby through a year of trial. Angry mobs harassed this little girl each day as she walked to her empty school. No other students attended for most of the year, so Ruby and her teacher, Mrs. Henry, studied day after day together. Read on to find out how one little girl’s faith encouraged a nation and “led us away from hate.” The beautiful watercolor illustrations bring to life the feelings associated with such a controversial setting. This story captures an important milestone in history in a way that young students can understand. This story begs you to read more as you are pulled into the pathos of Ruby’s life! The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles/illustrated by George Ford Comprehension Strategy:Ask Questions During the reading, encourage your child to ask “I wonder….” questions to help him/her understand the information in the story.

7. Theme 3: What Makes Things Move? The Wind Blewby Pat Hutchins Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to share some of the things they see happen when the wind is blowing.

8. Whoosh!!! Blew the wind through the town. Feel the illustrations, as they help us to better understand the concept of wind. In The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins, we are moved along with the characters in the story by the effects of the wind. Observe as page by page through this rhyming book objects are blown from the characters into the air. Mr. White’s umbrella, Priscilla’s balloon, the judge’s wig, and the postman’s letters are all examples of the many items snatched up by blustery weather. This modern fiction encourages us to infer as each two page spread has a primary illustration along with a smaller design. These illustrations give us opportunity to discuss what may be coming up next in the story through its secondary illustrations. (Inferring is one of the comprehension strategies that will be taught later in the school year.) Watch for this book’s unexpected outcome as you make your way through its delightfully illustrated pages. This is a book you will enjoy with your child as he/she learns more about the effects of a substance that cannot be seen, yet affects us each day…the wind! The Wind Blewby Pat Hutchins Comprehension Strategy:Create Images During the reading, stop periodically and have your child close his/her eyes to “Create Images” on what has been read. Ask him/her what they can see, hear, taste, feel, etc… from the information that has just been read. This will allow your child to experience a personal connection to the story.

9. Theme 4: How Does Heat Cause Change? The Magic School Bus IN THE ARTIC by Joanna Cole and Illustrated by Bruce Degen Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to share some items they are familiar with that are frozen (ex: ice cubes, snow, etc…). Discuss what happens to them when the sun (a source of heat) comes out.

10. Brrrrr!!! Imagine being very cold and not knowing how to warm up. In The Magic School Bus IN THE ARTIC by Joanna Cole, Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a Magic School Bus adventure to the Arctic! What begins as a cold day and cold cup of cocoa sparks the question “Where did all the hot go?” Ms. Frizzle never misses an opportunity to teach a science experiment and she never does things in a small way. As the Magic School Bus lands in the Arctic, they experience all sorts of problems due to the tremendous cold! This gives page after page of opportunity to learn how heat escapes cold environments. Also learn how to generate heat. Later in the story, learn about the inspiration of insulation. Students will relate and have fun with this modern fantasy, as they learn many facts through this exciting adventure book. Have fun with the experiment at the end of the book that you can try at home to learn more about insulation. Happy experimenting! The Magic School Bus IN THE ARTIC by Joanna Cole and Illustrated by Bruce Degen Comprehension Strategy:Determine Importance During the reading, stop periodically to ask your child if the information that was just read was important to the story. Decide if it was important to the outcome of the story, or if it was just interesting.

11. Theme 5: My Neighborhood My Trip to the Hospitalby Mercer Mayer Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to share some stores, businesses, parks, etc… in your neighborhood and the reasons people visit specific places.

12. My Trip to the Hospitalby Mercer Mayer Ouch! Have you ever fallen down and broken an arm or a leg? If so, I’m sure it hurt! In My Trip to the Hospital, Little Critter gets hurt during a soccer game and is taken by ambulance to the hospital. He has many new experiences as he rides in the ambulance on a stretcher, has vital signs taken by the nurse and has x-rays taken by a really big machine! Later, his leg is wrapped in a cast and he learns to use crutches! It wasn’t as easy as you might think! Little Critter experiences the love and friendship of his family and classmates as they all rally around him when he experiences one of life’s difficulties. The author, Mercer Mayer, provides rich, detailed illustrations, which provide ample opportunity for discussion at many levels. Try finding the spider and mouse on each page for added enjoyment! This fun read aloud is recommended for parents and children to share! Comprehension Strategy:Synthesize During the reading, encourage your child to put many of the new pieces of information together to form a new understanding. (This is like putting each piece of a puzzle together to form a new picture.)

13. Theme 6: Community Workers What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry Prior to reading the story, discuss with your child some of the community workers in your neighborhood and their specific duties/jobs.

14. Richard Scarry does it again! His book, What Do People Do All Day?, takes us through minutely detailed pages of illustrations that will captivate children of all ages. Scarry teaches us about many community workers and the different jobs they perform. He takes us to different areas in the community such as the hospital, construction site, post office, and airport. Take a train ride and trip out to the farm. The author labels many of his illustrations to promote vocabulary and word recognition. This children’s book on occupations will enthrall your child for hours as they study how paper is made from wood, a ship prepares for voyage, and many other detailed life experiences. Will you find your occupation to share with your child in its pages? Start spending some time in this book and your child is sure to follow! What Do People Do All Day?by Richard Scarry Comprehension Strategy:Infer During the reading, encourage your child to use his/her prior knowledge to help him/her understand the new information that is being read.

15. Theme 7: Weather for Every Season The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Prior to reading the story, discuss with your child our four seasons and the changes that take place during each season.

16. Do you like winter and playing in the snow? Well, Peter does! In The Snowy Day , Peter wakes up to find snow everywhere! He dresses in his snowsuit to start his adventure! Walk with him as he crunches through the snow, making tracks and leaving his imprint on nature’s impermanent splendor. Snowballs, snowmen, and snow angels, along with heaping mountains of cold, white snow provide all the materials Peter needs to experience a day full of pleasure! The author, Ezra Jack Keats, takes us back to the simple activities that can be enjoyed through nature! His unique illustrations are a combination of cut paper, pastel colors, and pen and ink. Experience Peter’s disappointment as he finds his pocketed snowballs gone at the end of the day. Learn how the story resolves and the value of enjoying each present moment! The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Comprehension Strategy:Monitor Understanding During the reading, stop periodically to check if your child understands what is being read. If not, go back to reread information, encourage him/her to ask questions, or to think about the meaning of the story, which are a few strategies to help improve his/her comprehension.

17. Theme 8: Dressing for the Weather Stella Queen of the Snow by Marie-Louise Gay Prior to reading the story, remind your child of the information that was discussed from the last theme “Weather for Every Season.” Review each season and discuss the appropriate dress needed for each.

18. What are your first memories of the snow? Did you have a lot of questions? Do you remember your first experiences? Well, Sam does! But fortunately for him, he has an older sister named Stella and she is QUEEN of the SNOW!!! Walk through their day together through this winter wonderland as red haired Stella faithfully answers her brother’s incessant questions. Sibling camaraderie is beautifully portrayed as Sam accepts with unquestioning trust, his sister’s delightful, if at times, less than accurate explanations. Enjoy their pet dog as he watches over their experiences throughout the day. In Stella Queen of the Snow, Marie-Louise Gay takes us through this realistic fiction picture book of winter’s wonderland. Her watercolor illustrations richly compliment the text. This will be a book to enjoy for years to come! Stella Queen of the Snow by Marie-Louise Gay Comprehension Strategy:Use Fix-Up Strategies During the reading, ask your child to read some of the words in the book that are at their reading level . When stuck on a word, encourage him/her to use picture clues, sound it out, break the word into parts, etc… to help him/her with the unknown word.

19. Theme 9: Nature’s Resources The Giving Treeby Shel Silverstein Prior to reading the story, discuss with your child different resources in nature and which of these resources we use every day.

20. What are the qualifications for a strong and lasting friendship? How do we make it last? What is the value? In his classic book The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, a rich bond is formed between a tree and a little boy. This is a story of love in it’s purest form. The tree loved her little charge simply for the time he spent with her each day and the enjoyment he received from which she had to share…her leaves, branches, and fruit. As time passed and the boy grew older, he grew to love others and the tree was alone for longer and longer periods of time. The mutual interaction they once had was replaced by the boy selfishly using the tree’s assets. The tree continued to give until she felt she had nothing left. Read this modern fiction to find out the necessary elements to a lasting friendship. This thought provoking book is written for all ages and indeed carries an important message from which we can all benefit! The Giving Treeby Shel Silverstein Comprehension Strategy:Make Connections: Compare/Contrast Information During the reading, encourage your child to compare how things in the story are the same and how they are different to help him/her extend their understanding of the information in the story.

21. Theme 10: From Mountain to Ocean Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Mark Astrella Prior to reading the story, discuss with your child different types of land and the different types of water.

22. How do you explain the five senses to your child? These important gifts, which we often take for granted, become most precious when one is lost! In Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan, a young girl spends the day with her best friend…the ocean. You may wonder who she is speaking of when she states, “I’m here, with the five of me, again!” Experience a day at the beach with all of your senses engaged, as you walk along the shores and swim in the salty brine in this first person narrative. The beautifully illustrated, realistically portrayed acrylic artwork lends much to the story. By it’s end, you will have fully engaged all of your senses! Rich with descriptive vocabulary and lifelike illustrations, I highly recommend this book to promote the love of reading! Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Mark Astrella Comprehension Strategy:Ask Questions: Meaning Encourage your child to ask questions before, during, and after the story to help him/her comprehend the information.

23. Theme 11: Animals Grow and Change Stellalunaby Janell Cannon Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to list different animals and how they change as they grow from babies to adults.

24. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be alone and to arrive in a place where you are different from all the rest? How frightening it must feel! How sad! This is the experience of a baby bat as she falls from her mother’s grasp when fleeing from an owl. Eventually, she lands in a downy bird’s nest and tries to conform to their way of life in order to survive. But Stellaluna is a bat and not a bird. In her inherent nature, she hangs from the nest, teaching the baby birds to do the same. For this she is ostracized and is only able to remain with her adopted family if she conforms to their ways. Join Stellaluna and the bird family as they learn to fly and interact with each other’s differences. Stellaluna and her adopted family are personified in Janell Cannon’s book of loss and reconnection. Learn how friendships remain despite differences through these richly illustrated pages. This story carries a message of love and trust through reaching out to others different than ourselves! Stellalunaby Janell Cannon Comprehension Strategy:Create Images: Enhance Understanding During the reading, stop periodically and have your child close his/her eyes to “Create Images” on what has been read. Ask him/her what they can see, hear, taste, feel, etc… from the information that has just been read. This will allow your child to experience a deeper connection to the story.

25. Theme 12: Look at My Garden Grow! Tops & Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens Prior to reading the story, discuss with your child how a plant grows from a seed.

26. This book is a must read!!! From the time you open the front cover, which is already a unique experience, as it opens from top to bottom instead of left to right, you are drawn in! In Tops and Bottoms, Hare is struggling financially to put food on the table for his large family. In this modern day parable, we learn many important lessons, such as what we sow is what we reap. We also learn that there are many ways to look outside the box. This is what Hare does when striking up a business partnership with Bear, by farming Bear’s land and sharing the profits. Each time Bear decides what part of the crop he will receive, Hare plans the vegetable he will plant accordingly. Read on to learn more of Hare’s cleverness and the important message that is woven throughout the story. Sit back while you learn that nothing is gained from allowing others to do our work. The twists in the story will leave you smiling in anticipation of Hare’s next strategy. Tops & Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens Comprehension Strategy:Determine Importance: Main Idea Together with your child, decide what’s important at the beginning, middle, and end of the story to find out the main idea of the story. Discuss how this important information leads to the main purpose of the story.

27. Theme 13: Rights and Responsibilities Verdiby Janell Cannon Prior to reading the story, discuss the meaning of a right and a responsibility. Discuss examples of both.

28. Have you ever wanted to go your own way and not follow the crowd? In Verdi by Janell Cannon, a young python wants just that. Throughout the book, he is told how he should be, but Verdi doesn’t want to grow up. He likes his bold stripes that run along his yellow body. He doesn’t want to be green and lazy like all the other pythons. He finds some innovative ways to add excitement to his life! Whee! He shoots through the air! But after a major fall, Verdi has no choice but to be tenderly and lovingly cared for by the other snakes. Time passes and Verdi realizes that he has no choice, but to go the way of nature and be who he is meant to be… almost. Enjoy the charming, colorful illustrations as you learn more about Verdi’s adventures. Additional snake facts can be found at the back of the book. This is book that can be enjoyed by boys and girls alike! I found it so! (Liking snakes is not a requirement!)  Verdiby Janell Cannon Comprehension Strategy:Synthesize: Retell After the reading, encourage your child to retell the story in their own words, restating main points from the story.

29. Theme 14: Good Citizens George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to list some famous people who have made an important contribution to society.

30. Have you ever experienced a toothache…a really bad toothache? Can you imagine what such a problem would have been like in the mid 1700’s? George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora takes you through George’s life and the problems he encounters with his teeth. This historical biography, written in poetic verse, gives us insight into the suffering General Washington experienced as he went through the major events that shaped our country’s beginning. Little by little, George’s infected teeth fall out throughout the story of his major campaigns. Once elected president, George sat for a portrait only to have his mouth stuffed with cotton balls! George’s dentist tries to assist him through these endeavors without success. Learn how George himself solves his dilemma. A timeline at the end of the book shows events that took place in George’s life, along with additional photos and illustrations. This book leaves the reader seeking additional information on the father of our country. George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora Comprehension Strategy:Infer: Conclusions As you’re reading, encourage your child to use what they already know (information they bring to the story) along with the new information they are learning, to infer, or draw new conclusions.

31. Theme 15: Home Sweet Habitat Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to discuss different animals and their habitats. Talk about how each habitat is conducive to each animal and their unique features.

32. Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! honked Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings: Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack as they tried to cross the busy highway! In Make Way for Ducklings, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for the perfect place to build a nest and raise their ducklings. They fly over the city and rule out different locations until they find the perfect spot along the Charles River. Nice and quiet and a short distance from the Public Garden where they were sure to get peanuts, they build their nest. Just in time… for they were molting and would be unable to fly again soon. This Caldecott Award book’s delightful charcoal drawings are realistic and captivating. They personify the Mallard family. Written in 1941, this book is as engaging today as it was years ago. Enjoy the antics of the eight ducklings as they learn and experience life in the city of Boston. This book with it’s quaint illustrations of a time gone by continues to make its impact in today’s society as it speaks to our compassionate side. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Comprehension Strategy:Monitor Understanding: Reread Text During the reading, encourage your child to stop your reading when he/she comes to a part in the story he/she doesn’t understand. Go back to reread the information and discuss how this strategy helps to better comprehend a story.

33. Theme 16: All Kinds of Animals What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page Prior to reading the story, encourage your child to list a variety of animals along with certain characteristics of each animal.

34. Why do animals look different? Some have long tails and others short. Some have four eyes and others two. In What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, cut-paper collage illustrations depict animal features which will capture your attention from the first page. As you guess what animals these unique features belong to, you can also answer the question on the page, “What do you with…?” As you turn the page, you will notice the various animals and learn for what they use their special features. This book will capture the attention of boys and girls alike. Steve Jenkins & Robin Page provide a unique perspective as text is interestingly spread around the pages to compliment the illustrations. Additional facts on each animal can be found in the back of the book under their noted features to provide a deeper level of understanding that will be of interest to all ages. This Caldecott Honor recipient is a book that will be enjoyed by many! What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page Comprehension Strategy:Use Fix-Up Strategies: Decoding Word Parts During the reading, ask your child to read some of the words in the book that are at their reading level . When stuck on a word, encourage him/her to use picture clues, sound it out, break the word into parts, etc… to help him/her with the unknown word.