New Book News
August/September/October 2000
Excerpt
Book
Miss Alaineus A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier
Harcourt, 2000 (gr. 3-6)
Sage misheard and misunderstood one of Mrs. Page's vocabulary words, and is mortified by her mistake during the Vocabulary Bee. Fortunately, her mother helped her turn her embarrassing mistake into a positive situation.
Idea
Read a list of vocabulary words to the students. Ask them to write definitions for the words, assuming the meanings from the sound of the words. Next, share the words in written format. Students can change any of their definitions after they see the word in print. Finally, students can look up the meanings of the words in the dictionary. Discuss how their interpretations of the words compared with the dictionary definition and whether their meanings changed after they saw the word in print.
Idea
Many people in this story have names that mean something else. Your readers can identify people who have names that can be found in the dictionary - e.g., Sharp - pointy, angular. They can then describe how the person is or is not like the dictionary definition of the name and draw a picture of the person looking like the dictionary definition.
Idea
Everyone has misunderstood the meaning of a word. Students can share words they didn't understand when they were younger, and any humorous situations in which they used those words incorrectly.
Strategies for the following books are also included in the August/September/October issue
purchase the full version of New Book News >>
- A Is for Salad
- by Mike Lester. (gr. 1-4)
- Apples
- by Gail Gibbons. (gr. K-3)
- The Awful Aardvarks Shop for School
- by Reeve Lindbergh. (gr. K-3)
- Buzz
- by Janet S. Wong. (gr. K-3)
- Dr. Pompo's Nose
- by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. (gr. K-4)
- Elvis Lives! and Other Anagrams
- by Jon Agee. (gr. 3-8)
- The Gift of the Crocodile
- by Judy Sierra. (gr. K-3)
- The Girl Who Spun Gold
- by Virginia Hamilton. (gr. 1-5)
- Grandpa Never Lies
- by Ralph Fletcher. (gr. K-4)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- by J.K. Rowling. (gr. 5+)
- I Knew Two Who Said Moo
- by Judi Barrett. (gr. K-2)
- The Memory String
- by Eve Bunting. (gr. 1-5)
- Momma, Where Are You From?
- by Marie Bradby. (gr. 1-4)
- Pumpkin Heads!
- by Wendell Minor. (gr. K-2)
- Serendipity
- by Tobi Tobias. (all ages)
- So You Want to Be President?
- by Judith St. George. (gr. 3-6)
- Some Things Are Scary
- by Florence Parry Heide. (gr. K-4)
- Testing Miss Malarkey
- by Judy Finchler. (teachers)
- There's A Zoo in Room 22
- by Judy Sierra. (gr. K-4)
- Tie Your Socks and Clap Your Feet
- by Lenny Hort. (gr. 1-5)
- Timothy Goes to School
- by Rosemary Wells. (gr. K-2)
- Troll Teacher
- by Vivian Vande Velde. (gr. K-2)
- Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys
- by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard. (gr. 1-4)
- Wemberly Worried
- by Kevin Henkes. (gr. K-2)
- When Papa Snores
- by Melinda Long. (gr. K-2)
- A Wolf at the Door
- edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. (gr. 3-6)
To search for a specific title, see the Title Index
A newsletter devoted to the latest and the best in children's literature and how to use it with your students.
Purchase the latest issue now and receive 16 pages of the best new children's books and how to use them with your readers. Each issue features a major curriculum area and many, many ideas for using the best new picture books, chapter books, fiction, poetry, traditional tales and informational books.
Price: $6.50 for each issue.
Order yours by going to our Resources section.
The latest issue of the quarterly newsletter about new books and strategies for using them with your readers is currently available.
Don't miss a single issue of a newsletter full of ideas you really can use with your favorite books.