New Book News
August/September/October 2001
Excerpt
Book
Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Barbara Seuling.
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa.
Harcourt, 2001 (all ages)
Mrs. Spitzer is a teacher who helps the seeds she receives each fall bloom and grow.
Idea
At the beginning of the year, students can make personal seed packets. They can either use a photograph of their face or draw a self-portrait, and put it into the center of a flower such as a daisy. They paste the flower onto the front of a folder that is sealed on three sides. This personal folder becomes their seed packet into which they put their papers during the year. On the back of the folder / seed packet, students can write what they will need to grow.
Idea
Keep a record of the books that students read in a similar type of seed packet. The cover of the packet has the label, "Reading Helps Me Grow", and the students portrait or photograph is in the middle of a flower. As the students read books during the year, they draw a picture indicating how the book helped them to grow. Be sure they write the title of the book and its author on the illustration, and put the book pictures into the seed packet. This makes a great record of the students reading growth through the year.
Strategies for the following books are also included in the August/September/October issue
purchase the full version of New Book News >>
- Arthur's Nose (special anniversary edition)
- by Marc Brown (gr. K-4)
- Blabber Mouse
- by True Kelley. (gr. K-2)
- A Bus of Our Own
- by Freddi Williams Evans. (gr. 1-4)
- Dancing in Cadillac Light
- by Kimberly Willis Holt. (gr. 5-8)
- The Day Eddie Met the Author
- by Louise Bordes. (gr. 1-4)
- Emily's Art
- by Peter Catalanotto. (gr. K-3)
- Fur-Ever Yours, Booker Jones
- by Betsy Duffey. (gr.4-6)
- The Garden That We Grew
- by Joan Holub. (gr. K-2)
- Leaf by Leaf
- selected by Barbara Rogasky. (gr. 3-8)
- Little Cliff's First Day of School
- by Clifton L. Taulbert. (gr. K-3)
- Littlebat's Halloween Story
- by Diane Mayr. (gr. K-3)
- Love, Ruby Lavender
- by Deborah Wiles. (gr.4-6)
- Love That Dog
- by Sharon Creech. (gr. 3-7)
- Meet the Barkers
- by Tomie dePaola. (gr. K-2)
- Mice and Beans
- by Pam Muoz Ryan (gr. K-3)
- Milo's Hat Trick
- by Jon Agee. (gr. K-3)
- Mr. Lincoln's Way
- by Patricia Polacco. (gr. 1-4)
- My Most Favorite Thing
- by Nicola Moon. (gr. K-3)
- The Name Jar
- by Yangsook Choi. (gr. K-3)
- Patches Lost and Found
- by Steven Kroll. (gr. 1-3)
- The School Story
- by Andrew Clements. (gr. 4-6)
To search for a specific title, see the Title Index
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