Lewis and Clark Learns

Are you looking for a recommended list of books to read this summer? The link below features a plethora of sites you can access to locate summer reading lists organized by grade level. Enjoy! http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/forparents/tp/summer_reading.htm

The winner of the 2008-2009 KC Nominee is Drooling and Dangerous: The Riot Brothers Return by Mary Amato! Check out the cute song she wrote just for Kansas City area third graders! Click on the link below and then click on dedication song . http://www.gkcasl.org/kc3/default.htm

Second grade has also been working toward a reading challenge. After we finished our Show Me Reading Award Program, I wanted to get the kids ready to read KC3 Nominees independently. Each year I challenge my second graders to read and respond to at least 12 Caldecott winning books. This year 50 students reached the reading goal and completed the challenge! Today we celebrated with a good old fashioned milk and cookie party. We snacked and watched several Caldecott videos . I am so proud of all the Caldecott readers and especially pleased that many of the readers didn't stop when they reached the goal...they just kept on reading.

Over 70 third grade students read all of Ron Roy's A to Z mysteries and answered a question about each book. Those kiddo took my challenge and read for over a month and a half! We celebrated last week with a mystery party. The readers had to solve clues to find their snack. We had a great time. I loved seeing kids reading an A to Z mystery while waiting for their rides, while waiting for bathroom breaks to be done, and spending our school wide SSR time reading toward a lofty goal.

Orangutan Tongs: Poems To Tangle Your Tongue is full of poems that make no sense like Two Tree Toads . I' m not going to tell you about any more of the poems because you need to read it and enjoy it on your own...read Orangutan Tongs by Jon Agee. By Abbie

Wow! What a great author/illustrator visit from Laura Huliska-Beith. On Friday, May 8th students in kindergarten, first, and second grade were thrilled to meet Ms. Beith and learn all about illustrating. Ms. Beith drew for and with the kids, interacted with them, shared how she gets her ideas, read from her books, and really connected with them. Below you will see some first hand thoughts from students and teachers about her visit. Hayden: I thought she was great, my favorite part was when we drew the picture together. Jason: I loved that she signed our books! She makes good pictures! Nathan: It was fun because we got to see her books and see how she illustrates. My favorite book is The Worst Best Friend. Nolan: She was awesome! Elliott: I liked when we drew the alien because it was fun. She has an iron in her studio and she irons stuff on her pictures. Ms. Oyler: She was a fabulous illustrator. I loved seeing her studio and love watching her create illustrations in front of us. Mrs. K...

Your Body Battles a Skinned Knee tells whats going on in your body when you get a skinned knee. It tells what your blood cells do, what the skin does, what your nerve cells do, and all kinds of other cool stuff. I think people should read Your Body Battles a Skinned Knee . By Jaxen