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March 30, 2004
In this issue:
Chris Crutcher, April 1.
Hyde In-store Book Fair.
Patricia Polacco is coming to town.
And she's written a new book.
"Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!" by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.
"Kitten's First Full Moon" by Keven Henkes.
"City Dog, Country Dog" by Susan Stevens Crummel and Dorothy Donohue.
Poetry Soup.
"The Report Card" by Andrew Clements.
nu4u.
Greetings:
We have bloom! At least we do in Wichita. Whew! This winter was a long
haul, but I think I'll make it now. Until the heat sets in. OK, enough of
the weather commentary.
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This Thursday is our Chris Crutcher event. There are no reservations left
for the Literary Feast, but we still want lots of people to come to his
reading and signing. Reading begins at 7:00 p.m. His books have always
been popular with students, but his latest book, "King of the Mild Frontier," is
appealing to adults as well. In addition to being a respected author, Crutcher
is an abuse counselor and writes a parenting advice column online. This should
make for a fascinating evening. Your continued support at our events is what
keeps Watermark in the publisher's radar. We hope to see you on Thursday
evening.
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Saturday, April 10, we are hosting an in-store book fair for Hyde
International Communications Magnet. For every bookstore or cafe purchase
made in the name of Hyde, we will donate 20% of that sale to Hyde's library.
This is an excellent way for schools to earn money. Let me know if you
would be interested in an in-store book fair for your school.
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Patricia Polacco will be making a trip to Wichita and the surrounding area
in April and will be giving several presentations to USD 259 students. USD
259 is inviting teachers, librarians and other educators to attend a
presentation by Miss Polacco on April 23, 7:00 p.m., in the Northwest High
School Auditorium, 1220 N. Tyler. A reception will follow in the commons.
I will be there with books available to purchase, and Miss Polacco has
agreed to sign books, something she doesn't ordinarily do. If you have
questions regarding this event, you can call Janet Fowler, Technical
Assistant for Library Media Services, USD 259, at 973-2077, or you can
contact me. This a golden opportunity; hope some of you will be able to
attend.
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Patricia Polacco has a new book for the very young entitled "Oh, Look!"
Little ones will be delighted with the antics of three little goats who find
the gate to their pen unlocked. They have a wonderful adventure until they
cross the path of a mean old ogre. Kids will enjoy chiming in on every page
with sound words like squish, squish, squish and um-pah-pah, um-pah-pah,
um-pah-pah. Same charming illustrations that has made Polacco a favorite.
(ages 2-5)
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It's the time of year when some of you drag out the pots and dirt to teach
kids about seeds. (I tried this as a pre-school teacher once and the kids
didn't want to get their hands dirty!) Anyway, you need this new book from
Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. "Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!" is the story of what
happens when Buddy receives five colorful bags in the mail from his grandpa
who writes, "'Dear Buddy, Have five days of fun! Love, Gramps'" Buddy
discovers seeds in each bag and proceeds to sort, collect, eat and create
art with his seeds. And he has fun. This book has many possibilities in
the classroom or at home if you want to introduce kids to planting and the
promise that spring brings. Wallace uses her signature three-dimensional
cut paper collage art which can also inspire an art project. (ages 3-6)
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Keven Henkes amuses little listeners with "Kitten's First Full Moon", the
story of what happens to kitten when she mistakes her first full moon for a
bowl of milk. This concise story is full of prediction and repetition--just
what little ones love. Henkes's black and white drawings are
simple, yet the bold lines suggest movement as kitten races around the
neighborhood chasing that bowl of milk. (ages 2-5)
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"City Dog, Country Dog" from Susan Stevens Crummel and Dorothy Donohue is a
new amusing twist on the popular Aesop's fable, this time about two
dogs--Henri T. LaPooch and Vincent van Dog--who meet at art school and
become good friends despite their many differences. But there's more.
There's word play, art lessons and French lessons. Again, lots of
possibilities. And cut paper art again. But I love it. (ages 4-7)
http://www.marshallcavendish.com/mcc/container.asp?series_id=1&imprint=Caven
dish+Children%27s+Books&element=display%2Easp&sku=0%2D7614%2D5156%2D0
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Where were poetry books like this one when I was in school? "Rainbow Soup:
Adventures in Poetry" by Brian P. Cleary is mixture of puns, haiku,
limericks, concrete poems, and on and on, sure to please any poetry palate.
In addition to this offbeat collection of poems, Cleary adds many short
explanations of the various forms of poetry, and he defines poetic jargon.
Neal Layton's line drawings add to the fun. (ages 7-10, but I like it too)
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Andrew Clements has been paying attention. He has written a new book about
the over testing that our students are experiencing. In "The Report Card"
Nora Rose Rowley is a fifth grade genius, but she's tired of the pressure of
grades and she's fed up with the fuss over testing, so she sets out to prove
a point by bringing home a terrible report card. Nora wants to convince her
teachers, parents and the principal that testing alone is not the only way
to measure intelligence. Can she do it? (ages 8-12)
http://www.simonsays.com/content/content.cfm?sid=183&pid=414285
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This next book is for teens and I'll admit up front that I haven't read it.
Because I can't. "ttyl" by Lauren Myracle is told entirely in instant
messages. Who can read that stuff? Teens. They will get a kick out of this
story told through the instant messages of three sophomore girls as they
ride the wild ride of "boy temptation, math torture, donut emergencies, and
Queen Bee encounters." This looks like a lot of fun. But how would I know?
(teens)
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I think that's all for today. Except to say that new books are coming in
faster than I can look at them. Give yourself a treat and put aside some
time to browse. Have a good week.
Carolyn
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