On A BEAM of Light

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Title: On A BEAM of Light – A Story of Albert Einstein

Author: Jennifer Berne

Illustrator: Vladimir Radunsky

Published: April 23, 2013 – Chronicle Books – Biography, Non-Fiction

http://www.chroniclekids.com

Ages:  6 – 9 years

Grade Level: 1 – 4

Lexile Measure: 680L

Themes/Topics:  Science, physics, technology, curiosity, imagination, thinking differently

Opening:

“Over 100 years ago, as the stars swirled in the sky, as the Earth circled the sun, as the March winds blew through a little town by a river, a baby boy was born. His parents named him Albert. Albert turned one year old. And didn’t say a word. Albert turned two. And he didn’t say a word. Albert turned three. And hardly said a word at all.”

Brief Synopsis: A curious, imaginative, young boy, who barely speaks as a child and isn’t like the all the other students, nor does he want to be, grows into one of the most genius minds that changes life as we know it. A celebration of Einstein’s curiosity and genius will pique the interest of any budding scientist. A must have book for every classroom and home of the precocious child.

Why I Like This Book: An amazing way to bring the life and work of Albert Einstein alive to children.  What a perfect introduction to the young reader about the famous physicist who never stopped questioning the world around him. The whimsical illustrations illuminate each page, and it shines a light on the underlying message the story shares about the value of the imagination and how that should be nourished and not crushed. An awakening of the senses and a fascinating read!

Click the link for the book trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_mKsbGZ_t8

Extensions for the book: 

Primary & Upper Elementary/Secondary

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.energy.lplightmoves/how-light-moves/

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/on-a-beam-of-light-activity-pack-11114969

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/on-a-beam-of-light-activity-pack-11114969

You might want to also check out this link for more information regarding the book’s author & illustrator. https://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2013/10/28/on-a-beam-of-light/

It Must Be Friday! ♥

I am fortunate enough to be part of a fabulous group of bloggers who enjoy reviewing picture books.  Accompanying each review are extensions – resources and/or activities. Interested in seeing more: To view a complete list of the plethora of books that have already been reviewed, click here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s FABULOUS website!

Resources

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Reading Conversion Resources:

What is a Lexile Level?

Lit Leveler App

Reading Level Conversions

Grade Level

Scholastic Book Wizard

Google for Dyslexia: Chrome Extensions

This is a fabulous resource for reading and writing modifications!

Google for Dyslexia: Chrome Extensions

Froodle

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Froodle

Title: Froodle

Author: Antoinette Portis

Illustrator: Antoinette Portis

Published: May 6, 2014 – Roaring Book Press

Suitable For Ages: Preschool – 3

Themes/Topics:  Humor, animals, birds, nature, being different

Froodle

Opening:

“All year long, the dogs went, woof. The cats went meow and the birds in the neighborhood went: caw, coo, chip, peep, caw, coo, chip, peep, caw, coo, chip, peep. Until one day, out of the blue, Little Brown Bird didn’t want to sing the same old song. She didn’t know what she wanted to say. Caw, coo, chip ? But it definitely wasn’t peep.”

Brief Synopsis: A hilarious, straightforward, simple story about a little bird who dares to do something different and shakes up the entire neighborhood in the process.

Why I Like This Book: It is purely delightful.  A laugh out loud belly giggler! And it speaks its own language for all those who beat to their own drum. An absolute must have! I love this book so much that I may be reading it before bedtime each night. Sweet Droodle, Froodle! “Hee, hee, hahah, oh yeah!”  ♥

From a Reading Specialist’s point of view: “Nonsense word fluency measures a student’s ability to decode individual phonemes and then blend them together to read. They’re an indicator of a student’s progress in acquiring early alphabetic principle skills. By using nonsense words, we can find out whether a child knows the most common sound for letters (letter–sound correspondence), and whether a child can blend the sounds to read words he has never seen before.”

Extensions for the book: 

Primary
I Have – Who Has Nonsense Word Games
Pair it up with this non-fiction book:  About Birds for Compare /Contrast activities

Non-Fiction- About Birds

Rime Family Chart
Onset & Rime Slide http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/P_026a.pdf
Construct a Word http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/construct-word-30003.html
Teaching About Birds in the Classroom: http://www.birdsleuth.org/teaching-bird-id/
Bird Activities: http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/bird/
Books About Birds: https://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2011/07/08/birds/

 It Must Be Friday! ♥

I am fortunate enough to be part of a fabulous group of bloggers who enjoy reviewing picture books.  Accompanying each review are extensions – resources and/or activities. Interested in seeing more: To view a complete list of the plethora of books that have already been reviewed, click here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s FABULOUS website!

Perfect-Pic-Book-Badge

PPBF ~ little tree!

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Happy National Arbor Day, 4-29-16!

Title: little tree!

Author: loren long

Illustrator: loren long

Published: October 27, 2015 – Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group

Suitable For Ages: Kindergarten – 3 years

Themes/Topics:  Science, nature, growing up, change

Opening:

“Once there was a little tree filled with little leaves…

who was surrounded by other little trees who had little leaves of their own.”

Brief Synopsis: A simple yet powerful story about change and the ability to let go no matter how difficult it is. This little tree in the forest symbolizes the inevitable struggles that occur when confronted with change and all those tough decisions that go along with it.

Why I Like This Book: Long’s brevity and beautiful illustrations present a simple yet powerful story with a resonating message for the young and old. An absolute gem! A must have for every Picture Book library.

Extensions for the book: 

http://www.forestinfo.org/lesson_plans/3-5

http://illinoisearlylearning.org/illinoispip/guides/trees.html

http://www.learningliftoff.com/kindergarten-science-learning-activity-symmetry-trees/#.VyNnyvkrJkh

https://www.plt.org/environmental-curriculum-resources-for-teachers?guide=10338

http://www.projectplantit.com/Site_Downloads/Teachers_Downloads/Teachers_Guide.pdf

http://facts.net/deciduous-forest-facts/

It Must Be Friday! ♥

I am fortunate enough to be part of a fabulous group of bloggers who enjoy reviewing picture books.  Accompanying each review are extensions – resources and/or activities. Interested in seeing more: To view a complete list of the plethora of books that have already been reviewed, click here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s FABULOUS website!

 

 

Perfect Picture Book Friday – RAIN!

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Title: RAIN!

Author: Linda Ashman

Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Published: March 5, 2013 – Houghton Mifflin Books for Children –

Suitable For Ages: Pre-school – 3 years

Themes/Topics:  Opposites, perspective, nature, weather, kindness

Opening:

“Rain!”

“Nasty galoshes.”

“Blasted  overcoat.”

“There goes my hair…”

“Rain!”

“Is it raining cats and dogs?”

“It’s raining frogs and pollywogs!”

“Hippity – hop!”

Brief Synopsis: An endearing little story about a happy, young boy and a grumpy, old man who view the rainy day very differently.

Why I Like This Book: I absolutely love the message in this sweet story!

The paper cut like illustrations gently remind us about perspective.  We all see the world differently and our reaction to that can affect others in either a positive way or a negative way. Attitude can be contagious!

Extensions for the book: 

http://lindaashman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RAIN-Teachers-Guide.pdf

Primary Upper Elementary/Secondary
Opposites – Compare/Contrast Point of View T chart
Character chart Topography changes to reflect voice
Sequencing events Write a diary entry from the perspective of each character
Weather and Mood Word Charts Research  how weather may affect mood – present findings

It Must Be Friday! ♥

 I am fortunate enough to be part of a fabulous group of bloggers who enjoy reviewing picture books.  Accompanying each review are extensions – resources and/or activities. Interested in seeing more: To view a complete list of the plethora of books that have already been reviewed, click here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s FABULOUS website!         

 

 

WYRIW and Pitch Picks

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UPDATE…Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!  Yay, that’s me 🙂 Thank you to all who voted. 

Time for…Would You Read It Wednesday PLUS…

Is your pitch perfect?  Let’s see   WYRIW & Pitch Picks https://susannahill.com/blog/