15th January New School Year List 1: Rule Setting

I'm finding it hard to comprehend that I am going back to school next week. Where did the break go? Between lock down for me or friends and family I feel like I have seen no one and done nothing much except read and watch television. Oh woe is me.

I have been putting together lists of picture books for my classroom teachers to use as they begin a new year with a new class. I get lots of requests for books at the beginning of the year on friends; rule setting;  goals; separation, etc and usually the requests are on the run and I miss things that I later wish I'd supplied them with. So this year a list of suggestions for some situations. 

Today I thought I would do 'rule setting'. Child development suggests routines and rules are beneficial for children. Rules help children feel safe. Rules say, “Someone cares about me.” Rules mean, “I know what to expect.”  Here’s a dozen books to help start a discussion with your class. Of course this is not a definitive list but these books are in our school library and suitable for students 5 to 8 years old.

1. You Must Bring a Hat by Simon Philip & Kate Hindley

2. Rules of the House by Mac Barnett & Matt Myers

 

3. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

 

4. A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker & Kady MacDonald Denton

5. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

 

6. Rufus Goes to School by Kim T. Griswell & Valeri Gorbachev

 

7. Maurice the Unbeastly by Amy Dixon & Karl James Mountford

8. The Station Mouse by Meg McLaren

9. Noodlephant by Jacob Kramer & K-Fai Steele

 

10. David Goes to School by David Shannon

11. Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller

 

 

12. What If Everybody Did That? By Ellen Javernick & Colleen Madden

17th July National Zoo Keeper Week

National Zoo Keeper Week is of course American, but it would be good to have it here in Australia too. It is held during the third week of July each year to recognise the role of educators and wildlife ambassadors now that we need to protect and preserve our wildlife and vanishing habitats.

Even though these three books are not about preserving wildlife they are a fun way to look at zookeepers. Get them out to share with your children this week:

• Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. In this fun book the animals follow the zookeeper home unobserved and then have fun with his keys.

• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip and Erin Stead. Here the animals visit the zookeeper, Amos McGee while he is off work because he is sick.

• What's that Noise? by Mary and Robert Roennfeldt. This story about George, a hapless zookeeper who doesn't realise the animals are out of their pens is old now, but may be in your library. The pictures tell the story here, not the text.

4th March John Ryan (1921 - 2009) Peggy Rathmann (1953) Dav Pilkey (1966) World Book Day (UK)

John Ryan created that wonderful character Captain Pugwash. Pugwash started life as a comic strip and then became wonderful picture book stories and television shows. The picture books have been reissued and as our old ones looked very tatty I bought the new ones and they have undergone a new phase of borrowing. Funny how the children think they are new, just because the book is new! There is so much Captain Pugwash on the web, that even if you don't have the books you can introduce your children to him. See Captain Pugwash and the Sea Monster at

http://www.outpost221.com/pugwash/pugwash.htm.

Peggy Rathmann won the Caldecott medal in 1996 for Officer Buckle and Gloria, but she is best known in my library for Good Night, Gorilla. The children love the secret going-ons behind the zookeeper's back. Share it with a group of children and watch them point and giggle.

What do I say about Dav Pilkey? He would probably be the proud creator of the most borrowed, most in need of replacing books in the library - Captain Underpants! Captain Underpants, Super Diaper Baby and Ricky Ricotta books and toys are much loved, even by some girls. And just as popular is his series of beginning chapter books about Dragon. What a pity there isn't more than five titles, because many of my reluctant Year2s have discovered Dragon and then haven't looked back! Reading Dav Pilkey's biography and seeing how much school didn't suit him, but then reading on to find out how he found his niche as the result of a university professor's praise for his writing, makes me all the more determined as a teacher to cater to children who do not 'fit the box'.

So all in all a good day for cartoonists and captains!