Teacher Talk: Community Read Alouds

Hi there!

Today I want to introduce a new series here on Top Shelf Text: Teacher Talk! These posts will be more education-oriented than my typical children's literature posts, but they are also aimed at parents who want to bring more educational material into their homes!

I want to kick off the series with a list of books that I'm using to set the tone in my classroom this year. As teachers, we want to encourage our students to work together as a community of leaders, learners, and friends. Many of these books will help to facilitate discussions about how best to treat others, to treat ourselves (positive self talk!) and to life each other up in the face of challenges. I think the true aim of all teachers is to help make the world a better place, and to me doing that starts with modeling those behaviors (be the change you wish to see) and using literature to show students how to do the same.

The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts & Christian Robinson

Talking Points: compassion, kindness, being an active bystander

Essential Questions: If we decided to make our school and our world a better place, what kinds of things could we do? What would make you feel happy to come to school each day?

Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds

Talking Points: creativity, teamwork

Essential Question: What does this book teach us about working together? What would happen if everyone approached new challenges in the same exact way?

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins

Talking Points: manners, kind/unkind behaviors

Essential Questions: What was the difference between the rude cakes and the giant cyclopses? Which one would you rather be friends with, and why?

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts

Talking Points: teamwork, pursuing personal interests, second chances

Essential Questions: Did Iggy give up when he was told that there was no place for architecture in second grade? What happened when Miss Greer kept an open mind?

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson & Fumi Kosaka

Talking points: acts of kindness, community

Essential Questions: What acts of kindness could we do in this classroom and in our school community?

Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller

Talking Points: manners, individual differences

Essential Questions: How can we use the ideas from Do Unto Otters to write our classroom rules?

I'll be using many of these books over the course of our first two weeks and then at regular intervals throughout the year to keep my students thinking about what kind of actions make for a positive classroom culture.

I want to also add that, because I am a substantially separate special education teacher, the stigma that we try to prevent in schools is often directed at my students. Some of them look different from their typically developing peers, and some look the same but act differently. Teaching children (both in school and at home) to treat everyone with kindness has become increasingly important to me as I teach in a classroom of students who really need extra TLC. I hope that encouraging parents and other teachers to use literature to teach kindness in the classroom will help to make our world just a little bit safer for all children.

Do you have a book that you'd like to add to this list? Comment below! I'm always looking to grow my collection!

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Children's Review: Max the Brave {with Giveaway!}

{on Goodreads}

You may remember my excitement (way back in July) over a little picture book called Max the Brave. Sometimes the best picture books are the simplest, and I can tell you that this is one book you want on your shelf, whether you're an early childhood teacher, a parent of young children, or just a children's literature lover. In this, we meet Max, a little kitty who's so cute that sometimes people even dress him up in bows. But don't be misled by his sweet appearance, because Max is actually a fearless kitten who chases mice. The only problem is...he's not sure what a mouse looks like. He goes on a quest to find a mouse to chase, and along the way runs into quite the cast of characters. He asks each one, "Are you mouse?" and each time he is told no, until he comes across a very large, green, and hairy creature who he concludes must be mouse. In this case, curiosity gets Max in a spot of trouble.

The text in this story is very simplistic, great for young listeners and even good for emerging readers to practice their skills! There's repetition throughout and a few moments that are sure to make kids laugh as they listen or read along. I also love the colors and the style of art (Ed Vere is both the author and illustrator) and I can certainly see Max becoming a staple character in early childhood classrooms. It's an excellent book for classroom or library displays as well, as the colors are eye-catching and that illustration of brave little Max makes readers want to learn more! This would also make a great gift for new parents and for children, as it's sure to be one of those bedtime stories that gets requested over and over again.

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

This book has a ton of resources to go with it -- I love how the team has worked to make this book a really big experience for young readers!

View the trailer here.

View the Max the Brave website here (where you can find the cutest wallpaper downloads!)

Download an activity kit here.

Download educator resources here. (And yes, they're CCSS aligned!!)

Buy the book on Amazon

Buy the book on Barnes & Noble

Something really exciting? The team behind this book is giving away five copies of Max the Brave, along with Max's red cape for one lucky reader to win! The giveaway runs until October 31st, and you can earn up to five entries!

 Enter the giveaway below, and good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and participation in the Max the Brave blog tour. All opinions are my own!

Max the Brave Trailer!

Just a quick note today to let you all know that the trailer for Max the Brave is out and that it is going to have you running to the nearest bookstore to pre-order your copy for its release in early September!

From the publisher:

“Are You My Mother?” meets “I Want My Hat Back” in the hilarious new picture book, Max the Brave, by author and illustrator Ed Vere. Follow fearless Max as he encounters every other creature except the one he’s searching for…mouse.

Check out the trailer below! I love the colorful (yet simple) illustrations and the mystery to be solved. I think Max will quickly become a character both recognized and beloved for classroom read-clouds and bedtime stories alike!

You can find out more about Max on his website, print an activity kit here, follow the fun on social media with #maxthebrave, and find educator resources here!

Just a Note:

This promotion is published on Top Shelf Text on behalf of Sourcebooks Publishers. 

Top Shelf Text received an e-ARC copy of this book for review. 

All opinions are my own.

Children's Review: May I Bring a Friend?

{on Goodreads}

Over the next few months, I'll be adding reviews here on Top Shelf Text of a series of books that are my favorites from childhood. I thought I'd kick off the series today with May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers. This upbeat tale is narrated by a little boy who finds himself invited to tea by the King and Queen. He asks permission to bring a friend, and shows up to Sunday's tea with a rather unusual guest-- a giraffe! The King and Queen are cordial as ever and welcome the pair inside. The boy receives invitation after invitation, and each time he brings another surprising guest. The tale is told through a series of rhymes and is brought to life with gorgeous and vibrant illustrations (as you can see from the cover here). It makes a great choice for a bedtime story or for a lesson in rhyming, as the rhymes here are so well done as to bring to life the surreal events in the book. May I Bring a Friend? won the Caldecott Award in 1965 and in my opinion, still deserves a spot on every child's shelf!

Title: May I Bring a Friend?

Author: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Illustrator: Beni Montresor

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1964

Price: $11.96 (Amazon Hardcover) 

Format: Hardcover (If you're buying, I recommend sticking with hardcover picture books!)
Source: Personal Collection

ISBN: 0689206151

p.s. You can follow this series on Instagram with #TSTChildhoodFavorites! And don't forget to follow along @topshelftext!

Children's Review: Mrs. Morgan's Lawn

{on Goodreads}

Mrs. Morgan is the meanest neighbor, ever. Every time the neighborhood kids accidentally kick a ball onto her lawn, she keeps it. Nothing is allowed to touch her precious lawn, not even the falling leaves. The kids can't imagine what she could possibly be doing with all of their confiscated toys, but it's probably something evil. Their parents tell them that's just how some people are, but Mrs. Morgan must have been born mean. When one little boy goes to speak to Mrs. Morgan about his favorite missing soccer ball, she pretends she doesn't know what he's talking about. The balls continue to be locked up, until the boy does an unexpected favor for Mrs. Morgan while she's in bed with a bad cold. As it turns out, Mrs. Morgan might not be a mean old lady after all. 

This book was a favorite when my brother and I were little. I recently unearthed it while raiding our shelves for books to add to my classroom collection, and I'm surprised that it's in such good shape, considering that I still have it (mostly) memorized, meaning that it got considerable use between the two of us. It's not one that you could find in just any bookstore (it was published in the 90's), but it's worth ordering online. The biggest lesson comes at the end, and is perfectly summed up by the little boy's observation that, "some people are full of surprises."

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Recommended for ages 5-8 (grades K-3)

Title: Mrs. Morgan's Lawn

Author: Barney Saltzberg

Publisher: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 1998 (Originally pub. 1993)

ISBN: 078681294X

Source: Home Collection

Format: Paperback

Children's Review: Charlie's Superhero Underpants

{on Goodreads}

On a windy day in May, the wind blows the laundry straight from the clothesline and scatters it around the globe, including Charlie's superhero underpants. Charlie is devastated! Those scarlet underwear were his ticket to defending his city, and even had "POW!" written across the front. Charlie can't go on without them, so he packs a bag and takes off on a rescue mission, hoping to find his favorite superhero underpants. He travels through France, Peru, and many other places, stumbling across other items in his family's laundry, but never his underpants. It's not until he's feeling desolate in the mountains of Nepal that he finally finds them, and you'll never guess who's wearing them!

This is such an enjoyable book for young fans of superheroes. It's a great adventure story, the rhymes are upbeat and playful, and the illustrations of animals wearing Charlie's laundry are cute and comical. I loved the element of surprise at the end, when we find out where Charlie's superhero underpants had been while he was searching the globe. This is definitely a recommended read for young boys, but I think girls will find it funny too- after all, what child doesn't enjoy the novelty of reading a story about underpants? It's sure to make them laugh. 

Recommended for ages 3 and up!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: Charlie's Superhero Underpants

Author: Paul Bright

Illustrator: Lee Wildish

Publisher: Good Books, 2010

Price: $16.99 (I found it on clearance for $0.99!) (Amazon is selling for $6.57)

ISBN: 9781561436793

Format: Hardcover

Source: University Library