Gone to the Dogs!

It seems that life got a bit busy and my blog has gone to the dogs! I am trying to get back on track with sharing the great Royal Reads I have enjoyed, and to embrace the "gone to the dogs" theme, share some fun doogie-themed reads!


Today's Royal Read # 1: Poor Puppy by Nick Bruel

In this alphabet book, Nick Bruel returns with a playmate for Bad Kitty, but Kitty doesn't want to play. Poor puppy! Puppy wears himself out finding things to play with and after a nice nap, wakes up to find Kitty, who looks like he is ready to play! Or is he?

Nick Bruel has again created an enjoyable and playful read, intertwining counting and alliteration with the alphabet. The illustrations showcase the text, bringing to life Puppy and Kitty and offering extra insight into their relationship.

KEYWORDS: alphabet, counting, alliteration, pets, friendship

Today's Royal Read # 2: Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont

illustrated by Jane Dyer

"Rover's in the doghouse..." all alone enjoying his bone on a nice day when suddenly the weather changes, bringing in an unexpected thunderstorm and some unexpected house guests. One by one, other animals show up looking for a place to get out of the storm. As the doghouse becomes more and more crowded, the last animal to show up causes everyone else to scatter into the storm!

Filled with rhyme and repetition, this cumulative tale is great for reading aloud. The repeated refrain of "Move over, Rover!" is one that invites audience participation. The storyline is reminiscent of the folktale The Mitten, beautifully illustrated by Jan Brett, in which one animal after another snuggles into a child's lost mitten to stay warm during the winter.

The Mitten and Move Over, Rover! would be great companion books for sharing and comparing.

KEYWORDS: rhyming, weather, animals, cumulative tales

Today's Royal Read #3: Dogku by Andrew Clements

illustrated by Tim Bowers

Through the use of haiku, Andrew Clements explores how a wandering, homeless dog becomes the newest addition to a family. Through haiku, the dog narrates his adventure in being accepted into this family, and while mom and the kids are eager to keep him, dad is not so sure. Has "Mooch" found his home or will he have to say goodbye?

In the author's note at the back, Clements explains that choosing haiku to tell this story helped him to "pick the perfect words and arrange them just right." He also explains that he choose the picture book format for this story for the same reason he chose haiku: "a picture book is a small container - not many pages, not many words. Adorable dog + haiku = Dogku. Simple."

The illustrations created by Tim Bowers are fantastic works of art, depicting "Mooch" with all the personality he has and providing a visual backdrop for the words of Clements' haiku story.

Clements and Bowers
have created a story
that makes me smile.

KEYWORDS: poetry, haiku, pets, dogs

ONLINE CONNECTIONS

Links to author Nick Bruel:
http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?name=Bruel%2C%20Nick
http://www.nickbruel.com/

Links to author Andrew Clements:
http://www.andrewclements.com/

How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-zXsqrA-9s

Today's Royal Read = Realistic Fiction

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

House Jackson, age 12, is a regular kid who respects his dad, takes care of his little sister, and loves to play baseball. House Jackson is also a kid who has a secret that not even his best friend, Cleebo, knows about...yet. When everyone learns House's secret, that he has been spending time reading books to a reclusive elderly man that the kids in town have nicknamed "Mean-Man- Boyd," he comes to understand that standing up for someone takes courage and strength, traits he didn't know he had until he was put to the test.

Another great book by Deborah Wiles! The lazy days of a small town summer where baseball and 4th of July pageants take center field transport the reader to a nostalgic place in time when neighbors looked out for one another and life was enjoyed outdoors. Wiles creates characters with whom the reader can relate and masterfully includes the return of a favorite character from an earlier book as Ruby Lavender (from With Love, Ruby Lavender) staunchly claims her spot on the boys-only baseball team. Additionally, through the incorporation of Walt Whitman's poetry, Wiles brings a deeper level of appreciation to this story.

The topics within this story such as: baseball, community, girls v. boys, celebrating historical roots, friendship, and poetry make this a book that appeals to a variety of readers.

KEYWORDS: baseball, poetry, friendship, family, community, history

Online Connections:

Author website:
http://www.deborahwiles.com/index2.html

Take Me Out to the Ballgame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGws1yR0tg8

MLB Kids' Games:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/kids/games.jsp

The Walt Whitman Homepage:
http://waltwhitman.org/

Today's Royal Reads = Picture Books

For those of us who live in Texas, today's Royal Read #1 is a daily thing during the summer! After all, summer in Texas usually feels like a....

Heatwave by Eileen Spinelli

The blazing summer temperatures reach unbelievable highs in the town of Lumberville, and in a time without air conditioning, the townsfolk must be resourceful and creative to keep cool. Some of the solutions to staying cool throughout the week include: soaking in the bathtub, eating cold foods, splashing in the water hose, getting short hair cuts, and sleeping outside. Anything goes while trying to stay cool until the heatwave breaks!

The author and illustrator team of Eileen Spinelli and Betsy Lewin combine their talents to create an entertaining and realistic look at how one town handles a heatwave. This is a book that is sure to be appreciated by all who have experienced the blazing heat of a long, hot summer!

KEYWORDS: summer, heat, community

Today's Royal Read # 2:

In this collection of illustrations, fourteen children's book artists share their answer to the age-old question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Each illustration reveals the individual personality traits of the illustrator as he or she depicts the answer to this classic joke. The end of the book contains blurbs about each artist.

A great book that has many "laugh-out-loud" moments that can be enjoyed by a variety of ages.

KEYWORDS: jokes, chicken, illustrators

Some fun chicken-related links to check out:

Chicken Tic-Tac-Toe
http://www.gamezero.com/gamezero/games/1998/chicken/index.html

The Chicken Dance
http://www.whydidthechickencrosstheroad.com/sounds/chicken-dances/chickendance.mid

My Reading List

In assessing my June to August reading goals, I am pleased that I was able to read many of the novels I had listed on my "I-Need-to-Read" list, including:

• Punished by David Lubar


• Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar


• Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford


• Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle


• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer


• New Moon by Stephenie Meyer


• Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer


• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling


• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (I listened to it on audio)


• The Phantom Isles by Stephen Alter


• Cinderella (as if you didn't already know the story) by Barbara Ensor

and from the world of adult literature, I read...

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

So, I accomplished quite a bit of reading over the short summer months, and yet, there are still so many more books to read (as is listed on the side bar!).

Ah well, I will just keep adding to the treasury of the Kingdom with one Royal Read at a time!

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
~ Louisa May Alcott ~