Just like Pierre, these students care!

I spent the last two days talking with students about Maurice Sendak and the books he both wrote and illustrated as well as some of those he illustrated for other authors.

I also showed the students the video clip of Pierre put to music by Carole King.

I can tell you that approximately 75 third graders and 100 fourth graders were mesmerized...my library was silent...they wanted to watch more of Really Rosie but we had run out of time! (Here's a great blog post from NPR about the Sendak/King collaboration for Really Rosie.

During their browsing time, I had them share their thoughts about Maurice Sendak in thought bubbles I had set up on a word document.




Two classes also made Wordles.

Two other things that really made me happy?


1. A student asked if he could write a Haiku about Maurice Sendak.  My answer?  "Of course!"

Maurice Sendak is

really cool. I wish he was

still alive today.

2. A student asked if he could create a Wordle of the titles of the Maurice Sendak books he had read.  My answer?  "Of course!"

Of poetry and flowers...and the idea of perfection

I walked out of school to see this glorious, splendid, gorgeous, incredible flower in spectacular bloom despite the rain.  I might even describe it as defiant.



Not a lily as in this poem, but I think an iris will suffice.

 The Noble Nature
 It is not growing like a tree
     In bulk, doth make man better be;
Or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere:
          A lily of a day
          Is fairer far in May,
     Although it fall and die that night—
     It was the plant and flower of Light.
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures life may perfect be.

~Ben Jonson

This plant and flower of light is perfect indeed... 

"Yes, indeed I care!"

"I care!" Thanks to Pierre...

 and Maurice Sendak.

The Nutshell Library was and is one of my most treasured items. I remember bringing it with me on the Christopher Robin-like "trips" I would take around my house.  

Some of my other favorite Sendak books...

What Can You Do With a Shoe?

I'll Be You and You Be Me

Little Bear

I am sad, sad that this incredible person and incredible talent is gone.  
I am thankful, thankful that I grew up on a healthy diet of Sendak books.   

Sendak was a daring dreamer and derring-do deliverer who gave readers an opportunity to be part of his "rumpus."

Solid Gold

Not the dancers of my youth...

...but the performances of these students...

of two books by Sharon Creech...

Hate That Cat

Heartbeat

Four very different Reader's Theatre performances.

Real books. Real students. Real creativity. Real performances. Real-ly awesome.

Love That Author

Love These Students

"Rocket! Rocket! Rocket!"

That's the cheer emanating from my library ever since my students took part in Mr. Schu's travel companion contest.


Mr. Schu invited students, teachers (and readers in general) to vote for the book character who they thought was most deserving of a vacation and should therefore join him on his travels this summer.


Ivan, the wonderful gorilla from The One and Only Ivan by the one and only Katherine Applegate, was chosen as the most deserving of a vacation and will be traveling with Mr. Schu this summer. The story of Ivan was inspired by a real life gorilla named Ivan.

This news was met with mixed reaction from some of my students, not that they are not excited for Ivan and Mr. Schu, but some of them wanted another character.  

One character in particular has a huge following: Tad Hills' Rocket.  They love Rocket, I mean really LOVE Rocket. 


Here's Rocket for those who have not met him:

How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story.

One determined student has continued to advocate for Rocket...check out his Haiku:

Rocket is so cute

vote for him now because he

is really awesome.

Of everyone, 

Rocket should win vacation

because he is cute.

These Haiku were inspired by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds' book Guyku and were accompanied by this illustration and this adaption of the template. :)

Rocket isn't the only book character garnering all this support and love, I've been hearing about others as well.

What to do with all this student engagement and passion?

Capture it!

I'll be like Mr. Schu!

In the next few weeks I'll be putting together my own vacation mascot contest, but first I've got to grapple with the hardest question...Which book characters should I have my students choose from?

Hate That Cat...LOVE this reader's theatre performance

Neither Standardized Testing....
Nor a School Holiday....
Nor Vacation....
Can keep these students away from their Sharon Creech reading and projects.

The books have been read. 

The Reader's Theatre Scripts are being created, practiced and performed. 

The questions are yet to be asked and the letters are soon to be written.

Here's a glimpse, okay, it is more than a glimpse...it is a group's performance.  

We all have a lot to learn (clears throat - ahem...especially me...the videographer and time manager), but we have to begin somewhere, correct? 

Love this author.
Love these students.
Love this RT Performance of Hate That Cat.

It was a Guyku/Galku Poetry Celebration

I love the sound of

students working together

creating beauty.

I was inspired to write this Galku because of what I recently witnessed in my library.  I watched and listened to students sharing their ideas and counting out syllables together.  

"How many syllables does awesome have?"  

My answer? Two...but really...

Guyku inspired

creativity

is awesome indeed!

Check it out!

I think my favorite Guyku in the book by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds, is the one about a puddle and a sister...

"If this puddle could 

talk, I think it would tell me

to splash my sister."

This is such a universal experience, regardless of gender.  I still love splashing someone when a puddle is near!

After learning How to Guyku and being inspired by those in the book, my third graders set pen to paper. Well, first they did some reflection!  And then they set pen to paper.

They finished these the day before Poem in Your Pocket Day, so I had the students write the Guyku and Galku on a pocket and then had their illustration coming out of the pocket.

Inspiration indeed...I love these! ...just...don't count all the syllables...sometimes passion or creativity took precedence.

My third graders loved writing and illustrating these Guyku and Galku!