With new core curriculum standards changing what children are learning in the classroom, it is important to make sure every boring element has something fun and exciting to look forward to. I am sure no kid thinks reading a paragraph and writing a response to it is any fun, but maybe if a class reads a book about writing, it may prompt a different sentiment towards a response assignment. Here are three great examples of books that can go far beyond a read-aloud and would make for excellent follow up writing assignments.
The Day the Crayons Quit - Drew Daywalt
Duncan wants to color but unfortunately his crayons have other plans
for him. They believe they have some “issues” that must be resolved before
Duncan can be free to outline and draw. Readers of all ages are going to fall
in love with this book and insist it be read over and over again. The “complaints”
of each crayon actually seem justified and anyone who has ever used a crayon
will understand where it is coming from whether you are five or fifty-five.
Oliver Jeffers does an amazing job illustrating this picture book and truly
brings these crayons to life. If you have not already invested in a copy of
this book, now is the time. It should be a staple when teaching the colors in
preschool and early elementary school classes, as it lends itself to going far
beyond the book to color, create and really use one’s imagination. You can even
get ideas of how to utilize this book in a class setting from the Penguin
Educator’s Guide:
http://www.penguin.com/static/images/yr/pdf/CrayonsGuide.pdf.
#SavetheCrayons !
Ten Thank You Letters - Daniel Kirk
Dear Mr. Kirk,
Thank you for reminding us all about the power and beauty of the
thank-you note. There is no greater feeling than appreciation and no better way
to show it than through words expressed on a piece of paper. What a wonderful way
to weave together proper etiquette and writing lessons into one fun package at
school, a library or at home.
Love,
Francie
Pig is an adorable character who is trying to write a thank-you note to
his Grandmother for a gift he received but is continuously interrupted by his
friend Rabbit who is inspired to write a few thank-you notes of his own. Rabbit’s
letters are hilarious, specifically who he is writing to and why he is thanking
them. However, Pig’s letter really sends the message home on how to write the
perfect thank-you note. What an amazing book to open the door for each reader
to write a thank-you note of their own!
The Book With No Pictures - BJ Novak
Have you heard of BJ Novak? He is famous from the hit television show The Office. Therefore, there is no
person more fitting to write a children’s book than a comedic writer with
really famous friends like Mindy Kaling. In all seriousness, this is a really
fun book to read to an audience of young children. The concept is simple, there
are no pictures in this book and it is simply made up of words, (if you can
call them all “words”). BJ Novak creates the perfect opportunity for a child to
laugh out loud while hearing a book be read to them. Even though there are no
illustrations, the funny words and phrases are written in different colored
texts and different fonts so the book does not even look like something that
could be remotely boring with just text. The end-papers are decorated with his
silly new vocabulary words that are guaranteed to take on a world of their own.
Everyone will want to read this book over and over again. This book is a great
tie in to an assignment of writing your own book, as it truly demonstrates that
anything you put down on paper can be a “story”. BONK.
Happy Reading and even happier writing!
