How a Stick of Gum Became a Reading Challenge

It started like any other morning...

 

... well once I made it to work, it was like any other morning.

A copy of the One and Only Ivan was returned and it was NOT on hold. 

(So maybe that wasn't like a normal morning either)

Anyhow...

Someone will for sure want to check this out, I thought to myself as I grabbed it on the way to meet with a group of 4th graders.

While talking with the 4th graders - we discovered the previous reader forgot their bookmark.

A bookmark that could qualify for a next round of Battle of the Bad Bookmarks - an unused stick of gum.

This discovery was followed by...

"eeewwww!"

"Can I have it?"

and finally,

"Laura, you should eat it!"

In that almost-a-snow-day-Ivan-lovin' moment, I responded with, " I could be convinced to eat this gum... for something special."

The 4th grade teacher (also named Laura) asked, "How about a reading challenge?"

So Laura D's class of 4th graders decided on a "gum worthy" class reading challenge, and teacher Laura and Librarian Laura were witnessed shaking hands agreeing to the deal.

"The Gum" is now on display in my office window.
I have a feeling that chewing it is in my future.

You can't see it in the picture, but the wrapper is covered in 5s! It's fate!

This piece of gum and my excited 4th grade readers totally made my day.

Caldecott Challenge 1968-1970

3 years and 12 more Caldecott Challenge books read. 
Within this set there were many I remember from my childhood (I have a special place in my heart for all things Leo Lionni!).

Hardest to Find: Seashore Story by Taro Yashima
New to me favorite: The Emperor and the Kite written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Ed Young
Embarrassed I had not read before now: Goggles! by Ezra Jack Keats
Favorite re-read: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

A quick look at the winners and honors from 1968-70:

1968 Medal Winner: 

Drummer Hoff
illustrated by Ed Emberley
adapted by Barbara Emberley

1968 Honor Books:

Frederick 
by Leo Lionni

Seashore Story 
by Taro Yashima

The Emperor and the Kite
illustrated by Ed Young
written by Jane Yolen

1969 Medal Winner: 

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
retold by Arthur Ransome

1969 Honor Books:

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky
illustrated by Blair Lent
written by Elphinstone Dayrell

1970 Medal Winner: 

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble 
by William Steig

1970 Honor Books:

Goggles! 
by Ezra Jack Keats

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse 
by Leo Lionni

Pop Corn & Ma Goodness
illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker 
written by Edna Mitchell Preston

Thy Friend, Obadiah 

by Brinton Turkle

The Judge: An Untrue Tale

illustrated by Margot Zemach

written by Harve Zemach

Caldecott Challenge Total (1938-1970): 144

Caldecott Challenge 1964-1967

No, I haven't forgotten that at the beginning of January 2012 I challenged myself to read all of the Caldecott winner and honor books in order. It's funny how thinking about blogging and actually blogging are not the same thing.

To get myself back on track, I am putting a bunch of years together in one post with more pictures than words.

See the bottom of the post for my favorite new read.

1964 Medal Winner: 

Where the Wild Things Are 

by Maurice Sendak

1964 Honor Books:

Swimmy 

by Leo Lionni

All in the Morning Early

illustrated by Evaline Ness

written by Sorche Nic Leodhas

Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes

illustrated by Philip Reed

1965 Medal Winner: 

May I Bring a Friend? 

illustrated by Beni Montresor

written by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

1965 Honor Books:

Rain Makes Applesauce

illustrated by Marvin Bileck

written by Julian Scheer

The Wave

illustrated by Blair Lent

written by Margaret Hodges

A Pocketful of Cricket

illustrated by Evaline Ness

written byRebecca Caudill 

1966 Medal Winner: 

Always Room for One More

illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian

written by Sorche Nic Leodhas

1966 Honor Books:

Hide and Seek Fog

illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

written by Alvin Tresselt

Just Me 

by Marie Hall Ets

Tom Tit Tot

retold and illustrated by Evaline Ness

1967 Medal Winner: 

Sam, Bangs & Moonshine 

by Evaline Ness

1967 Honor Books:

One Wide River to Cross

illustrated by Ed Emberley

adapted by Barbara Emberley

My New-To-Me Favorite:
These Caldecott years included two longtime favorites: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Swimmy by Leo Lionni, both from 1964. However my favorite new-to-me read from these years was The Wave illustrated by Blair Lent and written by Margaret Hodges.

What it's about:
A prosperous farmer who lives up on the hill saves the village below from a tsunami by burning his own rice fields.

What I liked:

This is a great folktale that would fit perfectly with my primary students learning about natural disasters - there is a small earthquake and clues of an impending tsunami. The illustrations fit with the feel that this is a tale that has been passed on from long ago, but the story is not too wordy and has the excitement of an impending natural disaster to keep kids engaged and predicting what will happen next.

The Wave

illustrated by Blair Lent

written by Margaret Hodges

Caldecott Challenge Total: 132

A Kiss Means I Love You by Allen

A Kiss Means I Love You 

written by Katheryn Madeline Allen

photographs by Eric Futran

What it's about:
Kids "say" many things without words using facial expressions and gestures.

What I love:
Babies and young ones love pictures of faces, and Eric Futran has illustrated each facial expression and gesture in this book with fabulous photographs of kids. These are pictures that young ones will pour over again and again.
The variety of the kids and parents represented in the photos is wonderful allowing many families to see themselves represented in this book along with providing a window to the rich diversity of our world.

The rhyming text has a lovely rhythm for reading aloud over and over and over again (as tends to happen with books for young ones).

A kiss means I love you,

a wave means hello,

a smile means I’m happy,

a tug means let’s go!

This is a well done concept book that is destined to become a classic baby gift. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in board book format in the future.


More information about A Kiss Means I Love You at www.akissmeansiloveyou.com

Caldecott Challenge 1963

1963 Medal Winner: 

The Snowy Day 

by Ezra Jack Keats

What it's about:
Young Peter spends the day playing in the snow.

What I like:
What is there to say about The Snowy Day... the committee certainly got it right for 1963.

1963 Honor Books:

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present

illustrated by Maurice Sendak 

written by Charlotte Zolotow

What it's about:
Mr. Rabbit helps a young girl find a present for her mother's birthday.

What I like:
This is a subtle book about colors. The girl is looking for presents that connect to colors her mother likes: red, yellow, green and blue. Mr. Rabbit gives all sorts ideas of gifts that fit with the colors - fire engines, lakes and sapphires. Each time they settle on a fruit that fits that color resulting in a fruit basket for a present. I like that it is not a true "color book" with blocks of obvious color. The story has clever moments with some repeated lines that are nice for reading aloud.

The Sun is a Golden Earring

illustrated by Bernarda Bryson

written byNatalia M. Belting

What it's about:
Throughout history humans from around the world have had poetic explanations for why the sun, moon, stars, lightning, and thunder are the way they are.

What I like:
The page layouts are simple, with only one or two folk sayings for each double page spread.
The pencil sketch style drawings are enhanced by changing background colors for the entire page. This is the first I have seen this technique in a Caldecott book so far.
I also appreciated that Belting differentiated between American Indian tribes (Navajo & Chippewa)


Challenge total: 118

Caldecott Cat from The Sun is a Golden Earring

Caldecott Challenge 1962

1962 Medal Winner: 

Once a Mouse 

retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown

What it's about: A magical hermit saves the life of a mouse, and continues to turn it into a larger and larger animal.


What I like:
I love woodcuts as an art form, and Marcia Brown does an amazing job conveying emotion with the faces and body language of her characters through very chunky style woodcut illustrations.

1962 Honor Books:

Fox Went out on a Chilly Night: An Old Song 

by Peter Spier 

What it's about: Fox indeed goes out on a chilly night, and steals a duck and a goose from a farm to feed his family.



What I like:
This was a title that was not readily available from my library system. I had to make a visit to a special permanent collection. I'm glad I made the trip. Spier's pictures are so detailed. They are like a snapshot in time of life in the late 1800s. I love thinking about the research he must have done to accurately draw all the period farming equipment. And I found myself fascinated by an adjustable candle stand he drew in the farm house.

Little Bear's Visit

illustrated by Maurice Sendak

written by Else H. Minarik

What it's about: Little Bear visits his grandparents house where both his grandmother and grandfather tell him a story.


What I like:
I love this volume of Little Bear! I love the grandparents, and I love the storytelling. There is the sheer wonder of hearing a story about one of your own parents when they were young when Grandmother Bear tells Little Bear the story of his own mother and a robin. Also the illustrations are delightful. Sendak captures postures and facial expressions both human and somehow still a bit bear-like in the characters. I always wonder though why it is that little bear is the only one who doesn't wear any clothing. Hmmm.

The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up

illustrated by Adrienne Adams 

written by Alice E. Goudey

What it's about: A brother and sister wake early to see the sunrise and observe the sun and their shadows all day until sunset.


What I like:
If I were teaching a primary science unit on night and day and the rotation of the earth. I would pull out this book. It reads like a story of kids and their curiosity about the world around them, but it also has a great hands on example in the end easily recreated in the classroom using an apple, stick pins and a flashlight to demonstrate the sun and the earth.

Challenge total: 115

More Caldecott Cats

Top row: Once a Mouse
Middle Row: The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up
Bottom left: Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night
Bottom Right: Once a Mouse

Big Bad Ironclad! by Nathan Hale

Big Bad Ironclad!

from Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales

by Nathan Hale

What it's about:
The race between the North and the South during the Civil War to develop an ironclad warship and all the battles along the way.

What I loved:
1. A Lovable cast of narrators (the spy Nathan Hale, the Provost, and the Hangman) who keep popping in to add commentary on the story

2. Clever ways (through both the art and writing) to help the reader keep all the historical characters straight.

3. Action - my young readers will love that Nathan Hale left out all the boring bits!

4. Shout outs to librarians, research and bibliographies

5. Lots of Humor, as well as multiple references to underwater toilets.

This book grabbed me from the first frame with its goofy hangman character who loves Children's Story Hour - all the way to the back matter where author Nathan Hale admits to outsourcing his research for the book to adorable babies.

More information about Big Bad Ironclad!, the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, and the 1828 Election Throwdown Showdown webcomic on Hale's Website: