|
August Greetings from Hedgehog Books!
It's time to head back to school!
Congratulations to Tina from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Johnine of Ballston
Lake, New York and Rosemary of LeRoy, Illinois, our recent winners in Hedgie's
Tshirt giveaway! We have another Hedgie Tshirt drawing running now - the
winner will be selected on August 31st - and we'll continue having new
drawings every two weeks. If you'd like to enter, click
here
. Or, take a look at our cute
Hedgie Tshirts
and help promote reading aloud to kids!
Click this link to visit our
homepage - Featured books, grade level lists, series,
Top 10s, categories, and search.
Click this link for your very own copy
of
Hedgie's Monthly Newsletter.
If you like this newsletter, please
email it to a friend!
Recommended this month (for little ones)
Off We Go!
What a pleasurable book! Children LOVE to hear the rhyme and repetition
in this lovely story of little animals heading to Grandma's house. And
if you make each animal's journey sound like that animal, the experience
is all the more enjoyable. I have even known one or two children to squeal
with delight when little sssnake ssslithers off to Grandma'sss! The
text is accomplanied by a GORGEOUS watercolor illustration of the little
animals excitedly heading to Grandma's place. Perfect for little ones
ages 2-5. (And Grandma will love it too!)
Recommended this month (For
Early Reader)
Spectacular Science
. In this poetry collection, new voices along with beloved poets
such as Carl Sandburg, Lilian Moore, and David McCord explore topics in
biology, chemistry, and physics and show how the marvels of science are
part of our everyday lives. The mixed media illustrations are delightfully
bold with a dreamlike quality. This book is SO special, I am going
write some of the poems on posters and have my students decorate them.
What a WONDERFUL way to spark interest in so many things to do with science!
This collection is especially timely, as American students seem to be lacking
in scientific understanding. SPECTACULAR SCIENCE is a great tool to help
turn the tide. Up with science!! This intriguing collection of science
poems is perfect to read aloud to inquiring minds, ages 5 and up.
Recommended this month (for fluent readers)
Mick Harte Was Here
What an outstanding, unforgettable book! This is Phoebe's brilliantly
told story about her younger brother and best friend, Mick, who dies in
a bicycle accident. Her struggle to accept his death and deal with her own
grief is told in the touching, realistic narrative of a 13-year-old girl
that will evoke both laughter and tears. This powerful book can work equally
well as a read-aloud or read-alone for students, ages 9 to 13. You'll find
it is an excellent discussion starter should you choose to read it aloud.
But be forewarned...because of the subject matter it is understandably difficult
for most teachers and parents to maintain composure while reading it aloud.
A happy medium would be to use it as a choice book for literature circles.
Our Featured Book this Month...
I Pledge Allegiance
"I led a pigeon to the flag"..."and to the wee puppet"..."One nation,
and a vegetable"...What was that again? Children in the United States of
America have been reciting the Pledge of Allegiance since 1892 -- and for
about that long, they've found its big words confusing. Now, beloved children's
book author Bill Martin Jr., fellow literacy expert Michael Sampson, and
Caldecott Honor-winning artist Chris Raschka give America's children a
hand, and explain this patriotic poem once and for all.
Written especially for children, the Pledge of Allegiance was first
recited on October 12, 1892, by 12 million children across the country and
has been memorized by generations of children ever since. Isn't it time
they understood the meaning behind its words?
Reading Tip From Hedgie
Now is the time to get picky about what you read aloud to your children
(or students, if you are a teacher). Bypass the trashy commercial books
and go for the gold! (Believe me, kids will discover the commercial books all by themselves
with NO help from you!) There is a wealth of extraordinary books out
there just waiting for you to open them up. If you need recomendations,
ask Hedgie!
What? Another Book Report?
Our
Grade level reading lists
can help you and your children choose
the right books.
Great Books for Me Too?
Research has proven how important it
is to model reading to children. Now
at Hedgehog Books we've made that even easier.
Check out our
Techie's Grown-up Books Page
.
Out of the Night That Covers Me
This is a wonderful book! John came from a genteel sheltered household.
He is bright and very well educated, and is shocked to be thrown into
a poor sharecropper's life in 1950s Alabama. Like
The Secret Life of Bees
where a teenage girl runs away from an abusive home in the midst
of Integration, Out of the Night that Covers Me shows an innocent caught
up in one of the most socially turbulent times in our country's history.
The story is realistic and is told with an incredible sensitivity to the
characters and the time. This one is not to be missed!
Have you got a question for Hedgie?
Don't forget our "
Ask a Teacher
" page. Hedgie's professional teaching
staff is there to answer all of your literary questions. Hedgie
loves to help!
Hedgie's Friends
Be sure to visit all of Hedgie's friends!
By shopping at
www.greatergood.com
a percentage of your purchase can be
donated to the charity of your choice including The Breast Cancer
Site, Hunger Site, and The Rainforest Site. At
www.ebates.com
you'll get back cash with every purchase
you make from Hedgehogbooks. You'll also find us at the online
shopping mall,
www.mall.com
. Take a look
at us in the Kids' Corner under Courtyard Shopping.
Until next month,
Hedgie
|
