The Marvellous Fluffy Squishy Itty Bitty

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alemagna, B. (2015). The Marvellous Fluffy Squishy Itty Bitty. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0500650493


B. PLOT SUMMARY
This book tells the story of a young girl named Eddie that lacks confidence in herself. She doesn’t think she is good at anything! However, for her mother’s birthday, she is determined to find the perfect gift. Not just any old gift, but the perfect “fluffyy squishy itty bitty” gift. Throughout the story, Eddie persistently searches around town for her mother’s gift. Just as she is about giving up, she finds the just right “fluffy squishy” gift in a very unexpected place!

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
 The book is full of illustrations and has one consistent color of bright pink which at the end connects the readers to the perfect bright pink gift Eddie chooses for her mother. There are many cultural markers including the beautiful illustrations that reveal the architecture of the French town. Throughout the book, readers can find themselves exploring and comparing their community to Eddie’s community she lives in. Readers can easily notice that walking is the mode of transportation that is primarily used in this town.  As Eddie walks in search for the perfect gift,  she is offered helped by everyone, this allows readers to see how close-knit and friendly the people are that lives in her community. After reading this book, readers will connect to the multiple themes of perseverance and kindness.


D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist (October 15, 2015 (Online))
“Colored pencil and collage techniques come together in whimsical illustrations that reflect the story’s French origin, as well as the sweetness and quirkiness of Eddie’s gift-finding mission.”


Horn Book Guide (Spring 2016)
“ This story is satisfying--from whimsical start to gratifying, unexpected finish.”


E. CONNECTIONS
More French Picture Books translated in English!


Grolleau, F. Wings of the World. Nobrow Press. ISBN 1910620157
Crowther, K. Scritch scratch scraww plop! ISBN 1592701795
Perrin, C., & Perrin, C. At the same moment, around the world. ISBN 9781452122083

My Two Blankets

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kobald, I., & Blackwood, F. (2017). My two blankets. ISBN 0544432282


B. PLOT SUMMARY

My Two Blankets is a story about a girl named Cartwheel that is forced to leave her homeland to escape war. Everything is so unfamiliar to Cartwheel including the language, land, people, and even animals. This made her uncomfortable and she began to isolate herself. The only thing that comforted her was being wrapped around her native blanket. Although she feels safe in her comfort zone, she still feels lonely and embarrassed until she meets this friendly girl. At first, Cartwheel was hesitant in talking to this girl because they didn’t speak the same language. But that soon changes, they begin to create an inseparable bond as they get to know each other. The friendly girl starts to teach Cartwheel about her culture by bringing her words to learn. Eventually, Cartwheel becomes more comfortable in this new country creating her second blanket of the words that she learns from her new friend.  At the end, Cartwheel learns a valuable lesson of accepting both her new and native culture.



C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a  heartwarming story of two girls from different cultures accepting each other for who they are. There are many cultural markers, but the one major marker that stood out to me as I read is diversity. The beautiful illustrations of the main character’s patterned blankets introduce readers to her African culture and her new blanket reveals what she is learning about the new English culture (Ice Cream, Birthday Cake, Clothing, etc.). After reading this book, readers will have an insight into the life of a refugee. Many readers will connect with the multiple themes in this book including friendship, acceptance, and diversity. After reading this book, students will learn that friendship has no boundaries.



D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Horn Book Guide (Fall 2016)

“In this Australian import, Cartwheel and her auntie leave their war-torn home and immigrate to the safety of a new country. Evocative, motif- and metaphor-filled watercolor and oil illustrations visualize Cartwheel's difficult adjustment to a new language and landscape ("Even the wind felt strange"). An emerging (though oddly one-sided) friendship, which is compared to a comforting blanket, eases her transition.”


Kirkus Reviews starred (July 1, 2015)

“The text is exquisitely simple, and the watercolor-and-oil images complement, expand, and illuminate the words with magic and delight. Cartwheel is always brown and orange and gold, as is the blanket she weaves in her imagination of the words and sounds of home. Loneliness, cultural displacement, tentative friendship, and an explosion of sharing and kindness are accessible even to very young readers. The final image of Cartwheel teaching her friend how do a cartwheel tugs at the heart with joy. An amazingly lovely import from Australia.”


E. CONNECTIONS

Here are books for students that want to read about belonging or homesickness!


Sileo, F. J., & Fisher, E. S. Bug bites and campfires: A story for kids about homesickness. ISBN 0929173546

Muller, R. Badger's New House. ISBN 0805063838

Donwerth-Chikamatsu, A. (2017). Somewhere among. ISBN 1481437860

Tell Me About Your Day Today

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fox, M., & Stringer, L. (2014). Tell me about your day today. Beach Lane Books. ISBN  1-41699-006-2 B. PLOT SUMMARY Everyone has a favorite time of the day! Bedtime is the best part of the day for this young boy. He gets to spend time with his favorite stuffed animal friends that he loves dearly. Before he goes to bed,  they each take turns talking about how their day went. Through illustrations, Greedy Goose, Blue Horse, and Fat Rabbit each tell their friend about “the who, the what,  the why, and the way” of their day. At last, it is the boy’s turn to tell his friends about his day and of course it turns out okay because he spends it with the people he cares about the most which is his stuffed toy friends and his mother. C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS) Tell me about your Day is the perfect picture book that connects with young readers. This book includes repetitive phrases, limited text,  and strong picture support making this the perfect read for emergent readers and English Language Learners. Lauren Stringers illustrations tells the story of this entire book! The colorful soft illustrations will definitely get readers of all ages ready for bedtime.  I love how each of his friends' day connects to the ending of the book that allows readers to see how the young boy's day went! This book creates a feeling of comfort, love, and happiness! D. REVIEW EXCERPTS Horn Book Guide (Fall 2013) "A young boy enjoys bedtime with his "friends"--three stuffed animals that recount their day with him. Answering the refrain, "the who, the what, the why, and the way..." reveals the day's thunderstorm drama before it all "turned out okay." Stringer's illustrative vignettes in soft nighttime colors with thoughtful design elements complement Fox's simple, lyrical text in this reassuring bedtime story." School Library Journal (September 1, 2012) “While the rhythmic and snappy text sets up the action, it's really the art that tells the story. Rich spreads done in acrylics stay grounded in the present, but readers piece the story of the day together through the pictures. Each animal's perspective provides more clues until the boy's own version brings it all together. This warm, bedtime read celebrates the comforts of sharing a story together and a day well spent.”-Julie Roach E. CONNECTIONS More bedtime stories below! Engelbreit, M., & In Zonderkidz,. (2017). The bedtime book.  ISBN10 0310733294 Robinson, M. (2016). Goodnight Tractor. ISBN 0141342854 Brown, M. W., & Hurd, C. (2017). Goodnight moon. ISBN 0941078302

Adventures with Waffles

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY Parr, M., Puzey, G., & Forrester, K. (2015). Adventures with waffles. Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9780763672812 B. PLOT SUMMARY Who says a boy and girl can’t be best friends? Adventures with Waffles tells the story of  just that! Trille and Lena are complete opposites. Trille is a 9 year old caring boy and Lena is a 9 year insensitive girl. However, Trille and Lena are inseparable and they have a common interest. They are addicted to going on random adventures together even if it means getting into trouble! Lena is a very mischievous girl and the mastermind of all these adventures that goes south, but that doesn’t discourage Trille from being her best friend. Above all, the only thing Trille is worried about is if Lena feels the same way about him.  When tragedy strikes, Trille will begin to question many things in his world including their friendship. C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Adventures with Waffles is a recommended read for ages 9 and up.  Many young  readers will connect with the overall theme of friendship, family, and adventure! There are many cultural markers I found in this book including food, clothing, celebrations, and  dialect. The author naturally integrates the Norwegian culture into this book. For example, the delicious waffles that Trille and Lena are addicted to happens to be very popular in Norway. In addition, readers will learn that Norwegian people still wear wooden clogs as a form of footwear.  Trille’s traditional family home life is another cultural element because it seems Norwegian families stay in the same household and are really close-knit. D. REVIEW EXCERPTS “With simply rendered illustrations that zero in on key elements of the story, Forrester extends the charm of this tale.Filled with both rollicking escapades and poignant moments, Parr’s notable tale portrays a young boy’s heartfelt appreciation of family and friends.” —Kirkus Reviews “Recommended for public and school libraries, this will be useful as supplementary material in units about day-to-day life in another country.” —School Library Journal E. CONNECTIONS Here are more books about friendship! Pennypacker, S. (2014). Summer of the gypsy moths. ISBN 0061964204 Bowe, J. (2008). My last best friend. ISBN 0152061975 Stead, R. (2017). Liar & spy.ISBN 0375850872

Facebook VS Twitter

Facebook Pages:
I viewed multiple School Library pages on facebook I noticed that they looked like a mini website. Here are some of  my findings:

• Their Facebook posts consisted of informational articles, school/library fundraisers, community events in the library, purchases, and learning activities.
• There are some comments and likes, but most of them had more followers.

Advantages
The major advantage of having a facebook page includes communication. Librarians are able to keep the community updated with events, informational articles, photos, and weekly news. It is a great way to get instant feedback, professionally network, and connect with other librarians. In addition, the facebook gives patrons information about the hours of operation, the librarian's email, address, etc.

Disadvantages
The major disadvantage I found is the lack of privacy. Some districts block certain social media sites so many students will not have access to the page during school hours. Many people have privacy concerns when it comes to mixing personal with professional so they would prefer to use other apps to get library updates.  

Ed Tech Leaders on Twitter

Wow! I didn't realize how addicting twitter was until I started following these ed tech leaders!
I retweeted so many tweets ...I don't even know where to start! Twitter can be so useful especially to educators. I found many useful strategies, tools, websites,  apps, and activities I could use for my classroom/ future library.  I also noticed that some Ed Tech Leaders tweet about tech events around the world. Librarians are now considered "Library Information Media Specialist". With that being my future job title, I feel like I will definitely benefit from following these Ed Tech Leaders! Here are my top 3 listed below: 

 
My students will definitely like this site to help them complete their Black History Project!

Ready for my DEN kids research & coloring for #BlackHistoryMonth #DoorDecorating #Makerspace Doesn’t need to be fancy! Thanks @DoodleArtAlley pic.twitter.com/gMBZivmlNu

— Gwyneth Jones (@GwynethJones) February 1, 2018 

 This would be the perfect activity to wrap up the mystery unit for next week!

Digital Breakout - Search Strategies  via @Elizabethutch https://t.co/DlG4fqYpSF pic.twitter.com/MWEtVJ2FfA

— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) February 2, 2018

I love how @kathyschrock tweet about different tech events!
I might have an excuse to travel a little more this year!😉 

I’ll be there! ;-) https://t.co/NKjMClHGo2

— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) January 24, 2018

The Winning BLOG READER GOES TO...

Feedly!!!
As I was reading the article about blog readers (https://zapier.com/blog/best-rss-feed-reader-apps/#Selfoss), I noticed that most were not free. So, I decided to do my own research on free blog readers and came across Feedly. In addition to it being free, I found that this blog reader allows me to organize my blogs in a way that works for me! I am also able to follow my favorite youtube bloggers. Lastly, Feedly allows me to mute filters which means I can hide irrelevant articles from my feed! How great is that?!

Since I am still a classroom teacher that considers myself a future librarian, I decided to focus on blogs that will give me tips on how to collaborate with my school librarian, library/classroom displays, engaging apps for students, and book reviews. Here is a list below:

http://www.librarygirl.net/2017/10/when-adults-dont-read-kids-lose.html http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2017/12/free-ebooks-for-winter-break-reading.html

Tumblr
http://classroombooks657-blog.tumblr.com/
http://realreadingrainbow.tumblr.com/
https://ipadeflteacher.tumblr.com/


My Tumblr
Wow, I must say the content on Tumblr has really evolved over the years! I will spare you all the details of my past Tumblr I had during my undergraduate years lol! I decided to create a new professional version for this course!

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/saintjworld12