The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, March 30, 2015

A Book ToDAY and a BirthDAY

            I love it when writers sneak things in... and when it comes to nonfiction books for kids, I especially love it when authors slip in information, resulting in kids learning things painlessly.

             Pat Hensley has a new book out--Excitement in the Park. It's a book I'm going to put in my class library because it would be a perfect model for my students. We have an informational-writing unit every year and we also have a 94-acre nature center that is a part of our school district. Twice a year we take a field trip and explore the various habitats there--the prairie, the pasture, the forest and the pond, and this book could be used for... well, I'll get to that in a moment. 




         In Hensley's book, the animals are getting ready for a group of fieldtrippers. On just about every page, some animal facts are slipped in. For example, Timmy the tadpole is worried about losing his tail before the students come; he wants to show it off. This would be a wonderful time to inform children that frogs are legless (and are called tadpoles) before they reach the adult stage. In the story, insects are eager to show off their decomposing skills. The whole life cycle of butterflies is part of the tale. I could go on and on--this book is jampacked with animal info. 

        Excitement in the Park would be perfect to use as a model. The book could be read aloud, the various parts where informational tidbits were inserted could be discussed, and the students could then write their own book based on the field trip to our nature center. (Pat took all the photographs as well; this would be another way that student writers could make decisions as they determine what photos would best illustrate each part. The kids could use disposable cameras or their phones to capture various flora and fauna during the field trip.)

        And tomorrow is Radar's first birthday. It's a day we never thought would arrive... with Radar still alive, that is. (He digs holes quicker than a backhoe.) He started out as darling handful of fur.


We didn't see the horns that were starting to grow...



He was just a barrel-bellied fur ball at this stage.





A local kennel offered one free day for puppies once a month.
The puppies even got report cards. Radar always got the same  comment:
"He was fairly good," which translates into: He drove us fruit!

Now Radar is 76 pounds of energy. Though still technically a puppy for a few
more months, he's turning into a wonderful dog.

Love a Golden Rescue got a pregnant puppymill mama a year ago. Three days after we got her, she gave birth to 11 puppies. Radar--in our opinion--was the handsomest of the litter, and according to the therapy dog trainer who evaluated the pups, he was one of the top two as far as temperament and intelligence.

We're hoping that when Radar is two years old, he can train to be a therapy dog. He hasn't met a stranger yet and--in his opinion--he thinks every person he encounters is put on this earth to admire and pet him (and give him a treat). Actually, now that I think about it, that's a philosophy I'd like to adopt (of course, you can take out the petting part and insert chocolate in front of treat).


So, check out Pat Hensley's book. (Just a few clicks on Amazon and it's yours.) What's another book you could recommend to a teacher like me? And do you have any funny puppy stories? We've filled in so many holes in our backyard, we're in need of some levity.








18 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to Radar and a piece of cake to you for surviving first year too! He is a beautiful animal!

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    1. Claudia--I think my husband and I both deserve a whole bakery full of cakes. But seriously, he IS a great dog.

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  2. Is always a joy to discover books that help teach in a fun way. I myself have had no youngsters around for years, but a writer/singer I met at Ozarks Creative Writers Conference has written informative fun books for kids (disclaimer: I haven't actually read them). His name is Rickey Pittman, aka the Bard of the South, and he writes about Native Americans, Irish and Scottish stories and music. You can find him through my facebook page.
    And a fun fact about puppies: An older, confident cat can help train a scamp. A swift swipe to the nose, a low growl, and a pup will cower into submission.

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    1. Marcia--I think Radar would need a full-grown tiger to make an impact. But I do know what you mean. We had a tiny cat who could keep a former dog of ours in line. It only took a few times...

      And thanks. I'll have to check out Rickey Pittman.

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  3. Aww! Happy birthday, Radar. He's such a sweetie. I hope he becomes a stellar therapy dog. Two of my dogs qualified and the visits were so gratifying.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat--That is wonderful that you had two therapy dogs.

      And speaking of dogs (and cats)... Did you see CS has two new titles about them? I'm sure you have many stories to tell...

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  4. Happy Birthday to Radar! I hope he qualifies. He needs a job to keep him busy.

    I don't have any book recommendations with educational overtones, or suited for your grade level. However...my middle school at-risk kids, and even some high schoolers, used to love it when we had five minutes to kill, and I read to them from Gordon Korman's "Island" trilogy. Those cliff-hangers made them yearn for more.

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    1. Val--Yeah, busy... That's the ticket.

      Thanks for the book recommendation. I haven't heard of that author or trilogy. Finding books that keep kids on the edge of their seats is difficult.

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  5. The book sounds great, and we used to have a dog that dug so many holes in our back yard that it looked like a bombing range! Also, I wanted to ask you about the word "fruit" as in "he drove us fruit." What does that mean to you? We were talking about language in one of my classes last week and I mentioned that MY classmates used the word "fruit" to mean something was bad or stupid. I swear I haven't heard that word used like that for a very long time! What a coincidence that I read it today!

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    1. Mary--Drove us fruit (an old phrase for me). Made us cray-cray (a more contemporary phrase). Made us crazy. I'm sure it dates back to my teenage years...

      A bombing range. Exactly. Perhaps YOU have a story (or two) to submit to Chicken Soup? They have a call out for dog stories AND cat stories.

      And since we're talking language, have you read "Frindle" by Andrew Clements. It's a kids' book--upper elementary, so it's a fast read--but it addresses language and how words are "created." If you have not read it, I think you would enjoy it.

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  6. Happy birthday to Radar! I think being a therapy dog would be pretty cool! Thank you so much for this awesome review of my book! I'm so glad you liked it! It is a scary thing to put a new book out there and wonder how others will perceive it. I wanted this book to be fun and informative. You really understood what I hoped to get across and that made me extremely happy!

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    1. Pat--Thanks for sharing it. I salute you for writing it, getting the photographs together, and getting it published. That must be extremely rewarding.

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  7. What a great book idea for kids! I love the premise, and am not surprised that you opted to use it for your students. That's a unique take from the usual kid-on-a-field-trip routine. Since I've started writing for a publisher in the kids' educational market, I keep my eyes open for new ways to tell stories and impart information that children will enjoy. It's a challenge to keep the stories fresh and write in a way that will hold a child's interest and impart information at the same time. I love the turnabout in this book you've highlighted. I have ideas now for a topic the editor asked me to write about. So, thanks!

    Radar has grown into a handsome boy, and with your tutelage he will undoubtedly make a wonderful therapy dog. Every time I see a photo of him I yearn for our Golden boy, Riley.

    Great post today, as always. :)

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    1. Lisa--I will be glad to ship him to you--next day delivery--if you'd like a big hole dug for an in-ground pool.

      Thanks, and I'm glad that something I wrote or Pat's premise sparked something. That's what non-writers don't get. They don't understand that talking and writing about our writing and the writing of others sparks ideas. It's so important to share.

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  8. Sioux, I could recommend about a million kidlit books (but I won't 'cause I'm sure I'd leave someone out)! What I will recommend is that you connect with someone in SCBWI in your area--they'd LOVE to bring local authors to your school! (At least, that's part of my job with SCBWI here in my neck of the woods.)

    I could probably share about a million dog stories, too. (I'm not sure that any of them are suitable for the public, however.) :-)

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    1. Cathy--That is a wonderful idea. I will check them out.

      (You have a delightful young pooch. Don't you have any "suitable for the public" stories about them?)

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  9. Replies
    1. Shay--He IS a cutie, and his looks have saved him many times already...

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...