The Question Is...

It's been almost four years since my last post. A lot has happen in that time. A LOT.

I'm a different person than I was then.

I'm living a new life.

From a divergent point of view.

I'm thinking a name change in is order. I really am still a cupcake lovin' reading mama, but I also have other "claims" to fame. At least per my current "fans". Not so much the sweet, smart and quirky 9 year old Jetta. Or my 5 year old, pink tutu wearing cutie-patootie, with an adorable Kewpie smile, Mackenna. Reading these days is mostly done to an audience of twenty-some. Entertaining and enlightening, sharing the joy and love of reading to today's students bombarded by testing and standards and information overload. Students who need to read for the fun of it, to escape to new worlds, different times and enjoy being "just a kid."

It's been a long time, but I'll be back soon...

Just like Junie B.

Yup, it's true! Julie T. is a Graduation Girl!!!

One of THOSE Days

Unfortunately I’ve had too many of “those” days lately…

Clever children’s author Amy Krouse Rosenthal must sympathize with people like me. One of Those Days is a book many kids and adults can relate to. Some of the days mentioned ring way too true in my life:

Nobody’s Listening To You Day~This doesn’t work very well if you’re a teacher.
Keep Spilling Stuff Day~I’ve had this problem most of my life. Childhood nickname: Miss Piggy. My cousin actually invented a disease called Julieitis when you can’t stop spilling stuff on yourself.
Can’t Afford It Day~I guess I should have thought of this before I became and married a teacher.
Can’t Find Stuff Day~If you saw my house right now, you’d understand.
Sad for No Reason Day~Some days I have a reason, others not really. Quite puzzling and frustrating, but good to know I’m not the only one.

The message of this book is a reminder everyone needs to hear every now and then. It is simple and refreshing~nighttime brings an end to the day and in the morning you get a brand new day!

Now You're Reading!

I just cannot keep this a secret! Thanks to a fabulous library media mentor of mine, I've discovered a terrific resource for anyone who wants to encourage kids to read. This website is full of ideas and resources for parents, teachers, librarians and fun for kids alike:

http://www.bookitprogram.com/default.asp

Last year the Pizza Hut Book It! program celebrated 25 years. I remember as a child earning a free individual pan pizza for reading. Though I loved to read, it still was a fun reward for the accomplishment. Thousands of children over the years have been encouraged by this program.

The Book It! program has now outdone itself by creating the R.E.D. Zone, standing for READ EVERY DAY. The purpose is to encourage parents to read aloud to their small children 20 minutes everyday. Pizza Hut and I are on the same page! The resources and activities on this page are outstanding. Check it out!

An Easter…TURTLE?

Wednesday is probably my favorite day in the library. (0kay, Friday is up there too!) On Wednesdays, my little preschool friends come to visit me for story time and checkout. Not only am I blessed with one group of small visitors, but two!

For many children, this is the beginning of their experience with literacy. I take pride in choosing the “perfect” preschool read alouds, hoping to spark a love of books and the library.

The first selection I chose for this week is a vibrant counting book starring none other than familiar friends, Max and Ruby. Max Counts His Chickens is a cute tale of Max and Ruby hunting for their marshmallow chicks the Easter Bunny left, but poor Max can’t seem to find his. Sister Ruby, of course, has no trouble at all. In the end, Max’s chickens arrive and all is well.

I admit…I LOVE Marshmallow Peeps so the brightly colored chicks in the story are appealing to my eyes. It also gave my preschool friends practice counting. The numbers one to ten are written very big in the corner of the pages, helping with number recognition. Silly Max says his numbers in the wrong order while counting the chicks flying through the mail slot. This created a lot of laughter and the chance to practice numbers one more time.

The second book I read was Easter Mice. The story is more in the pictures than the words, which could be a challenge with a group of preschoolers. However, I carefully asked questions giving the kiddos a chance to think critically about what was happening. The true surprise is in the end when the sad mouse who played instead of hunting eggs, finds an egg that hatches. What comes out of the egg? An Easter Turtle, of course. You can imagine the roar of laughter. No one was expecting that!

Happy Reading!

Happiness is...a Warm Puppy

My nine year old is a self-proclaimed “dog freak.” For months, she had been asking for a dog to call her own. Apparently, the family dog, Daisy, wasn’t cuttin’ it for her. Jetta’s prerequisites for her dog: cuddly, playful and female, so she could name her Bella (from Twilight, of course).

After several weeks of searching, my dear husband came across the perfect pooch, taking it as a sign she was already named Bella. Bella is a Chorkie. Yup, you heard me right. She is a mix of Chihuahua and Yorkie. I, unlike Jetta, am not a dog nut and I have to admit she is pretty cute.

So how is the puppy love? Bella, now nine months old, is full of energy and playfulness. We are working on the cuddly part. Mackenna is still finding out the hard way that puppies like to nip. And though Daisy has been a part of our family for 11 years, from day one Bella has tried to rule the roost and Daisy doesn’t particularly mind.

As you can imagine, Jetta has quite an extensive dog book collection. The latest one she acquired because of her outstanding second quarter report card. I’m a proud Mama, what can I say?

Incredible Dogs and their Incredible Tales! is a collection of short stories divided into chapters about Outrageous Dogs, Loyal Dogs, Never-Say-Die Dogs, Heroic Dogs and Astounding Dogs. One of my favorites is about a stray dog named Bozo, from Queens in 1941. When threatened with taking the dog away, the neighborhood kids staged a protest and collected enough money, $2.80, to license the dog. This book could be independently read by third graders on up, but also could be enjoyed as a family. Your kiddos will be entertained by these amazing dogs.

Happy Reading!

Heart to Heart

This evening when I crawled into bed next to Mackenna, she instructed me to hand her a book because she was going to “read” to me tonight. Oh, and she also told me to keep my lips shut. Honestly, I have no clue where she gets her bossiness.

As she proceeded to “read” Fancy Nancy Heart to Heart, my heart was bulging with pride as she told a story that went along with the pictures. Admittedly, she has been read hundreds of books over the course of her five years. But, I also have to wonder; does she know how to “read” a book because it has been repeatedly modeled for her? This emergent literacy skill she possesses is crucial for starting kindergarten.

I don’t expect every parent to put the same passion into reading as I do. For me, reading is as big a part of my life as breathing. That 's why I’ve chosen my profession. However, modeling reading to your child doesn’t mean you have to sit down with a 400-page book. There are many ways you can model reading, such as enjoying a magazine or a coffee table book, reading the newspaper, cooking with recipes or using directions to put something together.

Remember reading doesn’t mean you have to pick up a fiction book. Use the opportunity to read an information book to learn about a topic you’ve always wanted to know more about. Although for me, I’m always game for picking up the latest, racy Janet Evanovich book.

Happy Reading!