Sprucewood January 08

School: Sprucewood
Month/Year: January 2008

Recommended Read-a-loud or Book-talk books:

Title: Mrs. Crump’s Cat
Author: Linda Smith Topic: Cats, Pets
Grades: All

Comments: The kids really enjoyed this book which was about a cranky older woman who finds a cat on her front step. She does everything she can to convince herself that she doesn’t want it. Little by little she wants the cat more and more and begins to be a happier person as she cares for the cat. Then she decides to keep it. This was a Beehive book and most of the kids voted that they really liked it.

Title: Baby Brains, Superstar
Author: Simon James
Topic: Babies, Gifted Children, Rock Music
Grades: 4-6

Comments: The kids really enjoyed this book which is a sequel to “Baby Brains”. In this book Baby Brains decides that he wants to be a Rock Star. However, when he gets his big chance he has a meltdown and yells, “I Want My Mommy! But the band continues to play and the audience thinks that is the name of his song and that all of his wailing is the song being sung. So he becomes a Rock Star anyway. It was a fun book for the kids.

Pair and Share Topic:
Grades: 4-6

Titles/Authors used: “Now and Ben”
Gene Barretta
“Weird & Wacky Inventions
Jim Murphy

Comments: This book looks at some of the things that were invented by Benjamin Franklin that are still in use today. We discussed some on his inventions and others with the kids.