Bunny's Book Club

Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro and illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss is a book I enjoyed.  Bunny loves stories.  During the summer, Bunny listens to the lady from the library when storytime is outdoors.  Once fall comes, he can't figure out how to still enjoy stories.  He sneaks into the library through the book drop so he can get books.  Soon, Porcupine and other friends accompany him on his nightly trek to the library.  One night, the librarian comes in while they are there, and explains to the animals that they need library cards if they want to use the library.  This book is for preschool and elementary students, and any adult who loves books would likely enjoy it as well. 

visit new places

If you want to enrich your child's summer, you can make a list of five to ten places your family hasn't visited yet, then go to each place.  It doesn't have to be far away or expensive.  There are many state parks, bike trails, museums, and other attractions that could be an opportunity to learn something new.  If you and your family are library fans, you could visit other libraries.  You could also go to a new restaurant.  A few places on my list for the summer are the governor's mansion, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Northland Arboretum.  If you live in Minnesota, here are more destinations for you to consider putting on your list.

Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul
Forest History Center in Grand Rapids
Lake Itasca State Park near Park Rapids
Minnesota History Center in St. Paul-it is free Tuesday afternoons from 3-8
Munsinger and Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud
Voyageurs National Park near International Falls
Walker Art Center and Minnesota Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis-it is free on Thursday evenings from 5 to 9 and the first Saturday of the month from 10 to 3

If you are ambitious, you could also make a book to document the places that you visited this summer.

Alphabet Boats

Alphabet Boats by Samantha Vamos and illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke is a picture book you can share with readers of many ages.  Though the text is short, it is written to expose young children to higher level vocabulary.  Letter B is for barge, g is for gondola, and y is for yacht.  If you have a child who likes boats, or teach children and have a unit on transportation, this book is worth looking for.  The author has also written two more similar, Alphabet Trains and Alphabet Trucks.

eggs in a nest

I went to get some rhubarb when I was at my dad's house and discovered this nest.  Last week there had only been one egg, now there are four.  Later, I saw the bird sitting on the nest.  I am fairly certain the nest belongs to a chipping sparrow.  Hopefully nothing disturbs the bird and the eggs hatch.   

summer reading program

It is Tuesday and this is my second installment about summer learning with children.  My suggestion today is to have your child (or children) participate in a summer reading program.  Most public libraries have these to encourage children to read over the summer.  Children sign up for the program and get a reading or activity slip.  When the child reads or is read to, he or she colors in the amount of time read.  When the slip is complete, the child turns it in for a chance to win a prize.  Something extra my library has is weekly trivia questions, where a child can answer a question for a shot at a small prize.  At the end of the summer, some libraries give bigger prizes like tickets to the Minnesota State Fair or a marble run.  Programs are going to vary from library to library.  There are also some bookstores like Barnes and Noble (click here for form) and Half Price Books who have reading incentives as well.  Whatever program you choose, your child is going to be better off for having read this summer.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park by Lisa M. Herrington is a book I would recommend reading with any elementary aged child.  It could also be used with adult students who are learning English as a second language.  In addition to talking about unique features of the park, it does mention what many people do when they go to the park, as what animals you could see.  The photos make me want to go to the park and spend a couple of days.  This is just one in a series-some other parks include Zion, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Acadia, Yellowstone and Glacier.  All of the books would make a good addition to a third, fourth, or fifth grade classroom library.

summer activity jar

Here are directions on how to make a family activity jar.  I came up with the idea after doing some reading about summer learning with children.  To start with, I made a list of 70 learning activities, some in each of the areas of science, math, literacy, and social studies.  (There are a few just for fun activities, too.)  Then I wrote each idea on a strip of paper.  After that,the activities strips can be put in a jar or container with cover.  The idea is for the family to choose a slip of paper each day and completes the activity.  I made the activity ideas fairly simple...most do not take more than a paper and pencil, a map, or a book.  Most activities would be completed in under 15 minutes.

Here are a few ideas I used-

• count how many pairs of shoes each person in your family has
• read four books by the same author
• listen to some music from when your parents were young
• learn some words or phrases in another language
• make shadow pictures on the wall using a flashlight and your hands
• call an aunt or uncle
• list 20 or more foods that are grown in Minnesota

This takes a little preparation initially, but then the daily learning activity is ready and you don't have to think about something new each day or week.  My guess is doing this would lead to more learning in other parts of the day, whether it was child or parent directed.

If you decide to make one of these for your family and need ideas, let me know and I would be willing to share my list with you. 

This is the first post in a series about summer learning with children.  Check back each Tuesday throughout the summer for more ideas.

My Pet Wants a Pet

My Pet Wants a Pet by Elise Broach and illustrated by Eric Barclay is an entertaining book for preschool and elementary aged children.  A boy wants a pet and his mom finally lets him get a puppy.  Then his puppy wants a pet, so the puppy gets a cat.  After a while, the cat gets a bird, the bird gets a worm, and the worm gets a flea.  The flea doesn't get a new pet, but decides the puppy is his pet.  The mother is not at all happy until the boy figures out a way to make her feel included.  Most children would enjoy this story because it is about pets, but also because the impossibility of pets owning pets.

Marigold and Daisy

Marigold and Daisy by Andrea Zuill is a new book I found at the library.  Marigold, a snail, becomes an older sister to Daisy.  Of course, life changes.  Daisy gets so much attention, and Marigold is jealous.  Marigold tries to think of a way to solve the problem, but it just gets worse because Daisy wants to be everywhere her older sister is.  When someone decides to pick on Marigold and Daisy defends her, Marigold decides a little sister isn't so bad.  Any child who has a younger brother or sister would enjoy this book.  It was a good story, but I think it also appealed to me because snails are rarely found as main characters in a book.