to market, to market

I went to International Quilt Market in Kansas City last weekend with my sister.  Amanda was there to promote her book Sunday Morning Quilts.  She worked hard, I was along for the ride.  There was so much to see.  I met her coauthor, Cheryl.  I also met some of her blogging friends, including Tara.  If you look at Amanda's or Tara's blog you can see a few pictures that may give you a better idea of what it was like.  There were plenty of things to see at market, though, and I got a bag of stuff...brochures, pencils, catalogs, quilt magazines, books, and some fabric.

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a great book to read to children.  Liam lives in the city and finds some unattended but growing plants.  He begins to take care of those plants, and with time, the city changes.  Brown's story is enhanced his illustrations.  I like to check this book out each spring to share with my students.   Do you have any favorite books about spring?

Poetry Month

April is Poetry Month.  In my classes we are reading and writing poetry.  We are memorizing poems.  Wednesday is our popcorn and poetry day.  April 26 is Poem in Your Pocket day, so I will be will be handing out poems for my students to carry around in their pockets.  I sent my niece a poem in the mail (she is fond of poetry).  What are you doing for poetry month?  If you go to www.poets.org you can get even more ideas and/or information about poetry month.          

Echoes of Titanic

Echoes of Titanic is the newest book by Mindy Starns Clark.  She actually wrote this one with her husband, John Campbell Clark.  It tells the story of three people-Kelsey Tate, Adele and Jocelyn.  Adele and Jocelyn are cousins setting sail on the Titanic in 1912.  Kelsey Tate is Adele's great-granddaughter living in New York City 100 years later.  Kelsey works for a company her great-grandmother established.  Amid allegations that Adele wasn't who she said she was, Kelsey wants to save the company that has been in her family for so long.  The story takes place mostly in the present day, but there are short chapters interspersed in the novel about Adele and Jocelyn.  There is plenty of suspense and mystery in this book.  If you liked any of Clark's other books you would probably enjoy this one as well.

There Are Cats in this Book

There Are Cats in this Book by Viviane Schwarz is a fun book for children.  I read it to a nephew and several groups of children and they all liked it.  There are partial pages and some lift the flaps in the book, which makes it appealing to children.  A group of first grade students wanted me to read it again.  This is definitely one to look for at your library.

Ladybugs: Red, Fiery, and Bright

Ladybugs: Red, Fiery, and Bright by Mia Posada is a great book to share with children. It is nonfiction poetry. At the end of the book there are plenty of facts about different types of ladybugs. If you are an elementary teacher, it would be a great addition to a unit on insects. It would also be good for a budding entomologist.