Friday, September 28, 2012

Children's books and phonics online

I'm not a huge fan of books on the computer.  I personally still like the physical book with the musty smell, but for our friends who don't mind books on a screen, here are some websites at which you may want to take a peek:

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Book review: The Song of the King

Last semester I took a children's literature class, and really enjoyed it.  One of the resources our professor gave us was a book review sheet to use for every book we read.  As I come across a book that I enjoy, I'll post my review of it, and hopefully it will be helpful for other teachers.


Author: Max Lucado

Book Title: Song of the King

Illustrator: Toni Goffe

Publisher: Crossway Books

Copyright date: 1995

number of pages: 29

Literary Genre: Fantasy

Age of reader: 1st-2nd grade

Narrative (fiction) or informative (non-fiction)? Fiction-narrative

Book awards? Nope.

Summary in 3 sentences or less: Three knights go on a journey through dangerous woods to see who will marry the princess.

My opinion of the book: Favorite children's book of all time!

Elements of literature: plot, characterization, setting

Theme/life lesson learned: listen to the sound of The King, choose your life companions wisely

Thematic unit topics: kings, princesses, marriage, knights, flutes, dangerous creatures, woods

possible objections to book: highly metaphorical with religious lessons

You can buy this book at: Amazon

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Language arts teacher resource website

I discovered a great website for language arts teachers! This website is maintained by a governmental branch of the department of education, and has lots of helpful resources and ideas.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

100 children's books

I enjoy finding lists of children's books, and one list that I recently found is at:


I haven't read all the books on the list, but I recognize most of the titles and authors, and know that they are well-known and good authors. Many of these books and authors have won awards and are classics. Enjoy!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Heaven is for Real

Considering I am always on the lookout for interesting books for and about children, this book review seems like an appropriate first post.  This review comes from Tim Challies, and I found it thought provoking.  Take a peek and see what you think!  

http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/heaven-is-for-real