Today was such an exciting day! We had the amazing privilege to have
author Mary Ting visit our school, talk with us about the importance of
writing and reading, and have our books autographed. The
best part is that Mrs. Ting is getting ready to publish her next book
and our students have the unbelievable opportunity to be the illustrators of this new book. Now
that is FANTASTIC! That kind of opportunity does not come around that
often (if ever). Imagine, how the chose kiddos will feel to see their published
illustrations in a book that can be read all over the
world. WOW. I can't wait to see who gets chosen.
Big Things Come in Small Packages is all about the daily adventures of Zoey and her friends Katie, Abby, Megan, and Nathan. I love
that the story is told from Zoey's perspective, because children can very easily relate. Our kiddos find themselves struggling to meet our expectations and being the age they are. It is so difficult being a kid--you're not an adult and you're not a baby. This book discusses very serious issues for children from daily problems they face, how to
stick up for themselves using their words, and that big things can come
in small packages. The dialogue is catchy and very humorous. My kiddos were constantly cracking up. The kiddos especially loved that all the illustrations were from students at Mrs. Ting's former school. I above all love how you can use it for many reading lessons--dialogue, show not tell, plot, chronological events, word choice, humor, realistic fiction elements, etc. It is such an easy and smooth read. I highly recommend this book.
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The week after Thanksgiving break, we had the honor of having another author visit at our school. Her name is E G Ryan
.
She is the author and illustrator of some adorable children's books that have colorful illustrations, endearing characters, and great themes. She read a couple of her books to our students and talked about her routines as a writer. She talked with the kiddos about where she gets her ideas, how she incorporates her family and friends in the illustrations, and the importance of reading.
I really liked
The Dreamies, because of the importance of kids to get out and play. The importance of balance in our lives is what hit home for me. As my journey with my current kiddos is slowly coming to an end this June, and as I prepare to go back down to kinder/first (?), I am definitely going to start getting my hands on her collection. It will make an excellent author study.
