The Reading Circle

autism, book list, disability awareness, social-emotional

Book List: Understanding Autism

October 25, 2022September 30, 2022 Seth Harris

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures (The Innovation Press)
Written by Julia Finley Mosca
Illustrated by Daniel Rieley

For ages: 4-8
My first encounter with the concept of autism came through Temple Grandin. I was a child when I saw a report about her on ABC’s 20/20, and at the time, I didn’t fully understand what made her different. I know much more now as an adult and someone on the spectrum. This story, told in rhyme, teaches children about Grandin by starting with her childhood. First, she feels frustrated when trying to communicate with other children. Eventually, a high school teacher fosters a love of science in the young woman who invents a special machine that will soothe cattle, keeping them from a panic so they can be more humanely slaughtered. There are lots of extras in the back pages that will extend your student’s learning. This is also one of the few books I could find that talks about autism from the autistic person’s perspective.

A Friend For Henry (Chronicle Books)
Written by Jenn Bailey
Illustrated by Mika Song

For ages: 4-8
Henry is looking for a new friend in his classroom but getting frustrated. The other children don’t make sense sometimes. They scream so loud. They can’t stay in their seats. They like things that Henry does not like. While the text never explicitly states that Henry is autistic, we can infer it through his behavior and traits. The most fun Henry has is when he can sit quietly and watch the class goldfish swimming in her bowl. Eventually, Henry does find Katie, someone who seems to have patience for him and shares the same desire to be still & quiet. Henry can become more flexible when he finds someone that shows him empathy. This is an excellent text to help children understand classmates who may see things differently.

Continue reading →

holiday, middle grade

Middle Grade Must-Read: The Doll That Waved Goodbye and Other Scary Stories

October 18, 2022October 5, 2022 Seth Harris

Michael Dahl’s Really Scary Stories: The Doll That Waved Goodbye and Other Scary Stories (Stone Arch Books)
Written by Michael Dahl
Illustrated by Xavier Bonnet

For ages: 7-10
Children love horror. That’s just a fact. But, do children often get exposed to age-inappropriate horror? Sadly, yes. But that doesn’t mean we should allow them to have access to scary stories. This recent article from National Geographic discusses how the genre is really good for kids. In my teaching experience, I have included horror and scary stories in some of my read-alouds based on what my students wanted. I would also introduce the scary book, explain what it was, and state that if one person didn’t feel comfortable with me reading it, we would put it away and read another equally fun book. Sometimes I had students that didn’t want to hear it, so I set the book aside. However, almost every time, those same students would go to the scary book during their independent reading time and ultimately enjoyed the text.

Continue reading →

author spotlight, family, illustration

Author Spotlight: Stephen Gammell

October 13, 2022September 29, 2022 Seth Harris

Something about Stephen Gammell’s illustrations always pulls me in. Of course, you’ll likely know him as the person behind the ghoulish drawings from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. Those nightmarish art pieces are the perfect companion to the folktales being retold there. Unfortunately, they have removed Gammell’s work for less intense illustrations in recent editions. Still, I think that is the wrong move. Gammell is a fantastic artist; those pictures help set the right unsettling mood.

Continue reading →

holiday, humor, illustration, scary

Book List: Nice Witches

October 11, 2022September 29, 2022 Seth Harris

10 Busy Brooms (Doubleday Books for Young Readers)
Written by Carole Gerber
Illustrated by Michael Fleming

For ages: 3-7
There’s no shortage of counting books out there in every shape & style you can imagine. So it’s only fair the witches have one of their own. One witch gets added to the group at a time as they encounter spooky Halloween creatures. It’s not too scary for the kids, though, drawn in an adorable cartoonish style by Michael Fleming. There are skeletons, goblins, mummies, werewolves, and everyone you can imagine. It will not blow any reader’s mind. Yet, it is a thematically fun way to enjoy the Fall holiday and keep young children developing their numeracy.

Continue reading →

asian-american, humor, illustration, science, spotlight

Spotlight: The Upside Down Detective Agency/Usha and the Big Digger

October 6, 2022September 29, 2022 Seth Harris

The Upside Down Detective Agency (Kane Miller Books / EDC Publishing)
Written by Ellie Hattie
Illustrated by Brendan Kearney

For ages: 4-8
As a child, I loved books with intricate maze-like illustrations. You could spend hours on a single two-page spread pouring over the details. Within those illustrations were other small stories that sparked my imagination. As a teacher, I have seen that these types of books always draw in even the most hesitant independent readers. It gives them something to latch onto through the illustrations so that even if they cannot read every printed word they are experiencing storytelling. The Upside Down Detective Agency is exactly that sort of book and it made me grin ear to ear while I was reading it.

Stella & Stan are a pair of sloths that work as detectives. One day someone knocks on their office door. It’s Lady Veronica Velocity Speed, a famous race car driver whose specially designed diamond warp drive has been stolen. Stella & Stan rush into action…well, as quickly as sloths can rush and they need the reader’s help in noticing clues. There is no way this book can be read without audience interaction and that is going to make it a crowd pleaser in your home or classroom. It’s a book that helps children develop their observation and attention to detail, all while having fun in the process.

Activities

1. Have students pick their favorite page from the book. Discuss what elements make it their favorite page. Then have the student take what was talked about and compose a short paragraph about their favorite page.

2. Any good detective agency needs an advertisement to let people know they are there. Have students make a brochure for the Upside Down Detective Agency. They need to explain who the detectives are and give a testimonial from their latest client, Lady Veronica Velocity Speed.

3. For your students that want a big challenge, have them write the next adventure for the Upside Down Detective Agency. They will need a client, a crime, and a solution. A colorful detailed illustration should also be an expectation.

Usha and the Big Digger (Charlesbridge)
Written by Amitha Jagannath Knight
Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat

For ages: 4-8
While billed as part of a series of Math storytelling books, I wouldn’t say this book is a great example of the concept it’s trying to convey: orientation. It’s lacking some concrete STEM explanations in the back matter but that is okay because it’s an incredibly charming story. Usha is lying in the backyard with her big sister Aarti looking at the stars one night. Aarti points out the Big Dipper constellation but that is not what Usha sees. The little girl sees a big digging machine and insists that is what the stars are shaped like. Cousin Gloria arrives and contemplates things further by saying she sees a kite in that cluster of stars.

The illustrations here are perfectly done to draw in the eye. They burst with color and expressive faces. I appreciate the diversity on display with dark skinned Southeast Asian people represented. It is implied that Gloria is actually bi-racial (Black as well as South Asian). While the content isn’t hard math, it does provide some good social-emotional lessons in perspective. None of the three girls is wrong, they are just seeing something different in the same place and learning how to accept each other’s views is what is important. For a book about Math concepts, it was a little difficult for me to see it but this is a fantastic book overall.

Activities

1. Introduce the constellations to your students. There are a total of 88 so go with some of the more well-known ones (e.g. The Big Dipper, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, etc.). Have students turn the images around until they see something. Have a discussion about why they see what they see.

2. Now that your students know about the constellation, have them write a short myth that explains how that constellation came to be in the sky. You will likely want to read a short fable from the past that does this so they have a sense of what their story should be like.

3. Have your students write an email to Aarti and Usha. They should help them figure out how not to get into such big arguments.

afro-caribbean, folktales, middle grade, scary

Middle Grade Must-Read: The Jumbies

October 4, 2022September 29, 2022 Seth Harris

The Jumbies (Algonquin Young Readers)
Written by Tracey Baptiste

If you are like me, you might have never heard of a jumbie before. A jumbie is a mythological spirit or demon in the folklore of Caribbean countries like Trinidad & Tobago or Jamaica. They are the centerpiece of the first book in a middle-grade fantasy series that brings a unique mythos to young readers. Corrine Le Mer is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her widower father. She sells oranges in the market to make extra money and seems to have an almost supernatural green thumb. One day, a couple of troublemaking boys tie her late mother’s necklace to a wild animal. Corrine chases after it to retrieve the heirloom. A jumbie takes notice of her and follows the girl out of the jungle. Eventually, we learn the jumbie is directly related to Corrine, and the little girl’s mother never revealed something about herself while she lived.

Continue reading →

animals, book list, humor, social-emotional

Book List: Elephants!

September 27, 2022September 9, 2022 Seth Harris

This list is dedicated to my lovely wife, Ariana, who loves elephants.

A Parade of Elephants (Greenwillow Books)
Written & Illustrated by Kevin Henkes

For ages: 2-5
This is a perfect read for your preschooler. It uses its elephants to practice counting to five, colors, and position. The elephants are counted out (“Look! / Elephants! // One, / two, / three, / four, / five.” ) with a simple chart that shows their line growing one at a time. The parade goes up and down hills, through a tunnel, under the canopy of trees in the jungle, and many other places. At the end is a magical surprise, as the elephants blow stars into the sky from their trunks before settling down to sleep for the night. The illustrations here are simple & easy for a very young child to understand. I can easily see this becoming a child’s favorite bedtime read and a great way to practice those starting skills.

When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles (Little Simon)
Written by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

For ages: 2-5
A little girl must help her pet elephant with his sniffles. First, she puts the pachyderm to bed and cleans up all the dust in case he’s allergic. Next, she brings him a toy and then goes about her business. However, the elephant gets bored quickly, and it becomes her full-time job to ensure he’s resting. This is part of the When Your series, where children are put in the parents’ position working with an animal that won’t cooperate. The book intends to help children develop empathy and understanding of why their parents ask them to do certain things, especially related to health & hygiene. It’s a great mix of humor and compassion that I think all kids will enjoy reading.

Elmer (HarperCollins)
Written & Illustrated by David McKee

For ages: 4-8
Elmer is a patchwork elephant, his skin covered in square patches of all colors. This makes him stand out from the herd, and Elmer doesn’t like that. He’s never met a patchwork elephant before and wants to look like everyone else. A mysterious fruit ends up being the “cure” for Elmer, but it doesn’t go the way he expects. This is a great story about learning to love yourself and finding a community that will love you for who you are. I think it also helps students to see different perspectives. While we may think Elmer looks fantastic at a cursory glance, that is not what is happening inside his head. It will take reassurance from the people who love Elmer to help him accept himself.

Stand Back Said the Elephant I’m Going to Sneeze (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books)
Written by Patricia Thomas
Illustrated by Wallace Tripp

For ages: 4-8
The Elephant makes a loud proclamation to the creatures of the savannah that he’s about to sneeze. They all begin bracing for impact, knowing that an elephant sneeze can do a lot of damage. The readers will hear from the animals about what they fear will happen. The cheetahs are worried their spots will be blown off, for example. The text is told in a simple rhyming format, making it a great piece to teach rhyme and poetry to your lower elementary students. This is one of those books that makes for an excellent read-aloud for those teachers that are natural performers. You won’t just want to read; you’ll want to stand up and shout, acting out the animals’ reactions and the surprise (a mouse) that comes to help the elephant.

Poe Won’t Go (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Written by Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

For ages: 4-8
A pink elephant named Poe sits in the middle of town and won’t budge. The citizens of Prickly Valley are ticked off that the one road in their village is blocked. Cars begin forming a pile-up, honking and yelling at Poe to move. He gets cited by a police officer. A marching band tries to scare him away. The mayor forms committees to investigate the problem. However, one little girl comes upon the answer: Ask him why he won’t move. This is a ridiculous book, and the elephant’s answer is the silliest part. OHora’s acrylic and pencil illustrations are a delightful addition that adds to the cartoonish nature of the situation. I love picture books that serve as vehicles for silly jokes, letting most of the text be the set-up with the last page as the punchline. That is precisely what is going on here.

Zola’s Elephant (Clarion Books)
Written by Randall de Seve
Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

For ages: 4-8
Zola moves into a new house, and the narrator, the little girl living next door, is afraid to introduce herself. The narrator imagines Zola owning an elephant and having so much fun with her pet. Why would she want to be friends with the narrator? The book cuts to Zola’s perspective, and we find that she is pretty lonely, surrounded by unpacked boxes and wishing she had a friend. The narrator, on the other hand, keeps building greater & greater fantasies of Zola and her elephant’s adventures until reality brings her back to the ground. The story is very well paced with expressionist-style paintings from Pamela Zagarenski. The top-notch art here has many pages that would make beautiful framed art pieces.

Tabitha and Fritz Trade Places (Two Lions)
Written by Katie Frawley
Illustrated by Laurie Stansfield

For ages: 4-8
Tabitha, a house cat, and Fritz, a jungle elephant, meet over the website LairBnB where they agree to trade houses for a while. They have come to find their respective homes boring, and they think the other animal lives somewhere exciting. Told through emails, Tabitha & Fritz ask questions about parts of the other’s habitat they don’t quite understand. I was reminded of Amelia Bedelia and her habitual misunderstanding of simple things that were just unfamiliar to her. Eventually, these two find their new home isn’t quite as exciting as anticipated, and they begin to yearn for their old place. I loved that this story is told in a non-traditional format, a great way to model different types of writing for our students. This would make an excellent starter for students writing back and forth in pairs as characters of their invention.