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Product Reviews April 2006
Each month Teaching Pre K-8 reviews outstanding products for the classroom.
This month's products are:
firsthand-Heinemann
Sourcebooks MediaFusion
The Kane Press
Boyds Mills Press
Milet Publishing
World Class Learning Materials
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Sleeping Bear Press
In Honor of Poetry Month
We absolutely love this new product by Nancie Atwell. It's called Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons (for grades six to nine) and is published by firsthand.
Many of us start our classroom day with a poem; this book takes that practice to a new level. There are over 200 poems, accompanied by five-to-10 minute lessons. The poems are sectioned into 15 groups (150 lessons) from "What Poetry Can Do," through "Reading and Writing" and "Farewell," an inspiring way to end the school year.
There's a 30-page guide written in easy teacher-to-teacher language that explains why and how Nancie integrates poetry into her curriculum and what it does for her students as readers, writers and as people. Accompanying this guide is a DVD that presents Nancie teaching seven poetry lessons and students talking with her about their poems.
The poetry book itself (374 pages) has an easy-to-use layout: There's a simple section on presenting each poem that includes setting the scene, features to notice, response stance and benediction. The last step invites students to move from critical readers to engaged writers.
Many of the poems are by well-known poets; others (and they are amazing), are by Nancie's students. This package is the final word on poetry's place in our classrooms and in our lives. A tremendous bargain at $65 plus s/h.
firsthand-Heinemann
www.firsthand.heinemann.com
Another Poetry Must-Have
We received the book plus CD, Poetry Speaks to Children and felt we had to tell you about it as soon as possible. We didn't know the publisher, Sourcebooks MediaFusion, but we do want to get to know them.
The poems included on the CD are read, in most cases, by the poets themselves. This is outstanding; one can hear Robert Frost reading "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Mary Ann Hoberman reading "Rabbit." Others included are Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and on and on. It's a wonderful selection and will work at just about any grade level.
The book presents 95 poems. The illustrations – the products of three different artists – are super. There is so much of life to teach through poems. "The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves, Or What You Are You Are" by Gwendolyn Brooks is a perfect example. You'll find your own favorites in this mini anthology and students will find the poem or poems that really speak to them. $19.95 plus s/h.
Sourcebooks MediaFusion
www.sourcebooks.com
"Social Studies Connects"
This series from Kane Press presents various scenarios that fall into the everyday life/social studies realm. Each book tells a fun story and extends reading skills as well.
There are explanatory bubbles covering specific terms or concepts integral to the plot of the story at the bottom of several of the pages. The stories involve the characters in solving mysteries, helping neighbors, contributing to schools and communities and help children discover that they play important roles in the world in which they live.
This is an inexpensive paperback series (32 pages in each book) that packs a great punch for its price, $4.99 per book. We like the fact that these concepts, because of the super artwork, are accessible to readers who might not have reached a fluent level. We saw $ally's Big $ave, Check It Out, New Dog in Town and Palapalooza, but there are 11 other titles like Carl the Complainer, No Money? No Problem!, No Rules For Rex and other everyday living situations.
Kane Press has many other paperback series that are kid-friendly and classroom indispensible. Visit their website and browse the list.
The Kane Press
www.kanepress.com
A Young Man's Dance
The newest book from Laurie Knowlton resonates with all of us watching older, much-loved parents and grandparents slip into unreality. A Young Man's Dance reminds a young boy, finally, that passions live on even when it seems we can't reach people we've loved or they seem to have forgotten special relationships.
Finding a way to bring back a remembered joy to his grandmother brings the beginning of understanding that the person he loved hadn't really changed. $15.95 at your bookstore.
Boyds Mills Press
www.boydsmillspress.com
Milet Publishing
We're not going to tell you about one book, but about the line available at Milet Publishing. This children's book publisher features books in over 30 languages as well as artistic children's books in English. With our classes becoming more and more diversified as to first language, this recent addition to U.S. publishing can be a real boon. They're located in Chicago and have a neat catalog.
Milet Publishing
www.milet.com
Math Vocabulary Quizmo
This game is a fun way to be sure kids have a strong mathematical vocabulary. Children match words to diagrams, simple problems or definitions at four levels of difficulty.
Included in the set are 40 double-sided game boards – 20 sides each at the four levels, 70 double-sided calling cards featuring 35 clues at each level, plastic markers, a Guide and more. These games work well with two to 20 players (grades two to six). This can be terrific for interpretation of data and diagrams and there's a lot of language arts practice here, too. Just $12.99 at your local school supply dealer. Add s/h if you buy from the manufacturer.
World Class Learning Materials
www.wclm.com
faces places and inner spaces – A Guide to Looking at Art
This is a unique book, by Jean Sousa, that will have kids looking very carefully at artwork from now on. The book explores how artists use faces, places and inner spaces to express themselves as well as to help us discover how people from different cultures and times have seen themselves. This approach gets really fascinating when the author tackles inner spaces: private places created by our emotions, thoughts, beliefs and imaginations.
Each of the works of art included in the book falls into one – and sometimes all – of the three categories.
In the back of the book there's also a packet with a grid for use in making a mural, a mirror and a frame to encourage kids to make a self portrait and a card illustrating how to make a "Cornell" (named after artist Joseph Cornell) box. These three suggestions can be great whole-class projects.
The glossary also at the back is invaluable and provides context for discussion about the art depicted in the book. At $18.95 at your bookstore, you can keep this one in your classroom.
Abrams Books for Young Readers
www.abramsyoungreaders.com
A Poetry Alphabet Book
A most unusual alphabet book comes from Sleeping Bear Press. It is R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet. Most of the letters introduce a poetic form, but a few like "I" (iambic) and "M" (metaphor) bring in poetic terms.
We honestly were not familiar with all the poetic forms included and found the whole approach fascinating. Did you know that there is a "you voice" poem or a "Xanadu" poem? We didn't.
The format of the book provides a detailed description of the form or the poetic word, and gives an actual original poem example in its entirety. The colorful art on each page or spread complements the poem.
A final page of the book includes poetry pointers as well as definitions of additional poetry terms from the author, Judy Young. For ages four to 10 says the publisher. We feel this book could (and should) be used beyond those parameters. $17.95 at your local bookstore.
Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
