Fair-minded Groundhog is caught in a conundrum. The seasonal prediction he makes on Groundhog Day pleases some of his friends, but not all. Bear and Hare want six more weeks of winter. Squirrel and Sparrow, most definitely, do not. Groundhog explains that he’s not in control of the weather. Instead, he merely “Calls it like he sees it.”
When springtime eventually arrives, the animals of the forest resort to manipulation and bribery hoping to influence Groundhog’s future shadow-watching declarations. His social calendar overflows with invitations to baseball games, dining opportunities, and entertaining experiences unlike those he’s ever known! Truth be told, he enjoys the attention. However, come February 2, there will be a price to pay. Will Groundhog be able to truthfully state what his shadow reveals or will he be swayed in efforts to please others?
Groundhog’s Dilemma (Charlesbridge, 2015) explores themes of friendship, integrity, and honor is the most delightful ways. Debut author Kris Remenar’s sparse, tongue-in cheek text is hilarious, lively, and perfectly complimented by husband Matt Faulkner’s incredibly detailed illustrations. Groundhog’s Dilemma is both funny and poignant, one that readers will enjoy time and time again.
Reading aloud is one of those things that seems to fall by the wayside these days. It’s a shame. Kids, parents, teachers, librarians. We’re all over-scheduled, over-worked, over-tired. And yet, for those of us who love to read and who believe in the power of story, those 15 or 20 minutes we spend sharing a favorite book with a child or a class are surely worth the extra effort.
There’s a gem of an article, written back in November of 1993, by Christopher de Vinck and published in the Wall Street Journal called, “Why I Read to My Children.” It says more succinctly than I can, why reading aloud is one of the most important things a parent can do for a child, and I’d like to think that, by extension, these same reasons can apply to teachers and librarians who read aloud to students.
Reading aloud to children every day gives them the widest entry to that place we call freedom. Reading aloud to children begins the slow process of education that ends in parents and teachers celebrating: “They know! They know! Their hearts and minds have made the connections. Our children are free. They know! (de Vinck, 1993)
Much has been written about the value of reading aloud, both as a demonstration of the joy of a good book and as a tool for parents and teachers to model the reading process. Routman writes that reading aloud is a perfect way to “demonstrate thinking aloud – predicting summarizing as you go, working through tough spots.” (31) She suggests that reading aloud can be an opportunity to address pacing, model rereading for clariforing theication, make connections to known information, and confirm or disprove predictions.
But reading aloud can be much more. Routman writes, “Sometimes, the book is so good that just reading aloud and sav moment is enough. Our silence is our appreciation. Many times, however the conversation and interaction around the book are what make reading aloud powerful. (32)For specific hints about the how-tos of reading aloud, check out Esmé Raji Codell’s terrific list, Hints for Reading Out Loud, as well her favorite read-aloud recommendations and book, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading.
We are here because of the friendship of the first people. This month of November has been appropriately designated as American Indian Heritage Month.
I give thanks for excellent, authentic and accurate books written for children by authors and artists who are American Indian. Here are several I am pleased to share with you. For many other outstanding books recommended by the National Museum of American Indians (Smithsonian), please visit their website: NMAI
This eloquent message of gratitude originated with the Native people of upstate New York and Canada and is spoken at gatherings held by the Iroquois or Six Nations.
To initiate a lively and important discussion, read with your family or students:
A stellar book is a recent one by S. D. Nelson, Standing Rock Sioux: SITTING BULL: LAKOTA WARRIOR AND DEFENDER OF THIS PEOPLE. In this picture-book biography, Nelson tells the story of Sitting Bull’s life while seamlessly weaving in important events of the Lakota people during the nineteenth century. Nelson combines quotes from individual Lakota leaders and from Sitting Bull with archival photographs plus adding his own drawings made on ledger paper that mimic historic Lakota drawings made during the 1800’s.
It’s quite a book, one that you will read and remember.
Anyone of these books is a thoughtful gift to bring to a holiday gathering. Read one to a young listener, discuss, and give thanks!
There’s much to admire about Patrick McDonnell’s work. In fact, two of his picture books have found their way into ReaderKidZ’ reviews over the last several years – Me, Jane (Little, Brown & Co., 2011), a Caldecott Honor winner, tells the story of a young Jane Goodall’s dream of “a life living with and helping all animals” and A Perfectly Messed-Up Story (Little, Brown & Co., 2014) about the sometimes messy and inconvenient realities of the stories we tell and the lives we live.
But now McDonnell has written a book with all the makings of a classic bedtime story – Thank You and Good Night. From the flap copy: “In a gentle tribute to classic children’s books, award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell captures the magic of a very first sleepover with friends that also reminds us to cherish even the simplest pleasures.”
The story begins quietly enough. The sun sets. The moon rises, and Maggie, the little girl of the house, helps Clement, her stuffed bunny, button his favorite pajamas. His friends – Jean, a small elephant, and Alan Alexander, a bear with a red balloon – come for a sleep over. There are games and snacks and a funny face contest. Best of all, there are “stories about a majestic elephant, a brave bear, and a quiet bunny…. Stories that bring sweet dreams.”
Just before the friends fall asleep, Maggie invites the three to say what they’re thankful for – “The sun, the moon, a red balloon… a shooting-star wish… cozy pajamas… A long, long list…” that ends with a good-night kiss. It’s tender and sweet and heartfelt… a gentle, child-centered bedtime story that begs to be shared with the special child in YOUR life.
World War II is a conflict that has been the subject of many books in recent years. Many of these books – both adult and children’s – are about life in Europe during that conflict. Fewer paint a picture of what life was like here in the United States. Although the fighting was far away, the ugliness and prejudice wars create landed right on our home shore. It’s a valuable story for children to read about and, in the case of the middle grade novel A Tiny Piece of Skyby Shawn Stout (Philomel Books, January 2016), a funny and warm family story, as well – in spite of the raging war.
The determined, feisty voice of the narrator, eleven-year-old Frankie Baum, comes across loud and clear. It’s not bad enough that she’s the youngest of three girls and always in hot water with her mother. Her oldest sister Elizabeth is called Princess by their parents, while her favorite sister, Joan, is headed to the country for the summer, which means Frankie will lose her closest confidante and partner-in-crime. She’ll also be the one who ends up working in their father’s new restaurant for the entire summer. No fair! All of this means that Frankie’s already feeling dejected when, suddenly, things get worse: the war on the other side of the ocean moves into the town of Hagerstown MD, where the Baums have always lived in harmony with their neighbors. The thing is, Baum is a German name and Germans are the enemy.
When Frankie’s father is accused of being a German spy (even though he was born and raised in the United States), many of the town’s people turn against them and the family’s livelihood and happiness are threatened. In a story both poignant and funny, Stout has created a little piece of important history, one that resonates with the times.
Dianne: SHARING THE BREAD is your third book, and what a beauty! The subtitle, “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story” hints at the traditional and timeless nature of the text. The illustrations – gouache on watercolor paper – beautifully rendered by Jill McElmurry, capture a 19th-century American family preparing the stove and cooking pot, kneading bread and basting a tasty turkey. Yum!
Americans love Thanksgiving. Do you have a favorite tradition associated with the holiday? Maybe the “before” time of prepping food, setting the table, making sure all is ready? Or the quiet “after” time when everyone’s stuffed and talked out?
PAT: I really enjoy Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. I like all the parts, but my favorite might be eating the leftovers for the next few days. I like turkey sandwiches – chopped turkey on good sourdough bread with a little butter and some salt. And, I like seeing my brother and sister, whom I don’t see nearly enough.
And, may I just say that I’m so impressed with Jill McElmurry’s art in this book? I love how she brings the family to life and all the research she did to reflect the kitchen accurately. Here’s an interview where Jill talks about how she approached the book.
Dianne: From the first page, your lyrical text immediately brought to mind the rhythms of a song. Not a song I knew, but one that I felt might have roots in an old colonial favorite. The pattern of the first line, repeated with a small change in the last line of a stanza. A chorus, that folds in a key word from each of these stanzas, follows. It’s lovely.
Sometimes the simplest text can be the hardest to write. Other times, the words just seem to pour out. Can you talk about your process in writing SHARING THE BREAD? Did the text come quickly, or was this a story that needed lots of think time? How did you choose the structure? What about the decision to rhyme, which can be a challenge in and of itself?
PAT: First, thank you for comparing the text to a song. It isn’t something I’d thought of, but an author friend of mine, Lisa Morlock, says her kids came up with a tune and sing the book. This makes me happy on many levels.
The first draft of this book came relatively easily. I heard the first two sentences in my head during a work meeting that had nothing to do with food. I emailed them to myself at home and started playing around with them. Soon, I had a family working together to create a meal.
An editor suggested having the family cook a holiday meal to give the book a bit of a hook. So I pulled out large chunks of my hair as I tried to come up with rhymes for traditional Thanksgiving foods while keeping the language simple. Anne Schwartz of Schwartz & Wade suggested adding a refrain, and I’m so glad she did. It took a while to figure things out, but once I came up with the idea of repeating words from the previous stanza, things came together.
I’ve sold three rhyming books. But, I try to avoid rhyming when I can because it makes things so much harder. There’s much less room for error in rhyme, and when it’s bad, it’s really bad. But if you hang in there and do the work and have hair to spare, it just might turn into something you’re proud of. And when that happens, it’s a great feeling.
Dianne: You have three, very successful books with more on the way. What can readers look forward to next?
PAT: I have a picture book coming out in January for Chronicle – THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, enchantingly illustrated by Frank Morrison. It tells the story of Alta, who takes pride in thinking she’s the quickest kid in Clarksville, Tennessee. But when Charmaine moves to her neighborhood, Alta feels threatened. Eventually, both girls discover they love Olympic gold medal sprinter Wilma Rudolph, and are able to form an alliance. This is the first historical fiction I’ve written, and it was fun because I’ve always been a big fan of Wilma Rudolph, and I learned all kinds of new things about her as I researched the book – including the contribution she made to integration in her hometown. This blog post tells how the story came to be.
Then, in June, the sequel to SOPHIE’S SQUASH comes out. It’s called SOPHIE’S SQUASH GO TO SCHOOL and it follows Sophie starting school. Her classmates don’t immediately appreciate the many charms of her squash friends. And Sophie doesn’t see the value of human friends right away, either. I am extremely fond of Sophie, and am thrilled to see her back in action. And Anne Wilsdorf’s art? Just thinking about it makes me smile.
Dianne: Thanks for stopping by ReaderKidZ, Pat!
Be sure to check out an earlier ReaderKidZ review of Pat’s book, WHEREVER YOU GO,
and learn more about Pat on her website HERE.
November has finally arrived. The stores are filled to overflowing with turkeys, pumpkins, spices, and all manner of signs to remind us that the holidays are just around the corner. One especially sweet addition lining bookstore and library shelves this season is Pat Zietlow Miller‘s newest – SHARING THE BREAD , illustrated by Jill McElmurry.
Subtitled, “An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving Story” Sharing the Bread, has all the charm and feel of a familiar, traditional song that recounts the joys of working together as a family to create a memorable meal. As Mama fetches the cooking pot, and Daddy makes the fire hot, Sister kneads the rising dough, brother lines loaves in row. Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle have jobs too. When all is prepared, the table set, the food waiting, hot on the table, the family gathers round to “share the risen bread” and their “made-with-love Thanksgiving spread.”
A beautiful addition to a classroom library or a family’s home collection, SHARING THE BREAD is the perfect read-aloud to share the spirit and joy of this season.
Check back later this week to enjoy an interview with Pat about writing this book, along with what readers can anticipate from Pat in the coming year.
Mission Statement
To provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5.
demonstration of the joy of a good book and as a tool for parents and teachers to model the reading process. Routman writes that reading aloud is a perfect way to “demonstrate thinking aloud – predicting summarizing as you go, working through tough spots.” (31) She suggests that reading aloud can be an opportunity to address pacing, model rereading for clariforing theication, make connections to 
Sometimes the simplest text can be the hardest to write. Other times, the words just seem to pour out. Can you talk about your process in writing SHARING THE BREAD? Did the text come quickly, or was this a story that needed lots of think time? How did you choose the structure? What about the decision to rhyme, which can be a challenge in and of itself? 
new things about her as I researched the book – including the contribution she made to integration in her hometown. 
