New Nonfiction Faves

Hope everyone is enjoying this Winter Wonderland of Break!! Whether you are cuddling up with a book (or books), sipping coffee and just relaxing or taking a short trip, whatever it is, I hope you are enjoying it. That's the point of mini-vacation. Do whatever your heart desires. Mine? Well...I can't spend a vacation without wondering and diving into a good book, well...because that's just me! I'm pretty excited to discover a couple of great nonfiction books that will help me with an intense unit I'll be teaching after break. So here are four fantastic informational books for the young ones that I'm expecting to be a huge success, and they are all around the theme of animals!

 Wild Alphabet by Mike Haines and Julia Frohlich. Oh too much fun...so here it is! Not only an informational book, but also a pop-up book which guarantees children to go crazy for it! Each animal has a short description written in first person (as if the animal itself is talking), and one of the cool features is the ONE word chosen in that description that stands up from the rest....like JUMP, ROLL, FAST, SPLASH. Each word is featured in a different way, just a fun way for that word to get attention. A fun tool for young writers to know and understand how it is being used.

 Just One Bite 11 Animals and Their Bites at Life Size! by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Geoff Waring. Just like the title suggests it, this book teaches us how much an animal can eat with just ONE BITE! For example, with just one slurp octopus can eat this much crab. Each fact is supported with life size bites illustrations so readers can have a clear and true understanding. I must say that the illustrations in this book are AMAZING! The artist behind this book is an amazing London-based art director with years of experience working in the artistic world. Such a winning team!
 Zoo Borns! Zoo Babies from Around the World by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland.  Oh get ready to melt with each brilliant photograph! This book will be a favorite for all children regarding age because when it comes to baby animals, most children can't resist to wonder! I love how photographers from different parts of the world joined forces to put together an incredible book.  The book is written in first person thus giving personalities to each zoo born. The short, simple and sweet description of each animal is interesting enough to allow children to wonder more. This is all intentional since at the end of the book you can find three pages filled with MORE information about each baby animal including the zoo born location.
 Get ready to hold a huge book in your hands and to have wondering eyes all over you as you lift each flap  and read cool information! Out of sight by Pittau & Gervais is a work of art as well. This lift-the flap book shares more than 50 animals with its interesting fact. This is the kind of book you want to take your time and read it with no rush. Take days to discover, read a couple of facts each day, put the book away and come back the next day for more new learning! I might need two copies of this book in my classrooom because I can see children going back to it each day for more independent reading time.

So here are my discoveries so far! I can't wait to share these new titles with my students. I can't wait to dive intensively in our unit of Informational Books because we will be learning and reading them as readers but with writers' eyes as well.

So this is it for 2010! My last post of this year! I wish each one of you a quiet moment to reflect and be thankful for the year we're about to say goodbye to. I know it hasn't been easy for everyone, but I also believe in finding beauty in imperfections as well. I wish each one of you make of 2011 the year you would want to always always remember. Life is too short. Carpe Diem.

Pecan Pie Baby

 Jacqueline Woodson has a way with words and that is why we all just love her books! So when I saw a picture book at the library written by her, I immediately had to read it. And may I just say...I wasn't disappointed. The powerful language that Jacqueline Woodson uses in her books was very present in this picture book. The story is about changes, big changes....like Gian's new baby brother or sister who even though hasn't born yet, has already created some changes that worries Gia. The way Gia's mom deal with this changes and with her daughters reaction is the sweetest part in the book. I love how Jacqueline Woodson made mom such a strong, caring, and understanding individual who knew just how to connect with her daughter so that she will still feel so special. The story flows beautiful between the words and the illustrations, and it soothes the spirit of the readers for sure.

Living the Life of a Writer-Part II

In my recent blog post about Living the Life of a Writer-Part I, I shared some of my recent experience about belonging to a group of Spanish Writers in Columbus, Ohio. If you missed that first post, you can click here to find it. This journey is encouraging me to reflect so much about writing in my first language, in the process and craft of writing, in the importance of taking risks, and belonging to a community of writers.
After our poems got published in a local newspaper, our next step was to hold the first Spanish Poetry Night in Columbus, OH. This project started with four writers and we grew slowly throughout the week. Now there are eight of us and I am sure very soon this number will change.
Our meeting place was Express Yourself Music Cafe in Powell. An amazing and cozy coffee shop that hosts music events on a nightly basis. It is also decorated like an Art Museum with amazing work by local artists. It was the perfect place for us to hold such an event.

Because pictures are worth a thousand words....

So having choosing the perfect place to hold the event on a cozy Friday evening, the next step was just rehearsing and preparing ourselves for that evening. That special evening came in and was indeed a  night of achievements, but mostly it was the beginning of what hopefully would be new beginnings. The seeds were planted that night, and hopefully it will bloom into a strong tree of writers who would give shade and house to hungry Spanish writers.
Here are some pictures of our first Spanish Poetry Night held on Friday December 3:

This is the stage where magic unrolled. Well-known and respected Mexican Artist Santiago Pablo brought his paintings that night for display:

Enrique Infante, the man behind this project, opened the night by welcoming everyone and explaining the goals and ideas behind this group of Spanish writers.

 Here is a group picture of the amazing people I was able to share a stage with last Friday December 3. Let the love for learning, Spanish language, writing, and sharing grow and take us places that we couldn't imagine. The seed has been planted...now, time to let it bloom!

Living the Life of a Writer-Part I

A few weeks ago, Ohio teacher extraordinaire and Columbus blogger, Julie Johnson received the Donald Graves Excellence in Teaching Writing Award. What an honor, what a pride, what an accomplishment. I was reading Julie's Words of Gratitude post on her blog and I stumbled upon a sentence that is so true, so close to my heart. She said, " I became the writing teacher I had always wanted to be…I became a writer and it felt genuine. I, too, found my voice." 
That's right Julie, when we become writers ourselves, we understand the process of writing at a different level. Donald Graves believed that teachers of writing should be writers themselves. It is through this understanding and powerful statement that this year I decided to do something that I have never really done here in Columbus before. Under the encouragement of my friend, Enrique Infante, I joined the Latino Writers in Columbus. Enrique is an excellent musician, he has his own band, and was recently elected as the Most Growing Latino Artist in the United States. He writes poems, and of course, he writes lyrics for his songs.

Enrique organized and scheduled meetings at a wonderful and most inspirational coffee place: Express YourSelf Cafe in Powell. If you haven't visited this cozy and magical place, you should. So once a month, we got together, read our poems to each other, learn 2 or 3 new words in Spanish, and choose the next meeting time. It felt amazing to be part of a small group of writers. We share the passion for words, we share our love for Spanish. We love writing, and we were willing to take risks.
The newspapers Sol de Ohio decided to highlight our work in their newspaper. They choose one of our poems and published our work. Below you can find the link to the newspaper (online version).

http://elsoldeohio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=17&Itemid=107

There is so much more to share with all of you. That's the reason I will write about this process in different parts. But so far, this is what I'm learning in the process...

Having a community of writers here in Columbus feels safe.
Being able to express myself in my first language is like opening an old door. It feels familiar but it's been so long since I went through that particular door.
I love learning new words in Spanish. It shows that learning is, indeed, a never ending process.
Living the life of a writer feels authentic, feels real.
I'm taking a lot of risks by sharing my work with others but it is a risk I am willing to take in order to learn, understand and grow.

Our California

 Pam Muñoz Ryan and artist Rafael Lopez created an amazing and colorful book about the beautiful state of California simply titled "Our California". The author takes us on a journey starting way down south in San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, Los Angeles, Monterey, and all the way to the top through Eureka and back down to Palm Springs. Through poems, Pam takes us through an amazing tour filled with historical facts, and descriptive paintings of each place. Each place is describe in a four line poem, but if you wish to have more information surfing in San Diego or visiting the mountains of Yosemite, then you can go all the way to end of the book where is filled with more detailed  information and interesting facts. It is a wonderful resource  book that makes informational reading fun and captivating because of the colorful paintings that go along with each poem.
This book provides such a wonderful idea instead of the traditional "All About the State of ________" reports. Our California can serve as a mentor text, a springboard of ideas from which students can find inspiration to create their own original book!
What can I say? Pam Muñoz Ryan did it again, and it is a hit!

Thanksgiving Reflections

My dear blogger friends,
I owe you all an apology for not posting on My World/Mi Mundo for over a month. What can I say? Sometimes life happens and the unexpected all of a sudden becomes a reality. I will be honest. It hasn't been the smoothest ride since the beginning of the school year. Sometimes we are called to fight a bit harder for what we believe. It is in those moments, where I believe, your character as a teacher becomes more solidified. I am happy to say that all the ups and downs I went through, were worth the ride because the ESL program stands strong, and every day we are teaching and raising language lovers, readers and writers.
But my personal life took a detour from my teaching world, when my dad suffered from a stroke and I had to leave to South America immediately. I have an amazing principal, the best teaching partner, and an amazing staff that were so supportive during this difficult time. My dad is recovering and we were all giving a second chance in life. This journey with my dad's health has been such a miracle that five hours before my departure flight, the doctors sent my dad home after being in the hospital for two weeks. It was the best present, and the best way I could possibly come back to the States.
Here are some pictures of my dad coming home which is what I want to remember from that trip: the happy moments.

 Dad arriving home and my nephew couldn't be happier to have him back. I want to freeze that moment and always remember it.

 This picture gets me. Our dog...hugging my dad, how amazing is that?

My little nephew and I made that banner hanging out in the backyard of our house. It spells: Welcome Home Dad. We loved hanging it up. In the backyard you can one of the palm trees my dad planted 15 years ago. The story behind that is a simple one: I have always LOVED palm trees. And they are not really typical in Paraguay. When my dad finished building that house, he planted two palm trees: one for my sister and one for me. Yeap....that's how amazing my dad is. My dad received a second chance in life and so did we. And for that....I will always be thankful.

Blessings to all, And Happy Thanksgiving!

More Fall Books...

Time Zones by David A. Adler and illustrated by Edward Miller was one of the books in my pile after my visit to our amazing Columbus Metropolitan Library. This book is filled with fun facts and even some history on how Time Zones came about. This book answer questions like What is Daylight Savings Time? why do we reset our watch when we travel from one city to the other? Has it always been this way? Why do we have several time zones? Questions like these and much more are explored in this book but in a fun, concise manner. Even though it contains many facts, the book keeps a light approach to this topic by balancing it with some fun illustrations created by Edward Miller.
While discovering this book, I learned that the author has written other nonfiction books on the topics of Math, Science, and Economics. Definitely worth discovering, especially well written nonfiction books for the young ones!

Oh how I wished I've seen this book earlier in the school year! But it will still be a fun read aloud no matter what. The very young author, Alec Greven, gives his audience all the experience he has earned in his 7 years of life about how to survive school, especially the first day of school. Written in a straight forward, and with some spice of humor here and there, Alec Greven knows how to entertain his audience starting with rule # 1 that states that "You have to let go of summer." I could've have used that advice as well. :-)  He simply states that "it is a good idea to switch to "school time" three days before the first day of school. Smart kid. And of course one of his last rules: Appreciate your teacher is one of my favorite. A fun read aloud for our young children in Elementary School!

And on a much more serious note, the book Eight Days, A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat is one that will steal your heart for sure.  This book is a tribute to the brave children of Haiti for their courage to live and survive. Edwidge Danticat brings us the real story of Junior, a seven year-old boy trapped beneath his house after the terrible earthquake that forever changed this country.  Junior's amazing willingness to live and his incredibly smart way of using his imagination, helps him wait for the rescuers and for his time to finally be saved and healed after 7 days of being trapped under his own roof.
The amazing work of the artist, Alix Delinois is a perfect compliment. He knew how to paint Haiti since this is his hometown, his country, his people. Please don't miss the opportunity to bring this book into your classroom! It will leave so much to think about!

Enjoy the journey dear friends! I'm excited to see what this new season will bring in terms of books and experiences for our young readers and writers!

Some wonderful Early Fall Findings

Oh, I feel very lucky when I visit our amazing Columbus Metropolitan Library and I find some wonderful new additions:

Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka. I must confess that when I see Chris Raschka's name on a book, it immediately gets my attention. There is somethings incredibly powerful about his style of writing. Is is his great use of repeating lines? or is it the voice that surfaces in his books? or could it be his unique style of drawing?? or a combination of all? May be that's what it is. 
Little Black Crow invites and encourages to question, to wonder, to be curious.  In a story that contains 27 questions, what would this little Crow find in his way? who would he meet?  what is he afraid of? who does he love? where would he sleeps? What a wonderful new addition to any library....a book that encourages questions, questions and more questions!!!

 Another great finding, another great companion for your Writing Workshop unit on Writing Small Moments. Orlando on a Thursday by Emma Magenta is about a a boy who loves spending time with his mom. They do so many things together like having snacks, going for a walk. The exception is Thursdays because on Thursdays Orlando's mom is super busy running errands all day long.  Even though Orlando does not like to spend time away from mom, Dad reminds Orlando about all the great, super super things that can happen on a Thursday like....eating pancakes for lunch, taking super fun baths, reading stories together. They way the author Emma Magenta weaves the story is so beautifully done because she zooms in the life on Orlando on one particular day and balances beautiful the feelings of missing mom but enjoying dad at the same time.
 Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind  Beardshaw is also another great addition to any library. Lola loves stories so much, so much that with each story she reads, she immerses herself in the story line, in the characters, in the setting. By playing pretending games, and dressing up, Lola gets to live the stories from the books she reads. A great celebration of what book offer the readers, an opportunity to escape and explore!!

 What's the Big Idea, Molly? Written by Valeri Gorbachev. In this story, you get to meet Molly who loves to write and puts all her thoughts on papers. But Turtle's b-day is coming soon and she can't think of an original story or poem to write. Molly and her friends all think very hard to come up with an original gift but what would they do when all of them show up with the same idea? Read to find out how a group of friends search for inspiration and come up with clever solutions to a common problem.

What other great books would this season bring? I can't wait to discover more. Enjoy the journey.

Some wonderful Early Fall Findings

Oh, I feel very lucky when I visit our amazing Columbus Metropolitan Library and I find some wonderful new additions:

Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka. I must confess that when I see Chris Raschka's name on a book, it immediately gets my attention. There is somethings incredibly powerful about his style of writing. Is is his great use of repeating lines? or is it the voice that surfaces in his books? or could it be his unique style of drawing?? or a combination of all? May be that's what it is. 
Little Black Crow invites and encourages to question, to wonder, to be curious.  In a story that contains 27 questions, what would this little Crow find in his way? who would he meet?  what is he afraid of? who does he love? where would he sleeps? What a wonderful new addition to any library....a book that encourages questions, questions and more questions!!!

 Another great finding, another great companion for your Writing Workshop unit on Writing Small Moments. Orlando on a Thursday by Emma Magenta is about a a boy who loves spending time with his mom. They do so many things together like having snacks, going for a walk. The exception is Thursdays because on Thursdays Orlando's mom is super busy running errands all day long.  Even though Orlando does not like to spend time away from mom, Dad reminds Orlando about all the great, super super things that can happen on a Thursday like....eating pancakes for lunch, taking super fun baths, reading stories together. They way the author Emma Magenta weaves the story is so beautifully done because she zooms in the life on Orlando on one particular day and balances beautiful the feelings of missing mom but enjoying dad at the same time.
 Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind  Beardshaw is also another great addition to any library. Lola loves stories so much, so much that with each story she reads, she immerses herself in the story line, in the characters, in the setting. By playing pretending games, and dressing up, Lola gets to live the stories from the books she reads. A great celebration of what book offer the readers, an opportunity to escape and explore!!

 What's the Big Idea, Molly? Written by Valeri Gorbachev. In this story, you get to meet Molly who loves to write and puts all her thoughts on papers. But Turtle's b-day is coming soon and she can't think of an original story or poem to write. Molly and her friends all think very hard to come up with an original gift but what would they do when all of them show up with the same idea? Read to find out how a group of friends search for inspiration and come up with clever solutions to a common problem.

What other great books would this season bring? I can't wait to discover more. Enjoy the journey.