Science and poetry...two things that we may not think go together, but Jon does an amazing job pulling off this with his great sense of humor!
One of my favorites:
Mary hhad a little worm.
She thought it was a chigger.
But everything that Mary ate,
Only made it bigger.
It came with her to school one day,
And gave the kids a fright, Especially when the teacher said,
"Now that's a parasite!"
Let's listen to the CD too!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder, 4th grade
"Penelope Grey knew she was lucky," begins Penny Dreadful. You soon discover Penelope is so lucky to have two wonderful parents that love her very much and lots of toys to play with, but unfortunately her parents were home very much and she didn't play with her toys.
Still--she knows how lucky she is to have a personal chef and personal tutor, and no siblings to complain about...but all this good luck left her feeling one word:
BORED.
She tried reading to feel less bored, but only discovered bored little girls are usually very spoiled...and she didn't want to be spoiled.
When she complained to her dad how bored she was he simply told her, "...can't blame boredome on anyone but yourself. You can't just wait for things to happen to you . You have to do things."
So from that day on, she tried to do things everyday...but it wasn't much help. Until one day she wrote:
I wish something interesting would happen when I least expect it, just like in a book.
And tossed it into a well.
Well--what happens when you make a wish?
Have you heard, be careful what you wish for?
Well--Penelope was on her way to find out.
Soon enough, Penelopes dad quits his job and her mother inherits a house from an aunt she never met. So, the family leaves the city and finds themselves the property owner of Whippoorwillows in the small town of Thrush Junction.
Here her father tinkers in the garden and bakes for the locals, never working on his novel.
Her mother can only get a job as a garbage lady.
And Penelope decides to change her name to Penny.
Still--she knows how lucky she is to have a personal chef and personal tutor, and no siblings to complain about...but all this good luck left her feeling one word:
BORED.
She tried reading to feel less bored, but only discovered bored little girls are usually very spoiled...and she didn't want to be spoiled.
When she complained to her dad how bored she was he simply told her, "...can't blame boredome on anyone but yourself. You can't just wait for things to happen to you . You have to do things."
So from that day on, she tried to do things everyday...but it wasn't much help. Until one day she wrote:
I wish something interesting would happen when I least expect it, just like in a book.
And tossed it into a well.
Well--what happens when you make a wish?
Have you heard, be careful what you wish for?
Well--Penelope was on her way to find out.
Soon enough, Penelopes dad quits his job and her mother inherits a house from an aunt she never met. So, the family leaves the city and finds themselves the property owner of Whippoorwillows in the small town of Thrush Junction.
Here her father tinkers in the garden and bakes for the locals, never working on his novel.
Her mother can only get a job as a garbage lady.
And Penelope decides to change her name to Penny.
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream, 4th grade
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream
by Jenny Han
Clara Lee.
First and last name.
Everytime.
Everyday.
By everyone at school.
Clara Lee is Korean American and lives with her parents, Korean grandfather and sister. Grandpa calls Clara, Clara-yah, because in Korean when you add the 'yah' it is like saying--hey there Clara...showing how close you feel to someone. It is very evident Clara has a close connection to her grandpa. You learn that whenever Clara has an interesting or scary dream she tells her Grandpa before anyone else, because her Grandpa is a dream genius.
So when she dreams that her Grandpa dies, she is afraid to tell him the dream...afraid it may come true. Because of her little sister she is coerced to share the dream--and thankfully she does, because she discovers that a death dream is actually good luck!
And what good luck she discovers!! So much that she decides she will enter the Little Miss Apple Pie contest...but does she win?
Read the book to find out!
by Jenny Han
Clara Lee.
First and last name.
Everytime.
Everyday.
By everyone at school.
Clara Lee is Korean American and lives with her parents, Korean grandfather and sister. Grandpa calls Clara, Clara-yah, because in Korean when you add the 'yah' it is like saying--hey there Clara...showing how close you feel to someone. It is very evident Clara has a close connection to her grandpa. You learn that whenever Clara has an interesting or scary dream she tells her Grandpa before anyone else, because her Grandpa is a dream genius.
So when she dreams that her Grandpa dies, she is afraid to tell him the dream...afraid it may come true. Because of her little sister she is coerced to share the dream--and thankfully she does, because she discovers that a death dream is actually good luck!
And what good luck she discovers!! So much that she decides she will enter the Little Miss Apple Pie contest...but does she win?
Read the book to find out!
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