Make A Turkey (easy reader)

Make A Turkey by Anastasia Suen
A Bebop Easy Reader

Reading level: Guided Reading: D Intervention: 6 DRA: 4

Library Binding: 8 pages

Publisher: Bebop Books

A Japanese American boy demonstrates a fun classroom project – making a picture of a turkey from a handprint.

Also available in Spanish as Hacer un pavo.

Activities:

After you follow the directions in the book and make a turkey, use these lesson plans with your children:

Science: Have children make fingerprints.

Math: Show children how to use a handspan to measure.

Social Studies: Go for a walk and observe how different people use their hands. Make a list of what was seen.

Writing: Talk about what it means to “lend someone a hand.”

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Window Music (train)

Window Music by Anastasia Suen
Picture Book

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover/Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Viking/Puffin

This train ride was A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year!

Photos:

Visit Union Station in Los Angeles where the train ride began.

The Union Pacific Railroad photo gallery has LOTS of trains!

Follow the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway freight map.

Use Amtrak’s Interactive Route Atlas to explore all the places Amtrak goes.

Activities:

Print these trains activity and coloring pages.

Try this train track maze and this train shape maze.

Put this online train puzzle together.

Can you find all of the words in this train word search?

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The Red Cross (book and activities)

The Red Cross by Anastasia Suen
A Helping Organizations easy reader

With big, dramatic, close-up color photos and a few sentences of clear text on every page, these titles in the Helping Organizations series present the basic facts about each charity: the work it does across the world and the essential role of volunteers, including young people. New readers will be drawn by the drama of worldwide disasters and by the actions of those who can make a difference. Booklist

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover/Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: Rosen/Rigby

This book is also available in Spanish.

Activities:

Preview the book.

Explore the Red Cross Tools for Teachers and Parents.

Visit the online Red Cross Museum.

Print and color this historic Red Cross Poster Coloring Book. (The first poster was printed in 1945.)

Prepare for disasters with Cool Cat (fire), Ready Rabbit (winter storms) and Disaster Dog (earthquakes) in this Red Cross Activity Book

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Raise the Roof (home/community theme)

Raise the Roof by Anastasia Suen
Picture book

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Viking

“Here is a picture book that has done a remarkable thing—the author has reduced the steps of building a new home, from blueprint to welcome mat, to its bare essentials and written the story in jaunty rhyme that very young readers will both understand, and enjoy.” ~ Children’s Literature

Activities:

Learn about construction workers and their tools.

Compare Native American homes and the first homes built by European settlers inWhat Should a House Do?

Use these Home and Houses Activites and Crafts.

Make these Houses and Other Dwellings.

Think about Houses and Communities and children who are homeless.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Block Party (for Labor Day)

Block Party by Anastasia Suen
A Bebop Easy Reader

Reading level: Guided Reading™: E DRA: 6 Reading Recovery®: 7

Paperback: 16 pages

Publisher: Bebop Books

Join two friends, Tanya and Rosa, as they ride in a patriotic bike parade through their neighborhood and end up at fun-filled block party.

Also available in Spanish as Fiesta de barrio.

Activities:

Host your own block party.

Have a block party for kids.

Play the online Block Party Game by moving the blocks to select the members of your party band.

Have a bike parade birthday party!

Use these Block Party book lesson plans with your class.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Here Comes the Bus

Here Comes the Bus by Anastasia Suen
A Bebop Easy Reader

Reading level: Guided Reading™: B DRA: 2 Intervention: 2

Paperback: 8 pages

Publisher: Bebop Books

A Chinese American girl takes the bus to school and greets her friends, one by one, at each stop.

Also available in Spanish as Ya viene el autobús

Activities:

Use the lesson plans from the 91 page Illinois School Bus Safety Program.

First School has school bus music, coloring pages, crafts, and online games.

Play the online School Bus Safety Games.

Visit the Traffic Safety Kid’s Page for coloring pages, puzzles and a word scramble.

Download Free Bus Safety Presentations in PowerPoint.

Use these lesson plans with your class.

Literacy Links
Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

BMX Bully

BMX Bully by Anastasia Suen (writing as Jake Maddox)
A BMX novel

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Library Binding / Paperback: 72 pages

Publisher: Stone Arch Books

Matt’s chances of making the Evergreen Racing Team are seriously threatened when Tyler moves into town. Tyler is as mean as they come out on the racetrack. To make matters worse, Tyler’s dad bought the track, and he refuses to enforce any of the BMX racing rules. While this is an advantage to Tyler, a real BMX bully, Matt insists in riding by the rules. If Tyler would stop cheating, Matt might actually have a chance of making the team.

Activities:

Watch videos of this year’s X Games 15 BMX winners!

See the BMX Photo of the Day.

Visit the BMX Hall of Fame.

Check out the BMX Nationals Schedule for a race near you.

Use the BMX Bully Reader’s Theater Kit in your school or library.

Literacy Links
Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Man on the Moon – 40th anniversary!

Man on the Moon by Anastasia Suen
An Apollo 11 moon landing picture book
June 20th is the 40th anniversary of this historic mission!

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Puffin

Photos:

NASA’s photos of Apollo 11.

See three Apollo 11 videos:

Watch the earth launch, the moon landing, and the first step on the moon.

See and hear the Apollo 11 Mission at the History Place.

Activities:

Create your own Moon Art with the Eagle moon lander (above).

Use the Six Trait Writing mini-lesson at Picture Book of the Day.

For lesson plans and more, visit Challenging the Space Frontier

COMING NEXT WEEK at ALA:

Nonfiction Book Blast: Booktalks for Reluctant Readers
Sunday, July 12, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Convention Center Room W181 (Level 1 of the West Building.)

18 authors will “booktalk” their latest books! (You can see the booktalks on our wiki.)

Literacy Links
Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court by Anastasia Suen
American Symbols series Picture Book

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Library Binding: 24 pages

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Since our nation’s birth, the Supreme Court has been the highest court in the United States. But until 1935, it didn’t have a building of its own. Join a lawyer named Marta in The U.S. Supreme Court as she follows the court’s long journey to its final home in Washington, D.C.

Activities:

Visit the U.S. Supreme Court online.

See photos of the U.S. Supreme Court Modernization.

Learn more about the U.S. Supreme Court at Congress for Kids.

Take A Look at the Supreme Court with Time for Kids.

Read Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Are you attending ALA? Come see me on Sunday, July 12 from 1-2 at Booth #1940. I’ll be signing 100 copies of The U.S. Supreme Court…and Capstone is giving them away!

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Wired

Wired by Anastasia Suen
A picture book about electricity

Reading level: Ages 6-9

Hardcover/Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing

“By sticking consistently to the topic of how electricity reaches the home without trying to cover history, trivia, or more complex science, the fundamental information comes through in an appealing way that kids can fully understand.”
— School Library Journal

Activities:

Make a battery:

• with a lemon
• with coins or three potatoes
• a lemon and an old penny.

Try the electricity word search, criss-cross and double puzzles at Discovery Education.

Visit the Games Page at Energy Quest for an energy word search, crossword, jigsaw puzzles and more!

The Energy Kids page has riddles, online field trips, wordsearch and crossword puzzles, an energy source sudoku, and a scavenger hunt.

See Teacher’s Corner extensive list of electricity lessons and experiments.

Tune in Monday, June 29 at 2 pm Central. I’ll be on blogtalkradio’s Book Bites for Kids. Call in and ask me a question!

I’ll be signing copies of Wired at ALA in Chicago on Sunday, July 12 from 3-4 pm in Booth #1627.

Literacy Links
Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.