Puppets!

My big program during the school year is a puppet making workshop. We meet once a month and teach the kids how to make a puppet. We also do some cumulative work towards our annual puppet show. Yesterday was our first workshop of the school year. We taught the kids how to make a bird sock puppet. Here are some pictures of the kids in action.

Our youngest participant this month was just 3 years old. He had a great time.

This bird sports a spectacular hat.

This bird has eye spots at the end of it's beak to protect it from predators. An ingenious choice on the part of this young puppeteer.

This puppeteer was incredibly focused and managed to color the entire sock and beak with markers (both were white to begin with) while also helping a younger kid with his puppet.

 

Book review - I'll Give You the Sun

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin
                     Made of Stars by Kelley York
Rating:

Lovely and a little dizzying

Summary: Growing up, fraternal twins Jude and Noah were inseparable. They communicated without speaking, never played rock-paper-scissors since they always threw the same shape. Jude was the only one who understoond Noah's eccentricities. Now that the twins are teenagers, things have changed and they could not be more different. This book is told in two voices and time periods - Noah at age 13 (when they begin to change) and Jude at age 16 (when they hardly know each other any more).
My opinion: This book has been getting a lot of buzz and I can certainly see why. What a masterpiece. Nelson deftly manages two vastly different characters and two different points in their lives. Noah is very much an "other", so off from "normal" that anything is possible. Jude is incredibly damaged, broken by fears and secrets. And secrets play a huge role in the plot. We see these secrets and their effects slowly unfold, revealing how these previously close kids got to a point where they don't even talk. Beyond plot, this book is beauty and art. There is this great exploration of the artist's temperament and the process of creating. And absolutely wonderful phrasing. There's a beauty in the description of even little things. One of my personal favorite lines is "the strong smell of the ocean too, like he's carrying it on his back". That line just blows me away.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by Net Galley

Picture books for everyone

Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett

This is an entirely singular book. The base story is a sweet tale of a bunny celebrating his birthday with his friends. What really makes this book is the second story, the one that "Alex", the child to whom this book was given, wrote over top. This is the story of Battle Bunny and his evil plan to take over the world. With "pencil" additions to both the text and the illustrations, this is exactly what you might expect a boy to do to a book he doesn't like. Even the title page and copyright information have additions. It is certainly a different way of looking at a picture book and one that older kids will enjoy. It might also serve as inspiration for a writing project with the right kids.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Skink - No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
Richard is worried about his cousin Malley. About to be shipped off to an all-girls boarding school in New Hampshire, Malley has taken off with someone she met online. Richard is at a loss for how to help when he meets Skink, former governor of Florida and current eco-vigilante. Skink might just be wild enough to help him track Malley down and bring her home.
I'm not familiar with the character of Skink, though I understand he's a long standing character of Hiaasen's. I do enjoy the straight-forward writing style and ecological undertones. I've enjoyed what I've read of this so far and am looking forward to seeing the plot play out.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin
All Sarah can remember is the hospital. She's been told she is undergoing treatment to erase painful memories, that she's being given a chance to start over. That doesn't explain the wariness of the nurses who seem to treat her like a dangerous animal. And it certainly doesn't explain the soldiers who burst into the hospital as Sarah is undergoing one of her final treatments. Soldiers who gun down staff, blow up rooms, and seem intent on hunting her down. She is in a fight for her life that she doesn't understand.
With a great sense of pacing and a careful disbursement of details, this is a novel that will keep you reading. As Sarah meets a wide range of characters, each of whom reveal something about her past (sometimes directly, sometimes in a more general manner), we learn a lot about her character and begin to wonder with her what the future could possibly hold for someone like her. Great visuals and plenty of action.
 
What do you think you will read next?
On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers
Set in the near future, this is somewhat of a departure for Myers. I'm curious to see his approach to this concept of oppressive government and revolutionary teens. 

Book Review - The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth

Title: The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth
Author: Ian Lendler
Genre: graphic novel
Similar Books: Fairy Tale Comics Edited by Chris Duffy
                     Knights of the Lunch Table by Frank Cammuso
Rating: 

Some silly fun

Summary: Late at night, after the Stratford Zoo closes, the animals put on plays. Specifically, the works of Shakespeare. Tonight they are undertaking the Scottish play - Macbeth. Watch as the animals relate the story of Macbeth in a kid friendly way (with some interruptions from the audience).
My opinion: I'm a big fan of books that introduce kids to works of classic literature in a more palatable manner. This fun graphic novel actually hits on all the major plot points of the original play. Macbeth the lion actually eats all of his enemies, including all of Macduff's family (though they are eventually rescued from his stomach to keep it from becoming too grim for little ones). A heavy dose of humor and high visual appeal make this a fun read. This series will be a great way to introduce Shakespeare to young readers.
More Information: The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth releases September 30th.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

A gift for my mother

My quest to complete Christmas gifts continues. I've been working on this little nativity set off and on for a few months. I'd like to add a few more pieces, but this is what I have completed so far.

Joseph is a little tippy, but we'll just say he's kind of bowled over by what has happend.

And the cow's head is overly large but it had to be to keep her upright.

 

Book Review - Nest

Title: Nest
Author: Esther Ehrlich
Genre: Historical fiction
Similar books: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
                     Revolution by Deborah Wiles
Rating:

A lovely weep-fest

Summary: For Naomi, nicknamed Chirp, life follows a familiar pattern - school, dancing with her mother and sister Rachel, awkward conversation with her psychologist father, and avoiding Joey and his mean brothers across the street. At least, it used to. Lately, though, her mother has been unwell and her sister has grown more distant. Even Joey seems different after Naomi's mother is first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and then institutionalized with a sever bout of depression.
My Opinion: In the beginning, Chirp is incredibly innocent, almost annoyingly naive. But, as the plot progresses, she must grow up alarmingly quickly. We see her belief in goodness and beauty, her love of birds and nature, shaken and twisted by the blows she is dealt. Without getting into any spoilers, I will say that the later chapters will take you through and emotional wringer. And while the book is set in the 1970's and there are a lot of dated references, the plot itself has a sort of universality that keeps it from becoming too distancing. Even those who are not fans of historical fiction will connect with the book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.