Posts tagged books

Lynn Reid Banks’s classic book The Indian in the Cupboard was a big favorite of mine when I was a kid, and I was excited to share it with my students.  They loved the premise, and I was happy to see that it has held up pretty well over the years.

Activity: Create Your Own Cupboard

Using Microsoft Publisher and some good old-fashioned scissors and glue sticks, I created paper cabinets for each of my students and tasked them with using art supplies to illustrate what kinds of things they would bring to life if they owned a magical cupboard like Omri does in the book.  We ended up with some toy soldiers and dragons, as well as some more unexpected items like a dollar bill (student: “I just want to see a dollar dance, okay?”) and a spoon (student: “That way I’ll never have to feed myself again!”).

Snack: Monkey Bread

This is such a fun snack to eat with a group!  For those not in the know, monkey bread is a tasty pull-apart cinnamon bread.  It’s very easy to make (see the simple Pillsbury recipe here), and you can usually find it in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store.  Either way, you’ve got an interactive dessert that kids will paw all over, and that’s half the fun!

At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson.  Nonfiction.

Have you ever wondered why we design houses the way we do?  Or how flush toilets came to be?  Or where the phrase “room and board” originated?  How about the architectural designs behind Mount Vernon and Monticello?  Or the bathing and grooming habits of the 18th century aristocracy?  How we used to manage the pests and vermin that tried to share our spaces with us?

Bill Bryson takes readers on a sprawling history of the development of domestic life, leading us through one room at a time.  The basis of his work is his own home, a former English rectory, and he merrily jumps into British and American history to show what goes into houses as we now know them.  What results is a fascinating hodge podge of social and architectural history that jumps all over the place at a lickety-split pace.  You’ll never look at your house the same way again!

I’ve been on a big Bill Bryson kick this year, and At Home has been a really enjoyable read (or listen, I should say, since I enjoyed the audiobook on my commute).

Drama, by Raina Telgemeier.  Children’s Graphic Novel.

Middle schooler Callie lives and breathes theatre, and she’s super stoked to be the set designer for her school’s production of the Civil War-era musical Moon Over Mississippi.  Her big shiny ambition: create a cannon that can really explode onstage!

Raina Telgemeier brings the sweet and funny in this middle grade graphic novel, and it does not disappoint.  As the title suggests, of course, there will be drama afoot.  Lots and lots of drama revolving around friendships and crushes and homework and ticket sales and lead performers.  Callie and her pals Jesse and Justin (twins extraordinaire) certainly have their hands full in the midst of the big production!  How will they pull it all off in time to take their final bows?

This book made the drama geek in me giggle with glee—so much of it reminded me of my own backstage days!  Telgemeier’s illustration style is really colorful and appealing, and those who liked her debut Smile will probably eat this one up too.