The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier

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I recently came across this modern twist on The Little Red Hen and instantly fell in love with it.

Brenda Maier’s version tells the story of Ruby, a plucky little girl who designs an awesome fort (She Shed?) much to the dismay of her three older brothers who were always “too busy” to help her out. I love this version not only because it shows that girls can be engineers, but also because it emphasizes the grit needed to engage with the design process from start to finish.

The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier would be a perfect read aloud for 2nd and 3rd graders, especially during a STEM/STEAM unit of study.

If you’re looking for materials to support a book study for this title, click here to go to my TpT page!

Yours in Literacy,

Sheila

Izzy Gizmo to the Rescue!

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There's been a movement in our society to recognize more women in the sciences. Luckily, this much-needed recognition has also migrated into the world of children's literature. One book, Izzy Gizmo to the Rescue, aims to do just that.

Izzy Gizmo is a creative inventor who likes to solve problems using a combination of everyday items.

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Just like any other inventor, Izzy gets frustrated when her designs malfunction. Luckily, her grandpa encourages her to try again, echoing Thomas Edison's famous quote: “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” 

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One day, she comes across an injured crow and has to go through various iterations of an invention to help the crow fly again.

This is a fabulous book to reinforce STEM, females in science, and the importance of perseverance. 

If you're interested, you can find my Izzy Gizmo to the Rescue BOOK STUDY here.

Yours in Literacy,

Sheila 

Another One About Islandborn!

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I just can't seem to quit Islandborn, the fantastic picture book written by a local NJ hero, Junot Diaz. Even though I've already created an Interactive Read Aloud for the text, I just had to go back and tackle it some more.

This time, I decided to approach Islandborn through a Close Reading lens. Using Frey and Fisher's practical approach to Close Reading, I developed 3 days of lesson plans to dive deeper into the text.

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♦ Day 1 – What Does the Text Say?
General Understanding
Key Ideas and Details

♦ Day 2 – How Does the Text Work?
Vocabulary
Structure
Author’s Craft

♦ Day 3 - What Does the Text Mean?
Author’s Purpose

 

Creating this Close Reading Unit was an amazing experience. 

It's incredible how many layers of meaning are embedded within the text and illustrations of this gorgeous picture book. I am in awe of Junot Diaz's craft; each reading produces a deeper sense of understanding that surpasses the previous one. For instance, after reading the book multiple times, I began to understand that Junot Diaz uses parentheses at various points to add more details about a character. (Nelson was a frequent target!) This is similar to what Mr. Diaz does in Oscar Wao, where footnotes could be found throughout the book.

What's more, combining Junot Diaz's words with Leo Espinosa's vivid illustrations elevated the meaning beyond my greatest expectations. These two geniuses make a fantastic team. I cannot wait to see what they create next. (I heard another book featuring Lola is in the works!)

Yours in Literacy,

Sheila

An Interactive Read Aloud with Islandborn by Junot Diaz

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Yesterday, I fell in love. 

Islandborn, a new picture book by the fantastic Junot Diaz, tells the story of Lola, a young girl who was born on an Island that she cannot remember. After being assigned a class project where she has to draw a picture of her "first country," Lola feels a great disconnect from the Island she emigrated from. To address this, Lola sets off to interview her family and neighbors, who recall extraordinary memories (both good and bad) of the Island. After gathering all of these memories for her sketchbook, she soon realizes that "just because you don't remember a place doesn't mean it's not in you."

Sigh. 

Gorgeous message, right?!

After devouring the book, I immediately set off to create an Interactive Read Aloud for Islandborn. It's a story that just BEGS to be read aloud to young ears.  I decided to focus on the theme of belonging and began noting pages that support this theme. After coming up with some good read aloud stopping points, I transferred them to Sticky Notes.

I love using sticky notes on pages designated as stopping points in an Interactive Read Aloud. It helps me stay accountable and on target for where to stop, especially with a book like Islandborn, which has so many wonderful teaching points. I know that this particular Interactive Read Aloud is focused on theme, so I have to be careful not to go off the read aloud rails!

 

 

 

After we finish the story, I have students write a response to reading centered upon the teaching point (theme). This allows me to formatively assess whether or not students understood the teaching point.

I hope you pick up Islandborn. I guarantee it will warm your (and your students') hearts!

Yours in Literacy,

Sheila

Want More?

  • Pick up this Interactive Read Aloud resource at my TpT store
  • An interview with Junot Diaz about Islandborn