Meribeth's Musings: STARFISH (Monday Poem)

by David Elliott

Five fingers,
like a hand,
the starfish shines
in a sky of sand.

from In the Sea by David Elliott, 2012, Candlewick Press

I'm Reading NOW

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpugo (2011, Feiwel & Friends, $16.99, Ages 10-14) Inspired by a true story. By the author of WAR HORSE
34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues (2012, Simon Pulse, $16.99, Age 14+)
A Tugging String: A Novel About Growing Up During the Civil Rights Era by David T. Greenberg (2008, Dutton, $17.99, Ages 9-12)
Hidden by Helen Frost (2011, FS&G, $16.99, Ages 12+)
Daughter of Winter by Pat Lowery Collins (2010, Candlewick, $16.99, Ages 12+)
The Mourning Wars by Karen Steinmetz (2010, Roaring Brook, $18.99, Ages 12+)
Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai (2010, Simon & Schuster, $16.99, Ages 9-12)
The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt (2010, Henry Holt, $16.99, Ages 10-14)

Poetry to Love

Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley (2012, Little Brown, Ages 8-14)
The McElderry Book of Mother Goose: Revered and Rare Rhymes compiled and illustrated by Petra Mathers (2012, Simon & Schuster, Ages 6-10)
The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems, edited by Georgia Heard, illustrated by Antoine Guilloppe (2012, Roaring Brook, Ages 8-12)
Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (2010, Candlewick, Ages 2-9)

New and Favorite Picture Books

Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois (2010, Scholastic, $17.99, Ages 7-11)
C. R. Mudgeon by Leslie Muir, illustrated by Julian Hector (2012, Atheneum, $15.99, Ages 4-8)8
Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (2007, Charlesbridge, $15.95, Ages 6-9)
Rrralph by Lois Ehlert (2011, Simon & Schuster, $17.99, Ages 2-6)
Gathering Sparks by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Kristina Swarner (2010, Roaring Brook, $16.99, Ages 4-8)
Mirror by Jeannie Baker (2010, Candlewick, $18.99, Ages 5-8)
The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (2003, Roaring Brook, $19.99, Ages 3-7)
A Little at a Time by David A. Adler, illustrated by Paul Tong (2010, Holiday House, $16.95, Ages 4-7)
It's a Book by Lane Smith (2010, Roaring Brook, $12.99, Ages 7-10)
Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root (2010, Candlewick, $17.99, Ages 8-11)
Cork & Fuzz: The Babysitters by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue (2010, Viking, $13.99, Ages 6-8, EZ To Read)
Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia by Jeanette Winter (2010, Beach Lane, $16.99, Ages 6-9)
Goal! by Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by A. G. Ford (2010, Candlewick, $16.99, Ages 7-10)
What if? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (2010, Roaring Brook, $15.99, Ages 3-6)

LITERATURE CIRCLE ROLES FOR BOOK DISCUSSION WITH UPPER ELEMENTARY AGE GROUPS

These ideas are jumping off places for conversations to begin. Not all these roles need be used each time the group meets.

Questioner/Discussion Director thinks up open-ended questions to discuss/leads the discussion.

Illuminator pulls out big ideas/locates interesting passages in the text to share with the group.

Illustrator draws and shares an interesting scene from the book and invites the group to guess what’s going on.

Connector finds links between the text and other books, films, tv programs, world events, or personal experiences.

Word Wizard looks up and shares meanings of new, interesting, difficult, or unusual words to share.

Investigator/Gossip digs up juicy details and background information about the author or events or places in the book.

Character Shrink chooses one (or more) character(s) to “psychoanalyze” (can use a diagram to present key traits of the major characters in the book).

From Literature Circles by Harvey Daniels, 1996. (adapted)

Meribeth's Musings