Great Heights Week - A Giraffe Adventure

Eighty years before Columbus made his incredible journey, a giraffe sailed from his African home to China. It was there that he was named after a mythical Chinese creature that was thought to bring good luck. Chee-Lin: A Giraffe’s Journey is a jewel of a book with drop dead gorgeous illustrations. Children will find parts of it sad. Loosing one’s freedom is always sad. But they will delight in Chee-Lin’s special relationships and their imaginations will be sparked by far away cultures in a long ago time.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Here is a pretty-nifty easy-to-access animal geography game. You know that giraffes come from Africa, but where do these other animals come from?

Free Museum Admission Day

Does your child have a museum named after them? Mine does. Shannon had fun using an empty bookshelf, filling it with items that tell her story and making a sign and placards. If you visit, you'll learn all about her hobbies, accomplishments and family tree. This has gotten her in the mood to visit, how shall I say it, a more official museum. Lucky for us, the Smithsonian sponsored free museum day is just around the corner.

Next Saturday, September 25, hundreds of museums are offering free admittance to one person, plus a guest. Whatever your interest there’s a museum for you: from The Oz Museum and the World Kite Museum Hall of Fame to the Toy and Miniature Museum and the Museum of Neon Art. Official tickets and a list of all the amazing participating museums can be found on the Smithsonian Museum Day website.

BEACH WEEK - First Flight

I've been so busy enjoying the beach and so many other fun activities this summer that my blogging has ebbed. To make up for it I’m offering a flood of history that has happened at the beach...

TITLE: Will and Orv

AUTHOR: Walter A. Schulz

WHO WAS AT THE BEACH? This book details the day of the Wright Brother’s first flight through the eyes of Johnny Moore, a young Outer Banks native, who was, in fact, a witness to this historic event.

WHAT BEACH AND WHEN? The Wright Brother’s chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to test their flying machines because the wind blew everyday, the sand made for a soft landing and there were no trees or rocks to run into. Their first successful flight occurred on December 17, 1903.

WHAT HAPPENED? Johnny had gotten to know the Wright Brothers over the three summers they had come to Kitty Hawk to test their flying machines. In 1903 they stayed beyond summer to test their big glider with a motor they called the “Flyer.” The author tells the story of this historical day from the perspective of Johnny, starting with him leaving his house in the morning and ending with him celebrating the first successful flight later that day.

Your child will gain knowledge about not only the motor and propellers, but also the relationship between the Wrights and the locals, who often helped them. This book also drives home the point that the Wright Brothers developed the first method to enable an engine powered aircraft to go up, down and turn all with the Wrights own hand-made parts. These and other details are offered in a nicely paced little story that was first published in 1991, but has the charming qualities of one from the 1950’s.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: If you have money to spare and lots of patience, make a replica of the Wright Brothers Plane with Legos. This set for collectors is selling for upwards of $200! Or, for more feasible fun, try this Wright Brothers coloring page from another post.

A Spanish American War Hero

Papa Tells Chita a Story is probably the only Spanish American War picture book in existence. In it, a black American shares a tall tale with his daughter about how he delivered a secret message to troops on the other side of Cuba. Some of his story is not true (GIANT snakes, and alligators and eagles, oh my!) but he does have a beautiful medal, so some of his story must be true.

This book is based on the story that Harry S. McCard, who had enlisted to earn money to go to medical school, told his real life daughter, Chita. After the war he became one of Baltimore’s first black doctors. I love how a photograph of this father and daughter is included in the back of the book.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Earn your own medal. After you read a book, ride your bike without training wheels, go without television for a week, swim across the pool, eat all your vegetables or learn to tie your shoe, you’ll deserve a medal! Print these then cut them out, (I recommend glueing them to poster board and glueing the second gold page to the back before you cut them out) add a hole (I used a hole punch) for a ribbon and wear proudly! Be sure to write the date of your historic event on the back of your medal.

A Dog’s Tale

An unstoppable magnetic force occurred when my daughter spied this book cover. And when she got past the cover she could NOT put Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle down. Then, when I read this story of a stray dog in Iraq connecting with an American soldier stationed there and of the great lengths they went to be together,  I confess, I cried.

Ages 4-12
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Activity: Here are three ways you can help dogs at your local shelter:

1. Go to the dogs

Besides walking and playing with the shelter dogs you could also help teach them to sit, stay, walk calmly on a leash or shake paws and they will be infinitely more adoptable. 

2. Get the word (and pictures) out

Take photos and write descriptions of the animals with staff assistance and keep the shelters’ online, newspaper and other postings current. Publicly showcasing the animals that are at the shelter dramatically increases adoptions.

3. Donate food and other items

When you're buying food for your pet, why not pick up some food for the shelter animals? Shelters also need other items like blankets and sheets. Call your local shelter to ask what is on their wish list.

FIRST LADY WEEK - Abigail Adams

From Martha to Michelle, America has had more than forty fabulous first ladies, as evidenced in Our Country's First Ladies. This National Geographic book is full of interesting details from the lives of Martha Washington on down to Laura Bush (it was published in 2007). The book dedicates a spread to each First Lady in chronological order that includes a full page portrait and a perfect amount of well written copy. Learn about the influence these women had on their husbands, about the different causes they took on as well as lots of other interesting tidbits. For instance, did you know that Lou Hoover was the first woman to get a geology degree from Stanford University or that Elizabeth Monroe played a pivotal role in saving the wife of Marquis de Lafayette from the guillotine? You’ll also discover that Julia Grant once hosted a White House dinner featuring 29 courses of food and that 21 year old Frances Cleveland was the youngest First Lady. This book is a pleasurable read and an appropriate choice for this week’s theme....First Ladies!

Ages 9-12
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I notice that for the same aged reader, DK published a book in 2008 that includes our newest First Lady, Michelle Obama. It has been my experience that you can always count on these Eye Witness books to be fabulous. This one is titled First Ladies and it includes a clip art CD.

Many of you have gotten to know Abigail Adams through the amazing HBO miniseries, John Adams. Following is an introduction to Abigail for the younger set....

TITLE: Abigail Adams

AUTHOR: Alexander Wallner

WHAT WAS HER BACKGROUND? The daughter of a reverend, Abigail was born in 1744 in Weymouth, Massachusetts near Boston. She was bright and wanted to attend school, but school was for boys in her mother’s opinion. So she spent a great deal of time in her father’s library reading and listening in on adult talk of current events.

HOW DID SHE AND THE FUTURE PRESIDENT MEET? When she was seventeen, she met the 26 year old lawyer, John Adams, who was a friend to her sister’s fiance. He was very impressed with her knowledge. They married a couple of years later.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: She gave birth to six children. Of those, four reached adulthood and of those, one became the sixth president of the United States. She was often responsible for managing the family’s farm and finances while her husband traveled. She was directly effected by the brewing storm between the colonials and Britain. She boycotted goods that carried British taxes by making them herself, sheltered Boston residents who were fleeing the city after the Boston Tea Party and tried to influence her husband’s opinion regarding rights for slaves and women in the new laws he was helping to create. Unfortuanetly one reply he gave was “I cannot but laugh.” Believing strongly in education she sent her daughter to school and taught a black servant, who was not allowed to attend school, how to read and write.

Illustrated in a folk art style, this book is an excellent way to acquaint your child with a strong and bright woman who was present during our country's founding.

Ages: 4-8

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Activity: Color Abigail and John Adams

Learning to Read While Learning History

This is what I was reading in 1st grade:

Given the choice, I would rather have been reading this:

Today we are bombarded with more choices than ever, whether we are in the shoe store, on the car lot or in the cereal aisle. In my day everyone was wearing saddle shoes, driving station wagons, eating Wheaties for breakfast and, of course, learning to read with Dick and Jane. Well, happily, that whole variety of options thing has carried over to beginning readers! Step Into Reading offers a batch of entertaining and educational titles on five levels. Step 1: ready to read (preschool to kindergarten), Step 2: reading with help (preschool to 1st grade), Step 3: reading on your own (1st to 3rd grade), Step 4: reading paragraphs (2nd to 3rd grade), Step 5: reading chapters (2nd to 4th grade).

Step 3 is a collection of over seventy books about nature, action heroes, princesses, witches, folk tales and familiar characters like Arthur. And I'm drooling over all the history titles available at this beginning reader level. Here they are:

• Abe Lincoln's Hat
• Babe Ruth Saves Baseball!
• Barack Obama: Out of Many, One
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto (my review)
• Christopher Columbus
• Dinosaur Days
• Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race
• The First Thanksgiving
• George Washington and the General's Dog (my review)
• The Great Tulip Trade
• Johnny Appleseed: My Story
• Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President
• Listen Up!: Alexander Graham Bell’s Talking Machine
• Man O'War: Best Racehorse Ever
• The True Story of Pocahontas
  
• Paul Revere's Ride
  
  

UNCHARTED TERRITORY WEEK: Apollo 11

TITLE: Neil, Buzz, and Mike Go to the Moon

AUTHOR (and illustrator): Richard Hilliard

WHAT TERRITORY WAS EXPLORED AND WHEN? Humans stepped on the moon for the first time on July 20, 1969.

WHO DID THE EXPLORING? Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were the first astronauts to fly to the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, while Collins orbited it.

HOW WAS THE TRIP? This book describes how training evolved for these three astronauts who all started out as pilots in the U.S. military. When they were accepted into the NASA astronaut program they became members of the Mercury Project, which gave them practice controlling a capsule in outer space. Then this trio had to go through project Gemini, which gave them experience working and walking in space. These were followed by the Apollo program which had 17 missions. But, of course, this book focuses on Apollo 11, from it’s liftoff to it’s moon landing and then it’s Pacific splashdown.

WHAT WAS GAINED? Besides a collection of lunar rocks, soil and dust, a better sense of how humans can perform in space was gained. Back on Earth, American pride swelled with the knowledge that great minds working together were capable of accomplishing such an astonishing feat.

This book is illustrated with nice paintings and includes sidebars with more information.

Ages 4-9
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Activity: www.nasa.gov offers a fun interactive site called Nasa Kids' Club.

SNOW WEEK - Balto to the Rescue

TITLE: The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto

AUTHOR: Natalie Standiford

WHO WAS WHERE IN THE SNOW? Gunnar and his team of dogs led by Balto were living in Nome, Alaska in January of 1925 when two children came down with diphtheria.

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THIS EVENT: Diphtheria would surely kill the two sick children and spread to others if the serum could not be brought to Nome from Anchorage, 800 miles away. A train attempted to make the journey with the serum but became stuck in deep snow after traveling 100 miles. It was decided to set up a dog-sled relay. Balto's team was to be the second to last team. They nearly lost the medicine in a snow bank, nearly lost the team in cracking ice, and nearly lost the trail in a blowing snow storm. Then, when there was no sign of the next relay driver, Gunnar drove his exhausted team on to Nome. After being on the trail for 20 hours straight and traveling 53 miles they successfully delivered the serum.

Your child will feel the sense of urgency as he or she reads this Step Into Reading Level 3 book. It’s an inspirational story delightfully told.

Ages 4 to 8
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Activity: Try this Balto word search.

Tuskegee Airmen - Wind Flyers

Wind Flyers is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. It tells the story of a young boy's love of flight leading him on a journey to war torn skies, and then home again with a lasting pride in his accomplishments.

The author includes a note that explains how these segregated squadrons came to be, and how Tuskegee, Alabama produced six hundred pilots and 145,000 support personnel.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Children between 8 and 17 interested in flying can become a Young Eagle and receive a free local airplane ride. Here are the details.

Presidents’ Day

Presidents' Day is a charming book to share with little ones. It is an introduction to the presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt) in the guise of a school play. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it inspires children to put on their own presidential production. Introduces the election process and provides a little information on each of these four men.

Ages 4-8
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For this age group I also highly recommend the books George Washington and the General's Dog, Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln and Abe Lincoln's Hat. This last title contains little known facts about our 16th president, including how he stored letters inside his hat! And speaking of his hat, have fun with these activity ideas:

Activity: Make a hat like George Washington’s using this template or a stovepipe hat like Lincoln’s.

My presidential prodigies

Chinese New Year

When I read the autobiography of a Chinese peasant in Mao’s Last Dancer, it certainly sunk in how important the New Year is in that culture. With the four thousand year old holiday approaching on February 14, I turned to Chinese New Year to learn more. Explained in a straight-forward way is how it began as a way to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring planting. The time of planting new crops was thought of as the beginning of a new year. Why dragons and firecrackers are so significant also became clear as did the ways it is believed to bring good luck into your home and life. Custom dictates that your year start fresh by thoroughly cleaning house, paying off debts and asking forgiveness. That's inspiring!

Ages 4-8
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This novel ends, interestingly enough, with the inhabitants of a tiny, early 19th century town in Montana learning how to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Based on real events, Laurence Yep's main character in When the Circus Came to Town is Usurla. She is a self assured rebel rouser until she gets small pox, and along it, deep scars on her face. Ashamed and depressed, she's determined to lead a life of seclusion. Then her parents hire a Chinese cook, Ah Sam, to help in their stage coach station. Working in America in order to send money back to his wife and child in China, the cook takes a special interest in Ursula and is able to eventually coax her out of isolation. Her biggest wish is to see a circus and she admits the opportunity to see one could entice her beyond the confines of their home/stagecoach stop. So Ah Sam invites his cousins to perform for the town. When the acrobats are set to return to San Francisco in time for New Year's they are snowed in. That is when the town gets involved in helping them celebrate. A very creative story plot!

Ages 9-12
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Activity: It is customary for the Chinese to start their New Year fresh and clean. So clean your room and then decorate it with these lanterns you can make yourself.

The First Dog

When did a wolf become a dog? According to Jan Brett, in her book The First Dog, it was during the Pleistocene. Her darling tale of Kip the cave boy and the first dog demonstrates to children how the human/canine relationship was mutually beneficial. Humans gained protection from the dog's keen hearing, smell and sight and the dog was rewarded with a dependable food supply. The book ends by incorporating a fascinating detail. Unlike wolves, dogs wag their tails.

Jan Brett's works are always a visual treat and this one is no exception. You can practically smell the great outdoors. My daughter is a little old for this book and pointed out how unlikely it was for a cave boy to travel alone and to look like he had just been to Great Clips, but for the younger set, this is a book they shouldn't miss.

Ages 4-8
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Activity: Paint your own First Dog, here's how. First find a suitable rock and make sure it's clean. Sketch your wolf in pencil. We used Jan Brett's sketch from the title page for inspiration. We then drew our lines with a black Sharpie marker. We painted everything but the black lines gray. If you don't have any cave wall paint around you can use craft paint like we did. We added white paint to the gray paint we already used and added some hair details. We painted the eye green and then added a pupil with black paint.