Nonfiction Poetry is My #nf10for10 for 2018!

The idea of nonfiction information in a poetic form that keeps showing up in my shopping cart or library stacks.  I think it's intriguing to see how factual information is shared through poetry.  Sometimes the information is observational and sometimes it's filled with scientific vocabulary in small bursts that makes the reader stop and think.  Creating room to ponder and wonder more.  Thank you for joining us today by sharing or reading posts related to nonfiction literature.  

Earth Verse Haiku from the Ground Up
author Sally M Walker
illustrator William Grill

I feel blessed to have this preview copy and shared a lot about it yesterday in detail for Poetry Friday.

What in the Wild?  Mysteries of Nature Concealed...and Revealed
author David M Schwartz and Yael Schy
photographs by Dwight Kuhn

poems written as clues
three page spread with the middle being a full page photo confirms your guess
traditional nonfiction text on the third page

lizards, frogs, and polliwogs
author Douglas Florian
paintings by Douglas Florian

poems that describe physical characteristics
tells about actions and movements
fun with word layout




I'm going to sneak in some more by Douglas Florian.  He was my first nonfiction poet years and I always found his books a way to connect animal lovers and boys to poetry.

Now You See Them Now You Don't Poems About Creatures that Hide
Author David Harrison
Illustrated by Giles Laroche

poems about animals that hide
you have to find them in illustrations
how they can be hidden shared via poetry

comets, stars, the moon, and mars
Author Douglas Florian
paintings by Douglas Florian

the art in this text is beautiful
lots of factual information 
planet features beautifully shared

Woodpecker Wham!
Author April Pulley Sayre
Illustrations Steve Jenkins

various woodpeckers are illustrated
all the poems teach about woodpeckers
poems are short, good for early readers

A Place to Start a Family Poems About Creatures That Build
Author David L Harrison
Illustrated by Giles Laroche

love the collage illustrations
learn about the importance of nest building
why nests are built

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Dear Cathy, it's #nf10for10 in 1 Month!

Dear Cathy,

I couldn't believe it when you sent me a message the other day asking me about sharing Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 today.  I felt like it was still August and we were basking in all the glory of Picture Book 10 for 10.  But when I woke up from that memory, I realized the temperatures have dipped.  The snow has been flying and the weather forecast on my favorite weather app is getting my hopes up this weekend could look like Buffalo here in Ohio.  You know that just makes me excited and if I get snowed in for days I might just start gathering ideas for my Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 list.

Can you believe it's our 6th anniversary for this event?  If we still had babies at home we'd be sending them to kindergarten or first grade.  That's a lot of growing and each year I think we are so fortunate to have others help us grow this event by talking about nonfiction picture books.  

I have to be honest, I no clue what I might want to share this year.  I took a trip down blogging memory lane to discover the first year was a collection of all time favorites.  I've shared books to promote history, favorite biographies, books in my house with three daughters, and last year I wrote a post to help a friend with a second grade reader that focused on books for independent reading.  I think nonfiction books can be tricky because you don't always have to read the whole book so sometimes you can read snippets and not have to have the book be at an independent level.  I bet that thought will get you thinking and send me a message.

Thank you for the reminder, Cathy.  This is going to be a wonderful event and I hope our readers will think about joining themselves, invite teammates, friends, and new acquaintances because the more the merrier!

What is #nf10for10

In 2010 Cathy and I hosted our first picture book event.  In 2013, Julie Balen suggested we add a nonfiction picture book event that worked the same.  Participants choose 10 - well, usually 10 (they're a crafty bunch) - nonfiction picture books to share.  On the day of the event, we'll ask that you visit the Google Community site to add your nonfiction link to the 2018 #nf10for10 tab. 

• What:  10 nonfiction picture books you can't live without.
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested --- educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, and book lovers.  
• When:  Saturday, February 10th
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2018 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  
• How:  Stop by our community site, join the community, and share your favorites on February 10th. 

Nonfiction Books for Independent Reading in Second Grade - #nf10for10

Dear Betsy,

You sent me a message a few weeks ago asking me about reading levels in second grade and thinking about the reading your own special boy is doing.   Learning to read is a journey and you've mentioned it's a struggle over the years.  This night we chatted you said he had brought home a nonfiction book and nonfiction is hard.  You made me stop and think.  Nonfiction can be hard but does it have to be?  I wondered how can we simplify it a bit for those early readers so they can have some independence.  

My wondering turned into collecting books I thought your special boy might be able to read.  You'll notice the nonfiction features are simple and not hectic busy.  The text is larger, sometimes with a pattern and definitely pages with white space.  I love white space!  You will notice many of these are books have a series/collection from the same publisher giving you way more than ten ideas, maybe 100.  Some of these books are old and dear to my book loving heart.  I picked books that might spark some interest in fun animals, animals you might see while camping, and a few that could connect to your gardening.  

These are all books I have on my shelves right now and I can send them over to you via school mail. Just let me know.

Your friend,

Mandy

BAT LOVES THE NIGHT by Nicole Davies

narrative format sharing bats nightly activity
tidbits of facts here and there
soft illustrations

CHAMELEON, CHAMELEON by Joy Cowley

I love Joy Cowley books!
photographs are quite fascinating
carefully chosen words for accessibility

 RED-EYED TREE FROG by Joy Cowley

Joy Cowley again!
more fascinating photographs
text a bit easier

 

HOW A SEED GROWS by Helen J Jordan

illustrations tell a story, maybe an early narrative
reader follows the journey of a few different seeds
might help readers enjoy nonfiction

RACCOONS by William John Ripple
lots of interesting facts
a sentence of two on a page
pure nonfiction for early readers

Seed to Sunflower by Camilla de al Bedovere
lots of nonfiction text
beautiful photographs
you'll want to grow sunflowers

Fabulous Frogs by Martin Jenkins
beautiful playful language
narrative format
subtle facts

Opossums by Mary R. Dunn
an animal I wouldn't dream to think about
filled with interesting facts
easily accessible for early readers

Busy Squirrels by Melvin and Gilda Berger
probably an easy read - confidence builder
up close photos
one sentence per page









My tenth book for second grade readers might require a treasure hunt - Where Do Birds Live? by Ron Hirschi.  It appears to be out of print.  Lovely photographs, one line of text, with more at the end of the book.  I hope you can find it at the library or you can borrow mine.





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10 Favorite Books to Promote History - #nf10for10

Here's my official Nonfiction 10 for 10 post for 2016!  Wahoo!  Last year I shared my rediscovering my love for biographies.  I knew I had added many new titles over the past year and thought I would make this a list of 10 New Must Have Biographies.  I discovered two of my books were shared last year but I still love them and there are no rules about how much you have to change a list.  Then I realized as I was building this collection of biographies, two of my books are really historical fiction which is based on true events but makes my list not 10 New Must Have Biographies.  I thought about changing out the two repeats and the historical fiction pieces but I decided I could come up with a new name - 10 Favorite Books to promote History.

I'm so glad I pulled this collection today and am thrilled to have so many people join our nonfiction book loving event.  I learned a few things about my classroom library today.  I need to carefully decide which genre my books fit in biography or historical fiction.  I've been growing my biography section but my historical fiction tub is probably my weakest link right now.  I'm beginning a social studies unit very soon and hope to look at history in segments of fifty years to see change over time.  Maybe I have an idea for next year's collection already.

Star Stuff Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson is a story embracing imagination and wonders.  His inquisitive nature led him to create mechanical explorers that were sent to space including Voyager spacecrafts that captured information to help us understand what is beyond Earth.

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis is the story about George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. and how he created the ferris wheel for the World's Fair to out shine the year before when France built the Eiffel Tower.  George made observations of a water wheel and wanted to enhance the concept of a circle.

A Passion for Elephants, The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo is a must have for every classroom.  I think scientist are often viewed as people in lab coats inside a room with lots of beakers and potions and notions.  Not Cynthia Moss!  She wears shorts, travels by plane and jeep to study elephants.  She sketches, photographs, takes notes, and learns elephants do defend each other, care for each other and cooperate with each other.

The Original COWGIRL, The Wild Adventures of Lucille Mulhall by Heather Lang is just a fun book to read and enjoy.  We often hear about cowboys but a cowgirl?  How fun!  Lucille isn't like most girls in the 1890s.  She wants to be a ranch hand.  Caring for the land and the horses who use the land.  She worked hard to learn how to ride and rope a horse which led her to tour with a rodeo!  What a great story to show you can do anything!

Knit Your Bit! by Debra Hopkinson is technically historical fiction inspired by real events.    During World War 1, the American Red Cross decided there wasn't enough warm clothes for the soldiers began a national movement which led to knitting clubs springing up all over our country.  Men, women, and children were all involved.  This is a story about a community who made a difference and gathered to knit.  

Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph by Lucy Margaret Rozier and Leo Espinosa is another historical fiction Jackrabbit McCabe grew up loving to run and raced against anything; stagecoaches, horses, and trains near where he lived.  The community loved to cheer him on.  This was great fun for everyone until the electric telegraph came.  Jackrabbit had been running messages for people for quite some time but had the race of his life when he was up against the telegraph man to deliver the same message.  A great introduction to morse code.  

Marvelous Cornelius, Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans by Phil Bildner.  This book caught me off guard a bit.  It's a biography about a sweet sweeper, Cornelius Washington.  A sanitation worker who worked hard, was an integral part of his community and made a differences.  He shortly died after Hurricane Katrina.  I'm so glad to have read this story about a positive person who loved his job and his community.  

Clara and Davie, The True Story of Young Clara Barton the Founder of the American Red Cross by Patricia Polacco.  When Clara was young she had a lisp which made her school experience hard.  Davie her older brother persuaded her family to home school her.  Clara loved the outdoors, animals, and seemed to know how to help people when they were hurt.  Davie needed Clara's help after an injury. This book tells of his recovery and of her interest that led her in starting the American Red Cross. 

Earmuffs for Everyone!, How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs by Meghan McCarthy is a delightful book about improving. It's the story of hand muffs to ear slippers to ear muffs.  Chester Greenwood was an inventor of many things but his greatest achievement wasn't designing something new but adapting older versions of things to keep ears warm by redesigning the earmuff.  

Strange Creatures, The Story of Walter Rothschild and His Museum by Lita Judge is a story about a boy who was so shy he barely spoke.  He was home schooled and loved creatures, spending a great deal of time outdoors.  After attending a circus he was inspired to share his idea with his parents and began talking about collecting animals to create a museum.  This story shares his journey of collecting the largest zoological collection and creating a museum. 

Happy Nonfiction 10 for 10 Day!

It's Friday and today is the day we would love to have everyone and anyone join us to share 10 nonfiction picture books you just can't live without!  If you are just stopping by for the first time and want to know more, check out my post from last month, Nonfiction 10 for10 is coming!  

I have a confession, I wrote a quick post connecting nonfiction picture books with Wonders for Wonderopolis for our #WonderChat and tried to have that be my post for today but Cathy didn't think that would work.  I really think she just wanted to know more about my favorite books which is how this all started.

Stay tuned, my post is coming in later today after I teach.  There's a little secret to be told, we'd love to have the post all go live today because that's what makes the event so fun but if you get a little busy with life, putting a presentation together and doing some blueprinting work at Central Office then you have the weekend to join in on the fun.  Don't tell Cathy and Julie, but I sometimes adjust the "rules".

Here is our twitter hashtag feed - #nf10for10, to stay up to date with those joining us today.  Please tweet out your post and place it in the Google Community.

Here are the official details to participate and it's really easy, we hope to see you there.

• What:  10 nonfiction books you can't live without!
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested - educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, etc.  
• When:  Friday, February 19th - Yahoo, it's the start of a weekend!
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2016 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  

#WonderChat and #nf10for10

I'm so excited to share I am co-hosting a #WonderChat this coming Monday night with my friend Cathy Mere.  We are honored they contacted us and saw value in our #nf10for10 event, coming up later this month.  Connecting with Wonderopolis feels just right in many ways.  They produce nonfiction pieces of writing for readers to read.  They encourage readers to ask questions and be inquisitive.  They provide lots of tools to engage readers with comprehension strategies and vocabulary learning.  

Cathy and I have generated some fun questions to think about combining Wonderopolis with nonfiction picture books.  We have some tidbits to share with participants during our chat.  I'm really excited about all of these tidbits but I'm bursting at the seams about one in particular that I have to give you a little hint about right now!  

I have an early #nf10for10 post coming out that night where I pair a Wonder with a nonfiction picture book.  I'm convinced there's a wonder for almost any nonfiction picture book out there.  It was so EASY to find a wonder and connect it with one of my favorite nonfiction books for this post.  

I hope you can join us this coming Monday!  

Encourage your friends to come too!

Nonfiction 10 for 10 is coming!

Today is the official start for the Nonfiction 10 for 10, blog-o-sphere sharing event countdown. It is just one month away!  This year the timing is even more perfect because there are 29 days in February so there's an extra day for reading post and gathering titles you want to explore.  Happy Leap Year!  We are hoping new and old friends will join us to share their favorite nonfiction picture books. February is the month of love and most teachers I know LOVE books.  

Cathy and I host the Picture book 10 for 10 in August which is always fun because we are fresh and excited for a new school year.  In 2013, our friend Julie suggested hosting a Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 and boy were we glad she did!  We didn't mean to ignore the world of nonfiction with our picture book love.  After doing some research on the kinds of books people were sharing for #pb10for10, we noticed most posts were sharing books that didn't include nonfiction titles.   

If you are nervous about joining, please don't be.  We know the school year is busy for everyone.  Your posts can be as simple as a list of titles.  People enjoy a small nugget to peak their interest but don't feel this event requires a dissertation about each book you are sharing.  How you share is totally up to you.  I'll share my past posts to give a sense of what yours could be.

My 2013 list  - general list of favorites
My 2014 list  - was a theme list - nonfiction books for a house with three girls.    
My 2015 list - had a genre focus of biographies I love in second grade  

Here is our twitter hashtag feed - #nf10for10, to stay up to date with those joining us and reminders. 

Here are the official details to participate and it's really easy, we hope to see you there.

• What:  10 nonfiction books you can't live without!
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested - educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, etc.  
• When:  Friday, February 19th - Yahoo, it's the start of a weekend!
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2016 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  

#nf10for10 is Coming!

Today is the official start for the Nonfiction 10 for 10, blog-o-sphere sharing event countdown. It is just one month away.  We are hoping new and old friends will join us to share their favorite nonfiction picture books. February is the month of love and most teachers I know LOVE books.  

Cathy and I host the Picture book 10 for 10 in August which is always fun because we are fresh and excited for a new school year.  In 2013, our friend Julie suggested hosting a Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 and boy were we glad she did.  We didn't mean to ignore the world of nonfiction with our picture book love.  After doing some research on the kinds of books people were sharing for #pb10for10, we noticed most posts were sharing books that didn't include any nonfiction titles.   I know all of my readers are aware of the movement, aka Common Core, to raise the amount of reading our students and focusing on a 50/50 split between fiction and nonfiction.

My 2013 list of ten from last year to help give you an idea of what a general favorite list could look like.  It's also fun to put a spin on your list with a theme or any unique reason you can think of to gather ten books.  Last year I found a reason to create a theme list and it had nonfiction books for a house with three girls, My 2014 list.  Here is our twitter hashtag feed - #nf10for10, to stay up to date with those joining us and reminders.  

We have some sad news about how we have gathered everyone's posts in one spot.  Jog the Web has disappeared and our previous collections have too.  Don't fret and don't cry - my fearless partner Cathy has tried out some new options and together we decided on creating a Google Community to bring our post together in one spot.  I am so lucky to have Cathy figure this out while I'm being a busy mom on a Sunday and for collaborating via texts all day.  Cathy has shared more details for how our actual sharing day will go in her post, Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 #nf10for10.  Cathy also kept a secret from me yesterday but created an AWESOME visual to help you know we've found a new home for our event.  Isn't this perfect?

Here are the official details to participate and it's really easy, we hope to see you there.

• What:  10 nonfiction books you can't live without!
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested --- educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, etc.  
• When:  Thursday, February 19th 
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2015 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  

#nf10for10 - Around My House With Daughters

Good morning everyone.  The snow started melting yesterday, the sky was blue, the sun was out and smiles returned.  No matter what kind of weather you are dealing with today, I hope you find smiles within the awesome amount of nonfiction sharing there is bound to be today.  

While co-hosting #pb10for10 for a few years now, I always find it interesting when people can pull together collections with an interesting spin.  The other day I was pondering my #nf10for10 ideas.  I looked at my list from last year and said, yes those are still some of my favorites but maybe I need to do something different.  My readers can find those books from last year.  There is a lot of information and reading about getting guys to read.  I began to think about girl readers.  What do girl readers need?  What do girl readers gravitate towards?  I have three daughters and reading nonfiction has always been something I've tried to include in their reading diet.  However, as they have grown and read on their own and make their own reading choices, nonfiction is not on their plate.  I wandered around our house and picked 10 favorite nonfiction books we have loved and used over the years.  We all need nonfiction reading!

1.  Lifetimes, The beautiful way to explain death to children by Bryan Ellonie and Robert Ingpen is a must have for everyone I know and don't know.  A beautiful picture book describing life with various things in nature from shells, to trees, to plants, to fish, to butterflies and yes to people.  If  were to tell you to buy just one nonfiction book this year, this is it!  Just read this very small excerpt.  "All around us, everywhere, beginnings and endings are going on all the time.  With living in between."

2.  Rabbits, Rabbits, and More Rabbits by Gail Gibbons is filled with information for when you might be pet shopping, convincing your parents, and anticipating your very own rabbit.  Gail Gibbons always does a nice job of illustrating her information and using nonfiction features to highlight information.  Warning, this book did bring home a Dutch Bunny that is 7 years old and still with us.

3.  Loons, Diving Birds of the North by Donna Love was the perfect book to pick up while vacationing on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.  Loons are fascinating creatures to watch and listen for.  They migrate to fresh water lakes and spend their winters on the ocean.

4.  Diggers and Dump Trucks is an Eye Openers book by Little Simon.  Yes, we had diggers and dump trucks to play with when the girls were little.  While we built our house, our oldest and only daughter at the time loved to roam the neighborhood and climb the machinery that was locked up for the night.  This book has just enough information about each piece of equipment with close ups of specific parts of the vehicle.

5.  Garden Birds by National Geographic is part of their my first pocket guide series.  We do own several within this series.  A small hand sized guide filled with information.  Each bird receives a two page spread where the reader uses a map to learn where to find the species, what to look for, and learn an interesting field note.

6.  Zoo in the Sky by Jacquelin Mitton has come on many trips with us to a cottage on the lake.  Beautiful illustrations of the actual creature is shown to the reader with foil stars at the exact location for what you would see at night if it were a constellation.  Each constellation shared also has a bit of a constellation story/history for the reader to enjoy.  This is a great book for discovering the mystery of stars and their organization.

7.  Click! by Gail Gibbons is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys using a camera.  It is filled with camera knowledge and how to use tips.  Now that the girls are a bit older and technology has changed greatly this might be a better history book about cameras.  It mentions film, negatives, and rewind lever.  I wonder if Gail has done a current camera book or would consider doing one.

8.  A Rainbow of Animals by Melissa Stewart is so fun because the reader learns about unique animals based on their color.  The book is organized the colors of the rainbow.  In my favorite color section, you learn about the Leaf-Mimic Katydid, Masked Puddle Frog, Yellow Crowned Parrot, Green Anole Lizard, Diamond Leatherjacket Fish, Brown Throated Three Toed Sloth, Mallard Duck, and Emerald Tree Boa.

Beautiful pictures with a tidbit of information to peak a girl's interest.

9.   Beachcombing, exploring the seashore by Jim Arnosky is a great book to pack and explore the beach environment with.  Diagrams, labels, and information help the reader learn more about shells, crabs, shark teeth and more.

10.  Dirt on Their Skirts by Doreen Rappaport and Lyndall Callan is a story about the young women who won the world championship.  The Rockford Peaches vs. Racine Belles for the first ever women's baseball league.  Yes, if you've seen the movie, A League of Their Own then this story will be familiar to you.  The characters are not real players from the game but the facts about the game are accurate.  This is a wonderful book to show girls they can do anything they set their mind and the power of being a female athlete.

Thank you for stopping by and joining our #nf10for10 fun.  I know it's busy time of year for everyone.  Remember, All posts will need to be linked at Write at the Edge.  Then Cathy and I will move them into a jog resource during the week of the event.  With school going on, this part of the project will take a bit of time.  Thanks for your patience in advance!