Happy Summer! Now that summer is in full swing I hope that you are relaxing, resting and enjoying some much needed time with loved ones. This month I focus on a lot of fun summer books from the beach, underwater and doing fun summer activities like eating watermelon! I also have included some books for 4th of July. I hope you enjoy taking a look at some of these books and enjoy some sunshine and reading this month!
Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Pout Pout fish discovers that being sad and spreading his worries isn't really what he's meant to be doing. Pout Pout fish meets some great friends along the way that help him to learn to turn his frown upside down. A fun filled story exploring the ocean and finding the joy in life.
Activity: Pout Pout fish is a fun summer read with students and a great way to examine emotions with students as well as work on sequencing and comprehension. I love using this story for end of year and summer school with my K-2 students to discuss what makes us unhappy, work on sequencing, problem and solution, and our writing skills. Click here to get yours today!
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
Mrs. Seahorse trusts Mr. Seahorse to watch their eggs after she lays them. Mr. Seahorse will take good care of them while he is swimming around eating for them to hatch. Mr. Seahorse starts to meet other underwater dads that are caring for eggs or already hatched baby seahorses. Mr. Seahorse learns so much from his adventure and is ready to take great care of the seahorse babies when they hatch.
Activity: A great activity following Mister Seahorse is to make a beautiful water color or tissue paper seahorse. Click here to get a FREE printable template from Templates. net! ( I love using templates.net with my students and children to help with their creative projects). Once you've printed the template have children use water colors to paint the sea horse or use glue and small squares of tissue paper to cover the seahorse to make him colorful just like Eric Carle's beautiful illustrations. This is a fun art project and interaction with the text and illustration after reading.
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Rainbow fish is the most beautiful fish in the whole sea. He has shining iridescent scales that sparkle for all to see. Rainbow fish is so proud of his scales that he starts to become lonely because he is not treating his friends very well. He realizes as he becomes more and more lonely that his beauty won't make him friends but being a kind fish will. He learns to share his beauty with others and be proud of new and exciting things, not just his beauty.
Activity: A fun filled summer activity for the rainbow fish is to use a paper plate, cut out a slice for the fish mouth. That slice gets glued to the opposite side to make the tail. Use glue to cover the plate in tissue paper scales and add one tin foil scale. Draw or use a wiggly eye to make the eyes on the rainbow fish.
My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli
A book celebrating America's Birthday, the Fourth of July follow a little boy who is eager to celebrate his favorite day of all. There is a lot of work to do to be ready for the day and jobs the boy must complete before he can enjoy the fun. He looks forward to the picnics and face painting and the band concerts. He loves the fireworks even when it seems like he has to wait forever for them to begin. Enjoy this small town America celebration and joy of July 4th.
Activity: A sensory bin is a great way to celebrate a holiday with children and a great way to work on expanding a child's fine motor skills. You can incorporate academics into the sensory bin as well. You can see here a patriotic sensory bin I have used in my classroom that focuses on fine motor skills in using tongs to pick up the stars and writing the word. Academically this sensory bin focuses on CVC early reading skills. Want a fun sensory bin to celebrate 4th of July and work on reading skills? Click here to get it!
My Red, White, and Blue by Alana Tyson
A mixture of pride and pain comes for some when they look at the American Flag. One Black family finds in the American Flag an invitation for each of us to relate to America, its history, and the flag which means so many things to so many people. This story reflects on how each American's experience has been different and how the flag is a bold reminder that it belongs to everyone who is an American. Explore what the the flag means to you in this powerful story between a young Black boy in conversation with his grandfather.
Activity: This book gives a chance to learn more about the Flag and about how we see the flag. It is a great time to have conversations with kids about how the flag was created and about the systematic racism and history of slavery that has occurred in this country to so many people. A great reminder to all of us that the flag is such an important symbol and can have varying understandings and meanings to the people it represents. Here is a great link to a video about the history of the flag, reasons for how it was created and what the colors and shapes all mean and stand for. Click here to watch the video to learn more about the history of the American flag.
The City Tree by Shira Boss
Dani has lived on a city block that doesn't have very much nature. The block is carpeted in concrete until a street tree moves in. Dani has a new experience when she see the tree and has new wonder about nature and the gifts the tree reminds her of. Dani realizes the tree will need help to thrive and enjoys the trees good company through days and seasons. Enjoy this story that is written as a love letter to the many gifts we are given and learn how the tree reminds Dani to take care of neighbors including those with roots, branches, and leaves.
Activity: Walking around your neighborhood and noticing the nature that surrounds you and the neighbors that surround you is important. After reading this sweet love letter of gifts that nature gives us take time to walk with your children to see the gifts in your neighborhood whether they be the nature or the people around you. Its a great way to get outside and appreciate the many gifts that surround us.
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
A funny crocodile has a big fear.... swallowing watermelon seeds. How will he do when he realizes he has swollen a seed? Will he suddenly be growing a watermelon inside of him? or will he become a water melon? This funny crocodile has a wild imagination and will take you on a journey with him through a common childhood fear and worry when eating watermelon.
Activity: A great activity following watermelon seed is to eat some delicious watermelon and talk about the life cycle of a watermelon and all plants and their seeds. Here is a great video on the life cycle of a watermelon, one of summers best delights! Kick back and enjoy some sweet wonderful summer watermelon. Click here to watch the watermelon life cycle video with Ranger Hannah.
Camping Spree with Mr. MaGee by Chris Van Dusen
Mr. Magee and his dog, Dee are off on a new adventure to enjoy a camping trip but the peaceful trip they had in mind isn't what they get. The excitement begins when the lumbering, marshmallow loving bear shows up and before Dee and Mr.Magee know it they are plunging down a mountain, racing down a river, and on the edge of a waterfall. Now how will Dee and Mr. Magee find their way back home and have a peaceful camping trip after all of this?
Activities: Camping is so much fun and a great way to enjoy the summer. After reading A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee its great to go camping whether at home in your backyard or at a camp ground enjoying a night in a tent and camping is a lot of fun! Another great activity I've done with students is having students create a solar oven to make s'more's. I used pizza boxes with a window hole cut in the top, covered the inside with tin foil to promote the heat of the sun and plastic wrap for the window. You can find directions on how to make a solar oven here using the Education.com directions.
I hope you are having a wonderful summer filled with reading, outdoor activities, and time with family and friends. Don't forget to get outside with book and read a beautiful story!
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