Growing up in California, the missions were a part of life. We stopped and visited if we were traveling through one of the mission cities. Like all Californian fourth grade students, I wrote a report and made a model of a mission. This tradition continues in many schools to this day. And, most schools have […]
Places
L is for Library
This is National Library Week so I am excited to blog about libraries! I began the week at California State University, Fresno which is the home of the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. Each year the Center Advocates hold a charming Secret Garden Party. The location is a secret until the […]
K is for kite
The Kite that Bridged Two Nations written by Alexis O’Neill and illustrated by Terry Widener, is a fascinating book that tells a little known true story of Homan Walsh, a boy who, against great odds, flew his kite across the Niagara River. When Charles Ellet, Jr. was selected as the engineer contracted to build a […]
J is for Jellybeans
J is for Jellybeans and the Big Art Adventure by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger which I shared today with the first graders. It was a perfect follow up book to yesterday’s selection, ish. The Jellybeans are a group of girls who are different but go well together, just like jellybeans. Bitsy […]
H is for Hummingbird
Hummingbirds take my breath away. This is a true story. My father was one of those larger-than-life men. He grew up during the depression and joined the Navy at 17 to see the world and be able to attend college on the GI bill. He was a radar operator and found himself in Japan, China, […]