Literacy Now

Take a closer look at the words students find difficult to access, and you’ll see that a majority of them contain one or more letters with variable pronunciations, such as the “o” of on, off, often; in only, once, other; or the “ough” in thought, through, tough. Sure, in the very early stage of learning to read, some children have other problems, such as reversing the letters “b” and “d,” or difficulty blending the sounds of letters into words. But the most common stumbling block tends to be the phonic irregularity of many English graphemes.

If all English graphemes had just one pronunciation, like the “ee” of keep, sleep, deep, Anglophone children would learn to read much faster than they currently do. Instead of needing an average of three years to become proficient readers, they would require merely one, as users of other alphabetically written languages do (Seymour et al, 2003, British Journal of Psychology).

In the 1960s and ’70s, the schools which experimented with the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA)—a more regular spelling system for English—found that nearly all pupils were fluent by the end of their first school year. Nearly all learned to write quite confidently in one year, too.

Unfortunately, children had to leave the utopia of ITA at the end of their first school year and switch to normal spelling. For the ablest readers, this caused only a minor setback. They were quickly steaming ahead again. Changing from regular to irregular spellings was very detrimental to the progress of the weakest learners, the ones whose poor literacy progress tends to cause most concern. Perhaps prolonged use of regular phonics, before exposure to common irregularities, has the same effect on some children now?

Just over half of all English words contain some unpredictably used letters (cut, come, couple). Half of those pose reading difficulties as well, particularly the most used ones (one, to, four—cf. bone, go, our).

Helping children cope with phonic inconsistencies is the hardest part of English reading instruction. For the majority of children, parents are the main providers of this help, by patiently listening to them read on a regular basis and gently helping them to access the words they keep getting stuck on, such as should, shoulder, touch.

After umpteen encounters with such words, children eventually learn to read them as wholes, on sight, just as they do when learning to put names to faces. But for pupils who don’t get much help with learning to read at home, who have to make do with just what they get at school, those words are much more troublesome.

Their difficulties made me look for a way of making them a little less dependent on one-to-one help at school. Working as a voluntary assistant with struggling six-year-old readers, I did not merely help them to access the words they found tricky. I noted down all the ones which tripped them up in their remedial lessons with me.

photo: J. Robertson via photopin cc

The words differed slightly between individuals. One girl, for example, kept getting exceptionally stuck on the word “father.” Mostly, the same few dozen words with irregular spellings (e.g. group, soup, touch; break, bread; friend, field) were causing problems for all of the weaker readers, and for very obvious reasons.

This led me to test how the children would cope with them when they were respelt more simply (groop, soop, tuch, brake, bred; frend, feeld). Finding that they could read them easily, I began to use such respellings for helping them to learn to read the tricky words at home.

I would fold a sheet of paper in half and write down the words which stumped them in one of our lessons as a column. I then opened up the sheet and respelled them more simply opposite. For example:

thought	thaut
believed	beleevd
through	throo
washed	wosht
said	sed
people	peepl
could	cuhd

I respelled them using the main English spelling patterns for those sounds, but this was impossible for words like could; because the short /oo/ sound has no unique spelling of its own (put, foot, woman, would—cut, root, wobble, wound). I therefore spelt it , and the pupils had no difficulty learning that stood for short /oo/.

I gave them the sheet, with never more than seven words, to take home for revising in their own time. They were instructed to try and read them with their correct spellings and to use the respellings only for checking that they were getting them right, or to help them out if they could not do so.

Their reading quickly improved noticeably. One girl kept asking why we could not spell like that all the time, since it made reading so much easier, and I used to reply that that was a very long story. But if it was up to me, we would be amending at least some of the spellings which cause predictable reading difficulties for nearly all children.

Chinese children learn to read with the Roman alphabet first. They then learn to memorize the difficult Chinese pictograms with the aid of alphabetic subheadings, until they can dispense with them. Using simpler respellings for tricky English words is a similar method—and one we can use to help struggling readers cope with them as best we can.

Masha Bell is a retired English teacher and independent literacy researcher. She’s the author of the e-book SPELLING IT OUT: THE PROBLEMS AND COSTS OF ENGLISH SPELLING (2012). You can visit her on the web at www.EnglishSpellingProblems.co.uk.

[The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the International Reading Association or its Board of Directors.]

by Judith Hayn

Erlings, Fridrik. Fish in the Sky. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2012.

Adolescents have the same yearnings and issues no matter where they live in the world. Josh Stephenson is 13, and his teen world in a coastal Iceland city seems to be falling apart. He lives with his single mom and yearns for his dad’s love although Dad has moved to the countryside with his pregnant girlfriend. Dad has just sent his son a stuffed falcon for his birthday, and the bizarre gift adds to Josh’s confusion. His flirtatious 17-year-old cousin Trudy comes to live with them, and his bedroom is her corridor to the unlockable bathroom. Josh’s obsession with a lovely classmate and his fear of showering after gym class lead him to fake an excuse for missing school; his adventures on his own add to the reader’s enjoyment and empathy. Josh wants, like most other teenagers, to be accepted and not feel like that fish in the sky.

This is an appealing coming-of-age story that speaks to every teenage guy, plus a wealth of information for the teen girl seeking to understand those mysterious creatures. A light-hearted and deft emotional touch makes the book an entertaining and enlightening read. Erlings is a multi-talented Icelandic artist whose novel, recently translated into English, delineates with humor and poignancy that difficult journey from adolescence to manhood—one of the best reads out there for those 12 and up.

Dr. Judith A. Hayn is an associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This article is part of a series from the Special Interest Group Network on Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL).

by Marjie Podzielinski

Recently, my fifth grade students and I were able to log into a live Scholastic webinar and watch J.K. Rowling in Scotland read Harry Potter aloud. What a remarkable feat for my students. Webinars can really bring the world alive to students and teachers alike.

I started with Scholastic webinars last year when there was an author panel with Kirby Larson, Lois Lowry, and Andrea Pinkney. My “lunch bunch” students brought their lunches to the library and enjoyed this author visit for the DEAR AMERICA series. This launched their reading for all of the DEAR AMERICA books throughout the year. Scholastic also has webinars for continuing education, covering all sorts of topics that teachers need in today’s classrooms. These can be watched at your leisure and can be used for continuing education credit. Many help highlight topics from the Common Core. On October 24, my fourth graders watched Taylor Swift launch her Read Every Day campaign. They loved learning that she has always been a reader and writer.

DiscoveryEducation also offers a variety of webinars.

I was able to participate in the Big CleanUp with Philippe Cousteau in June. This was a call to action for student’s to participate in cleaning up our planet. Watching the webinars live is so fun because participants keep a running dialog during the event that provide teaching ideas while the speaker is talking. You are inter-acting with students and teachers all over the world.  Integrating this into class instruction broadens the horizons of all our students.

Also, edweb.net is an online community for sharing with educators all around the world. Webinars are offered on a variety of subjects and are archived for later viewing. These also include technology sessions which are so important for our students.

Booklist Online provides a variety of webinars, The topics range on reluctant readers, Common Core State Standards, Graphic Novels, and other ways to engage readers in your classroom. It is a wonderful way to hear about the latest books being offered by publishers. You merely register with an email address. The login info will be delivered to your mailbox. If you cannot attend on the date of the webinar a follow up email will come with how to access the archived webinar. If I miss a session during the week I can always make it up later.

I highly recommend that you add webinars to your own professional development. With tight budgets they avoid the costs of travel and hotel expenses. Experts in the field are sharing their knowledge and expertise, all from your computer. These sessions will enlighten your students and yourself.

Marjie Podzielinski is a librarian at Coulson Tough School in The Woodlands, Texas. 

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

The International Reading Association offers recordings of webinars from our Common Core State Standards series. This series included presenters Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert, Lesley Mandel Morrow, Timothy Rasinski, Nell K. Duke, Timothy Shanahan, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp. Visit the IRA webinar webpage for more information.

photo: loco's via photopin cc

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I find myself making a different sort of list than usual. I live by lists—things to do, things to buy—but now I am making a list of things for which I am thankful. I have, of course, listed my children. I love my job and am grateful for my wonderful colleagues. When I think “big picture,” I think I am most thankful to have been graced with the life I have lived. What luck, to be born in America, to have the freedoms I have. And I am overwhelmingly thankful for those who sacrifice to allow me to continue to live this way.

Thirty years ago, on November 13, 1982, people with similar feelings of gratitude erected a monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. In recognition of that occasion, I offer you this lesson. It’s been a student favorite since I started teaching it over eight years ago. I hope your students enjoy it as well.

My literature anthology includes the Walter Dean Meyer’s short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown.” I augment my instruction of that story with a (highly edited) excerpt from Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” There are edited excerpts available “out there,” and I’m sure you can find one that suits your needs. I stray from the traditional edit because I teach eighth graders, and I have no desire to explain that Lieutenant Cross doesn’t really want to touch Martha’s knee all night long. But I digress…

The kids love the O’Brien piece, especially the boys. Read it aloud, and you could hear a pin drop. They are entranced, hanging on every word.

So, the first day of the lesson, I read aloud and let them ask questions, and we process together. We identify the physical things the soldiers carry, and then discuss the heavier emotional burdens. We discuss how the things the soldiers carry reveal their character then I haul out my overstuffed pocketbook and demonstrate how I can use the contents of my purse to reveal details of my character. For example, the comb, brush, nail file, nail polish, and three tubes of lipstick reveal my vanity, while the armless Darth Maul action figure and receipts from Justice make my maternity evident. I use these items to springboard into emotional weight; I carry the love a mother has for her children and the insecurities all women have about their appearance. (Eighth grade girls eat that up.) Then the students go through their own backpacks, compiling a list of physical items they carry with them and matching them to corresponding emotional weight. For homework, they draft a one paragraph “Things I Carry” piece.

In class the next day, I introduce them to the word “syntax”—the purposeful use of language for effect. While I’m sure you could go quite in depth with this lesson in high school, I limit my focus to four devices: asyndeton, polysyndeton, anaphora, and parallelism. With each word and definition I present, I provide a passage from “The Things They Carried.”

Asyndeton is the deliberate omission of conjunctions. So I use the sentence “They carried Sterno, safety pins, trip flares, signal flares, spools of wire, razor blades, chewing tobacco, liberated joss sticks and statuettes of the smiling Buddha, candles, grease pencils, The Stars and Stripes, fingernail clippers, Psych Ops leaflets, bush hats, bolos, and much more.” We read it aloud as written, then again, trying it out with “and” inserted periodically. We discuss the change in rhythm and how the lack of conjunctions makes the list seem longer, more overwhelming, and the effect that has on the reader.

Polysyndeton is the use of multiple conjunctions, especially where some could be omitted. For this, I use “They carried lice and ringworm and leeches and paddy algae and various rots and molds.” Again, we read it aloud as written and then again leaving out the conjunctions. We discuss how the syntax impacts the reader.

Anaphora is the repetition of a phrase at the start of neighboring clauses. That’s easy; simply pick any two or three sentences with multiple uses of “they carried.” Discuss how the reader is reminded over and over again just how burdened the soldiers really were by the repetition of the phrase “they carried.”

Parallelism—giving two or more parts of consecutive sentences the same structure to provide the whole piece with a definite pattern—is also easy: “Mitchell Sanders carried a set of starched tiger fatigues for special occasions. Henry Dobbins carried Black Flag insecticide. Dave Jansen carried sandbags that could be filled at night for added protection. Lee Strunk carried tanning lotion.” (If you’d like a nicely formatted handout to use with your cherubs, email me at mzcotillo@gmail.com, and I’ll send one along.)

After the ideas are defined and exemplified, students revise their original piece, gradually adding in each device. To add another layer, students can then swap drafts with other students for them to identify the syntactic devices in each other’s writing. They can type up a final draft and have a well-written, highly personal piece of writing for their portfolio.

A handy side effect of this lesson: syntax is a helpful to get around the sticky issue of grading personal writing. If you feel you must grade the final product, you can grade for style, not content, and that should help students understand you’re grading the writing, not them.

Oh, and one last word of advice? Have the tissues handy for when you read them.

Mary Cotillo is an 8th grade ELA teacher at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA. Mother to two children, she enjoys engaging in light saber battles and hanging out on soccer fields. She earned her National Board Certification in 2009.

Election time is upon us and the news media is full of campaign issues. As children observe all that is happening with the omnipresent and various campaigns around the country, teachers who are looking for good books to help children understand the election process will find some new titles in this week’s selections from the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group. Teachers will appreciate the article in “Social Studies and the Young Learner” (September/October 2012) entitled “We Elect a President: Using Literature to Teach Decision-Making Skills.” (Obenchain and Pennington) ReadWriteThink offers the following lesson ideas about elections:

• November 6 is Election Day. Grades 3-12
• All About Elections. Grades K-5
• Voting! What’s It All About? Grades 3-5
• Propaganda Techniques in Literature and Online Political Ads. Grades 9-12

Also check out the Engage blog for "5 Questions with...Laurie Caulkhovan" who wrote I Grew Up to Be President (Scholastic, 2011) and "Putting Books to Work" featuring Rick Walton's I Need My Own Country (Bloomsbury USA, 2012).

GRADES K-3

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl Shaw Barnes. (2012). Woodrow for president: a tail of voting, campaigns, and elections. Washington, D.C.: Little Patriot Press.

In rhymed text and mouse puns and humor, the author uses simple language for young readers to learn about the process of campaigns and elections through the career of Woodrow G. Washingtail. As a young mouse, he decides to run for the position of mayor in his town. This is just the beginning of his political career as he then goes on to run for state senator, governor, and finally the “Big Cheese.” Simplistic watercolor illustrations depict Woodrow’s campaign trail. This book does not have detailed information about the election process but will give primary children a first glimpse at how candidates move up the ranks within the political arena. The publisher’s website offers a plethora of ideas to use with the book.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Bruel, Nick. (2012). Bad Kitty for president. New York: Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan.

Kitty is fed up with all the strays in the neighborhood, which gives her the impetus to run for President of The Neighborhood Cat Coalition. She is especially delighted to learn how much power comes with the office. Old Kitty has been president for two terms and his tenure is up, so the timing is perfect for Kitty. With Nick Bruel’s signature humor from his previous Kitty books, and his splash of colored cartoon-like illustrations, young readers will enjoy watching Kitty embark on her campaign. The author has actually done a fact-filled job of explaining the election process including registering to vote, debating, and having a primary election. However, as Election Day is here readers will be surprised at who forgot to get registered to vote and Old Kitty’s absentee ballot may be the deciding vote! Teachers: check out the book trailer and downloadable extras at the Bad Kitty website, and read this Reading Today Online interview with Nick Bruel.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Clanton, Ben. (2012). Vote for me! Toronto, ON Canada: Kids Can Press.

During this last month, in the United States, we have been bombarded with political phone calls and political fliers in the mail. This funny picture book notes the craziness that leads up to an election where political candidates try to get our vote. Illustrated in patriotic colors with speech bubbles, Donkey and Elephant shout, “Vote for ME!” (unpaginated). Each animal shares why we should vote for them–either because they have a high rating in the polls or they are super cute. The other animal sarcastically remarks why we shouldn’t vote for their opponent. A tiny asterisk notes humorous statistics at the bottom of the page. Just like all political candidates, Donkey and Elephant state promises they probably will not be able to accomplish. The animals banter back and forth finding fault with each other, slinging insults. An astute reader or listener will notice small illustrations at the bottom of some of the pages introducing another character. A surprise ending closes the book. This would make a perfect read aloud for children to discuss elections—either within a school for student council and/or political offices. Teachers might like to introduce the book with the book trailer located at Vimeo or learn the back matter from the author at the Two Writing Teachers blog.

- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Englar, Mary. (2012). An illustrated timeline of U.S. presidents. Illus. by Len Epstein. Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books/Capstone.

Just exactly as the title indicates, this book is a beginner’s look at the chronology of the presidents of the United States. The very basic information about each president includes their years in office, birth and death dates, political party, fast facts and important events. Colorful cartoon-like illustrations make this appropriate for primary children’s first exposure to thinking about the chain of events from one president to the next. A very well done slide show on all the Presidents is available from the White House.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Parish, Herman. (2012). Amelia Bedelia’s first vote. Illus. by Lynne Avril. New York: HarperCollins/Greenwillow.

Amelia Bedelia finds it hard to slow down, especially when she’s excited, and she literally runs into the school principal, Mr. K, as she races through the hall. He agrees to consider changing some of the school policies based on the results of a classroom election in Amelia's class. Several suggestions are provided, and Amelia and her classmates are excited that they might have ice cream sandwiches or homework-free Wednesdays as the result of the election. When the vote ends in a tie, she and classmate Clay literally have a run-off on the school playground with Amelia hugging the building corners as she goes around them--literally hugging them after a classmate offers a suggestion for her to shave time off her turns around the building. It's all good fun, filled with Amelia taking everything literally, which provides plenty of chances for punning throughout the story.  Amelia’s teacher Miss Edwards and Mr. K are patient and willing to take the time to talk with their students and explain the importance of voting, even on a classroom level. Perhaps if more youngsters realize the importance of one vote, they'll diligently cast their ballots during local, state, and national elections. The illustrations capture the irrepressible nature of Amelia quite well.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

GRADES 4-6

Clark, Catherine. (2012). How not to run for president. New York: Egmont.

Twelve-year old middle schooler, Aidan Schroeckenbauer, has been selected to be part of an interview with the independent, third-party presidential candidate, Bettina Brandon, who is campaigning in his small Ohio town. Just as he is answering questions about more job opportunities a campaign sign swings loose and Aidan pushes Governor Brandon out of harm’s way. The press and YouTube have field day with this brave and selfless act and he gets tagged as The Clarinet Hero (since he plays in the middle school band). Ms. Brandon’s campaign advisors think it would be great publicity to invite Aidan on the campaign trail. He agrees and so begins his life in politics. The first person he needs to win over, however, is the Governor’s daughter, Emma, who is out to sabotage her mother’s election because she does NOT want to live in the White House. Eventually, Aidan and Emma become friends but young readers will get a look at what a campaign looks like on the inside. Some satire, some political jokes and lots of political jargon make this not only a fun read but also an introduction to the underside of politics. Teachers will enjoy the companion website and reading guide to go with this book.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Gherman, Beverly. (2012). First Mothers. Illus. by Julie Downing. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion.

Even though today’s social studies texts highlight some of the contributions of women and there have been several titles published about the nation’s First Ladies, the role of presidential mothers has only rarely been explored in books for children. This wonderfully informative collection of stories about First Mothers provides brief biographies of the mothers of future presidents, providing insight into the women who were most influential on the nation's presidents during their formative years. Starting with Martha Ball Washington, the mother of the Father of our Country, and ending with Stanley Ann Dunham, the mother of current President Barack Obama, the book provides background information about forty-five influential women about whom history books have largely remained silent. Still, each president had a mother whose story merits at least some attention. Abe Lincoln’s parentage is represented by two entries, one for his mother and one for his stepmother. Since very little is known about some of these First Mothers, the author provides brief comments accompanied by thought or conversation balloons representing what each woman might have said. Other, better-known First Mothers merit two pages of text. The watercolor and colored pencil illustrations effectively represent each woman in clothing, dress, and demeanor. Dates of birth and death and a descriptive title are provided for each of them. Interested readers will want to check out the bibliography in the book’s back matter in order to learn even more about these women. As the presidential election looms on the horizon, this is the perfect title to stimulate interest in our nation's history and the women whose personalities helped form the nation's leaders.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Gutman, Dan. (2012 edition). Election! A kid’s guide to picking our president. New York: Open Road Integrated Media.

Rather than a dry book full of facts, Dan Gutman has created a practical guide to the election process using a question and answer format with over 120 questions that kids have really asked. Within the answers, he goes into the history of how our electoral process actually came into being as we know it today. He explains the Electoral College vote in a way that kids can understand. This well researched, updated edition contains the humorous slant readers are used to from earlier Dan Gutman books. This provides a great vehicle for teachers or parents to discuss politics with their children and even explain why sometimes people say nasty things about the candidates. However, Gutman takes every opportunity to encourage children to learn about the candidates, sort out the information and to become responsible civic-minded citizens and informed voters. The author’s book and others are featured on the Kid Lit and Politics blog.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Jackson, Carolyn. (2012). The election book: The people pick a president. New York: Scholastic.

Since many Americans, young and old, have questions about how this nation elects its presidents, a reference book on elections is handy to have, especially at this time of year. In twelve short chapters, the book familiarizes readers with the process of presidential elections in the United States. It covers the roles and powers of the president as well as who can run for the nation’s highest office and provides information about campaigning for president, the conventions of political parties held to choose each party’s nominee, Election Day, the Electoral College, and even the swearing-in ceremony  for each new president. The text, updated from an earlier edition, includes information on the 2008 presidential campaign and the unique fundraising efforts of President Barack Obama’s campaign team. The roles of the media, the internet, and social media are also discussed. Several terms in the books, such as bipartisanship, proportional voting, and “soft” money, require further explanation that is provided through sidebars or in the glossary. This is a good book for class group projects on elections or civic history.

- Rani Iyer, Washington State University Pullman

Sobel, Syl. (2012 edition). Presidential elections and other cool facts. Barron’s Educational Series.

Attorney, newspaper reporter and author, Syl Sobel has created a guidebook to the presidential elections. Chapter headings include: Who will lead the country?; The rules for electing the President; The electoral college; The Presidential campaign; What if something happens to the President? This format is designed to help children understand the entire process of electing a president, especially taking time to explain the Electoral College and why and how it came into existence. The book concludes with a glossary, resource guide and index and serves as a kind of textbook approach to the presidential elections. Listen to an interview with the author at the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Townsend, Michael. (2012). Where do presidents come from? And other presidential stuff of super great importance. New York: Penguin/Dial.

Amid the bunnies, monkeys, and general silliness about politics and presidential campaigns that fill the pages of this graphic nonfiction title, readers will find plenty of great information about the presidency, elections, the electoral process, and snippets about each of the nation's presidents and even little-known facts about the White House. The book’s six chapters insure that readers know as much as they possibly can about their own civic responsibilities and the long road that leads to the presidency and living in the White House. Because the author uses a comic strip format, he is able to provide lots of information quickly and succinctly. The information is easy to digest too since the author has taken great pains to simplify as much as possible ideas that can be confusing for political novices. A perfect choice during this presidential election year, the book would also be useful in providing background for class discussions on eligibility requirements that must be met in order to run for president, the voting process itself, campaigning for the office of president, and suffrage for women and former slaves. By the book’s final page, readers know that presidents come from just about anywhere in the United States, but they all are elected in the same way, thanks to the foresight of the nation’s leaders. Teachers may be interested in having their students send a letter to the president of the United States at this address.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

GRADES 5-8

Rhatigan, Joe. (2012). White House kids: the perks, pleasures, problems and pratfalls of the Presidents’ children. Illus. by Jaemyung Shin. Imagine! Publishers.

This scrapbook looking book will appeal to a wide range of children and adults as the author used photographs, letters, interviews, notes, and all kinds of factual tidbits to reveal what it is like to be a child in the White House. In some cases, it can be lots of fun – a bowling alley in the basement and a chef to prepare favorite foods, but there is a down side as well. Living in the fishbowl existence of publicity due to the high profile job of being a U.S. President’s child and having the press, the secret service and the paparazzi surrounding you at all times can become tiresome. The author has highlighted some of the mischief, the mysteries, and the mayhem the White House kids have been a part of while living in the nation’s capitol. The book design is inviting with sidebars, fact boxes, illustrations, and photographs. Connect this book to the website First Kids which also has lesson ideas. 

- Karen Hildebrand – Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.