CMIS Evaluation Primary Focus

Enjoy this sweet little vodcast from the first grade students at Parkview Elementary School Oklahoma. And it comes with the blessing of Mo Willems himself:

Might be a nice idea to try something similar (or if you have, please share it with us).

Our blogs are always happy to let readers know about anything to do with Neil Gaiman. Those who saw him at the 2008 CBCA Conference in Melbourne just over a year ago will be hoping that it’s not too long before he makes a return visit, although since his Newbery win he is in much demand in the northern hemisphere and has hardly stopped for breath.

Until we can see him again in person, here’s the next best thing. Neil reading his latest picture book, Blueberry Girl. One for all ages, with delightful illustrations. Thanks to the Things Mean A Lot blog that alerted us to this one.

And you do know about his video tour and reading of The Graveyard Book, don’t you?

Although we were aware of the British publication, Riveting Reads Plus: Boys into Books 5-11, we had neglected to mention it here, until a nudge from the Create Readers blog (a great site from the NZ National Library) reminded us. So here is where you can download it.

If you would like another annotated list of books suitable for boys of this age group, just do a CMIS topic search in our online catalogue with the topic keyword boys’ reads, and limit the search by selecting the Phases of Development Early childhood and/or Middle childhood, and at the moment you will come up with 87 titles (but additional titles are added regularly).

Some suggested book titles to share with Junior Primary students around the theme of “Mothers”:

A Chick called Saturday / Joyce Dunbar

A Mother’s Journey / Sandra Markle

A Pocketful of Kisses / Angela McAllister

Changes / Anthony Browne

Chimp and Zee / Catherine and Georg Hallensleben

Close Your Eyes / Kate Banks

Cottonwool Colin / Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Daddy’s Having a Horse / Lisa Shanahan

Going Shopping / Sarah Garland

Harriet, You’ll Drive me Wild! / Mem Fox

How to Heal a Broken Wing / Bob Graham

Little Humpty / Margaret Wild

Lizzie Nonsense / Jan Omerod

Lord of the Forest / Caroline Pitcher

Lucy Goosey / Margaret Wild and Ann James

Mama Will Be Home Soon / Nancy Minchella

Millie / John Marsden

My Mum/ Anthoy Browne

My Mum Tarzan / Lisa Shanahan

On the Way Home / Jill Murphy

Scrambled Egg: Another Stripey Adventure / Wendy Binks

Seven More Sleeps / Margaret Wild

Square-eyed Pat / Liz Pichon

The Bear with Sticky Paws / Clara Vulliamy

The Growing Story / Ruth Krauss

Time for Bed, Isobel / David Bedford and Leonie Worthington

Too Many Monkeys / Margaret Wild

Waiting for Mummy / Tae-Jun Lee

If you can think of any other suitable titles, please suggest them in the Comment Box.