Classroom audiobook tips

I am taking this from a conversation I had with a friend who teaches elementary school in Dallas. I hope she doesn't mind.

We had been talking about the beauty of checking audiobook CDs from the library, then upoading them to iTunes. I had been looking to just burn copies of the CDs and store them either with my classroom library or near my classroom library. Then she offered this advice:

"Load Itunes onto your classroom computers and use those as listening stations. I do that and I have 5 iPods that can be checked out (shuffles, mostly donated). Of the iPods I have 3 are from a collection taken up by the parents in my class (10 bucks a kid= $200) and the other two I bought with my own money."

I haven't talked with her about the possible downsides to loaning out iPods, but even if you only allow your students to use them in class, I think it's a fantastic idea. Take a look at the iPod Shuffle here, and check out the neat new ad.

I think this is an idea that can be used in classrooms at any level. To read more about how audiobooks had a huge impact on a middle school classroom, do yourself an enormous favor and check out:


Caught in the Middle, Susan Ohanian

This book spends a lot of time talking about crazy school bureaucracy, and it also has fantastic suggestions for language arts classes for students of all abilities.

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One for the kids, one for you

It's a complete snow emergency in Seattle today, so I'm going to suggest a pair of books that will keep both you and any young folks satisfied.


Runny Babbit, Shel Silverstein

This is a funny way to approach the importance of using a correct starting sound in words. A mix-and-match word activity could easily be developed from this book -- at one point, flashcards of many of the book's illustrations were available from Barnes and Noble, you could probably find them on eBay.



Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book, Shel Silverstein

I LOVE this book. Reader beware: despite what Uncle Shelby tells you, this naughty ABC book is probably most appropriate for older youngsters -- middle schoolers, perhaps?

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Obvious and not-so-obvious recommendations

Did you know that the delightful author of Charlotte's Web also designed one of the quintessential guides to proper writing style? Behold:


Charlotte's Web, E.B. White

Quick, reread the original before the live action version comes out and cheapens the story beyond recognition! This book, technically written at a fourth-grade level, is totally appropriate for first graders on up (or even younger if you're reading it to someone). I still greet people with "Salutations" in a nod to this book.



The Elements of Style, Strunk and White

This English student standard got a facelift last year with a coffee table version, complete with humorous illustrations and a gilded cover (although the edition in this image seems to have a paper outer cover that my first edition doesn't have). It took me nearly 20 years to realize my beloved E.B. White was coauthor of this extremely handy, practical volume (Additionally, Powells is your source for getting a copy of this book in Japanese).

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Bet you didn't know it was a series

The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, Lois Lowry

Many students are familiar with Lowry's Newbery-winning book about a boy who is chosen to receive the city's memories. But quite a few aren't aware of the companion novel, Gathering Blue, which occurs in another community at the same point in time. Messenger links these two worlds together, but it unfortunately uses a plot devite that can seem to have religious overtones (which is just fine, but comes across as too heavily/clunkily applied).

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Culturally accurate or pandering attempts?

I present these two books because after I finished reading them, I wasn't sure if they were giving me an insight into cultures I didn't know about or if they were created in an overtly PC way to fill a market with woefully few minority perspectives. (An example: The Newbery-winning book A Single Shard is full of interesting historical and cultural facts, yet it is a horrifically boring novel that seems to have been praised just for the fact that it presents an unfamiliar culture)


Girls for Breakfast, David Yoo

The main character of this book struggles because he doesn't live up to the Asian ideal -- he's not brainy or dorky or... anything, really, he's just average. The book follows his struggles through school and the awkwardness of finding a ladyfriend. It seems to be an attempt to recreate in high school form the guy-lit genre popularized by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy, etc.). The subject matter of this is probably more appropriate for middle and high schoolers.



Becoming Naomi Leon, Pam Munoz Ryan

This book is a Powell's staff pick and a contender for the 2007 Sasquatch Awards (through the Washington Library Media Association), so I'm inclined to believe that this isn't just receiving buzz for the fact that it's about a Mexican girl living with her extended family. This is a touching story with lots of cultural history that I wasn't aware of, and (peripherally) honestly addresses the issues of children with special needs.

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Felines Feasting on Food

Each of the books in this duo feature hungry cats.


Pizza Kittens,

These bratty kittens refuse to enjoy the crummy meals their parents prepare for them. They try to reform their behavior, but things don't work out until they finally get the food they want -- three guesses as to what food that would be?



Kitten's First Full Moon,
The Caldecott-winning book, by the author of several other excellent books, is the tale of a kitten who thinks the round full moon is a bowl of milk. She goes on an adventure around the neighborhood to track it down. Even more difficult than tracking down the moon, it seems, is getting in touch with Henkes. I attempted to send a letter his way, but short of contacting the publisher (and who within the publisher should I direct the letter to?), there was no contact. In searching online, I discovered other teachers encountered the same troubles I did. Suggestions?

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On getting a good rest

I've been feeling under the weather today, so here are some books on getting rested...


Naps: The Sound of N, Cynthia Fitterer Klingel

This is a good book for explaining the difference in the sounds that N and M make. The photos are kind of hokey, but it's good for younger students to see the older elementary kids in the book taking naps.



I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go To Bed, Lauren Child

This silly book is a good companion to the N study for Naps, because the author uses "not" a lot. The photo collage element is a neat illustration choice, too.

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Daily Book Review

I always wind up suggesting books to people when something appropriate comes up in conversation. I haven't read this book yet, but I thought it was relevant related to the article I've also linked to.


Teachers Have It Easy, Dave Eggers

This book talks about how bad school policy -- particularly related to funding and pay issues -- makes it much harder for teachers to do their jobs. Written in accessible language, the book is wry and brings up points not often addressed in articles or books about education reform.


Federal Way School District sues state over funding, The Seattle Times

The Federal Way School District is sueing the state of Washington because it says the state's formulas for funding school is unfair. Here's another article.

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Looking at the Year

These books are neat, unusual alternatives to simply presenting the different months or seasons of the year.


A Busy Year, Leo Lionni

Two mice visit Woody, a tree, throughout the year to celebrate each of the new looks she sports as the seasons change. It could be neat to copy these pictures to make month signs for the classroom.



The Ecological Calendar, Chris Hardman

This calendar is available locally at Display and Costume. It traces the changes of the year through seasons, animal migrations, plant growth, etc. The calendar is printed on sturdy cardstock that could be easily laminated for classroom use.

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Crazy Birds

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, Mo Willems

The same Pigeon who wanted so badly to drive the bus is back again. This time, he has a pest of his own, a little duck who keeps trying to TAKE HIS HOT DOG! Who will prevail in this battle between annoying and annoyinger?



Cheep! Cheep!, Julie Stiegemeyer

This is a great book for emphasizing initial consonant blends, as all the words in the text have "-eep" at the ends.

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Taking Another Look at Things

These books give students the opportunity to look at letters and images in a different way than they usually do.


The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book, Lisa Campbell Ernst

Each letter of the alphabet is turned 45 degrees at a time to reveal a new picture (K becomes a cat's whiskers, a bird's beak, etc.). This is a good opportunity to challenge students to find different pictures in abstract blocks of color.



Look! Look! Look!, Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Three mice discover an art postcard and each explore their interpretations of the painting based on color, line, and shape. The mice also talk about how to write and send a postcard. Just think of the activities you could springboard from this!

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Back again

Now that the Halloween season is over at Display and Costume and I've put away my flapper, princess, and genie in a bottle costumes, I again have time to dedicate to suggesting books for teachers and students. What a relief!

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