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For Students » Book of the Month

Book of the Month

 

Ricky Book of the Month

Our November/December book of the month is called Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll by Jay Miletsky. 

 

This is the story of Ricky the rock who is flat on one side and cannot roll like his friends. Similar to Flight School, his friends come together to help get him rolling! This story highlights perseverance and triumph in the face of adversity, and the power of true friendship. Teachers will be using this story to reinforce these values and build resiliency through Makerspace activities, hands-on experiences, and class discussions.

Flight School BookOur August/September Book of the Month is Flight School, by Lita Judge.

 

This is a story about a penguin who has the soul of an eagle and is determined to fly. With a growth mindset and some support from his buddies, he is able to accomplish his dream and soar! 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Our final Book of the Month is Dough Knights and Dragons by Dee Leone. This is the tale about a curious knight and an amiable dragon who meet serendipitously and instantly bond over their shared love of baking. But the friends are filled with sadness when, according to the law, the two must duel one another. Students learn an important lesson about diversity and social justice in this story.
 
“It’s about not being stereotypical. Dragons and knights are supposed to fight, and in here it’s showing that you can be friends whether you live in a cave or a castle, whether you wear red or blue, whether you’re tall or small. And it teaches creative problem-solving because they get out of that conflict and end up saving the day.” -Leone

Our Book of the Month for March and April is Sarabella’s Thinking Cap by Judy Schachner.

This story celebrates creativity and what it means to be creative. It is about a little girl who is constantly daydreaming and creating new worlds from her imagination. In it, her understanding teacher recognizes her creativity, but it also addresses the expectations of a classroom setting, and how to meld the two. This beautifully illustrated book will connect with all children who have an active imagination!

Check out these resources to spark your child’s creativity at home! 

Articles:
10 Ways to Spark Your Child’s Imagination 
25 Ways to Spark Your Your Child’s Creative Thinking 
The Whole Child- Creativity and Play

Places (Bay Area Kid Fun):
Children’s Creativity Museum
Museum of Children’s Art
Cantor Arts Center

Our Book of the Month for January and February is Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer. Wordy Birdy loves words and she talks – A LOT! A hilarious and fun book with an important message about listening and communication. Learning how to listen is a crucial aspect of communication and at school, we teach children about Whole Body Listening where each part of our body plays a part in showing someone that we are listening to them.

You may want to take a look at these tips on positive ways to talk and listen with your child at home. Asking specific questions, for example, is a great way to invite children to open up and let them know you are really listening. Effective communication helps build strong relationships and is a skill that children will be able to utilize in every aspect of their life!

Our November/December Book of the Month is After the Fall by Dan Santat. In this story, we meet Humpty Dumpty after his fall. He is afraid to climb the ladder to the top of the wall he famously fell off of. Kids will root for him as he faces his fear and ends up soaring with a surprising ending! This tale aligns perfectly with our Mindset for Learning and reinforces the message of:
  • * Ownership: Taking charge of your own learning
  • * Persistence: Sticking with something even when it is challenging
  • * Perseverance: Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
  • * Resilience: When you are having trouble, pause, take a breath and clear your mind then get back up and keep working!
 
 
Our September Book of the Month is Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller.  We chose this book to start off the year as it does a great job of providing an overview of kindness along with clear examples to make the concept of what it means to be kind more concrete.  It touches upon both the individual and global impact of being kind and points out that while it may not always be easy to be kind, each small act can make a difference.  This is a perfect book to read at the beginning of the year to start a conversation about kindness and set expectations.