Author Study: Pinkney Family Trees

As part of our author/illustrator study of the Pinkney family, first graders created a family tree of the family using some of the mediums used by the family's illustrators.

Students began by painting a tree using watercolor, a medium Jerry Pinkney uses frequently to create his beautiful paintings.  I often use the website Reading Rockets to find out more about favorite author/illustrators and it did not disappoint.  It's definitely worth taking a look at if you have time.

Jerry Pinkney Reading Rockets Video Link

After painting their family tree, students used crayons and a pair of scissors to add something to their scene using the scratchboard technique that Brian Pinkney is known for.  Finally, students added photographs of each member of the Pinkney family since Myles Pinkney is a photographer.  They also glued on a piece of paper to give credit to the website where we got the photographs.

I love how their family trees turned out.

Author Study: The Pinkney Family

First graders have just completed their author/illustrator study of Caldecott winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney.  His wife, Gloria, writes children's books.  Their sons, Brian and Myles, are illustrators.  And Brian and Myles's wives, Andrea Davis and Sandra respectively, are children's authors.  What a talented family!  We've focused on illustration (especially since so many of Andrea Davis Pinkney's wonderful books are really for older students.)

We've read Pinkney family books and explored Jerry Pinkney's titles on his websites.  Then we used a variety of art supplies to create art in the style of all three Pinkney illustrators.  Tune in this weekend to find out more and take a look at some of the beautiful student art work!

Calling All Readers! We want YOU!

We hope to have a Battle of the Books program again next year!  If we do, we hope to see interested 4th-8th graders join us in reading fabulous books and participating in competitions about those books.  (That means if you're going to be a fourth grader next year, you would be able to participate.)

Here's a sneak peak at some of the titles that will be on next year's list.  It's never too early to start reading!

Grade 4-6

                

·         28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World. By Charles R. Smith Jr.  Roaring Brook Press, 2015.

·         Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff.  Puffin Books, 2015.

·         Funny Bones: Posada and his Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, 2015.

• Slacker by Gordon Korman.  Scholastic, 2016.

·         Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford. Candlewick, 2015.

    

Grade 7-8

• Booked by Kwame Alexander HMH Books, 2016.

·         Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle. Atheneum, 2015.

• The Marvels by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press, 2015.
• Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney.  Roaring Brook Press, 2015.
• The Smoking Mirror: Garza Twins Book One by David Bowles. IFWG Publishing, 2015. 

Battle of the Books City Finals

Battle of the Books City Finals was this past weekend.  I am so proud of our teams.  This is the first year Disney participated in Battle of the Books and both our 4th-6th grade teams and 7th-8th grade teams qualified to go to the City Finals this past weekend.  (This means that both teams were in the top 15 scoring teams of all the participating schools.  There were originally 98 4th-6th grade teams and 81 7th-8th grade teams.)

Both teams worked incredibly hard and it was a joy to work with them for Battle of the Books.  Eighth graders we will miss you next year!

(Thanks to Ms. Herceg for this picture.)

And the winners are: Rebecca Caudill Award

Disney's choices for the Rebecca Caudill Award:

Third Place Tie:
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
and
Rump by Liesl Shurtliff

Second Place:  See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

First Place:  Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Illinois's Rebecca Caudill Winners:

Third Place: Hidden by Helen Frost

Second Place: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

First Place: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

And the winners are: Bluestem Award

Disney's choices for the Bluestem Award:

Third Place: The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

Second Place: Tie
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Sidekicks by Dan Santata

First Place: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Illinois's Bluestem Winners:

Third Place: Sidekicks by Dan Santata

Second Place: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

First Place: The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

And the winners are...Monarch Award

And the winners are in!

Disney's choices for the Monarch Award are

Third Place: The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Second Place: This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris

First Place: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

The winners for the state of Illinois are

Third Place: Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader

Second Place:   The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

First Place: Breaking News: Bear Alert by David Biedrzycki

Book Spine Poetry Two

And a few more fabulous book spine poems:

Book Spine Poetry

April was National Poetry Month and we celebrated with one of my favorite poetry activities - book spine poetry.  To create book spine poetry you use the titles of books as they appear on book spines to create a stacked poem.   Students worked together in groups to look for titles that inspired them and then built poems off of them.  Take a look at some favorites created by Disney students:

Bluestem Nominee: The 13-Story Treehouse

Students loved this fun and funny book and Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton's other tree house books are just as popular.

Bluestem Nominee: Sidekicks

Graphic novels just fly off of our shelves and Dan Santat's Sidekicks is no exception.  What a fun book!

Bluestem Nominee: Stay

Stay by Michaela Muntean is a charming non-fiction book that tells the story of circus performer Luciano Anastasini who finds dogs at shelters and trains them to perform in the circus.

Bluestem Nominee: Fortunately the Milk

Neil Gaiman's Fortunately the Milk was not my favorite of his books the first time I read it.  After reading it aloud to several fourth and fifth grade classes I am a convert.  What a ridiculous, hilarious, good time!