ALLITERATION & WHAT ARE YOU READING?

How do you feel about alliteration? Do you think it's fun? Does it make you want to play in the sun? But, maybe it makes you want to run!

 Fun, sun, run, perhaps it makes you wish I was done...

If you like picture books, hop over to Amy's blog and read her interview with picture book author Beth Reinke. (It's a good one!)

Most of you know I'm on a retreat...retreating to the sunny warm weather of the south.  I took a few books with me and thought I'd share them with you. 

Read so far this week:

Fancy Nancy, Pajama Day by Jane O'Connor. 

A fun easy reader with some FANCY vocabulary introductions.

Mount Rushmore by Marion Dane Bauer.

A sweet but simple easy reader about the history of Mt. Rushmore.

Good Night, Good Knight by blogging friend Shelley Moore Thomas.

A lovely level two easy reader that tells a comforting tale using some repetition to help the beginning reader feel confident in their new reading skills.

Peanut Butter For Cupcakes by Donna Nordmark Aviles.

                                                 

(I was introduced to Donna by YaYa a few months ago.  Thanks, Yaya!)

This is the third book Donna has written about her families experiences during the Great Depression and The Orphan Train.  Outstanding chapter books that you won't be able to put down until you are finished with all three of them!

Reading Right Now:

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.

This Newbery winner is awesome!  I was a bit leery by the format of this mid grade novel, but once you get used to the formatting it's a lovely read that takes you into the turmoil of the dust bowl.

                                                       

Heist Society by Ally Carter.

(My lovely blog friend Jackee sent me this awesome book. Thanks, Jackee!)

This young adult (YA) novel is hot!  I've just started reading it, but am anxious to finish this post, so I can go back to reading...

I've been quite busy reading and writing since I left our little home in Iowa...

What are you reading right now?

P.S. I'm only 809 people away from having a 1,000 followers! Can you believe it? I'm totally stoked and have been thinking of what to do to celebrate when I'm K-800 followers. Well, we've come up with a plan...My daughter (now a high school freshman) and I decided to have a Really Random Prize Give-A-Way...one of EPIC proportion! It's going to be sooooo (I could add more o's) much fun for you, me and a committee of judges....

RESOURCE BOOKS...My Favorites

THE NEW BABY NAME SURVEY by Bruce Lansky is one of my favorite resource books. It has approximately 2,000 names in it. It gives you the name’s origin, meaning, famous people with that name, and what people think when they hear that name.


Example: Sharon (Hebrew) desert plain. Image: It’s hard to put your finger on Sharon’s personality. People aren’t sure if she’s a crabby arrogant perfectionist, a fun-loving and outgoing adventurer, or a sweet and soft-spoken introvert. People tend to agree, however, that Sharon is a middle-aged woman who’s busty, homely, and dowdy. (I take great offense to this last sentence…)

Famous Namesakes: Actress Sharon Stone; actress Sharon Tate; personality Sharon Osbourne, actress Sharon Case.

The RHYMING DICTIONARY contains over 40,000 words. You look up a word ending sound and this wonderful little book gives you lots of options.

Example: look up the word fun in the index, it tells you to go to reference number 259 –un

259 –un bun, dun, done, fun, gun, Hun, none, nun, pun, spun, run, son, sun, sunn (East Indian plant), shun, ton, tonne, tun, stun, one, won

Undone, outdone, begun, handgun, popgun, shotgun, outgun, Falun (Swedish city), Cholon (South Vietnamese city), homespun, finespun, rerun, forerun, millrun, outrun, godson, grandson, stepson, Fushun (Chinese city), someone.

The CHILDREN’S WRITER’S WORD BOOK is jam-packed full of lists grouped by grade levels. Another fun feature is the thesaurus of listed words, along with reading level synonyms, and advice on word usage.

Example: fun

Fun (K): cheer (3rd), delight (3rd), jest (4th), mirth (5th), play (K), pleasure (2nd), recreation (5th), sport (1st)


Do you have a favorite resource book?  Do you have any of my favorite books?  Did you notice all the boldfaced words?  What do you think they mean?