Last Blog

For my last blog I just wanted to reflect on all that I have learned from this class. May I say that I have really enjoyed Children's Literature and would not have seen many of the different aspects of the books that we covered. The class opened my eyes to what children think like, how books are written particularly for them, and why exactly they are. We learned the different techniques and studied such a wide variety of material. Books I had chosen to never read as a child are now some of my favorites. From now on, every time I read a picture book, or child's novel, the things I learned about theme and vocabulary and appropriateness will continuously fill my head. I will never forget the first week of class, my friends were teasing me about how we were "psycho-analyzing" children and their stories. I personally did not think we were going to that extreme or that it was a bad thing. It always helps to know how a child's mind works, and a lot of these stories have hidden meanings specifically for adults to see, that no child would pick up on and think is funny. In the end, I feel like a much smarter person for taking this class, and I feel like I have a much better and deeper understanding of the books I grew up on (ones I thought were kind of stupid are better than before because I understand many of the subtle differences I encounter).

The Stinky Cheese Man

All I can say is I have loved that book since the first time I read it. The story line is pure brilliance and it breaks so many molds of children's literature. No other story has the narrator as an actually present character, normally they are just background noise. The book actually comes alive as you read it. The characters are fighting with the narrator about telling their stories. To me, it sounds exactly like children. They all have funny and silly stories that they want to tell and so they fight with each other about who will tell theirs first. There is usually on child that takes charge and tells the other kids what to do, and then the rest argue with him. Well that is The Stinky Cheese Man in a nut-shell. The illustrations add to a wonderful story, and as stated in class, the book would not be the same without them. This class has always been so entertaining. I was waiting for when we got to these kinds of stories, as they are pretty much every kids favorite. Aside from Dr. Seuss, this nonsense story adds a lot of much needed fun within reading.

Shel Silverstein

I absolutely love his poems. He is such a funny writer. He was born in 1932 and published many books including Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in The Attic. He was not recognized on the poet scene until 1952, and then again in the 70's. He died in 1999 of a severe heart attack. His poems live on for everyone to read and enjoy.

The Restaurant
I said, "I'll take the T-bone steak."
A soft voice mooed, "Oh wow."
And I looked up and realized
The waitress was a cow.
I cried, "Mistake--forget the the steak.
I'll take the chicken then."
I heard a cluck--'twas just my luck
The busboy was a hen.
I said, "Okay no, fowl today.
I'll have the seafood dish."
Then I saw through the kitchen door
The cook--he was a fish.
I screamed, "Is there anyone workin' here
Who's an onion or a beet?
No? Your're sure? Okay then friends,
A salad's what I'll eat."
They looked at me. "Oh,no," they said,
"The owner is a cabbage head."


Forgotten Language
Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

I learned from you

Nature vs. Nurture? This is a common question contemplated between many in today's world. Do kids get their traits from their DNA or the environment around them. How do they know certain things? Why do they act certain ways? I personally believe, a child's personality traits are fully influenced by nurture, their environment while growing up. A parents love and guidance is the one and only thing that shapes a child's life. Children pick up words their parents say all the time. They are raised in a certain environment so they become comfortable with certain things and not others. Their parents teach them right and wrong, left and right. And who did their parents learn from? Their own parents. Therefore, personality traits are definitely passed from parent to child. As always, I have a song that describes this point perfectly called, "I Learned From You," By: Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus. This song says how Miley has learned to take care of herself because of the things her dad has taught her, strength and courage and poise. These are all traits found in a person's personality because of their parents teaching since birth.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kglSL6rlXzI&feature=related

This is a word search of some of the silliest words Dr. Seuss has come up with....

W L Y E N M I U Q O G V R Y P J E D Y L B Z H A C E K Y Y P J R O K U H F L F A E T K A G R K M C L J O D J D M E U A H H I U E O E V D L J A X O D S P M D L U X R N X Z F J P P K N O U B G M T I K F A T U E T B G O O T C H B J E M F T R O Q A Q O P K B D H F D I K W I G G E R A W B I F V P N I Z Z A R D S U D S N I A T R E J Q X C L A Q F P R S N E E D L E A H W Y E K K O D Z I M M E R S

diffendoofer	nizzards
gafluppted	oobleck
gootch	quimney
jertain	sneedle
kwigger	yekko
lerkim	zimmers
lorax

Answers:
W L Y E N M I U Q O G V R Y P J E D Y L B Z H A C E K Y Y P J R O K U H F L F A E T K A G R K M C L J O D J D M E U A H H I U E O E V D L J A X O D S P M D L U X R N X Z F J P P K N O U B G M T I K F A T U E T B G O O T C H B J E M F T R O Q A Q O P K B D H F D I K W I G G E R A W B I F V P N I Z Z A R D S U D S N I A T R E J Q X C L A Q F P R S N E E D L E A H W Y E K K O D Z I M M E R S

Baby Baluga

There is a song that I was reminded of today that my daddy used to sing to me when I was a little girl. He would tuck me into bed and then sing me "Baby Baluga" by: Raffi. The song is about a baby baluga whale that must go to sleep. Not many people have heard it, but I loved it. I couldn't go to sleep at night without it. When my dad was away on business, my mom would play the tape for me. We used to listen to it on car rides and sometimes during the day my mom would sing it to me. I remember watching my favorite show when I was younger, Full House, and seeing Joey and Danny sing it too Michelle. I freaked out, pure excitement, that my favorite song was on tv. To this day, anytime I hear that song it comforts me. Just knowing that it was the song my daddy always sang to me so many years ago, it makes everything better. I hope that every little girl has their song that their daddy or mommy sings to them at night. That way no matter how old they are, they will always have a song to comfort them. Below is a clip of the song when sang in Full House.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=G0rInDa39l8

Oh The Places You'll Go

For my last outside reading book, I chose a Dr. Seuss classic, Oh The Places You'll Go. This book has been one of my favorites for years, as I was reintroduced to it after my high school graduation. I have always been a Dr. Seuss fan as his rhyming and silly picture and characters make for the most fun reading. This book pretty much tells you than you can go anywhere and do anything that you want to. It opens the world to your own imagination. Here is an excerpt from the first few pages, "Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places! You're off and away./ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go." This books dares you to dream and push the limits to the endless possibilities life throws at you. Now this book is not quite as silly as all of the rest of Seuss' books, but is more of one to teach kids to look to the stars and actually pursue their dreams. My favorite line of the book is, "So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that, life's a great balancing act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left." Dr. Seuss stories have always been favorites of mine, and they will be for many years to come. My kids are going to grow up on his books, just as I did. Seuss gave kids a new outlook on reading. He made books fun and his books are the ones that made me want to be some sort of writer. This books will always be with me and whenever I doubt myself, I just turn to Seuss, "And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) Kid, you'll move mountains! So be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So, get on your way!"

PICTURE BOOKS

Today in class we began discussing picture books, only my favorite things ever. And we listed off a few of the best. My favorite picture books growing up were Goodnight Moon and Mister Paint Pig. I did a previous blog on Mister Paint Pig as it is the book that taught me all of my colors and made me want to paint all of the time (my parents were just thrilled). But, Goodnight Moon was so fun to read because I loved the pictures. Each time my mom would show me the pages I would see something that I hadn't seen in previous readings of the story. It was my bedtime story, and after each time my mom would read my a page, I would say goodnight to something else that was in my room. I had a lot of stuffed animals and such that I always had to tuck into bed very nicely before I could go to sleep. You could say there were more pillows and stuffed animals in my bed than there was me!

The Giver

This book for me is highly strange, and not something that I am likely to read just because I feel like it. Books about Utopia's always seem a little strange and far fetched in my mind, and the lack of religious belief really bothers me. The same was true for The Giver, as I could not grasp the notion that there was no color, no memories, no religion, no room to do what you want. I understand that some people really like these kind of books, but I all together find them disturbing. Our world is not a Utopia, and it will never be one. Anyone who thinks they're great is crazy, because you can see how this one crumbles in the end of the book. No one is happy in a world with no freedom, though the people in this "community" don't know what they are missing. They think they are the only people that have ever existed, which just seems highly bizarre. It's just a concept I cannot get my head around. Now maybe I am not being imaginative enough, but I truly think this book is beyond strange. It reminds me a lot of Anthem, a book about a Utopia where everyone has a number instead of a name, and relationships between men and women are strictly forbidden. Written by an atheist writer, there are strong anti-religious notions throughout the book that bothered me from the beginning. I am a very Christian person, so anything that puts religion as unnecessary or wrong is generally something I dislike a lot. Not to bash the authors of either of these books, because they are great works none the less. The descriptions and techniques in The Giver are so complex, they are truly remarkable. It is just the story line that bothers me the most. The plot is not one of my favorites, but the writing is pretty extraordinary.

Sports Fest

I am in an organization called Sports For Kids. Each semester we put on an event for local elementary age children called SportsFest. It is a five hour sports camp held on one Saturday each semester for the kids to come out and play sports with college athletes. We invite as many varsity athletes as possible to come, and usually have representatives from baseball, softball, track, lacrosse, football, tennis, soccer, and rugby. This kids love it because these are real college athletes that have scholarships to play these sports at A&M. The athletes have a blast with the kids, as it is one afternoon they get off from training. As members of SFK, we are there as counselors for the kids, taking them around to each of their activities and playing games with them during rest periods. It's a lot of fun and reminds me a lot of the kids I work with at home for my summer camp. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a smile on a kids face when they finally master a certain activity. Just to see the way they glow and are so thrilled, I just feel like I am really helping out. Their other favorite part of the day is when the Yell Leaders come to lead them in a few yells. They think that is the coolest, and they even try to do the hand motions the yell leaders are doing. It's so great to see our future Aggies participating at such a young age. (brainwashing more like it) Anyway, our next SportsFest is in two weeks and I could not be anymore excited to work with some more incredible kids.

Cinderella

For my paper that is due Monday, I am discussing the differences in Walt Disney's Cinderella and The Grimm's Brothers version. I realized that although Disney based his version on the Grimm' tale, there are also many influences from the Perrault version of the story. The glass slippers, for instance, came from the Perrault story and the Grimm's brothers changed it because they felt that their princess should not wear such fragile shoes. The mice are originally from the Perrault story as well, which are then used in the Disney story to help Cinderella. The actual woman as a fairy god-mother is from the Perrault story as well, saying the Grimm's fairy god mother is a bird. Also, the pumpkin carriage. And finally, the midnight curfew. These many aspects originated in the Perrault text from 1697. Though many other characteristics of the story stray from the Disney movie version, the Perrault text is a major influence to Disney's story that many try to ignore. Not to say the Grimm's version is not an influence, because it was of more modern day so many of its aspects are strongly represented.

brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?

Looking ahead towards next week, I saw that we were studying picture books so I decided to read one of my favorite picture books by Bill Martin Jr., and Eric Clark. This book has graphic images of different animals in bold colors. Not only does the book teach colors but also what kind of animal is on the page. I loved the book as a child because it is so repetitive that I was able to know the words on the next page by only looking at the picture. This book relies heavily on pictures and the words on the page, and makes a very enjoyable read for the children. An excerpt from the book, "I see a green frog looking at me. Green frog, Green frog, What do you see? I see a purple cat looking at me. Purple cat, Purple cat, What do you see?" This is just a tidbit of what the 38 page book entails. The sequence all together goes: brown bear, red bird, yellow duck, blue horse, green frog, purple cat, white dog, black sheep, goldfish, mother, and finally children.

J.R.R. Tolkien

I have never been much of a Tolkien fan, but after reading and discussing him in class, I decided to go and do some research of my own to find out more about the man behind the stories. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892. As a young boy, he was bitten by a baboon spider. It has been theorized that the spider in The Hobbit evolved from his childhood memory of the spider that bit him. He was also quite the explorer as a young boy. He loved to go on new adventures in his backyard, and mainly in his imagination. He also began learning Latin at a young age, allowing him to have an expansive vocabulary for such a small child. Tolkien learned to read at the age of four to read, and among his favorites was George MacDonald. At the age of sixteen, he met his future wife, but was forbidden to see her because of their religious differences (he was Catholic and she was a protestant). At the age of 21, he went in search of her to rekindle their relationship, but she was engaged to be married to another man. Upon his confession of the enormous love he had for her, she returned the ring to the other man, and converted to Catholicism to marry her beloved Tolkien. As an adult, Tolkien (along with his expansive writing) became a professor at Oxford, and was involved in a literary "club" called "Inklings." Among the members of this club was the famous C.S. Lewis, author of "The Chronicles of Narnia," and "Mere Christianity." Tolkien died at the age of 82, in 1973, just two years after his beloved Edith.

Liberty's Kids

PBS is always coming up with more and more shows for children to watch after school. When I was in junior high, my brother, sister, and I would come home from school and watch a show called Liberty's Kids. This show took place in revolutionary times in the American colonies. The show teaches kids about the causes leading to the revolution, and how our nation developed into what we are today as an independent country. Each day was a new episode following the four main characters, one of which was Ben Franklin. The others were, Sara Phillips (a British general's daughter), James Hiller (an apprentice in Ben Franklin's print shop and orphaned as a child), Moses (a free black man also working in Franklin's shop), and Henri (a young French boy who Moses and James save after his parents die on the voyage to America). The show has small segments set in throughout the episode, comparing travel times from then and now, having special historical guests appear, and showing the differences in dress from the time periods. This show was so much fun to watch and was definitely educational for all who watched. It made the America's strive for independence easy enough for young children to understand. I have posted a link to watch one of the episodes of the show, and a youtube video with just the introduction.

http://www.kewlcartoons.com/show/watch/LibertysKids

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SDw4b7E32no

Green Eggs and Ham

Dr. Seuss books have been among my favorites ever since I was a child. My favorite other than Horton Hears a Who, is Green Eggs and Ham. This story is told in Seuss' rhyming language through quotes and images. The story doesn't have a real plot and only has two characters. Only one of the characters is given a name, and that is Sam. Throughout the story, Sam is trying to get his friend to eat Green eggs and ham, though each time his friend refuses to do so. Frustrated, Sam never gives up, until the end of the story. Finally, Sam's friend decides to try green eggs and ham, then the story ends. The pictures are true Dr. Seuss fashion, very hand drawn with their own uniqueness. I just realized on reading practically the one millionth time, that Sam's friend very closely resembles Dr. Seuss' the "Grinch." The friend does act slightly like the Grinch, as he refuses to eat the green eggs and ham and wanting to be left alone. Also like the Grinch, the friend comes around in the end, and realizes that he should just try the delicacy, as the Grinch does at the end when he realizes that Christmas is better than he thought. Throughout the entire text, only 50 different words are used. Published in 1960, this timeless children's story will remain popular for years to come.

Horton Hears A Who

So Friday night, my friend and I went to see probably my new favorite movie of all time. This will sound completely cheesy, but it was Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who!!!! I was thrilled to see another perfect children's story animated into complete genius on the screen, a high praise from an 18 year old girl. They turned one of my favorite children's books into the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. I am so happy that there are children's movies still coming out in theaters, the kids, and well my friends and I, need some good, harmless entertainment. Anyway, the movie is about an elephant, Horton, discovers a tiny spec floating in the air. Upon catching the spec, he discovers there is a complete different world on the spec. Horton has to help the citizens of WhoVille to retain safety by placing their spec on a flower in the safest place possible. Horton's neighbors think that he is crazy for trying to save a spec where microscopic people live, as they refuse to believe his "shenanigans." In the end, Horton proves there is a world beyond their own, one on that spec. This movie allows children to dream and have an imagination, something I believe people are losing each and every day.

I have created a crossword puzzle for "The Hobbit" as that is what we will be discussing this coming week in class. I must admit I was worried I would not like the book, but having finished reading, I do really like the premise. Normally, I stray from stories that involve distant lands and are more about trolls and hobbits and things, but this was better than I expected. Here is a word search for many of the characters in the story.

D U Q I E X K J I L I F Y Y Q S Q I N H O G N Y D Y K T T A N D T E J I I R P D A Z P D Q C C F K B L O V J N I L A B P W I L L I A M T H E T R O L L I F C K X N N B X E W W R D Y C K G T H O R I N D C L Z E E Z J S M A U G R E L W Z X V Q U C D M N U B B A R D A R D F L O R D O F T H E E A G L E S X O T A F N D N O R L E R I C B I L B O D Z G G O L L U M N S D J J E C B E O R N H I F C F E V S T I B B O H J W Q R F Y D O R I I L I Q Q I M X G W

Balin	Gollum
Bard	Hobbits
Beorn	Kili
Bilbo	Lord of the Eagles
Dori	Smaug
Dwalin	Thorin
Elrond	William the Troll
Fili

D U Q I E X K J I L I F Y Y Q S Q I N H O G N Y D Y K T T A N D T E J I I R P D A Z P D Q C C F K B L O V J N I L A B P W I L L I A M T H E T R O L L I F C K X N N B X E W W R D Y C K G T H O R I N D C L Z E E Z J S M A U G R E L W Z X V Q U C D M N U B B A R D A R D F L O R D O F T H E E A G L E S X O T A F N D N O R L E R I C B I L B O D Z G G O L L U M N S D J J E C B E O R N H I F C F E V S T I B B O H J W Q R F Y D O R I I L I Q Q I M X G W

Riminiscing

As I struggle to survive my week of hell, the four tests and a quiz, I decided to take a moment to reminisce the good old days. The times as a child where I had no responsibility and my idea of homework was a one page worksheet that I had to color and make "pretty." Life was so easy. I played outside with my friends and loved board games. It got me thinking about all the games I used to love to play, so I compiled a list.

1. Hungry Hippos
2. Mouse Trap
3. Candyland
4. Elefun
5. Sorry
6. Dream Date
7. Guess Who
8. Mall Madness
9. Cranium Jr.
10. Monopoly

Outside I was totally addicted to my skip-it, and my razor scooter. Those two things made my world complete and I would just play with friends for hours.

Other than that, we played inside and made up dances to all the new nsync and backstreet boys songs.

These games were so much fun. I also loved playing with my brothers Nintendo 64, all the Mario games were so much fun. Man I wish I was a kid again.

I learned from you

In following the tradition of songs for daddy's and daughters, I have found another song that I absolutely love. This song is by Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus called "I Learned From You." I've posted the lyrics and a video below. The lyrics are inspiring and really show everything a little girl learns from her daddy. I know my dad has taught me so much in my life, I would really be lost without him. Every girl looks up to her dad and needs him there, even when they become a teenager and don't think they need him anymore. I know there have been times when I felt like my dad was punishing me for "stupid' stuff and he was just trying to ruin my fun, but now I see he did it all so I would grow up to be the person that I am today. As a common theme in children's literature and songs, little girls need their daddies forever.

Lyrics:
[Miley]
Ooooo
Yeah
I didn't wanna listen to what you were sayin'
I thought that I knew all I need to know
I didn't realize that somewhere inside me
I knew you were right but I couldn't say so

I can take care of myself, yeah, you taught me well

[Chorus: (Miley)]
I learned from you that I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose
All of the reasons to keep on believin'
There's no question, that's a lesson, that I learned from you

[Billy Ray]
We always don't agree on
What is the best way
To get to the place that we're going from here
But I can really trust you, and give you the distance,
to make your decisions without any fear

[Both]
I'm grateful for all of the times
You opened my eyes

[Chorus: (Both)]
I learned from you that I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose
All of the reasons to keep on believin',
There's no question, that's a lesson
I learned from you

[Both]
You taught me to stand on my own

[Miley] and I thank you for that

[Both]
It saved me, it made me,
and now that I'm looking back

[Miley] I can say

[Both] woooaaahhhh!

[Miley] Hmmmm... Hmmmm... Yeah!

[Both]
I learned from you that

[Miley] I learned from you

[Both]
I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose

[Miley] something you choose

[Both]
All of the reasons to keep on believin',

[Miley] keep on believin'

There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

[Miley]
Woooaaahhhh!
I learned from yoooouuu

I learned that strength is something you choose
[Billy Ray] something you choose

[Both]
All of the reasons to keep on believin',
There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

[Miley] yeah!

[Both]
I learned from you

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kglSL6rlXzI

Henry and Mudge

A great chapter book series for early readers is Henry and Mudge. These books teach a lot about friendship and what it means to have someone who is always there for you (in this case its a little boy, Henry, and his dog Mudge). I chose to read one of my all time favorites from the series - Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House. In this book, Henry's uncle Jack comes to visit. Henry and Mudge love Uncle Jack because he is fun to play with. Uncle Jack wants to give Henry a present that he can really enjoy, so he builds Henry a tree house. Henry is so excited, until he realizes that Mudge can't climb trees and can't enjoy the tree house with Henry. Henry goes up into the tree house for short periods of time to make the adults, mainly his uncle, that he loves it. Really, the tree house makes Henry feel lonely as his best friend can't enjoy it with him. The adults come up a with a perfect solution for Henry and Mudge. They decide to rebuild the tree house inside Henry's room so Henry and Mudge can enjoy it together. Now the obvious solution would have been to rebuild the tree house one the ground, but these books add tid-bits of humor that make them fun to read. I wish my room would have been big enough for a tree house!! I would definitely recommend this book to parents with younger children just starting to read chapter books because it's an easy read and pretty funny.

what's happened to tv?!?!?!

I grew up on Sesame Street, then Arthur, then Lizzie Mcguire, then That's So Raven, and now I am obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. But one thing I have noticed is that the shows I grew up on are a lot more innocent then what children watch now. I'm not saying Grey's Anatomy is perfect but I am 18 now so it is appropriate for my age of an audience. What I don't like is all of the sexual activities portrayed in many "children's" shows today. In a previous blog I spoke about children's songs, but tv is just as bad. Yes, Disney channel has stayed away from the sex every two seconds that is seen in a lot of other shows. But, the shows aired on ABC, NBC, and CBS that are supposedly family friendly are not at all! They should put disclaimer's on certain shows because they are not appropriate for younger audiences. I would not want my kid watching Two and A Half Men or Desperate Housewives. Both of these shows have the characters sleeping with someone every two seconds, and the "teen" shows like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl (of which both I absolutely love but are again aimed more for my age audiences) promote sexual relations in high school. It may sound hypocritical that I actually watch those shows, but my point is that parents should not allow their children under the age of 16 or so to be tuning into these shows. Um, we don't want all of our kids turning into Jamie Lynn Spears. Children need to be protected from the crazy world of Hollywood and should stick with the innocent Disney Channel Shows (and I pray to God Disney keeps it that way because I love the role models they try to push).

The best children's book ever!!!

When I was growing up, there was one book in particular that I was incredibly obsessed with. The title is, Mr. Paint Pig by: Richard Scarry. Once I could read it myself, I would read it to my brother and sister. It's a picture book and the illustrations are so so so cute. I recently found this book again and it is pretty much fallen apart because of how many times its been read. This book is used to teach children the colors and how to spell them as each page has a new color in a paint can and Mr. Paint Pig paints something with that color (sometimes he just uses something that is that color instead of painting)....

Red - he paints an airplane and a fire engine.

Orange - he paints a bus. He doesn't have to paint the oranges, as they are already orange.

Yellow - he paints nothing yellow since the sun and flowers are already yellow.
Green - he paints a locomotive and a watermelon truck green and then eats a green pickle under a green tree while a green frog hops around.

Blue - he paints a boat and then he falls into the blue water.

Purple- Oh no! Mr. Paint Pig's paint truck hits a grape truck and there is purple paint and purple grapes all over the ground.

Brown - he paints a tractor, and while he is painting, Farmer Bear shovels brown dirt into his brown wheelbarrow.

Pink - he brings Mrs. Paint Pig, who is wearing a pink dress, a bouquet of pink roses when his work is done.

White , Black and Gray - Mrs. Paint Pig in her white dress and Mr. Paint Pig in his black suit go for a ride in their gray car.

The colors in this book are just so vivid and fun, I could never put the book down.

Stealing Cinderella

I am one of those people obsessed with music, pretty much of any sort. My favorite thing to do is go to youtube and watch those videos for the songs that are somehow related to princesses, my favorite type of songs. I found another yesterday called Stealing Cinderella, a song about a couple getting married. The guy is at his fiance's house talking to her dad about the engagement, and all the dad can see is that this man is stealing his little princess. Every time the dad looks at his daughter, all he sees is the little girl he used to have pillow fights with and taught to ride a bike. This song is perfect for any father/daughter dance at a wedding. It made me think about one day when I get married, how my dad will feel to let me go. I am my daddies princess, he taught me so much just like as your parents are supposed to do.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HtOy8R01fTA

Casey At The Bat

I have been really enjoying the poetry we have been doing in class this week. Today, we read a poem called Casey At The Bat. I've heard this poem so many times as a kid. In 7th grade, my English teacher had us act out a few plays, one being Casey At The Bat. I remember we set up a baseball field and we 2 teams and dugouts, pretty much everything you need. We had a few different people narrating and some other kids acting as the fans. It was a lot of fun, because in a class of 30, everyone had a role. We did a few other poems dealing with other sports and it added a little bit more fun to what is normally deemed to be a very boring section to study - as poetry is not everyone's favorite thing.

Hannah Montana

Today at the Houston Rodeo, a childhood phenom is singing. That phenom is Hannah Montana. This Disney Channel superstar has risen to the top of the children's music charts practically overnight. Through her popular television show, Hannah Montana, she promotes her characters music and her "double life." Now on her concert tour, she sings as Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana. Her concert was the fastest to ever sell out at the Houston Rodeo, competing against much more popular acts such as Brad Paisley, Rascall Flatts, and Faith Hill. So why do children flock to her music? It's upbeat and fun to sing and dance too. Why do parents allow their teeny-boppers to listen constantly and spend hundreds of dollars to allow their children go to the concert? Her music sends a clear message of self-confidence and believing in herself. Children need this kind of music to keep their ears shielded from the rap and hard-rock that sends messages of drugs and sex. Instead, Hannah Montana tells them they can be anything they want to be, and to have huge dreams and reach for the stars. When parents walk into their child's rooms, they are very pleased to hear the words "life's what you make it, so let's make it rock....." instead of "the girls come easy and the drugs come cheap." Music is a one of the most popular ways to promote different ideals in a child's life, so lets make sure the music they hear is acceptable and appropriate for their innocent minds.

My favorite Nursery Rhymes

I decided to make a crossword puzzle with my favorite nursery rhyme titles. The clues are lines from the nursery rhymes, or a summary of what happens in the rhymes. These are the rhymes I've grown up with and loved as a little kid because they are catchy and fun to say!!

Nursery Rhyme Crossword Puzzle

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ACROSS 1.A mouse runs up a clock. 2.He has no penny's for pie. 3.Eating gumbdrops in a gum tree. 4.Three bags full of wool. 5.A giant smells and Englishmen. 6.A boy runs through town in his nightgown. 7.Hi-ho, the derry-O.

DOWN 1.One penny, two penny, __ __ __ 2.Give the dog a bone. 3.He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl. 4.He kissed the girls and made them cry. 5.Three men in a tub. 6.To grandmother's house we go. 7.They all ran after the farmer's wife. 8.Ran up the hill to fetch a pale of water. 9.Pecked a peck of pickled peppers. 10.I scream!!

The Princess and The Goblin - God is Great!

Yesterday in class, we finished discussing The Princess and the Goblin. I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing the many Christian undertones present. My favorite aspect of the book was the great-grandmother being a "guide" for young Irene. Every young child needs a person that can be their role-model, the one that they learn life's valuable lessons from. As a godly figure, the great-grandmother lives in the attic where only few can see her. As a Godly figure, very few people can see her right away. It takes faith and belief for a person to be able to see the great-grandmother. Her famous claim is "seeing is not believing." I completely agree with that. Just because you can see something doesn't mean you believe in their powers and abilities. This line is also used in the movie The Polar Express. When talking to the little boy about believing in Santa Clause, he is told that "Seeing is not believing." This is important for children to understand, as they need to find their own faith in God. A child needs to believe, not because their parents tell them too, but because they do. God is an important aspect in every persons life, and once a child comes to believe this they can build a strong relationship with him. This resembles the relationship that Irene builds with her great-grandmother, and one that Curdie later comes to find. I liked that many children's books were using this Christianity undertone to teach children the importance of God.

Berenstain Bears!!

For my outside reading book this week, I decided to read one of my favorite children's book series, The Berenstain Bears. I read the The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone. This book is one of many in the series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that the Bear family lives in this very large tree. As a child, I always wanted to live in a tree. I also like the easy names for each of the characters: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, Sister Bear, and Baby Bear. It makes it easy for children to remember. In the particular book that I read, Brother Bear and Sister Bear go to the Bear museum to see the new dinosaur exhibit. Detective Bear is there, helping the museum workers because there is a missing bone. Brother Bear and Sister Bear, with the help of their dog Snuff, decide to go out looking for the thief and the missing bone. In true children's book fashion, the children are successful in the knick of time, returning the bone to the exhibit right before it is set to open to the public (while embarking on a series of fun adventures). I know this was one of my favorite stories as a child because I liked when the characters were able to solve mysteries, no matter how big or small. The authors of the Berenstain Bears know exactly what kids want to read and make the stories fun bedtime anecdotes.

Unscramble

Today, I decided to make a word scramble of my favorite authors, children's stories, and characters. Try and crack the scrambled 3o words below.

Unscramble the words below:

1. eIrne________________ Irene

2. aEll________________ Ella

3. leildeaCnr_______________ Cinderella

4. ciAle________________ Alice

5. ymeluuJBd________________ Judy Blume

6. nanrsAhiasestnodCnHri________________ Hans Christian Anderson

7. eneBsaaBnirsret________________ Berenstain Bears

8. ewlilLraCsor________________ Lewis Carroll

9. rlelCeyvreyaB________________ Beverly Cleary

10. oBPitxeretart________________ Beatrix Potter

11. CiGegousuerro________________ Curious George

12. oMGhgodootnin________________ Goodnight Moon

13. oeEils________________ Eloise

14. eusSrsD.________________ Dr. Seuss

15. leStttriLtau________________ Stuart Little

16. eeoGsotoMrh________________ Mother Goose

17. idlettiearMmL________________ Little Mermaid

18. tHryotraePr________________ Harry Potter

19. nguTlastcviekrE________________ Tuck Everlasting

20. zzrifWdoaO________________ Wizard of Oz

21. MbtogCea________________ Meg Cabot

22. lldIaWelarsinugrLa________________ Laura Ingalls Wilder

23. inWTPeeoohnhi________________ Winnie The Pooh

24. tSoltOelc'D________________ Scott O'Dell

25. aPippysnroM________________ Mary Poppins

26. oesueLevSnoosrttbRni________________ Robert Louis Stevenson

27. hTxePlpsarsoEre________________ The Polar Express

28. algemrlisiaryWM________________ Margery Williams

29. rruthA________________ Arthur

30. lLliy________________ Lilly

Are some childrens books really meant for children??

In many of my discussions with friends and reading different articles, I have come across some astonishing things. I have found that many of our so-called "Children's" books have undertones of horrible behavior in them. By reading the lyrics to some popular Disney movies and watching closely in the animation, you can see some very inappropriate messages being portrayed. Also, the behavior of some of the characters can also hint to certain issues children should not be exposed to. Yes, I understand that children don't even know to look for these things, but it was strange for me to realize that there were all of these hidden messages behind the stories I have grown up hearing. I got this idea for my post after discussing the possible drug use undertones in Alice in Wonderland. I believe that it is a relevant argument to some extent. The fact that the caterpillar was sitting on the mushroom with a huka, or the "drunken" happiness everyone seems to have. Now children do not see this when reading, but upon growing up they will begin to see the same things as well. I am not saying that all children's books have horrible hidden messages, but I was shocked to find out how many really did. It is the adults job in society to protect our children. How can this be done when the books and movies we are giving them hide messages of inappropriate behavior for the children to come across? As the generations become smarter at younger ages, more and more are going to be able to read between the lines and understand just what I am talking about.

Fudge-a-mania!!!

My next outside reading book is called Fudge-a-mania by: Judy Blume. This is the third in the series that follows Peter Hatcher and his arch-rival Sheila Tubman through fourth grade and on too middle school. Peter's younger brother, Fudge, is a "wild child," to say the least. In this book, the Hatcher and Tubman families decide to go spend their summer in Maine, separate but the houses were connected. The adults are very close and enjoy spending time together, but the children cause a lot of problems this summer. In the previous book, Fudge decided he wanted to be a bird and jumped off of a jungle gym to see if he could fly. In this novel, he simple decides he wants to be a bird breeder, as the families have a bird living with them over the summer. Fudge accidently lets the bird out of the cage and must find it before they leave to go home. Meanwhile, Peter and Fudge meet a former Boston Red Sox baseball player (only Peter's favorite baseball team ever). He tells them that he is hosting a baseball game for the kids in the area and they should come out and play. At the game, Fudge is picked as one of the captions on the team, upsetting his brother Peter. Their relationship is one of constant rivalry, as Peter feels Fudge pretty much gets whatever he wants. Also, Fudge decides that he is going to marry Sheila, who absolutely hates Peter but thinks Fudge is pretty adorable. There are slight hints at a "romance" between Peter and Sheila, but they agree it is best to hate each other.

This book is hilarious and highly entertaining for young readers. I was obsessed with it at a young age and my brother and sister both loved it as well. You can never get enough of a young boy and comes up with crazy schemes, and mis-pronounces almost every word.