Old Favorites, New Reads

For today's entry, I've decided to look at some books by authors near and dear to my heart. These are not the books I grew up on or those I fell in love with when I began teaching. Rather, they are new (to me) works by the authors of those books- authors I trust whole-heartedly with my time, my attention, and my beloved students!



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I have the greatest respect for Maurice Sendak and the sense of humor through which he approaches writing for children. He never ceases to amaze me, and he confounds what is expected of a children's author. Here, I find his eclectic style easy to embrace as he brings some lesser-known rhymes to life and lending to them a spirit that they otherwise lacked. I would definitely bring this book into my writing center, encouraging students to borrow from well-known works and use them in new and unexpected ways. It acts almost as permission- even the pros do it!


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I will forever remember crossing my little 5-year old legs and folding my body onto the musty carpet at Little Milligan Elementary and hearing Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. I found myself outraged on behalf of the wolf, thoroughly convinced that his was, truly, the true story. In The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales, Scieszka continues to push the limits of classic tales, shrugging away the didacticism and indulging in some fun and silly fantasies that many young readers (such as myself) can flock to. Along with Sendak's book, I'm beginning to craft a nice little unit on fractured fairy tales...



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As a kid, I enjoyed Maniac Magee. Recently, I discovered Crash and Stargirl (more on that later). This is the first picture book I have read from this particular Spinelli (Eileen Spinelli has her own distinguished collection), and I can definitely see a place for it in my classroom. The authenticity of the characters' words combined with Liao's intricately layered illustrations send a simple but powerful message to young readers that dreams do not have to fit into the confining boxes of reality- and that reality can break the mold of even our most fanciful dreams.



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There are few books that I appreciate or utilize more than Chrysanthemum. The emotions that it evokes are complex and meaningful, and the interactions of the characters are incredibly authentic. Wemberly Worried embodies those same qualities in its approach to a very different emotion. Her heightened awareness and analytic ability are both a blessing and a curse. While some students may have difficulty empathizing with Wemberly's extreme anxiety, I have had more than a handful of students that could really identify with Wemberly and learn from the strength she gains throughout the story.


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In this (somewhat gross and disturbing) tale, a dog's least favorite inhabitants debate the pros and cons of moving on to a new host- and new adventures. The story does a great job of exploring dynamics of friendship, peer pressure, and the anxiety of the unknown. And, as always, Leo Lionni's art has a richness and depth can bring even the most minuscule protagonists to life.

Love, love, love these authors and have barely tapped the surface of their works! I have been finding some brand new favorites this summer, too, and I can't wait to write about them! Stay tuned...