Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel was written in 1939, but it is still a great read aloud book today. It is an engaging, informative story that illustrates many themes but the notion of Mike and his steam shovel (named Mary Ann) digging the cellar for a new town hall in one day drives the story as Mike says "Mary Ann can dig as much in a day, as 100 men can dig in a week (although he wasn't really sure that this was true)". Of course, the story all ends well. I take two days to read this story to young children so that they can really understand what is happening in the story.
Join In is a compiliation of stories in a "big book" format. This format allows for all the children in the class to read along together. It also allows for the discussion of book features (e.g., table of contents) and to read and discuss the elements of a variety of genres (fiction, non-fiction, poetry). This book can be read using individual stories, or the complete book if read over several days.
No comments:
Post a Comment