View From the 5th Grade Trenches: October 2012 Halloween Lit

I'm over being silly this week on Charlie Holmberg's blog.

I profess to being a Halloween nut. I love the spooky factor. I love the snap of fall in the air. I love any and all things pumpkin. I love seeing teeny tiny superheroes come a-knockin' at my door. Did I mention the candy?

Most of all, I love Halloween stories. Here are a few of the faves from the 5th Grade Trenches.

A new discovery for this year is a hilarious parody of Madeline by Rick Walton and Nathan Hale.

And some returning hits...

What are some of your faves?

Journeys of Wonder: Volume 2 - Has Landed!

I'm super crazy excited to announce the release of our second volume of genre fiction short stories.

So super crazy in fact that I'm doing a giveaway of two print copies of Journeys of Wonder: Volume 1. Just leave a comment telling me your favorite genre of fiction and your email. 

I will snag an innocent bystander to draw two names from my Empire Strikes Back baseball cap and arrange for teleportation of your prize.

JOURNEYS of WONDER: VOLUME 2

An Anthology of Genre Fiction

Journeys of Wonder: Volume 2 – the second anthology in a series of genre fiction. Quick on the heels of Volume 1 this new volume brings back some favorite authors and introduces a couple of new ones.

Featured in this volume are five incredible tales – each of which will leave you in wonder and amazement.

1. CAL by Lisa Gail Green: A young man challenges his father after falling in love with a cybernetic life form.

2. The Terrible, Perfect Duet by Trysta A. Bissett: Cicadas, insomnia, and high school. What could possibly be more horrifying?

3. Helios by Leslie S. Rose: As humanity flees the wrath of Earth's dying Sun, a daughter's quest to claim her birthright jeopardizes the chance to escape.

4. Encrypted by Ian Kezsbom: Spies. Codes. Murder. A thriller about a man on the run – hiding a secret that others would kill for.

5. Lighting the Sacred Way by S. P. Sipal: Set during the time of the Roman Empire, a woman tries to vanquish the evil spirit residing within her. One that arrived on the day her husband was murdered.

On sale only at Amazon.com! $.99 for a limited time or free through the Amazon Prime lending library!

Visit us at: www.journeysofwonder.com

Va Va Vroom, A Counting Book by Sarah Lynn

I adore picture books. Coming from a design background, illustrations are a huge draw for me.

But that's not all...

You may think that by fifth grade, picture books are history, and I don't use them in class any more.

 Not so. 

They still serve many purposes such as teaching:

• Elements of storytelling
• Cause and Effect 
• Picture vs. text connection
• Main Idea vs. Detail
• Sequence

And they are also:

• An accessible practice tool for English Language Development
• Material for reading aloud to younger cross-age buddies that carries the added bonus of refining speech presentation skills 

My latest crush is an adorable book, 

Va Va Vroom, A Counting Book

by Sarah Lynn with Illustrations by Daniel Griffo, about three kids racing for the finish line in a clever counting lesson.

Admit it, you said, "Oh, how cute." 

Here's a fun trailer for Va Va Vroom. I dare you not to be charmed. 

I also want to give a shout out to Tip Tap Pop another treasure from Sarah Lynn. This story about a grandfather and a granddaughter will warm your heart.  

The holidays are coming. Children + Picture Books = LOVE

Long Live Picture Books.