Reading Rainbow - Canceled

The thought that my daughter will not grow up with the familiar "Butterfly in the sky" theme song saddens my heart today. While flipping through the posts over at Chronicle Books blog I stumbled upon the post A Reading Rainbow Goodbye. I nearly cried. The instituion that I knew and loved and looked forward to sharing with my daughter would be no longer. A 26 year history of showing children the magic and joy that can be had from reading.

PBS "doesn't have to take my word for it" they can read the online petitions. Care2 petitionsite has a second petition posted online. Feel free to add your name (which can be anonymous) as well as your thoughts on the show.

My daughter just watched an episode where they made cannoli's and she reported the sweetest recipe to me. "You just have to get some taco shells and roll them, then get some fake frosting..." I promised her that next week we would give them a try. A simple extension of reading - all spawned from a magical show.

Do you have a favorite episode? Is there a book that you love that you found while watching the show?

The Kissing Hand

Here it is - the very first KidLit Book Hook Read Along choice. For the first weeks of September we thought we would stick with a back to school theme. We have choosen The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

 

Please join us as we read this selection (read about how to join). Reading starts today September 1, 2009 and continues through September 15th. Come back and leave a link to your blog post detailing the activity that you did to expand on the book in some way. 

Our next book choice will be revealed on September 15th. Take part in helping us select the next book with our poll.  Join our goodreads group and meet other participants as well as partake in discussions on KidsLit.

So lets take a look at this current selection.

Description:

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand, published by the Child Welfare League of America, is just the right book for any child taking that fledgling plunge into preschool--or for any youngster who is temporarily separated from home or loved ones. The rough but endearing raccoon illustrations are as satisfying and soothing for anxious children as the simple story. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin Snelson

Author:
Audrey Penn - see all of her books here

Publisher:
Tanglewood Press

Preview Book:

• Limited preview from google books.

• Read aloud on youtube via StoryTimeMissLaurel's Channel

Need some project ideas?

• Take a walk in the woods
• Do further study on racoons or other nocturnal animals that Chester would school with.
• Search through the book and see how many animals you can find.
  
• Make a kissing hand
• Reenact the story with hand puppets

and a few links to some of the many ideas floating around the web:
http://www.teachingheart.net/kissinghandideas.html
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/kissinghand/index.htm
http://www.kinderteacher.com/Kissing-hand-activities.htm


• YOUR PROJECT IDEA CAN BE NEXT! READ ALONG WITH US. 

a few read alike suggestions:

A pocket full of kisses by Penn, Audrey
If you take a mouse to school by Numeroff, Laura Joffe.
First day jitters by Danneberg, Julie
A kiss goodbye by Penn, Audrey
Chicka chicka boom boom by Archambault, John
Chrysanthemum by Henkes, Kevin
Stellaluna by Cannon, Janell
A color of his own by Lionni, Leo
Wemberly worried by Henkes, Kevin
If you give a mouse a cookie by Numeroff, Laura Joffe

• 
  

Check back for updates! This is our first selection - let us know how we can improve the site and what else you would like to see.

Welcome

Welcome - we are so glad you are here! We are so looking forward to sharing our project with you!

This site has begun out of a love for our children, reading, teaching, and passing along the fun and discovery that comes from a great book and or story.

Our ultimate goal would be to help parents and educators foster a love of reading among their children and students.

So what exactly is the KidLit Book Hook?
This is a site to host an online interactive book club of sorts.
Our plan is to select a new piece of childrens literature every two weeks that we will all use to participate in the KidLit Book Read Along. You can see what we are currently reading over in the right hand side bar.

If you want to participate pull the book from your shelf, borrow it from the library or a friend, or if you feel so inclined buy a copy (preferably from a great local independent book store).

Take the two weeks to locate, read and read again (and in some cases again and again) the book to your child, classroom, grand babies or whomever would like to sit next to you and hear a great story told aloud.

When you are done with the book - take a moment to think of something that you and the listener can do to further expand upon the story. You can create a piece of art, sing a song, visit an exhibit, act out the story, make a boo themed snack or follow your imagination - the sky is the limit.

Come back here by the posting date and add a link to your blog post detailing what it is you did to enhance the experience of the book. Your post should include a link to that books read along post here at KidLit Book Hook, give a review of the book (if you like), suggest other books that may be similar in theme or style, and of course tell about what you did to expand on the book and help hook a young reader for life.

Then come back and click on all the participants links to see what others have done with the book.

We hope to create an amazing resource for parents and teachers to turn to for great ideas to help children become life long readers.

Do you have ideas or thoughts you want to share with us? Is there an amazing project online that we should check out? Do you have a great resource we should include in our links? Please contact us. This is a work in progress and we look forward to growing it in whatever direction it takes.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

FIRST KidLit Book Hook READ ALONG TO BE ANNOUNCED SEPTEMBER 1 - 2009