Today is my uncle’s birthday. I wish him a great 40th birthday.
Birthday Haiku
My Uncle Byron
Reader, golfer, dad of three
Have a great birthday!
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Great Falls
Hey friends, we went to Great Falls today. I loved how the water tumbled down the rocks and the wind felt like a light breeze. Great Falls is full of interesting places. Here are some poems I wrote.
Haiku
The raging white foam
Thrashing waves; Silent eddy
Phases of the Great Falls
Diamante
Rapids
white, fast
thrashing, crashing, falling
Filled with bubbly foam
soothing, sitting, calming
blue, slow
Eddy
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Recommended Books
I thought I would give kids some recommendations of books they should read. Here are some recommended books for kids ages 8-12.
- A great series full of adventure, magic, and history is The Magic Tree House series. I think that 7 and 8 year olds will love this amazing series of stories by Mary Pope Osborne.
- Another great series is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. It is filled with magic, exciting characters, dangerous villains, and so much more! I think 9–10 year olds will love this set of books.
- A great series for 12 year olds is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is a very interesting trilogy, but it may be too intense for younger children.
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Week 2: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
This week’s book of the week is The Lorax. It is a book that teaches you that you have to care for nature or very bad things can happen. This book is about a young boy who asks the Onceler about what happened to all of the trees. The Onceler explains his story and much more. Find out what happens in The Lorax!
Ask
- What does this story teach you?
- Why do you think the Onceler is sad about what he did?
Write
- Write a story about an imaginary creature that protects nature. How do they do their job? Do you try to help them?
Draw
- Draw your own Truffala trees. Include lots of details and draw a Lorax.
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Fireworks
It is July 4. I smell the smoke of the hot dogs grilling. I hear the blazing booms of fireworks and the whistling of the wind. The leaves on trees rustle and I taste rich, cold, creamy ice cream in my mouth. I see salad, fruit kabobs, chicken legs, mashed potatoes, hot dogs, and hamburgers covering the table. Little insects crawl on my toes making me giggle and squeal.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter is the sound of raindrops tinkling in song. Lightning strikes. I scream and laugh. We look up at a thousand stars and felt the warm, wet rain on our necks.
It’s time for bed. Goodnight stars, goodnight moon. Goodnight to the world as it whispers—
See you soon . . .
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Thomas Jefferson
Hey, friends! Today, I want to tell you a bit about why I call my website ICannotLivewithoutBooks.com.
This quotation was written by Thomas Jefferson on June 10, 1815. The letter he wrote to John Adams said, “I cannot live without books; but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object.” To me, this means that Jefferson loved books but since he was growing older he would try to have fewer books. He would use his books for enjoyment and not for research or work.
In 1815, Jefferson sold his entire library of books to the Library of Congress because it had been burned down by the British. He sold them more than 6,000 books and stories. They paid him $23,950. That was a lot of money during Jefferson’s time! Some of Jefferson’s books are still in Washington, D.C., today in the Library of Congress.
That is why I named my website ICannotLivewithoutBooks.com. I love books like Thomas Jefferson, and I hope you do as well.
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First Day on the Web
Hey, friends! Today, I got two new books from my awesome library teacher. I just can’t wait to read them! She gave them to me because she really likes this website. 🙂
Did you know that the Virginia Readers’ Choice Awards are coming soon? You can vote if you read two books from the same list. I get to vote because I read two books. I recommend Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard. If you live in Virginia, ask your classroom or library teacher about the Virginia Readers’ Choice Awards!
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I Am Stuck
By Kiley (3rd grade)
I am stuck. In a pit of mud. If you want to find out how I got here… well it’s a long story. If you want to find out who I am, you’re out of luck. My identity is a secret. I don’t know why, but I can’t tell you who I am. You’ll have to imagine me. Maybe I look like Jack Black… and maybe I look like your great uncle Bob. Either way I am stuck in a pit of mud, because a monkey ate my shoe.
It all started in the jungle where I was studying lizards for a week. I was eating French toast, you see, and a monkey grabbed my shoe off my foot. I decided to chase after it. You would think this is when I got stuck but you’re wrong. That stupid monkey left a banana peel out on the field so I slipped. Then I was upside down on my back before I could say “Ouch.” Well, apparently the monkey thought this was hilarious. He was howling and pounding his fists…gosh I hate that monkey.
Anyway, then I reached up and tried to snatch back my shoe but he was already running away. I pushed myself up (my back bone now cracked) and kept on running.
Here’s where I got stuck. I was chasing the darn monkey and I tripped over a tree root. Then the monkey opened his mouth and took a huge bite out of my slipper. Well that made me both angry and disgusted. I stared at him with great loathing for a while and then tried to get up. I was stuck. In mud. And you know what that monkey did? The little brat stuck his tongue out at me! Then of course he had to go running back to the jungle to tell all his little friends that he swallowed my footwear.
Then I got mauled. Yep…Mauled. I was just sitting in that pit of mud when this white tiger came out of the trees. It growled and prowled in a circle around me, then stopped. Then and there I knew trouble had arrived. The tiger pounced… on me!!! He opened his mouth to show me large, sharp teeth. I screamed and… well let’s just say that he had a good lunch. Yeah… my studying ended there.
This book is about a woman named Mrs. Peters. She has seven children who were very picky eaters. Mrs. Peters gets tired and stressed on the night before her birthday. In the middle of the night her seven kids make her a cake out of the foods that they so enjoy. Unfortunately, they turn their mother’s cake in to a dessert disaster! Read The Seven Silly Eaters to learn what happens next!
Ask
- What is the main idea of the story?
- Why was Mrs. Peters upset before her birthday?
Write
- Describe what you would do if you had seven silly eaters. How would you control your temper? How would you feed your children?
Draw
- One of my favorite pictures is the picture of their bedroom. Imagine what your bedroom would look like if you had six siblings. Draw your bedroom!
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Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
This is an eventful book filled with magic, beasts, and three very nosey aunts! In this book, Charlie Bone finds out that he has a magical gift—he can hear the voices of people in photographs! This magical gift gives him a free ticket in to the craziest school in town. Charlie goes on many adventures and meets some new friends along the way. He tries to unravel the mystery of a young girl named Emma Tolly. What will happen to Charlie and his friends? Will they be able to save Emma? Find out by reading Midnight for Charlie Bone!