Wee Reads: The Mid-Session Update...

Checking back in as we've gotten through Week 4 of this first session of Wee Reads. Overall, I'd say it's going swimmingly--the kids keep coming, they're having a good time, and no one has melted down at the idea of separation.  I lost one kid because he and dad weren't quite ready for a separation storytime, but they are attending a family storytime elsewhere. The other parents are right out the door, celebrating the idea of running across to the adult fiction section for a book by themselves.

For those playing the home edition (and yes, I'll have a Google Doc of Reading Recommendations when this is all over)

Week 2:

We started off with Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin. The "Diary" series are wonderful because there is a TON of biology and fun facts dangled before you without really beating you over the head with pedantics of "this is a fly, it has wings."

Once you start with the Diary of a Fly, one must then have Fly Guy! Tedd Arnold's books are delightfully gross and small children this very unusual pet.

We did more ribbon dancing and then into our chapter book, continuing with Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Sciezska. So far, they'd knocked down a knight.


Week 3:

I had to squeeze a bit more in this week because my "back up" book was due. I always try to keep at least one back up book in the room in case something goes wrong, falls though, isn't working, or turns into a 30 second read.

We started with Melanie Watt and Chester. This went okay...Chester is a bit more of a one-on-one I think...there is so much going between the characters and in the artwork. Perhaps it we'd had a bit more time to slow it down and talk it through...

Next was a classic Berenstain Bears. There are a lot of these in our easy readers: Inside Outside Upside Down and The Bear's Vacation. I'm not a big fan of how Papa Bear is portrayed in a lot of the books, so I opted for The Spooky Old Tree. It has just enough repetition and fun to carry through and it reads very quickly.  And everyone knows what it feels like to get the shivers. 

Then we read Egg Drop by Mini Grey.  This, along with the Book that Eats People, has easily become a new favorite of mine. The subversive humor is just enough for this age group to get--they know where the story is going and are willing to play along. And the adults are chuckling through the end.

With parents sent onwards, we did Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes (by popular request).  But I made them learn the second verse (blame the Blonde and Think Big): Ankles, elbows, feet and seat, feet and seat....

And then back to Knights of the Kitchen Table and King Arthur's court, complete with a scary Merlin.

Week 4: 

This week turned out to be "return of favorites"--somehow I'd missed that they turned Little Bear into a television show. I can't say I'm thrilled about that.

We started with SkippyJon Jones and my horrific Spanish accent.  Somehow I always end up with Speedy Gonzalez. I inevitably apologize to the parents for my bad Spanish. Singing, I'm fine...reading with an intentional Spanish accent--not so much. 

We did Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes again, this time with a twist. I asked them, for the first round of it, to imagine themselves doing it while encased in jello. Then of course, we had to shake the jello off before we did the second round and I asked what flavor jello they had been encased in. There are more flavors in small children's heads than the company making the boxes is ever going to produce....

And another two chapters...we're making headway through the book.

This will go up during "Week 5"....catch you back here for more!