Explore Poetry with SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom

  We are excited to have guest post by Kathleen Long Bostrom, author of Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems , talking about the process of writing the book and sharing some ideas for discussing and poetry writing! Read : Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illustrated by Janet Samuel I love poetry and rhyme, and always have. I grew up with a mother who often recited poetry and I learned to read with Dr. Seuss books. It’s no wonder I turned to poetry when I began writing picture books for children.  At a children’s book conference one day about 12 years ago, I asked my friend, an editor for an educational publishing house, “What are the areas in early education where more good books are needed?”  Without hesitation, she replied, “Poetry.”  Many of my published books were written in poetry, but what could I write that was unique? Aha! I thought. What if I wrote a story using a variety of styles of

Summer Challenge Week Four: Books, Books, Books!

 
Week four of the Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge is all about books! Books about books, that is! There are some fantastic stories about libraries, how books are made, how stories affect people in positive ways, and so much more. We encourage you to read some books about books this week, then talk about the ways books influence our lives. When you're done, have some bookish fun!

Ideas for books to read:

  • Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown - Fun and clever rhyming story about a librarian who mistakenly drives into the zoo and ends up teaching the animals to read.
  • Bear's House of Books by Poppy Bishop, illustrated by Alison Edgson - Sweet and engaging story about books and friendship.
  • How this Book Was Made by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex - A funny and educational book about the writing and publishing process.
  • That Book Woman by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small - Heartwarming story about a young boy who reluctantly learns to enjoy books.
Ideas for things to discuss:
  • Do you enjoy reading? Why or why not?
  • What is your favorite kind of book to read? Do you have a favorite book?
  • Do you prefer to read to yourself or have someone read to you?
  • Have you ever written a story of your own?
  • What kinds of things besides books can you find at a library?
Ideas for things to do:
  • Visit a library and bring home a big stack of books.
  • Organize (or reorganize) your book shelves.
  • Choose a book or two to donate to a Little Free Library or book drive.
  • Write and "publish" your own story as a handmade book.
  • Learn and name the parts of a book.
  • Keep a list of the books you read. Put a star next to the ones you like best.
  • Make a book wish list to share with parents or grandparents.
We hope you enjoy having some bookish fun this week. Comment with your ideas for bookish fun (or your favorite books) in the comments or on social media with the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge.

Comments

Trine Grillo said…
I love these "DO" suggestions!