Miss Krawczyk

    For those readers who in live Vermont, you are probably  familiar with the Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) and Red Clover Awards. Readers from other parts of the world may be wondering what these programs are and why I am excited that the newest list of award nominees has been announced.    

Red Clover books are a collection of fiction and nonfiction picture books for readers in grades K-4.  

According to the website, “Mothergooseprograms.org”, Red Clover books are chosen based on the following criteria:

• The book must have been published in the prior year.
• The award is for the entire book-text and illustrations.
• Both the author and illustrator must be living at the time of the selection.
• Only one title by the same combination of author and illustrator may be chosen in a given year.
• The books must be appropriate, in the aggregate, for a range of children in grades K-4.
• Both fiction and non-fiction are eligible.

 I LOVE reading DCF books and I have started to make my way through this years DCF selections. I have included the ones that I have read thus far on my Shelfari. Click on each title to read more about each book and see if it might be something you might like to read. Also click here for the full list of 2012-2013 selections.

If you are from another state or country and have a similar program to the Red Clover or DCF, I would love to hear about it!

                I have seen skateboarding dogs, dancing cats and racing pigs, but before this weekend I had never even imagined seeing a snowboarding opossum. The Opossum, a nocturnal marsupial found throughout the United States, is not the sort of creature you would expect to find slope side. The generally shy critter is more likely to be lurking behind a local dumpster looking for a scrap or two, not wearing a snazzy neon yellow and green sweater while shredding down a mountain on a Burton snowboard. Ratatouille, is a regular guest at the Liberty Mountain Ski Resort in Pennsylvania where he loves to hit the mountain and show off this skills. Click on the link below to see Ratatouille in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21XBFaG5zGY

Have you seen any animals doing unusual sports or tricks? I’d love to hear about them

Is everyone as excited as I am for our February break? Although I am not headed off to some tropical locale, as I wish I was, I am still looking forward to a week of not having to get up at 5:30 each morning! My plans for vacation include visiting my mom and step-dad at their B&B in Chester, Vermont, catching up on some good books, doing some crafty projecst and all and all just relaxing. What plans do you have for vacation? I’d love to hear all about them!

       With the MBS 1980′s dance happening in very near future, and teachers asked to bring in photos and jot down memories of where they were in the 80′s, my thoughts traveled back to when I was in 3rd grade, and more specifically what books I enjoyed when I was 8 years old.  I think you may be surprised to see that some of the titles  are still popular today!

    I when was in 3rd grade I was student in Mrs. Chafee’s class at Memorial School in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. I loved to read and listen to stories and my mom would read to me every night before bed ( a nightly ritual that would continue until I was well into my teens). There are three series that stick out in my mind when I think back to this time. 

                The first is the “Ramona” series of  books by Beverly Cleary. As a kid that was prone to various mishaps and well intentioned actions that would frequently go wrong, I was drawn to Ramona’s misadventures and comic tales. To put it simply, she mad me laugh and I couldn’t wait to read about her trials and tribulations.

Another favorite was teen detective Nancy Drew.  I couldn’t get enough of Nancy and the mysterious cases that she was faced with and embraced the chance to solve the crimes along with her. Although the books were first written 1930′s, Nancy’s character of a strong, intelligent, confident slueth is timeless, and still appeals to young readers today.

My last favorite series of book more than likely less well know, but equally enjoyable. The “Olga Da Polga” series by British author Michael Bond ( of Paddington Bear fame )chronicles the life and times of a precocious guinea pig and her various critter friends and human companions. Olga is a teller of tall tales and she  entertains her friends with her words of whimsy and turns what could be a very boring existence in a backyard cage into a magical and enchanting world of wonder. Olga is a joy for any reader who loves animals, humor and something out of the ordinary.

    As I mentioned before, I LOVE to read, and I especially enjoy getting lost in the pages of captivating tale written for kids. I thought that my blog might be the perfect vessel for sharing  some of my favorite books and authors with you, and in return you might return the favor and share some of your favorites with me! Whether it be a picture book, chapter book, fiction or non-fiction, if you think it’s great, I’d love to hear about it. Tell me why you think it’s special, and hopefully together we can create a useful collection book reviews that you can refer to when you are looking for something good to read!