Red Apple Reading - June/July 2016

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RED APPLE READING JUNE/JULY 2016 LEARNING SUPPORT GUIDE

WWW.REDAPPLEREADING.COM

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TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT AT HOME

READING SPECIFICS:

5 COMPONENTS OF READING INSTRUCTION SPOTLIGHT ON...

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH

EASY READER:

GET TOGETHER PREVENTING THE SUMMER SLIDE BOOKS ABOUT DADS PICNIC AND A BOOK:

READY FOR ANYTHING!


CONTENTS 04 NEW! READING SPECIFICS Learn about the 5 essential components of reading instruction.

06 PICNIC AND A BOOK

Grab a blanket and head outside with Ready for Anything!

08 PREVENTING THE SUMMER SLIDE

6 ways to keep learning alive during the dog days of summer.

10 BOOK REVIEWS: BOOKS ABOUT DADS

8 fun books about dads to share with the kiddos.

12 TIPS! HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT 8 ways for kids to keep cool at home this summer.

13 STORY TIME!

Join our friends for a fun celebration in Get Together.

14 LEVEL A - GET TOGETHER Best for reading out loud to pre-readers or for fluent reader practice – plus two pages of fun literacy activities.

25 LEVEL B - GET TOGETHER

Simplified story text for emerging readers – two fun pages of literacy activities after.

36 LEVEL C - GET TOGETHER

Early reader version of the story – followed by two fun pages of literacy activities.

47 COMPREHENSION SKILLS

Check in with these story questions after reading Get Together.

48 LITERACY TIME

Engaging activities that promote literacy.

50 LITERACY LINEUP

Birthdays and special days for the months of June and July.

52 SPOTLIGHT ON...

…THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH Review from a young and eager book critic.

53 NEW! BEST OF THE WEB

Editor picks of incredible online resources for families.

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©2016 Red Apple Reading. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and any reproduction or redistribution of part or all of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. For questions or inquiries please email support@redapplereading.com.


Connect with us!

Welcome to our summer issue! This June and July are full of fun, with families celebrating graduations, Father’s Day, summer vacations, and America’s Independence. We have two new features for you to check out in this issue. Reading Specifics is a new article for parents that helps to explain the process of learning to read and how to best help young learners. Best of the Web includes my top online resource picks for families, to help you wade through the abundance of content now available at your fingertips. In addition to new features, we hope you enjoy Get Together - an original story written at three reading levels for young readers, with questions and activities for practice. We also have book reviews! In this edition we are sharing some sweet books about dads, a book that pairs perfectly with a picnic, and a review of The Phantom Tollbooth (one of my daughter’s favorite books in school). Other parent resources include ways to prevent the dreaded summer slide, tips for keeping cool at home this summer, the calendar lineup and some more ways to sneak literacy into fun time with children.

Regular readers may notice that we are switching to bimonthly publications. In the interest of time and money we have decided to simultaneously beef up the content of each issue with new material and extra pages, while decreasing the frequency of publication. Apologies to any readers who will miss the monthly editions. Enjoy summer!

Tammy Bennecke EDITOR IN CHIEF tammybennecke@redapplereading.com

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” - Jorge Luis Borges

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READING SPECIFICS THE 5 COMPONENTS OF READING INSTRUCTION What’s the magic behind teaching children how to read? No magic really, but there are five key areas that have been found to be essential to the development of reading skills. In 2001 the National Reading Panel published a report with these findings, and most reading programs (including Red Apple

displaying letters prominently in a child’s room, pointing them out on signs and around the house, and singing alphabet songs. Many parents don’t realize that it’s more important to teach children the sound a letter represents, than the actual name of the letter. Focus on letter sounds when playing with language. Red Apple Reading builds phonemic awareness in Levels A and B with a variety of activities, including videos, songs, rhyming games, word families, and matching initial and final sounds in words.

Reading!) still use it as a foundation for

PHONICS – understanding the relationship

teaching reading today.

between written letters and their sounds. Phonics further builds upon the foundation of phonemic awareness. The English language has 44 unique sounds, or phonemes, including consonants, vowels, r-controlled vowels, and digraphs. Learning phonics gives beginning readers the strategies they need to sound out words, so their reading can become automatic.

PHONEMIC AWARENESS – the ability to understand how spoken words are made up of individual sounds, and how to manipulate those sounds in words to change meaning. Mastering phonemic awareness skills is necessary to become a strong reader and significantly improves reading development. Children who demonstrate an understanding of the connection between letters and their sounds tend to have an easier experience in building reading skills. Parents can tackle this area early on with young children. Start with the alphabet,

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Parents can help with phonics skills by matching beginning sounds to words, playing games like I Spy and Memory, substituting beginning and ending sounds to make different words, playing games with rhyming words, and spelling simple words with magnetic letters, blocks, on a whiteboard, or with colorful markers. Systematic phonics instruction is at the core of the Red Apple Reading program, with letter and sound activities in Level A and over 60 lessons in Levels B and C that explicitly teach phonics skills.

VOCABULARY – identifying and understanding words, including their meaning and context. In order to communicate, we need to understand the words we hear, speak, read, and write.


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The single largest impact on a child’s vocabulary is the amount of reading he or she does. According to the National Reading Panel, students need to hear, read, understand, and use new vocabulary words in different contexts in order to build their level of comprehension. The best thing a parent can do to foster vocabulary development is to read out loud! Reading exposes children to words and ideas that they might not otherwise hear. Parents can also tell entertaining stories, create a word wall at home to review newly learned words, label items around the house so children see the words that represent objects, and point out words in recipes and on food boxes and street signs. Red Apple Reading exposes children to thousands of words across its three levels and through a variety of videos and games, plus specifically teaches the spelling and context of over 250 sight words in Levels B and C.

FLUENCY – he ability to read orally at a rapid pace, with accuracy and appropriate phrasing. Fluency involves reading as well as one speaks, and making sense of what is read without having to stop and decode each word. Fluency is intimately tied to comprehension. A reader must be able to move quickly enough through a text to develop meaning. If he is bogged down reading each individual word, he is not able to create an overall picture in his mind of what the text is saying. Parents can best promote fluency by: 1) reading out loud at a good pace and with proper punctuation and intonation, 2) letting children “parrot” you when reading by reading sentences after you, and 3) encouraging repeated readings of favorite stories. Red Apple Reading fosters fluency with over 35 original storybooks for children to practice reading, as well as providing

word lists and printable books for repeated reading and practice.

COMPREHENSION – arriving at meaning through reading, or the level of understanding one has after reading. Comprehension is the main reason we read. It is more than just understanding words in isolation. It is putting them together and using prior knowledge to develop meaning. Some children can demonstrate an understanding of phonics and phonemic awareness, read fluently, and know many written words by sight... but still not understand what they are reading. This is why comprehension in and of itself is an important component of reading instruction, as well as the most complex aspect of reading. Parents can do the following to encourage comprehension: preview a story before reading, talk about how a book relates to the real world, make predictions about what will happen in the story, ask questions during reading, and encourage the child to “see” the book action like a movie playing in the child’s head. Several lessons in Level C of Red Apple Reading provide instruction and practice of basic comprehension skills and strategies, in addition to the stories and comprehension questions found throughout the reading program.

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PICNIC AND A BOOK We can’t think of a better way to start off the summer season than with a yummy picnic and a good book. So grab your kids and a blanket and head outside to enjoy this month’s culinary delight!

Chicken Salad Sliders When it comes to picnic food, nothing beats a good chicken salad sandwich. These sliders from Life Tastes Good are the perfect fit for tiny hands to hold. The whole family will enjoy this mouthwatering sandwich.

No-Bake Mason Jar Cheesecake You’ll want something sweet to take on your picnic, and Brit + Co has the ideal dessert for an outdoor meal. Not only are these no-bake blueberry cheesecakes delicious, they’re also adorable - served up in individual mason jars for easy transport.

Ready for Anything! When you’re packing up for your outing, don’t forget to bring a book to read! We recommend

Ready for Anything! by Keiko Kasza. Duck wants Raccoon to enjoy a picnic with him, but Raccoon is worried about all that might go wrong. Will Duck be able to convince him to join him? A fun picnic is always a crowd pleaser! Even if you just pack a basket and walk out to your own backyard, it will be a welcome diversion from the usual meal around the table. We know you’ll enjoy this special outing with the family.

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SERIOUS LEARNING THAT’S SERIOUSY FUN!

www.RedAppleReading.com Help your child become a better reader with videos and games that make it fun to learn.

SUMMER FUN

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PREVENTING THE SUMMER SLIDE SET ASIDE QUIET TIME

During the summer it’s easy to let reading slide in favor of T.V.

Have an hour set aside each day for quiet time. During this time your kiddos can turn off the T.V., put down the video

or video games, but that doesn’t

games, and spend some time reading or

mean it’s impossible to avoid!

enjoying another quiet activity. Even if

Here are some tips for avoiding

it’s only an hour or two, it’s a wonderful break from technology.

the summer slide. ASSIGN READING MATERIAL If your child’s school hasn’t assigned summer reading, consider assigning a book or two yourself. Even if he doesn’t do a big report or project, he’ll still have read a good book. Try picking something he might not have chosen on his own (but in his line of interest) to expose him to more genres or authors.

PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM Most libraries have summer reading programs that encourage reading through prizes and points. Signing your children up for one of these programs is a great way to give reading a fun and social aspect. Visit the library often to borrow more reading materials and keep your kiddos engaged.

USE MOVIES Many popular books have movies based on them. Have your child read one of these books or series and follow it up

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with a fun movie marathon. Rewarding your

KEEP READING TOGETHER

kiddo with some special fun will encourage

Reading together doesn’t have to stop

her to read on her own. You can also invite

because you’re on a more relaxed schedule. If

friends to do the same and make it a party!

anything, it makes finding time for reading together easier! Take advantage of the extra

AUDIOBOOKS

time you have with your little ones, especially

If your family travels a lot over the break,

if they still can’t read independently.

encourage your child to listen to audiobooks. It’s a bit different from actually reading a

Summer break provides an opportunity

good book, but it’s still allows her to pass the

to supplement learning with extra, fun

time with a good story, and it won’t make her

educational experiences. Take advantage of all

carsick like reading might. Many libraries

the opportunities that you have to maintain

let you check out audiobooks on CD, and some

your child’s academic progress. You’ll find

even let you check out a more convenient MP3

scores of activity ideas online on websites like

version online.

Pinterest.

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BOOKS ABOUT DADS BECAUSE I’M YOUR DAD by Ahmet Zappa The playful monster-father in this book will amuse preschoolers. A fun read for young kids and their dads. Ages 1 to 5

I LOVE MY DADDY by Sebastien Braun Preschoolers follow a bear cub and his father as they go about their day. Young kids will enjoy sharing this sweet read with their daddies! Ages 4 to 8

RAMONA AND HER FATHER by Beverly Cleary Ramona’s dad has lost his job and things are a bit stressful in the Quimby household. Spunky Ramona will do her part to help the family. Older elementary students will relate to this lovable middleclass family. Ages 8 to 12

HERO DAD by Melinda Hardin

This heartwarming book describes a U.S. soldier through his son’s eyes. An especially great read for military families. Ages 3 to 4 10


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PAPA PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME by Eric Carle Another great Eric Carle picture book for the preschool and young elementary crowd! Readers will discover how the story unfolds (literally – the pages fold up and out) when Monica asks her father to get the moon for her. Ages 5 to 8

DADDY HUGS by Karen Katz This cute book shows all of the different ways Daddy can nurture and show love to Baby. This sturdy board book is perfect for dads to read with their little kiddos. Ages 1 to 4

OWL MOON by Jane Yolen A little girl and her dad go owling on a wintry night. Young elementary students will want to read this Caldecott award winner again and again. Ages 3 to 7

MY FATHER, SUN-SUN JOHNSON by C. Palmer Sun-Sun Johnson has lost everything; his oldest son is the only one who has stuck by him. Young teens will find out what befalls this father and son as they begin their life anew. Ages 12 to 15 11


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8 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT AT HOME 1. ICE BREAK!

5. FROZEN SNACKS

Freeze small toys in a sheet of ice and have your kiddos break them out using a hammer, salt, spoons, and other tools.

Ice cream isn’t the only frozen treat that your child can eat! Healthier options include frozen fruit, smoothies, and home-made fruit juice popsicles.

2. PLAY AT NIGHT If it’s too hot for your children to play outside during the afternoon, wait until the sun goes down. This is a perfect opportunity for them to catch fireflies, play with glow sticks, or have flashlight scavenger hunts.

3. MAKE MINI WATER BLOBS These giant bags of water will both amaze your kids and keep them cool. They might seem complicated to make, but Hello, Wonderful has an easy set of instructions for you to use.

4. COLD POTATO Poke a tiny hole in a water balloon so that it slowly leaks and squirts water when squeezed. Then, have your kiddos and their friends pass the balloon around like you would in the game hot potato. The goal is to not be the one holding the balloon when it runs out of water.

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6. SPRINKLER FUN Kids love running around in the sprinklers during a hot day. If your feeling crafty check out Ziggity Zoom for instructions on an easy-to-make pool noodle sprinkler.

7. SCHEDULE REST TIME Depending on where you live, sometimes it’s just too hot for your children to play outside. Schedule a couple hours of rest time during the hottest part of the day. This is a great time for you and your younger children to get a quick nap while older children read or do other quiet activities.

8. WATER BOMBS These simple water toys only require sponges and fishing line to make and they are tons of fun! See Positively Splendid for easy instructions.


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STORY TIME

GET TOGETHER 3 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY! CHOOSE THE VERSION THAT’S BEST FOR YOUR YOUNG READER, THEN CLICK A LINK BELOW AND PRINT THE PAGES FOR REPEATED READING AND PRACTICE.

LEVEL A - STORY AND ACTIVITIES

PAGES 14 - 24

BEST FOR READING ALOUD TO PRE-READERS

LEVEL B - STORY AND ACTIVITIES

PAGES 25 - 35

EASY TEXT FOR EMERGING READERS

LEVEL C - STORY AND ACTIVITIES

PAGES 36 - 46

MORE COMPLEXITY FOR EARLY READERS

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

PAGE 47

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GET TOGETHER Level A


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It was the perfect sunny summer day for a neighborhood block party. The party tent was up. The party team was busy working on the finishing touches.

p. 1


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Marcus and Flora finished hanging the decorations. Leo and Seth set up the last table and chairs. Dominic prepared the music and Oliver put out the drinks.

p. 2


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“It looks like everything’s ready!” said Flora. Just then, the neighbors started walking toward the party tent. Each family was bringing something tasty to share.

p. 3


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Shelly’s family brought hot dogs and hamburgers. Finn’s family brought a big bowl of macaroni salad. Sam’s family brought potato chips.

p. 4


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When Bella and her family arrived, Bella said, “Mama and I made three different kinds of cookies and a cake.” Seth and Dominic’s mouths watered just thinking about dessert.

p. 5


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Once everyone arrived, the guests enjoyed the delicious food. They listened to upbeat music. Some friends did the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance.

p. 6


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George led the children in a game of tag. They played hide-and-seek, too. Then the children broke open a pony piĂąata that was full of candy!

p. 7


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“What a great party!” said Roz. “I can’t wait until next year,” said Dominic. “Me too,” said Tess. The friends hung out in the moonlight for a while before heading home for the night.

p. 8


PICNIC PATH

RED APPLE READING

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COLORFUL SIGHT WORDS

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RED APPLE READING


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GET TOGETHER Level B


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

It was a nice sunny day for a summer block party. The tent was up and the team was setting up.

p. 1


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Marcus and Flora hung the lights and balloons. Leo and Seth set up the tables and chairs. Dominic got the music and Oliver put out the drinks.

p. 2


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“Everything is ready!� said Flora. Then the neighbors began coming to the party tent. Each family was bringing something to eat.

p. 3


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Shelly’s family had hot dogs and burgers. Finn’s family had a big bowl of pasta salad. Sam’s family had chips.

p. 4


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Bella and her mom came with three kinds of cookies and a cake. Seth and Dominic were happy there was dessert!

p. 5


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Once everyone came, they all ate the good food. They listened to music. Some friends did the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance.

p. 6


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

The children played a game of tag. They played hide-and-seek, too. Then they broke open a pony piĂąata full of candy!

p. 7


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“What a great party!” said Roz. “I can’t wait until next year,” said Dominic. The friends hung out for a while before going home for the night.

p. 8


LONG VOWEL TIC-TAC-TOE

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RED APPLE READING


DOUBLE LETTERS

RED APPLE READING

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GET TOGETHER Level C


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

It was the perfect summer day for a block party with neighbors. The party tent was up. The party team was working on the finishing touches.

p. 1


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Marcus and Flora finished hanging the lights and balloons. Leo and Seth set up the last table and chairs. Dominic got the music ready and Oliver put out the drinks.

p. 2


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

“It looks like everything is ready!� said Flora. Just then, the neighbors started walking to the party tent. Each family was bringing something tasty to share.

p. 3


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Shelly’s family brought hot dogs and hamburgers. Finn’s family brought a big bowl of macaroni salad. Sam’s family brought potato chips.

p. 4


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Bella and her family arrived with three different kinds of cookies and a cake. Seth and Dominic’s mouths watered just thinking about dessert!

p. 5


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

Once everyone arrived, they all ate the delicious food. Then they listened to music. Some friends did the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance.

p. 6


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

George led the children in a game of tag. They played hide-and-seek, too. Then they broke open a pony piĂąata that was full of candy!

p. 7


W W W. R E D A P P L E R E A D I N G . C O M

“What a great party!” said Roz. “I can’t wait until next year,” said Dominic. “Me too,” said Tess. The friends hung out in the moonlight before going home for the night.

p. 8


AMAZING ADJECTIVES

RED APPLE READING

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SUMMER RIDDLES

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RED APPLE READING


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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

GET TOGETHER 1

Who helped set up for the party?

2

What kind of food did they have at the party?

3

What did Bella’s family bring to the party?

4

What were two activities the guests did at the party?

5

What shape was the piñata?

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LITERACY TIME! SUMMER COLOR HUNT

Give your child a list of common colors. Explain that in this game he or she must go on a hunt to find that color somewhere inside or outside of the house. When he or she finds the color, encourage your child to write the name of the item or object next to the color. Make it a race – how fast can he or she find all of the items? CEREAL BOX SEARCH

Give your child a cereal box and ask him or her to circle each letter T that he finds. Change the box, change the letter and have him or her search again.

MAKE A MENU

Get your child involved in food planning and prep! Ask your child to make a menu for the next day or week. Give him a sheet of paper or poster board and some markers. Have him identify several wellrounded meal choices and draw them on the menu. Alternatively, allow her to cut apart grocery circulars and glue them on the menu. Ask her to name the dishes and write the contents too. Provide spelling and writing help as needed. Don’t forget the dessert menu! Then, use the menu for your family meal.

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RED APPLE READING


Fun that’s made in the U.S.A. SQUIRT BOTTLE WORDS

INVENT A CEREAL

Save an old squirting bottle (e.g. syrup, dish soap) and clean it out thoroughly. In the summer, focus on short vowel words with your child. Fill the bottle with water and squeeze out a vowel letter on the driveway or sidewalk. Your child must think of a word with that short vowel and squeeze a consonant on either side of the vowel before the water dries. Can your child do it? For younger learners, practice forming letters. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, use a paint brush dipped in a bucket of water to form the letters.

For older children, cover the existing cereal box with plain paper and ask your child to invent a new cereal. Ask him or her to design the new cereal box with an original name, a mascot, a short/simple list of ingredients, and a tag line or quote. Get creative!

RED APPLE READING

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Birthdays, holidays and other fun days to celebrate!

JUNE 2016 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

JAMES DAUGHERTY

5

6

RICHARD SCARRY

12

7

CYNTHIA RYLANT

13

NIKKI GIOVANNI

FATHER’S DAY

26

AMERICA’S KIDS DAY

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21

20

SUMMER SOLSTICE

27

23

29

DENNIS HASELEY

ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

RED APPLE READING

MAURICE SENDAK

30

DAVID MCPHAIL

ROBERT MUNSCH

18

MARIE-LOUISE GAY

CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG

25

24

THEODORE TAYLOR

DRAWING DAY

11

17

JENNIFER L. HOLM

ROBERT KRAUS

28

HELEN KELLER

GREGORY MAGUIRE

LOREEN LEEDY

22

DONUT DAY

10

16

15

FLAG DAY

ANNE FRANK

19

JUDY SIERRA

Saturday

4

NORTON JUSTER

9

8

14

3

2

1

Friday

JEAN MARZOLLO

ERIC CARLE


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JULY 2016 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1

2

HELEN KETTEMAN

3

4

CHRISTINE MCDONNELL

10

5

INDEPENDENCE DAY

11

FRED GWYNNE

17

E.B. WHITE

NAT’L ICE CREAM DAY

24

KATHI APPELT

JOHANNA SPYRI

20

21

27

STEPHEN COSGROVE

ALISON MCGHEE

ARNOLD ADOFF

MARCIA THORNTON JONES

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

23

MARGERY WILLIAMS

29

BEATRIX POTTER

NANCY FARMER

16

22

28

JEAN CRAIGHEAD GEORGE

9

15

LAURA NUMEROFF

PAULETTE BOURGEOIS

26

RUTH KRAUSS

HARRIET ZIEFERT

MARCIA BROWN

FELICIA BOND

8

14

13

19

25

AMY EHRLICH

JOHN SCHOENHERR

12

18

7

6

Saturday

NAT’L HOT DOG DAY

30

SHARON CREECH

MARCUS PFISTER

31

J.K. ROWLING RED APPLE READING

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SPOTLIGHT ON‌

The Phantom Tollbooth Written by Carley Bennecke, In-house book critic

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In June we celebrate author Norton Juster’s birthday, primarily known for his timeless classic The Phantom Tollbooth. Published in 1961, the novel continues to amaze and interest young readers. The book follows bored young Milo, who is given a tollbooth that zips him away to the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he is tasked to take upon a quest. At the end of his journey, Milo discovers there are many fascinating aspects to the world around him.

(e.g. when Milo has to literally eat his words, served on a silver platter). It was especially nice to have a picture of the map of the kingdom at the beginning of the chapter book, to help visualize the land that Milo was exploring.

I stumbled upon The Phantom Tollbooth in my elementary school library one day and was drawn into the story from page one. The wordplay in the book was entertaining. It was funny to read figurative idioms used as literal idioms

The Phantom Tollbooth is a great read for any youngster who wants to join Milo in his eventful and exhilarating adventure to discover that life is full of greatness and many wonders. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

RED APPLE READING


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BEST OF THE WEB FOOD: Weelicious.com Never get bored at mealtime! Easy-peasy family meals, toddler recipes, and school lunches that can double for yummy picnic or beach treats.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Pinterest Search anything (easy reader books, reading forts, homeschooling ideas) and you’ll find a smorgasbord of links with info and images!

READING: Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge More than a place for kids to log minutes and earn rewards. Parents and teachers can access printable resources, book lists, and more.

“There’s no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.”

SCIENCE: Kinetic City A collection of science experiments, projects, and educational games for kids – online and offline fun!

— James Patterson

RED APPLE READING

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JUNE/JULY 2016

WWW. REDAPPLEREADING.COM

RED APPLE READING Serious Learning that’s Seriously Fun.


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