Hello Book Bums families!
Ursula K. Le Guin once said that when we read a book, we help to create it. I think she meant that we bring our experiences and imaginations with us to a story, and they become part of the tale we unfold as we read. That's part of why sharing a reading experience with others can be so fun and interesting. We hope our book recommendations are helping you build a spooky autumn reading list to enjoy with your kids.
Also in this week's newsletter, the fifth installment of Using Commas Correctly, a Halloween treat idea, and some poetry for autumn.
"We read to find out who we are."
-Ursula K. Le Guin
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Word of the Week
prolific (pro-liff-ick) adjective/describing word - fruitful or highly productive
A prolific writer may publish novels every year or even more frequently.
Literary Calendar
Literary Calendar
• October 21 is the birthday of author Ursula K. Le Guin.
• She was a prolific writer of books and stories for all ages, but is probably best known for her science fiction.
• The Books of Earthsea are a fantastical series for older kids and teens.
From our Bookshelves
Create some memorable moments by placing a candle or flameless votive inside your freshly carved jack-o-lantern, snuggle under a cozy blanket, and crack open some spoooky books to read with some kids you adore. Truthfully, the books I’m recommending only have a hint of spooky, but if you have kids who scare easily—and we definitely don’t want nightmares—you can tame the scary by giggling about something else that’s happening within the story.
The Ghost-Eye Tree, by Bill Martin, Jr., is a wonderful spooky read for these blustery autumn evenings. It’s about a boy and his sister who must walk down the road to get a bucket of milk for their mother. As they make their way to and from the farm, a big, old tree sways in the wind as the branches swing and swoop toward the kids. “Ooo . . . The halfway tree, the Ghost-Eye tree . . . shook its arms . . . and reached . . . for ME!” I don’t know about you, but just making the sound “Ooo,” gives my granddaughter and me the creeps, but it’s a delicious kind of creepy!
Not to worry! There’s a side story happening that releases any tension your kids might be feeling. It’s the perfect balance of spooky and sweet.
Tips for Families
Tips for Families
Would you like to be a little more into the seasonal fun, but you don’t want to invest a lot of time and money? Here’s a quick and easy way to give your kids a sweet and mildly spooky surprise.
Purchase some plastic teeth. You know, those cheap, kids’ vampire fangs. You can even find some that glow-in-the-dark! Be sure you have some chocolate chips, and then pick up some donuts. Take five minutes to assemble everything so you end up with something that looks like this:
It’s easy-peasy, and you are now the fun one!
Truthfully, I was never one to promote anything Halloween. I was that mom who hosted “Hallelujah Parties,” where kids dressed up like Bible characters instead of Halloween parties. My kids didn’t really trick-or-treat. These donuts and some spooky stories, however, do make me enjoy the transition into cooler weather, shorter days, and lots of tucked-in-reading.
Tips for Readers and Writers
Using Commas Correctly, Week 5 of 8
Week 5- Commas are used to enclose non-essential clauses. These clauses often begin with relative pronouns such as who, whom, whose, and which that relate to the noun or pronoun that precedes it.
Example:
Dr. Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel, wrote more than 40 children’s books.
Use some elbow macaroni noodles to teach your kids when to use commas in their writing! Scoop out a handful of those curved noodles, print the attached PDF, and grab some glue. That’s all you’ll need for some fun-focused practice using commas. Share with your kids this week’s featured rules for using commas. Then, have them insert the macaroni commas where they belong on the provided PDF. For beginning readers, you read the text for them. More advanced readers can do this work independently. After you’ve checked for accuracy, have your kids attach the macaroni comma to the paper with some glue. When the glue dries, display your newest set of Use Your Noodle activity sheets and review all the lessons they’ve learned so far.
Poem of the Month
Learning the Name
by Ursula K. Le Guin
The wood thrush, it is! Now I know
who sings that clear arpeggio,
three far notes weaving
into the evening
among leaves
and shadow;
or at dawn in the woods, I've heard
the sweet ascending triple word
echoing over
the silent river —
but never
seen the bird.
Practical Grammar
Can you catch my error below?
I love the firey glow of the jack-o-lanterns on my front porch. Each evening, they smile and wink at passersby.
It’s firey. That’s not spelled correctly.
I know the word fire. And, I know that we often add a y to the ends of words to make nouns* into adjectives. ** So, why isn’t firey a correctly spelled word?
It works for lots of other words.
pepper >> peppery
wind >> windy
storm >> stormy
Sometimes we double the final consonant before adding the y.
fun >> funny
And sometimes we eliminate an e before adding the y.
shine >> shiny
So, why isn’t fiery spelled firy?
That’d make sense.
Here’s the answer: The Old English word fyr was transcribed into Middle English as fier. The Modern English spelling fire didn’t become firmly established until about 1600, but a trace of the old spelling survived in the adjective fiery.
Fire >> fiery
Now you know.
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