The Dragonfly Guest Reviewer: Beth Hibbard

Don't often meet up with a classroom teacher who loves to read aloud to her class, but my friend Beth does !  A frequent user of the library, Beth will request these titles year after year.

Here are two books she recommends to read aloud to students and then compare:

Roxenboxen  by Alice McLerran  Illustrated by Barbara Cooney 

Roxenboxen strikes a memory chord for me. The book reminds me of two special childhood days in my life when  neighborhood friends played a game, a building project in the mud of our family's sidewalk with stones and a 2 x 6 board. .No, I don't remember the object of the game or how we organized ourselves,  BUT I do remember the camaraderie and the fun.   I hope reading the book to a room of students will get them out in the dirt and play.

 AND Weslandia  by Paul Fleischman Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Meet Wesley, the proprietor of Weslandia, founded in his back yard. Wesley is a different drummer style of boy who is looking for a summer project.  He finds the project in some strange looking plants sprouting in the back garden.  As Wesley cultivates the plants, STEAM products abound as he explores uses for all parts of the "swist" , including a sunscreen/mosquito repellent he sells to his classmates.   Shout out to Wesley's parents who know "he stands out like a nose" but allow him to explore without interference.  

Extra links for you    Roxenboxen    is a real place !

                                  WeslandiaSTEAM     lesson plans for Weslandia