A.A. Milne wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories but from where did he get the original idea?
The second picture book being considered for the Morning Calm Medal this year is Sally Walker's Winnie: the True Story of the Bear who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh!
"Who could care for a bear? When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company’s home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment’s much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away — the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie — he could care for this bear too!" - Good Reads Review
Click here to visit author Sally Walker's website.
"Parents often ask what they can give a child who wants to be a writer. The first thing is a library card. Paper and pens are another. But time is the most valuable gift that anyone can give to a budding writer. Time to wander, time to learn, time to read, and above all, time to dream."
To learn more about the history of Winnie the Pooh, you can go to this website or watch the following short videos.
Just for fun, here is a Winnie-the-Pooh story for you...
"Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything . . . except magic. But when Red’s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness.
With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves’ caverns to a haunted well and a beast’s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman—two mortal enemies who seek the girls’ help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for."
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.
Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. Christopher Healy’s Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom is a completely original take on the world of fairy tales, the truth about what happens after “happily ever after.” It’s a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoy their fantasy adventures mixed with the humor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Witty black-and-white drawings by Todd Harris add to the fun. - Amazon review
Our Fall Book Fairis just around the corner.What the Book will be here from Seoul. Come prepared to shop and stock up on books for the winter!
Event: Fall Book Fair Place: ES PAC Time: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday (Please note that Friday is a half day) Dates: Wednesday, Oct. 5, Thursday, Oct. 6, and Friday, Oct. 7 (Parents are welcome after school every day!) Please talk about appropriate choices with your parents beforehand and come prepared to enjoy the fair and to buy a lot of books. (Your teacher will let you know which day you will visit the book fair as a class).
The first picture book nominated for this year's Morning Calm Medal is The Bear Ate Your Sandwichwritten by Julia Sarcone-Roach.
"By now I think you know what happened to your sandwich. But you may not know how it happened.
So let me tell you.
It all started with the bear . . .
So begins Julia Sarcone-Roach’s delicious tale of a bear, lost in the city, who happens upon an unattended sandwich in the park. The bear’s journey from forest to city and back home again is full of happy accidents, funny encounters, and sensory delights. The story is so engrossing, it’s not until the very end that we begin to suspect this is a TALL tale." - Amazon review
Here are the ten books that are in the running for the Morning Calm Medal this year. We are excited to get started reading them! The five picture books that we will read together during library time are...
The five chapter books that students will read independently are...
