Three for Your Library: Grandparents' Day is Coming

Truth be told, I'm a grandparent gal.  I spent so much time with my grandparents growing up that my heart is full of fond memories.  Every time I see new picture books about grandparents I just have to check them out.  This week, Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading reminded us that Grandparents' Day is Sunday, September 8th.  She celebrated by sharing some of her favorite new grandparent titles.  Make sure you stop by her post because she has a lot of titles you won't want to miss.

Here are three of my newer favorites that I'd have to add as well.  If you're looking for a few books for your library, these three are sure to be a hit.

Three Current Grandparent Favorites

Drawn Together by Mihn Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.

It just never takes us long to find a way to connect with our grandparents - or for our grandparents to find a way to connect with us.


The Way You Might Use It
Community Conversations:  In the early part of the year, this book might be a good one to talk about the way we can find what we have in common even when we are different.  

Anchor Text:  This book is told largely in illustrated panels.  This is the perfect place to talk about inferring character action and feeling.  

Mentor Text:  This book would make a strong mentor for organizing ideas and using scenes to tell a story.  The illustrator uses like ideas in a gradual progression of panels to show challenges and changes the characters face. 

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

I fell in love with this book when I read the author's note where Oge shares a bit about her grandma and the role she played in her life.  As I read the story, I knew I'd return to it again and again.  In this book, Omu makes stew for dinner.  It isn't long until everyone is knocking on the door for a taste of her stew.  When dinner finally arrives, Omu has nothing to eat.  Not to worry, it isn't long until a solution is found.

The Way You Might Use It
Community Conversations:  This book illustrates the power of community and taking care of one another.  (As well as those little gifts we all have to share with each other.) 

Anchor Text:  I think I'm just drawn to books with great characters as I can't help but think that Omu could be the focus of quite a conversation as readers use clues to talk a bit about what she's like.  

Mentor Text:  The author uses repetition to tell the story of her grandma's stew.  The author uses this cumulative structure to work toward a pretty big problem.  Young authors could discover ways to use this structure in problem-solution stories.  

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L. B. Deenihan and illustrated by Lorraine Rocha.

Sometimes we get a gift from grandma that isn't quite what we wish.  However, often we discover later the real treasure it contains.  When the young girl gets a lemon tree from her grandma, it isn't exactly what she had hoped.  However, she politely thanks her grandma and plants the tree. It isn't long until she realizes all the gifts the tree can bring.  

The Way You Might Use It
Community Conversations:  There's probably a place her for some goods and services conversation.  I suppose if you have any future entrepreneurs, there might be some good conversation there as well.  The book could be the start of a conversation about thinking about the feelings of others when things don't go quite our way.  

Anchor Text:  The author uses many interesting text features that helps the reader to understand the story.  Readers often have difficulty thinking about why the author made particular craft decisions.  This book could certainly start a great conversation about why the author made particular decisions and how those decisions impact meaning.  

Mentor Text:  This book has lists, how-tos, and recipes.  There are lots of tricks used by the author that might come in handy in our own writing.