Grade 1-2

First Graders caught an island breeze today as they sailed off to the tiny nation of Bermuda. Tropical photos, maps, sunscreen, sand toys, a passport and a mysterious fish tail encouraged students to predict that their library journey today would take them to a far more sunnier place than the Berkshires. Today in the library, we shared the first book in a well-known Bermudian series of chapter books about a sailboat named Sidney written by Mark Booth. With geographic references to famous parts of the island itself (Hamilton Harbor, Front Street), these stories provide an opportunity for vocabulary development and  cultural connections.  Illustrations by Patricia DeCosta strike a balance between whimsy and realistic detail, and enhance the adventures of this sailboat, his schooner friend, Rebecca and the villanous motorboat, Razor. The adventures will continue next week as we set sail on A Bermuda Triangle Mystery.

Today, First Graders put on their fantasy caps and were captivated by beloved author Kate DiCamillo’s tale, Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken. In this three-chapter story, Louise the Chicken’s thirst for adventure leads her to stow away on a pirate ship, join the circus as a wire-walker and peruse an exotic bazaar, only to find that the best adventures can happen right back home in the henhouse. Students then created their own Louise-inspired bookmarks using colorful beads and markers to remind themselves that reading is always an adventure!