Thanks for joining Colby and I as we have reread some of our favorites that he chose this month.
You can catch up on our previous chats here:
JEN: We have made it to the end of our month of rereading! It has been so much fun to take time to revisit favorites and to be able to talk to you about them. Thanks for joining in on the It’s A-Okay to Reread in April Challenge. The last book we are discussing this month is Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld. How can you look at the cover of this book and not love it? I love it.
JEN: Here’s what you had to say about Cloudette on GoodReads: “I am a giant Duck Rabbit fan, and this book by Tom Lichtenheld makes me so happy that he is a children's book author. Cloudette is a book about a fun-loving cloud that doesn't feel like she belongs in the sky that she lives in. She wants to make a difference, but she cannot figure out her place.”
COLBY: I’m always up for a story about an underdog. I remember cheering the first time I read Cloudette. It’s such a fun read.
JEN: The message in Cloudette is so strong. It is so easy to feel like I am just one little human being on this planet teeming with of gobs of people. Sometimes I feel like one little me can only make so much of a difference but this book reminds me that if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish a lot. And what I accomplish may only touch a few people, but it still makes a difference somehow. Books are such an amazing venue for sharing these brilliant ideas. I have learned so much about myself and others and the world from reading and talking about books. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all the characters and the stories I carry around with me in my heart. Look at what Charlotte and Ivan have taught us about speaking up for yourself and others and trying something when it seems like there may be no hope. Look at what Auggie has taught us about kindness and compassion for others. Look at what Marty teaches us about acting outwardly with respect for others when you might feel another way inside. Look at what Bear and Rabbit teach us about messing with bears and their precious, pointy, red hats...
COLBY: Ha! I love what we’ve learned from all of those characters. Especially Bear and Rabbit. :)Talking about the message and theme in stories are some of my favorite book conversations with fourth graders. It’s fun to see what they take away from books. I love when they take away something totally different from what I took away. It’s always fun to have those conversations. A great book is able to touch different readers in different ways. I think Cloudette is a great book.
JEN: I have noticed that when I read picture books with older students, recognizing the message and theme is really important. My older students like to be read to but talking about the overall message and then about what they can take away from the message and how they can apply it to their own life is what seems to be critical in reading picture books with older students. I love when they have a different understanding of the book from me! It’s through these discussions of great books that we grow as readers and as people.
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