What Planet Are You From, Clarise Bean? by Lauren Child

Title: What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean?

Author: Lauren Child

Copyright: 2001, Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA.
Grade Level: 2-5
Genre: Science, Fiction

Summary: This is a story about a young girl named Clarise Bean, who talks about her school and how they are learning about the planet Earth. She walks about gravity and how her teacher, Mrs. Wilberton wants the class to do a project called The Environment. She talks about nature and how her grandfather loves and enjoys the nature. Clarise starts thinking of ideas for her big project, and one of her big ideas is to try to protest and save a tree in the neighborhood that is about to be cut down. Knowing that trees are important to the environment, Clarise decides to sit in the tree and protest, missing school and having her teacher very upset. After her teacher realizes why Clarise missed school, she seems to understand and tells Clarise that she has done a good job. In the end, Clarise understand she has missed school and that was not ok, but she is happy that she could save the tree and help the environment.

Pre-Reading Activity:
Ask the children what they can do to help the environment. Talk to them about the things they can do to help the world.

Post-Reading Activity:
Come up with a project for the whole class; something that has to do with helping the environment. Maybe do community service and clean up trash in one area, or plant trees on Earth Day. Also, talk to the students about recycling and why we should do it. This will show the students how important it is to help the environment and how easy it is to do it. Explain to them that one person can make a difference.

Reflection:
I think this is a wonderful story to introduce to kids. It teaches them about the importance of the environment and about the things they can do to help/save the environment. It has wonderful pictures and it is fun to read. Also, it can be used in early elementary classrooms to teach the children about the environment and just how important it is that people take care of it.

About the Author:

Lauren Child was born in 1965 in Marlborough, Wiltshire. She was known as Christened Helen, before she changed her name to Lauren. She is the middle of the three daughters, and she is best known for writing her Clarise Bean novels. She studied Art at Manchester Polytechnic and London Art School. Lauren Child also started her own company, 'Chandeliers for the People', making exotic lampshades. it wasn't a success. Now, she lives in London, where she works for a design company called the Big Fish.

"In 2008 she was announced as UNESCO's Artist for Peace and in 2010 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature."

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

Title: Trout Are Made of Trees

Author: April Pulley Sayre

Illustrator: Kate Endle

Copyright: 2008, Charlesbridge Publishing

Grade level: K-2
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Nonfiction

Summary:
This colorful children's book is a wonderful book for young children learning about the food chain. First it introduces the leaves, which are producers, then the cranes flies and caddisflies, which are the primary consumers, and then the secondary consumers. In the end the trout, which is the predator in the story is introduced to the audience. The book also provides resources on how to keep our waterways clean and it also describes the trout life cycle.

Reflection of the book:

As a preschool teacher and a future educator, I think this book is a wonderful resource. It is a short children's book and it's very easy to read. Although, before reading it to the children I believe it's important to introduce some of the vocabulary words first, because some of the children might struggle with some of those words. This characters inside this lyrical book observe life in and around the stream and learn all about the food chain. It also shows how animals and plants are connected in the food web and it also provides information about the trout life cycle, which can be interesting to those who like learning about fish.The book also shows how the river ecosystem is used to show how the critters eat the leaves, and the trout eat the critters, demonstrating the food chain.

About the Author:
Born in Greenville, California, April Pulley Sayre became an award winning children's book author of over 55 books for children and adults. Her books have been translated into four other languages: Dutch, Japanese, Korean and French. She uses her books to immerse young readers in natural events that are happening in the world. Like her husband Jeff, who is a native plants expert, April loves science and adventure. I believe this is the reason why she wrote Trout Are Made of Trees. She is an expert in wildlife gardening, writing children's books and science education. Each year, she speaks to over 15,000 students nationwide about the writing process and about the things scientists do to study animals. She has traveled around the world and got to experience the beauty of the natural world.

"My life and my books are rooted in and inspired by the landscapes where I have lived. Blue ridge mountains, Carolina foothills, Indiana cornfields, and Virginia tidewater area are among the places that have taught me about plants and animals. See below for my full geography and why I consider myself an Indiana/South Carolina/North Carolina/Virginia/Michigan author"

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About the Author