Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. - Confucius




Saturday, January 8, 2011

OF THEE I SING: A Letter to My Daughters ... A Must Have

I received this wonderful book as a Christmas gift from one of my colleagues. Thank you Mrs. Tautkus! Regardless of political affiliation, of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters is a must have.

I love it for the multiple ways it can be used in and out of the classroom. I love it for its inspiration. I love it for its connections to American history. I love it for the message that fits so nicely with our “It Only Takes One” project in first grade. I love it for the message that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.  I love it for its encouragement to follow our dreams and reach the potential within us.

I can see using it for a six traits lesson on organization. The left page of the spread shows a child and asks a question such as “Have I told you that you are a healer?”. The right page of the spread shows that child as an adult and tells his or her place in history. In response to the previous question, the answer is: “Sitting Bull was a Sioux medicine man who healed broken hearts and broken promises. It is fine to be different, he said. ‘For peace, it is not necessary for eagles to be crows.’ Though he was put in prison, his spirit soared free on the plains, and his wisdom touched the generations.

The final page then gives additional information about each hero. Loren Long’s illustrations are gorgeous. This book is perfect for the classroom and perfect as a gift for people of all ages. Check out the following video which is narrated by Loren Long, the illustrator of the book.




1 comment:

  1. Cool video! Our kiddos will love seeing and hearing the illustrator talk through his thoughts on the book. Don't you just love technology?!

    ReplyDelete