Author: Carol McCloudIllustrated by Penny WeberBook Website: www.bucketfillers101.com Interest Level: Grades 3 and UpChapter Book From the Book Jacket: Do you know you have an invisible bucket which is filled with all of your good thoughts and feelings? If you're new to the concepts of bucket filling and bucket dipping, then this book is for you. With easy-to-read chapters, colorful illustrations, and daily questions to help readers become better bucket fillers, Growing Up with a Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life gives readers the tools to live a life filled with happiness. Why It's On My Bookshelf: When I got this awesome new addition to my bucket books I had a little fun with it. So I hid it behind my back when I showed it to my 3-5th graders. They've heard Have You Filled a Bucket and How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids countless times over the years so I knew they'd be a little shocked and excited about this new one - because it is totally geared to their age. And of course when I showed what I was hiding, they were eagerly wanting me to read it and wanted to know when it would also be available in our school library. It's a chapter book and well.....it's PERFECT. The kids are learning all kinds of new things about bucket filling: - BFF = Bucket Fillers Forever (and here you thought it meant best friends forever)
- Group Bucket Filling
- How To Avoid Dipping
- Accidental Dipping
- Thoughtless Dipping
- Selective Dipping
- Group Dipping
- Dipping on Television
- Long-Handled Dipping
- Use Your Lid (I've been waiting for someone to use that idea when it comes to bucket filling. Protect your bucket from getting dipped in the first place. Love it.)
- Use Your Lid for Others
- Advanced Bucket Fillers
- When A Lid Doesn't Work
If you are a bucket believer then I know you just got a little giddy about the above list. I haven't created any lessons to go with the book yet so I've been playing it by ear and basically doing discussion as we read it. I am sensing from the kids that they would really like to have their own copy to read from. It also has cool pictures throughout. We have ordered a few copies for our school library and they will definitely be in HOT demand. I encourage teachers (grades 3 and up) to have a copy in their kid reading library. Your students will thank you. It could also be a great read aloud to increase your classroom climate. Now who is not for that!?
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| Group Dipping |
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| Use Your Lid |
Hoping more bucket books are going to be published. They are an INVALUABLE resource for children.
A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:
Author: Trudy LudwigIllustrated by Beth AdamsInterest Level: Ages 9-12From the Book Jacket: Katie never thought of herself as a bully. So what if she excludes somebody from a game or says some harsh things to her friends every once in a while? It's not like she ever hits anyone. What's the big deal?But when some kids witness her teasing a classmate and report her to the principal. Katie faces tough consequences for her actions. Katie's journal of her transformation from bully to former bully provides a practical tool kids can use right away to help identify and overcome emotional bullying. Why It's On My Bookshelf: I can't begin to tell you how many times I've used different bullying curriculums over the years and been disappointed. They were unrelateable, boring, and not very inspiring to kids. As an elementary school counselor, this is unacceptable. Especially, because there are kids at my school who are finding themselves victims of bullying or they are the bullies themselves and need help. I only want the best of the best on my bookshelf when it comes to tackling serious issues like bullying. Author Trudy Ludwig writes the best of the best and every single one of her books are on my shelf. Confessions of a Former Bully is Trudy's latest book and it is SO relateable, engaging, and will inspire kids. And guess what....it's a follow up to My Secret Bully!! There's a lot of reasons I love this new book but the main one has to do with my students. They are Trudy Ludwig super fans like myself. Every school year we've read her stories over and over. I've witnessed the positive impact and difference they've made in childrens' lives. So when I read it for the first time I was thrilled for the kids in my school because they will BENEFIT immensely. It is written for the upper elementary grades (3rd grade and up). This was a jump for joy moment for me. I am familiar with every single children's book about bullying on the market. There is a gaping hole in the upper elementary grades for good bullying literature. But Confessions just majorly filled it. Not only is it written for this age group but the illustrations and layout are cool and engaging for this population of kids. So put your dull bullying curriculums back on the shelf.This is the story of what happened to Katie from My Secret Bully and also a tool kit on how to deal with bullying and how to turn bully behavior around. With the help of her school counselor, Katie is on a journey to turn this behavior around. I have many kids who are on this same path. The book is FULL of helpful information and answers the real questions kids have about bullying like....'Why am I bullying others?'....'What are consequences?'.....'How can I get empowered to deal with bullies?'...and much more. It also lets them know that when adults get involved - it's a good thing! So I bet some of you are wondering why author Trudy Ludwig brought Katie back. I recently got to ask her that very question (a super fan moment for me). Check out my guest blog interview on author Rachel Simmon's website. Enjoy putting Trudy's new book to good use with your child or students. A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:
Author: Jenny LombardInterest Level: Grades 3 and upDescription from the Book Website: Drita and her family come to New York as refugees from war-torn Kosovo. Even though she barely speaks English, Drita can’t wait to start school and make a new best friend. But her new classmates don’t make it easy, teasing her about virtually everything. The worst is Maxie, a tough African-American girl whose sassy attitude hides a painful secret. When Maxie takes things too far, their teacher assigns Maxie a paper on Drita and her journey to America from Kosovo. Suddenly, Maxie realizes she and Drita have more in common than she thought. And when Drita’s mother gets sick, there’s only one person who can help—Drita’s new homegirl.
A sensitively written story of two worlds coming together, Drita, My Homegirl touchingly explores the effects of war on a family and how friendship sometimes appears in the unlikeliest places.Why It's On My Bookshelf: I always have a lot of optimism as the school year begins that students will continue to blossom in their math, reading, and writing skills....but more importantly I have a hope in my heart they will also grow as a community. If you want to create, build, and bind positive student relationships then start with an inspiring story like Drita, My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard. It will inspire kids to be appreciative, compassionate, sensitive, and take care of one another. Starting in third grade I sometimes notice a negative shift in friendships. This sometimes stems from the differences they notice about each other. Instead of taking a genuine interest and being curious about diversity, sometimes kids can knock one another down with hurtful teasing and exclusion. Enter Drita and Maxie, two girls with not a lot of commonality...sounds like a lot of students in my school. Each chapter changes back and forth between their voices. This is key to developing empathy and understanding towards their personal stories. It reminded me of the quote, "Never judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Drita, My Homegirl embodies those words. It's also the adults who get Maxie to take a REAL look at who Drita is and what she's been going through. This allows Maxie to show her own vulnerabilities and it sparks her caring side to come forward. I'm excited to have this in our school library this year. But it can also be used as a wonderful read aloud that will surely increase empathy, friendship, and community building. A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:
