The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Emily Bingo:

http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763639605.kit.1.pdf

Discussion Questions:

http://www.hclib.org/pub/bookspace/BookClubKid_discussionquestions.cfm?isbn=0763624837&title=The%20Tail%20of%20Emily%20Windsnap

·         Would you like to be a mermaid? Why or why not?

·         What do you think would be the best thing about being a mermaid? And the worst?

·         Emily visited Shona's mermaid school. If Shona could somehow visit Emily's school, what do you suppose she would think about what human girls have to learn at school?

·         Why do you think Neptune changed his mind about his laws?

·         Do you think Mr. Beeston is really bad? Why or why not?

·         If you had magical powers, would you keep that a secret? Why or why not?

·         Do you think it was brave or foolish for Emily to take out the boat by herself? Why?

·         Did you figure out Mr. Beeston was a merman before Emily did? If so, what were the clues?

·         Why was Shona so important to Emily? And do you think it is important to have a best friend, or is it okay to have lots of good friends?

·         Would you like to live on a boat? Why or why not?

·         Mr. Beeston was erasing Emily's mother's memory. If Neptune's law was going to keep them apart, do you think it was better for her mother that she couldn't remember anyway? And do you think it was harder for Emily's father in prison, who DID remember about his wife and child who he could never see again?

Make a Fortune Teller:

Mystic Millie likes to tell people’s fortunes. Use this fortune-teller at the Fintastic Friendship Festival to predict your friends’ futures!

http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763639605.kit.1.pdf

Cut out the fortune-teller from the previous page.

Fold it in half along one of the dotted lines and unfold it again, making a crease.

Fold it in half along the other dotted line and unfold it again.

Flip it over so it’s facedown and fold the corners together so they touch in the middle, using the creases to help you.

Leaving the corners folded in, flip your fortune-teller over and fold the corners to meet in the middle.

Fold your fortune-teller in half, with the pictures on the outside.

Gently push your thumbs and pointer fingers into the flaps created underneath the pictures. Now your fortune-teller is ready to use!

Friendship Questions:

https://www.orionbooks.co.uk/assets/OrionPublishingGroup/downloads/Teachers%20Resources/Emily%20Windsnap%20Teachers%20Notes.pdf

Shona and Emily become best friends but not everyone has a best friend.

•

Ask children to think about their own friends and discuss the following questions: Is it better to

have a best friend or lots of friends? Do you like all your friends in the same way? Do you like doing

the same thing with all of your friends? Do you tend to see some friends only in certain situations?

Would you want to see all of your friends all the time?

Sharks Vs Mermaids:

•

A variation of ‘bull dog’: choose two children to be the sharks who will try to catch the mermaids as

they swim from one end of the playground (or swimming pool) to the other.

•

When a mermaid is caught they become a shark. The game continues until there are no more

mermaids. 

Floors by Patrick Carman Activities

Book Selection: Floors by Patrick Carman
Book Summary:
Ten-year-old Leo lives with his father in the basement of the extraordinary Whippet Hotel in New York City, where his dad works as the hotel’s caretaker. The hotel, designed by eccentric inventor Merganzer Whippet, is filled to the brim with strange and mysterious rooms and gizmos. Merganzer does not encourage too many guests to stay at this spacious yet sparsely populated hotel. The few who are there are wealthy, odd, and seem to be permanent residents.
There are few other children at the hotel, aside from a snotty six-year-old heiress who snubs Leo, and Remi, the new boy who watches the front door and is not allowed to leave his post or go anywhere in the hotel. The basement where Leo lives is shabby and overfilled with gadgets that help to keep the hotel running and alert Leo’s father when something goes wrong. There’s a giant pinball room, a cake room, a ponds-and-caves room with four-foot-long koi, a “Central Park” room that features a thrilling arcade ride, and an entire haunted floor
The fictional Whippet Hotel has ducks living on the hotel rooftop, and riding the duck elevator to march through the lobby to the grounds for their daily walk. Betty, their enigmatic leader, appears to possess some uncanny talents, making her a useful ally in tight spots. Perhaps this is why Merganzer has always insisted that one must always bring a duck along on an adventure.
When Merganzer disappears suddenly, it falls to Leo to learn who or what might be behind this ominous event. After Merganzer has been missing for over 100 days, strange boxes filled with mysterious clues start to arrive in secret for the boy. Each box leads Leo to still more boxes and to secret rooms and places in a thrill-a-minute scavenger hunt through the hotel. It appears that the fate of the hotel and Leo’s own future rest in his hands. Luckily, Remi, who watches the front door (not always assiduously), becomes Leo’s new friend and partner-in-crime. The boys team up to solve the puzzles in the strange boxes, explore the hotel’s secrets, and learn what must be done to save the beloved Whippet Hotel.
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/floors
This scavenger hunt is intertwined with the story of Bernardo Frescobaldi, a millionaire who wants to buy the hotel. He has sent his right-hand man, Martin, to the hotel to find someone willing to sabotage the hotel in hopes of making the owner willing to sell. The Bernardo plot is how Carman exposits some of Merganzer's background. At the end, Leo solves all of the puzzles and is brought to meet Bernardo. Bernardo offers Leo millions of dollars for the hotel. Leo keeps the hotel and Bernardo reveals himself to be Mr. Whippet.
Introduction: Say your name and favorite hotel
Summary Ball:
Throw around a ball that says Who, What, When, Where, Why and How? To the children whom have read. Where ever their right thumbs land on or closest to, they answer the question.
Who: Who are the main characters in this story? Leo. Remi, Mr. Whippet, Ms. Sparks. Betty
Who is the owner of the hotel? Mr. Whippet
Who is the mean lady at the front desk? Ms. Sparks
What are the animals allowed in the building? Ducks
What is Leo’s job at the hotel? Maintenance man
What is the hotel called? The Whippet
When did Mr. Whippet reveal his identity to Leo? After Leo discovered all of the boxes and passed his test
When did Leo recognize Mr. Whippet? At the end of the story
When did Leo realize Remi was a good friend?
Where did Remi live? Far far away from the Whippet in a small hotel
Where did Leo find the first box? The duck elevator
Where did the ducks stay? On the roof
Why was the hotel falling apart? Someone was sabotaging it.
Why did Ms. Sparks fire Remi and his mom? Ms. Sparks accused them of stealing a dimond necklace.
Why did Mr. Whippet give Leo the hotel? He passed all of the tests and Mr. Whippet was leaving.
How did Leo know where to look to find the other boxes? The old box had a clue for different room.
How do guests and employees get around in the hotel? Like get into their rooms and passageways? Special key cards
How did Leo escape the maze in the room of rings? A fog wrote where he should go.
Book Discussion:

·         Why do you think Merganzer D. Whippet has made it so difficult, and at times so dangerous, for Leo to find the hidden floors and rooms in the Whippet Hotel? He wanted to make surer he was giving the hotel to the right person.

·         Why did he choose to write such baffling clues for Leo to decipher? He wanted to make the adventure challenging for Leo

·         How were the secret boxes helpful to both Leo and Merganzer? The secret boxes told Leo where to go next.

·         If you could live in any room in the Whippet Hotel, which room would you choose? Pinball room, Cake room, Central Park Room, the Lake room, scary room, ring of rooms, train room, Flying animals room, Library,

·         Why do you think Merganzer D. Whippet chooses to leave the Whippet Hotel to Leo Fillmore? Would you have made the same choice? Why or why not? He wanted to move on with his life.

·         The author mentioned that “Even at his young age, Leo knew his dad was a little bit broken, a little bit sad.” Why did Leo say that his dad was a little bit broken? Leo’s mom died

·         How does the scene inside each mystery box relate to Merganzer D. Whippet’s childhood experiences? They are all memories of his mom.

·         How does the discovery of each hidden room change the life experiences of Leo and his father? Bring them closer together and make them happier. Leo finds his moms ring in one of the rooms and gives it back to his dad.

Duck, Duck, Goose
Ducks are prevalent throughout this book. Leo takes care of the ducks on the roof and Mr. Merganser tells him to take a duck with his. Merganser is actually a type of duck. Show.
Duck in hotels aren’t that weird. The Peabody Hotel in Orlando used to have ducks roam the lobby and roof.
How did ducks like Betty help Leo? They warned him about the flying bowling balls and helped him escape the garbage maze.
Do you think a duck would make a good pet? Explain why or why no
Let’s play duck duck goose!

Elevation of Hotel:

There were officially 9 floors in the Whippet but there were many more secret floors. Each floor had a theme. The floors got more and more crazy as you went up. Some rooms include, Cake room, Central Park room, Pinball room, Flying Barn room, Haunted room, and Lake Room. Let’s all create a floor.

Hand out strips of paper. Show Elevation view. It is like you cut the building in half and looked inside. Everyone makes a crazy floor with a cool name. Everyone goes and presents.

Box Riddles:

Have colored boxes full of riddles. Try to solve the riddles.

Leo is thrown a series of cryptic boxes are left for him. The boxes lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles

Mary's father has 4 children; three are named Nana, Nene, and Nini. So what is is the 4th child's name? Mary

Poke your fingers in my eyes and I will open wide my jaws. Linen cloth, quills, or paper, I am greedy and devour them all. Who am I? Scissors

What's full of holes but still holds water? Sponge

Have you heard the saying what goes up must come down? Well what goes up and never goes down? Your age

I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg, I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole, I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole, What am I? A snake

What gets wetter as it dries? A towel.

With pointed fangs I sit and wait, with piercing force I serve out fate. Grabbing bloodless victims, proclaiming my might; physically joining with a single bite. What am I? A stapler

There is an ancient invention still used in some parts of the world today that allows people to see through walls. What is it? A window

What has 4 fingers and a thumb, but is not living? A glove
Give me food, and I will live. Give me water, and I will die. What am I? A fire
You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I? An onion
I have every color, but no gold. What am I? Rainbow

How To Start A Children's Book Club

 

 

February Book: Floors

Now is the time to start reading our February Book! Floors by Patrick Carman is an exciting book on the Sunshine State Readers List 2013-2014.

"The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them – he is the maintenance man’s son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances."

Check out more Floors! 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Book Summary (Reference: http://www.gradesaver.com/from-the-mixed-up-files-of-mrs-basil-e-frankweiler/wikipedia/summary/)

The prologue is a letter from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, "To my lawyer, Saxonberg", accompanied by a drawing of her writing at her office desk. It is the cover letter for the 158‑page narrative, which provides background for changes to her last will and testament.

Twelve-year-old Claudia Kincaid decides to run away from home happily, because she thinks her parents do not appreciate her and she doesn't like it. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York City, with nine-year-old brother Jamie as companion partly because he has saved all his money. With one unused adult fare on the commuter train and one very long walk, they get there at no cost when admission is free.

Early chapters show how Claudia and Jamie settle in at the Met: hiding in the bathroom at closing time from staff on circuit to see that all the patrons have departed; blending with school groups on tour, to learn more about the museum exhibits; bathing in the fountain, whose "wishing coins" provide income; sleeping in an antique bed.

A new exhibit draws sensational crowds and fascinates the children: the marble statue of an angel, sculptor unknown but suspected to be Michelangelo. It was purchased at auction from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a collector who recently closed her showcase Manhattan residence. They research it on site and at the Donnell Library, and give their conclusion to the museum staff anonymously.

After learning they have been naive, the children spend the last of their money on travel to Mrs. Frankweiler's home in Connecticut. She recognizes them as runaways but sets them briefly to the task of researching the angel in her long bank of file cabinets. Despite the idiosyncratic organization of her files, they do discover the angel's secret. In exchange for a full account of their adventure, she will leave the crucial file to them in her will, and send them home in her Rolls-Royce. It's a deal.

Claudia learns her deep motive for persisting in the crazy search: she wanted a secret of her own to treasure and keep. Mrs. Frankweiler may get "grandchildren" who delight her. Her lawyer gets a luncheon date at the Met, to revise her will.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever been to an art museum? What type of art did you see?

Claudia decided to run away because she didn’t feel appreciated by her parents. Is that a good enough reason to run away?

If you were running away, where would you like to live?

The children decided to sleep in a fancy bed in the museum. Sometimes they would hide under the bed. Why did they always choose beds that had dust-free floors? (Because they knew they had been recently cleaned and wouldn’t be discovered by a janitor.)

Claudia and Mrs. Basil feel special because they have a secret. Have you ever had a secret? Did you tell anyone what it was?

The children bathe in the fountain in the museum. Let’s pretend that you are living in the mall. There is no fountain in the Oviedo Mall.

How would you stay clean?

Where would you sleep?

What would you eat?

How would you get money?

Where would you hide?

War Activity (Supplies Needed: Card Decks (one per group of four students)

Jamie cheats when he plays cards? Do you ever cheat at games?

Jamie loves to play war with his sister, friends, and Mrs. Basil. Do you know how to play war? What other games can you play to fill time?

War Directions: Deal out deck evenly to up to four players. Players do not look at cards. Players turn over the top card. High card wins and keeps cards. If the high cards are equal, then there is a card “WAR”. Everyone deals 3 cards (W_A_R) and flips over next card. High card from war wins ALL cards.

Could you paint the Sistine Chapel Activity Supplies Needed: Paper Taped to undersides of table, crayons)

Michelangelo Background (Reference: http://www.ducksters.com)

Where did Michelangelo grow up?     
Michelangelo Buonarotti was born in Caprese, Italy on March 6, 1475. Growing up in Florence during the Italian Renaissance was the perfect environment for young Michelangelo. Even as a child all he wanted to do was paint and be an artist. His father, a local government official, wanted Michelangelo to go to school, but he had little interest in school. At the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio, a painter and artist. 

Michelangelo's talents became apparent as he worked for Ghirlandaio. Michelangelo was able to work with some of the finest artists and philosophers of the time. 

Over the next few years Michelangelo produced many sculptures. 

 

In 1505 Michelangelo returned to Rometo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He worked for four years, painting upside down on a scaffold in order to finish the painting. The painting was huge (141 feet long by 43 feet wide). It contained nine scenes from the Bible down its center and over 300 people. 

 

What do you think it felt like to paint on the ceiing? Let’s try by drawing on the underside of the table. Let’s draw a picture of ____________.

Create a Pic with Words (Supplies Needed: Paper. Crayons, Art (I used cards from “Nature in Art Quiz” Card Game)

The author uses beautiful details so that we can imagine the artwork in the museum. Can you create a picture with words?

Assign Partners. Partners sit back to back. One draws and one describes. Hand the describer a picture of a famous art piece. The drawer should NOT look at the picture but rely on the describer to clearly detail what he sees.

Art Go Fish Game

Supplies Needed: Purchased Games, “Art Smart” and  “Go Fish Art” Card Games