
1) Mother’s Day is approaching. The only gift I need that day is to spend it with my family. However, children are usually in search of the perfect item to give. One way to help kids understand it doesn’t take something grand to satisfy their mom is by sharing a story. Enter A Gift for Mama, a new book written by Linda Ravin Lodding and illustrated by Allison Jay.
A Gift for Mama is one of my daughter’s favorite titles. The illustrations are exquisite and unique. They draw you into the world of the story, which is set in the Vienna in the late 1800’s, and make you want to stay.
2) Tracy Mercier’s “The Hot Seat” is an article about an an idea she adapted from Jeffrey Wilhelm. In essence, one student plays the role of a character from a book or a time period the class is studying. The rest of the students ask the person in the hot seat questions, which encourages them to think critically about whatever they’re learning. It’s an interactive way to deepen content area learning and a way to engage students with characters from read aloud books. Click here to learn more about it.

3) I’m a left-brained person who is constantly trying to make the right side of my brain work a bit harder. Recently, my husband caught me mapping out the manuscript I’m revising in Grids & Guides: A Notebook for Visual Thinkers. “Are you drawing?” he asked (perplexed). Kinda. I told him I was pushing myself to story board the climax of my picture book manuscript as a way to help me think it through in another way. I’m finding Grids & Guides is an effective way to push me as a writer since it helps me envision my writing away from the computer screen.
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:
This giveaway is for a copy of A Gift for Mama. Many thanks to Random House Kids for sponsoring this giveaway.For a chance to win this copy of A Gift for Mama please leave a comment about this post by Sunday, May 11th at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The following day I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner whose name I will announce at the bottom of this post by Monday, May 12th.Please be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you post your comment, so I can contact you to obtain your mailing address if you win. From there, my contact at Random House Kids will ship the book out to you. (NOTE: Your e-mail address will not be published online if you leave it in the e-mail field.)
Comments are now closed. Thanks to everyone who left a comment. Jen B.’s commenter number was selected so she’ll win a copy of A Gift for Mama. Here’s what she said:
It sounds so sweet! I would love to have a copy of this one!! And I LOVE the Five on Friday idea — might have to try that out!
What a beautiful book… A Gift For Mama! I want a copy for all my children, nieces and friends!! 🙂
Love your idea for a student to be a character and answer questions! My daughter had to start a Facebook page using a character in a book and write a status or post comments to other characters fb pages. I thought it was brilliant.
LikeLike
What a wonderful story and am so glad to see it made into such a beautiful book.
Should I win, I’d love to keep this book… but should give it to my daughter on her First Mother’s day, to read to her 8 month old daughter Elise (my first granddaughter) to carry on the reading to your child tradition!
LikeLike
Loved your post and can’t wait to see this book!
LikeLike
I enjoy books of this type. I read them to my daughters, I read them during circle time to my Kinders, I read them to my 6th graders. Helping people explore books they normally wouldn’t is important.
LikeLike
I would love to win that book!
LikeLike
Too many books, too little time. Added A Gift for Mama to my ever growing wishlist.
LikeLike
I love this book both as a mother and a coach. I am excited to use it this week as a read aloud. Hoping to tie it in the mentor text as well!
LikeLike
It sounds so sweet! I would love to have a copy of this one!! And I LOVE the Five on Friday idea — might have to try that out!
LikeLike
#2….what a FUN activity! I can see it really helping students to think deeply about the characters. I have seen a similar writing activity (same goal) where students have to write about what kind of shoe certain characters would wear. I like the oral language skill integration here.
LikeLike
I just ordered that book for my daughter, whose kids call her Mama. It looks delightful, Stacey. If I should win, there is a colleague due in June-another person for the book. Thanks for all the other links. I’ll use the grad quotes. Invitations are coming in from former students!
LikeLike
Yikes-I forgot to compliment you on your poem! I like the words you chose, and the ‘cameo’ caps it very well!
LikeLike
I’m so excited to use this book for our writer’s workshop coaching cycle! Thanks for sharing. I love the illustrations and word choice.
LikeLike
I cannot wait to buy this beautiful book. The gallery-worthy illustrations are gorgeous!
LikeLike
A Gift for Mama… set in Venice! How timely! My only child, married a year ago, will be traveling for the first time to Europe with his wife’s family. What bittersweet feelings I have about this excursion! Sharing this young man with his wife’s family on Mother’s Day! I will miss him terribly but am thrilled that he is living the life he loves with the one he loves! #sharingisamust
LikeLike
I just read about that book! Would love to surprise the kiddies!
LikeLike
Stacey, this post is a real treasure-trove! Although I don’t really have anyone the right age for A Gift for Mama, I love Alison Jay’s art and will be buying this book. I’m also really excited to see Grids & Guides: A Notebook for Visual Thinkers. It sounds like a great tool. Thanks so much for sharing!
LikeLike
All I want for Mother’s Day is to be with my children but the book would be a bonus!
LikeLike
Haha! That’s funny Betsy.
LikeLike
ooh, I want to win that book! And even though it’s May, I can’t wait to try out the black out poetry activity!
LikeLike