Blog

Heartdrum Imprint

By on December 7, 2020   /   Oh MG News  
Heartdrum logo

As we (finally) see the shining light of a new year on our horizon, it’s time to welcome the launch of a Native focused imprint: Heartdrum. The HarperCollins initiative will publish only Native creators and will be led by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek), and Rosemary Brosnan, Vice President, Editorial Director, HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Heartdrum logo

Beginning in January, their launch list includes  Ancestor Approved, an anthology of stories that take place at an intertribal powwow, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, and The Sea in Winter by Christine Day (Upper Skagit).

For more about Heartdrum, read our upcoming December 9 interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith, in our new series We Need Diverse MG (WNDMG)

We Need Diverse MG

Artwork by Aixa Perz-Prado

 

 

Back to Top

Presidential Pets

By on December 7, 2020   /   Articles  

I will admit I got super excited when First Lady-elect Jill Biden recently mentioned a cat would be joining the family in the White House, along with two German Shepherds. While I love all our furry, feathered and finned friends, cats hold a special place in my heart.

I can’t tell you much about Bill Clinton’s campaign for President back in the 1990’s but I sure remember everything about Spot. I was actively nervous the poor little thing would get lost in all those rooms. I mean, cats are really good at hiding.

Thinking about this potential presidential kitty sent me down the research rabbit hole (no pun intended) of pets that have called the White House home. Did you know John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the bathtub? Or that Theodore Roosevelt had a bear cub (and a one legged rooster) and James Buchanan called an eagle his best friend? Lincoln had goats. And Andrew Johnson had a soft spot for the mice that would scurry underfoot (it was 1865 and there were many mice).

So for those who want to go a little deeper, a few titles concerned with presidential pets. All descriptions from Amazon or author website.

Presidential Pets: The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived In The White House, by Julie Moberg


Did you know that John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the bathtub, while Thomas Jefferson’s pride and joy was his pair of bear cubs? Andrew Jackson had a potty-mouthed parrot, and Martin Van Buren got into a fight with Congress over his two baby tigers. Find out all about the weird, wacky, little, big, scary, strange animals that have lived in the White House.
Perfect for election year collections and displays. This rollicking, rhyming look at the animal residents of the White House introduces each set of pets with a funny verse along with cool facts and presidential stats. This trek through history will delight any animal-loving kid.

 

 

 

If You Want a Friend In Washington: Wacky, Wild and Wonderful Presidential Pets, by Erin McGill


President Truman famously said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” And a dog is what many presidents got. From James Garfield to Calvin Coolidge to Richard Nixon, presidents often found a friend in Fido (in fact, Abe Lincoln’s pup was actually named Fido). Others preferred cats, horses, small critters, or even big, ferocious animals like bears and alligators. With a catchy refrain (“If you want a friend in Washington . . . , “), this is a funny, educational book about the animals that have passed through the White House. Whether it’s favorite dogs like Barbara Bush’s Millie or the Obamas’ Bo; Abraham Lincoln’s cat, Dixie; Calvin Coolidge’s hippo, Billy; or Andrew Jackson’s foul-mouthed parrot, Poll, Erin McGill brings to life a menagerie of presidential pets in this entertaining, whimsical, and carefully researched picture book that’s perfect for animal lovers and history buffs alike.

 

 

Unleashed, by Ronald Kidd

Alongside the politicians and dignitaries, some crazy pets have lived in the White House. In this story the father of Tipp’s beautiful brave and loyal owner Alastair has been elected president of the United States and some people think Tipp is not the right dog for the White House. The friends travel back in time and discover the White House has always welcomed four-legged friends of all kinds. From alligators to cows, unique pets abound in the White House history.

 

 

 

 

 

First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Best Friends, by Brooke Janis and Roy Rowan

(This is not a kids book exactly but the photographs are sure to delight any age audience.)

“If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog,” Harry Truman once said. Perhaps that’s why, for much of our Republic’s history, there have been two top dogs at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—one with two legs, one with four. First Dogs, by distinguished journalist Roy Rowan and researcher Brooke Janis, tells the whole doggone story, from the days before there was a White House to Barack Obama’s newly adopted presidential pup, Bo.

Back to Top

Using Picture Books to Teach Middle Grade and Beyond

By on December 4, 2020   /   Articles, Cross-Curricular, Curriculum Tie-in, Engineering, For Teachers, Homeschool Resource, STEM, Teacher Tips, Technology, Transportation  

Teaching with Picture Books

by Robyn Gioia, M.Ed.

When most people think of picture books, they think of cute pictures and feel-good stories that thrill children from ages 0-7. But, teachers know better. There is much more to picture books than meets the eye.

Students have grown up with visuals since the day they were born. From elementary to high school, picture books can spark the imagination and open the eyes as an introduction to a subject. Picture books boil down to the main topic and draw the reader in with interesting tidbits. Our public libraries are full of wonderful picture books ready to do the job. Picture books inspire conversations and provide topics for research. They allow insightful tie-ins to curriculum and present opportunities for projects. Their pictures bring the topic to life. They create understanding unlike anything else. They are quick reads that can fit into almost any schedule.

Take the book, The Turtle Ship by Helena Ku Ree.

One of the greatest historical war heroes in the S. Korean culture was Admiral Yi Sun-Sin. He is known for saving Korea from Japan, a conquering country with a formidable naval fleet. Because of his design, the undefeatable Turtle ship had the ability to defeat the Japanese. His larger than life statue looms high over the skyline in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul.

In the picture book, a young Sun-Sin comes to life as a boy who is afraid to enter a shipbuilding contest sponsored by the King. The King needs an indestructible ship able to withstand ongoing invasions from the sea. Sun-Sin decides to accept the challenge. The author imagines what experiences might have influenced a young Sun-Sin’s turtle ship design, and from there the story is told.

Teaching Middle Grade with Picture Books

(Artwork from “Fighting Ships of the Far East (2)” by Stephen Turnbull © Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc)

The Turtle Ship picture book goes step by step through the design engineering process. Young Sun-Sin tries and fails at several design attempts before creating the design known today. This was something I was able to use in my 6th-grade science class. As we talked about the boy Sun-Sin and identified how the process was evolving, it created a bridge to understanding the design process. We had also learned that historically, a lot of designs were inspired by nature. The Wright brothers studied birds before designing the first airplane. In our story, Sun-Sin looks to his turtle for solutions.

When I used The Turtle Ship book in our lesson, my students were fascinated by the Turtle ship design from the 1500s. They learned the ship could rotate in one spot and fire cannons from each of its sides. They discovered soldiers were encased inside the ship so the enemy could not attack. They loved that the top was curved and covered in spikes to keep from being boarded by the enemy. They also learned that the hull was designed to ram into other vessels.

The Korean Turtle Ship

The turtle ship became one of the top engineering designs in warship history. You can read about this incredible ship and its design ingenuity on the U.S. Naval Institute News website. USNI News asked its readers, “What is the greatest warship of all time and why?” The answer can be found on the USNI News website https://news.usni.org/2016/04/06/survey-results-what-is-the-greatest-warship-of-all-time

Teachers in grade levels from primary to high school have used this story to inspire students with a wide range of activities and topics.

Engineering Design Process (EDP)

Research on Korean Inventions

Historical Fiction Comparative Study

Creating a Historical Timeline between Asia and American History

Writing Sijo, a Korean Poetic Form

Analyzing Civic Characteristics of Main Characters

Origin Story with Read-Alouds and Comparisons with Multiple Sources

Teaching Korea through Writing

Teaching Modern Asian Culture through History

Creative Writing

Using the Glossary for Vocabulary Understanding

Study of Honor

Compare and Contrast Other Korean Historical Picture Books

STEAM: Create a Vessel that Holds the Most Weight

STEAM: Design a Boat That is the Fastest

Downloadable Teaching resources:

Lee and Lowe Teaching Guide: TURTLE-SHIP.TG

Historical Information on Admiral Yi Sun-Sin: Admiral Yi Sunsin_KSCPP(1)

 

Back to Top