Story Time Review

Arrrrrrrrgh! It's Story Time Mateys

The fourth week of our story time session was all about Pirates. Susan asked me what pirates have to do with our Summer theme Dig into Reading and I reminded her that pirates dig up their treasures. We read Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy, A Band of Dirty Pirates by Daiman Harvey, Pirate Treasure Hunt

Watch Port Side Pirates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qAngsMJD3I

by Jan Peck and Dirty Joe the Pirate by Bill Harley. Of course, I used the recording of Bill telling Dirty Joe instead of reading it myself because he does a better job than anyone with that story. To hear Bill perform Dirty Joe check here. I also used the book and recording of the song Port Side Pirates by Oscar Seaworthy.  To see a fun animated video of this book and hear the tune check here . Of course I didn't use this because I just found it while I was looking up Bill Harley for this blog post! I will definitely use it in the future and show it with the projector and a laptop computer.

For a fun activity I copied the end papers of the book Pirate Pete, which features a treasure map. I cut them into puzzle pieces and hid them around the room. Then I had a child search for a piece and bring it to the front. I pinned them to the bulletin board and we completed our own treasure map. Then as we read the story and Pirate Pete visits each island the children would find it on our map.

One of the fun parts of the Port Side Pirates book is the page at the end that names the different parts of a ship like sails, anchor, crows nest, mast, life boats, rat lines, and figurehead. We looked at the different parts and discussed what each part is used for.

 Watch  Dirty Joe the Pirate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB0Wm7CsDv0

We sang the song If you're a Pirate and You Know it then created a cardstock pirate hat and a toilet paper tube spyglass telescope for our craft.

Next week:  Construction Machines
Michele Schumann
Children's Librarian

Naughty AND Nice

***NEW*** Mississippi Jack by L. A. Meyer

Bloody Jacky Faber will dance and sing her way into your heart if you give her half a chance. These are the stories in the life of a young girl who went from an orphan in London to cabin boy to successful privateer to proper finishing school girl to showboat captain to honorary American Indian, all while she stays faithful (well, mostly) to her true love Jaimy Fletcher. She doesn't drink (much), cheat (honest people), lie (except to her benefit), cuss (well, she was a pirate) or show off her body (on purpose). She makes friends and enemies from London to Jamaica, Boston to Louisiana. I have enjoyed these tales greatly and I laugh out loud at some of Jacky's antics and shake my head at some of her foibles. But I root for her and Jaimy to get together at last...well, maybe in the next exciting episode in the life of Jacky Faber, "La belle jeune fille sans merci" (I think the author meant "la belle jeune fille sans la pitié")


Just remember, Jacky really is very naughty...but it's not always on purpose! connie

Summer Reading Book Review

"To Catch a Pirate" by Jade Parker is a fun, romance - adventure book.

The book begins with Annalisa Townsend, who is traveling with her father to start a colony for the King of England. While sailing to find this new island, the ship is captured by pirates. Annalisa is told to hide down in the hold of the ship, when a rugged, handsome pirate named James Sterling corners her. He spares her life in exchange for a small ring on her finger and a kiss. Annalisa then spends her time looking for James Sterling and his ship to take back the treasure they stole from her father. She finds him quite quickly and the rest of the book describes their relationship and their adventure. This book is a fun, light-read full of trust, deciet, and lots of mixed emotions. It uses a narrator who looks into the hearts of both Annalisa and James in turn. The plot could have been a little bit more complex because it was kind of predictable, and there wasn't a lot of stomach-churning suspense, but it was a fun romance.
Rhiannon, 16

Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate's Life for Me

Who can compete with Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? Well, maybe Keith Richards, but that remains to be seen...very soon. (no, Johnny Depp, hands down, sight unseen!) If you don't want to wade through the crowds, maybe reading a bit of pirate lore might just set the mood.

Okay, so I tend to like the female pirates better. I like strong women andI like these women pirates in particular. Maybe I think women are ready to be in charge of the blood and guts, the swords and ships and other piratical things that can remain left unsaid.

Oh, and if you didn't know - parts of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" was also filmed in Utah at the Salt Flats. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1258158

Connie