Class visits this week all focus on Halloween. I prefer to do books before the actual day instead of after, and Halloween falls on Tuesday next week, so this week makes the most sense. Furthermore, next week I will be previewing books that will be for sale at our upcoming "Dive Into Reading" book fair, November 6 to 13. Some of this week's Halloween books are old favorites, such as Hallo-wiener, by Dav Pilkey; some are new in our collection, such as Rules of the House, by Mac Barnett.
In keeping with the week's theme I'm going to read a couple of books by Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck, a fine book that has just been made into a movie. I will mention the book and movie and (time permitting) show the movie trailer to grades 4 and 5, especially since a book and a bookstore are central to the plot. Grade 4 will hear The Houdini Box, a short, charming story that has to do with Harry Houdini (who happens to have died on Halloween). Grade 5 will hear The Boy of a Thousand Faces, by Brian Selznick, about a boy who is fascinated with monster movies and especially the 1925 Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, who was known as "the man of a thousand faces." So there's lots here for 5th-grade lovers of cinema. A short clip from Phantom and the Wonderstruck trailer are below, but please always be careful with YouTube content because the accompanying comments, sidebars, and advertisements are often inappropriate for children.
And please don't forget--Pages bookstore is having a special "Spooky Storytime" with Denise Doyen, author of The Pomegranate Witch. The event is intended for younger children, up to second grade (but really, who doesn't like hearing a story and visiting an awesome bookstore?). And there will be Halloween treats! This event will be on October 28, at 10:30 a.m., at Pages, 904 Manhattan Ave. in downtown Manhattan Beach.
In keeping with the week's theme I'm going to read a couple of books by Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck, a fine book that has just been made into a movie. I will mention the book and movie and (time permitting) show the movie trailer to grades 4 and 5, especially since a book and a bookstore are central to the plot. Grade 4 will hear The Houdini Box, a short, charming story that has to do with Harry Houdini (who happens to have died on Halloween). Grade 5 will hear The Boy of a Thousand Faces, by Brian Selznick, about a boy who is fascinated with monster movies and especially the 1925 Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, who was known as "the man of a thousand faces." So there's lots here for 5th-grade lovers of cinema. A short clip from Phantom and the Wonderstruck trailer are below, but please always be careful with YouTube content because the accompanying comments, sidebars, and advertisements are often inappropriate for children.
And please don't forget--Pages bookstore is having a special "Spooky Storytime" with Denise Doyen, author of The Pomegranate Witch. The event is intended for younger children, up to second grade (but really, who doesn't like hearing a story and visiting an awesome bookstore?). And there will be Halloween treats! This event will be on October 28, at 10:30 a.m., at Pages, 904 Manhattan Ave. in downtown Manhattan Beach.
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