Under the Sea Fishing!

For our last week of underwater fun, we went fishing!

We read:

Underwater Doggies 1, 2, 3, by Seth Casteel

Finding Dory, Finding Nemo: Two Fishy Tales, by Andrea Posner-Sanchez

Commotion in the Ocean, by Giles Andreae

Swap! by Steve Light

Dinosailors, by Deb Lund

Baby Whale's Journey, by Jonathan London

We didn't make a craft this week - we went fishing!

Materials:

- Kiddie pool
- water
- butterfly nets/fishing nets
- water toys / diving toys / finger puppets (plastic)
- sponges

 

 

We had a great time fishing this week! We hauled in whales, seahorses, octopuses, dolphins, sharks, and many many more fabulous creatures of the deep blue sea!

As we catch up on some old blogs, keep an eye out for our Summer Reading Program updates.

We're a little over halfway through the summer - don't forget to bring in your reading logs!

Mystery Book Club - This Fallen Prey discussion questions

Our Mystery Book Club recently read This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong. Here are some of the questions we discussed. If you've read the book and/or series, please feel free to share your thoughts! 

*SPOILER ALERT* 

If you haven't read the book, the some of the questions will spoil key plot points. Read at your own risk! 

 

1. Did you enjoy the book? How did it compare to others in the series (if you've read them)? 

2. What surprised you the most in this book?  

3. There is mention in this book about the killer from the previous novel, who was "left in a hole to die". Do you think we'll ever hear from him again? Would he succumb to starvation, or end his own life? 

4. This Fallen Prey revolves around the suspected killer trying to weave a web of doubt and sympathy, proclaiming his innocence again and again. Did you believe Brady was innocent? Was there a turning point that changed your mind? 

5. Discuss the character of Gregory Wallace. Did you believe his story, or were you suspicious of him? 

6. We saw a lot more of the wilderness in this book than the previous two, as well as more interactions with the Settlers, and our first real look at the Hostiles. What were your impressions of these groups?
7. What do you think of the possibility that the Council is doing something (or has done something) to cause the Hostiles to go mad?
8. There was mention in the book about the First Settlers aging out, and the worry of younger generations becoming covetous of the resources that Rockton has. We saw a little bit of that with Harper and her interest in Storm. Do you think it will become a problem in future novels?
9. Discuss the character of Harper. What do you think will become of her?
10. Discuss the character of Val. Were you surprised at the ending? Do you think Casey made the right choice - was there even another choice?
11. Do you think it's a good idea for Casey and Mathias to keep the wolf cub and try to "train it"? What would you have done?
12. Discuss the character of Phil. How do you see him "fitting in" in Rockton?
13. Casey and Dalton's relationship continues to progress, and they are making plans for a future "home" like Rockton. Do you think they will succeed in that, or would the Council try to stop them?
14. There seems to be more to Petra than meets the eye. Someone ordered the murder of Brady. Do you think it was the Council? Or someone else in Rockton?
15. The story ends with the possibility of Casey's sister joining them in Rockton. Given what little we know about Casey's family, how do you think that reunion will go? Will she have to stay in Rockton, or will the Council let her leave?

Any other thoughts on this book, or the rest in the Rockton series? Comment and let us know.

Check out what's coming out next from Kelley Armstrong here, including the 4th in the Rockton series, Watcher in the Woods.

Under the Sea with Whales

We have a whale of a tale for our fifth week of underwater fun!

We read:

Flounder Loves Ariel, by Cynthea Liu

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, by Kevin Sherry

The Circus Under the Sea, by Mairi Mackinnon

A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea, by Jessica Law

Have You Ever Seen a Smack of Jellyfish? an Alphabet Book, by Sarah Asper-Smith

For our craft, we made - you guessed it - whales!

Materials:

- egg cartons
- pipe cleaners
- construction paper
- paint
- googly eyes
- glue

After we finished our craft, we had some fun sensory play with water beads!

We had a great time splashing in the *cold!* water beads, and squishing them in our fingers - oh boy, do they bounce!

As we catch up on some old blogs, don't forget to keep an eye out for Summer Reading Program updates!

We're a little over halfway through the summer - don't forget to bring in those reading logs!

Under the Sea with a Zen Sandbox

For our fourth week of underwater fun, we had some calm, cool fun.

We read:

Grover's Adventure Under the Sea: a Peek-a-Board Book, by Tom Cooke

To the Sea, by Cale Atkinson

Barry: the Fish With Fingers, by Sue Hendra

A Sea-Wishing Day, by Robert Heidbreder

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

The Storm Whale, by Benji Davies

For our craft, we made a fabulous zen sandbox!

Materials:
- plastic container
- salt and colored chalk
- seashells
- jewels
- any other trinkets
- popsicle sticks (or forks)

As we catch up on some old blogs, don't forget to keep an eye out for Summer Reading Program updates!

We're a little over halfway through the summer! Don't forget to bring in your reading logs! 

Week 5 7-8: Imagination

Week 5:
Imagination
Ages: 7-8

Books:

Ever thought you wanted a unicorn? Anne Dyckman's book You Don't Want a Unicorn might have you thinking differently! This book had a lot of kids laughing, and reconsidering wanting a unicorn. 

The second book that we read was It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton. Imagine getting a dragon in the mail! Well Liam gets more than just a dragon in the mail. this book really sparks imagination as the kids imagined all the different things they could get in the mail. 

The third book we read was Whale in the Bath by Kylie Westaway and Tom Jellet. Get ready for this whale of a tale. Imagine what it would be like to have a real whale in your bathtub. This book was a hoot! 

Craft: 

For our craft today we made baby dragons. To make the baby dragons we glued two pompoms together, we made wings out of construction paper, we glued on eyes too. For the egg we used plastic Easter eggs. 

Snack: 

For our snack we had celery, oranges, carrots, and apples. 

Week 5 2-6: Imagination

Week 5
Imagination
Ages 2-6

Books: 

If You Were a Dog by Jamie A. Swenson. This was a fun book that allowed the kids to imagine what it would be like to be different animals, there were some great animal sounds to be heard!

The second book we read was You Don't Want a Unicorn by Anne Dyckman. If you've ever imagined how great it would be to have a unicorn think again! 

Craft: 

For our craft today we made paper plate monsters. To make paper plate monsters I cut paper plates in half. The kids used their imaginations to think of their very own monsters, we used googly eyes, and various pieces of construction paper. There were some great monsters!

Snack: 

For our snack today we had celery, carrots, oranges, and apples. 

Week 5 9-12: Imagination

Week 5
Ages 9-12
Imagination 

Books: 

We read several pages of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. This was my favorite book at this age. This book definitely ignites the imagination. 

Another book we read the first chapter of was Roald Dahl's George's Marvelous Medicine. This was a funny book, George wonders if his grandmother is a witch. 

Craft: 

For our craft today we made hybrid animals. Each child chose two slips of paper (which had different animal names on them), once they had chosen their two animals they then had to combine the animals. There were some great combinations their was a peacock crossed with a pig! 

Snack: 

For our snack we had carrots, celery, oranges, and apples.