Books with author Laura Purdie Salas

Finalist, 2010 Minnesota Book Award An inventive poetry collection that shows the wild side of first- and second-graders at school. These 18 funny and imaginative poems observe students in their natural habitat and reveal their unusual behavior, crazy communication, and very healthy appetites. Whether they're in the classroom, on the playground, or in the cafeteria, school brings out the animal in all of them. And if you look carefully as you turn the pages, you may even glimpse some of the wild side in yourself!

“What does this poem mean?” “How should I read it?” “How do we talk about it?” “What do I DO with it?” “What’s the best way to assess it?” “How do I meet standards?” “When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?” Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In Fairy Tale Garage Sale, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak!, Water Can Be…, and more) shares 30 poems from the citizens of Fairy Tale Land, who are having a neighborhood garage sale. Finally, they can get rid of clutter from their earlier adventures! These 30 poems focus on seven fairy tales: Cinderella; Goldilocks and the Three Bears; Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; Rapunzel; Jack and the Beanstalk; The Emperor's New Clothes; and Thumbelina. For each fairy tale, an introductory poem summarizes the key events of the tale for those students not familiar with it. Then three poems from three characters' points-of-view offer up items for sale. What does the Evil Queen need with a mirror that tells the truth, after all? And why doesn't Rapunzel need barrettes anymore? These humorous poems offer behind-the-scenes looks and sometimes different opinions about why things happened as they did. Great for comparing versions of the same event when paired with prose or multimedia versions of the fairy tales. Mostly rhyming poems, but some other forms, too (cinquain, diamante, acrostic...) Extension activities by Colby Sharp share ideas for springboarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: From Rapunzel: Item for sale: Castle For sale by: The Witch Charming Tower – Perfect for One One room One window Not one single door No rugs No curtains No tacky décor I’m old Can’t climb up These walls made of stone So make me An offer And make this your home! Note from the Poet: Repetition (and I know I’ve already talked about this in another Note, so I’m repeating myself a little bit!) is really key to lots of poetry. I repeat two words in this poem: “one” and “no.” The idea for this horrible castle where Rapunzel was kept prisoner is that it’s lonely. It’s lacking in anything that would show comfort or luxury. I’m hoping that repeating those words helps get that idea across. See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.

An inventive poetry collection that shows the wild side of first- and second-graders at school.These 18 funny and imaginative poems observe students in their natural habitat and reveal their unusual behavior, crazy communication, and very healthy appetites. Whether they’re in the classroom, on the playground, or in the cafeteria, school brings out the animal in all of them. And if you look carefully as you turn the pages, you may even glimpse some of the wild side in yourself!

There is more than one way for animals to prepare for winter. Some, such as mice, foxes, and moose, simply tolerate the cold. Of course black bears hibernate, but chipmunks, wood frogs, and garter snakes do too. And then there are the creatures that migrate, including hummingbirds, blue whales, and even earthworms! This rhyming nonfiction picture book by Laura Purdie Salas tells you all about how animals survive chilly weather.

Sir Isaac Newton changed the world with his many discoveries and inventions about mathematics, science, optics, and physics. Although he was brilliant, Newton felt no need to publish his ideas or to inform his fellow scientists of the amazing discoveries he made. Because of this, his discoveries were often disputed. Despite the controversy that often surrounded him, Newton made astounding advances in his efforts to understand how nature worked. His legacy lives on through inventions such as microscopes, eyeglasses, telescopes, and cameras.

“What does this poem mean?” “How should I read it?” “How do we talk about it?” “What do I DO with it?” “What’s the best way to assess it?” “How do I meet standards?” “When can I possibly fit it into my already over-packed day?” Have you ever asked these questions about poetry? The 30 Painless Classroom Poems series makes it easy for you, the elementary school teacher, media specialist, or reading specialist, to share poetry with your students. Whether you already love poetry or you fear or even actively dislike it, these books are for you. The poems, Notes from the Poet, extension activities written by experienced classroom teachers, and tips for using poetry in your classroom will have you sharing poems in no time. In What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park, award-winning poet Laura Purdie Salas (author of BookSpeak!, Water Can Be…, and more) offers up fifteen couplets asking students “what’s inside” some common objects at the park. Fifteen answering quatrains reveal the details of each item’s interior or potential. Vivid language and rich nonfiction content—along with a sense of wonder and a dash of humor—make these poems engaging and accessible. Extension activities by teacher Ed Spicer share ideas for spring-boarding from these poems into deeper learning across many content areas. Sample: Ninth-Inning Win (answering poem to the what's inside a baseball couplet) A bull’s-eye of cork helps you punish fast pitches— and rubber and yarn add some bounce from within all tucked below zippers of tight ruby stitches This ball holds a breathtaking ninth-inning win! A Note from the Poet: Did you know that every Major League Baseball has 108 stitches? I love those little lines of red. They remind me of zippers, so I called them that, even though you can’t unzip them. And I used ruby instead of red for two reasons: 1) the line sounded better with two syllables there instead of one; and 2) since a ruby is a jewel, it makes me think of something valuable and important, not just everyday stuff like red. See all of the 30 Painless Classroom Poems at www.30PainlessClassroomPoems.com. Disclaimer: For those of you collecting all my 30 Painless Classroom Poems books, please note that some information, such as Why Poetry Matters and Classroom Poetry Tips, is repeated from book to book. The introduction to the book, the poems, the Notes from the Poet, and the classroom activities are unique to each book.