Cool Tools for the Classroom: Voki

Voki is a free web tool that allows the user to create avatars. You can customize how your avatar looks, the background, what they say and how they say it. You can see my example on the sidebar to the right. With easy to use elements created especially for educators, Voki can be used in the classroom to grab students' attention for a new unit or to spark student creativity for sharing what they've learned. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Have students create vokis to highlight some of their research findings about animals, famous Americans, places around the world, or events in history. 
• Voki can be used to present the math word problem of the week in a way that is sure to grab students' attention. 
• Use voki in foreign language class to showcase new conversational skills. Check out Voki for Education to get started. 
• Voki can be used for book promotions or to share a joke or fun announcement in your homeroom class or next staff meeting. 

Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner

Title: Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice
Author / Illustrator: Judy Schachner
Publisher / Date: Penguin Group / 2009
Genre: Fiction, picture book
Themes: Space, animals, humor, Spanish
Summary: Skippyjon Jones is a quirky cat with big ears who thinks he is a dog. Skippy also thinks Mars is covered with spicy red pepper. As he sets off to prove that the planet is red because of the spices, he encounters one humorous adventure after another. The play on words and mixture of English and Spanish add to the humor.
Curriculum Connection: Grades K-2 Science: Read this book aloud as an interest builder for a unit on space; leisure reading
Notes: Visit Skippyjon Jones online at http://skippyjonjones.com/

Title: Good Night, Good Knight
Author: Shelley Moore Thomas
Publisher / Date: Penguin Group / 2000
Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas 
Genre: Fiction, picture book
Themes: fantasy, humor, knights
Summary: A good knight is called away from his watch post repeatedly to tend to the needs of three little dragons who are getting ready for bed. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades K-2: homophones / homonyms; elements of fiction
Note: a favorite story for Kindergarten!

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Title: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Author: Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Publisher / Date: Penguin Group / 1992
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Themes: Parts of a book; writing; fairy tales, humor
Summary: Quirky short retelling of familiar classics including Little Red Running Shorts, The Really Ugly Duckling, Jack's Bean Problem and Cinderumpelstiltskin. The stories themselves are quiet humorous and anything but traditional. The book's pages are intentionally unconventional in order to teach the reader in a humorous way of the importance of page order and parts of a book such as the Table of Contents, font size, story development and the layout of space on a page.
Curriculum Connections:  Grades K-5: Writing conventions, parts of a book, fairy tables

Arthur and Guen: an Original Tale of Young Camelot by Jon Koons

Title: Arthur and Guen: an Original Tale of Young Camelot
Author: Jon Koons
Illustrator: Igor Oleynikov
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Publisher / Date: Penguin Group / 2008
Themes: history, foreshadowing, 
Summary: This fictional story takes place when King Arthur is just a boy and meets Guenevere for the first time. The two quickly become friends and battle against thieves with the assistance of a magical sword. Merlin, the wizard,  appears in the shadows and comments that it is not time yet Arthur and Guen to meet so he casts a spell on them so that they will forget that they ever met. The two friends claim they will never forget each other, but Merlin's spell works and the two new friends go their separate ways while the reader is given hints that they will meet again, when the time is right. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades 1-2: elements of fiction, pleasure reading;      
Grades 3-5: History of King Author, Camelot; literature study: foreshadowing 
Notes: The history connections will be lost on younger students but the elements of magic, princesses and knights are likely to captivate their attention. 

Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles

Title: Love, Ruby Lavender
Author: Deborah Wiles
Publisher / Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / 2005
Genre: Fiction, chapter book
Themes: letter writing, humor, the South
Summary: Ruby Lavender is 9 years old and misses her eccentric grandmother, who is spending the summer in Hawaii. The two write letters back and forth as Ruby tells her grandmother all about the latest with the chickens and her new friend. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades 3-5: letter writing; incorporating voice into writing; maps, literature circles (see link below for a reading guide from the author)

http://deborahwiles.com/site/books/the-aurora-county-books/ruby-lavender-reading-guide/
Note: This is also a story about loss and how people deal with it differently. Wiles writes about loss gently and appropriately for children. 

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Title: Frindle
Author: Andrew Clements
Illustrator: Brian Selznick
Publisher / Date: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing / 1998 (reprint)
Genre: Children's Novel, Fiction
Themes: School, Friendships, Teacher - Student Relationships, Vocabulary, Dictionary, the Power of Words
Summary: Nick is a creative 5th grader who seems to find trouble at school. He decides to make things a little more interesting in his Language Arts class by inventing a new word for a pen (frindle)... just to see if it catches on. And it does! Though his teacher loves the dictionary, she is not amused with Nick's new word. Before long everyone is using Nick's word and it even makes it into the dictionary. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades 2-5 Language Arts: Vocabulary and Dictionary Skills; Leisure Reading
Notes: Clements has a way of relating to school children right where they are...through the school setting that is so popular in his books. This humorous story of the power of words will stick with students. 
Author's Website

So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George

Title: So You Want to Be President?
Author: Judith St. George
Illustrator: David Small
Publisher / Date: Penguin Group / 2004
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Themes: Presidents, History, Humor
Summary: A humorous but informative look at the public and private lives of US presidents over time. This a an informal nonfiction account of our nation's presidents filled with interesting facts about the presidency.  
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Grades 3-8: Presidents, US Government, Electoral Process
Notes: This book is already outdated as it does not include President Obama and states that "no person of color has been president." Still, it is information packed in a humorous, quirky way that students will enjoy. Click on the link below for a great lesson plan using this book (by Scholastic). 
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=798_type=Book_typeId=2649

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell

Title: The Three Little Javelinas 
Author: Susan Lowell
Illustrator: Jim Harris
Publisher / Date: Northland Publishing AZ / 1992
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Themes: fairy tales, animals, humor
Summary: Put a wild western spin on The Three Little Pigs and you've got The Three Little Javelinas. The three javelinas try to steer clear of the coyote and have several tricks to get rid of the hungry villain. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades K-3: Language Arts: fairy tales, fables, creative writing, elements of fiction, Reader's Theater, making predictions; Geography: desert life
Notes: Click below for a free geography lesson plan for first grade using this book.
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-literature/Kirk/KIRK~1.HTM
For a Reader's Theater version of this story, click below:
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/readerstheater/3LittleJavelinas.pdf

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Title: Scaredy Squirrel Author: Melanie Watt Illustrator: Melanie Watt Publisher / Date: Kids Can Press, Limited / 2008 Genre: Fiction, Picture Book Themes: Animals, humor, time, courage Summary: Scaredy Squirrel is scared of everything and doesn't like to move out of his comfort zone but soon learns how interesting life can be when he takes a risk.  Curriculum Connections: Grades K-2: Math: Time; Character Traits: Courage Notes: Click below for story time activities for Scaredy Squirrel from Kids Can Press

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publisher / Date: Amulet / 2007
Themes: middle school; humor
Genre: fiction, chapter book
Summary: Greg writes about his life as a middle schooler in his journal or diary (though he specifically says it is not a diary). Author / Illustrator, Jeff Kinney's cartoon like drawings throughout the book and diary-like pages give the book a unique appearance that sparks interest. Though the book contains mild gross humor and language that many would consider disrespectful, it's redeeming qualities are that the humor and the success this book has had for getting even reluctant readers interested in reading. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades 2-6: leisure reading
Notes: Consider the age and maturity level of the reader / audience. This book isn't for everyone.

Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Goose Story by Carmen Agra Deedy

Title: Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Goose Story
Author: Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrator: Laura L. Steeley
Publisher / Date: Peachtree Publishers Ltd / 1994
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Themes: animals, where things come from, humor
Summary: Agatha encourages curiosity and asking questions. Eventually she takes her own advice when she orders a feather bed from a catalog called B.B. Lean. When the feather bed arrives, she snuggles up in her new comfy bed only to find 6 naked geese who come looking for their feathers. This witty story is full of humor and play on words. 
Curriculum Connections: Science Grades 2+: natural resources, raw materials and final products, animals; Language Arts: Idioms, puns; Information Skills: Inquiry
Notes: Beautiful illustrations paired with Deedy's subtle humor makes for a great read aloud. This would be a great story to introduce inquiry and the importance of posing questions. Don't overlook the author's note at the end, which emphasizes the importance of asking questions. 
Click the link below for a  sample lesson plan and activities using this book:  http://www.ceee.uni.edu/Portals/0/Documents/Education/Programs/agathas_feather_bed.pdf

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Title: Diary of a Worm
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Harry Bliss
Publisher / Date: HarperCollins / 2003
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Themes: Humor, Worms, Diary
Summary: The author blends facts about worms with fiction and humor by giving the reader a glimpse of life from the perspective of a worm. The worm records his daily life in his own diary.
Curriculum Connections: Grades Pre-K-2: Science: Facts about worms; Language Arts: Journal / diary writing, perspective / view point, creative writing
Notes: The author's webpage is under reconstruction: http://www.doreencronin.com/doreen.html

Click below for a free discussion guide for Diary of a Worm from Scholastic.
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32406

How I Became A Pirate by Melinda Long

Title: How I Became A Pirate
Author: Melinda Long
Illustrator: David Shannon
Publisher / Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / 2003
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Themes: Pirates, Adventure
Summary: Jeremy Jacob wishes to go on an adventure with pirates who don't have to take baths or go to bed on time. But soon he discovers that he really misses his life and just wants someone to tuck him in bed at night. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades K-2: Language Arts: elements of fiction; creative writing
Notes: This book is full of fun pirate talk which makes for a great read aloud and creative writing story starter. Click on the link below to view the author's website.
http://www.melindalongbooks.com/index_f.html

Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster

Title: Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster
Author / Illustrator: Debra Frasier
Publisher / Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / 2007
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book
Themes: Vocabulary, 5th Grade, School
Summary: Sage is a 5th grader who mistakenly spells miscellaneous "Miss Alaineus." At first she is embarrassed but quickly learns from her mistake. 
Curriculum Connections: Grades 4-5 Language Arts: Vocabulary 
Notes: This book is full of miscellaneous vocabulary and definitions (no pun intended!). While the text and story line may be a bit long and tedious at times, it is valuable for teaching vocabulary in an informal way.