Tuesday, January 25, 2011

What is the Moon (Weekly Reader Books)

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Story by Chris Arvetis and Carole Palmer
Illustrated by James Buckley
32 pages
"What's that big bright circle in the sky?" asks Christopher. Wise Owl knows it's the moon. And she tells Christopher all about the craters, valleys, and highlands that are on the moon.

No new words!

Mr. Happy and his best smile ever (Story Book)

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Story by John Malam
Illustrated by Adam Hargreaves
16 pages
ISBN 0-7498-5013-2

Find out what happens when Mr Happy loses his smile!

New words:
puff — a small quantity of vapor or smoke, emitted in one blast: a puff of blue smoke
wrinkly — having many lines or folds: he's old and wrinkly

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Tiny Seed

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by Eric Carle
32 pages

New words:
to loom — appear as a shadowy form, esp. one that is large or threatening
people from far and near — from everywhere
to sway — a rhythmical movement from side to side, to swing
a seed pod — a pod of a fruit; it is a fused case that surrounds multiple seeds

To repeat:
a stem — a trunk
a weed — a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants
a bud — a compact knoblike growth on a plant that develops into a leaf, flower, or shoot
a petal — each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

8 Lost in the Jungle (Oxford Reading Tree)

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Written by Roderick Hunt
Illustrations by Alex Brychta
Stage 7 stories
Mum gets lots of plants for her birthday and the house turns into a jungle.
32 pages

New words:
a greenhouse - a glass building in which plants are grown that need protection from cold weather
don't mind a bit - do not concern at all
to paddle - to row, move through the water in a boat using a paddle or paddles

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

7 Red Planet (Oxford Reading Tree)

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Written by Roderick Hunt
Illustrations by Alex Brychta
Stage 7 stories
The key takes Kipper, Biff, Nadim and Floppy into the computer game.
32 pages

Stage 7!!! Floppy is back and meeting "funny little people"!!

New words:
Bits and pieces (idiom) - small things of different types.
Go pop - to explode

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Ship in Trouble (Oxford Reading Tree)

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Written by Roderick Hunt
Illustrations by Alex Brychta
Stage 6, More stories C
The children help rescue the crew of a ship in trouble.
24 pages
New words:
Zip wire - also known as a zip-line, flying fox, foefie slide, aerial runway, aerial ropeslide, death slide or tyrolean crossing.
Crutches - a long stick with a crosspiece at the top, used as a support under the armpit by a lame person.
Lash - fasten (something) securely with a cord or rope: he lashed the flag to the mast.
Pulley - a wheel with a grooved rim around which a cord passes.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Christmas Adventure (Oxfor Reading Tree)

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Written by Roderick Hunt
Illustrations by Alex Brychta
Stage 6
More Stories A
Mum and Dad would like some help to get ready for Christmas.
24 pages

Dad turned off the television.
"Oh!" said Kipper. "We were watching a good programme."
"It's time to help," said Dad.