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Promote helpfulness at Halloween
The title character of the picture book The Little Green Witch, aimed at readers ages 2-7, is the only industrious member of her household of spooks. She does all of the "unhousework": hanging cobwebs, dirtying laundry and pulling up any flowers that bloom. Meanwhile, her roommates offer no help at all. So when she finds some pumpkin seeds, does she really expect them to help her plant, pick and clean the pumpkins-and then help her burn a pie? In fact, she does. But they don't. The story goes on to detail how the little witch repays her roomies for their thoughtlessness. (Charlesbridge Publishing: 85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472; 800-225-3214; http://www.charlesbridge.com)
For educators only
Tap into prize-winning kid lit from other cultures
Ethnic Book Awards: A Directory of Multicultural Literature for Young Readers recommends award-winning books from around the world for K-12 students. The text aims to help educators select culturally relevant materials for their libraries and classrooms, making collections appeal to and reflect a diverse population. The guide includes prize-winning literature about Jewish, African-American, Latino, Caribbean and Asian-American cultures. In addition, it provides background information on ethnic book awards as well as an alphabetical listing of honored books complete with publication information and brief summaries for each title. (Linworth Publishing: 480 East Wilson Bridge Road, Suite L, Worthington, OH 43085; 614-436-7107; http://www.linworth.com)
Global game time
Play with Us: 100 Games from around the World can enliven recess by introducing children to popular activities from other cultures. The book includes traditional games that can be played indoors and out, alone or with a group. They run the gamut from quiet board games to spirited games of chase. All of the games can be played with readily available materials such as dice, chalk, pebbles, balls, coins, sticks, marbles and playing cards. Several of the activities are fun variations on familiar favorites, such as the Honeycomb game of tag from El Salvador or the nine different versions of hopscotch. For three sample activities from the book, turn to the What's Working in Education section. (Chicago Review Press: 814 North Franklin Street, Chicago,...