Amanda+Brown

Children's Literature Bibliography

Literature for Social Studies Integration: Farm Children’s Fiction 1. Anno, Mitsumasa. (1995) **Anno’s Magic Seeds.** Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. 34 pages. Personal Collection
 * //Summary://** This is the tale of a young man names Jack who was gifted two magic seeds by a wizard. Each magic seed could either be baked and eaten to ward off hunger for an entire year or be planted in the ground to render two more magic seeds. Initially, Jack baked one of his seeds to be eaten, and he planted the other. After several years of repeating this, Jack decided to see what would happen if he planted both seeds. Jack planted the two seeds, and a year later, they doubled into four. He ate one of the four seeds and planted the remaining in the ground. The next year he had six seeds. He repeated the pattern of eating one seed and doubling his crop for seven years. On the seventh year he hosted a party where he served the baked seeds and he gave each guest a seed to take home. Jack continued planting the seeds and increasing his crops for a few more years until a hurricane struck and washed his crops away. Jack managed to save 10 of the seeds- enough to feed his family with seven left over to plant. With this, he starts to rebuild his life and the story is concluded. This fiction picture book ties in with a social studies farm unit as an example of a family farm with a specialized crop. Children can be asked to identify features from the story that suggests the setting of being a small family farm. **//Curriculum Integration://** This book is special in that it ties in very closely to standards for mathematics. The seeds are being doubled (or multiplied) and subtracted to throughout the entire story. Children can follow the read with pencil and paper (or mental math may be appropriate for children with such experience) to keep track of the number of seeds Jack has. Questions that have been included in the text for the audience, such as, "How many seeds did he bury?" can be used by the teacher to make sure the students are all following along. Another way this book can be used it to explore natural disasters. After years of hard work, Jack's entire crop- with the exception of only ten seeds- was destroyed by a hurricane. Students can talk about the impact the storm had on Jack and his family and relate it to real life natural disasters from the past or current events.

2. Bateman, Teresa. (2001) **Farm Flu.** Albert & Whitman Company. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** This read could be used during health studies. For young audiences, the book would be a great opening to a lesson on illnesses- including prevention and treatment. Children can discuss how their family deals with cases of the cold or the flu. The teacher could also teach about proper hand-techniques as the best means of avoiding getting sick. The story could also be used to teach the identification of rhyme. The book features countless rhyming words within the text. Children can be instructed to raise their hand to call out rhyming words as they are read, and the teacher can add the words to a class list. Later the children could sort the full list words according to their ending sounds to be displayed neatly in a table.
 * //Summary://** // Farm Flu // is a cute fiction story featuring make-believe farm animals and their young owner. The story features repetition and rhyme and appears to be a poem. It could be used with young children during a farm unit to expose or teach the names of the animals. In the story, all the animals manage to catch the flu all at the same time. The young boy takes care of his farm animal friends in a manner that he describes as being what his mother would do for him. He brings his cow, chickens, donkey and pigs into his house so he can nurse them back to health. Little does the boy know the animals are only pretending to be sick. The boy wakes the next morning realizing the animals were not ill and we're just using him to do things for them; he convinces the animals to leave his house after telling them they are no longer welcome to watch tv or eat snacks if they are sick- just like his mother would do for him. The conclusion of the story then takes a turn with the boy coming down with an actual case of the flu. Just as the animals were all cared for by the boy, they all pitched in to return the favor and take care of the youngster, just as his mother would do for him.

3. Beaumont, Karen. (2011) **No Sleep for the Sheep.** Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 32 pages. Glendale Public Library **//Curriculum Integration://** One way the book can be used throughout the curriculum is to teach onomatopoeias. The sound each animal makes is included in the text. The children can match the animals to their sounds, practice saying the onomatopoeias, or even participate in writing animal sounds for animals that were not part of the read. The story could also be used during a health study on sleep. A discussion about how even though the sheep was able to get back to sleep each time he was awoken, the interruptions he experienced made it difficult for him to wake up the next morning. Children can be taught the importance of getting a good night's rest with the help of this book.
 * //Summary://** This fiction picture book is perfect for introducing animals from a farm. The text includes a sheep, duck, goat, pig, cow, horse, and rooster, and once children get familiar with the read, they can identify the animals as the teacher comes to them. This chant-like story about a sheep who is having trouble getting a good night's rest features playful, repetitive text. The sheep's night starts when he hears a quack at the barn door. He finds a duck outside and invites him in. Through rhyme, he tells the duck to keep his voice down before trying to get back to sleep. Then, he is disturbed by the bleating of a goat. He goes through the same procedure with the goat- inviting him in, telling him to be quiet, and laying back down to rest. The sheep's rest is interrupted several more times by a pig, a cow, and a horse. All of the animals make their way in, and find a place on the barn floor after the sheep tells them not to make a peep. Then, the loud screech of a rooster announces the rising sun and the animals sleepily make their way out of the barn to greet the day- everybody but the sheep, who is fast asleep.

4. Carle, Eric. (1990). **Pancakes, Pancakes!** Scholastic Inc. 30 pages.Personal Collection **//Curriculum Integration://** The read could be used in a setting activity. Nowhere in the text does it say that the boy is on a farm, however clues such as the crop of wheat and the farm animals, suggest that it takes place on a small family farm. Children could participate in a discussion about why they think the story's setting is where they do. Another way the read could be used is to tie it into a measuring follow up activity. It would be fun for the children to participate in making batter for a personal pancake- just like the boy in the story. The children could measure and mix their ingredients, and the teacher could prepare each child's batch of mix on an electric skillet.
 * //Summary://** This story takes place in the morning and tells about the lengths a boy goes through so his mother can prepare pancakes for his breakfast. First he gathers wheat from the field and takes it to the miller to make flour. Then he gathered an egg, milk from a cow, and jelly from the basement. After he churned some of the milk into butter and built a fire to cook on his mother was ready. All of the ingredients are mixed together and poured on the pan, the process being described in a step-by-step fashion. Finally, the big pancake is boy ready for the boy to eat for breakfast. This book can be used to show how small farms make self sufficiency possible for a family. Jack had all the supplies needed to make the pancake, but not one of them came from a grocery store or market.

5. Cooper, Elisha. (2010) **Farm.** Orchard Books. 42 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Summary://** This story takes a realistic look at what life might be like on one farm throughout the year. The characters- "(...) a farmer, another farmer, a boy and a girl," (p. 3) are a family who own and operate a farm. The read shows glimpses of their lives over the course of a year. Events such as the whole family being itchy from bugs during the summertime, or driving into town to sell sweet corn out if the back of a truck are included. The text also incorporates the animals from the farm- telling which ones the family has and has not named, explaining that a rooster has gone missing likely because of coyote, and so on. Following a sequential order, the story opens in the month of March and ends in November. Tying in with social studies standards for community and understanding goods and resources, this piece of fiction can be used to explore what farm life might be like during the year through a simple discussion during the read. **//Curriculum Integration://** This book can be used to teach children characteristics of months of the year. The children can write about the weather, chores, and scenery presented with each month during or after the read. The book can also be used as a platform for creative writing. Children can create their own descriptions of the months that the text did not include: December, January, and February. The rich descriptions- the similes and metaphors, adjectives, and rich language can be studied and discussed before children start their own writing. While children work, the book can be used as a model.

6. Cowley, Joy. (2003**) Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm.** Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** Outside of studying farming, this book could be used with very young children to discuss and explore the importance of hygiene and regularly washing. The children could talk about their own experiences, fears, or favorite part about bathing, or do a class poll on whether they love or hate bath time. Another way the read could be used is to talk about why the animals might not have done so well in the city. Characteristics of the city and a farm can be compared and contrasted as a class using a chart, table, or diagram. This will help students reach a conclusion to the aforementioned question to be posed regarding why the animals had such trouble while in the city.
 * //Summary://** This read ties in with a farm unit for preschoolers or young elementary students, as //Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm// takes place on a small farm. The characters are a pig, cow, duck, and Mrs. Wishy-Washy. One day, like many others, Mrs. Wishy-Washy bathed the animals. They all became angry at her for having to constantly take baths. The animals decided to solve their problem by running away from the Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s farm to the city. After arriving in the city, the animals find themselves causing mischief in a restaurant and hardware store, before finally being taken to the animal jail. In jail they sit cold, hungry and scared, they realize compared to their current situation, having to take a bath was not really as bad as they thought. Mrs. Wishy-Washy then came to her animals’ rescue, and returned them to her farm. The story ended with the animals happily receiving a daily scrub.

7. Hindley, Judy. (2002) **Does a Cow Say Boo?** Candlewick Press. 26 pages. Glendale Public Library **//Curriculum Integration://** The book can be used to teach children to associate more than one sound with an animal. For example, the text states that an owl says whoo, tu-whit, and tu-whoo. It would be a good cognitive skill for very young children to be able to recall numerous sounds for one animal. Another way the book can be extended upon is by a game of peek-a-boo. With very young children, this game is perfect for facilitating meaningful social interactions, establishing awareness of patterns, and even helps develop object permanence. 8. Rofe, Jennifer. (2010) **Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch.** Charlesbridge Publishing. 26 pages. Glendale Public Library **//Curriculum Integration://** Teachers could integrate this read into other areas of the curriculum by having the children guess the setting and provide evidence for their hypothesis. As you can see from the above examples, there are many hints within the text and illustrations. While the read does not come out and say it takes place on a small farm, even very young children could study the book to make educated guesses. Another way this book can be used in other areas of the curriculum is during a study of prepositions. The poem presents the pigs' adventure with prepositional phrases; the pigs go in, behind, into, between, along, across, through, around, and past different items. As the teacher reads the text, children can be prompted to list prepositions as they are said aloud. Once the read is finished, the children can compare lists, then listen to the story once more and raise their hand to identify the prepositions as they are said.
 * //Summary://** This is a book about farm animal sounds for young children. Illustrations show a group of small children wandering around a farm. On each page, the question is posed: Does a ___ say boo? The text then says, "No," and goes on to explain what that specific animals actually does say. The animals that are featured include cow, pig, dog, cat, owl, horse, rooster, duck, bird, hen, chicks, bee, and sheep. At the end of the story the texts ask if there's anyone who says, "boo," while the illustration shows the children with their hands covering their eyes. The final page reads, "Boo!" (p. 26). This book is best suited for a farm unit done with preschool children or younger. It's a great way to introduce the animals from the farm. Repeated readings of the story could add new animal words to the vocabularies of little ones.
 * //Summary://** This book is the story of two energetic pigs from what appears to be a small family farm. The story is formatted like a poem. It starts with the pigs sneaking around in the pumpkin patch. They leave the patch in a race across the yard into an adjacent clover field. The structure of the poem then repeats- opening with a new stanza about the pigs running out of the clover field and finding themselves in a bulls pen. The following stanza describes the pigs as they frantically attempt to escape from the bull they have angered, and they make their way back to the pumpkin patch where they fall fast asleep. //Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch// can be used to show children an example of a small farm, during a community helpers study of farmers or farming. The text includes many features of a small farm: a pumpkin patch, a garden filled with rows of green beans and other vegetables, a flock of sheep, and a bull. The illustrations also include hints that the setting is on a small farm: piles of hay, farm tools like pitchforks and buckets, chickens, and animal troughs.

9. Simon, Carly. (1997) **Midnight Farm.** Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. 35 pages. Glendale Public Library
 * //Summary://** This is the story of a family farm that comes to life one night under the light of a full moon. The plants and critters on the farm awaken the two young children who live in on the property as they prepare for a late night party. Throughout the evening the children witnessed the plants and animals- who were fully dressed and able to walk and talk- engage in conversations, dance, played instruments, and much more. The children step away from the festivities for a brief moment and come back to find all of the animals sleeping and plants returned to their soil beds. The children end their night and make their way back into their room to fall asleep, with the text promising that this would not be the last time they were awaken by their farm. Tying in with the social studies curriculum the book can be used to model farm related vocabulary. Animals, plants, and other farm vocabulary words are included all throughout the story. The book also features things that would not be expected to be seen on a farm, such as flamingo an a dolphin. The children could participate in an activity where they identify whether or not the different characters are from a farm setting. **//Curriculum Integration://** This fiction picture book can be used during practice identifying the patterns of rhyming. The entire book is written as a poem. Children can label each line with A B C and so on to identify the patterns of the rhymes in the stanzas. Another way this story could be used is to teach personification. The plants and animals on the farm literally come to life in the read- thus it serves as an excellent example of the concept of personification. The children can be instructed to identify the different things that are personified as well as the person-like characteristics that are being displayed.

10. Teague, Mark. (2009) **Funny Farm.** Orchard Books. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** One way this book can be used in other areas of the curriculum would be to tie it into a sequencing activity. After becoming familiar with the read, children can either fill in sequencing templates for the events in Edward’s day, or take part in predicting the next page during read alouds of the story. Another way this book can be used is to explore personification. The farm in the story is operated by a family of dogs, and the main character, Edward, is a dog as well. Children can be led in a discussion of whether or not that was typical of dogs, and why. Children can practice personification by illustrating their own animal character and giving him or her a background story with person-like characteristics.
 * //Summary://** //Funny Farm// is the story of a dog named Edward and his first visit to his relatives’ farm. Edward, who is pictured on every page wearing a snazzy tuxedo and bow-tie, does not seem to be comfortable with farm life. For every task he took part in on the farm, he seemed out of place and lost. Each page features sentence-long text about an event from Edward’s day, accompanied with an illustration of him either struggling or with a look of discomfort. The story concludes with the end of the day; Edward eats his dinner and falls asleep after his hard day’s work. This story can be used during farm study to illustrate the different chores and tasks that come with operating a farm.

Children’s Non-Fiction 11. Bendon Bear Learning Tab Set. (2002) **Bendon Bear and the Farm Animals.** Bendon Publishing International. 14 pages. Personal Collection. **//Summary://** This book is a board book designed to be read to very young children. Seven animals are highlighted in this read- chicken, cow, sheep, horse, goose, donkey, and pig. Each animal is housed in a two page spread complete with a heading, two photographs, a brief 'blurb' or fact about the animal, as well a playful comment about Brendon Bear's interactions with the animal pictured. Brendon Bear is a narrator-like character in the book who adds a bit of playfulness and fiction. His presence in the simple and short book is the perfect way to engage young children and make the facts shared age-appropriate. One example of how Brendon makes the information presented age-appropriate is that he is drawn into a picture of a calf so it looks like he is seated beside it. He is pictured holding a glass of milk. Print on the page shares that milk comes from cows, and the final printed material notes that Brendon made friends with the calf and has a glass of milk. This pattern- photographs, a drawing of Brendon Bear in the photographs, facts about the animals, and a comment about Brendon Bear interacting with the animals- is repeated on every page. This informational non-fiction book can be used to introduce animals found on a farm in preschool as well as with emerging readers in elementary school- who would be able to use strategies to decode the simple text themselves. **//Curriculum Integration://** When reading to young children, it can be used to practice recognition of books parts and discriminating between written word and pictures by prompting the children in the audience to touch or point to certain book parts. Besides farm animal exposure, reading practice and fostering pre-reading skills, the book's photographs on each spread picture an adult and baby version of the animals, and a few of the pages provide the correct terminology for the baby animals. As an extension to the reading children could explore baby animals by researching to find out the proper names for the baby animal pictures in the book that are not provided. Another way this book can be integrated into curriculum with young children is by incorporating classification skills. A copy of the pairs of animals photographed from each spread (or similar photographs) could be provided to the children as a matching game. The children could either play with the just the cards in a matching game like memory, or they could be prompted to hold up the matching photographs for each spread while the book is being read.

12. Berger, Melvin and Gilda. (2004) **Pumpkins.** Scholastic Inc. 16 pages. Personal Collection **//Summary://** Pumpkins is a Scholastic Readers book designed for early readers. It is a collection of several well-known pumpkin facts, for example, "People carve pumpkins" (p. 15). Each fact is condensed to a sentence, and is presented on its own page, accompanied by a related photograph. The facts vary in content from attributes of pumpkins, the pumpkin growing process throughout the seasons, and how pumpkins can be used. The book is a great way to help young children take a deeper look at one of the many crops that can grow on farms. **//Curriculum Integration://** This informational non-fiction book not only ties into community strands for social studies but many other areas of the curriculum. The book models the stages of growth for pumpkins- from seed to harvesting. Children can explore this information with sequencing activities or by even planting pumpkins as a class and observing growth first hand. Another concept this book explores is seasons. A photograph and fact about pumpkins is present for each of the four seasons. The children can compare and contrast how this crop looks during each season to other crops they may have learned about during the farm unit, and practice representing their data with diagrams or charts. A simple follow-up activity that can be adapted for all ages is to bring in real pumpkins. For example, older children could listen for adjectives the book stated and list additional adjectives describing the real pumpkins that have been provided. For younger children decorating pumpkins with paint or stickers would make for a fun fine motor activity. Another option with using real pumpkins to accompany the read would be scooping out pumpkin insides for purpose of a sensory bin or to collect the seeds for study, replanting, or cooking.

13. Flanagan, Alice. (2003) **Farmers: Community Workers.** Compass Point Books. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Summary://** This read is packed with information about farmers. It features a table of contents, photographs with captions, diagrams, a farmers schedule, glossary, six additional interesting farmer facts, additional resources, and an index. It is formatted in a way that presents the headings for the different sections as questions about farmers, for example, "What Do Farmers Wear?" The text following then goes on to answer the question that was posed with one to two paragraphs. The book is also riddled with several vocabulary words that relate to farmers. **//Curriculum Integration://** Besides only using this informational non-fiction text as a tool to teach about farmers as community helpers, the read can also be tied into other areas of the curriculum. Children who have recently learned to tell time can study the farmer’s schedule. Students can then replicate the schedule with their own daily routine. Another way this text can be used is to teach inquiry for science. The headings in this book model questioning for research purposes perfectly. Children can observe and discuss the connections between the headings, text, and title of the book, and then select a new or related topic as a class to research and present in the same way as the book. Students can be paired to formulate a question to research. After finding the information that answers their question, students can write the response. The class questions and answers can then be formatted using the book, Farmers, as a model to create a class book.

14. Gibbons, Gail. (1988) **Farming.** Holiday House. 30 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Summary://** Farming uses simple text and cartoon illustrations to take a closer look at life on a farm. The reader is shown a farm during different seasons of the year. Changes in the physical appearance as well as how indoor and outdoor chores change for the people running the farm are shared. The story is then concluded with illustrations and very brief descriptions of six different kinds of farms. These include dairy farms, eggs and poultry farms, grain farms, fruit farms, vegetable farms, and cattle farms and ranches. **//Curriculum Integration://** This informational non-fiction text is a great tool for emphasizing the changes of the seasons with young children. One activity that can be done with this read is to type all the different characteristics of the farm shared for the four seasons and have children sort into the categories spring, summer, fall, and winter. With older children, the information about the seasons can be extended on by comparing and contrasting the chores for each season. Since some the chores are not limited to just one season, children who have experience with Venn diagrams could create a 4-way diagram for this as a class. Another way this book can be integrated into the curriculum is by showing children pictures and video clips of different real-life farms and have them identify the type of farm according to the descriptions from the back of the book. This would be a great activity for helping young children think critically by having them justify their answers.

15. Nelson, Kristin. (2003) **Farm Tractors.** Learner Publications Company. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Summary://** This read introduces heavy machinery and equipment that can be found on a farm. The beginning of the read highlights vocabulary words for the different parts of a tractor, including descriptions about the importance of each part. The book also tells, step-by-step, the different ways farm machinery is used by farmers- from pulling plows to prep the fields to harvesting crops. Built into the text are interactive questions, some of which are a check-for-understanding, others more open-ended. At the end of the book is four additional "Facts about Farm Tractors, a "Parts of a Farm Tractor" diagram, an index, and a glossary. **//Curriculum Integration://** One way this informational non-fiction text about how tractors are used on farms is to build on the vocabulary words, diagram, and glossary- all of which communicate the same content. Children could be taught how to use a glossary by adding definitions to photocopies of the diagram. Children could additionally turn to the vocabulary words in the text to look for more details to provide for each definition. Another way the text could be used is to tie it into a reading comprehension and listing activity. After reading the book, have children list all the uses for tractors while working alone. Then have them pair and share for more ideas to add to their list. Have the groups merge until one class list for uses of a tractor is made. Conclude the activity by retreading the story and adding any missed tractor uses to the class list. With younger children, providing toy tractors for pretend play would be a great way to help students assimilate and accommodate the new words and concepts from the book.

Teacher Resources 16. Alexander, Heather. (2007) **John Deere: All Around the Farm.** DK Publishing. 64 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** This informational non-fiction text can be used by teachers doing farm units to help them become "masters" of the content. It would be great if throughout farm exploration a teacher was able to recite memorable facts from the text to help make the unit more interesting and relevant to the children. Another way this can be used as a teacher resource is during weather studies. The read shares different types of weather conditions that help and hinder plant growth. This information can be shared with students. Teachers can also use the read during history units. The book highlights the many changes that have taken place on farms over time- such as tractors, machinery, and even farm sizes. It's great information for a teacher to have if ever discussing how time has changed the way people work and receive their goods.
 * //Summary://** This book is packed with fun facts about farming. Subjects included are farmers, farm kids, crops and plants, machinery, harvest, animals, types of farms, seasons and weather, and much more! The information is yearbook-like in that it is displayed in a variety of formats such as short paragraphs, captions, lists, and diagrams. The facts are more in depth than other reads and are fun for young readers- for example, the combine spread shares general information about the combine like its use and names of its parts, but then facts like, "A combine can harvest enough wheat in nine seconds to make 70 loaves of bread," (p. 25) are included. Aside from tons of written information, each page includes several vibrant photographs and illustrations.

17. Hansen, Ann. (1996) **All Kinds of Farms.** Abdo & Daughters. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** As a teacher resource, this informational non-fiction text does not only contain good background information for a farming unit. It can also be used in other areas of study, like geography for example. A teacher can reference the different geographic regions discussed in the text to give her an idea of the resources that region produces. Or since the read features a variety of photographs to accompany the different pieces of information shared, a teacher could use these during comparison activities or when children are exploring descriptive words. A teacher can present the photographs to the children and either instruct them to list visible similarities and differences or to list adjectives for the photograph.
 * //Summary://** This read starts by introducing the purpose of farms. Different types of farms are compared and described. It includes big/little farms, farms according to geographic region, and various styles of farms like dairy or corn. The read also discusses how farms have changed over time, characteristics of most farms, and tells the reasoning for why different farms grow different crops. Irrigation is also highlighted in the read. It is concluded with a blurb about how no two farms are exactly alike.

18. Hansen, Ann. (1996) **Crops on the Farm.** Abdo & Daughters. 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Summary://** From a series called The Farm, this book takes a closer look at the different crops on different farms and how their growth is influenced. Crops are introduced through an explanation of the different types of crops, dirt, and climates. The read then emphasizes how geographic regions affect crop selection and growth. Featured regions from the United States are Southern Crops, The Grain Belt, The Northern States, and the Dry West. The book also touches on topics related to crops such as irrigation, hybrid plants, pests and poisons, and caring for the land. Captioned photographs, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index are included. **//Curriculum Integration://** As a teacher resource, this informational non-fiction text offers great background knowledge for teachers who wish to help their students explore crops as a part of a farm. Facts from the book, such as "Each type of crop needs the right kind of soil, sun, and water" (p. 6), can be shared and elaborated upon by the teacher throughout the unit. The book can also be used as a resource for a science unit in which children provide different amounts of water, sunlight, and types of soil for seeds to find out the conditions that "crop" might need to grow. The teacher can use the text to select the types of seeds provided to the children for the experiment. Another way the text can be used as a teacher resource is for geography- when children start to explore different regions of the country. The book highlights the crops for each region in a more in-depth way that would be expected from a child's textbook. The teacher can refer to the different regions the book wrote about to add extra details and to help children make connections between the climates and goods produced by each region throughout the geography study.

19. Abdo & Daughters. **Seasons on the Farm.** 32 pages. BalszElementary School Library **//Curriculum Integration://** The informational non-fiction book, Seasons on the Farm, could be used within the social studies curriculum during community or farm exploration. As far as other areas of the curriculum, the book can be used by the teacher while children explore the changes of the seasons and different weather associated with the seasons. During creative writing students can describe the different seasons, or students could create a diagram to compare their live during the seasons to farm life. Another way a teacher could use this read is to inspire a class field day or auction. Children can use paper mâché, or other materials to make animals and produce. They can then enter their creations into a class fair where peers can judge or use fake money to bid on the creations.
 * //Summary://** This book emphasizes the importance of timing when completing work on a farm. The underlying concept is that the rhythm of farming is determined by the seasons. Spring is presented as the beginning of the cycle- when soil is fertilized, seeds are planted and baby animals are born. Highlighted events from summer include animal care, weeding the crops, spraying pesticides, and attending fairs or auctions. Autumn on the farm is explained to be characterized by harvest, and the later, preparation for winter. Finally, the book shares that winter is a time for paperwork to wrap up the previous year and prepare for the next. The read features a table of contents, captioned photographs, a glossary, and an index.

20. Kallen, Stuart. (1997) **The Farm.** Abdo & Daughters. 24 pages. BalszElementary School Library Hansen, Ann. (1996) **//Summary://** The Farm is from a series of books about field trips. This book takes a broad look at the functions and characteristics of a farm. The content is introduced by telling where food comes from. The reader is then introduced to different sources of food that farms offer- from crops to livestock. Some machines typical of farms are also included as well as how they are used. The read is concluded with several sections about people who live or work on farms and how farming influences their lifestyle and connection with nature. Each section of the book includes photographs and captions to help readers visualize the content. The center of the book features a two-page spread of an illustrated farm with a couple key features labeled. **//Curriculum Integration://** The Farm is an information non-fiction book for primary aged readers. Besides being a great social studies curriculum tool for introducing the different aspects of farming, this book can be used in different subjects. For example, this can be tied into literacy standards for engaging in group readings of informational text. Before the book is read, the teacher can prepare a piece of butcher paper or a space on the board titled "Things Found on a Farm." Then after reading each section ask the students to list ideas the text gave about what they might see on a farm. A fun follow-up for this would be to take the children on a field trip to the farm and have them make lists of different things they see. After the field trip, the class list created from the book can be compared to individual students’ lists. For younger audiences it might be beneficial to read only one or two sections of the book per day, and provide an activity that reinforces the information from that day's text. For example, the section "Milking the Cows" could be read to a class of young students. Then the teacher could close the reading by allowing the children to milk a mock cow (a constructed model of a cow that has a vinyl glove filled with milk and pinpricks in the fingertips). This fine-motor activity would be a very hands-on way to help the children internalize the fact that milk comes from cows, and provides an opportunity for the new vocabulary words, such as udders, dairy, and troughs, to be modeled and used. As a teacher resource, this book covers a broad range of farm information and makes for a great pacing guide or set of mini-standards for teaching the different relevant information about farms.